Beacon Light

Personal comment by David Sellers

108 year-old newspaper gets a web-site

www.capitolhillbeacon.com
Three issues have been posted on the web-site, so far. You may have to type the name into the address bar at the top of your search engine, until we get into the general circulation index. Let us know what you think. Our e-mail address is capitol hillbeacon@coxinet.net .

and give them to people who have had great loss. This quilt was presented to Grady Grandstaff for his wife Janet who lost her collection of 8 or 9 family heirloom quilts in the tornado that completely destroyed their home and outbuildings in Newcastle. Presentation is made by Rotary members Jamie Crowe and Shelly Dutton, Executive Director of Christmas Connection since 2010.

Volunteers at Christmas Connection make quilts

estaBlisber) septerneerz 13; 19os

Vol. 108 No. 4 500 PER COPY OCTOBER 3, 2013

Government Shutdown's Impact on Travelers to be Swift and Widespread

SOUTH IlkAHOMA CITY National parks, Smithsonian museums and federal monuments are closed to the public. Passport processing centers and all activities supporting passport processing will be suspended according to a Congressional Report, "Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects." During the last government shutdown in 1996, approximately 20,000 to 30,000 applications by foreigners for visas and 200,000 U.S. applications for passports reportedly went unprocessed each day. U.S. tourism and airlines reportedly sustained millions of dollars in lost revenue. However, Air traffic controllers are considered essential employees, so air travelers should not expect delays related to the shutdown. No changes will be made to federal government operations that support national security, such as Transportation Security Administration passenger screenings.

Our congressmen have sent statements, (right) which reflect party-line positions. We can't imagine the House voting some 40 times to kill Obamacare with out offering something better. Health care is eating the citizens alive. Any serious illness means bankruptcy. There's plenty of room in Obamacare for improvement, so why is the House voting on symbolic legislation that has no hope of being enacted... and tying it to a government shutdown. Inhofe says Obama isn't listening but mentions Obama amending the law 14 times. And health care isn't the only important issue demanding attention. Where is our congress?

Govt shutdown tied to Obamacare

Christmas Connection serves needs year round

In addition to the well known Christmas shopping store, Christmas Connection provides school uniforms and other assistance to families who have suffered tornado damage and other disasters. The Oklahoma City Schools went to a policy requiring uniforms. Where the idea was to ease financial pressure on family clothing budgets, it has been an extra expense for families who would have otherwise relied on hand-me-downs. The uniforms are recycled as the children outgrown them... until they wear out. Shelly mentioned that 90% of the 44,000 students in the Oklahoma City School System qualify for reduced price meals. Christmas Connection bought the old Grider grocery store at 59th and May 4 years ago. They have staff of 2 and a half people and depend greatly on volunteers.

INHOFE STATEMENT ON THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) released the following statement about the shutdown of the federal government:

WASHINGTON, D.C.

, Inside:
Shoes for 5 schools Page 3 Pathmakers honored Page 3 Webster athletic field
Page 7

Texting and driving

Medical Examiner's office Page 8

Pruitt Constitution still vital Page 5

Don't text while driving Page 5 Gov warns insurance scams Page 4
Coburn

Congress in bidding war Page 5 Healthcare info Page 4

Seniors

Medicare advantage Page 7

Maughan shows CNG truck Page 8 Boy Scouts Girl Scouts
Page 3

A movement is accomplished through the voices and actions of many. That is why four national wireless service providers, spearheading the It Can Wait campaign, are urging people to share their commitment to never text and drive. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon will run co-branded advertising on national TV programming, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and display the message in their tens of thousands of stores nationwide. The Oklahoma AAA has joined the movement. "Together, we can make a difference and make Oklahoma a safer place," said Chuck Mai of the Oklahoma AAA.

Arbor Day poster contest Page 6 Golfers benefit kids Page 6 Olmsted's park Page 4
Veteran

Beacon Blog

Women healthcare Page 8

Lowry

Gun controlPage 4
Silliman Saban

rejects Page 8
Franken

Decency Page 5 Obituaries Page 6 Reunions Page 7 Crossword Page 5

Individuals can now sign up at ItCanWait.com to get resources that will help them share their commitment on social media and personalize the movement on the streets of their communities on key activation days. Aspiring to create a social stigma around this dangerous habit of texting while driving, These individuals will join AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile US, Inc., Verizon and more than 200 other organizations by sharing their commitment not to text and drive while increasing awareness of the dangers. Advocates will be encouraged to do things like change their social profile photos and banner to It Can Wait graphics, and share their personal pledge stories using the hashtag #ItCanWait. Offline activations will include hosting pledge drives and distributing posters in their schools, workplaces and neigh-

borhoods. All materials such as social graphics and posters will be available for download from ItCanWait.com . "Texting while driving claims too many lives, and raising awareness of this completely preventable tragedy is key to saving them," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. "We've seen success before through our seatbelts and our drunk driving campaigns, and I both applaud the It Can Wait campaign for its efforts to raise awareness and encourage everyone to make a commitment to drive focused and distraction-free." In fact, a ConnectSafely.org survey found that individuals who speak up can have a profound impact, particularly on teens. 78% of teen drivers say they're likely not to text and drive if friends tell them it's wrong or stupid. 90% say they'd stop if a friend in the car asked them to. 93% would stop if a parent in the car asked them to. 44% say that they would be thankful if a passenger complained about their texting while driving. The It Can Wait movement is making a difference. One-in-three people who've seen the texting while driving message say they've changed their driving habits, the campaign has inspired more than 2.5 million pledges never to text and drive and the recently launched "From One Second To The Next" documentary has received more than 2 million views since Aug. 8. To take the pledge and get more information, visit www.ItCanWait.com .

