February 12, 2020 Issue, Page 3 of 14

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Wednesday, February 12, 2020 House drug bill would undermine Opinion Page “ElkCituNews and politicize scientific research Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 if the NIH could fill that affect people’s health. would turn scientific discov- Why can’t Oklahoma’s By Sandip Shah House Speaker Nancy role, we shouldn’t want it to. It’s up to private compa- ery into a political circus. Pelosi’s Lower Drug Costs Putting the government in nies to embark on the ardu- Drug development -- a kids read any better? Now Act (H.R.3).imposes charge of drug development ous and expensive drug de- process fraught with failure strict price controls, taxes, would politicize scientific velopment process. It takes -- simply isn’t an effective By Byron Schlomach and regulations on biophar- research and prove disas- more than 10 years and $2 use of public resources. Less As has been true every year since 2002 (save for one maceutical companies. The trous for patients. billion to develop one suc- anomaly in 2015), Oklahoma’s National Assessment for than 12 percent of drugs that nonpartisan Congressional HR. 3 would gut private- cessful drug. “Sixty-seven Educational Progress (NAEP) most recent reading scores enter phase 1 clinical trials Budget Office expects the sector innovation, Pharma- percent to 97 percent of drug for 4th and 8th graders came in under the national average. measure to reduce the indus- ceutical firms spend roughly development is conducted ultimately receive FDA ap- The 8th grade scores have been significantly higher in the proval. Between 1998 and past. try’s revenues by $1 trillion 20 percent of revenues on by the private sector,” ac- Why this poor showing? Why does it persist? Why has it over the coming decade. research and development. cording to recent research 2014, drug companies en- gotten worse? No doubt, some will respond with the usual Many H.R. 3 proponents So a $1 trillion drop in rev- from the Tufts University gaged in 96 failed attempts refrain about the need for more money. But, Oklahoma is acknowledge this govern- enues would result in ap- School of Medicine. to develop treatments for one of only a handful of states that offers pre-kindergar- ment price-setting will proximately $200 billion The NIH simply doesn’t melanoma, 75 for brain can- ten for all comers and funds it in its formulas. It’s better- choke off private-sector less R&D spending. have access to that kind of cer, and 167 for lung cancer. funded than high school. And besides, did teachers have research funding. But they House Democrats hope to capital. In 2017, drug com- Putting the federal gov- a better excuse for not teaching reading before they got a believe the National Insti- reroute some of the money panies spent $97 billion on ernment in charge of creat- $5,000 raise? tutes of Health -- the federal the government saves from The reason Oklahoma has poor readers might be because R&D in the United States -- ing new medicines would agency that funds most basic price controls to the NIH. In close to triple the entire NIH waste billions of dollars of a whole-word “reading instruction” method, often charac- scientific research -- could theory, the agency could use budget. terized as the “three-cueing system,” is still used all over taxpayer money on drugs the state, according to an Oklahoma Watch article from last fill the gap left by private re- that funding to pick up the Even if it were possible, that never reach patients. September. This method of supposedly teaching reading searchers. private sector’s slack. Americans shouldn’t want It can’t. In practice, this plan won't the government to play a Sandip Shah is founder has children attempt to memorize the look of entire words, The NIH does important work. The NIH doesn’t try larger role in drug devel- and president of Market Ac- or guess a word from context, without learning the individ- ual sounds letters represent. This basic method has gone work. But it possesses nei- to develop medicines. It fo- opment. Placing a federal cess Solutions, which devel- by other names such as “Look-Say,” “See-Say,” “Sight,” ther the personnel nor the cuses almost exclusively on agency -- whose annual ops strategies to optimize “Psycholinguistic,” “Word,” “Whole-Word,” and “Whole resources to replace private basic research, such as how budget varies based on Con- patient access to life-chang- Language” over the years. They are all discredited. drug companies. And even certain proteins and genes gress’ whims -- in charge ing therapies. There is only one scientifically-verified reading instruc- tion methodology — phonics. It requires instructing chil- dren in the constituent sounds we use to form words, and the letters and letter combinations that represent them. You'd think that educators would trip over each other to The divided states of Trumpistan by Wim Laven can get away with anything. we will make bribery great for apartheid will not creat: get their hands on a teaching methodology verified by sci- With the end of the Im-‘Trump and his lawyers have again. So much for his gas- peace, it is obscene, and i ence, one even confirmed with brain imaging, but that’s peachment Trial of Donald argued that “legally, he real- lighting claim about wanting would be comedy if not fo apparently wrong. Maybe