District 4 - 2008 City Council Elections

[Conan71]

Maria has my support.  Interesting note: my next door neighbor is a teacher at K-W and apparently Maria is not popular w/ the faculty there.  They say she is not supportive of the school and does not think the school should be a focal point for the K-W area.

Beats the heck out of me- none of that made sense when it was told to me.  Anyone else hear such things?

[Steve]

All I know is that Ms. Barnes has done little for the preservation or support of the far eastern fringe of her district, my historic Lortondale neighborhood.  Come election day, I will vote for someone else.

[matlockjm]

Let me step into this blog debate on District 4 and hopefully put to rest a conceived notion that I am a Tulsa Chamber or Typros special interest candidate.

Although a proud member of several organizations in Tulsa(including young professionals groups), my loyalty does not lie with just one, but all of them.  You could easily classify me as a special interest candidate for OCCJ, the University of Tulsa, OK Business Ethics, Crossroads Church in Jenks, and other organizations that I dedicate time.

Being a constituent of Maria's for almost two years, I can verify her passivity.  Even when I decided to run for office and began working extremely hard to determine Maria's stance(s) on the issues, I had trouble getting in contact with Maria or discovering many community forums.  I have met with some of her colleagues who still do not know her stance(s).

Maria has done an excellent job being a neighborhood advocate and standing up for the residents of District 4.  I admire her for this.

However, there are many more important issues that need to be addressed.  Crime is one.  In homicide, assault, and rape stats, Tulsa is 2X the national average per capita.  Homicides have increased nearly 5% over the last few years and have increased during Maria's term as councilor.  Two of the highest crime rate areas (11th and Lewis and 11th and Peoria are in D4).

Yes, education comes down to the school board.  But city government has been silent when it comes to addressing our public education needs.  3rd-8th graders in TPS are scoring below the state average in reading and math.  I am not advocating city govt jump in and take over.  However, councilors need to work with state reps to increase funding for Tulsa schools, implement accountability procedures for educators, and reduce oversight with current funds. The city has a strong need for a successful public school system in that it leads directly to economic growth.  Large employers when looking to relocate look directly at the public education system before making their decision.

Oversight is another issue in itself.  Tulsa will be faced with several big-ticket items in the near future.  A $1.6 billion road/infrastructure plan, future Vision 2025 projects, a possible Tulsa Drillers relocation are just a few.  It is difficult to ask tax payers for more money without taking a hard look at our current budget and expenditures.  As a financial advisor, this is my area of expertise.  We have to efficiently manage what we have and reduce waste in order to propel Tulsa forward with imminent projects that are on the horizon.  With the way the state is set up on property tax collections, municipalities often struggle in collections and often rely heavily on sales tax.  Tulsa cannot afford to keep raising its sales tax rates and compete with surrounding cities.

In all, I appreciate everyone's comments and criticisms.  I find this a healthy way to debate the topics at hand and steer me to what is important to Tulsa. It is also a strong avenue to really look at what is on your minds and what I could do a better job at explaining my stance.

Warmest regards,

Jay Matlock

quote:Originally posted by Double A

Although I've had my problems with Maria, after taking stock of all the others in the field of candidates she is head and shoulders above all the rest.

Rocky Frisco is just another perennial joke candidate out for attention.

Eric Gomez is well on his way to becoming one. If you want to talk about invisible, he dropped off the scene and active involvement as soon as he lost to Baker.

Jay Matlock basically promises to do what Maria has already been doing. His educational initiatives are false promises, because he will not be able to accomplish any of those things as a Councilor. School Board member, yes. City Councilor, no. He's just pandering to a issue popular with voters, knowing full well he won't be able to deliver.

Matlock and Gomez are both special interest puppets for the Metro Chamber and the Realtors. That is where their true loyalties can be found.

[Conan71]

Jay,

Thank you for responding.  You really should hang around this forum a lot more if you wish to keep your ear to the ground when it comes to local politics.

