Widening of Hwy. 169 Could Begin in Late 2008

Sullivan, who represents Oklahoma's first district in the United States House of Representatives, spoke about plenty of issues during the luncheon.

Many of the issues were those that are regularly dissected around the county; such as a national energy policy, immigration, global warming, health care, the state of the economy and the ongoing war in Iraq.

He did, however, speak about an issue that is near and dear to most Owassans hearts - widening U.S. Highway 169.

Sullivan said the widening project for Highway 169 could begin as early as next year, or, perhaps, 2009.

"Right now, we are going through the appropriations process on 169 and we're getting the money authorized and we are being successful with that," Sullivan said. "We want to make sure that we get everything completed and done the right way. Everything is looking good and I'm working hard along with other members of my delegation to get this project going."

Sullivan said a series of tests and studies will have to be completed before actual construction can begin. Studies such as environmental impact studies and engineering studies to make sure that no flooding will occur if you block off flooding or storm water run off will have to completed before the current four-land highway will be widened, Sullivan said.

"Anytime you build a road, you have to do those studies and I think those are going to start very soon," he said.

Sullivan also added that Owasso's growth will help speed along the background work that needs to be done to get funding for the project.

"Owasso is booming. I remember a decade ago when there wasn't much growth. Now you drive through and see the same stores and restaurants that you see in Dallas," Sullivan said. "What's good about the 169 project is that we can show the growth of Owasso and the need to have a highway that is more safe and helps the economy. That is the main criteria when we look at these road projects. This is not a frivolous deal, it's something that is desperately needed."

Among other topics Sullivan addressed; he said the country needs to come up with a National Energy Policy to help reduce the dependence on foreign oil.

Sullivan said the United States gets 60 percent of its oil from foreign countries. He said the solution to spur domestic production of oil is to start drilling in the Rocky Mountains as well as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska.

"The reason we haven't opened up ANWR is there are nine or so Democratic senators who are running for president who get up in the morning and shave, including (New York Senator) Hilary (Clinton), and they see the next President of the United States in the mirror," Sullivan said. "Those democrats have to please the trial lawyers, labor union bosses and the environmentalists. If we start drilling in ANWR, we can produce at least two million barrels a day, maybe more. That's the same number of barrels we were importing from Iraq before the war."

Global warming has been a big issue, especially after former Vice President Al Gore created his Academy Award winning documentary movie "An Inconvenient Truth".

Sullivan said he believes global warming does exist, but not to the extent and the severity that people like Gore think on the issue.

"What needs to happen is we need real scientists who can study and see what is going on. In his movie, Al Gore said that the sea levels are going to rise about 23 feet in the next 10 years. Well, that's not good for Texas and Florida if that happens," Sullivan said. "But I heard a report from a scientist who said the sea levels will rise, but only by 23 inches. That's the kind of sound science that we need to have to address this problem."

While Sullivan is a Republican, he was relieved that President Bush's recent immigration plan failed. Sullivan said the plan would have given immediate amnesty to the almost 12-19 million illegal immigrants who live in the United States.

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