Mayor 2013: Negative ad campaigns

[RecycleMichael]

I really like that he pinpoints one of our key obstacles to progress here...authorities with little oversight, poor performance and huge authority. EMSA and TARE are prime examples.

But the Mayor serves on both of those boards. To step out then blame them seems wrong to me. I don't know the EMSA board, but every member of the TARE board was appointed by Bartlett. The chairman of TARE is a major contributor to his campaign.

[AquaMan]

I agree that he is responsible for their appointments and for not showing much oversight. Those authorities generally don't have much accountability to the mayor do they? Unless the mayor is strong and appoints competent managers, rather than friends and donors, they (authorities) generally don't feel obligated to do more than pay respectful attention.

EMSA and RPA are particularly bullet proof.

Note: I am a Taylor supporter. She is a tough bird who understands vision and is practical. I have my problems with her but overall a good leader.
Keatings remarks were on target, though i have my doubts that any mayor has the power to do much with keeping water in the river.

[swake]

I agree that he is responsible for their appointments and for not showing much oversight. Those authorities generally don't have much accountability to the mayor do they? Unless the mayor is strong and appoints competent managers, rather than friends and donors, they (authorities) generally don't feel obligated to do more than pay respectful attention.

EMSA and RPA are particularly bullet proof.

Note: I am a Taylor supporter. She is a tough bird who understands vision and is practical. I have my problems with her but overall a good leader.
Keatings remarks were on target, though i have my doubts that any mayor has the power to do much with keeping water in the river.

When does Jim Inhofe deliver his federal funds for the river? It's been promised a long time now.

[sgrizzle]

When does Jim Inhofe deliver his federal funds for the river? It's been promised a long time now.

Jim's to-do list
1. Repeal obamacare
2. Prove global warming is false
3. Fund Arkansas river projects

[Conan71]

Jim's to-do list
1. Repeal obamacare
2. Prove global warming is false
3. Fund Arkansas river projects

You forgot "save that runway in Podunk, Arkansas" he likes to fly into.

[Hoss]

You forgot "save that runway in Podunk, Arkansas" he likes to fly into.

He won't fly into any airport unless a taxiway has a big yellow 'x' on it though...

Oh, nice video BTW.  You guys looked like you were having fun.

[sgrizzle]

He won't fly into any airport unless a taxiway has a big yellow 'x' on it though...

Isn't that how they mark which bathroom stall has the accommodating intern in it?

[RecycleMichael]

interesting take by Batesline...

http://www.batesline.com/archives/2013/10/dan-keating-dewey-bartlett-tulsa-mayor.html

Dan Keating, a conservative Republican, recently appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin to the State Board of Education, has written a scathing column in the Tulsa Beacon denouncing Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr's campaign for pushing party affiliation over his performance as mayor and saying that it's time for Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr to return to the private sector.

Keating says that Bartlett Jr "has made little effort in cultivating former Councilor Bill Christiansen supporters, who are pivotal to winning re-election." Keating agrees with former Mayor Kathy Taylor's argument that the primary results show that 2/3rds of Tulsa voters are dissatisfied with Bartlett Jr's record. Calling Bartlett Jr an "absentee mayor with practically no vision for the future or plan for today," Keating concludes, "We've given the mayor every opportunity to produce. He doesn't own the job. It's time for Dewey to return to Keener Oil."

Keating notes the lack of cranes in the air and the lack of serious economic development. Bartlett Jr's claim of 7,000 jobs created in the metro area over the last four years doesn't impress Keating:

That makes it 146 jobs per month. This column reported the state of Utah gaining 18,000 California jobs in just one month. Why? Because they worked on it and called in California. As the Utah governor's office reported they had "boots on the ground."

Keating is also upset with Bartlett Jr's absence from meetings of key public authorities on which Tulsa's mayor serves as an ex officio member, noting two authorities in particular, the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) and the Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy (TARE), which oversees Tulsa's trash system. An audit of EMSA by State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones turned up extravagant spending by the CEO and criticized the board for a lack of oversight.

Another out of control authority that Mayor Bartlett sits on is Tulsa's TARE Board. Tare is short for Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy. TARE as you may recall had worked itself out of a job, but since no bureaucracy ever lets itself simply vanish, the authority reworked Tulsa's trash collection system, borrowed millions of dollars and charged ahead. Competent trash haulers were fired and new pricing policies implemented. Most service billings doubled. Green waste required special tags and clear trash bags.

But, it was worth it. Right? Wrong.

The green waste recovery equipment never worked. So for a year, Mayor Bartlett's people postured, burned all the trash together and kept the money. The mayor's excuse was that he missed most of those board meetings.

Republicans who pay more attention to state and national politics than City Hall may be surprised, if not shocked, that a solid Republican like Dan Keating would endorse against the re-election of a Republican mayor. They may be tempted to dismiss Keating as a RINO. (Oddly, the same people seem unwilling to dismiss Bartlett Jr as a RINO for his 2009 endorsement of Taylor's re-election.)

It's an indication of Bartlett Jr's skill at burning bridges that many Republicans who pay close attention to what's happening at City Hall are unwilling to endorse him for re-election. Lawsuits against councilors, support for Vision2, gerrymandering, an apparent lack of interest and leadership in the important decisions made by the City's authorities, boards, and commissions have all served to alienate local GOP activists. Many of these Republicans would be willing to forgive him for being bumbling or naive, if those were the only problems, but there's a layer of nasty and vengeful on top of the bumbling and naivete that makes reconciliation impossible. When someone has put you in the position of having to hire an attorney and has never bothered to apologize, you're not going to lend your support to his reelection campaign.

