Is my phone on fire? Well, maybe it's just a peppermint...

[shadows]

The mayor when on the council was on his way to the bathroom or coming from it.  If questioned it was "there is a speaker back there where I can hear what is happening."

Turner was employed by the city when it was voted to change to a strong mayor.  (Which exercises the same authority as the mayor under present charter)

Under the charter the council members could have a heap of trouble as the mayor is exercising the authority granted by a majority of the voters. 

No one read the ballot as to its limitations (it could have contained about 100 words more than statute allowed.) Now 21 years later the council is yelling foul.

Where were the criticizing posters 21 years ago when all this was discussed at numerous city meetings and in the court as predicted to its outcome?

   

[Gaspar]

That has got to be the funniest thing I've seen in a while.

[shadows]

That has got to be the funniest thing I've seen in a while.

It's wonderful to be able to find amusement as the comedians are leaving the stage turning it over to the million dollar actors.  Will one find such enjoyment when the city is assessed hundreds of thousands in court cost and attorneys fees?  The attorney being used is not cheap and has a lot of political clout.  You can possibly see some funny things in the future.

[custosnox]

It's wonderful to be able to find amusement as the comedians are leaving the stage turning it over to the million dollar actors.  Will one find such enjoyment when the city is assessed hundreds of thousands in court cost and attorneys fees?  The attorney being used is not cheap and has a lot of political clout.  You can possibly see some funny things in the future.

So then, what is your suggestion when the mayor and/or his staff are involved in possible illegal activity?  Let it ride because it would be too expensive to do anything about it?  Great logic there.

[HazMatCFO]

The KRMG morning crew played Incense and Peppermint yesterday about 5:15AM or so. I was out running and made me laugh so hard I had to stop.

Dewey is tripping.

[Hoss]

The mayor when on the council was on his way to the bathroom or coming from it.  If questioned it was "there is a speaker back there where I can hear what is happening."

Turner was employed by the city when it was voted to change to a strong mayor.  (Which exercises the same authority as the mayor under present charter)

Under the charter the council members could have a heap of trouble as the mayor is exercising the authority granted by a majority of the voters. 

No one read the ballot as to its limitations (it could have contained about 100 words more than statute allowed.) Now 21 years later the council is yelling foul.

Where were the criticizing posters 21 years ago when all this was discussed at numerous city meetings and in the court as predicted to its outcome?

   

We were probably all playing Pac-Man...

[shadows]

So then, what is your suggestion when the mayor and/or his staff are involved in possible illegal activity?  Let it ride because it would be too expensive to do anything about it?  Great logic there.

No! but the entire episode could be compromised with a guiltily admission whereas they could be suspended for an hour with full pay on Sunday for committing a crime that's penalty is half of a speeding ticket as we ponder who invented the "Made in China" slogan.  Tulsa citizens bought the pig in a poke and now it getting a little smelly to some.

[shadows]

We were probably all playing Pac-Man...

Right! We couldn't beat that program then and now we are drowning in the useless outdated computers that we used to play Pac-Man on as they have become a "hot potato" in their disposal, with unemployment increasing we have seen the flash of light and now await the thunder. 

[patric]

Hmmm, the "Vibravoid" version...
Now this one is trippy:

My, how times have changed 

[custosnox]

No! but the entire episode could be compromised with a guiltily admission whereas they could be suspended for an hour with full pay on Sunday for committing a crime that’s penalty is half of a speeding ticket as we ponder who invented the “Made in China” slogan.  Tulsa citizens bought the pig in a poke and now it getting a little smelly to some.

So you automatically assume that the possibility of Simonson being removed from his position is out of the question.  While not a huge possibility, it seems to me that working to remove someone such as him is worth some pomp and circumstances on the occasion that the attempt is successful.  To dismiss it out of hand is what encourages people like him to continue bleeding the coifers dry while pupeteering the mayor.

Right! We couldn’t beat that program then and now we are drowning in the useless outdated computers that we used to play Pac-Man on as they have become a “hot potato” in their disposal, with unemployment increasing we have seen the flash of light and now await the thunder. 

