Countdown to The State of the City Speech.

[Rico]

Looking through a few notes today... It's almost that time again....!

Yes... when the Mayor of the City of Tulsa gives the State of the City speech to summarize the accomplishments of the current City Government.


Boy what a difference a year can make.

Well let's say almost everything will be somewhat changed.

The "State of the City" speech will once again not be given to the citizens of Tulsa.

It will ,instead, be delivered to the citizens of Tulsa that are a part of the Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Or.... if you would like to fork out the $20. or $30. dollars to witness this public event.

You too can have Lunch at the Tulsa Press Club... Someone said.."they have special peanut gallery style seating for Chamber non-members."
They have also installed a special "Blue-Tooth" capable speaker sytem so you do not miss a word...

Sounds Great...!

The Chamber encourages all persons that have driven more than 5 miles and had more than one drink of alcohol to get a Hotel or Motel room for the night.  Yes.... They really care that much about all the people in the Suburban communities....

Now back to some of the things that I feel Mayor Taylor will have to touch upon....or the speech just wouldn't be complete.



1. We have gone from a Police Department that had a Chief... to a frenzied nationwide search.... that so far has given us a fellow that made tracks before he had to qualify as a Cop in Oklahoma....To a fellow that was Chief of Police in Tulsa and in the short time he has been back successfully placed an inference of impropriety on the circumstances upon which he left.

(this has also pissed off two City Councilors and a lot of other folks)

What an impact in such a short period of time..
We are sure to see the same results in the City crime rate!

2. We have gone from a City Hall.... to a City Hall "For Sale".... To possibly not being able to come up with the funds to close on a "New City Hall."

Heck.. maybe that pesky "housing bubble" has really affected us all.

3............?

Tell you what...
I'm going to stop right here and let the Citizens (whether they be Chamber members or non Chamber members and regardless of whether they are using "Blue-Tooth" enabled devices) finish this long list of things you would like to hear about from the Mayor of Tulsa at the State of the City Speech.

Whether you actually get to hear the speech or not.

[Double A]

I'd like to hear her announce that she has decided to resign effective immeadiately. Dream on, right?

[Rico]

For her sake I hope she can find a way out of this short of losing face...and her reputation.

It would go one step further to increase, the distrust and promote the fear of the Political Machine here in Tulsa.

One of my very good friends is from St Louis..

He has traveled and lived in many City... Chicago, New York, etc.

He is amazed at the level of, let's say, questionable practices carried out by the City of Tulsa.

The most amazing thing I have heard about the Palmer fiasco came right out of Madame Mayor's mouth...

"give him a chance to lead"   I think she meant to say.... Second chance.

If we are going to do that... and lightning may strike me for writing this....

Let's give LaFortune and Company a second chance.

[Rico]

Boy did I get some of the info wrong on this one....

Seems the stage has been moved a bit South..

The cost has gone a bit North....

The good news many will not have nearly as far to travel for a Hotel room...The following from the Chamber's Event list.



Mayor's State of the City Address 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM

Price
Member   Non-Member   
$40.00   $50.00   
Member Registration   Non-Member Registration

Online registration open until 10/2/2007

Event Description
Presented by: Cox Communications; EDS; SemGroup; Spirit AeroSystems
Hosted by: DoubleTree Hotel at Warren Place
Legislative Benefactors: AT&T, SemGroup, Cox Communications, Williams
Gold sponsors: American Airlines, Greater Tulsa Reporter Newspaper, KRMG News Talk 740, KTUL-TV, MidFirst Bank, ONEOK, Inc., QuikTrip Corp., Saint Francis Health System

Location
DoubleTree Hotel at Warren Place
6110 S. Yale
Tulsa OK 74136
Map to Event

Contact Us

[waterboy]

I know I wasn't invited to the President's state of the union (they must have misplaced my hefty contribution). And I must have misplaced my invite to the governor's state of the union. But both of those were in public venues and televised.

Why is the chamber even involved with this? This should be telecast from a public facility with local media invited to cover it. If they don't cover it then they may answer to their public. I see no reason to be lining up sponsors to underwrite a public event of this type. Rent Skelly stadium, invite the media, sell concessions to offset the costs and make it free to the public. Set up a small space in the end zone for COC members.

[Double A]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

I know I wasn't invited to the President's state of the union (they must have misplaced my hefty contribution). And I must have misplaced my invite to the governor's state of the union. But both of those were in public venues and televised.

Why is the chamber even involved with this? This should be telecast from a public facility with local media invited to cover it. If they don't cover it then they may answer to their public. I see no reason to be lining up sponsors to underwrite a public event of this type. Rent Skelly stadium, invite the media, sell concessions to offset the costs and make it free to the public. Set up a small space in the end zone for COC members.

