Goodbye to 2006

There is nothing we can do about the past. It's history. But we can do something about the here and now and also have a confident expectancy about the future.

It's high time that Tulsans forget and forgive about past perceptions of mismanagement, lack of leadership and white elephant public projects. The arena is being built, and will be completed shortly. What can we do as Tulsans to make sure it is profitable?

We need to focus on our future. That we can impact and change. Here's a list of my priorities:

1. Improved public education

2. Economic development and good job creation

3. Reduction in crime and an increase in the police force

4. A major street renovation initiative

5. True spiritual revival

6. Improved neighborhoods and property values



I have the privilege in my vocation to meet many small business people every week. I am struck by the unusually highly optimistic outlook for 2007. Almost without exception people believe that 2007 will be better for them than was 2006.

My prayer for you is that it is so.

Happy new year from the Tulsa Chigger!

Gerald Ford #38

After hearing all the accolades and eulogies for the former President, Gerald Ford, something came to mind.

Gerald Ford may for all time be our only President that never even aspired to be President! His aspiration was to be Speaker of the House. Any yet, like a story from the Old Testament, he was thrust upon the Presidency as a result of an appointment and a resignation.

He was the right man for the time. All this was going on when I was a Senior at Nathan Hale and just becoming politically aware of things.

Contrast that situation to the way we elect Presidents and compare him to the candidates we now have. He was not elected with PAC money and certainly no one could accuse him of being power hungry or grand-standing.

Merry Christmas!

The Tulsa Chigger

Lost Bully Pulpit

Michael Delgiorno






With his move to Broken Arrow, MD should find a different schtik. His rants have gone stale in the wake of his departure from T-Town.

He has gone from being part of the solution, to being part of the problem. Not that he is any different than the thousands of Tulsans that have preceeded him in a mass exodus to the suburbs.

I will no longer listen to his railings about the issues of Tulsa, knowing that he is driving to his Broken Arrow home in the evenings.

Union's Priorities Out of Whack

Former Union Head Football Coach Kevin Wright


Let the Tulsa Chigger make a prediction; Union High School academics will follow the slide experienced by other Tulsa Public High Schools. It's really not much of a prediction when you see the rabid school administration, parents and students frothing at the mouth over their beloved football program. Heaven forbid they let JENKS get one by them to win yet another football championship!

This insane priority/love affair with high school football follows the pattern of the inner city Tulsa High Schools in the 70's. Its only a matter of time, since academics at Union has taken a back seat long ago.

Let me ask you this question: Would Union High School even consider a national search for a high school math teacher? Yet no one says a word when they announce a national search will begin for the next football coach.

In this case history will repeat itself!



The following is from the Union website.

12/20/06
Head Football Coach Resigns

In a joint statement released today, Union Public Schools announced that Kevin Wright has resigned as head football coach and athletic director. Wright said his decision was based on the best interest of the program and the students.

“I appreciate the opportunity to coach at Union High School,” Wright said. “My wife and I moved here with every intention of being at Union for a long time. We have met some outstanding people who will be an influence on us for the rest of our lives,” he said.

“A change always brings about challenges and can cause division, particularly following in the footsteps of a long-term coach. Unfortunately, the students and the program have been impacted the most. My family and I have also been through a lot, and it is in the best interest of all concerned that I resign,” said Wright. “This will allow Union to move forward and its tradition of excellence to continue.”

Jim Giles-RIP

Swift & Company® Gets A Pass

Swift & Company®, a meat processing and marketing concern, self-described as "the world's second-largest meat processor with sales of about $9 billion, received no fine, no imprisonment, nada, zip, zilch, although raids by ICE agents netted hundreds of illegal immigrants working in their numerous processing plants scattered across the U.S.

Look at this logo carefully. Boycott the purchase of Swift & Company® meat!




The raids were conducted after a 10 month government investigation. However, the investigation centered not around the illegal status of the immigrants, but a ring of people stealing identities of U.S. citizens! This shows the comparative ranking in the mind of the Federal government between the two Federal crimes.

Officials with Swift & Company® were given a heads up last month before the raids began. They estimate "a raid would remove up to 40 percent of its 13,000 workers". And they expect us to believe they don't knowingly hire illegals?

In a written statement, President and CEO Sam Rovit said, "the company has never knowingly hired illegal workers and does not condone the practice". Yeah, right!

Here is the management team for Swift & Company®

Swift & Company® Management Team

They are among the industry’s most respected leaders (they say this not me). Meet the team that’s shaping the future of Swift & Company®:

* Sam Rovit - President and CEO
* Dennis Henley - COO
* John Keir - CEO, Swift Australia / Australia Meat Holdings

* Raymond Silcock - EVP, CFO
* Kevin Yost - EVP, Customers and Supply Chain
* Martin Dooley - EVP, Margin Management
* Ted Miller - EVP, Operations
* Matt Wineinger - President, Swift Australia / Australia Meat Holdings

* Bill McClellan - SVP/GM, Food Service Sales
* Dan Halstrom - SVP/GM, International Sales
* Mike Rempe - SVP/GM, Processor Sales

* Pat Huebner - SVP, Business Development
* Rajan Nagarajan - SVP, CIO
* Bill Trupkiewicz - SVP, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer
* David Colwell - SVP, Fulfillment and Supply Chain
* Don Wiseman - SVP, General Counsel / Corporate Secretary
* Jack Shandley - SVP, Human Resources
* Ed Bick - SVP, Product Management
* Warren Mirtsching - SVP, Quality Assurance / Food Safety

* Sean McHugh - VP, IR / PR / Communications
* Scott Vuchetich - VP, Policy, Planning & Analysis
* David Marantes - VP, Purchasing
* Michael Hajost - VP, Treasurer

You can check out an article about the raids here.

In my opinion, the Federal government left the job half finished. And they passed on a prime example of the abuse and illegal activity going on in virtually every community, town and city in the U.S. each and every day. As consumers, we can help remind the company who controls the cashflow and company outlook.

Multicultural Morass

Keith Ellison (D.-Minn.), the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.

This would be a dangerous precedent and should not be allowed.

Atheists, communists, and jews all have taken oathes of office with a right hand on the Bible, and all of those groups don't take the Bible as truth. So why should we allow a mohammedan to do it?

In fact, it would be extremely important for Mr. Ellison to swear on the Bible. His religion does not remotely recognize a separation of State and Church.

This is highly symbolic. To swear on the Bible would mean that he accepts our system of government. He is saying that he will uphold its tenets.

To take his oath on the Koran would be highly symbolic too. It would say to all of America that we no longer care about our system of government. That we as a nation no longer think that the Bible is the highest Truth we have available to us. That somehow, we are surrendering our soverignty and will to that of a foreign system.

There should be no exception made for Keith Ellison.

Sick Exploitation

Follow this link to read about O.J. Simpson's upcoming release of a book about the murders he was acquitted of in 1994.

It looks like O.J. is either low on money and/or craves the spotlight. This is a sick example of exploitation of a bizarre situation and a callous disregard of the feelings of the families involved.

My advice: Skip the interview and skip the book. Let O.J. fade further into the obscurity he is already in.

We Can't Sit Still

Bell's has been operating at the Tulsa Fairgrounds since 1951. Now, on the eve of our State Centenial the CEO and the Board of the fairgrounds seem determined not to extend the lease for Bell's, giving them only 120 days to vacate the premises.

Next, they will most likely blow up the Golden Driller!

Apparently, with all the county money that has been poured into the fairgrounds, the Board doesn't think that Bell's brings in enough dinero. NOTE TO THE FAIRGROUNDS AUTHORITIES: There is more to life than money! Bell's means much more to real Tulsans! It is one of the few landmarks for us that still remains. Like the Golden Driller, it is a comforting reminder of continuity for Tulsa.