I do believe he was refering the the arcades, which would give rise to the idea that most of us where either too young to take action, or young enough that the significance of local politics matter little to none to us.  It would be the equivalent of us asking you where your complaints were about how the city was run at the outbreak of WWI

[MH2010]

I found this on blog.buildabettertulsa.org.  I thought is was pretty well thought out so I'll post it here.

The Tulsa World has essentially become a PR rag for Dewey Bartlett. This is understandable since they rely on him to get information and a cozy relationship will continue to get them access to the mayor. We've already seen that the man is vindictive and small minded -- and he'll lie right to your face (I love how one moment he's praising the deputy Chiefs of the TPD for standing up and behind closed doors he's demanding they be disciplined for standing up to his bullying and lying).


In this editorial, the World claims that the investigation into Simonson and Bartlett are about arcane matters and almost echo Simonson's charge that it's all much ado about nothing. Please read the entire investigation  -- it's eye opening. Apparently, honor, integrity and trust are arcane, unimportant matters to the Tulsa World.


Here's why it matters.


1. It exposes the Mayor's instability and dishonesty.


Mayor Bartlett can't reconcile the simple logic of what he was saying to the investigator -- we had to lay off before we could use the JAG grant to re-hire cops -- and what his offer to the FOP was -- if you'll take my contract concessions, we can use the JAG grant to avoid layoffs. He couldn't have it both ways, and the realization of it confounded him. So the logical inconsistency with his own lies befuddles the man, letting us know that his positions are not thought out.


During the investigation, Dewey's freakout  to get into the Council's Executive Session was well documented (Funny, the mayor couldn't be bothered to show up to Council meetings, but the one meeting he wants to be there, they don't want him). He was panicked to get into the session to see what the report said.


We know why now, the report lists numerous lies by the mayor.


During his questioning, Dewey was evasive and obtuse. He even resorted to pretending to smell something burning so he could avoid answering a question. This, while hilarious, is also disturbing. Rather than answer a question he'd been asked numerous times at that point, he was so slow and dim that the best he could come up with was the equivalent of "Your shoe's untied." He resorted to a five year old's tactics. I don't want someone that dumb in charge of my city.


2. It showed how this Mayor and Chief of Staff play politics.


Bartlett and Simonson have no sense of integrity and are willing to lie and scapegoat to get their way.


Make no mistake, Simonson and Bartlett have consistently scapegoated the police -- the only group to stand up to them until the Council had an assfull. Granted, the police deal with liars every day, so they caught onto Bartlett and Simonson pretty quick. But they had to sit back and take Bartlett and Simonson demonizing them over and over with the JAG grant debate -- they said over and over, it's their fault they were laid off, not ours. The police department took a beating in the press, but they stuck to their guns. They said the Mayor was untrustworthy and, guess what, they were right.


And, there's no honor amongst liars. Simonson, on page 15 of the report, throws his boss under the bus.


"It appears that Terry Simonson gave a statement to the City Council that he knew was not accurate, but claims that he was under obligation to present the Mayor's position and not his own opinion."


FYI, if you give a statement that you know is not accurate -- it's not an opinion, which is how Simonson and his attorney are spinning it -- it's a lie. Even more interestingly, in an interview on the March 25, 2010 KFAQ's Pat Campbell show, Simonson defined lying "in my opinion, is that you intentionally made a misrepresentation that materially harmed the city." Right there he admits intentionally making a misrepresentation that materially harmed the city -- in layoffs of police officers and the hundreds of thousands of dollars paid out for severance packages that would have been saved.


It's the Eichmann defense. I knew it was wrong, but I was under orders. So, at best, Simonson lied to the council because he's a coward who doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to his boss who is ordering him to lie. Or, at worst, Simonson knowingly lied to the Council without compunction. Either way, he's a liar.


