April 1, 2010

Okie from Muskogee! Day Four of Working Across Oklahoma tour

I spent the whole day as an “Okie in Muskogee” for day four of our Working Across Oklahoma tour.

Our day started off at the Muskogee Regional Medical Center where I worked as a nurse’s aide. I helped administer a health check up to one of the women who worked at the hospital. Turns out, we knew each other. I had hired her to work for me in Tulsa years ago when I was district manager for a national hotel chain. What a small world!

For the second day, I got the chance to speak with a group of doctors and medical staff. Obviously the hot topic was the Obama/Pelosi health care bill and its impact on Oklahoma. The so-called “ObamaCare” will cut $523 billion from Medicare, which will affect the health and well being of our seniors, and burdens our state with millions of dollars of unfunded mandates.

From Day One, I have opposed a big-government takeover of our health care system and as governor I will continue to fight policies like “ObamaCare” that will eliminate jobs and pass along mountains of debt to future generations of Americans.

After leaving the hospital, I was able to speak to the Muskogee Rotary Club. The club meets in the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame building which is very cool! I also had the chance to drop in on a few businesses downtown and visit with folks.

Finally, I wrapped up the day working as a hostess at Mayhlon’s BBQ restaurant. In between taking orders and serving food, I got the chance to visit with a few customers and one of the main concerns on their minds right now is the economy.

It’s a concern of many Oklahomans and will have to be the main focus of our next governor. And that’s why I’m out on the road for this jobs tour: I’m gaining valuable insight into our state while getting the chance to talk one-on-one with employers, employees and everyday working Oklahomans.

As governor, my main focus will be to create a business friendly environment that will bring more and better jobs to our state and lead to greater economic prosperity for our families!

Tomorrow, I’m headed to the opposite side of the state: the Oklahoma Panhandle. I’ll be making a few stops and working as a ranch hand in Guymon!