Local man makes it easy to talk with lawmakers with "Let's Fix This" movement (Fox 25)
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Andy Moore didn't take his first trip to the Oklahoma State Capitol until a month ago. He went for a trip he organized for "regular folks."
That trip to the Capitol has become a movement, he said.
May 22, 2016
By Jordann Lucero
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Andy Moore didn't take his first trip to the Oklahoma State Capitol until a month ago. He went for a trip he organized for "regular folks."
That trip to the Capitol has become a movement, he said.
"We started out by just [having] a goal of me and some of my friends to get people more engaged with their legislator, get them to stop complaining on Facebook and actually go down and have a conversation about what's important to them. A thing none of us ever do," Moore said.
He invited everyone on Facebook for an event he called "Let's Fix This," taglining it "a day at the Capitol for regular folks who care." Anyone who wanted could join him and his friends at the Capitol on April 27. They would meet and together figure out their way around the Capitol and into their legislators' offices.
About 70 people showed up, Moore said.
They wanted to talk about different things that were important to them or ideas they had, but Moore said it became clear the big issue was the state budget.
Largely because of the decline in oil, the state is facing a budget deficit of more than $1 billion.
"I jokingly say we're broke, but we're not broken, but, man, this budget issue really stressing all of us out I think," Moore said.
The budget issue also found a voice through about 1,100 Oklahoma City students who organized walk-out from schools in protest of how the state budget crisis affect them.
Last week, many of these students joined Moore for the second Let's Fix This day. The walked from Classen School for Advanced Studies to the Capitol. Some students were not even old enough to vote, but still participated and talked to lawmakers.
This day at the Capitol grew to about 100 participants.
Because the session is almost over "the time to protest, the time to contact your legislator, the time to just spread the word about what's happening to our budget is right now," Classen SAS senior Thomas Massenat said.
Massenat said he will join Moore again for his third and last event on Thursday, the day before this legislative session is to end.
"It's the way the government should be," Massenat said.
Let's Fix This: For the Kids will focus on education funding. Those who want to participate will meet at Douglass High School and head to the Capitol together at 9:00 Thursday morning.
Classen SAS students march to state Capitol amid budget cuts (KOCO)
OKLAHOMA CITY — Classen School of Advanced Studies students and their parents are marching from campus to the Capitol Wednesday morning because of the state's education budget cuts.
May 18, 2016
By Jonathan Greco
OKLAHOMA CITY — Classen School of Advanced Studies students and their parents are marching from campus to the Capitol Wednesday morning because of the state's education budget cuts.
Students at OKCPS high schools walk out in protest of budget cuts
Students will begin their march at 7:30 a.m. at Northwest 18th Street and North Ellison Avenue to encourage others to participate in the "Let's Fix This" movement, which encourages citizens to be active and vocal with their legislators. It also was established to show people how to talk to their representatives.
Classen SAS students joined the movement in response to the state's budget cuts to education.
“It began as something small,” Classen SAS student Thomas Massenat said in a news release. “I was having a conversation with my family about the budget cuts’ infuriating nature. My sister Chloe and I decided that we should take action. We knew that the group ‘Let’s Fix This’ was meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday, and that other schools in the district were staging their own protests earlier in the week.”
More information about "Let's Fix This" can be found on the grassroots organization's Facebook page.
More than 1,000 students from Oklahoma City schools staged walkouts Monday in protest of Oklahoma City Public Schools' budget cuts. Students from U.S. Grant High School, Northwest Classen High School, Star Spencer High School and Jefferson Middle School participated in the walkout.
Oklahoma City Public Schools has announced $30 million in budget cuts to the 2016-17 school year.
http://www.koco.com/article/classen-sas-students-march-to-state-capitol-amid-budget-cuts/4309819
Civil disobedience: Students march to Oklahoma Capitol (NonDoc)
In an effort one screaming teenager dubbed “civil disobedience,” dozens of Classen School of Advanced Studies students and their parents marched three miles to the Oklahoma Capitol this morning to protest education funding cuts.
May 18, 2016
By William W. Savage III
In an effort one screaming teenager dubbed “civil disobedience,” dozens of Classen School of Advanced Studies students and their parents marched three miles to the Oklahoma Capitol this morning to protest education funding cuts.
“It’s finally come down to affect us as we’re seeing entire programs get cut, our favorite teachers or subjects getting fired or getting cut,” said Jasper Urie-Lanman, a freshman at the high school. “For a while, it hadn’t been affecting us, but now we kind of realize that it really is.”
