Askins
Askins in running for governor as a Democrat.
In an interview Tuesday morning Askins said she is proud of what she has accomplished as lieutenant governor, especially for tourism, and she has even more plans for the state if elected.
“I have spent a lot of time on tourism issues, back to George Nigh,” Askins said.
Nigh served as Oklahoma’s lieutenant governor from 1959 to 1963 and again from 1967 to 1979. He was governor from 1979 to 1987, but it was during his years as lieutenant governor that he worked to improve the state’s tourism industry.
“The (state) centennial corresponded with my term and we took a lot of pride in the centennial.”
Askins said she has worked on improving the state’s lodges from Roman Nose Lodge in western Oklahoma to Western Hills Guest Ranch and Lodge near Wagoner, rehabilitating the facilities to attract tourists.
“That’s just good marketing,” she said. “We have to get the word out, but a lot of the time, when you cut budgets, the marketing money is the first thing looked at.”
Askins said she wants elected state officials to work together as a team to promote tourism in the state.
Askins said she has plans to improve the state’s finances, which had an estimated shortfall of $1.2 billion this year, but she cautioned the public not to expect an immediate improvement.
“I don’t believe you’ll see a lot of change right away,” she said. “But no other candidate has the budget experiences I have. Having experience is absolutely necessary for the governor coming in.”
Askins said she is optimistic about the state’s future.
“I could not be more optimistic about the future of Oklahoma. I believe Oklahomans are prepared to meet the challenges of the future with the same success we have met them in the past,” she said in her campaign literature. Askins said her list of new measures includes government reform, fiscal responsibility, and a bipartisan spirit.
“All the optimism in the world will not keep thousands Oklahoma children from going to bed hungry or being abused. It will not create jobs or improve education and public safety,” Askins said. “What will help meet these challenges is making sure, to the best of our ability, that every cent of the money taxpayers provide is spent efficiently. That is why I have long advocated dedicating every other session of the legislature to a microscopic look at the state budget and nothing else. That’s why I have advocated a Children’s Cabinet to make more efficient the efforts of the 15 state agencies charged with helping children.”
Askins is seeking bipartisanship.
She said, “I believe the greatest progress for Oklahoma comes when Democrats, Republicans and Independents come together and hammer out solutions we can all support. Certainly, we will never agree on everything, but I think we can agree on much more than we disagree. When we do, progress abounds. We need look no further for an example than the remarkable and bipartisan public-private partnership that revitalized Oklahoma City through MAPS or what is happening in Tulsa and many smaller cities.
“I am optimistic about the future of Oklahoma because I believe in the values Oklahomans share,” Askins said. “We are a good and decent people who honor our past, while working for a better future.”