We hate to see the shape of the old Rose Bowl on 11th Street. We were dismayed to see the Meadow Gold sign come down. Mayo Meadow is now history. But Bell's is something we can prevent. Tulsa's loss of Bell's will be another coup for one of our suburbs.

Sure, Zingo makes noise and is a nuisance to neighbors, that has been addressed. But it is good clean, family fun! A rare place for Tulsans to have a good time.

Fellow Tulsans, we need to let the fairgrounds authorities know what we think of this decision! There is not much time.

No-Show Brad Henry

I Googled imaged up this picture of our Governor Brad Henry. I like it because it is candid and not one of the air-brushed versions put out by the political hacks. The person standing next to him (Henry is on the right foreground) is a Dr. "Chat" from Arizona.

Brad Henry chose not to come to T-Town to debate Ernest Istook in this election. How can he afford to stiff the second largest city in the state?

Vote NO on State Question 725

I do hope that you go out and vote tomorrow, come rain or shine. Right now the forecast is for good weather.

When you pick up your ballot upon checking in at your precinct, you will be overwhelmed by the number of things to vote on both on the front and back of the ballot. Don't forget to turn the ballot over and vote on the State Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges. I concur with Michael Bates to vote no on every one of them perhaps with the exception of Marian Opala. For years they have been out of touch with the average Oklahoma voter and citizen. What a system we have when we are asked to vote on people we know nothing about! There should be a better way to inform the public about these judges.

But that is not my real reason for blogging today. Vote NO on question 725. (Vote YES on all the others). A yes vote on 725 means you a) trust our state officials and b) you don't have a problem with what is termed "corporate welfare".

There is increasing evidence of corruption at all levels of Oklahoma government, especially at the State level. The latest exposed example would be of the former state insurance commissioner. Citizens feel their elected officials are out of touch and in the pocket of various special interests. Graft and corruption go hand in hand and at least their judgment can be questioned by taking significant sums of money from PACs and industry associations. Influence peddling is alive and thriving in the Sooner State. At this stage, why would we care to give the state legislature a bigger slush fund to spend to pet companies in a pathetic attempt to induce them to stay here?

I detest the idea of corporate welfare. Why reward a failing company? In a free market economy they should be allowed to fail. They must feel the consequences of previous bad decisions. When Citgo relocated to Houston awhile back, the politicians came out of the woodwork. We had Senators, Congressmen, Mayors, and the Governor involved. Of course, it was to no avail. How pathetic they all looked! Grovelling at the feet of an arrogant Board of Directors. They still have egg on their faces and appear powerless in the face of the exodus. Now they think if they just had a pot of money to throw at the problem.....It is bad fiscal policy to use rainy day funds to influence a company to stay in Oklahoma!

Sign Controversy

Here is an idea to educate Tulsans about the city ordinances regarding signage and the correct placement of signs, print the ordinance on one of those cheap signs and have volunteers place those all over town.

A simple and straightforward approach to the problem.

The Spread was covered

28-10

Even more than I expected.

Countering the Hype

In order to provide a bit of sanity and balance to the lopsided coverage of this weekend's OU/Texas football game, I make this prediction: Texas will win by at least 7 points. That's not much of a limb, I know, since the bookies have them favored by 5.

If you could be objective for just a moment and try to imagine you have just been transported to Oklahoma from another state. You turn on the TV, or the radio, or pick up the local paper. The hype is overwhelming and all pro OU. You would no doubt think that everyone was crazy. I'm sure it's the same for Texas down in Austin. Sports in general, and football in particular is the "religion" of our culture. Get a life!

I have not seen the "sooner magic" since the KING of Oklahoma, Barry Switzer, left. I still have a tremendous respect for him. He was soooo enthusiastic on the sideline, in the pre and post game interviews, everywhere. He got the best players and then he got the best out of them. They seemed to always find a way to win. Stoops is a good coach, but not a great coach.

Texas by 7+

Tulsa Chigger's River Vision

With all the public discourse on the Arkansas River development proposal. I, of course, would like to add my two cents.

It has been my vision for some time now to re-route some of the water from the muddy Arkansas river to a channel or canal through Tulsa's downtown area. Yeah, let us get rid of a few of those pesky one-way downtown streets. Bring the water to downtown and kill two birds with one stone!

Water has an amazing way of attracting people. It's kinda nice to walk or drive across a bridge. It attracts people and wildlife (not that we need any more crazys in our downtown area). Think of the riverwalk in San Antonio. Have you ever been to downtown Milwaukee? It is fantastic! Now that's something we could shoot for.

Another thing, I don't want to vote on any idea until the project has firm turn-key contract costs associated with it. I don't want any more cost overruns or lame excuses to squander my tax dollars. We need to know exactly what we are voting for and exactly how much it will cost. This can be done as I have personal experience on the project development team.

We have allowed our elected officials an easy out and this has allowed them to play fast and loose with the numbers. I am sick of it!

O.K. I'm finished scratching that particular chigger bite.

Citizens of Tulsa Locked Out of Tulsa Public Schools

I applaud KOTV for their "Columbine" type of security check in Tulsa Public Schools. Please see the article from the KOTV website here.

The reporter had no problem entering both Rogers and BTW High Schools, although the front doors were locked but an emergency door was propped open at BTW. In both cases security personnel intervened, but BTW went on lock down for about 30 minutes.

No one wants a criminal to enter our public schools. And I know that once per year in one of the hundreds of thousands of public schools across the nation, it happens. And we all hear about it incessantly on the MSM. But is the answer to have turned these public buildings into inaccessible prison fortresses?

For years now the public high schools in T-Town have had security guards, guns and gates. There are crimes committed every day in a TPS public school that you never ever hear about! Assault and battery, theft, rape, drug possession and drug distribution. Since these involve minors and TPS doesn't want the negative publicity, you, the unsuspecting public are kept in the dark. As a result, nothing ever changes much for the better.

Perhaps you think that because you pay alot of taxes to support public schools and that you have a child in a neighborhool school, you can just walk in anytime and check on your child or your investment. NO WAY! I know from first hand experience that as a parent you are not welcome to even go and check on your childs progress at their neighborhood school. There is a pervasive attitude of "what are YOU doing here?!". And this has been confirmed to me by many other parents.

I say let the free press go to our schools anytime, anywhere. A free and open press is vital to our republic and our society. Perhaps if they shined the light from their cameras so we all could see exactly what is going on in our schools, something would change for the better.

Congratulations TSAS!

Congratulations to the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences. The quiet little charter school with consistently high academic success.

They were just notified that they have four National Merit Semi-finalists and one honorable mention. This is in a high school with a total enrollment of about 275.

As most of you know, I am an advocate of more charter schools in Tulsa. It is currently the only way to work within the system to even attempt a meaningful reform of public education in T-Town. It is my premise that the Education Service Center is incapable of the type of reform needed. Charter schools at least offer an alternative.

TSAS is working!

Maywood, California-Tulsa's "Sanctuary" Sister City

In an in-your-face display of arrogance and Mexican patriotism, a group in Maywood California raised the Mexican flag over the U.S. Post Office. Read more about it here. This link has links to extensive video of the event.

A quote from the article:
"I believe that all Americans need to know about this and need to see that Mexican flag hanging at an American post office," she wrote to Anderson. "We are being invaded and the American people need to wake up!"

Citizens of Tulsa: What would you do if that happens here?

Omeed Aziz Popal

You haven't heard that name before?

