 ENID, Okla. — Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn was welcomed with a standing ovation when he announced the launch of the Foundation to Restore Accountability at the Oakwood Country Club. “..Six years ago, in the 2010 election, I worked with Coburn to elect more conservative senators,” said Paul Allen, who organized the event. “I wondered if that’s gone up in smoke. Coburn and this foundation will take a three-pronged approach. It’s not a political gathering as much as it is an American gathering.” Allen said he hosted the event because America needs to change and engage younger citizens, known as millennials. During his time in office, Coburn was famous for releasing reports about wasteful government spending and earmarks. “This country has been great to hundreds or thousands of people, if not millions of people,” Coburn said. “But what I see happening to our country is a loss of freedom.” The foundation focuses on engaging millennials through non-partisan, debt-focused facts and sustainable spending. Coburn said the nation’s total unfunded liabilities, legal commitments already made with no identified funding source, are nearly $100 trillion. The amount, which is considered a conservative estimate, is more than the entire net worth of the nation, he added. “I’m not an alarmist,” Coburn said. “I’m 67 years old. I quit the Senate because I was convinced I couldn’t help anymore. Liberty is what we’re guaranteed, a right, and we’re losing it.” The foundation’s three-pronged approach mentioned by Allen encompasses the following aspects:
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Seventeen months ago, a voter asked who Coburn would suggest supporting in the presidential race. Coburn said; "No one because they’re all lying! No one is using real numbers or offering real solutions.".
In recent months, Coburn has solidified his leadership team.
Here's more from the Enid News:
In recent months, Coburn has solidified his leadership team.
- Fellow congressman, Steve Largent has returned from Washington where he had been representing the wireless communications industry in handling government relations.
- Robert Boyd also joined the group. His economics expertice come from corporate America.
- Brian Treat serves on the board as well as daily operations, as Executive Director.
- Alan Kazda handles communications and digital content.
Here's more from the Enid News:
| To have real results, “professional politicians” need to use real numbers, Coburn said in regards to federal spending. “No one is using real numbers,” Coburn said, stating that if the country continues down such a path, quality of life will diminish along with what is left of the middle class. Coburn said something has to change, and that begins with engaging people high school-aged to 36 years old. “The Foundation to Restore Accountability is to send messages about truth, about fiscal responsibility, about true constitutional founding, about the order of our republic and do it in a way that is straight forward and truthful and non-partisan while also entertaining, provocative, hilarious, satirical — in other words, if you look at a 22-year-old today, most of the time you won’t see them without a phone.” Coburn said the foundation would communicate the way young people hear: through social media. “No one is communicating truthfully,” Coburn said. “What we’re talking about creating is creating mentorships, data that is already out there, good scholarship that has been done and doing it in a non-partisan way.” Coburn said he was waiting to launch the foundation because of his health. He wanted to ensure he could continue with the project, which he aims to acquire a $12 million endowment to run. The foundation, based in Tulsa; operates as a 501(c)(3) with a heavy focus on educational activities. For more information on the foundation, contact Executive Director Brian Treat at brian.treat@accountabilityfound.com or (918) 892-1155. “Inform, provoke, engage millennials in a way that causes them to react, act and get involved in the process,” Coburn said. “… We lost, and we’re losing, the very thing that built America. It’s up to us to restore that.” |
