EDMOND — EDITOR’S NOTE: Read about Lewis Moore, who is Mike Idleman’s opponent for the Republican nomination for House District 96, in Friday’s Sun.



Mike Idleman said he wants to bring common sense back to state government, so Oklahomans will have more cents in their pockets.

“I want lower taxes, but you can’t have lower taxes if you’re over-spending,” said Idleman, 41, a Republican candidate for House District 96.

District 96 voters will have the choices of Republican candidate Idleman of Choctaw, a former Edmond Memorial High School teacher; Republican Lewis Moore of Arcadia, Democrat Jon-Paul Ammirata of Luther and Democrat Dianne Hunter of Edmond. The Democrat and Republican candidates will face off in the July 29 statewide primary election before the winners compete in the Nov. 4 general election.

Oklahomans can improve the state’s education, roads and bridges, health care and illegal immigration problems, Idleman said.

Oklahomans need safe passage on Oklahoma roads and bridges with enough emergency response in place for their safety, he said.

Regarding health care, Idleman said each working individual needs a base amount of health care. “I know that people talk about socializing health care. There is a difference but it’s going to be very close to that,” he said. Preventative health care would save consumers and taxpayers millions of dollars, he said.



‘I’m no spring chicken’

Winning the election would mean becoming a freshman representative. “But you know what — even when I was playing ball — you give them the ball and see what they can do,” he said.

“I believe the right person for the right position, even though inexperienced, can still produce some pretty good results,” Idleman said. “Now is a senior better than a freshman? Sure. Maturity does help, but I’m no spring chicken.”

Idleman has a court reporting businesses and is a vice president for Primerica Financial Services. He taught physical education at Central Middle School from 1992 to 2000 and coached baseball and football at Edmond Memorial High School. Idleman co-authored the health and physical education curriculum for Edmond Public Schools with Joe Crawford, a former health and physical education teacher at Summit.

Born in McCloud, Idleman earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Oklahoma State University. He and his wife Cathy live in Choctaw with their 3-year-old daughter. Cathy is a a licensed registered dietitian.

“She’s half Hispanic. My mother-in-law is Hispanic,” Idleman said. “I know immigration is an issue. I’m married to a Hispanic family.”



Support for House Bill 1804

State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, authored the state’s anti-illegal immigration bill that was signed into law in 2007 by Gov. Brad Henry. The bill took effect Nov. 1 and made it a crime to knowingly hire, house or transport illegal immigrants. In June, U.S. District Judge Robin Cauthron ruled against enforcement of employer-related provisions of the bill.

Supporters of House Bill 1804 have said undocumented immigrants have cost Oklahoma $200 million on an annual basis. Opponents have stated the legislation presents no investigative evidence to support its statement and that an economic impact study was never conducted prior to the bill’s passage.

“I don’t think it’s perfect but I think you had to start somewhere,” Idleman said. “And I think it’s better to start tough and back it off than to start light and totally be taken advantage of.”

Idleman said illegal residents are less frequent in Oklahoma when jobs are secure for legal residents, he said.

“I do want the Hispanic people to know this: The people that I’ve talked to about the illegal immigration and about the bill that is out there — these are people that care,” Idleman said. “It’s not discrimination. They’re not trying to be the bad person. What they’re trying to do is fix the situation. And I think there’s not been a real good job of communicating with the Hispanic population in Oklahoma.”



Eliminate capital gains tax

Idleman wants lawmakers to prioritize budget items and eliminate the inheritance tax and capital gains tax.

“I think it’s ridiculous that we’re taxing gains or family money passed from one family to the next,” Idleman said. “And then now you’re having to pay taxes when they busted their tail and had to pay taxes to get to there. So now you inherit this and that generational wealth is going to be taxed as well.”

He said tax dollars should go back to the people, especially since the baby boomers are aging at an astonishing rate, he said. According to the U.S. Census and Federal Reserve, baby boomers are turning 50 at a rate of 1 every 10 seconds, which equates to more than 12,000 each day. One-third of the population will be at least 50 years old within five years. This rate will overwhelm a lot of systems, he said.

“So we have to find ways for them to be able to afford health care, to be able to afford these gas prices. So I think we have to make sure our tax situation is under control and our bonds as well, because that totally effects our property taxes.”

He said “big oil” also is taxed excessively on capital gains. Oil and gas companies are going to stay ahead of the game by researching alternative energy sources, he said.

“We need to … quit restricting how we get our energy nationwide,” he said.



Education begins at home

He’s concerned the basic educational needs of children are not adequately taught by parents before kindergarten. Every moment of a child’s play time and conversation can be constructive for learning, Idleman said. Resources

need to be available for parents to recognize these learning opportunities, he said. He wants the community to be more knowledgeable about their children’s education.

One idea Idleman is considering is to offer a tax break incentive for the families of children who enter kindergarten with a specific level of knowledge. There are also factors teachers can’t control, he said, but there is a difference between a teacher who cares and one who merely draws a check. And there are always exceptions to be made for children with special needs, he said.



TO LEARN more about the candidacy of Mike Idleman, call him at 640-0754 or e-mail www.ilikemike08@gmail.com.