I listened to some TV news last evening and there was extensive coverage of the rampage in San Francisco yesterday of a man in a black SUV repeatedly running down and over all sorts of people. But his name was not mentioned nor was there a picture of him being arrested by police, although by all accounts he cooperated with police when they trapped him and he compliantly sat on the sidewalk for 25 minutes while police sorted out the scene. And not one picture?

Well, there are no clues being given for his motivation. But his name has been released and it is OMEED AZIZ POPAL. You can infer his motivation as well as I can. By the way, this picture is reportedly only a few weeks old and is a wedding photo in Afganistan.

Here are excerpts from the San Francisco Gate:

"As many as 14 people were injured this afternoon by a motorist who drove around San Francisco deliberately running them down before being arrested by police, who believe the same driver struck and killed a man earlier today in Fremont.

At least one hit-and-run victim remained in critical condition this evening.

Reports of the incidents began pouring in at 12:47 p.m., police said.

Within a half-hour, San Francisco police had cornered and arrested 29-year-old Omeed Aziz Popal, who has addresses in Ceres (Stanislaus County) and Fremont.

Authorities suspect Popal was the same driver who ran over and killed a 54-year-old man in Fremont around noon.

That man, whose name was not immediately released, had been walking in a bicycle lane at Fremont Boulevard near Ferry Lane when he was struck and thrown into a field, where, as of 5:30 p.m., his body remained covered with a tarp.

That crash scene is just blocks from Popal's Fremont address, where he had most recently been living.

San Francisco police spokesman Sgt. Neville Gittens said the attacks in the city occurred at 12 locations over a 20-minute period.

"The hits were intentional,'' he said, noting that police are treating them as assaults.

Gittens had no information about a possible motive.

Popal was arrested after patrol cars boxed in his black Honda SUV, its windshield and right front headlight smashed, outside a Walgreens store on Spruce Street between California and Mayfair in the Laurel Heights area."

You can link to the entire article here.

Omeed appears to be an Iranian surname based on a Google search.

Lop-sided Press Coverage

It's time now for the first anniversary of the Katrina hurricane disaster. From the coverage that I witnessed on both the national and local network TV news, all the damage and cleanup is in New Orleans, Louisiana.

What about Gulfport and Biloxi Mississippi?

Yet another example of the one-sided coverage by the MSM. I wonder how the good citizens of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama feel? Do you think they feel a bit left out? I sure do!

BTW, reports of 800 or so Katrina evacuees permanently relocated in T-Town and about 3,500 in OKC. A reunion of sorts is planned at Camp Gruber.

New Logo

Here's the new logo for the infamous Tulsa Bloggers. It's awesome!

Peace

Everyone says they want peace; the United Nations, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, CAIR, you name it. It is universal.

During my youth, people would flash the victory sign of WWII but say "peace". The peace sign was everywhere, young people liked sewing peace-sign patches on holes in their blue jeans. My point is that peace has universal appeal and is espoused by practically everyone. Since it is such a widespread ideal, why is it so hard to possess?

On a national level, it appears that the only way to a lasting peace is through decisive military victory. One of the opposing sides must defeat the other. The result is a period of peace. One only need to look at the results of WWII to see what I mean. The Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan are now some of our closest allies. Enemies from 60 years ago are now our friends. Not a one of them has threatened the USA. But the period of peace came with a transition. Vietnam was a decisive military victory for the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. It has brought with it a relative period of peace.

By contrast, in the absence of a decisive military victory, we have no real peace. Look at Korea for example. That stalemate still haunts us today.

No matter how careful we are, civilians get caught up in the fighting. War is hell. No doubt about it.

Do we really want peace? Then prepare yourself for the decisive military victory!

Inconsiderate Highway Maintenance

I happened to be driving on 169 this morning (Saturday) rather early, taking someone to the airport.

I was tooling on down the road, headed North, when a series of three highway maintenance trucks appeared ahead with a flashing sign indicating traffic to move to the left hand lanes. As I got closer, I could first hear and then see the results of what they were doing.

They were filling potholes with asphalt. Now, that's there job, for sure. But they were just throwing shovels full of asphalt on and around the holes from the far right had side, dodging traffic. As I drove by, one of them, with a smile on his face and a cigarette dangling from his lips, threw another load at a hole. It seemed to be a game for them to miss the cars but hit the holes. There was a half mile stretch of their handiwork. Nothing was done to tamp or flatten the asphalt. They were depending on the traffic to do that. Loose asphalt was everywhere. You could not avoid it.

Talk about a mess! How shoddy and inconsiderate of those maintenance workers. Now there are hundreds of cars and trucks covered with tar and asphalt. All because of the thoughtlessness of a few highway workers.

He Can Run, But He Can't Escape Himself

Prentiss Elliott is free today after posting bond. He was arrested by Tulsa Police as part of a shooting incident in a gang infested area of North Tulsa. This is just the latest in a string of arrests and run-ins with the law. Police now suspect him of being a member of the G-Unit gang, which Elliott denies is a gang.

Several years ago Prentiss was convicted of assaulting a police officer during a melee at a Memorial High School basketball game. He was also dismissed from the OSU football program for an incident you can read about here. He has a habit of fighting, hitting, and assaulting men and women. He is described by his contemporaries as a "thug".

His legs, that God-given running talent, have carried him so much farther than he should have gone, looking at his "track" record. Our society highly prizes its athletes. But, sadly, those same legs cannot escape a heart that is bent toward self-destruction. And he is willing to take others with him down that same path. As fleet as he is physically, he is racing toward bitterness, resentment, disappointment, anger, disputes, revelry and ruin, mentally.

That's the bad news.

The Good News is that Jesus Christ can change him. He will meet him right where he is now. But will Christians who know Prentiss have the boldness to give him the Gospel?

MSM Chooses its Word Carefully

The MSM is choosing its words carefully in its reporting about the murderer who shot and killed one person and severely wounded several others in a rage in Seattle. Here is a link to an article about it here.

The man's name is Naveed Afzal Haq.

He is 30 years old.

Eyewitnesses (earwitnesses) heard him say at the time of the shooting "I am a Muslim American, angry at Israel".

Police would not confirm that he was a muslim. Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said at a news conference, "you could infer that that was his background." However it should be noted that the Seattle police were moving in officers to protect area synagogues and mosques because there is always a threat of a retaliatory crime.

The man's parents are really shook up.

It most likely will be treated as a hate crime.

The attacks occured at a Jewish agency. Its Web site describes its mission as "to ensure Jewish survival and enhance the quality of Jewish life by meeting needs locally, in Israel and worldwide."

He came in behind a person who entered with their security pass. He started to randomly shoot at people, killing one, critically injuring 3 others and wounding an additional two.

I think the slang term for this is that he went "postal".

Since the police chief wouldn't even use the word muslim, I wonder if anyone in Seattle or anywhere else for that matter will investigate the motives and connections of this man?

Personal Opinion: We will hear of many, many more of these incidents in the future.

Mazeppa

Michael DelGiorno laid the lop-sided defeat yesterday of Bob Sullivan by Ernest Istook at the feet of a negative ad featuring the comic genius, Gailard Sartain.

One of us is out of touch. I firmly believe Bob's strong showing here in Tulsa is due to his use of Gailard. Before that, who knew anything about him? That put him on the radar screen, so to speak.

Bob's problem is one of name recognition, and Istook has that hands down. It would have been nearly impossible to overcome Istook with his well established career in politics. No doubt Istook carried Oklahoma, sans Tulsa, with big numbers.

I would love to see the voting numbers in Eastern Oklahoma for men over the age of 48. I'll bet you dollars to donuts that those who were around here in the early 70's cast their vote for Bob overwhelmingly. Anyone who would use Mazeppa to poke some comic relief in a rather dull campaign shows they have a great sense of humor. That would be a great quality for any politician to have, especially a governor.

