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.