teachers persist in using wrong Trump the partisan divide ly could [shoot someone on to help clean up corruption the real-world horror it is is deepened and acquittal a Fifth Avenue and get away teaching methods in reading because of what they were er- in Ukraine. It is no wonder that he ha roneously taught in our universities’ schools of education, with it]—and no one could Trumpistan is broadly dys- desperately wanted to creat and they just don’t know better. If so, making them aware mere formality. Mitch Mc- topic. The corruption he pro- do a thing about it.” Is that a state-run media source t of their error should result in swift change. Connell promised to quickly what Trumpistan looks like? motes appears to have served tell the stories the ways hi Unfortunately, our Superintendent of Public Education, acquit Trump of the charges, I fear Trumpistan be- him well, he famously bank- wants them told. There is nc Joy Hofmeister, and the department she leads seem more he did so with no witnesses cause its emperor wears no rupts businesses and brags room for an unofficial fourtl concerned with subjecting our teachers to hours of meet- about it in showcasing how or evidence provided. It clothes. Rather than heed “brilliant” he is. He takes branch (the media) provid ings about “trauma-informed” instruction. Best I can tell, leaves me wondering what the advice of experts, dis- advantage of legal loopholes ing oversight on the check that means being nice to kids from dysfunctional families this leaves of American de- sent is pushed out and alien- to grift and leave contractors and balances of the thre: and neighborhoods. That’s laudable, but the vast major- mocracy, the Constitution, ated. Blunder after blunder unpaid. But it gets so much branches of government is ity of teachers are already compassionate. It would seem and where is the justice? the failures are persistent. worse, in Trump’s world Trump’s world. far more important and beneficial for these same children Senators took oaths— There was never a doubt teachers (like me) should Maybe it is hyperbole. Wi to learn to read than to have their teachers repeatedly told twice—to swear to defend about the futility of Trump’s have to pay bribes in order are three years and 16,00 they need to be compassionate, which is not exactly news. the Constitution and also to border wall project, but it to teach, in turn we should lies into Trump’s presidency Maybe it’s time to mandate that the state universities’ act as unbiased jurors, but could not be more laughable receive good favors for the We are at the end of a tria colleges of education teach scientifically-verified reading there is no evidence that Re- than to see the discovery grades we administer. Police to remove him from offic: publicans took this serious- of another highly sophisti- officers could handle crimes where the conclusion wa instruction methods, that they re-teach current teachers at ly. After all, there are many cated tunnel system in the out of court with fines paid foretold; his jurors have tok the universities’ expense, and that public schools use those directly to them. He is a us: he did it, it was wrong fo questions that are unan- same week that winds blew methods. After all, Oklahoma students’ poor reading skills can ultimately be traced to our universities’ colleges of swered, pieces of evidence the wall over and openings businessman—they why shouldn’t say—so everything be him to do it, and so what education. to examine, and witnesses to to allow for gully-washing for sale? They want us to leave it t hear from. This is the type of floods were carved out. The the voters with no care tha Byron Schlomach is 1889 Institute Director and can be Nepotism has reared its acquittal that one might ex- great beacon of freedom— ugly head. Lifetimes of ser- his charge was for trying t contacted at bschlomach@ 1889institute.org. pect in a country like Paki- the Statue of Liberty—stand vice and expertise are not cheat in the upcoming elec stan, which routinely scores with the inscription: “give something to be valued in tion. Three things your low in indices of corruption and judicial integrity. It is me your tired, your poor...” But the offer was invalidat- Trumpistan. King Trump’s Maybe Republicans wil princess Ivanka makes a find a backbone and wil ed on 1/27/2020 when the great Senior Advisor, forget push Trump’s loyalists out marriage needs not reflective of blind jus- Supreme Court decided the tice or transparent democ- next iteration of Trump’s her qualifications for “on Maybe citizens will unite it racy. With this wholesale class war—denying green the education and economic mass action; Existential: By Rachel Cruze Valentine’s Day is coming! Prepare yourself for an on- corrupt partisan divide and cards to people who might, empowerment of women threatened—our air and wa slaught of Instagram posts featuring bright flowers, spar- the apparent establishment at some point, need federal and their families as well as ter are even for sale! (alony Kling jewelry, and oversized teddy bears. Your feed is of a Trump Loyalist Party I assistance—was job creation and economic with 95 other environmenta Constitu- about to get #blessed. If you get to know me for more than worry about the future, what tional. growth through workforce roll backs), nonviolent fore: Forget E pluribus 10 seconds, you know that’s not what I’m