Lawzeeeeee! Let's to to Turley!

Oklahoma's Second in Command

I am amused by all the sudden interest in the position of Lieutenant Governor for Oklahoma. This is a largely ceremonial position, much like that of the V.P. of the U.S.

I have lost count of all the candidates running for this office. I have to ask myself, why? Judging once again by the amount of money being spent on campaigns, I am left with the conclusion that it is power lust.

Kudo's to Mary Fallin our current Lt. Governor. She has done a fine job, whatever the job was. She was there long enough to make a difference. At least I remember who the Lt. Governor is. Oh yeah, Lt. Governor since 1994, first woman and first Republican Lt. Governor of Oklahoma (about time, don't you think?) :)

Well, the Republicans and the Democrats obviously think this is an important race. They are pouring millions into campaigns for a job that only pays pretty well. Nothing in the range though to justify on its face the money being spent to get your candidate there. So then, why?

Both parties are jockeying for power and position, whereever they perceive they have a real chance. I am sick of all the phoneys coming out of the woodwork.

Green with Envy

Ever since I heard the lesson recently in church about jealousy and all the consequences and ramifications of it, I have for the first time been able to come to terms with what is happening to the U.S. and Israel in the context of the Middle East.

Jealousy and envy are sins. They are sins of the mental attitude, but sins nonetheless. All sin starts in the mind. Some types of sin go further and express themselves with the tongue. Still others originate in the mental attitude and express themselves overtly, i.e. murder and theft.

In extreme forms, jealousy can manifest itself in psychosis.

It is evident that what we term "radical islam" is jealous of the United States. They are envious of our freedom. Jesus Christ came that we might have freedom in Him. We built this country based on the freedoms we enjoy from our liberty in Christ.

Islam is jealous to the extreme about our religous liberty. Ditto with our free and open society. They can't stand it. Jealous people make demands on others. Islam demands we see things their way. Some are so jealous, they will strap on explosives and set it off in a crowd of innocent people. This is the psychosis we see in extreme forms of jealousy.

The next time you see the images on the MSM, look closer. You might notice the tinge of green that comes from envy!

Urban Tulsa Cover

The most common remark about the cover of this week's Urban Tulsa is: "I thought it was a man!"

Very few people could look good with such a close-up photograph. I wonder where the mayor's PR people went?

Take time to read the article. I read it with great interest.

Memorial High School Gets A New Principal

Elizabeth Martin, a longtime Tulsa educator and administrator has just announced she will be the next principal of Tulsa's Memorial High School. She has been the Director of the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences for the past two years. Under her leadership, TSAS has continued its path of academic excellence.

Here is her quote from the TSAS website, "It is with mixed emotions that I am tendering my resignation from TSAS. I have been offered a professional growth opportunity to become the new Principal at Memorial High School, and I have chosen to accept the offer.

I have loved my two years with this school, the faculty, and the students. There are many wonderful developments going on here. I will miss you all but will not be far away. I wish TSAS continued success ~ please come see me anytime!

Elizabeth Martin, Director"

The Board of TSAS is accepting applications for a new Director from now until July 21st.

The Sound Bite Phenomenon

After viewing the excellent on the spot coverage by Pamela a.k.a. Atlas Shrugs of an anti Israeli protest in New York City this week, I am struck by the fact that I would never get this kind of coverage from the MSN. Pamela has recently added the VLOG feature to her blog.

In a 4+ minute video, she provided up close and personal on-the-spot coverage. With great courage she confronts the protesters and you see their unedited response. Nothing left to the cutting room floor here. You get a REAL sense of what's going on. The combination of a video camera and a blog give the American citizen a real news story exactly as it happened.

I just know I would never have seen this type of coveage from any of the local or national media. Perhaps it would be reported in a local paper, buried in the back somewhere?

This reaffirms the need for the alternative news viewpoint represented by bloggers. And Tulsa is lucky to have a great group of bloggers, the Tulsa Bloggers.

A Response to Osama

I understand that Osama Bin Laden is calling for the release of Zarqawi's body to his relatives. I would reply that we would be happy to deliver the corpse directly to Osama himself!

P.S. to Osama: Update your photograph already!

Census Confirms Ominous Trend

The latest US Census data released today confirms a growing trend. People are continuing a slow but steady exodus from T-Town. Here is the data:

2000: 392,839
2001: 391,892
2002: 390,884
2003: 387,560
2004: 383,380
2005: 382,457

Tulsa's population has declined every year since the 2000 census. In fact, our population has declined by 2.7% in the past five years. Over that same period, three of Tulsa's suburbs, Bixby, Jenks and Owasso had the highest percentage growth rate in the state of Oklahoma over the same 5 year period. By the way, Broken Arrow, Catoosa and Claremore all had substantial gains over the period.

Oklahoma City had a respectable 5% gain over the period.

Tulsa is still far and away the 2nd largest city in Oklahoma and that doesn't look like it will change anytime soon.

Let's face it, the prospect of a longer commute time to work is more than offset by the lack of the hastle factor in the suburbs. By hastle factor, I mean Tulsa's deteriorating streets, undermanned police force, high crime, dismal public schools, empty houses, increased homicides, decreasing property values, high property taxes, too many stop signs/lights, and so on.

Tulsa is aging. It is more and more a city of the elderly and of the minority. Sadly, many from both of these camps are just not the type to roll up their sleeves and turn things around. The majority of those people are now firmly entrenched in our suburbs, making them a better place to live.

Tulsa is dying on the vine.

Tulsa was once the Oil Capital of the World.
Tulsa was once America's most liveable city.

How would you describe Tulsa today?

Main Street of America

I spent some time this afternoon in downtown Jenks, along the main road. I was waiting for someone and had a chance to just sit at a bench and watch the world go by. Jenks was really bustling this afternoon. People were parking and walking to the various antique shops, hair salons, coffeeshops, restaurants, etc

For the most part, it was mainly young females. Most of the males were in pickup trucks traversing the main drag. Maybe the crowd was due to school being out now.

One very interesting thing was that a political ad was being filmed for TV. It was Scott Pruitt, whom I have met once while lobbying for my pet cause, charter schools. He was then fairly powerful, politically speaking and a ranking Republican. In person he is rather short of stature and frail. As he waited for the film crew, anxiously pacing around, a woman would appear every few minutes and powder his nose. Screens were meticulously placed and it appeared they were waiting for just the right light to start the filming for a commercial. This glimpse into the making of a political ad made me think of how contrived and phoney they all are. Carefully crafted bits of neo-reality for the masses.

The real activity in "Jenks" though is across the river (on the Tulsa side) up and down Riverside Drive between 81st and 101st streets south. Casinos, shopping, dining, banking, and lots of places to just hang out. The nightlife hotspot there is at the Riverwalk.

I did enjoy my laid back afternoon on the Main Street of Jenks, America.

A Few Thoughts

If my grandpa was still alive, today he would have been 99. I think that's correct, but now there are very few people left who really know that answer. One thing is certain, today is also my sister's 53rd b-day! Happy birthday, sis! You were always grandpa's birthday present!

Grandpa was a very outspoken and opinionated man, very unlike my father. I seem to be gravitating toward that the older I get. I find Michael Savage humorous yet passionate. He reminds me a bit of my grandpa.

Oh well, the gene pool lives on!

I Won't Press One for English

This week I was shocked early one morning to find a paper on my front lawn. I stopped my subscription to the Tulsa Whirled over two years ago in complete disgust of their agenda. But it was not the Whirled, but La Semana del Sur. One was deposited in each of my neighbor's lawns as well. I live near the Farm Shopping Center in mid-Tulsa, not near 21st and Garnett.