Urie-Lanman said he wants to be a writer when he grows up, and his friend, Dennis Hurst, said he wants to be a violinist. Hurst held a sign saying, “Fund education, fund our future.”
Hurst called the $30 million in approved and proposed cuts by OKCPS for next year’s budget “really detrimental to our future.”
Urie-Lanman agreed and said he hoped to send that message to lawmakers at 23rd and Lincoln.
“I’d like to see an actual change for once,” he said. “A lot of times when you protest, it’s hard to get an immediate change. But I think with actual students who care about their education and the future of such a great school in such a great school system, I think it could really make an effect if we all voice our concerns and opinions to the Legislators and to the people who make the decisions.”
Parents join students
Several parents accompanied the students in the march Wednesday.
Timothy Bradford, one half of OKC’s Short Order Poems group, showed up with signs to support his two children who attend Classen SAS.
“Classen SAS is an amazing school,” Bradford said after students had crossed Classen Boulevard heading east toward the Capitol. “For me, it’s been a wonderful place for both of my kids, and I worry about it becoming far less of a wonderful place. They’re talking shortened days, four days a week, cutting staff, (cutting) the arts.”
A magnet school, Classen SAS is home to a middle school and the highest-performing high school in the Oklahoma City Public Schools District. The district has announced 208 teaching position reductions and 25 percent cuts to athletics and arts programs. Monday, more than 1,000 students walked out of district schools in protest of the ongoing belt-tightening.
“I feel a little bit like I’m out here doing this because my representatives, the Legislature, my governor, they’re not doing the job they’re appointed to do, and that’s to keep the state running and healthy, and that includes good infrastructure and good public education,” Bradford said. “We’re facing a situation where that’s really in jeopardy, and that means to me they’re not doing their job and that means I have to come out here and — not do their job — but remind them to do it.”
Bradford and Urie-Lanman said Wednesday’s protest was organized by Thomas and Chloe Massenat, children of former OKCPS school board member Laura Massenat. Bradford is a visiting assistant professor in English at Oklahoma State University. Another Classen SAS parent in attendance, Felix Linden, is a teacher elsewhere in the district.
Protesters too young to vote
Urie-Lanman, Hurst and many others in attendance will all be too young to vote in 2016 elections.
“That’s a problem,” Hurst said.
Abigail Hickman, a Classen SAS junior, said her 18th birthday will come two weeks after November’s general election.
“I’m annoyed (I won’t get to vote) because nothing is going to change between those two weeks,” she said before speculating about why the Legislature has accepted education funding cuts. “I think it’s an idea that they’re funding an average education for an average student. So arts and athletics, which are a staple here, aren’t really necessary. So they’re just going to provide an average education.”
‘Oh everything’s fine’
Bradford noted a recent Reuters article that discussed how oil and gas interests have kept their state tax burdens relatively low despite revenue issues in Oklahoma.
“While we’ve been making a lot of money through oil and gas during the boom, we weren’t putting money aside like other states,” he said. “We weren’t taxing it at rates that were really going to sustain or help our schools get ahead. Actually, we were shrinking the budget for public education, and I feel a little like an idiot that I didn’t know that and wasn’t on top of that.
“While things are good, you kind of roll with it and say, ‘Oh, everything’s fine.’ But now we’re in a really tight spot. You know, we could have been ahead of the game as far as budgeting for education if things had been taxed at a proper level during the boom. Now, where we are, certainly we’re not going to find extra money, but it’s just trying to keep the cuts from completely gutting things, keeping the school system relatively healthy.”
https://nondoc.com/2016/05/18/civil-disobedience-students-march-to-oklahoma-capitol/
Students, parents of one Oklahoma City school marching to Capitol to protest budget cuts (KFOR)
OKLAHOMA CITY – Students and parents of one Oklahoma City school are marching to the Capitol Wednesday to protest budget cuts.
Students and parents of Classen SAS are planning on marching from their school at N.W. 18th and Ellison at 7:30 a.m. to the State Capitol in support of the social movement, “Let’s Fix This.”
May 18, 2016
By Dallas Franklin
OKLAHOMA CITY – Students and parents of one Oklahoma City school are marching to the Capitol Wednesday to protest budget cuts.
Students and parents of Classen SAS are planning on marching from their school at N.W. 18th and Ellison at 7:30 a.m. to the State Capitol in support of the social movement, “Let’s Fix This.”
