November 22, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 10

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Friday, November 22, 2019 “ElkCituNews Afraid to step out Opinion Page Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 Glynda Lomax is a Chris- The next date approached rive... because Someday tian author and podcaster and she again pushed the doesn’t exist. A day for food, who resides in the Ozark Mountains of Northern Ar- waiting for more money ings to something new that kansas with her two very change out into the future, in the bank and exactly the Opportunities are open- materialize like magic doors folks, football ... bossy dogs. She wrote her in your life. You must ac- right conditions. As that date approached, she again real- cept the risk that comes with first About Life..column in change to take the step over 2003 for a newspaper in ized she was not comfort- and maybe a movie Dallas, She is planning her next book, able with the timing, so she pushed it further into the hilarating. I can’t imagine the threshold into the un- ipredalonas known. You must have the future. This happened over courage to face the uncer- “The golden opportunity and over again until final- tainty that lies on the other living any other way. you are seeking is in your- ly, the door of opportunity side of the door, and by the self. It is not in your envi- slammed shut and she was way, bring along Plan B too, Your life is not a dress rehearsal — this is the only ronment, it is not in luck or left with the repetitive mo- because you just may need show you get and it is up to chance, or the help of oth- notony of her old job day it. ers; it is in yourself alone.” after day, week after week, You can take the prizes you to make the most of it. - Orison Swett Marden year after year. We are not on earth to just behind those golden doors of Many people live their opportunity as you see themwhile away our days until I once knewa very stable entire lives waiting for life open to your life, or you can they stop coming. woman who had a good job to come get them and drag stand back afraid, allowing Opportunity is not going but who longed for a new them through the gates of others to step through the to break down your door and more interesting career. opportunity, saving them gilded portals instead and and drag you away to an ex- A friend offered her a job from the monotonous exis- spend the rest of your life citing, intriguing life. You opportunity that sounded tence they themselves have wondering what if.....Where can stand back away from really exciting so she began created. Now is never the would you be now if you had the doors in fear, or you can to plan how she might tran- right time for anything for taken that chance? “What- close your eyes, step through By Don Munsch, Editor sition from the one she had them, it’s always Later or ifs” are the way many people the magical portals of chance Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and I plan to see to the one she wanted. The Someday. Someday — that spend all of their days. They and see what destiny has to family this year on that day. job would be a change to a magical day on the calendar sit around talking about their offer that you haven’t expe- Turkey Day has become my favorite holiday, second to totally new line of work with when all the planets will be what-ifs and why-nots. rienced yet. Either way, you Christmas, which is a close second. Thanksgiving is a day more pay and more travel. in perfect alignment, birds Failure doesn’t scare me, get no retakes. to count our blessings, no matter what our background or She was certain she would will be singing and all the boredom does. My mother Life is like a muscle, un- love the challenges and in- money will be in the bank to has often said that out of all less constantly challenged, situation. teresting environment it take the leap and begin their her children, I was the one it not only stops growing, Plus, what other holiday promises food, family and foot- would provide her. new life. she feared most for, because it will stagnate until there is ball? She marked an X on the Everything, that is, except I seemed to have no fear at nothing left but mere exis- And then later in the day, you can rush out of the house date when she would begin their courage, which never all of my own. When faced tence. to go shopping to get those spectacular early Black Friday her new career. As the date seems to show up on time. with two doors, I will always deals. Yay! JK. approached, however, she Actually, it never seems to take the one that presents the “Opportunities fly by Remembrances of some Christmases have been wiped. decided everything in her show up at all. There are most challenge and excite- while we sit regretting the from my mind, but I tend to recall most Thanksgivings, life was not just right for