Irked mayor bolts meeting with City Council

[RecycleMichael]

I have watched it twice now.

I usually support the Mayor (and if not, remain silent) on these things, but I am no Martinson hater. I live in his district and supported him last time. I even put signs in my yard for him (and many of you know how I much I detest signs). For me as a lifelong democrat to do that for a republican councilor was hard, but I believed in him then.

I am disturbed about the civility in these meetings. I watch every one of them on television and lately, they have been very rough on city employees and volunteers willing to serve on boards and authorities.

I thought Martinson was over the top this time. The Tulsa World has it written correctly...The Mayor answers, the Councilor asks the question again and when the Mayor tries to answer him, he interrupts her. Then this is said...,

"Councilor (Bill) Martinson, I would sure like to finish a sentence," she said. "I know you don't want me to, but I would like to, if you don't mind."

Martinson responded, "I do mind because I want to make sure ."  

The Councilor should apologize. It would go a long way in getting me to like him again.

[tim huntzinger]

Hey, at least Martin was not screaming at Her Honor!  She was very very understanding when Commissioner Miller was screamed at by a constituent during the River Tax fracas.  As I remember it she actually sat down and held the hand of the crybaby making the disturbance.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6710362855241318851

[custosnox]

now, at the risk of sounding like an idiot, what channel are these proceedings broadcast on?  And how would I go about getting the schedule of the broadcasts?

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.tgovonline.org/TGOVonline.org/Home.html

I usually watch the council subcommittee meetings on tape on Tuesday night. They are on at 9pm.

[tim huntzinger]

I do think it odd that the video I linked above demonstrates someone SCREAMING directly at the Mayor and Miller and when I brought that up here, folk bent over backward to characterize the event as speaking loudly.  Now, with folk not even seeing the video of Martinson he is automatically guilty.  Weird.

[waterboy]

I do think it odd that the video I linked above demonstrates someone SCREAMING directly at the Mayor and Miller and when I brought that up here, folk bent over backward to characterize the event as speaking loudly.  Now, with folk not even seeing the video of Martinson he is automatically guilty.  Weird.

hmmm. Could just be you. Didn't seem weird to me. Different circumstances.

[Townsend]

I do think it odd that the video I linked above demonstrates someone SCREAMING directly at the Mayor and Miller and when I brought that up here, folk bent over backward to characterize the event as speaking loudly.  Now, with folk not even seeing the video of Martinson he is automatically guilty.  Weird.

Well call you crazy...

[tim huntzinger]

hmmm. Could just be you. Didn't seem weird to me. Different circumstances.

Point is she is the same.  She did not even say, 'Excuse me, sir, you are out of order'  in the River Tax fracas. She just sucked it up.  What is it about Martinson's question that bugged her so much?

So H2O who was chairing that meeting? Whoever was should have stepped in.  If Martinson was acting in violation of Council rules then he should be reprimanded.  Otherwise I expect the Mayor to suck it up and get ugly.

[waterboy]

Leaving a meeting curtly when someone is obviously using it to badger you is not so uncommon and has dramatic effect as witnessed by so many comments. He made his point, she made hers. Perhaps she wasn't adequately prepared, perhaps she simply behaved like many intellectual leaders who prefer avoiding conflict if it isn't necessary or helpful. Or perhaps she just didn't want to play his game. Maybe they just don't like each other. Its all believable.

Oh, and yes, I think the chairman of the committee meeting was clueless as to their responsibility or it happened too quickly.

[tim huntzinger]

Leaving a meeting curtly when someone is obviously using it to badger you is not so uncommon and has dramatic effect as witnessed by so many comments. He made his point, she made hers. Perhaps she wasn't adequately prepared, perhaps she simply behaved like many intellectual leaders who prefer avoiding conflict if it isn't necessary or helpful. Or perhaps she just didn't want to play his game. Maybe they just don't like each other. Its all believable.

Oh, and yes, I think the chairman of the committee meeting was clueless as to their responsibility or it happened too quickly.

Yeah, well, I do not like the way you are responding so GOOD BYE! SLAM!

[waterboy]

Fortunately for us no one expects much professionalism or civility on forum boards.

[Wilbur]

The question was (if I understand correctly) where is the $500,000 coming from and where is it going to.  That is all Martinson wanted to know.  Those two simple little questions never got answered.

Channel 8 reports the Mayor answered those two questions when they asked her.  The response, "The general fund allocation won't be paid this year." 

Does that answer the question for anyone?

[joiei]

Fortunately for us no one expects much professionalism or civility on forum boards.

how true, how true, especially this board.

[Rico]

All of this "back and forth..... he said, she said" is concealing the more important items mentioned by Ms Lasseck's article...

In a separate discussion, it appeared that some councilors were not persuaded to move forward Thursday on approving the assessment roll.

They discussed waiting for a pending opinion from the Attorney General's Office on the assessment district, which they were told likely would be ready in early June.

Officials expressed concern that that would not allow enough time to finish the assessment documents and begin collecting fees July 1.

Assistant City Attorney Bob Edmiston said that if the attorney general's opinion comes back negatively for the city, it would give "greater merit to a lawsuit" by one of many property owners contesting its assessment fees.

Just a shot in the wind, but I suspect tempers have become a little "testy" for more than just being interrupted.

[mr.jaynes]

All of this "back and forth..... he said, she said" is concealing the more important items mentioned by Ms Lasseck's article...


Just a shot in the wind, but I suspect tempers have become a little "testy" for more than just being interrupted.

OK, is Lassek still with the Tulsa World? She's been there since before I left the area!