                                         That's not her style. It wouldn't be of, by, and for the private special interest, regionalism elitists, now would it?

[RecycleMichael]

There is no official requirement that the Mayor give an annual speech regarding the state of the city.

The Chamber always asked whoever is Mayor to be the speaker at one of their many events. They sell it and keep the money. They are totally in charge, in fact, they even limit the Mayor as to how many of her staff can attend with her.

Their is nothing sinister here. The Mayors usually like the chance to give a speech to a big, important crowd, the chamber gets their members to all hang out and do business with each other, the hotel makes a ton of contacts and the cable station usually runs the video of the speech dozens of times.

It is just a speech...you guys make it sound like it is a conspriracy where all the rich people get special decoder rings.

[RuralDweller]

It is just a speech...you guys make it sound like it is a conspriracy where all the rich people get special decoder rings.

I think a lot of what's coming thru in a variety of posts these days, not only on this, but other forums as well, is people resposnding who are fed up to the hilt with corruption, special interests, lack of responce to the constituancy, etc.  

It seems no matter what the voters do, we can't get the streets fixed, can't garner a new employer who pays anything much better than minimum wage, etc.  Unfortunately, this pattern continues year after year after year, etc.  

There's nothing wrong with river projects, new city halls, civic centers, etc.  Most of the gripes that come forward these days boil down to basics; people want the streets fixed, they want crime addressed, and they want the opportunity to find viable, livable employment first.  River projects, civic centers, & new city halls come after that.  

Most of our politicians these days want to address flash & glitz first; basics become secondary goals, if indeed they're goals at all.  

Just my opinion; guaranteed to be worth every dime not being paid for it!

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

There is no official requirement that the Mayor give an annual speech regarding the state of the city.

The Chamber always asked whoever is Mayor to be the speaker at one of their many events. They sell it and keep the money. They are totally in charge, in fact, they even limit the Mayor as to how many of her staff can attend with her.

Their is nothing sinister here. The Mayors usually like the chance to give a speech to a big, important crowd, the chamber gets their members to all hang out and do business with each other, the hotel makes a ton of contacts and the cable station usually runs the video of the speech dozens of times.

It is just a speech...you guys make it sound like it is a conspriracy where all the rich people get special decoder rings.

Oh, but what an opportunity she has to show she's not just "their" mayor.

[Double A]

Their river. Their Mayor.

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

There is no official requirement that the Mayor give an annual speech regarding the state of the city.

The Chamber always asked whoever is Mayor to be the speaker at one of their many events. They sell it and keep the money. They are totally in charge, in fact, they even limit the Mayor as to how many of her staff can attend with her.

Their is nothing sinister here. The Mayors usually like the chance to give a speech to a big, important crowd, the chamber gets their members to all hang out and do business with each other, the hotel makes a ton of contacts and the cable station usually runs the video of the speech dozens of times.

It is just a speech...you guys make it sound like it is a conspriracy where all the rich people get special decoder rings.

Well RM..... As you have so directly put the point..."They are in charge..."

Marvelous simply marvelous....! So for the day of October 4th Mayor Taylor will be the private fund raising puppet for the Metro Chamber...

Nothing about that should raise questions from anyone.

I'm really trying to understand all of the implications of your post.

We already give the Metro Chamber around 3 Million or more a year. They are described on the City Web site as the "Economic Development" arm of the City.

We have many appointed individuals... (some names on this list have very close ties to this organization) (Tulsa Now)sssshhhh...! That are currently serving on what is called the Economic Development Team for the City of Tulsa. Isn't that somewhat redundant.

Well that aside back to the 3 Million or more given to the Metro Chamber for "Economic Development". I guess the once a year "State of the City" Metro Chamber in charge fund raiser is just thrown in as a gratuity..?

I'm sure that some day you will even be able to see a copy of the accountability standards set for the Metro Chamber.
well so much for the "MC" RM.......


Let's get back to some of the more glamorous points that will be made at this "private function".

3. May possibly be the heart warming story of two Mayoral adversaries that are now on a common mission. That less than 1/2 a penny that is going to be the economic stimuli to solve all the problems of "a sales tax based economic stream".
 

4. Then there would have to be an announcement regarding the massive accomplishment in finding Seay Development...
"It isn't perfect" but the Mayor and Don Himelfarb have said that they really can't do anything about a big box Downtown unless WalMart wants a TIF. (tax break)

Why the heck did this same individual tout herself as such a savvy business woman during her campaign?
You mean to say that the Mayor and her team can't get on a jet and fly to Bentonville and demand to meet with the CEO of WalMart?
There are many ways that a Corporation such as
WalMart can be dealt with other than a "Zoning Code."
Why the hell can't this City get the picture that Developers need what Tulsa has...
And right now Tulsa is the girl being passed around at a party... Squeeze her hard enough and out pops a TIF.