This paper is touted to be bi-lingual and indeed most articles are translated into English, that's right, translated into English, because it is primarily a spanish language newspaper.

The articles are geared to Central and South Americans with titles such as, "Militares en frontera divide a latinoamericanos" translated "Latin Americans divided over U.S. troops on border". There is a section on Columbia, a major article on Brazil, and things of interest in Bolivia, Mexico and Spain.

Unwittingly, these people have symbolically slapped us right in the face. They brought the illegal immigration issue right to our doorstep. Without that, there would not be enough spanish-as-a-first-language people here to support a spanish newspaper. I heard more radio stations are going all spanish too.

We have been and are being invaded. Pure and simple. It was the Federal government's responsibility to protect each state from invasion and they have abrogated this absolute duty. The next step is for CITIZENS to petition our state legislatures to detain and deport anyone in the state illegally. Any employer found to have hired an illegal should be heavily fined and thrown into prison for a multi-year term.

The genie is out of the bottle and the devil is in the details.

The Great Tulsa Rip Off

This picture is of the American Airlines Arena built in 1998 and located in Miami Florida. It was built at a cost of $175 million. It can seat up to 20,000.

This bottom picture is the conceptual rendering of the BOK Center yet to be completed in Tulsa Oklahoma. This was supposed to be the most iconic, and one-of-a-kind arena in the world. It was one that would set Tulsa apart and be a drawing card to this area. When people see the BOK Center they will automatically think of Tulsa. The total cost? Who knows? Our elected officials either don't know or won't tell us.

The wool has been pulled over our eyes once more!

Take Time for Serious Consideration

Tulsans know that there is an election coming up this Tuesday. For election weary Tulsans, our politicians decided we needed yet another chance to vote. This time its the venerable third penny for capital improvements.

We could have been voting on an 18 month extension to the last third penny to cover the first shortfall and to complete all the projects previously approved by the voters. But, we don't have that straightforward option.

This time we have a completely new third penny. Somehow over the decades this penny has been hijacked in usual fashion by those not so concerned with our crumbling infrastructure, but for a hodgepodge of porcine projects.

Our streets are a disgrace. Anyone with any reasoning knows that we need a major emphasis on improving streets. Yet this third penny gives only a token amount to street projects. My problem is not with the third penny so much as the priority of projects and what the projects themselves represent.

If, by some miracle, this tax is defeated, it only means we are telling politicans we don't like this plan, roll up your sleeves and give us another practical choice.

With no organized opposition, this third penny will know doubt be passed. It would be nice for once to see the electorate rise up and send the politicos a message. We are sick and tired of the poor stewardship of the public funds we entrust you with.

I'm surprised that someone along the way has not had us vote on making this temporary tax permanent. We have yet to defeat it, because Tulsans know that we need and want quality infrastructure. (Streets, sewer, water, etc.) But the point is that it is a temporary tax. We are given the responsibility to see it, study it, and then vote on it. Alas, most don't take the time to inform themselves before they vote.

I only control one vote, my own. I will be voting NO.

May Day! May Day!

Its more than coincidence that the illegal immigrants chose May 1st, or May Day for their protests. This is the most significant day for communism worldwide. Its also a big day for unions and workers.

The rhetoric from the illegals and their compatriots is escalating and laced with more and more references to violence. Wait until they go berserk!

"Some Marines say they can see the day when the Corps will be required to execute Haiti-like missions, or worse, within the borders of the United States....Because of the rising potential for civil disobedience within the inner cities, it is inevitable the U.S. military will be employed more often within American borders....To enable the Marines to execute these new domestic missions in the same way that they do abroad, Major Reeves calls for major alterations in U.S. laws." Sacramento Bee Forum section, November 30, 1997: Our civilian-military face off - The Bill of Rights no obstacle for Corps

The sovereign states of the Union are guaranteed a republican form of government and protection from invasion. This massive invasion has gone forward with no resistance from Washington because the agenda is to eliminate our border and join Mexico and Canada with the U.S. as one regional territory for world government. There is but one solution: the state militias as mandated by the Second Amendment. This IS our homeland security and it WILL be the only defense we have when these criminals are given the go ahead to do more than march and chant racism. The states have the absolute right to repel an invasion and deport any illegal regardless of country of origin and that's exactly why the state militias must be reconstituted and activated.

There is a war going on along the border and the harder we push to get these illegals rounded up and deported, the closer we get to these millions of illegals unleashing full scale violence. The first time Mexicans across the official border line fired on our border agents, Congress should have declared an act of war against Mexico. Instead, they have found more excuses than stars in the sky while the violence against American citizens, law enforcement and our border patrol escalates. If you think I'm just blowing smoke, I am dead serious about what's coming.

Click on the link for the entire article. It is very well written.

Making our Homes Safer

We hosted a group of our neighbors, about 16 or so, plus 5 speakers at our house this morning. The topic was Tulsa crime and what we can do to make our homes a bit safer.

We had a realtor who suggested we keep our shrubs and landscaping trimmed back so burglars cannot hide in waiting.

A man from a local security company told us how we can get a no initial cost home security system, by paying a monthly monitoring fee.

Another man who sells siding and replacement windows stressed the design of new replacement windows designed so they will not be the place a burglar enters in.

A local inventor of the garage butler, a device that automatically closes your garage door if you leave it open, informed us that the majority of theft in the home is through an open garage door.

Then, our keynote speaker was a lady from the Citizens Crime Commission. She spoke at length about Tulsa's crime. The best prevention is an alert neighbor.

I now know that the motorcyclists who congregate at 51st and Memorial most every evening are a gang from Claremore. There is hispanic gang activity near 31st and Garnett. Crips gang activity on the North Side. Most chilling of all, a group of Ecuadorans called MS-13 are anarchists and there may be as many as 400 here in T-town. She strongly suggested any citizen report graffiti and suspected gang activity to the Citizens Crime Commission.

I have recently noted graffiti on a mailbox at the 51st & Sheridan. What have you noticed in your neighborhood?

The Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution are also known as the bill of rights. These amendments were enacted in order to gain approval of the Constitution by certain colonies hesitant to grant such power to a central government, on the heels of throwing off the yoke of King George. They grant us individual liberties, and are the bedrock of our thinking and culture.

The U.S. Constitution is explicit in leaving everything not covered in the document to the power of the states, or to the people:

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Article IV

Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.

That's right, the United States will protect each state against invasion.

We have seen evidence of the invasion on our TV screens. Evidence of the protesting of hundreds of thousands of illegals. Choose any number you like, we have heard of 11, 13, or even 20 million illegal immigrants now in the U.S. They have all entered here in violation of our laws, without regard for our borders and now threaten the sovereignty of the United States of America.

The United States of America seems not to have the political willpower to do anything about this invasion, except perhaps to throw up their collective hands and suddenly declare them as now legal and law-abiding citizens! Northern states, relatively unaffected by the swarm, sit like arm-chair quarterbacks and scoff at those Southern and Western states suffering under the crushing burden caused by the invasion.

May we all now pick and choose those Federal laws we care to abide by? The end of that is chaos and madness.

I believe this may very well be the most pivotal issue between the Federal and state governments, between individual states as well, since the War Between The States. There has not been one issue as close to breaking our union apart as illegal immigration, not since the civil rights issue of the 60's.

Illegal immigration has the power to escalate and perhaps we may see a disintegration of the union of our states. It has certainly pitted state against state, and breeds a strong resentment by individuals toward our strong central government.

It would be really interesting to see a state choose to enforce the current Federal law and crack down on illegals and the people who employ them. And then see how the Federal government reacts.