Interestingly enough, Simonson, through his attorney David O'Melia, are spinning the investigation not as to it's veracity, but to the idea that the City Council has overstepped their authority by recommending the report to the City Prosecutor (BTW, do you really think that as vindictive as Bartlett has shown himself to be the City Prosecutor is going to have the guts to go forward with prosecuting Simonson? He'll be out of a job by day 2). What a horrible defense, they're essentially saying, "I lied, but you went to far in investigating it."


Who are they supposed to refer it to? I suppose probable cause exists that the police could arrest Simonson and Bartlett for the city misdemeanors.


Honor and integrity are not arcane matters, despite what the Tulsa World might think. Dewey and Simonson stand exposed as liars without Honor or Integrity. Are these the people we want governing our city?

[nathanm]

If the World were really in Bartlett's pocket, I don't think they would have outed his truly bizarre behavior regarding the peppermint making him think one of his cell phones was on fire. They might have just written that he "avoided" the question rather than going into detail.

I find it particularly odd because he outright refused to answer other questions, so what did he gain by playing "let's pretend my pocket is on fire?" I think it's indicative of either extreme disrespect for the council and it's investigation. Or maybe he was on some new meds that made him loopy that day. Either way, such reports can only reduce the confidence of the public in him, so I fail to see how the World is treating Bartlett favorably.

[cynical]

The Tulsa World has frequently had a disconnect between its reporting and its editorial policy.  A good example than this is in the World's reporting of John Sullivan's checkered legal past and history of alcohol abuse while endorsing him for re-election over a real, bona fide Eagle Scout, Doug Dodd.  Many papers not owned by Rupert Murdoch let the reporters ignore the editorial board and let the editorial board ignore the reporting.  Come to think of it, I prefer it this way.

If the World were really in Bartlett's pocket, I don't think they would have outed his truly bizarre behavior regarding the peppermint making him think one of his cell phones was on fire. They might have just written that he "avoided" the question rather than going into detail.

I find it particularly odd because he outright refused to answer other questions, so what did he gain by playing "let's pretend my pocket is on fire?" I think it's indicative of either extreme disrespect for the council and it's investigation. Or maybe he was on some new meds that made him loopy that day. Either way, such reports can only reduce the confidence of the public in him, so I fail to see how the World is treating Bartlett favorably.

[nathanm]

The Tulsa World has frequently had a disconnect between its reporting and its editorial policy.

As it should be. As long as the reporting isn't influenced by the opinion of the editorial board, I couldn't care less who they endorse or what they favor and can't in good conscience claim the entire paper is "in Bartlett's pocket." It will be a fair statement when you see news reporting obscuring facts that cast an unfavorable light on Bartlett.

[shadows]

So you automatically assume that the possibility of Simonson being removed from his position is out of the question.  While not a huge possibility, it seems to me that working to remove someone such as him is worth some pomp and circumstances on the occasion that the attempt is successful.  To dismiss it out of hand is what encourages people like him to continue bleeding the coifers dry while pupeteering the mayor.
I do believe he was refering the the arcades, which would give rise to the idea that most of us where either too young to take action, or young enough that the significance of local politics matter little to none to us.  It would be the equivalent of us asking you where your complaints were about how the city was run at the outbreak of WWI

I would assume if one reads Article lll Section 1.5 and Article X section 5 of the charter as amended (new charter) that the mayor is standing on solid grounds and that the council actions are not in the scope of examination granted under the charter as such is reserved by the office of mayor.  There seems to be a question in the council mind who is in charge of the city government.  It could be assumed since the charter was approved by the governor, his office could place the city under marshal law to enforce the charter.  The council seems to be on the wrong avenue that leads to charter changes that would give them the governing powers.  The removal of any one of the 16 appointed assistants would be a delicate task.  The door to all operations in the city has a Mayor name plate attached.

Atari wrote the 8 bit language that converted a toy to play Pac-Man on the TV screens thus made possible the Arcades I believe.  The engineers of one of the adding machine manufactures seems to see a future in the use of 8 bits to convert them into images and took it to Japan who produce the circuit board PC's that created the unemployment we are facing now.