"A government shutdown has real implications for Oklahomans, seniors, small business owners, veterans, and civilian employees that support our military installations. At this time, the U.S. House of Representatives has sent the Senate several common-sense solutions to fund the government while addressing the concerns Americans have for the President's healthcare law. The President could have accepted the proposal to delay the law's individual mandate, a delay he already gave to big businesses. He could have accepted the one-year delay on ObamaCare or the elimination of the special carve-out for Congress. Let me remind you that since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, the President has signed 14 laws that have amended or repealed portions of ObamaCare; delayed at least 5 provisions of the law, independent of Congress; and missed half of the deadlines for implementation. Yet today, the President won't come to the table to address Americans' concerns about implementation and funding of this disastrous piece of legislation. He and the Democrats have instead chosen to shut down the government rather than negotiate. I encourage the President and my Senate colleagues to come to the table and end this shutdown."

Lankford Votes to Fund Federal Government" Supports Fairness for All Americans
Washington, DC House Republican Policy Cornmittee Chairman James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement after he joined his colleagues in the House to vote on the third piece of legislation this week to fund the federal government and avoid a government shutdown: "Earlier today, the Senate rejected Friday's House-passed bill which would have funded the federal government until December 15 and delayed the implementation of ObamaCare for one year. Majority Leader Reid's decision to 'table' the bill and not even allow the Senate to debate is unfair to millions of Americans, especially federal employees and their families. "Tonight, the House amended the current continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 15. The amendment will delay for one year the individual mandate and the individual tax penalties Obamacare imposes on millions of Americans. Individual Americans should have the same waiver that large businesses have already received from the Administration. The amendment will also require Members of Congress, congressional staff, the President, Vice President, Cabinet members and political appointees to get their health insurance from the exchanges set up by ObamaCare without subsidies and exemptions. If individuals on the exchanges cannot receive contributions from their employers, Members of Congress, their staffs and
the Administration should

not either. "I hope the Senate acts quickly, since current government funding expires at midnight tonight. The Senate can move quickly when they choose to. I am pleased that the Senate unanimously voted today on the House-passed bill to ensure our military personnel are paid in the event of a federal government slowdown. The House wanted to make sure all military and the civilians that support our military do not face another cut. I will continue to work with Members of the House to do everything we can to fund the federal government and protect as many Americans from a law that is not ready for implementation," concluded Lankford.

I like to think of myself as a Conservative, to conserve what is good and workable... as a Liberal, to give ideas a second chance, try, try again... and as a Radical who goes to the root of things. Sidney Harris

Individuals joining in Drive 4 Pledges Day will be part of a variety of activations and awareness campaigns coast-tocoast, including: Nearly 2,000 Drive 4 Pledges activities will be held in communities across the nation, including more than 1,500 at high schools. Additionally, 200+ proclamations will be issued. #ItCanWait tweets and Instagram posts will stream on ItCanWait.com . A National Organizations for Youth Safety Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Summit in Washington D.C. will be held Sept. 18-20, including a rally on Sept. 19 with over 75 teens, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, NTSB Member Christopher Hart and Aly Raisman, The Century Council Ambassador. GE Healthcare will provide its US Service vehicle fleets with It Can Wait window clings to remind its employees to be safe while on the roads. Goodyear blimps will display the message It Can Wait in the skies over Miami and Los Angeles. The It Can Wait message will be promoted across key sporting events at games and via social media. Several Major League Baseball teams will drum up support for It Can Wait by reaching out to fans during games urging them to

take the pledge. Participating clubs include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and the Washington Nationals. NFL players will tweet their support of Drive 4 Pledges Day with their friends and fans and teams such as the Carolina Panthers will rally around the cause as well. NHL and NBA teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs will also be supporting the cause. Third party organizations will support the day through various activations. The Consumer Electronics Association will hold an employee and membership pledge drive and distribute messaging through social media. The National Auto Body Council will distribute messaging through social media, enewsletters, and press releases. Member collision shops will hold mini pledge drives in local communities. Net Impact, a nonprofit that empowers a new generation of leaders to work for a sustainable future, will promote the pledge as a "small step" in their Small Steps, Big Wins Campus Challenge program at colleges around the world. Youth organizations like the Girl Scouts will participate. Girl Scouts of the USA will activate its 112 councils nationwide to support It Can

Wait through social media and member engagement.

1 ConnectSafely.org survey sponsored by AT&T 2 AT&T Texting While Driving ... It Can Wait Perceptions Study

AAA recommends that any traveler scheduled to visit a national park or facility managed by the federal government call ahead or monitor the NPS website, http: //www.nps.gov/index.htm, to confirm the park is open to the public. Some travelers may have booked tours that are scheduled to visit national parks and monuments. Generally, tour operators will revise itineraries when these types of events occur. AAA recommends those with plans to visit the national parks in the next couple of weeks contact their travel agent or travel provider to determine what alternate