Last week, we brought the Together Oklahoma info table and Oklahoma Jeopardy to the Jackson County Fair in Altus. It was a big hit with the kids and their parents in this key legislative district represented by Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz.
We had such a great time in Altus that I found myself wishing that we could have taken each and every one of you with us. You can see photos as well as some videos from TOK at the Jackson County Fair, Norman Art Walk, Porter Peach Festival, Tuttle Ice Cream Festival, Turkey Mountain, and the Tulsa Art Crawl at this link.
Just as expected, we found extremely friendly and concerned Oklahomans at every single stop on our summer tour. Folks knew that our budget crisis is damaging our public schools, slashing our physical and mental health care, risking our state employees with long hours on an in sometimes dangerous conditions, and scaring off would be employers from coming to our state. At the same time many of us still don’t know the power we have to make these things change. The big take away is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
We all are seeing the ways drastic budget cuts are causing more and more problems.
Here are just a few examples:
- We talked to a teacher in rural Oklahoma who developed multiple sclerosis, She never dreamed that she would end up depending on the state. Now she is in a nursing home in her 40’s and she is worried about the continued threats to those facilities.
- We talked to so many parents who are stressed about large and growing class sizes, cuts to advanced placement classes, emergency certified teachers, 4 day school weeks and much more.
- Most who have been stopping at our table in both rural and urban Oklahoma haven’t known who their legislators are. Even many of those who did know their legislators feel that they are not getting an adequate response as an individual, and they really need a team approach, like working with you!
Our Together Oklahoma Outreach Team will continue traveling all over Oklahoma in the months to come. If you haven’t filled our our full membership form to let us know how you would most like to help, please do so now at this link.
Next week I’ll be sending around another sign up sheet for our ongoing tour. Don’t hesitate to join us! We are making sure that the in the next legislative session, Oklahomans from districts ALL over the state will be taking responsibility for the two legislators who represent them. We have MUCH more power than we are using!
I hope to see you soon and that you know you are not alone!