Kathy Taylor Photo Montage

The citizens of Tulsa bucked the trend to elect only the "beautiful" people. I'm talking about those genetically predisposed or artificially transformed into media stars. For your pleasure, here is a grouping of Kathy Taylor photos.

All Hail Queen Kathy!

I feel the earth move, under my feet. I feel the sky tumblin' down.....

Well T-Town, now we will get to know Kathy Taylor better. Certainly not elected with a mandate, she received 51% of the popular vote. I wonder if she will declare a mandate of the people sometime soon?

In her acceptance speech she did the right thing and reached out to all Tulsans. There is no doubt it was the Tulsa Republicans that crossed over and voted for Taylor. There is now no place at the table for anyone like me or who represents my views. And there won't be for a number of years.

The best thing now is for all of us to pray for Kathy Taylor and our city.

The greatest strategic move she could make on Monday is to reinstate Chief Been. With crime out of control, streets in terrible shape and Tulsans taxed to the limit, surely there will only be a limit to the damage Kathy could cause. Heck, she might surprise me and turn out to be a crackerjack major.....not!

I predict a Koran in her office, and a rainbow coalition marching through our streets. In many ways, Tulsa has gotten what we deserve.

One thing is for sure. We have just elected one of the least photogenic mayors in the history of Tulsa.

Results from the Key Homeowners Association meeting

I have just returned from a grassroots meeting of the Key Homeowners Association. This association was revived last year after several years hiatus. For one thing, the past president passed and there didn't seem to be any real compelling reasons to meet.

In years past, we mobilized quickly to stop a topless bar threatening to locate at 61st and Sheridan. Flooding from Little Joe Creek consumed lots of time in the past, as well as neighborhood crime.

Under new management, the association put together a successful grant proposal for its share of Vision 2025 neighborhood funding. Our grant is just south of the maximum $25,000. It will be used to fund improvements to all the major entries into our neighborhood. Labor will be supplied from a long list of volunteers.

Tonight we decided to change the name of our neighborhood. At least as far as the signs go. We decided on Lafortune Park Plaza. This is descriptive of our area being in close proximity to Lafortune Park. We are the neighborhood just East of the park.

We also heard from a representative from the County Parks System about the upcoming construction of a community center/library. This will be located just to the North of the tennis courts off of Hudson. Everyone was pleased with the information.

Our neighborhood has been known as Park Plaza for decades. The problem is that there are numerous areas in Tulsa also known as Park Plaza. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it? With all the improvements to LaFortune Park, and its wide recognition among the population, everyone seemed to be in favor of identifying ourselves as being close to the Park.

Our neighborhood would be a great test case to test some of Michael Bates ideas on urban planning. With a few sidewalks and crossways, we could easily connect our area to LaFortune Park with all of its amenities, and with shopping at the Farm. Many of our people walk every day. Not a bad plan if you asked me.

Anyway, it was great to see some of my neighbors. We have all been in hibernation over the winter months. And its great to see our Key Homeowners Assn. active and functioning once again.

Illegal Immigration

The solution to the illegal immigration problem is really very simple. Severely punish with stiff fines and mandatory jail time anyone who hires an illegal. Even with rampant identity theft and fraud, it should dry the employment pool to the point that most illegals will get the point and head home. Most illegals are here for the economic opportunity afforded by the U.S. I certainly respect that, but I also respect the rule of law.

Shoddy to a lack of enforcement is certainly no excuse for the Senate to take the easy road and pave the way for illegals to gain a legal status. That is what appears to be happening right now in the halls of Congress. The Federal government has swallowed the lie that only the illegals will do certain jobs, and if they are deported in mass, our economy will suffer greatly. Our decades long low birth rate created an economic excuse for illegal immigration. We simply didn't allow enough legal immigration to keep up with the demands of our economy.

We didn't get to this point overnight. We got here over years and I expect the solution will take years to implement. Is the solution to make people here illegally suddenly legal? When will the slumbering giant of the masses of U.S. citizens awaken from their sleep? Contact your Senators and express your opinion.

It is only a hypocrite who thinks that we have strengthen our homeland security without securing our own borders! What a joke! There is no doubt that U.S. employers have taken advantage of these illegals. They are pocketing tremendous profits on the backs of these workers. It is a form of indentured servantude. They don't pay them benefits, they pay them below market wages, no workers compensation, and pocket the difference themselves.

Angst Increases

Listening to KFAQ this morning has done nothing to quell the angst felt by this chigger and countless other good citizens of T-Town. The apparent last minute wrangling within the Republican party is enough to make your head spin.

Michael Bates on the Planning Commission, Terry Simonson hired on LaFortune's staff, rehire Chief Bean, we will never be able to sort truth from fiction. Especially from the lips of a deceiver. I still can't bring myself to hold my nose and vote for LaFortune. He is the "Jimmy Carter" of the Republican party, a good guy personally, but the worst leader in history. Don't get me wrong, he has led us the past four years. But that leadership path has been to further the demise of the once great city of Tulsa. Mr. LaFortune has squandered his chances. All Tulsans know that. The result for Tulsa Republicans is the spectre of four years of Kathy Tayor. We deserve it!

I for one will not compromise my precious vote.

Maybe the conservative forces in Tulsa have gained some momentum. Perhaps the tide is slowly turning. I know we all will survive the next four years, no matter who is elected. On that thought I will chill out!

Living in a Third World Country?

I have visited third-world countries several times. Every time you go you don't expect to travel on smoothly paved roads. There won't be a trusted police officer for you to turn to in case of danger or problems. And if the lights flicker, you think nothing of it, it's just the normal state of affairs.

It's not just my imagination, but my electrical service has deteriorated ever since AEP acquired PSO. It is now routine for the lights to flicker at the slightest breeze or the first few drops of rain. That's not how it used to be. These things can effect appliances plugged into a socket. They can be damaged by power surges.

This may be what you expect in Mexico or Africa, but we should expect more in the USA!

They Can't Give Them Away

Just about dusk last evening our doorbell rang unexpectedly. We seldom see a door-to-door salesman anymore. Something about the timing made me uneasy.

We answered the door and standing there was a rather desperate looking young man. And...you guessed it.......

He was trying to sell us a subscription to the Tulsa Whirled. I haven't paid for that rag for over two years now. Not wanting to offend the salesman we politely said no. He persisted and asked us why, and we told him. His reply was he didn't care what we did with it after we subscribed to it, we could throw it away for all he cared.

Needless to say, he left our home looking more desperate!

I suspect that the Whirled has falling subscription rates just like all the other major papers are experiencing.

Now We Know Kathy Taylor!

Wow! We sure have discovered alot more about Kathy Taylor. But so much has already been said and documented by my fellow Tulsa Bloggers. Really folks, these are Tulsa's modern day "electronic town criers".

When I first posted a blog on Kathy Taylor, never in my wildest dreams would I have even suspected that things of such great magnitude would be revealed about her. As you know, I was suspicious of her sudden interest in T-Town. She was interested enough to run for Tulsa's mayor. No one I talked with knew anything about her.

It's certainly not uncommon for the rich to maintain multiple residences. Florida, as a no income tax state is a very common draw for the rich. But allegations about dual state citizenship, dual state driver licenses, dual state filing for homestead exemptions and dual state voting in the same election, all add up to something beyond belief. This cannot be overlooked by any normal person as simply a weird set of circumstances. It was known, planned, thought out and decided. Tax implications drive many, many decisions by the ultra-rich.

When listening to her denial of voting in two states for the same election, I was reminded of someone else's denial. Is it just me or were you not also reminded of the denial of then President Clinton on network TV looking straight at us and saying, "I did not have sex with that woman....Ms. Lewinski...."? The point is, rich lawyer politicians have and will lie straight to your face.