-

[RecycleMichael]

Where was the outrage when the previous Mayors did this same type of speech?

I understand that you don't like the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce. You are not alone in that opinion.

But they do put on some fine events and they get Mayors to speak. I am sure that many of the Chamber members are looking forward to what the current Mayor says on many of the topics that you have brought up, including downtown Wal-Mart, moving city hall to a new building, etc.

I look forward to hearing the Mayor because there is so much going on this year. I don't normally pay that much for lunch, but if you want to go Rico, I will pay for a ticket and we could sit together.

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

Where was the outrage when the previous Mayors did this same type of speech?

I understand that you don't like the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce. You are not alone in that opinion.

But they do put on some fine events and they get Mayors to speak. I am sure that many of the Chamber members are looking forward to what the current Mayor says on many of the topics that you have brought up, including downtown Wal-Mart, moving city hall to a new building, etc.

I look forward to hearing the Mayor because there is so much going on this year. I don't normally pay that much for lunch, but if you want to go Rico, I will pay for a ticket and we could sit together.

There was not so much of an "outrage" until the Bill Lafortune era....
That is when I discovered that the City of Tulsa has been supplying the Metro Chamber with this sort of money and requiring....from any info I have seen... Not much in the way of accountability..

To add to that... If there is a formal agreement between the City of Tulsa and the Metro Chamber that would be called a contract......

Ever seen one? How often is it re-negotiated?
Does Paul Stryzek check on whether the criteria for payment are met?

We require every portion of our Government to give us the facts on how our "tax dollars" are spent. This appears to be a "Budget item" that just has the vague description of "Economic Development" penciled in next to it..
Sounds kinda like a slush fund eh...?

You want the reality of the "outrage"...
Mayor Taylor herself.... told me that when she was elected there would not be a "State of the City Speech" given exclusively to the Metro Chain Gang.

"If I have to rent an auditorium, all citizens of Tulsa will be able to hear my speech."

I let this pass until I find out that we have a $Bill$ from a search firm to find another never before realized candidate for Chief of Police..

Yep, just like having Daryl Gates back in LA... Never before realized...Yep.

With one Rodney King type of incident and the possibility of the lawsuit going in the TPD direction... We may be in for one heck of a ride.

Thanks for the invite RM.... But Mister Neal and company can dine on their rubber chickens without my involvement.

[MH2010]

quote:Originally posted by Rico

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

Where was the outrage when the previous Mayors did this same type of speech?

I understand that you don't like the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce. You are not alone in that opinion.

But they do put on some fine events and they get Mayors to speak. I am sure that many of the Chamber members are looking forward to what the current Mayor says on many of the topics that you have brought up, including downtown Wal-Mart, moving city hall to a new building, etc.

I look forward to hearing the Mayor because there is so much going on this year. I don't normally pay that much for lunch, but if you want to go Rico, I will pay for a ticket and we could sit together.

There was not so much of an "outrage" until the Bill Lafortune era....
That is when I discovered that the City of Tulsa has been supplying the Metro Chamber with this sort of money and requiring....from any info I have seen... Not much in the way of accountability..

To add to that... If there is a formal agreement between the City of Tulsa and the Metro Chamber that would be called a contract......

Ever seen one? How often is it re-negotiated?
Does Paul Stryzek check on whether the criteria for payment are met?

We require every portion of our Government to give us the facts on how our "tax dollars" are spent. This appears to be a "Budget item" that just has the vague description of "Economic Development" penciled in next to it..
Sounds kinda like a slush fund eh...?

You want the reality of the "outrage"...
Mayor Taylor herself.... told me that when she was elected there would not be a "State of the City Speech" given exclusively to the Metro Chain Gang.

"If I have to rent an auditorium, all citizens of Tulsa will be able to hear my speech."

I let this pass until I find out that we have a $Bill$ from a search firm to find another never before realized candidate for Chief of Police..

Yep, just like having Daryl Gates back in LA... Never before realized...Yep.

With one Rodney King type of incident and the possibility of the lawsuit going in the TPD direction... We may be in for one heck of a ride.

Thanks for the invite RM.... But Mister Neal and company can dine on their rubber chickens without my involvement.

I don't understand.  Are you saying there was a Rodney King type incident or if there is one?

[Rico]

^

Sorry MH. I guess I was not that clear.

If there were a Rodney King type of incident.

And in no way am I saying that the TPD is predisposed to that sort of behavior.


Just looking at the situation on the surface... I wonder... had Chief Palmer been black and the lawsuit been filed by white officers what the reaction would be within the white community...?