Full Steam Ahead: Fallin to Embark on Historic Western Oklahoma Whistle Stop Tour

Oklahoma became the 46th State of the Union on November 17, 1907, which means we celebrated our Centennial less than two short years ago. Now we have an historic race for Governor between two women vying to become the first woman Governor of Oklahoma. Mary Fallin we believe has has more credentials to become Governor than any candidate for Governor in  recent years.  Serving as a pro-active Lt Governor for 12 years along with her four years in Congress has given Mary the background she needs to become the first Woman Governor of Oklahoma. 

Without Mary Fallin and her many supporters we wouldn't have Right to Work in Oklahoma.  Many of us remember when she took to the podium of the OK Senate in order to get the issue on the ballot.  Democrats turned off the power and did everything they could to stop her but she didn't quit, the issue made the ballot, and we became a Right to Work state. 

What has Jari Askins done as Lt Governor?  Not sure most people of the state even knows who she is or what she is doing to promote Oklahoma.  Mary traveled the Country promoting Oklahoma bringing in business and jobs to our state as Lt Governor.  Askins?  Who knows what she is doing most of the time.

Mary comes from rural Oklahoma and understands what it means in small towns to have a Governor who will listen and visit their communities. She is now bringing her campaign to rural Western Oklahoma via the train:

Full Steam Ahead: Fallin to Embark on Historic Western Oklahoma Whistle Stop Tour

September 9, 2010

Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Mary Fallin (photo and bio attached) will be embarking on a historic “whistle stop” train tour of Western Oklahoma on Monday, September 20, taking her message of job creation and fiscal responsibility to six towns during a dawn-to-dusk day of campaigning. Mary will be visiting Thomas, Clinton, Cordell, Hobart, Snyder and Frederick by train, stopping in each town to meet residents and talk about her goals for the state (A detailed itinerary will be released early next week). The train she will be riding can seat over 100 passengers and seats are quickly filling up. A limited number of tickets to ride on the train and participate in this historic event are available and can be requested from the Fallin for Governor campaign by calling 405-778-8900.

Fallin said that Western Oklahoma represents a key area in her campaign for governor, and the whistle stop tour gives her an opportunity to talk in person to as many voters as possible.

“I’m looking forward to spending this exciting day in Western Oklahoma, listening to people there, and talking about my plan to move this state forward,” said Fallin. “When it comes to bringing jobs and prosperity to Oklahoma, we need a governor who will take us full steam ahead!”

This trip by Mary on a train in Western Oklahoma reflects our Western Heritage and is something the people in these towns won't forget. It harkens goes back to the first days of Oklahoma as state when we sent our first representatives to Washington and elected our first Governor and Legislature. Campaigning in those days was by rail as they traveled around Oklahoma. Unlike some Eastern States, Oklahoma has kept their rail system which is vital to our state to move our agriculture products.

The first Governor of Oklahoma, Charles Nathaniel Haskell, came from Ohio and took office on November 16, 1907. Since those days we have had 24 more Governors including one Democrat impeached within his first year in 1923.

We have had three Republican Governors with Henry Bellman, the first Republican elected serving from 1963-1967 and elected again to serve from 1987-1991, Dewey Bartlett was in office from 1967-1971, and Frank Keating served two terms from 1995-2003 with Mary as his Lt Governor.

After the last eight years of Democrat Brad Henry as Governor who supports Obama and is now looking for more handouts from the Federal Government, it is time to elect a Conservative Republican to the Governor's Office who understands those handouts Henry wants are OUR tax dollars.

All we have heard since moving to Oklahoma in January 1997 is how bad our roads and bridges are. How did they get that bad? Through years and years of Democrat dominance of the Oklahoma Government especially legislature by the Democrats neglecting infrastructure.  Now the OK Democrats led by Brad Henry and Jari Askins want the Federal Government to bail us out after Obama announced another infrastructure 'handout' this week which will add to the federal deficit. Like typical Democrats they act like the Federal dollars grow on trees instead of coming out of our pockets. When looking for money, how about starting with our bloated State Government to find the dollars first? What has been done with money that comes to Oklahoma every year for roads and bridges from the Federal Government? Obviously a lot has been spent on other things or our bridges would not be in such sad shape and roads going down to gravel in some places. Where has the money gone?

In 2008, Republicans for the first time in history controlled both Houses of the Legislature in Oklahoma. With the election of Mary Fallin to be Governor, Oklahoma will not only have its first female Governor but for the first time in history Republicans will be in charge of the Governor's Mansion and the Legislature at the same time.  Henry has had out the veto pen this year on bills that came to his desk so we will see a new era dawn in January 2011.  He even vetoed a bill requiring voters to show identification which we will never understand but it will be on the ballot in November.  What is with Democrats like Henry and Askins not wanting identification shown to vote?

We expect to see conservative Government at work starting in January.  The Legislature has to stop passing all those bills at the last moment with legislators not having time to read the bills. Let the people of Oklahoma see what is happening with State Government and become confident they are spending our tax dollars wisely. With Mary as Governor, we expect to see major changes in how our State Government does business.





Mary's opponent, Jari Askins, is also an Obama supporter so what makes anyone think she would be different from Brad Henry or Barack Obama who thinks nothing of tax and spend as the way to run Government. Both are nice people but are extremely liberal for this State which is Conservative as witnessed by Presidential elections since LBJ has gone to the Republican. Twice every county in our State has gone for the Republican -- first for Pres Bush in 2004 and last time for John McCain in 2008.

Voters of Oklahoma have a chance to send a message that we want Conservative Government at the Capitol in Oklahoma City open to the people when we elect Mary Fallin as our next Governor and return a Republican controlled legislature to the Capitol.