For Immediate
Release: September 2, 2005
Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson
Sen. Wilcoxson Urges State to Scale Back
Centennial Costs
to Help Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
State Sen. Kathleen
Wilcoxson is urging Oklahoma to consider scaling back planned
expenditures on upcoming centennial celebrations in order to offer
greater assistance to neighbors in need.
“I’m looking at these heartbreaking images coming
out of Louisiana—countless people have lost everything they
have. Officials are saying the death toll could be in the thousands.
The devastation there and in other southern communities is too
great to even comprehend. Given that, I’m wondering why
don’t we scale back our centennial celebrations and redirect
those resources to help our neighbors,” said Wilcoxson,
R-OKC.
Sen. Wilcoxson asked that question on the floor of the Senate
Wednesday when a bill calling for a $10 million appropriation
for centennial projects was being debated. Several members voiced
concerns that the bill should contain specifics about exactly
which projects are to be funded and at what level. The measure
was defeated, but Sen. Wilcoxson said at some point the issue
would be revisited by lawmakers.
“On the floor I compared this to parents planning a birthday
party for their child but then learn their neighbors had just
lost everything in a house fire. Out of concern that family plans
a less lavish party so they can help their neighbors. That’s
what I’m asking us to do now. We should simply plan a less
lavish party so that we can help our neighbors,” Wilcoxson
said.
For
more information contact:
Senate Communication's
Office - (405) 521-5774
