Tulsa World - Rep. Joe Dorman: Putting People Before Politics

Op-Ed

By Joe Dorman

Last December, I made the decision to run for governor of Oklahoma because I believe our state needs a strong, in-touch, bipartisan leader. I've traveled across our state, met with Oklahomans, and learned about what is most important to them and their families. The concerns vary, but all share the same message -- our state is headed in the wrong direction, and current policies are only benefiting a select few.

In the last four years, it's apparent that Gov. Fallin's priorities have been out of touch with hard-working Oklahomans. She has cut senior and veterans' services and attacked pension systems. Fallin restricted National Guard benefits, derailed the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, promoted a meaningless storm shelter response, and weakened Second Amendment rights. Our corrections system and other critical state services are dangerously understaffed; infrastructure is deteriorating, and our state budget is poorly managed. Most importantly, over the last four years, she has devastated our public education system. Fallin slashed education funding, ignored teachers in dire need of a pay increase and implemented high-stakes third-grade reading tests. These issues are just a few reasons why the state needs a change in leadership.

I will bring the right priorities back to the governor's office and put education first. Our students are the future of this state and the key to Oklahoma's long-term economic growth. Since 2011, Fallin has moved in lockstep with Janet Barresi -- cutting $200 million from K-12 public schools, creating multiple high-stakes testing policies and a flawed A-F school grading system. She supported Common Core until it was no longer in her best interest and reversed her support in an insincere political move.

Serving as governor means rolling up your sleeves, working hard, reaching out to all Oklahomans, regardless of party and finding solutions to the issues facing the state. My Classrooms First education plan will provide an additional $35 million to classrooms through the state's franchise tax, eliminate third-grade high-stakes reading tests and end-of-instruction exams, provide the ACT exam to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to measure progress and bring students, parents, teachers, administrators and college professors together to craft age-appropriate academic standards. All of this without raising taxes.

Today, many Oklahoma hospitals are in danger of closing. More than 150,000 Oklahomans don't have access to health care, and our tax dollars are going to other states because the governor rejected Medicaid expansion. I will accept those funds, which will positively infuse nearly $10 billion into our economy and provide access to quality health care for all Oklahomans.

A strong, prosperous Oklahoma means securing a living wage for all Oklahomans. Currently, one in six Oklahomans live in poverty while one in four children go hungry every night. This is unacceptable. Misguided tax policies and a ban on increasing the minimum wage have been on the backs of hard-working Oklahomans. We must have leadership that increases opportunities for development instead of limiting growth to just a select few.

As your governor, I will always place people over politics. I love this state and our rich history of working through tough times. My campaign is about improving the lives of all Oklahomans by creating good public policy, and not allowing party lines to come before the best interest of our state. I want to move this state in the right direction, provide for a stronger education system, find real, bipartisan solutions to the issues facing our state and promote a higher quality of life for all Oklahomans. I humbly ask for your vote on Nov. 4.

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