By C.F. David

The Boise City News

Posted: March 17, 2010

BOISE CITY, Okla. -- Oklahoma’s Attorney General Drew Edmondson, accompanied by his wife Linda, swung through Cimarron County Sunday and Monday.

 Edmondson, a Democrat, in his second term as AG has decided to run for governor this fall.

 “This is my first campaign for governor in the Panhandle. I have campaigned in the Panhandle every year I’ve run for office,” he smiled.

 Edmondson said that job one for him should he win the governor’s office will be jobs and to stimulate the economy.

 “2011 is going to be a difficult year,” he said.

 “We are going to be plugging holes in such things as Medicaid. This will be a difficult budget year and it will be necessary to move the economy.”

 To stimulate the economy Edmondson said problems with oil and gas production would need to be solved and that electrical transmission lines and wind energy were also important.

 “We [Oklahoma] need to build our renewable energy portfolio. That is a top priority.”

 “We have no place in Oklahoma that builds the wind turbines so we won’t get those jobs.”

  Edmondson pointed to the possibility of construction jobs, and the operation of the turbines and lines for the jobs Oklahoma will need.

  He pointed out that with the closing of Oklahoma City’s GM plant and its takeover by Tinker Air Force Base, that the Oklahoma City area had plenty of early-retired United Auto Workers that had skills that the state could use.

  “There are a number of areas where we need to and can stimulate jobs. We could be big in bio-medical research. The state is in a good position to give tax incentives to companies wanting to come here.”

  “We have a lot of natural gas, and I’d be willing to bet there is no where in Cimarron County you can fill your vehicle with compressed natural gas. We need to point out to people that we can power their vehicles, and generate their power with our natural gas…we have about 100 years worth of it to use.”

  Edmondson again pointed out that those tax incentives could be used right down to a home having a pump installed to fill their own vehicles with CNG.

  When asked if he had concerns about Cap and Trade legislation, he replied in the affirmative.

  “I worry about what cap and trade might do to Oklahoma’s Oil and Gas Revenues and its agriculture. If it should pass we’ll need to be ready to pivot and take advantage of what we have. It could be that our farmers could sell carbon credits.”

  Asked about the President’s plans for health care, Edmondson said he liked the tack taken by Oklahoma.

  “I like what we’ve done in Oklahoma with our Insure Oklahoma Plan. We’ve financed with tobacco taxes and it’s made private health care available to small businesses that otherwise couldn’t have afforded it.”

  “But, I, as governor would want to stay focused on Oklahoma. We have congressional representation in Washington that understands what Oklahoma wants. From my standpoint I want to let Frank Lucas worry about Washington,” Edmondson said. 

Copyright 2010 The Boise City News