September 23, 2009

Share Your Input on Health Care

While President Obama may be ignoring our opposition to a government takeover of health care in Washington, we have the opportunity in Oklahoma to share our thoughts and opinions on the issue with our state leaders.

The Oklahoman writes today that the state Health Department is seeking input from Oklahomans on the agency's comprehensive Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan (OHIP).

The health improvement plan addresses children’s health, tobacco use and obesity. It aims to use public health resources more effectively and emphasizes prevention of disease and injury.

Read the OHIP plan here and be sure to visit the "Comments Forum" so you can share your ideas and opinions with the Health Department.

September 22, 2009

Fallin: Financial Report Shows Oklahoma Families Need Help

OKLAHOMA CITY – Congresswoman Mary Fallin (OK-05) responded today to Oklahoma’s “C” rating on a national scorecard measuring families’ financial assets, saying that citizens deserve better. The Assets and Opportunity Scorecard was compiled by the Corporation for Enterprise Development and ranked Oklahoma 44th in net worth and income poverty, although the state earned high marks for housing affordability.

“This study highlights the insecurity that so many of our families are dealing with,” said Fallin. “Our middle class, working families are living pay check to pay check, and that is a nerve-racking situation to be in. They may be fine now, but if something happens and they lose their job then they lack a financial safety net, or the whole family loses their health care coverage. In a recession, that’s clearly a possibility. It’s a scary situation and a serious problem, which is exactly why we need a leader who is not going to accept the status quo.”

The report showed that almost one quarter of all Oklahomans lack the net worth to live for three months at the poverty level without income. It also indicated that almost 30 percent of Oklahomans lack a regular checking or savings account.

“Part of this, of course, is personal responsibility,” said Fallin. “We need to encourage our families to start savings accounts, balance their budgets and plan ahead. But the fact of the matter is that it is getting harder to do so with so many forces hitting our wallets at once. We have a national recession that has left many people unemployed or underemployed. The costs of health care go up every year. There are a lot of responsible, working families that are struggling to cope with these costs. They need someone looking out for them in the governor’s office, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.”

Fallin said that attracting more and better jobs would be her top priority, as well as focusing on a general increase in the quality of life.

“If we want to be more prosperous as a state and as a people, we need to bring more business here. It’s not enough to just have any job. We have too many people who are underemployed and collecting lower wages and benefits than they should be. Getting industry to invest in Oklahoma will get skilled workers into better jobs while reducing the overall unemployment rate.

“We also need to pursue free-market reforms on the state level that will reduce the cost of health care and provide immediate relief and greater security to our families, allowing them to save more of their money for a rainy day. That’s how we can move this state forward and these are the goals I will pursue as governor. These are tough times, but that’s no reason for Oklahoma’s families to accept a ‘C’ when it comes to their financial wellbeing."

Oklahoma State Fair

The Fallin for Governor volunteer crew will be working the GOP booth today until 9 pm at the Oklahoma State Fair.

The booth is located in the Modern Living building. Stop by and say hello.
You can pick up campaign literature at the booth and sign up for e-mail updates or to volunteer at a Fallin for Governor campaign event.

Stop by on Saturday at the GOP booth to meet Mary Fallin. Mary will be meeting and greeting fair goers from about 2:30 to 3:30 pm this Saturday.

September 21, 2009

OU-TU tailgate party

The campaign hosted a tailgate reception in Norman before the OU-TU game on Saturday.

We had a great crowd and Mary was able to spend time talking with the supporters on hand.

Below are a few pictures from the event. Enjoy!




September 17, 2009

Constitution Day

As many of you know, today is Constitution Day. It is a day that often goes overlooked in favor of other patriotic holidays, like Independence Day. With its fireworks and barbecues, the Fourth of July has ensured that generations of Americans remember the “unalienable rights” granted by God and recorded by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.

July Fourth is a great day and it is a great moment in our history to celebrate. It is a shame, however, that Constitution Day has fallen into obscurity, because it is the Constitution of the United States which has provided the foundations of our Democratic Republic, and it is the Constitution which has ultimately provided more freedom and prosperity than any man-made document or institution the world has ever known.

It is the Constitution that guarantees our separation of powers, ensuring that three coequal branches of government prevent any other branch from obtaining a tyrannical stronghold on our nation. It ensures the peaceful transition of power from one party to another. Finally, it has created the most stable, long lasting Republic that has ever existed.

In the first ten amendments to our Constitution – the “Bill of Rights” – the Founding Fathers outlined a set of freedoms that further defined us as a nation and continue to provide the liberties which we enjoy today. Some of those liberties include our freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to a free and fair trial and the notion that every state is itself a sovereign power, able to govern itself and make its own laws.

These are the principles that guide me as a lawmaker and as an American. Whether serving in the state legislature, as lieutenant governor, in Congress and in the event I am given the honor of serving as Oklahoma’s next governor, the Constitution and the freedoms it outlines will never be far from my mind.

This Constitution Day, it is my hope that all Americans of all parties and creeds can take a moment to remember the document penned by our Founding Fathers, the freedoms those Founders worked to protect and the enormous gift they bestowed on the world.

- Mary

Welcome to the official blog of the Fallin for Governor campaign

Hello!

Welcome to the official blog of the Mary Fallin for Governor campaign. We’ll be using this site to update you on the progress of the campaign, post videos and share the most up to date news we have.

We will include posts from our staff as well as from Mary, and we anticipate updating the page frequently. We invite you to follow this blog so you don’t miss the latest news.

Thanks for taking the time to read this today. We look forward to communicating with you more in the future!

-The Team