Voters Confront Lawmakers On State Budget

Dozens of people, fed up with the budget cuts, spoke with lawmakers Wednesday, as part of a grass-roots effort to get Oklahomans more involved in politics - an effort that started just three weeks ago.

Debbi Childers works with children who have mental disabilities. Without her services, she says, many of her clients will wind up in prison or dead. The state has already cut funding to the company she works for, making it hard to find good help.

“I mean anybody can go get a job at McDonald’s and make more than they can working with these clients,” said Childers.

Politicians admit they get away with it because no one stops them.

“It’s because the citizens of Oklahoma have been absent from the Capitol, legislators have been able to carry out deeds that have damaged this state not just for this year they’ve damaged this state for a generation,” said Representative Mike Shelton (D) – District 97.

Andy Moore organized the effort that he’s calling “Let’s Fix This”.

“My heart ached for the state like everybody else. So, I made a Facebook event and invited my friends expecting there would be ten people show up. And the next morning, I had over a hundred that had said they’re interested,” said Moore.

Moore isn’t a lobbyist or someone who works with special interest group. He said he’s just a regular guy and a voter who’s fed up with the way things are run here at the Capitol.

“Today, we are all lobbyists for our own cause. We the public are may be the most special interest,” said Moore. “We all get a vote, and decisions are made by people who show up.”