the seven days on the calendar, ment because I knowif I fail, chances we have lost, and perhaps because it included a meal away with friends or ex- opportunity, so she pushed Sunday through Saturday. T can just open the next door the happiness that comes to the date out a few months Not one single one of them and go on. Taking chances us we heed not, because of tended family members [1979, 1982, 1993 or 2002] or be- into the future to a date she is named Later or Someday. and experiencing change the happiness that is gone.” cause I attended the Dallas Cowboys game that day [1984, was sure would be perfect. Someday never seems to ar- make life exciting and ex- - Jerome K. Jerome 1985, 1986, 1990 and 1991]. Because my jobs at newspapers have often left me hun- dreds of miles away from home, I have been a Thanksgiv- ing orphan on occasion, which meant grabbing a meal that Solving the looming day away from home [2007] or going to coworkers’ homes for a feast [2000 and 2009]. Some years I made the drive or flight home, depending on my responsibilities at work or school. superbug crisis will require bold action from Congress For instance, in 1993, I ate dinner at my aunt’s house in Missouri and then went back to my college dorm room that afternoon to watch the Dallas Cowboys’ game, a contest played in ice at Texas Stadium. That game had the infa- By Jim Greenwood antibiotics. New products Much to their credit, the ways to stimulate investment mous ending in which Dallas defensive lineman Leon Lett Antimicrobial resistance that treat resistant infections Trump administration and in new antibiotics. But reim- touched the ball after a blocked field goal and Miami re- killed upwards of 160,000 are rightly saved as “last re- our leaders in Congress have bursement policies are only covered it and got another shot at a field goal. This time the Americans in 2010. More sort” treatments in order to recognized the gravity ofthe Dolphins made the field goal and won the game. A local and more infections are be- preserve their effectiveness. public health crisis we are part of the solution. A pack- paper in DFW had the obligatory headline the next day: coming resistant to antibi- The reason for this back- facing. In recent months, age of policies that include a “Cowboys Lett one slip away.” wards marketplace makes Jawmakers on both sides of otics and antifungals — and “pull” incentive that rewards Some years, I have attended a movie on the night of while Americans know this sense -- the more you use an the aisle have come together companies for bringing new Thanksgiving. One year, in 2007, I didn’t make the trip is a growing problem, few antibiotic, the less effective to introduce important poli- products to market — irre- home, and after a Luby’s dinner and Dallas football game know how bad it already is. it will be over time. cies designed to spur the spective of the volume of It’s also important to point development of new antibi- product sold — would be a that day, I went to see “Dan in Real Life,” a romcom/drama Resistant superbugs are out that antibiotics are of- otics. starring Steve Carell, who played a widower and single par- evolving much faster than ten used in hospitals, where For instance, in FY2020, necessary next step. ent who falls for a woman who, unbeknownst to him ini- we are inventing new medi- Medicare reimbursement the Centers for Medicare The need for the adminis- tially, is dating his brother. cines to fight back. Only creates additional complexi- and Medicaid Services tration and Congress to act Later, in a phone call with my mother, we talked about one truly novel antibiotic ties. As it stands, Medicare by helping stimulate inno- (CMS) will allow hospitals our Thanksgivings and I mentioned I went to a movie that has been approved over the pays a flat fee for a bundled to receive higher reimburse- vation has never been more past 35 years. Unless action set of treatment services like ment when treating a resis- night. She asked what film I saw, and I gave her the title, is taken today, superbugs a hip replacement, which tant infection. important. We can win this and because she couldn’t hear me or misunderstood what I could kill 10 million people means a hospital receives In Congress, the Develop- fight by incentivizing in- was saying, she mangled the title more than once. Funnier annually by 2050. the same payment whether ing an Innovative Strategy novators to produce new than it sounds, believe me. That conversation motivated me The reason why so few an- it uses a cheap generic or a for Antimicrobial Resistant antimicrobials. The recent to think about how snarky or clever one could be with that tibiotics are being developed higher-cost, new antibiotic. Microorganisms Act — DIS- bipartisan efforts in Wash- movie title: “Get a life, Dan” or “Really, Dan?” is simple — the market is bro- This creates a disincenti ARM, for short -- would al- ington will help take us clos- This year, probably Thanksgiving night, I plan to see the ken. Estimates show that it for a hospital to pay for new- low hospitals to fully recoup movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” starring takes more than a decade to er medicines, even if such the cost of newer treatments. er to this goal. Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers. The movie comes to theaters develop a new antibiotic or medicines are the best treat- This measure would ensure Jim Greenwood is presi- one year after “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” a documen- vaccine and can cost more ments for certain patients. that doctors are in the driv- dent and CEO of the Bio- than $1 billion. But even The truth is, there’s little er’s seat when it comes to technology Innovation Or- tary about Rogers that earned rave reviews. [I fully recom- when a product does make it opportunity for a company determining which antibiot- ganization, He represented mend it.] And now the feature film contains insight into to the market, it might take a to recoup its development ic is best, not cost-conscious how Rogers helped a magazine writer, a man who dealt whopping 23 years to break costs on an antibiotic, let hospital pharmacy commit- Pennsylvania’s 8th District with some troubles in his relationships. even on its R&D investment. alone make a return on its tees. in the U.S. House of Rep- Well, whatever you do on Thanksgiving, I hope it’s a These challenges stem investment. It’s encouraging that poli- resentatives from 1993 to good day with good memories. Happy Thanksgiving. from the unique nature of cymakers are looking for 2005. Impasse over Oklahoma gaming compacts widens By Oklahomn, Oklahoma es,” Stitt said Thursday in pacts, which date to 2004, However, after Stitt’s news state over 15 years, he said. plan to operate as normal if a City arguing for a significant rate expire at year’s end. conference, Greetham noted In fact, tribes have paid near- new agreement isn’t reached If the latest rhetoric is any increase. Referencing a state The tribes say the com- that of the 306 compacts that ly $1.6 billion to the state in indication, then it’s clear the that pays some revenue- pacts renew automatically U.S. states have with tribes, revenue sharing payments, by Jan. 1. The governor con- dispute between the gover- sharing fees as high as 25%, on Jan. 1 if new terms are not 14 involved exclusivity fee including $148 million in tends having no new com- nor and Oklahoma’s Indian he added, “I don’t think agreed upon, and have said rates between 20% and 25%. fiscal year 2019. pact in place would cause tribes over gaming compacts the present arrangements are there’s any difference when Oklahoma’s maximum rate In late October, tribal “extreme uncertainty.” The is a long way from being we pull a slot machine in fair to all parties. of 10% “puts us among the leaders met with Attorney settled. Oklahoma or you pull a slot The day before Stitt’s company of the 92% of the General Mike Hunter, whom state and federal govern- Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is news conference, Stephen other compacts that have a the governor designated to ments have options available machine in Connecticut that seeking to renegotiate the we should be that different Greetham, senior legal coun- rate around that or less,” he lead negotiations. Stitt said if gaming is conducted with- state’s compacts with the in our exclusivity fees.” sel for the Chickasaw Na- said. Translation: 25% is not Thursday that the state “was out a compact, Stitt said, tribes, on Thursday pro- This tussle began during tion, told The Oklahoman’s happening here. kicked out of that meeting posed gaming fees as high the summer when Stitt an- Randy Ellis that tribes were Greetham points out that before we could present our “but that’s not my wish.” as 25%. Under the current nounced he wanted to rene- willing to talk about rates in 2004, it was estimated plan” and that the tribes, “My wish,” he said, “‘is ... compacts, the top rate thatgotiate the compacts, which but that they felt it was better tribal gaming might produce who rejected the state’s offer to sit down and have produc- tribes pay is 10%. dictate the types of games to explore options being em- $55 million per year for the to use a mediator, “have re- tive conversations and get “This affects education. tribes can offer and the ployed by other states, such state. Adjusted for inflation, fused to communicate with This affects mental health. state’s share of the revenue. as sports wagering, as a way that projection would mean me.” this behind us.” That seems This affects roads and bridg- Stitt also contends the com- to “grow the base.” roughly $850 million to the Greetham said the tribes a very tall order at this point.