Hope he’s prepared for some serious questioning about his public service career

Community Voices, Events, Politics , , No Comments

Verbatim press release:

Councilman Kelly to host Ward 7 community meeting

Ward 7 Councilman Skip Kelly invites residents to attend a community meeting at 6 p.m. on January 31 in the Springlake Metro Tech auditorium, 1900 Springlake Drive.

The councilman will discuss issues significant to Ward 7 including the relocation of the Martin Luther King, Jr., post office, economic development, public safety, code enforcement, traffic issues and infrastructure improvements.

“This is a great way for residents to learn about what’s happening in Ward 7,” Councilman Kelly said. “Participants can get firsthand information and ask questions about the City services that impact them most,”

Representatives from Public Works, Police, Planning, Development Services and the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City will be on hand to answer questions.

Ward 7 covers much of northeast Oklahoma City, from NW 192nd south to SE 44 north and from Broadway Extension to Peebly Road.

For more information call 297-3884.

Who Runs Oklahoma City?

Oklahoma Politics, Politics , , , , , , , , , No Comments

     On April 26, the Oklahoma City Council will vote on whether to give a huge amount of power to a newly formed "nonprofit corporation" called "Alliance for Economic Development".  This measure, if passed, will eviscerate the OKC City Council, and put another layer of secrecy between the people of OKC and the billionaires who control our future as a city.

     This alliance, made up primarily of white, male elitists, purports to be a "social welfare organization", but looks at first glance more like a "corporate welfare organization".

     In an article in the Oklahoma Gazette entitled Strategic Alliance (http://okgazette.com/oklahoma/article-11444-strategic-alliance.html), Catherine O’Connor (an employee of OKC) stated:

"The effort is simply institutionalizing the city’s current practices and brings structure to an ad hoc approach given to complex issues."

     Ms. O'Connor is correct, for once.  A small group of white, male elitists has run Oklahoma City from behind the scenes for generations.  Now that the voters of OKC have elected Councilman Ed Shadid ( who cannot be bought or intimidated, and will shine the light of day on what happens behind closed doors), the fat cats are trying to legitimize what they have been doing under the table for decades:  making all the important decisions about how our tax revenues will be spent (usually for their own benefit), and leaving for the City Council the mundane issues like water and garbage, and the crumbs that fall from their table.

     This is just another of dozens of games the Gaylords and their elitist friends always have played, designed to assure that they get their cut of the OKC tax revenues off the top. 

     The members of the Alliance for Economic Development include Clay Bennett (who married into the billionaire Gaylord family), Larry Nichols (oil executive), Roy Williams (Greater OKC Chamber), and Ron Norick (former mayor).  Every one of these guys is a bloodsucker who has a clear conflict of interest.

     According to the Oklahoma Gazette, Larry Nichols' Devon Energy ignored calls from the newspaper last Friday.  Devon Energy is sucking our tax coffers dry, and participating in a scheme to avoid transparency.  Their spokesman, Chip Minty, avoided talking to the media.  Not even he can talk himself out of this one. 

     Jim Couch and Catherine O'Connor "serve" on this board, but as employees of OKC, they know that they will be summarily fired if they ever breathe a word of disagreement with anything the kingpins want to do.

     Pat Ryan and Meg Salyer also serve on the board, but they owe their jobs to these fat cats, so they are in no position to complain.  Ryan and Salyer know about all the dirty, under-handed schemes these fat cats have played over the years.  They are too weak to stand up for the taxpayers who voted them into office.

     So what is the point of having a OKC City Council, if it relinquishes all its power to a small group of rich, white males?  OKC City Council is a charade, it has always been a charade, and it will be an absurd pretense intended to create a pleasant/respectable appearance until we, the people, demand transparency and start treating these fat cats like the thieves they are.  They have stolen our tax revenues for decades, and now they want us to sanction their actions.

     It is encouraging to note that Councilman Ed Shadid has asked that a member of the Oklahoma Legislature request an Attorney General's opinion regarding the legality of the above.

    These fat cats believe that we, the people, are beneath them.  Jim Couch, Catherine O'Connor, Pat Ryan, Meg Salyer, and Mick Cornett are merely puppets on their stage.  The election of Shadid has given the people of OKC encouragement to stand up and fight for the honorable government we deserve.

    In the meantime, I will continue to call this group of elitists "The Alliance for Economic Deception".

 

Fannie Bates is a resident of Oklahoma City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


This is an excerpt of an article originally published by Oklahoma Citizen.

