Welcome to the first post from our series of interviews with Oklahoma candidates for the upcoming 2012 elections. In this series we will introduce you to the candidates and ask them about their views on the environment to help our readers make an informed choice when they vote.
Donna Bebo is a democrat running for United States Representative from the 4th Congressional District of Oklahoma. We got the chance to ask her a few questions and here are her answers.
GO: First off please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Bebo: I live in Fletcher with my husband, our children, and our two furry family members. Our family loves to cook. My husband has a pretty decent sized garden in our yard and he cans whatever we aren’t able to use right away. One of the things that probably makes our family unique is that my daughters and I are all vegetarians. But, my husband is an avid hunter and fisherman. To some people, this might seem like something that would create a lot of conflict. But, we respect each other’s differences and it works for us. Because of my love of animals and his love of the outdoors, we are both big supporters of conservation efforts.
GO: Why did you decide to run for US Congress?
Bebo: Like many of us, I have become more and more frustrated with our Congress. It seems like the only thing that matters to many politicians is winning the next election and gaining seats for their own party. In the midst of all of this bickering, the needs of the people get lost. We need to elect people to office who have no other goal than to serve the people. I think the only way to get representation like that is for regular Americans to stand up for themselves. That is exactly what I’m doing.
GO: If elected what would you do, if anything, about current pollution issues?
Bebo: I would stand against any attempt to loosen EPA clean air regulations. I’ve heard the claim that these regulations hurt job growth. I think that is a cowardly stance and we’ve all heard it before. It seems anything that big business isn’t in favor of gets charged with “hurting job growth”. They are holding us hostage and it’s wrong. The EPA estimates that up to 2500 lives could be saved thanks to their new regulations. These are the same regulations Tom Cole voted to put on hold.
I also think that violators of clean air regulations must be held accountable. If you poison our air… If you make our children sick… there will be consequences. We need to work with the EPA to make their enforcement efforts more effective. It seems that even when companies are found to be in violation, red tape tends to get in the way of efficient enforcement.
GO: What about energy issues?
Bebo: I’m very excited about the potential Oklahoma has to be a national leader in green energy. We have a jackpot of natural resources here. But, companies will generally only invest in what is profitable. It would be my job to make green energy initiatives attractive to existing energy companies and to help attract green start ups to our state. This growth would be encouraged by tax breaks and grant programs. Our nation already invests in environmentally sound energy practices. We need to bring that investment to Oklahoma. Energy companies can be profitable and still environmentally friendly. It would be my job to encourage and support those who invest in a greener Oklahoma.
GO: What are your views on climate change?
Bebo: Climate change is very real. We can either accept the scientific proof and work to correct our course or we can bury our heads in the sand and let our children and grandchildren deal with it. It’s my job as a mom to leave my children with a world that is better off… not worse. So, I choose to do my part to help our environment.
GO: And lastly, why do you think our readers should vote for you?
Bebo: Whenever people would encourage me to run for office, I would always say, “I’m not a politician.” More and more, I they replied, “That’s exactly why we need you to run!” And I think that’s exactly why people should vote for me. I’m not running for office because I want to get my name on some door. I’m running because I believe we deserve much better than the representation we’re getting right now. At the end of the day, I not only need to face myself in the mirror… I also need to be able to look each of my children in the eye and know that I’m living the example of who I want them to be. I don’t want any of our children to look back and see that we could have stood up… but, we chose to take the easy path instead!
If you would like to learn more about Donna Bebo check out her website Bebo for Congress, you can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.
Be sure to check out our other interviews as well.
Disclaimer: Green Oklahoma doesn’t endorse any candidates. We urge our readers to learn about all of the candidates and make informed choices this year. And above all Green Oklahoma urges all Oklahomans to vote!
