Regarding Grant Slater's story "The 20-year itch" in the Oct. 13 Gazette:
Mary Fallin says that she opposes the Obama stimulus money. In fact, she uses terrifying photos of Obama to emphasize just how awful he's been for us.
But Oklahoma has received millions in stimulus money. All that new road construction, the new programs to combat sexual assault in rural communities, $119 million for Oklahoma's schools, the 150 companies that have hired Oklahomans with stimulus money, the school bus upgrades, new wind energy programs, new Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation personnel and equipment to combat child predators, keeping University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University tuition rates stable, new aid for victims of crime, child nutrition programs and even flood protection are all benefits of the stimulus.
The fact is, we've benefited tremendously from it " regardless of party. Will Mary Fallin oppose these?
Oklahoma is losing jobs. We need to carefully nurture the gains we do achieve. Critics like to wrench talking points out of occasional stimulus failures, without ever acknowledging the contributions we've been desperate for.
I'm worried that benefits like these will be snatched away from us, all for the sake of scoring "government money is bad" points, returning us to a time without all of these necessary gains.
"Matt Atkinson
Oklahoma City
