McALESTER —
Markwayne Mullin believes he knows what’s wrong with Congress — not enough of its members have operated a business or been kicked by livestock.
Mullin, who lives in Westville in Adair County in Northeastern Oklahoma, said he’s experienced in both areas.
The livestock reference is another way for Mullin to say that most members of Congress have not worked with their hands enough to identify with working men and women in Eastern Oklahoma.
Calling himself a conservative businessman, Mullin is a Republican candidate for the Congressional seat currently held by U.S. District 2 Rep. Dan Boren, D- Muskogee. Boren plans to finish his current term, but he has already announced he will not seek re-election in 2012.
Mullin said he can relate to those who operate businesses and companies and who must meet payrolls, because he’s been doing it himself for years.
“We need a businessman in Congress, not a career politician,” said Mullin.
He said he’s known in Northeastern Oklahoma through Mullin Plumbing.
Mullin said his father offered him the company in 1997. At the time the company had six employees and substantial debt, according to Mullin.
By 2000, the company was out of debt, he said.
Today, “we have over 100 employees and more than 80 trucks on the road every day,” Mullin said.
What would be his first priority as a member of Congress?
Mullin has his sights on the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Our first goal is to take a strong look at the EPA,” Mullin said. “The regulations they throw down are unfunded,” he said, referring to unfunded mandates.
Many of the federal agency’s regulations are harmful to business and job growth, in Mullin’s opinion.
“People ask me why I’m in this race,” he said.
“A lot of it has to do with the politicians we have now.”
Mullin contends many of them are missing the point on job creation.
“Government doesn’t create jobs,” he said. “Government creates government jobs.”
Lifting unneeded regulatory burdens on business and industry would be a first step toward creating more jobs, Mullin maintained.
“We’ve got to throw out some of the restrictive regulations” the government issues every day, he said.
On Social Security, Mullin said, “It’s our money. We need to get government out of it.”
Mullin said Social Security would be in much better shape today if Congress hadn’t started “robbing it” to spend on other things.
For the rest of the story, see Friday’s issue of the McAlester News-Capital.
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.
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Markwayne Mullin Photo by Kevin Harvison
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