Mary Fallin is 100% Behind Common Core and "it is here to stay!" What Say YOU?

Julia and Lynn and I have often complained of the number of times we have sought a meeting with OUR Governor - Mary Fallin - in order to speak to her about Common Core.  In nearly four years, we've never been 'granted audience'.  We're the only non-profit, mom-centered, education watchdog in the entire state.  You'd think that would mean something, but no.  It seems as though parents who disagree with our Governor (and several other of our elected Republicans) are simply ignored - until election time - that certainly has been my personal experience with our Governor.

It appears, however, that we're not the only ones to find this out.  Following, is the re-telling of an experience one woman had with the Governor's office.  The daughter goes to my church (Fairview Baptist in Edmond - probably another reason we're not heard!) and shared this with me last Sunday:

Jenni, As I was telling you yesterday (10/27/13), my mother called Mary Fallin's office on Wednesday about Common Core & was told she would have to talk to a man named Shawn.  She left a message for him to call her back. He had not called back by Thursday afternoon, & again told them she was calling about Common Core, again the lady told her that she would have to talk to Shawn, that he was in his office & that she would put my mother through to his office, again he did not answer his phone, she left another message, appx 1 hour later he had not called back, so my mom called again, & ask the lady, I thought you said Shawn was in his office, the lady said he was, put my mother on hold, came back in a little bit and told her that Shawn would be calling her back in the next 30 min. Shawn did call back and jumped all over my mother about jumping on the lady at the front desk, when all my mother had done was (ask her if) Shawn was in his office. Then he proceeded to tell my mother that nothing had changed since her call in April, that Common Core had been voted on by the Oklahoma Legislature, that they had been putting it in for the last 2 years, & that Mary Fallin was behind it 100%, that she wanted it and it was here to stay. And that he didn't care who my mother told what Mary Fallin was all for , that it was here to stay, that that information was out there all over the network. I think that once they get Common Core fully into all the schools, next they will start coming into Homeschooler's to demand testing those students, if they don't meet the requirements then they will have to go to governments schools. They DO NOT want any children to to independent or Christian. Thank you, Sandra Vallance.

Here's another accounting from one of my great friends in the Enid area, Mark Irwin of the Sons and Daughters of Liberty:

Governor Fallin held a “meet and greet” here in Enid last Thursday(Oct 24^th) prior to a fundraiser event.  The Governor made 10-15 minutes of remarks on the successes of her administration and recruited for assistance with her re-election campaign.  This was followed by an impromptu questions and answers session.  Here are my recollections of the session:

The first question asked of the Governor was regarding Nullification Bills in the last session of the Legislature.  The questioner pointed out that significant money was raised in the Enid area in support of Nullification ,  primarily from the Governor’s donor base and the effort hit a stone wall in the Senate due to the Chairmen of several committees refusing to hear the bills.  The questioner said she was concerned about the country and felt that the States were the only hope for reigning in Washington.  The Governor replied that the State had petitioned for and received a waiver on one of the Federal grants for education as I recollect and that she was working to gain more latitude for the State to run or comply with Federal programs, but at the end of the day “Federal law is superior to State law”.

The second questioner thanked Governor Fallin for not implementing the State Health Care Exchange, pointed out that the Federal Government was out of control, broke beyond any hope of honestly meeting its obligations, militant abroad and becoming increasing tyrannical at home and that it did not have authority for most of its actions.   In regards to the Governor’s statement about Federal law being superior to State law the questioner challenged that assumption on the grounds that only those Federal laws made in “pursuance to the Constitution” were the law of the land and that we can’t  count on the Federal courts to enforce the Constitution.  He said that it was his opinion that the primary job of the Governor was to protect the Liberties of the citizens of Oklahoma and asked for her thoughts on the subject.   The Governor’s response was fairly long, but basically she said she is a supporter of States Rights and that the State was taking action against Federal overreach and referenced AG Pruitt’s work in the Federal courts.  Governor Fallin acknowledged that the Federal courts don’t always get it right, but we would have to wait and see what the Federal courts decided.