The one question I have for you, with all due respect:

Your campaign sounds like anyone else who runs for office.  Check expenditures against revenues.  Old stuff.  What makes you different and what is inherent in your nature that will keep you from being sucked into the herd at City Hall?

Crime is pretty much a non-sequitor when you try to point at one councilor's term in office as a cause when there are eight other councilors seated.

I do wish you all the best, thanks for checking in here.

[MDepr2007]

Is there more than just 2 neighborhoods in D-4 that have received $millions just for their small area?
I realize there is more than her behind the millions spent downtown but I am sick of seeing millions being poured into the KW neighborhood.

Hows your neighborhood doing in D-4 ?

[TURobY]

I'm in Renaissance. I don't think we've gotten too much monetarily, but our neighborhood is doing fine.

[hoodlum]

I will be voting for Maria Barnes because she has been very involved in the neighborhoods of district 4.

As the president of the Lortondale neighborhood I have been invited to and attended several events dedicated to community and neighborhood issues including but not limited to the conservation district issue. Thanks to Maria Barnes I was able to attend a forum where the discussion of conservation districts and their appropriateness for lortondale have been discussed.

Maria Barnes has also been involved with both the Hoover Neighborhood association meetings in which Lortondale Neighborhood Association members have been in attendance and Mayo Meadow meetings which directly addressed the developments at the fair grounds in which Lortondale Neighborhood Association members were invited to and attended.

Steve, to say that Maria Barnes has done nothing for Lortondale is unfair and untrue.

[matlockjm]

Conan.
In response to your question, I encourage you to take a quick view of my website vs. my counterparts.  Although oversight is an "old hat" topic and crime cannot be blamed one a single councilor, take a look at who is planning on addressing these.  Maria's site only claims to have brought citizen's closer to police and fire.  Eric Gomez only points out that we have a dedicated police force.  Neither probably has considered Tulsa's crime statistics. (Site data as of 4:36PM on 2/21/08). I agree, we need more councilors focusing on crime.  

Neither candidate has publicly mentioned looking at the current budget for improvements.  This goes for their website as well as the three Republican (for Eric) "know your candidate meetings" this week and last.  This is one way in which I am very different.  I want to tackle these issues that are important to all Tulsan's head on by reducing waste and allocating appropriate funds to add the 200 police officers an independent study showed Tulsa needs.

Now onto other issues.  You will find that I am the most progressive of all five D4 candidates.  While reducing oversight is very key in my campaign, downtown development, river development, and economic stimuli are also important and a foundation of my campaign.  I believe most Tulsan's want river development.  We are just undecided on how to pay for it.  Development brings quality jobs, not just any job, to Tulsa., improves entertainment opportunities (quality of life), and spurs tourism growth which is an excellent source of city revenue outside of raising citizen taxes.

We need to supplement the arena.  Many will argue that the arena and a stadium for the Tulsa Drillers will not produce enough revenue to justify them. Well, too late to decide on the arena, but nonetheless, I believe the revenue generated from events plus patrons spending time before and after the events will generate more than enough revenue to sustain and justify their existence.

It takes sound investment in the city for Tulsa to prosper.  I speak of "all of Tulsa" because I am not just for D4.  Too many councilors and candidates are just for their voting district.  This is another area that makes me different.  The belief that if something benefits a part of Tulsa, it benefits all of Tulsa should be the cornerstone mindset of all candidates?  Most people would agree the Maria has chosen a particular section of Tulsa and put all of her focus on it.

Thank you for the follow up.

Jay

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Jay,

Thank you for responding.  You really should hang around this forum a lot more if you wish to keep your ear to the ground when it comes to local politics.

The one question I have for you, with all due respect:

Your campaign sounds like anyone else who runs for office.  Check expenditures against revenues.  Old stuff.  What makes you different and what is inherent in your nature that will keep you from being sucked into the herd at City Hall?

Crime is pretty much a non-sequitor when you try to point at one councilor's term in office as a cause when there are eight other councilors seated.

