A Rural Candidate for a Rural Congressional District

I grew up in Copan, Oklahoma, which is in Washington County near the Kansas border. I am a candidate who comes from Rural Oklahoma and I understand rural issues, such as the importance of public schools. We must keep our tax dollars where it belongs — our public schools! If our public schools fail our rural communities will go with them.

I feel for anyone experiencing the rising costs of utlilities, working paycheck to paycheck and still not get by. I will work to hold corporate America and its greed accountable, so that all American workers have a fair, livable wage.

So far I’ve been to 14 of the 27 counties in CD2 and I and plan to visit them all. I will meet with anyone, regardless of their party. I am working for the people. Obviously I have Democratic party ideals but I will be sent to work for the people.

Join me and help elect a real rural leader who will fight for our values.

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Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional Distric includes 27 counties (in whole or in part):

Highlighted counties are the ones I have visited so far. If you don’t see your county highlighted, please reach out to us to schedule a time.

A real Living Wage for rural Oklahoma.

I was recently asked what I thought a living wage really was. I was happy to respond to that question. As a Union man I understand the fight for a living wage and what a living wage actually is. By definition a living wage is “a wage that is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living.” I believe the group of people in attendance was shocked to hear the numbers I gave them. I quoted them the numbers for my home county of Washington county. These numbers are for one adult $15.49, add one child $32.96, add two children $41.95, add three children $54.68. The numbers for two adults (one working) is $25.60. one child $32.14, two children $37.08, three children $40.87. Two adults (both working) $12.80, one child $18.44, two children $23.27, three children $27.53. The numbers that are shown are numbers that most people in CD2 don’t make, especially when you go adding children. If not for Unions there would be far more people behind. The biggest issue we have is the level of corporate greed in this country. The cost of everything has continued to climb year after year. Corporations have continued to make record profits year after year, but yet they don’t pass those profits along to the people that made them for them. What they do is continue to raise the cost of their products and fight to keep their workers wages low. I feel we need to address the corporations and demand they stop the price gouging. We must continue to demand the minimum wage be raised. This wage has not been raised since 2009! That is fourteen years without an increase to minimum wage. Why has this been allowed to happen? Because we continue to elect people to office that doesn’t care about the working class people in CD2. If we are ever going to stop the destruction of the middle class, restore our livelihood, and raise our wages to a respectable wage. We must start electing leaders that will fight for the working class and their families. As a Union man, I’m one to lead this fight. I will work to move the minimum wage to $16.00 immediately and then add legislation to continue to increase it yearly. Join me in the fight to return respect and dignity back to the people of Oklahoma!

MENTAL HEALTH

We must take a more serious look into this issue that effects so many Oklahomans in our state. Mental health issues come in many forms and effect a large part of our communities. We have to do more to address these issues. We need to provide more funds to ensure that the treatments and medications are provided and readily available to all that need them. I would like to be on a committee for Mental Healthcare. I would like to see programs installed all over this country that provides mental healthcare in many forms. With providing treatment programs, medications, and programs that provide the support that people in need are able to continue with their medications or treatment programs regardless of their financial status. We need to provide programs that can provide a community, housing, and job programs that can provide the stability that is needed for the people that need help can concentrate on that. We all have someone that struggles with a form of mental health and this is an issues that we all should be able to get behind and support. It will better our communities, neighbors, and families.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

The Great American Dream, America has been selling this concept for years! The dream of coming to a country where your dreams can come true! A land of endless hopes and freedoms. A place where anyone can live the good life, if they work hard and put in the effort. This is one of many reasons immigrants continue to come in numbers to the United States. The process to become an American citizen isn’t the easiest, in fact it is one of the toughest in the world. The system we currently have isn’t working, it’s busted. The system hasn’t been changed since 1986, when Congress enacted the Immigration Reform and Control Act. There has been subsequent laws in 1996, 2002, & 2006 in responses to concerns about terrorism and unauthorized immigration. In 2012, DACA was put into place. Real changes to address the changes we have seen in the world, hasn’t happened. We must sit down and address what isn’t working and make changes for the better. The blame game is doing nothing to address the issues. Stating our borders are broken or open and blaming the other party, isn’t fixing anything. The only thing this approach does is divide the Nation. We need solutions, ways to make the system better, and open minds willing to tackle the problems before us. This will take Leader, that are not afraid to do their job. I would love to have a seat at the table and lead these conversations that will lead to a better immigration system. The answers will require more funding, more personnel, and revamping of the laws to become a citizen. Personnel that will be required is in multiple areas, judges, border patrol officers, social workers, immigrant attorneys, and personnel to run background checks. I also believe we will need to set up immigration centers in every state. On the law side of the system, we need to seriously look at the time tables on becoming a citizen at every level. I’m willing to discuss this issue with anyone that wants to make a difference.