Cox’s Corner by State Representative Doug Cox
While I enjoy serving in the House of Representatives and tending to the business of the state, it is always nice to get home for a weekend. We live in such a great area of the state with lots of activities.
What a great time I had at the FLW bass tournament weigh-in Saturday! These bass tournaments are really great for our economy. I am lucky to have both Lake Hudson and Grand Lake in my legislative district. There were fishermen from many states at the tournament. The fellow from Florida probably drove the farthest to get here. Other fishermen (and fisherwomen-more women are getting into the sport) were from Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky, just to name a few. More than 500 fishermen – two to a boat – fished the first day. Many of the participants had their wives and kids with them. While the guys were out fishing, the families were out touring and shopping in our area. Our restaurants, motels and convenience stores really reap major benefits from these tournaments. The Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) realizes the importance of these tournaments to our economy. It was great to see GRDA boss Dan Sullivan along with GRDA board member Tom Kimball and local businessman Chuck Perry, who serves on the Oklahoma State Tourism Commission, at the event with their families. The GRDA and Fisheries Coordinator Brent Davis do a good job of managing the lake and ensuring the fish are returned alive. All of the fishermen had high praise for the amount of fish and their size in the GRDA lakes.
These fishing tournaments are great for our area. We need to do a better job of showing our appreciation to the participants for coming to our area. Something like a “made in Oklahoma” gift packet or a sheet of coupons to use in local establishments for each participant. Let’s show them some local hospitality to make them want to come back with their families. If you are eating out and see some fishermen be sure and tell them “thanks” for coming to our lakes!
Speaking of fishing, I hope to get to the gigging tournament on Lake Eucha next weekend if I make it home from Oklahoma City and out of the ER in time.
While back home, I also attended the Jay Education Foundation For Excellence fundraiser at Bulldog Arena. JEFFE does a great job each year with their murder mystery play and live and silent auctions to raise money for scholarships for their graduates. Education foundations are playing an increasing role in our area in raising money for our schools and scholarships for their graduates. While the foundations are great, it is kind of sad that they are necessary due to the lack of adequate state funding for public schools and the high cost of college.
Each day I walk into the Capitol I am thankful that you have given me the opportunity to serve as your state representative. If you ever have any suggestions or comments do not hesitate to contact me at dougcox@okhouse.gov or 405-557-7415.
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