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  • Blaine Smith, Executive Director for Association Central Oklahoma Governments, and Oklahoma Lt. Governor Jari Askins share a laugh during a break in the forum Friday at the Simmons Center. Toni Hopper

    A quick laugh
August 29, 2010

Area leaders share concerns

Toni Hopper The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — In 2005, the Defense Base, Realignment and Closure Commission issued a list of military bases that would face closure.

Fort Sill was not on that list and for southwest Oklahoma leaders, that indicated some positive changes could be forthcoming. Now five years later, military leaders, politicians and business leaders from throughout southwest Oklahoma spent Friday morning at the Simmons Center with one mission in mind.

To continue a collaborative effort for the future and make sure that no Oklahoma bases end up on the next list, expected to be issued within the next five to eight years. Fort Sill Commanding Maj. General David D. Halverson was among the leaders at the forum.

Among those at  the forum were several candidates, including Duncan’s own Lt. Gov. Jari Askins who is running for governor of the State of Oklahoma. Others also at the forum were Congresswoman Mary Fallin, and Lt. Gov. candidates Todd Lamb and Kenneth Corn, and Superintendent of Public Instruction candidates Susan Paddack and Janet Barresi. Each candidate was allowed to speak, and there were  questions for them to answer.

While much was shared about the progress of building southwest Oklahoma in terms of meeting the military families’ needs, through infrastructure, economy and education, concern was voiced by Askins and the other candidates about ways to deal with a state shortfall that is expected to be more than $1 billion in the upcoming year.

“We as a state have an obligation to help support to keep those bases in our state,” Askins said.

Fallin told the crowd that Oklahoma gained many jobs when the 2005 BRAC announcement was made.

Tied into those comments was the fact that the military bases in Oklahoma have an estimated $6 billion annual impact on the state’s economy. It was also pointed out that Oklahoma is the only state to have not lost a military facility to BRAC orders.

Jennifer Tipton, moderator of the event, issued questions during the forum to the candidates. One of those went right to the issue of Oklahoma’s infrastructures in the rural communities.

“Southwest Oklahoma has not received any monies allocated for infrastructure improvement,” Tipton addressed Askins and Fallin.

Fallin said a solid infrastructure is important to attract jobs as an area grows and talked about Rural Economic Action Plan benefits. Duncan and Lawton do not receive REAP funding.

Askins tackled the issue with ownership, “The State needs to change the way we do the budget process.” She also said the budget needs to be addressed at the beginning of a session and not at the end in May.

She addressed the growth issue in southwest Oklahoma and the lack of funding available for infrastructure. And Fallin said there is an $11 million backlog of road project needs.

All candidates were asked how they felt about State Question 744, which if passed, would provide more funding for public schools. But it’s a tricky issue and most of the candidates seemed in agreement that voting no would be the better option in the rough economic climate.

Askins and Fallin both noted that without additional revenue to offset SQ 744, it would cause hardship on other state services, such as law enforcement, and also the military bases. Lamb, Corn, Baressi and Paddack also indicated that with a projected $1 billion plus revenue shortfall, SQ 744 isn’t something that will work at this time. They did all agree that more funding is needed, but not in the manner proposed.

While the forum’s focus was centered on the military presence in Oklahoma, and the candidate’s stance on various issues, the one thing that everyone seemed to agree upon was that all southwest Oklahoma communities, whether rural, like Elgin or Central High, or larger like Duncan, Lawton and Altus, needed to continue to show a unified effort for progress of the region.



— Toni Hopper is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. She can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 132 or by e-mail at: toni.hopper@duncanbanner.com.

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