Edmond Sun - Democrats' "Dream Team' Brings Vision to Edmond

Press Release

By James Coburn

State Rep. Joe Dorman pledged that his first action if elected governor would be to request a release of federal funds to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma.

Three Democrats dubbed as the "2014 Democratic Dream Team" for Oklahoma brought their solutions for a better Oklahoma to an Edmond forum Monday night. The other two candidates in attendance were lieutenant governor hopeful Cathy Cummings and John Cox, who seeks the state superintendent's seat. More than 80 attended the forum at the Downtown Community Center, 28 E. Main St.

With statewide elections only two weeks away, Dorman, 44, of Rush Springs lit into incumbent 59-year-old Republican Gov. Mary Fallin's performance as the state's chief executive.

Oklahoma needs a government that works for the people, a government that does not exclude hard-working Oklahomans living from paycheck to paycheck, Dorman said.

"We've got to look at dollars we are sending to Washington, D.C., and not let Oklahoma taxpayer dollars go to another state," Dorman said.

Oklahomans do not deserve to rank the lowest in the nation for per-pupil spending for public education, he added.

"Today under the Fallin administration, the state of Oklahoma pays about 17 percent of the cost for a student to go to college," Dorman said. "Specialty programs like nursing are in single digits at 7 percent."

Debt is placed on the backs of students and their parents who struggle to pay for their education, he said. The next generation needs a better chance to achieve an education and to have better lives than they've experienced, he added.

"The policies we've seen implemented over the last four years of the Fallin administration, I would contend they have not benefited our state," Dorman said. "They have not shaped opportunities for Oklahomans."

Oklahomans must be provided opportunities to achieve their highest potential, he said.

"That does not come from needless instruction exams that take up 30 of the last 45 days of school with no benefit," he said. "That does not come from an A through F grading system, put in place to make public schools look poor and instead build up charter schools."

Educators should not be making $15,000 less than their counterparts across state lines, said Dorman, who emphasized pay raises for teachers. He also vowed to protect the state pension system from being privatized into defined savings plans for new state workers.

Dorman was joined by Cummings, 52, of Oklahoma City, who will face Republican Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, 42, of Oklahoma City in the Nov. 4 general election. Fallin and Dorman also will compete against Independent Richard Prawdzienski, 66, of Edmond, in the gubernatorial race.

Cox, 50, spoke about education reform. The Peggs Democrat will face Tulsa Republican Joy Hofmeister, 49, on the ballot.

"I'm going to focus on the biggest part of the job and that's tourism," said Cummings, who has walked across 77 counties in the state to meet Oklahomans.

Cummings, who is in the restaurant business with her husband, said she wants to promote small business and small business owners across the state.

"I want you to know, I will be the hardest working lieutenant governor you have ever seen," Cummings said. "I will promote our state like it has never been done before."

Small town Oklahoma needs to be repopulated with jobs, Cummings said. So she would support tax incentives for low-cost loans to get young college and tech school graduates to move to rural towns.

"If you get 10 people to try this, you immediately add to the economy," Cummings said.

She also would like to streamline the licensing process to make it less cumbersome for small businesses to operate, she said.

"It's daunting that every license comes with an astronomical fee," Cummings said. "And if we can somehow streamline that process, I think you would see more young entrepreneurs and businesses open."

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