Education

Oklahoma needs to invest in the future of education not only with greater funding, but with higher performance standards. Oklahoma should take on the challenge of putting the best teachers available in our classrooms and rewarding outstanding teachers for their hard work. Oklahoma excells at providing career education through the Oklahoma CareerTech system, but we must enhance public school and higher education systems. We need to take steps to ensure that higher education remains affordable for ALL Oklahoman's who wish to attend. We must make sure that high school graduates are leaving the public school system with the necessary skills to survive in the world. We cannot leave our youth and young adults out to dry.

Election Laws

Oklahoma has some of the toughest and most restrictive election and ballot access laws in the nation. Take it from an independent candidate, they aren't fair. In fact, they're very anti-democratic. For instance, 45 states are allowed write in candidates on the ballot, but we're limited to only two or three choices. In 2004, Oklahoma was the only state in the nation with only two choices for President. If we want to get good choices for candidates on the ballot, there must be more than two. We need laws that encourage democracy, not restrict it. We need laws that open up the political process to everyone, not narrow it down for a few.

Health Care

Oklahoma must take steps to control rising health care costs. These steps include comprehensive tort reform, legalising medicine from Canada, and pushing for open access to costs and payments from insurance company and health care providers. Oklahoma must also protect the business of our optometrists. Living in Tahlequah and being involved with Northeastern State University and the College of Optometry, I can tell you that our optometrists are well trained. They are performing proceedures that they have practiced for. These surgeries are not new. They are surgeries that have been performed by licensed optometrists for over 20 years. If select medical groups are successful in limiting the optometry profession's ability to serve patients, then rural Oklahomans are going to suffer. They are going to have to pay higher priced doctors for routine proceedures and they are going to have to travel to get the care they need.

Accountable Government

Oklahoma has yet to address the issues of under funded retirement systems, poor road and bridge conditions, or afforadable and quality education. Oklahoma needs legislators who will provide more than just "lip-service" to issues and will provide solutions and results. Oklahomans pay good money to our state congressmen and women, but when it comes to the benefits we receive from their services, there is great room for improvement. Oklahomans paid for roads and bridges and they were not delivered. Oklahomans paid for legislators who would be there for them during natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katriana, and they were not. Oklahomans have every right to expect their legislators to be proactive and address issues about the future... not bicker about the past... and once again, they have not delivered.

If you feel as I do about your government and the direction it needs to go, then please, vote for me on November 7th. Together we can do great things and ensure that our best days are ahead of us. Take care and God bess!

Matthew R. Jones