about. Heck, my do the Divided States of unum (Latin for “Out of development, skills training may be the only chance fo Trumpistan look like? many, one”) if Trump knew and entrepreneurship” ac- citizens to remove this dan husband isn’t even on social media. And I'm okay with that. Trump has been accused Latin he would declare: Abs- cording to the White House gerous administration and it of violating the US Con- que argento omnia vana— un-American loyalists. One study wanted to find out if couples who post ex- website she “founded an cessively about each other are actually happier in their stitution in serving his own Without money all is in vain! Perhaps, in relief, he will opt eponymous lifestyle brand.” Or maybe the “perfect’ relationships. Spoiler alert: They’re not! The study found political interests through for the Wu Tang Clan ver- Her husband Jared Kushner crime has earned us th: “over-the-top displays are being used to compensate for efforts to extort political sion: Cash Rules Everything did not need to go to school King we never wanted. Di weaker relationships.”1 This doesn’t mean you don’t love interference from Ukraine Around Me! to declare: “Palestinians Martin Luther King Jr. saic your husband if you talk about how wonderful he is on and for abusing his office in Trumpistan is the devolu- have never done anything “The ultimate measure of : social media. Hopefully, you and your spouse affirm each covering his crimes up. He tion of global efforts towards right in their sad, pathetic man is not where he stand other daily and in person. wants to launch investiga- peace and justice. Land lives” before warning “do in moments of comfort anc But when I think about the healthiest couples I know, tions against his political op- mines have been banned by not screw up this opportuni- convenience, but where h: they’re not the ones posting about each other 24/7. They’re ponents, and his legal coun- most of the world, because ty” when speaking about his they are a threat to civil- “solution” to the intractable stands at times of challeng: also not worried about what other people think, so they’re sel suggests that anything ians long after wars end, but and controversy.” These an not buying more stuff to impress people (just so they can he does to get reelected is conflict in the Middle East. an act of public interest. Trump will expand the use challenging times indeed post about it). They’re secure in their lives, but not because of land mines. Anti-corrup- I am sure Trump will tell If the Trump loyalists put us about the “peace plan,” Where do we stand? of an expensive lifestyle that they can flaunt. Instead, the tion laws are seen as an ob- couples I look up to have one thing in common—they’re their loyalty pledges ahead stacle to completive business “they said it could not be Wim Laven, Ph.D., syndi all intentional in their marriages. of their oaths to defend the done...” and T’ll give you cated by PeaceVoice, teach practices, Trump calls The strong marriage doesn’t happen by chance. If you want Constitution and serve unbi- the spoiler: it wasn’t. The es courses in political sci Foreign Corrupt Practices to be intentional and make your spouse feel really secure, ased justice, then it seems he Act “horrible.” No doubt, Trump administration’s plan ence and conflict resolution work together on these three areas: Set goals together still make space to hear each spouse. Too many people elry will tarnish. But a rela- out of debt. She’s authored A2017 study by Ramsey Solutions revealed that 94% of other. Hashing it out, put- let Instagram-level expecta- tionship built on these three three best-selling books, in- couples who describe their marriages as “great” also say ting in the work, and com- tions form their values and principles will make your cluding Love Your Life, Not they discuss money goals together. Getting on the same ing from a place of under- family priorities. I’ve been marriage a blessing, not just Theirs and Smart Money page financially with your spouse is one of the best things standing will only make you there, too, and I know it’s #blessed. Smart Kids, which she co- you can do for your marriage. If you need some help recon- stronger. And by the way, an empty and endless battle About Rachel Cruze wrote with her father, Dave necting and realigning the goals of your relationship, check T’m a huge fan of counseling trying to keep up. Spend that As a #1 New York Times Ramsey. You can follow out this episode of The Rachel Cruze Show. You'll learn for every marriage, not just time and energy focusing on best-selling author, host of Cruze on Twitter and Insta- about money mistakes that can ruin your relationship, and the ones in crisis mode. all the things you truly love The Rachel Cruze Show, gram at @RachelCruze and practical ways to communicate and work better together. Don’t compare your mar- about your spouse, and the and The Rachel Cruze Show online at rachelcruze.com, Be willing to have tough conversations riage to someone else’s life you’ve already built to- podcast, Rachel helps peo- youtube .com/rachelcruze My friend, Dr. Les Parrott, says conflict is the price we Comparison will _ steal gether. ple learn the proper ways or —_ facebook.com/rachel- pay for a deeper level of intimacy. You can disagree, and your joy and frustrate your Flowers will die, and jew- to handle money and stay ramseycruze.