She may not have "intended" to vote in both states, but the independent records show she did. She has absolutely nothing with which to refute the written evidence. That Florida absentee ballot shows in her mind that as late as 2000 she still considered herself a Floridian.

She now denies she voted in Tulsa Oklahoma in the 2000 Presidental election. Her precinct records show she did. She tried to pass them off as bogus by saying there are other Kathy Taylors in Tulsa and she gets their mail often. Well, those same precinct records show there were multiple Taylors that voted. All of them did vote and they all had different names. What are the odds that these independent records are in error? Now that's crazy!

Tulsa Democrats deserve a better candidate for mayor than Kathy Taylor!

Kudo's to Bateline.com

Michael Bates has done it again! He has scooped the Tulsa Whirled.

I heard the story on KFAQ this morning about Kathy Taylor and the allegation that she voted in the same 2000 Federal election in 2 different states, Oklahoma and Florida.

While I can understand the apparent oversight of filing for homestead exemption in both states, but voting in two states is another matter completely.

That is voter fraud and a felony. Why didn't the MSM pick up on this, after all, they have tremendous resources....

Proof again of the value of Tulsa Bloggers volunteer citizen journalists seeking the stories untold by the MSM. This humble band of merry men are doing a real service for Tulsans.

What's your input to help Tulsa bloggers become even more effective?

One Year Anniversary

Today marks the end of my first full year of blogging!

What an full year its been. No shortage of topics around T-Town to blog about, that's for sure. From local politics, public education, illegal immigration, zoo creation exhibit, etc, there has been and I doubt there will continue to be no shortage of controversies.

Thanks for checkin' out my blog. I think that for at least a few, I have raised public awareness on a few critical issues and opened a dialogue to discuss them. Those were my goals.

Last year's goals were met.

Let's all do our part to move Tulsa Oklahoma forward and make it a fantastic place to live and work.

Tulsa's Photogenic Democrat Candidates for Mayor

Has anyone else noticed how non-photogenic our candidates for mayor are? In this blog I will focus on the two leading Democrat candidates.

Here is Don McCorkell:

By the way, it was not easy to find a straight-on frontal picture of Mr. McCorkell. This was the best one I could find. His website has a noticable lack of pictures of him. You can check that out here.




Here are some more photos of Kathy Taylor:

Now here's a picture for posterity, Kathy Taylor and Dan Boren. Why are they smiling?













And this one's from 2004, possibly not her best year;











And all I can say here is nice pearls!



I apologize for my shallowness and sense of humor. This phenomenon is not just with the Democrat candidates, I assure you!

Of these two, regardless of looks, I endorse Don McCorkell. By the way, he just picked up an endorsement from Just Progress, a Democratic PAC for what that's worth.

Here is their opening:

Just Progress, PAC (JP), a Democratic Political Action Committee organized by citizens for political integrity and a just society, endorses Don McCorkell, Jr. for Mayor of the city of Tulsa.

No doubt, McCorkell has a better platform and would make a fair to good mayor, maybe better.

What say you?

District 7 Votes for Status Quo

The results from the forgotten Valentine's Day vote for TPS school board district 7 seat was:

Tulsa School Board
Office 7
Francis Skonicki 309
Matthew Livingood 787

Only 1,096 people bothered to vote in District 7, a heavily Republican district.

The status quo has been maintained.

Our local school district will continue its slide, incapable of truly reforming itself.

But the TPS board meetings will be well run.

Still Time to Vote in School District 7 Election

With very little campaigning and practically no money spent, it's no wonder that voter turnout for this Valentine's day election is so low.

I voted today, since I am in TPS school district 7, at 3:45 p.m. I was the 25th person to vote at my precinct.

There is still time to go to the polls, if you live in district 7. The polls close at 7:00 p.m.

With such low turnout, this election could have surprising results. Matt Livingood, a local attorney and current TPS board President is facing Francis Skonicki. Both are Republicans. But I know that Matt Livingood is anti-charter school and will lead the charge and burn up much needed tax dollars to file suit to get the Oklahoma Charter School Act declared unconstitutional. On this basis alone, those of us who want more parental choice and true public education reform should stand up and be counted against him.

The Tulsa World endorsed Matt Livingood.

I endorse Francis Skonicki.

Make a stand. Make a statement. Go out and vote. Your vote could make the difference!

Who Is Kathy Taylor? Part 2

In this picture Kathy Taylor can be described as showing us some sleight of hand. But in her recent television ad, is she giving us some sleight of tongue?


Kathy touts her involvement in bringing Dell Computer to OKC as evidence of her economic development prowess. Why didn't Kathy bring Dell to T-Town? Now that would have set her up for a real run for mayor. And there is no doubt that the Board of Directors for her husbands rental car company made the decision to relocate to Tulsa, not Kathy Taylor. Anyone in business would know that.

As a citizen of Tulsa, I fail to see the benefit for Taylor's part in bringing Dell to OKC. The inference is that she will do the same for Tulsa as our mayor. To me this clearly indicates that her decision to run for mayor of Tulsa was hasty and made at the last minute. Otherwise, in her position as Secretary of Commerce, she would have made sure she had done something of economic development substance for Tulsa before she ran.

Also in her new TV ad, she says her grandmother instilled "respect and dignity" in her toward other people. Thank God for grandmothers! Does this extend toward all other people? Perhaps not.

Kathy Taylor late last year celebrated a significant birthday milestone. This was a private party, but one like Tulsa has not seen in many years. Only the very rich can afford to fly in the Beach Boys to perform for you. An informed source relayed that it was a "who's who" of Tulsa and Oklahoma politics. It happened at Taylor's primary estate in Tulsa (where are her secondary homes?). The same source confirmed that she was condescending and inconsiderate, especially toward the staff helping to put on the bash. Needless to say, they were not impressed. And this all happened before Kathy Taylor announced her candidacy for mayor. And on her birthday, no less.

Is this what she is really like?

Not everyone believes that the values of respect and dignity were instilled in Kathy Taylor to the extent they apply to all people.

Good people of Tulsa, talk is cheap! Politics is about power. Some people will tell you anything as a means to an end. Kathy Taylor's end is to be elected as your mayor. Look at what a person does.

Keep campaign advertising in perspective. Ads try to carefully craft an image and message that will connect with the public. That may or may not be what a person is really like.

Will you have the discernment to spot a hypocrite?

TPS Board President Inconsistencies

The current Tulsa Public School Board President, Matt Livingood, is up for re-election in District 7. At the outset, I want to say that he is a very able and capable Board member and has done an excellent job as Board President.

He has been in the public eye more than normal lately, since he is running in an election. Recently, he has made a series of statements that are inconsistent, that I have picked up on and am compelled to pass on to you. As reported by the Tulsa World, Mr. Livingood is an attorney and an adjunct professor at TCC. Having worked for attorneys for a number of years, I can relate that to them the question is not about what's right or wrong, but instead its is it the law or is it against the law?

The first inconsistency was made during his diatribe at the last Board meeting. He had nothing but great things to say about Tulsa's 3 existing charter schools, but he has problems with approving others, due to his belief that the Oklahoma Charter School Act is unconstitutional. First of all, this is not the way a lawyer thinks. If Matt Livingood truly believes that the Act is unconstitutional, how could he possibly support the existing charter schools extensions? Wouldn't they be unconstitutional as well? Of course. But he chose a politically expedient way out, kowtowing to the charter school patrons assembled in front of him.