I do wish you all the best, thanks for checking in here.

[Conan71]

Jay,

Thanks for responding.  Still undecided, but I will say I appreciate you trying to keep an ear to the ground and actually show your face here.  Many of us who are regulars are aware there are a lot of lurkers in the Tulsa power base who never post here.

Even the local media keeps an eye on us for story fodder.

[Double A]

I think if you asked the Forrest Orchard neighborhood association about Maria's involvement in helping to reduce crime in the area they would tell a much different story than Mr. Matlock alleges. Maria holds regular community forums that are advertised, open to the public and even posted on this forum. Maybe if he paid a little bit closer attention to these things he might know this and not make accusations that are patently untrue. Whoever is coaching him in those TYPros government committee meetings doesn't know their a** from a hole in the ground.

[LongtimeTulsan]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

I have lived in the far eastern fringe of District 4 for 25 years.  (The dividing line to district 5 is just 8 houses east of me.)

I don't know what to think about Maria Barnes.  She has seemed to be an invisible member of the city council.  You never hear much mention of her unless the discussion is about the Kendall/Whittier neighborhood, of which she is the neighborhood association president.  My perception is that 99% of her focus is Kendall/Whittier, at the expense of the rest of District 4.  Other candidates have made this point about her tenure too.

I will probably be voting for someone else next time.  Her questionaire answers seemed just OK to me; I can't dispute any of her responses, but I think District 4 needs a more visible, vocal representative.

Maria Barnes is, quite frankly, the best advocate for residents and neighborhoods. I can hardly believe that you've not been aware of the many, many things she is involved in. She is the only councilor on the PlaniTulsa committee; she is concerned enough about neighborhood issues to bring conservation districts into the discussion of how residents can attempt to have a say on what is happening in our neighborhoods. Not only has she been extremely attentive and responsive to a variety of issues, she has a very large district with diverse needs and for one person she does an incredible job of being in multiple places at once. She clearly works in excess of what a part time salary of $18k would suggest. She isn't a real estate agent or a developer -- She cares about residents -- probably the only councilor who truly does.

We need to thoroughly examine the various connections city council appointees and council members have with the Home Builders Association.

[LongtimeTulsan]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

All I know is that Ms. Barnes has done little for the preservation or support of the far eastern fringe of her district, my historic Lortondale neighborhood.  Come election day, I will vote for someone else.

Just out of curiousity - how active is your neighborhood association? Far too often we think that the city isn't doing their job, when in reality we haven't been doing our job as citizens.

Furthermore -- Yes, the Kendall-Whittier area has had wonderful improvements. Couldn't be because the residents have been meeting in excess of ten years drawing up long term goals and then being proactive in asking for any monies available for city projects?

Just think what could be done if your neighborhood started working on goals.

Lortondale is a prime area for historic consideration. Promote yourself!

[akupetsky]

Steve,

I am curious what you expect Councilor Barnes to do.  Absent some clear, uniform indication that the neighborhood wants HP zoning, no councilor is likely to push for restrictive zoning on their constituents.  Have you contacted the TPC?  Have you contacted Councilor Barnes's office?  Have you talked to your neighbors about pushing for HP zoning?

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by akupetsky

Steve,

I am curious what you expect Councilor Barnes to do.  Absent some clear, uniform indication that the neighborhood wants HP zoning, no councilor is likely to push for restrictive zoning on their constituents.  Have you contacted the TPC?  Have you contacted Councilor Barnes's office?  Have you talked to your neighbors about pushing for HP zoning?

Yes, yes, and yes.

[Rocky Frisco]

quote:Originally posted by TURobY

From Mr. Frisco's responses, he sounds like he has no interest in actively improving District 4. If that is the case, then what purpose has he with running for council? Perhaps someone can elaborate more about the candidate...

What do you want to know? By the way, as a clairvoyant or mind reader, you suck. Which of my opponents are you working for?