RELEASE: With Unemployment Rising, Fallin Says Job Creation Is No. 1 Priority

OKLAHOMA CITY — Mary Fallin, Republican candidate for governor, said that job creation would be her number one priority should she be elected to serve as the state’s next governor.  Her statement came after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its preliminary employment figures. Oklahoma’s unemployment rate is now 7.1 percent, up from 6.8 percent in September.

“My Administration’s first priority will be to create more and better jobs and lead this state towards long term economic recovery and growth,” said Fallin.

“We know we can’t rely on Washington to get us there. The stimulus plan I opposed was a trillion dollar bust, and the Obama administration can’t even tell us where all that money is going. But we can lead the charge for smart, pro-growth policies right here in Oklahoma, and that’s what I’ll do as our next governor.”

Fallin said as governor she would use tax incentives to reward any business that created new jobs in Oklahoma, and would create an environment that encouraged job-growth and economic development.

“Encouraging new businesses to move to Oklahoma is essential, as is supporting those already located here,” said Fallin. “We also need to develop our work force and promote the kind of smart health care reform here in Oklahoma that reduces costs and allows employers to create new jobs with good benefits. “

“Unemployment this high is unacceptable. With the right leadership though, we can get Oklahomans back to work and we can put this state back on track. That’s exactly what I plan to do as governor.”

Campaign Launches Redesigned Web site

There's a new look, but the same conservative message to my campaign Web site, www.maryfallin.org. The new design makes the site more user-friendly and includes a host of new tools and features that will allow me to communicate more effectively my vision of how we can improve our economy, bring in more jobs and help lower health care costs!

Among the new features:

• New Fallin for Governor mobile team! Follow the campaign from your cell phone. Text the words “GOMARY” to the number 68683 and you’ll be signed up to receive text alerts and campaign updates (standard text rates apply).
• Facebook “widget” that shows you the latest updates, as well as the profile pictures of fans, from my Facebook page.
• A new media player which will allow you to view the latest video messages from the campaign.
• Online poll feature that allows you to share with me your opinion on the issues.
• News feed to let you read the latest news about the campaign.

There are a number of updates and changes made to the site and I encourage you to snoop around and view them yourself!

Having a vibrant grassroots organization has always been a key part of my campaign. There’s no question our online team of volunteers and supporters will play a huge role as we share our vision with Oklahoma voters.

All of the changes we’ve made to www.maryfallin.org are aimed at keeping you informed and up to date and we hope that you enjoy them.

Thanks and God Bless,

Mary

Let's Make Oklahoma Healthier

The Tulsa World reported today that Oklahoma ranks 49th when it comes to the health of our citizens. This is upsetting news for everyone, even healthy people, because there are very real economic implications to this kind of poor health. Preventable illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths drive up health care costs for every single Oklahoman, straining family budgets and making it difficult for businesses to hire new workers.

As the next governor, working to improve our health in Oklahoma will be a priority. By making health insurance more affordable, we can increase access to the kind of treatment that helps to reduce the kind of preventative illnesses that lead to tragedy and sickness. Bringing down costs will also bolster our economy by reducing the amount of money businesses and families spend on health care premiums and benefits.

According to the state health commissioner, 5320 Oklahomans die each year due to preventable illnesses. It’s up to all of us to bring that number down. As your next governor, I’ll work to reform our health care system and to encourage companies and organizations to offer healthy living options, like gym memberships, to their employees and members. As individuals, however, we must all assume personal responsibility for our own lifestyles. I think we owe it to ourselves, our families and each other to live better, healthier lives.

Oklahoma can do better than second to last when it comes to the health of our citizens. Let’s work together to make sure it does.

-Mary

UPDATE: Facebook T-Shirt Challenge

Only one more day left in the Facebook T-Shirt Challenge!  There's still plenty of time for you to win a Fallin for Governor campaign t-shirt.

We're at more than 3,500 total friend suggestions on Facebook. Here is the list of leaders and their total number of suggestions:

• Cody McPherson, 679 
• Harold Randolph, 500
• Britt A Weaver, 432
• Lincoln Ferguson, 416 
• Keisha Joslin Schultz, 339 

To participate, click “Suggest to Friends” under Mary’s profile picture and then click on all your friends and family. Once you have suggested Mary, post your total number of suggestions on Mary’s Facebook wall (or send an e-mail with the subject line "T-Shirt Totals" to info@maryfallin.org) and stay tuned to see if you’re one of the winners.

UPDATE: Facebook T-Shirt Challenge

The response to our Facebook T-Shirt Challenge has been great. So far, more than 2,900 suggestions have been sent out by Mary Fallin fans!

Mary is committed to running a strong grassroots campaign and Facebook will be a big part of that. Those more than 2,900 suggestions will help us reach even more new supporters on Facebook and continue to build our online team.

The challenge runs through 5 pm THURSDAY (11/19) so there is plenty of time for you to jump into the Top Five.

Here's a reminder on the challenge. To participate, click “Suggest to Friends” under Mary’s profile picture and then click on all your friends and family. Once you have suggested Mary, post your total number of suggestions on Mary’s Facebook wall (or send an e-mail with the subject line "T-Shirt Totals" to info@maryfallin.org) and stay tuned to see if you’re one of the winners.

Click here to visit Mary Fallin's Facebook page to get started!