EDMOND —
On Nov. 14, I will take the oath of office for the next term of the Legislature. I have now served six years as your state representative and I am at the halfway point of the time I am allowed to serve under Oklahoma’s term limits laws. In reflecting on the past six years, I want you to know that I have not taken for granted the kindness provided by House District 31 residents.
When I came by your house seeking your vote, you allowed me the time to talk about why I was running for office even though it was a hot summer afternoon. You shared your views and provided great insights for the reforms and changes that needed to be enacted. You made a conscious decision to support me based on this interaction, and I take that very seriously.
You stayed true to this support by treating my wife, family and supporters with friendship and encouragement when they visited your home to ask for your vote on my behalf even though it was perhaps the fifth time that year someone from a campaign visited your house. Your kindness to my beautiful wife is perhaps the most appreciated of all. Especially during the 2006 election cycle, when the odds were absolutely stacked against our campaign, she made hundreds (if not thousands) of door-to-door visits. She made sure to tell me the stories of your kindness and support. Thank you!
You let me put that sign in your yard, knowing full well that it might draw the wrath of the neighbor down the street.
You stayed firm in your support even when confronted with libelous political attacks and dishonest coffee shop rumors. You took the time to see through the dishonesty, even though this may have required researching the facts.
Your $10, $25 and $50 contributions always provided what I needed to get my campaign message out without ever having to take the lobbyist money that traps and imprisons so many elected officials. In doing so, you allowed me to work as your state representative without having to worry about what the lobbyists who fill the House gallery think about my votes.
You have taken the time to read my weekly emails or their newspaper column counterparts even though they were often a bit nuanced and technical. Your kind words of feedback and constructive suggestions in response to these articles provided encouragement and helpful ideas for the future.
You have let me know that you are praying for me. I absolutely believe these prayers are responsible for the policy successes that I have been honored to take part in.
I never plan to forget those interactions. Whenever I take action as your state representative, I always keep those memories close at hand. I don’t care what politicians think, what the special interests say, or what happens at the next election. I only know that I must follow through with representing the principles that we share and that I made a commitment to you to represent. I must only bring honor to those who have provided this trust. It has never been forgotten — and it never will be.
REP. JASON MURPHEY, R-Guthrie, represents House District 31, which encompasses all of Logan County and a portion of northern Edmond. He may be reached via email at jason.murphey@okhouse.gov, on Facebook at facebook.com/JasonMurphey and Twitter.com/JWMurphey.
Opinion
Representative shares thanks for 6 years of service
- Opinion
-
-
Americans deserve the truth on Benghazi
Lately, the media has been consumed by the controversies surrounding the White House. Among these controversies is the horrific terrorist attack on the United States’ diplomatic compound in Benghazi that took place Sept. 11, 2012. As more people come forward with additional information regarding the attack on the consulate, many Americans, including myself, are still asking for the truth.
The Obama Administration and the State Department have been less than forthcoming with key information on Benghazi and recent information points toward a major cover-up. -
Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
-
HEY HINK: Some people just are not cut out for command
Recent headlines cause me to remember an incident that occurred on an army base some years ago. Warning here: I’m taking some liberties with names and details, but the basic outline of events is accurate.
A certain company commander, let’s call him Captain Duntz, had command of a motor pool on a large army base in the continental U.S. -
We’ve become our own worst enemies
The past couple months have been marked by a seeming unprecedented number of man-made tragedies, as distinct from those caused by violent outbursts of the natural world, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.
You don’t want to dwell too long on the negative, but we do have to take notice of horrific human events and we owe it to ourselves to respond to them in some way. We don’t always agree on those responses, however, and that usually exacerbates the problem. -
Let’s reimburse higher ed for remediation costs
The good news: Oklahoma schools are teaching phonics. The bad news: It’s in college.
Students at Tulsa Community College, for example, can take a college English course called “Spelling and Phonics,” which “helps students master basic spelling literacy, principles of phonics and decoding skills.”
This sort of higher education brings to mind former Boston University president John Silber’s quip: “Higher than what?” -
AGAINST THE GRAIN: Department of Commerce highlights Main Street successes
The 24th annual Oklahoma Main Street Awards Banquet was at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum last week. Oklahoma Department of Commerce Secretary Dave Lopez addressed the gathering, and spoke of how the Commerce Department works with Main Street organizations throughout the state that are working to improve their downtown areas. Lopez pointed out that the partnership between his department and those local organizations has brought new life to those communities and that the attendees would see some of that revitalization in a video presentation. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin also addressed the gathering, and said the Main Street program has resulted in more than $1 billion in investments in the state and more than 1 million volunteer hours in its 24 years of operation.
-
OUR VIEW: Be Edmond needs your help
BMX star and local legend Mat Hoffman knows what’s it like to fall from great heights and find yourself at one of the worst low points in life. He also knows how to climb back up and tackle life’s problems head on.
-
No Americans forgotten in Benghazi
More than eight months ago on Sept. 11, the nation was shaken by the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Claiming the lives of four innocent Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, that horrific night still demands further investigation before it can be laid to rest. Due to an uncooperative administration and State Department who attempted to downplay the terrorist attack just eight weeks before the presidential election, we still don’t know the truth.
-
Saying goodbye to the earmark
When a new legislator, I worked to learn some of the more hidden and less-than-transparent aspects in the way Oklahoma politicians spent our taxpayer dollars. This wasn’t easy as even some legislators are left in the dark regarding the mechanics of how the legislative budget process is abused to the benefit of the most powerful of politicians.
-
HEY HINK: Think like a gaur before deciding on gun debate
Have you ever heard of a gaur? It’s the largest living member of the bovine family. A large gaur bull can weigh more than a ton and a half. His body may be nearly 11 feet long and he may be more than 7 feet tall at the shoulder. This is a huge, enormously powerful animal that could, no doubt, do a terrific amount of work if it would ever allow itself to be hitched to a plow. But it won’t. Man has never been able to offer the gaur a deal that would persuade it to become domesticated.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
Americans deserve the truth on Benghazi
