Lamb for Lieutenant Governor
State Sen. Todd Lamb is one of the most effective voices for the right to life in the Oklahoma Legislature.
Lamb has battled Gov. Brad Henry’s vetoes and carried the torch for the unborn in a state where human life is still valued.
Lamb faces Rep. John Wright, a strong conservative, in a race for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor on July 27. Bernie Adler of Oklahoma City, Bill Crozier of Edmond and Paul Nosak of Owasso are also on the GOP ballot.
A former Secret Service agent, Lamb has fought hard for almost all of the same issues in the Senate that Wright was battling for in the House. Lamb worked in the White House during the terms of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He served on the administrative teams of former Gov. Frank Keating and former U.S. Sen. Don Nickles, who is chairman of his campaign.
Both Lamb and Wright are excellent candidates and would make Oklahoma proud with their service to the state.
If the next governor is a Republican, Lamb would be a great partner in promoting economic development in Oklahoma, a key role for lieutenant governor. If Oklahomans elect another Democrat as governor, Lamb has the backbone the stand up to liberal policies that have shackled Oklahoma for more than 100 years.
Lamb is a committed Christian who is not ashamed of his faith. The same goes for Wright.
Lamb is a fiscal conservative who has been a leader in the Senate during a crucial period as Republicans accepted leadership for the first time in state history. Lamb knows how to get key legislation passed and how to use a bully pulpit.
Based on his legislative background, law enforcement experience and personal integrity, the Tulsa Beacon endorses Sen. Todd Lamb for lieutenant governor.
Perry for County Commissioner
In the past five years, a lot of mistakes have been made in county government in Tulsa.
Former county commissioners pushed the largest county sales tax in history with Vision 2025 in 2003. It was a county sales tax for municipal projects.
The Fair Board failed to renew the lease on Bell’s Amusement Park and that cost Tulsa a historic landmark and hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenues.
Commissioner Fred Perry, who served for 13 years in the Oklahoma House, has worked to correct some of the problems that were characteristic of county business.
Perry faces Tulsa City Council Attorney Drew Rees and Michael McMasters, who teaches political science, in the July 27 primary.
Perry has worked toward more transparency – there is still work to be done. He sought genuine public input on the fate of Driller Stadium after the baseball team fled to a new ballpark downtown. Perry’s appointment to various boards showed promise of increased trust in their decisions. The Tulsa State Fair is making money again due to the appointment of Mark Andrus and oversight by county officials.
While the federal government is spending America into the poor house and Tulsa is laying off police officers and teachers, the county has kept doing business on an even keel.
Perry’s support for the failed River Tax was ill-advised but fortunately the county is not saddled with that boondoggle.
The county has problems to be solved and budget issues may be on the horizon.
The Tulsa Beacon endorses Fred Perry for re-election to Tulsa County commissioner.
Janet Barresi for Superintendent
For years, the Office of State School Superintendent has been out of touch with the values of most Oklahomans. The answer to every crisis in public education has been to raise taxes for more funding and to add to the administrative burdens.
That needs to change.
Janet Barresi is an innovative educator who is prepared to take on the challenge of meaningful reform in how Oklahoma educates its children.
Barresi will face Brian Kelley of Edmond in the July 27 primary for State School Superintendent.
Barresi will stand up to the Oklahoma Education Association, the teacher union that pumps its secular humanism into state classrooms while screaming for tax hikes to pay for its excesses.
Barresi simply wants parents to be encouraged to be involved in the education of their children, that they have choices when it comes to choosing the correct education for their child. Instead of a drain on local districts, she wants the State Department of Education to be a resource. Testing of students should be a byproduct of good teaching to determine effectiveness and empowering teachers to do what they do best - teach.
She founded what is now Independence Charter Middle School, as well as Harding Charter Preparatory High School (which was recently recognized as one of the top high schools in America). She believes you can have high expectations, a rigorous curriculum and an involved staff regardless of the socio-economic background of the students.
State funding for public schools has dropped. Teachers are being laid off. Test scores are not improving.
Oklahoma needs a new direction in education.
The Tulsa Beacon endorses Janet Barresi for State School Superintendent.