Time to Flush City Government

[Gaspar]

Next election is time to flush all city counselors and recall the Mayor.  

Giant FAIL on both sides.

We as citizens need to send the message that we are in control and have no intension of putting up with this.

[Rico]

If that were an option it would be nice.....

We are stuck with  the current Gentlemen and will live to mourn their casualties.

If you caught the City Council meet yesterday evening... Dewey made reference to the "Downtown Master Plan", Mister Crawley, and other things he thought would make him seem like he was "the man"...

Dewey's idea of progressive transportation is...

 






or if you would prefer his vision of PlaniTulsa... Just think for a minute.

It is going to cost way too much money.

One of the casualties of this man will be PlaniTulsa being implemented to any substantial degree.

He can't dream of anything past getting things his way.


While I did not think it was a "Best" idea it took real dreamers to come up with...






I hope getting a City Manager becomes something more than just a flash in the pan.

This whole Mayor thing just isn't working out.

[Gaspar]

I'm starting to feel the same way!

[Hometown]

Tulsa (especially the Tulsa World) does not seem comfortable with government by consensus and vote.  I guess we are accustomed to three or four movers and shakers running the show around here.  The World believes citizens are supposed to fall in line like docile lap dogs.

But I disagree. 

The council is absolutely on target in their criticism of Bartlett and the Council's refusal to go along to get along demonstrates that we may grow up yet.

I had some hope for Bartlett.  I liked his goal to be our "job gettinest mayor."  And I like the way he stood up to the Police Union.  He has guts that Taylor did not possess.  But he didn't need to deceive our council in the process.

Jack Henderson represents my interest on the council and disrespecting him is equivalent to disrespecting me.

The council is showings signs of life.  Good Job.

Bartlett's performance to date qualifies for the "amateur hour."  Maybe he will grow in office.  But it's more likely that Tulsa will continue to suffer under the kind of incompetent leadership that has let a cow town like OKC pass us by.

I grew up believing that Republicans were as smart as they were mean and greedy.  But these days you can drop "smart" from that list of adjectives.

p.s. My apologies to all the legal secretaries out there who certainly caught the grammatical error in my last post when I used an apostrophe in the possessive form of it.

[Breadburner]

I would love to do away with the city council all together....

[rwarn17588]

Jack Henderson represents my interest on the council and disrespecting him is equivalent to disrespecting me.

Do you think a councilor who opposes community gardens because of his idiotic fear that marijuana will be grown in them should earn our respect?

[tulsa_fan]

I think the recall movement will grow in regards to the mayor, his arrogence and flat out lies are continuous.  His statement today is another example.  I keep saying, just because he says he didn't lie doesn't mean he didn't.  The complete disregard of what people want, what contracts and law provides for is appalling.  One smart move he made, he didn't bother to show up to the re-swearing in ceremony today for the officers that were just pawns in his political games. 

I'll do my very best to be at the next TN Luncheon with petitions.  I'm thinking of making shirts, "Want to recall the mayor?  Ask me how" I keep petition sheets with me most everywhere I go.  I think a Driller's game or two, another bigger event here or there, the signatures will stream in.  People are sick of it.  I also think the fact that he council is UNITED in this issue makes a powerful statement as well.  Westcott and Eagleton are attorneys, do you really think they haven't read the charter and such? I'm pretty sure they have some good ideas as to whether what they are doing is legal or not.  We already know they have bigger aspirations beyond the council, I'm sure they are making sure their butt is covered as well.  I have several emails between myself and Westcott with heated disagreements about what the mayor was doing from the beginning, he was in complete support of the mayor, obviously the facts have been strong enough to support his change of heart.


I don't see how things get better until Bartlett is gone.

[Hometown]

Do you think a councilor who opposes community gardens because of his idiotic fear that marijuana will be grown in them should earn our respect?

In the real world you have to look at the total package and in that regard my respect for Henderson is growing. 

[rwarn17588]

In the real world you have to look at the total package and in that regard my respect for Henderson is growing. 

What about my criticism isn't real-world? Anyone who holds a belief like that has serious credibility problems, and such a thing calls his judgment into question. A lack of a judgment is a real-world problem. A lack of judgment can lead to enormous mistakes.

And it's not just that. He's made some other proposals that are so tone-deaf politically and economically that one wonders whether he has any judgment at all.

[waterboy]

Gee, this feels like "Deja Vu all over again." A city government that is so at odds with itself that the public feels compelled to throw them all out. I do not relish watching the city flounder for another 2 years while a new administration settles in. So, please, no recalls, no lawsuits, no BS! Lets not punish the rest of the city. Make a deal and get Simonson out of there, then learn how to work as a team and run the damn city.

[swake]

What about my criticism isn't real-world? Anyone who holds a belief like that has serious credibility problems, and such a thing calls his judgment into question. A lack of a judgment is a real-world problem. A lack of judgment can lead to enormous mistakes.

And it's not just that. He's made some other proposals that are so tone-deaf politically and economically that one wonders whether he has any judgment at all.

Anyone that thinks Bartlet is tougher than Taylor has their own judgment issues.

[RecycleMichael]

He's made some other proposals that are so tone-deaf politically and economically that one wonders whether he has any judgment at all.

One of those proposals that Councilor Henderson made that fit your definition of being tone-deal politically and economically was to increase the pay of a City Councilor. There is no way that would fly at the same time that they are laying off and giving out furlough days.

But I think Councilor Henderson was right. I think the $18,000 a year pay for a job that has become so time-consuming is one of the reasons we have some disfunctional council meetings. I think better pay would attract more (and potentially better) candidates.

I think a City Councilor should be paid the exact average pay of the average citizen. No more. No less.

The Tulsa World always does a story on average pay in August so the last number I see is from 2008. That was $43,330 per year.

To increase each councilor's pay to that amount would cost $228,000 more per year. I think that would be money well spent.

[custosnox]

One of those proposals that Councilor Henderson made that fit your definition of being tone-deal politically and economically was to increase the pay of a City Councilor. There is no way that would fly at the same time that they are laying off and giving out furlough days.

But I think Councilor Henderson was right. I think the $18,000 a year pay for a job that has become so time-consuming is one of the reasons we have some disfunctional council meetings. I think better pay would attract more (and potentially better) candidates.

I think a City Councilor should be paid the exact average pay of the average citizen. No more. No less.

The Tulsa World always does a story on average pay in August so the last number I see is from 2008. That was $43,330 per year.

To increase each councilor's pay to that amount would cost $228,000 more per year. I think that would be money well spent.

I still plan on running in the next election regardless of the pay.  However, the pay is for the "part-time" position of councilor, which is based on devoting two days a week to the position.  Outside of the meetings those two days, I really don't see the council doing much.  If the position continues to increase in responsibility it will become a situation where they will be required to spend more than those minimul amount of day, and I can see the need to increase the pay to compensate for that dedication of the position.

[RecycleMichael]

To be effective, you have to attend many night meetings as well. There are city meetings to discuss things like roads and parks, there are neighborhood meetings all across your district, and there are requests to appear at many civic meetings acoss the town. You also have to be available to hear constituent issues and return their e-mails and phone calls.

The good councilors work at this job at least full time and probably much more.

[OldTimeTulsan]

All we would end up with is overpaid ward politicians even more afraid of the unions than they are now, as there would be more money involved. Just look at the issues these jokers are wasting time with while the city is falling apart. Their only motivation seems to be to stay in office and to jockey for position to run for mayor.

The petition we need is to return to commission form of government.