David Walters in Survey of 2002 Senate and House campaign websites

On Education: Educate children to protect the environment

As governor, Walters launched a traveling environmental education lab to conduct real environmental experiments and enhance environmental awareness among Oklahoma?s schoolchildren. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Education: Improve schools with standards and accountability

I support setting high standards for all students, teachers and schools. I’m committed to providing real incentives and giving them the tools and resources to meet them, and then holding them accountable. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Education: Increase resources for public schools

We must ensure that Oklahoma’s public schools provide students with the best education in the world and give our kids the skills they need to make it. Our schools need qualified, well-trained teachers in smaller classes. Our schools need expanded access Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Energy & Oil: Stop transport of nuclear waste through OK

David Walters will work toward reversal of plans to transport highly radioactive nuclear waste across the nation to the proposed Yucca Mountain storage site. A quarter million Oklahomans live within a mile of proposed highway, rail and waterways that will transport casks carrying waste. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Energy & Oil: Support wind farms and alternative fuel development

David Walters believes Oklahoma is a perfect place for the development of alternative energy sources. The vast farmlands of Western Oklahoma would be ideal locations for wind farms. The federal government should provide tax credits for owners who convert land for wind or solar energy production Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Energy & Oil: Opposes new oil drilling in Alaska

David Walters believes there are better and more productive alternatives to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Environment: Delicate balance between the environment and progress

As an avid hunter and outdoor enthusiast, I’m conscious of the delicate balance between the environment and progress. As governor, I worked hard to simplify and improve government?s role in protecting our environment. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Environment: Established first state Department of Environment in 1992

As governor, Walters established a central, unified Department of Environmental Quality and created the first Cabinet-level position of Secretary of Environment to assure that this important segment is properly represented in state government. For his efforts, the Oklahoma Wildlife Federation named Governor Walters the 1992 Conservationist of the Year. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Environment: Enforce water quality standards; limit sewage discharges

Walters created an Environmental Task Force that persuaded Arkansas to meet Oklahoma water quality standards to limit discharge of sewage into tributaries of Oklahoma’s Illinois River. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Environment: Encourage government recycling

With Walters’ support as Governor, Oklahoma became the first state in the nation to enter into a closed-loop recycling contract. Under its provisions, the state sold its used office paper to an Oklahoma manufacturer who used it to produce tissue products, which the state then purchased. This and other innovative efforts led to a 163% increase in the amount of recycled-content products purchased in Oklahoma in one year. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Health Care: Support Medicare prescription drug benefit

It is time we modernized Medicare with a new prescription drug benefit. I don’t ever want to see an elderly American get a prescription from their doctor, only to be forced to choose between meals and that medication. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Health Care: Set prices for Medicare prescriptions

Congress has failed to address the issue of cost. It’s unnecessary for seniors in Oklahoma to have to pay as much as twice the price for their drugs than consumers in foreign nations. David Walters will work in the Senate to contain the costs of drugs by requiring drug companies to sell their medications at the average foreign price to American pharmacies serving Medicare beneficiaries. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Health Care: Expand access to health coverage via small business

I support expanding access to health coverage for working families. We can accomplish this by making health care accessible and affordable for small businesses and expanding coverage for working families. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Health Care: Enforceable Patient's Rights, with right to sue

Americans need a real, enforceable Patients’ Bill of Rights. This bill must assure Americans the right to see a specialist. They must be allowed the right to appeal decisions to an outside board. It must ensure guaranteed coverage of emergency room care. It must also allow a patient the right to sue when they are unfairly denied coverage. Patients and their doctors and nurses should make medical decisions. Accountants and bureaucrats at the end of a phone line a thousand miles away should not make them Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Health Care: Increase funding for biomedical & AIDS research

We also need to continue and increase our investments in biomedical research. That means we continue to fight and conquer everything from AIDS to Alzheimer’s to Diabetes to Parkinson’s to spinal cord injuries. We must speed up the development of new drugs and get them to patients sooner. As we do, we must also maintain essential health and safety standards. And we should expand prevention and widen access to clinical trials. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Social Security: Save Social Security without benefit cuts or new taxes

I support Social Security reform that guarantees the solvency of the program for our children and grandchildren. However, I oppose proposals that would lead to tax increases, benefit cuts, or increasing the retirement age. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Tax Reform: Cut taxes for middle & lower classes first

I support tax cuts, but not at the expense of our future financial security or national defense or the retirement security of our elderly. Tax cuts for poor and middle class families should be our priority -- tax cuts that let families live their values. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

On Tax Reform: Cut wasteful programs instead of raising taxes

While Governor, I reduced the size of government while increasing funding for education during a time of limited increased revenues. I successfully opposed all tax increase proposals. It is not an easy or simple process to identify low priority government programs that have outlived their usefulness and to eliminate these programs so that funding for higher priority programs can be increased. I did this in state government, and I will encourage these kind of savings in our federal government. Source: 2002 Senate campaign website, WaltersForSenate.com, “Issues” Sep 17, 2002

The above quotations are from Survey of 2002 House & Senate campaign websites. Click here for other excerpts from Survey of 2002 House & Senate campaign websites. Click here for other excerpts by David Walters. Click here for a profile of David Walters.
*David Walters on other issues:*
Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families Foreign Policy Free Trade	Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Jobs Principles Social Security Tax Reform Technology War/Peace Welfare
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Page last updated: Nov 29, 2018