The second inconsistency relates to what he said his primary responsiblity as a Board member was as he said, "is to approve the expenditure of public funds to provide students with a quality education". He said this during a discussion at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church this week. Here is the inconsistency; At the recommendation of Dr. Sawyer, he will be the one to initiate a lawsuit against the OSDE and the State of Oklahoma, challenging the constitutionality of the Charter School Act. That will involve the expenditure of thousands of dollars of public funds that are to be used to provide students in the TPS district with a quality education. More legal fees means less money for quality education.

We do agree that the state legislature needs to amend the Act to remove any legal barrier. The Charter School Act needs to be expanded and charter schools available statewide. They need additional sponsor choices. They need their own appropriation of funds, administered by the State Department of Education. Would Mr. Livingood like to join me lobbying the legislators to do this?

I did it by myself last year and only got a scowl from the TPS lobbyist. It will go nowhere in Oklahoma with a Democrat controlled House of Representatives and Democrat Governor. For now the dark forces have the upper hand.

The charter school reform effort in T-town is in neutral. There are now no sponsors for charter schools here.

Charter School Act Assailed by TPS Board

A Tulsa Public School Board meeting was held last evening at 7:00 p.m. in the education service center at 31st and New Haven. At the outset, it was a packed, standing room only meeting. Anxious parents clutched their children as the meeting began with the opening flag ceremony, then quickly progressed to a series of songs from Kerr Elementary 4 year olds. This was to highlight the early childhood education initiative by TPS. When this was finished about a fourth of the crowd dispersed. Next was an extensive presentation by the Booker T. Washington and Memorial H.S. Bot Ball and robotics programs. Selected board members stood and moved to gain a better vantage point to observe the mock competition. Afterward, more people trickled out.
Next came a group of articulate concerned citizens who stood at the podium speaking directly to the board. The first gentleman spoke about the need for a "change agent" as the main criteria for the selection of the next Superintendent of TPS (Dr. Sawyer is retiring in June). He was followed by three who spoke generally about the continued deplorable conditions and substandard results from the north side public schools. The last of the group noted how nothing has changed in the past 30 years. Some board members never made eye contact, heads down, either listening intently to what was being said, or lost in their own thoughts.
This last picture was taken after the vote was taken on the agenda action item F-4. About two-thirds of the people in attendance came to hear about this action item concerning charter schools. After the vote the room cleared out.

The resolution in question would have shortened the contract extension period from 3 years to 1 year for both Deborah Brown Community School and Dove Science Academy. It would limit the contract to one year for two new charter school applicants. And it would place a self-imposed moratorium for any other charter schools.

Doug Mann, attorney for TPS spoke at length on the matter. It was a highly technical speech and hard to follow. He believes the Oklahoma Charter School Act, passed by our legislature in 1999 is unconstitutional, because it is a special law affecting public education. He is worried that an unrelated case involving the City of Enid and unions could have a bearing on the charter school law.

Mr. Mann was followed by a host of pro-charter school speakers, representing all three of Tulsa's charter schools, Deborah Brown Community School, Dove Science Academy, and Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences. Some used the time to eulogize their school, some to rail against the board for such late notice on an important topic (They were notified late afternoon on Friday. Two of the schools have been in contract renewal negotiations for months). One particularly memorable speaker was Judge Merle Whitebook, board president for Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences. He passionately requested the board of TPS to think of the children and parents who will be affected, and the choice charter schools provide the TPS district, the "district of choice". He urged the board to table the resolution.

After exhausting questions and comments, an amended resolution was unanimously passed. It allowed for a three year extension for the 2 renewing charters with an opt-out clause in case the Act was declared unconstitutional. It also allowed for one-year contracts for the new charter applicants, and provided a moratorium beginning in February 2007 on any new charter school applications, until the constitutionality question is resolved.

What seemed to be lost in the rhetoric and grandstanding was this; the Oklahoma Charter School Act of 1999 is not unconstitutional. It is and has been the law in Oklahoma since 1999. 13 charter schools have been opened and currently operate under it in 2 school districts, Tulsa and OKC. To be unconstitutional, it would have to be challenged and held so by a court.

It would not be held as unconstitutional if the City of Enid case was held to be so. For that to happen, someone, namely TPS or the Oklahoma City school distict would have to take the State of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Education to court. But in my research, OKC has never advanced the charter school act to be unconstitutional. But TPS has.

The did so back in 2002 during a dispute with Pentagon Academy, a failed charter school applicant. You can read all about the dispute here. Pay particular attention to paragraph 15. In essence, the Oklahoma Supreme Court did not rule on the TPS allegation of the unconstitutionality of the Oklahoma Charter School Act, because it already found for TPS on statutory grounds related to binding arbitration. They could have ruled on it, but passed. Or more likely didn't rule on it because they didn't have to.

TPS acts as if the Act is unconstitutional. As a result Tulsa has been stuck on three charter schools since 2001. All three have proven to be exemplary schools. OKC on the other hand acts as if the Act is constitutional. As a result they have ten charter schools.

Which district is better served by its actions?

A Face That Would Sink A Thousand Ships

With smoke curling around him, this Lebanese Islamist stands outside a burning Danish embassy in Beirut. His hair is as frazzled as his mind. His soiled headband masks his bitter attitude. Dark, sunken eyes are windows into a soul filled with hate. We can only imagine what horror he speaks with those lips.

This is a face that would sink a thousand ships. (If given half a chance)

All of this over some cartoons. Cartoons, he thinks that attack everything he is about. Americans are baffled by this behavior.

We have absolutely no part with people like this. They are as foreign to us as people from outer space. Oil and water don't mix. We don't understand them, and even if we did would not like to be around them. We certainly don't have any business supporting them.

Tulsa's Other Miss America

1926
Norma Smallwood
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Norma Descygne Smallwood, an art major in her sophomore year at Oklahoma State College, was the first Native American (Cherokee) to capture the Miss America title.

Norma was the first Miss America to also win the award for "the most beautiful girl in evening gown" at the highly promoted National Beauty Tournament held during pageant week of the twenties. She proved to be an enormously popular selection

Miss America is from Tulsa!

In 2001, Jennifer graduated from Jenks High School. While in high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society. She was also active in Student Council and Key Club a community service organization and a member of the Varsity Pom Squad. Jennifer served as President of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America as a senior.

Some great news for T-town! Let's throw a parade in her honor!

What Me Worry?

Can you tell me which one is running for mayor of Tulsa?

Misguided Attempt

Governor Brad Henry is leading the latest charge in a pathetic attempt to lure GM into staying in OKC via a taxpayer funded corporate welfare check. This is to the tune of a cool $200 million!

The proceeds would be tied to a plant re-tooling project, aimed at changing the plants output from SUV's to something with more demand. Sure looks like we would be glossing over a major corporate blunder to me. Any bailout would have to be approved by the Oklahoma legislature. Is that any comfort?

This is terrible public policy.

And I predict it won't work.

Tulsans know full well about this type of shenanigans. Don't we remember the picture of Mayor LaFortune et al groveling in front of the Doubletree awhile ago in an attempt to keep Citgo from moving to Houston?

No doubt, politicians need to be involved in economic development. Jobs are extremely important. But this corporate welfare, long a policy of the Federal government amounts to just political grandstanding. It has no substance.

Corporate boards of directors make decisions like shutting down a plant or relocating headquarters. Boeing certainly didn't change their minds with Tulsa's attempted welfare bribe. In fact, they sold out what we had already and now plan to build something in OKC! I wonder......did Kathy Taylor have anything to do with that?

American Airlines got some welfare too. But they really weren't planning to leave. So they got a free check courtesy of the taxpayers of Tulsa County.

With the cat out of the bag, who else will line up with their hand out waiting for a pot of gold at the expense of the taxpayer? Who among our elected officials will decide who gets what and how much?