According to a press release from the group, the march came about after student Thomas Massenat discussed the budget cuts with his family.
“It began as something small,” Massenat stated, “I was having a conversation with my family about the budget cuts’ infuriating nature. My sister Chloe and I decided that we should take action. We knew that the group ‘Let’s Fix This’ was meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday, and that other schools in the district were staging their own protests earlier in the week.”
“Let’s Fix This” is a non-partisan political movement that encourages citizens to be active and vocal with their legislators and helps educate the public on how to speak to their representatives.
“The purpose of our protest is to demonstrate to Oklahoma’s legislators the weight of their actions. Because of their refusal to pass legislation that will overcome the projected revenue shortfall of $1.3 billion, Oklahoma’s future generation is at risk. This shortfall has forced the OKCPS district to slash $30 million from its budget. What that looks like at my school of Classen SAS is teachers being fired, AP and IB testing funds disappearing, and cuts to the administrative staff. We fully support measures to counteract this deficit including rolling back tax cuts, closing tax loopholes, ending costly tax breaks, and selective tax increases on cigarettes and fuel,” Massenat said. “As students we have the privilege of being the victims of these cuts, so it is imperative that we demand our legislators increase revenues instead of cutting programs. The strategies they have used in the past were ineffective. It’s time for Oklahoma to try something new.”
http://kfor.com/2016/05/18/students-parents-of-one-oklahoma-city-school-marching-to-capitol-to-protest-budget-cuts/
Press Release: Students and Parents to March to The Capitol Wednesday
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 17, 2016) — Students of Classen SAS and their parents are planning on marching from their school at NW 18th and Ellison at 7:30 in the morning on Wednesday May 18, to the State Capitol in support of the social movement "Let's Fix This." The group of students came about after CSAS student Thomas Massenat discussed the budget cuts with his family, “it began as something small,” Massenat stated, “I was having a conversation with my family about the budget cuts’ infuriating nature. My sister Chloe and I decided that we should take action. We knew that the group ‘Let’s Fix This’ was meeting at the capitol on Wednesday, and that other schools in the district were staging their own protests earlier in the week.”
Students and Parents to March to The Capitol Wednesday
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 17, 2016) — Students of Classen SAS and their parents are planning on marching from their school at NW 18th and Ellison at 7:30 in the morning on Wednesday May 18, to the State Capitol in support of the social movement "Let's Fix This." The group of students came about after CSAS student Thomas Massenat discussed the budget cuts with his family, “it began as something small,” Massenat stated, “I was having a conversation with my family about the budget cuts’ infuriating nature. My sister Chloe and I decided that we should take action. We knew that the group ‘Let’s Fix This’ was meeting at the capitol on Wednesday, and that other schools in the district were staging their own protests earlier in the week.”
"Let's Fix This" is a non-partisan political movement that encourages citizens to be active and vocal with their legislators and helps educate the public on how to speak to their representatives. Oklahoma City resident Andy Moore started Let's Fix This as a grassroots effort to create more active participation among his friends and family, which quickly grew to hundreds of supporters and participants. Let's Fix This is meeting for the second time during this legislative session Wednesday morning in room 252 on the 2nd floor of the state Capitol. “This is a day for us regular folks who care about our state and our communities to take some time off of work and actually meet face-to-face with our legislators about the state budget crisis,” says Moore. He emphasizes that this isn’t a rally but rather a group outing for individuals to meet with their representatives.
Regarding the student march to the Capitol in the morning, Massenat says, “The purpose of our protest is to demonstrate to Oklahoma’s legislators the weight of their actions. Because of their refusal to pass legislation that will overcome the projected revenue shortfall of $1.3 billion, Oklahoma’s future generation is at risk. This shortfall has forced the OKCPS district to slash $30 million from its budget. What that looks like at my school of Classen SAS is teachers being fired, AP and IB testing funds disappearing, and cuts to the administrative staff. We fully support measures to counteract this deficit including rolling back tax cuts, closing tax loopholes, ending costly tax breaks, and selective tax increases on cigarettes and fuel.” Massenat continues, “As students we have the privilege of being the victims of these cuts, so it is imperative that we demand our legislators increase revenues instead of cutting programs. The strategies they have used in the past were ineffective. It’s time for Oklahoma to try something new.”
For more information on Let’s Fix This, visit the Facebook event for the 2nd meeting:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1719475578324114/
Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetsFixThisOK/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/letsfixthisok