As far as I am aware, no city councilor who has served during Bartlett Jr's term as mayor -- none of the nine that he mostly chased out of office, none of the nine who replaced them -- has endorsed him. The Fraternal Order of Police, which has endorsed Republicans and Democrats in the past, voted unanimously to endorse Taylor. Had Bartlett Jr and his team not burned so many bridges with his fellow Republicans, he would be a shoo-in for re-election.

[BKDotCom]

Jim's to-do list
1. Repeal obamacare
2. Prove global warming is false
3. Fund Arkansas river projects

I thought #2 was on Jim's "done" list

[Hoss]

Bruce Plante cracks me up.

[Gaspar]

interesting take by Batesline...

http://www.batesline.com/archives/2013/10/dan-keating-dewey-bartlett-tulsa-mayor.html

Dan Keating, a conservative Republican, recently appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin to the State Board of Education, has written a scathing column in the Tulsa Beacon denouncing Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr's campaign for pushing party affiliation over his performance as mayor and saying that it's time for Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr to return to the private sector.

Keating says that Bartlett Jr "has made little effort in cultivating former Councilor Bill Christiansen supporters, who are pivotal to winning re-election." Keating agrees with former Mayor Kathy Taylor's argument that the primary results show that 2/3rds of Tulsa voters are dissatisfied with Bartlett Jr's record. Calling Bartlett Jr an "absentee mayor with practically no vision for the future or plan for today," Keating concludes, "We've given the mayor every opportunity to produce. He doesn't own the job. It's time for Dewey to return to Keener Oil."

Keating notes the lack of cranes in the air and the lack of serious economic development. Bartlett Jr's claim of 7,000 jobs created in the metro area over the last four years doesn't impress Keating:

That makes it 146 jobs per month. This column reported the state of Utah gaining 18,000 California jobs in just one month. Why? Because they worked on it and called in California. As the Utah governor's office reported they had "boots on the ground."

Keating is also upset with Bartlett Jr's absence from meetings of key public authorities on which Tulsa's mayor serves as an ex officio member, noting two authorities in particular, the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) and the Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy (TARE), which oversees Tulsa's trash system. An audit of EMSA by State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones turned up extravagant spending by the CEO and criticized the board for a lack of oversight.

Another out of control authority that Mayor Bartlett sits on is Tulsa's TARE Board. Tare is short for Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy. TARE as you may recall had worked itself out of a job, but since no bureaucracy ever lets itself simply vanish, the authority reworked Tulsa's trash collection system, borrowed millions of dollars and charged ahead. Competent trash haulers were fired and new pricing policies implemented. Most service billings doubled. Green waste required special tags and clear trash bags.

But, it was worth it. Right? Wrong.

The green waste recovery equipment never worked. So for a year, Mayor Bartlett's people postured, burned all the trash together and kept the money. The mayor's excuse was that he missed most of those board meetings.

Republicans who pay more attention to state and national politics than City Hall may be surprised, if not shocked, that a solid Republican like Dan Keating would endorse against the re-election of a Republican mayor. They may be tempted to dismiss Keating as a RINO. (Oddly, the same people seem unwilling to dismiss Bartlett Jr as a RINO for his 2009 endorsement of Taylor's re-election.)

It's an indication of Bartlett Jr's skill at burning bridges that many Republicans who pay close attention to what's happening at City Hall are unwilling to endorse him for re-election. Lawsuits against councilors, support for Vision2, gerrymandering, an apparent lack of interest and leadership in the important decisions made by the City's authorities, boards, and commissions have all served to alienate local GOP activists. Many of these Republicans would be willing to forgive him for being bumbling or naive, if those were the only problems, but there's a layer of nasty and vengeful on top of the bumbling and naivete that makes reconciliation impossible. When someone has put you in the position of having to hire an attorney and has never bothered to apologize, you're not going to lend your support to his reelection campaign.

As far as I am aware, no city councilor who has served during Bartlett Jr's term as mayor -- none of the nine that he mostly chased out of office, none of the nine who replaced them -- has endorsed him. The Fraternal Order of Police, which has endorsed Republicans and Democrats in the past, voted unanimously to endorse Taylor. Had Bartlett Jr and his team not burned so many bridges with his fellow Republicans, he would be a shoo-in for re-election.

I have to agree, that Bartlett basically stopped being mayoral the moment he got elected!  Sad but true. 

[patric]

Bruce Plante cracks me up.

The cartoon Plante did where the FOP shot themselves in the foot while trying to shoot a poster of Bartlett doesnt seem to be on the Whirled website anymore...

[swake]

So I see that Rick Santorum is here endorsing Dewey today. Pretty telling when you bring that nut job in to endorse you but as a sitting mayor you can't get ANY city councilors you've worked with to endorse you, from either party.

[Conan71]

So I see that Rick Santorum Scrotorum is here endorsing Dewey today. Pretty telling when you bring that nut job in to endorse you but as a sitting mayor you can't get ANY city councilors you've worked with to endorse you, from either party.

[Townsend]

So I see that Rick Santorum is here endorsing Dewey today. Pretty telling when you bring that nut job in to endorse you but as a sitting mayor you can't get ANY city councilors you've worked with to endorse you, from either party.

I think they're down to counting on the nut job vote.