Published: October 25, 2008 06:31 pm      

Dennis Johnson

The Duncan Banner emailed some questions to all the candidates running for political office that members of Stephens County will be voting on Nov. 4. What follows is this candidate's responses to these questions.



Questions for Dennis Johnson, Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Representative District No. 50:



1) What qualifications do you have for running for Oklahoma's House of Representatives?



I have decades of leadership experience in several areas.



As an independent businessman, I have experience involving budgets, payrolls, state and federal taxation, health care, and helping people solve problems.



As a former councilman and mayor, I have experience in local and municipal government, resolving conflicts, making tough decisions, and working with all citizens in local issues.



Finally, as a husband, father, and grandfather, I share the same convictions, family values, and long term goals as the people I serve in our community.



2) Why are you running for Oklahoma's House of Representatives?



Oklahomans have a reputation of being hard working, conservative, and moral people. We have deep convictions concerning family and our way of life. We all get worried when we see a national agenda that criticizes and endangers our traditional values.



We need someone who will take a steady, consistent stand against the constant barrage of attacks to our long held values in areas of Gun rights, same-sex marriage, Pro-life issues, and unnecessary government intrusion in our lives.



It has been my great honor to represent District 50 for the past two years. There has been much accomplished in areas of saving taxpayer dollars, immigration law, protecting rural landowners, and pro-life legislation. There will never be a shortage of work to do and I am eager to continue representing SW Oklahoma at the Capitol.



3) What is the most important issue to you and how will you work to alleviate the problem if elected?



Any issue that impacts our district is important and I have been active in making sure District 50 was part of every discussion. Ideas good for OKC and Tulsa are not always beneficial for us here in SW Oklahoma where agriculture and energy are the economic engines that drive our entire state economy. I will continue to work to keep our part of the state included as we make decisions that affect us.



Economic development will always be high on my list. We cannot improve our schools, protect our citizens, fix our roads, or address any of our concerns without a growing, vibrant local economy. The more robust our economy the easier every other issue will be to address.



4) Do you stand with your party affiliation on the issues of abortion and marriage? Why?

Yes, I stand with my party on these two issues.



Abortion - I have always held firm on my conviction that life begins at conception. Furthermore, every human life is precious and it is wrong for us to second guess God by allowing the voluntary destruction of pre-born children. That is not our place.



Marriage - Since the beginning of time marriage has been the union of one man and one woman. Same sex unions are not marriages and should not be called as such.



5) Would you ever cross party lines in a voting session? Why?

I already have voted against my party and also against the majority of opinion in the House on several occasions. As an example, in the area of economic development, I have been consistent to vote against programs that benefit one or a limited number of businesses. This is corporate welfare. Government should be here for everyone and not a limited few. I serve SW Oklahoma in district 50 and I vote against measures that I feel will not benefit district 50 no matter who proposes them.



6) Are you for or against Tort Reform? Why?

- Yes, I support tort reform for two reasons.

- Tort reform will help reduce the cost of insurance and litigation.



Even the most frivolous case can still cost a doctor $40,000. Frivolous lawsuits equal higher health care costs and higher insurance premiums.

Texas has seen an increase in the number of Doctor applications since enacting tort reform. Stephens county Doctors are recruited by hospitals in Texas to relocate there to practice and enjoy reduced malpractice rates. Fewer doctors in Oklahoma equals less access to health care.

Tort reform is not about removing the right of the injured to be compensated when they wrongfully have a loss. It is about reforming the system so costs outside actual damages can be reduced.



- Tort reform is an economic development tool.



We are seeing doctors flock to Texas where tort laws have been overhauled. Many businesses, including doctors, have the option to operate from any location they choose and our tort system tends to drive away potential business (income engines) from Oklahoma.



7) With the ever increasing costs for construction materials, road construction/maintenance costs are increasing exponentially, what can be done to alleviate the problem? In other words, can the number of road projects remain steady or will the number of projects need to decrease yearly unless taxes are raised?



- Until two years ago, funding for Oklahoma Dept of Transportation (ODOT) had been essentially unchanged for TWENTY years. Imagine if your salary had stayed the same for that same period of time. Many critical projects had been put aside for lack of funding.

- In the long run, road maintenance should be a steady program of repair and construction, and a steady growth of the revenues dedicated to road maintenance.

- The 2008 legislature put $444 million into transportation to begin funding the long overdue ODOT eight year road and bridge construction plan. This plan was developed by ODOT to address the most critical needs we have.

- The 2008 legislature further addressed road and bridge funding by passing a $300 million bond package. It made economic sense to borrow money at 4% to start projects now that are increasing at a 12% annual rate.

- We are now beginning to address our overdue road and bridge projects WITHOUT any tax increases.



8) Oklahoma has a prison capacity of about 25,000. We stay filled at between 96% and 98% yearly, which is well into overcrowded status. What is the answer for prison overcrowding in Oklahoma and how will you work to alleviate the problem? Do you think taxes need to be raised to solve the (any) problem?



There is no single answer to prison overcrowding but one program that brings encouraging results is Drug Courts. They are relatively new here in Oklahoma but they have a very high rate of success and a low recidivsm rate. This results in fewer people incarcerated, fewer beds needed, and most importantly a greater number of people rehabilitated and becoming productive than in the past.



9) Recidivism is measured as the percentage of all prisoners within a given year who return to incarceration within three years. For fiscal year 2005, the recidivism rate is 27.8%. What will you do to lower that percentage?



Government does a better job in enforcing than in rehabilitating. Encouraging more faith based organizations to step up can make big differences in lives one at a time. These groups have a better success rate than others. They can even begin prior to a prisoner being released by helping them setting up goals, dealing with personal issues, suggesting areas of training, and then monitoring and mentoring these people as they leave prison to build their lives in a different direction than the one that landed them in prison.



Last two questions are from a reader of the Duncan Banner:

10) What have been some "positives" that have happened during your campaigning?



It is always a ''positive'' when I can get out in the district and communicate with people one on one. I get a better sense of what is going right and what isn't from direct contact with people than any other means. This input helps to guide me as I work for citizens here in district 50.



11) How can we make public schools better?



I believe the most important ingredient to improving our public schools is greater parental involvement. Too few parents take their role seriously and involve themselves in the day to day activities in and out of school. Run for school board, join a parents organization, know what is happening in and around your childs life



Shame on us when we send our children off and wipe our hands and leave the results up to those who care for our kids but can never possibly watch as closely your childs progress as you can. Get involved and become a part of the solution.