Citizens React to OKC’s Proposal to Fund "Alliance for Economic Development"

Oklahoma Politics, Politics , , , , , No Comments

Oklahoma City's City Council will vote on Tuesday, April 26, on whether to give over $400,000 of our tax revenues to a small group called the Alliance for Economic Development (made up primarily of rich, white males), who will then use the money as they see fit, with little transparency or oversight.  Fannie Bates calls them the Alliance for Economic Deception and believes that these men will use the money to buy propaganda to trick the residents of OKC into paying for a $50 million hotel in downtown OKC.

Here is a response from Ah An Black:

There are large body of evidences that politics are more proud of the beautification of the buildings than the people who visit those buildings. For example - $50 million hotel downtown (to go with the new convention ...center)?

The present tax payer’s budget disparity and health care crisis is not just related to where the OKC City Council is spending our money; it is a crisis related to what is happening in our society. At this point Oklahoma spends more on health care to support the illness industry (buildings) than it does on quality food.

Can we say NO? Before we talk about renovation of downtown, however, let’s talk about the current state of health care system in Oklahoma. Let us begin by asking a seemingly naive question: What’s wrong with spending those funds on Free Clinics or Community Health Centers?

Approximately 1 in 5 persons is uninsured. The majorities of these individuals is 19-64 years of age and are working, but their employment does not include health insurance. Being uninsured is a huge barrier to accessing the health services needed to be healthy. Lack of access to quality health care impacts more than the uninsured individual – it impacts individuals, families, employers, and the community.

Who cares about a new convention center in a city where its people's health is falling apart? Who cares about OKC City Council where actual delivery both of insurance and of care is undertaken by a crazy quilt of private insurers, for-profit hospitals, and other players who add cost without adding value?

So what do you think?  Do would you trust Clay Bennett and Ron Norick with $400,000 of your money?  Your comments are welcome.

Ah An Black is a resident of Oklahoma City.  Fannie Bates is a Contributing Editor of Oklahoma Citizen, and is also a resident of Oklahoma City.


This is an excerpt of an article originally published by Oklahoma Citizen.

Media & OKC Council Are Irresponsible re: Tornado Threat

Oklahoma Politics, Politics , , , , , No Comments

The local media and the City of Oklahoma City are irresponsible about educating the public about the threat of tornados. We are in the heart of Tornado Alley, and these entities are looking the other way.

Oklahoma City has several nice shelters we could go to when a tornado is coming, but they are not properly marked, and there are no signs telling one how to get to the nearest shelter. Hundreds of people could easily die in Oklahoma City, half a block from a shelter.

The media tells us to go to an inner room on the first floor. If you receive a direct hit from a tornado, you will be killed in your inner room. They neglected to tell you that part.

In contrast, when I lived in the Bay Area, there was a serious attempt by the media to educate the public about earthquakes, and by the City, to protect its residents as best it could.

I am sure that the City of OKC has made the "legal decision" that they do not want to get involved in protecting the public from tornadoes, because they are afraid they will get sued if they try and somebody dies anyway. Hogwash.

- Fannie Bates is a resident of Oklahoma City.


This is an excerpt of an article originally published by Oklahoma Citizen.

Does Anthony Shadid Deserve the Keys to Oklahoma City?

Politics, The Press , , , , , , No Comments

Anthony Shadid, Pulitizer Prize-winning journalist, was born and raised in Oklahoma City.  The world has watched breathlessly for six long days, after Shadid and three other journalists were captured by forces loyal to Gaddafi at a checkpoint in Libya.  Mr. Shadid was handcuffed and blindfolded, hit in the head with the butt of a gun, and repeatedly beaten.

Shadid, who is the New York Times' Beirut bureau chief, has risked his life repeatedly so that we can know what is going on in the Mideast.

His large extended family here in Oklahoma, along with thousands of other Okies, are breathing a sigh of relief now that he has been released and is back on friendly ground.

Shadid will be coming home in a few days to see his parents and his many other relatives, including Dr. Ed Shadid, who is currently running for the OKC City Council.

Anthony Shadid is a national hero and an internationally acclaimed journalist.  It seems only fitting that he should receive a red-carpet welcome when he arrives back in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Ed Shadid is running against Charlie Swinton, a banking lobbyist who identifies closely with OKC Mayor Mick Cornett. The question is whether Mayor Cornett and the Oklahoma City Council have the dignity and intestinal fortitude to put their petty partisan political preferences aside long enough to give this hero the welcome he deserves.


This is an excerpt of an article originally published by Oklahoma Citizen.