The third questioner asked about reducing State overhead and expenditures, the Governor’s commitment to not expand Medicaid,  and emphasized that the Governor was the only protection the individual citizen has between them and the Federal government.  The questioner also stated that he felt the State should be very wary of taking Federal Funds due to the regulations that always seem to come with them.  Governor Fallin outlined her administrations streamlining of its agencies, inventorying of State property and structures with the idea of selling off excess, and the conversion of State vehicles to CNG fuel as well as a reduction in the number of those vehicles.  The Governor said unequivocally that she would not expand Medicaid.

The fourth questioner asked the Governor if she thought  a State could Nullify an unconstitutional law.  She answered yes, if it was approved by the SCOTUS.  The questioner then asked where in the Constitution does it say that SCOTUS is the final authority on which laws are constitutional.  Governor Fallin replied that she didn’t have her copy of the Constitution with her.  The questioner said that was ok because nowhere in the Constitution does it grant this authority to SCOTUS.  The Governor said she wanted to make sure any actions of the State were legal and that it was her job to enforce the laws.  The questioner replied “exactly”.

At this point the Governor’s aid jumped in and said that it was time to go to their next event which was the fundraiser.  The Governor said her goodbyes, shook hands with most of those in attendance and departed.  I did not attend the fundraiser, but talked with someone that I personally know who did.  He said that a question regarding Nullification/State resistance to Federal laws was asked of the Governor during the event and she replied with words to the effect that the people asking these types of questions are on the “Libertarian faction of the party”.

So, anyone who happens to maintain a Republican voter registration, but actually wants to move the party back to the Reagan Republican years is a LIBERTARIAN?  Really, who cares whether you're a Libertarian or a registered Republican - my kids have a better grasp on the Constitution than our own governor.  I'd rather be a Libertarian than a Republican if all I have for role models are Janet Barresi and Mary Fallin.

The day that we picketed the Governor's opening day of her campaign (10/24/13) at the Oklahoma History center, I gave the blow-by-blow of having the state troopers on standby to haul us off, then, as we were ready to disperse, Mr. Goeas (a man from Maryland who comes to Oklahoma to work Fallin's campaigns for her every year apparently) came over and spoke with Tracey Montgomery, Julia and myself. He told us that he worked for a number of governors and that he understood about the Common Core as it was shaping up to be a factor in some of the races on which he was working (Scott Walker and John Kasich among them). He also told us that the Common Core would have been fine, in his opinion, if it had not been 'hijacked' by the federal government.

After some further back and forth, Mr. Goeas told us that he would set up a meeting for us with Gov. Fallin, but also made sure to tell us to be prepared, that it might not change anything!


Guess what!?!?  I know, big shocker here!  WE DIDN'T GET AN INVITATION TO COME TALK TO OUR GOVERNOR!


I have very little confidence that Common Core will NOT get the same treatment this year as last - the "good cop, bad cop" bit straight out of B police movies.  The House will pass a bill to kill the Common Core and everyone will be so excited only to find out that Clark Jolley and/or John Ford will kill it in the Senate.  I'm sure this is not shocking to you, but it should be INFURIATING!  I can even see Ford or Jolley come off their position (Yes!  I'm against Common Core - but then the other one keeps his - that way, again, good cop/bad cop - and again the elitists win and the grassroots gets the shaft) You are the hardworking people who pay their taxes and DO their fair share - only to be treated like second class citizens by those we elect once the election is over!


DO NOT allow this to happen again!  Stay vigilant - we will come up with a solution, it's just a matter of time!  We MUST get our governor on the record about Common Core as many times as we possibly can.  If she's going to be somewhere, show up and ask her questions about it - tweet to her - post on her Facebook page - whatever gets others to notice.  Fallin was asked by an AP reporter about Common Core that Thursday.  She spun her answer and didn't use the words Common Core!  The more we make her have to talk about it, the more toxic it will get for her!

The more people that learn about Common Core, the more they don't like it!  Continue to spread the word!