Hey, BA! Vote Yourself a Tax Cut on August 11th!

On August 11th, Broken Arrow will be voting on a Bond Issue. Before I get into the details, let me pass on some words from Major Ken Yazel, Tulsa County Tax Assessor.

Here is what my call to anyone would be regarding this surprise ballot
issue:

Hello this is your Tulsa County Assessor
Ken Yazel. Calling to alert you to a very serious matter.

The County I serve is the highest taxed county in the state of Oklahoma. The city of Broken Arrow is the highest taxed City!

While most of us were vacationing this summer, the local leaders have put forth a ballot issue to raise our taxes even higher.

Higher taxes should not be a part of any plan for our future!

Please join in voting NO on Tuesday August 11th. You must voice your opinion at the ballot box to stop these high taxes.

Hope you agree.

Very Respectfully,
Major Ken

Ok, with that said, here is what is at issue on August 18th:

• $8 million to convert the existing military armory at Kenosha Street and Lynn Lane Road into a public safety complex to serve as headquarters for the police and fire departments and an emergency operations center. (What’s wrong with our current HQ? Is the City of Broken Arrow trying to pull a Kathy Taylor, and just move because they want to?)

• calls for an $8 million expenditure to add a second story and equip a long-discussed conference center that will sit next to a privately funded hotel in the StoneWood Hills development. (Why should we spend PUBLIC MONEY, on a PRIVATE BUSINESS? Instead, give the business an incentive to move here through tax incentives!)

• seeks voter approval to use $140,000 OK’d in 1993 to provide loans for business owners wishing to renovate facades of businesses along Main Street between College and Memphis streets. Wooden said some loans were made, but none have been requested in recent years, leading the city to propose a broader economic develop use for the funds within the entire downtown area. (If the money is no longer needed, give it back to the citizens of Broken Arrow!)

• involves a shifting of five street improvement projects approved in 2004

They include:

• Olive from Kenosha to Houston – two lane with turn lanes only; full curb
and guttering; open drainage.

• Olive from Houston to Washington – two lane with turn lanes only; full curb
and guttering; open drainage.

• New Orleans from Ninth St. to 23rd St. – three lane the entire length; curb
and guttering on arterial intersections only; open drainage.

• Washington from Main to Ninth St. – three lane to east end of Arrowhead
Parking lot; full curb and guttering; open drainage.

• Ninth St. from Albany to Omaha – four lane, except five lanes at arterials
and Juneau; curb and guttering on arterial and Juneau intersections only; open
drainage.

(Let’s complete the projects we voted on last time, instead of moving them because the City can’t get landowners to sell their frontage at an absurdly low rate!)

Polls open at 7 a.m. Monday. See this week’s Broken Arrow Ledger for a complete list of polling places and copies of the ballots that will be used.

VOTE NO ON ALL 4 ISSUES!!!

The Grassroots vs. the GrassTops

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Former Tulsa City Councilman, and Local Talk Radio Show Host, Chris Medlock, has decided to run for Mayor of Tulsa, again. After a hard fought, and remarkably close campaign against incumbent, and MidTown “old Family Money” guy, Bill LaFortune, in the last Mayor’s race, Chris Medlock parlayed his success into a morning Talk show on KFAQ 1170, and became an almost “instant hit” with the “Q” Nation. Chris’ populist, yet ultra-conservative, viewpoint, struck a chord with many Tulsans. Now, armed with a better understanding of what it takes to win a Mayor’s race, and much wider name recognition, Medlock is back for another go ’round.

When Mayor Kathy Taylor announced that she was not seeking a second term, it through the race WIDE OPEN, and names started popping up all over the place. Democrat State Senator Tom Adelson, former City Councilor Dewey Bartlett, Jr. and 28 yr old entrepreneur Clay Clark were the initial 3 entrants. On July 4th, at the OKforTea Party, with Clay Clark emceeing, Chris Medlock unofficially announced that he was in. Later that week he made the announcement official with a Press Conference at the Tulsa Press Club. Within days, Clay Clark dropped his campaign and endorsed Medlock, saying

“After talking with our supporters and directly to Chris, it has become apparent that Chris and I agree on nearly all the major issues facing Tulsa. I believe that running against Chris would split the truly conservative vote, which would lead to the Mayor Taylor supporting candidate (Mr. Bartlett) being elected, and that would be like voting for Kathy Taylor Part 2.”

Clark had been vocal in his stances against Kathy Taylor’s running of Tulsa. When Bartlett came out and endorsed her, without knowing any of the Republican candidates for mayor, and then jumped into the race as soon as she was out, Clark issued a statement calling for Bartlett to “change parties, and run as a Democrat”.

Now, after the filing period of July 13th-15th has passed, we have a total of 19 candidates. 11 Republicans, 5 Democrats, and 3 Independents. On the Republican side we have, Anna Falling, David O’Connor, Paul Roales, Michael Tomes, Norris Streetman, Kevin Boggs, John Todd, Nathaniel Booth and Michael Rush. On the Democratic side, we have Robert Gwin Jr., Paul Tay, A. Burns and Prophet Kelly Lamar Clark. And our 3 Independents are Mark Perkins, Cleon Burrell and Lawrence Kirkpatrick.

But, we REALLY still only have 3 candidates, Chris Medlock, the Conservative Republican from South Tulsa, Dewey Bartlett, Jr., the Mid Town RINO (Republican In Name Only) who endorsed the Ultra-Liberal Kathy Taylor, and State Senator Tom Adelson, a typical “tax & spend” Democrat, and another of the Mid Town old money “good ol’ boys club” members, like LaFortune, Taylor, and Bartlett. Not that Party affiliation really matters in Tulsa. Like Chris Medlock said in his Interview with the UrbanTulsa Weekly,

“There are two parties in this town, but they’re not Republican and Democrat,” he said. “You really do have sort of the grassroots and the grasstops in this town.”

Well, as far as I am concerned, Chris Medlock is the choice of the GrassRoots! No more being ruled by the “grasstops” Mid Town minority! If you live in Tulsa, VOTE CHRIS MEDLOCK! If you live in the surrounding areas, this still affects you, tell all of your friends & family that live in Tulsa to VOTE FOR MEDLOCK.

Businesses Suing the City ofTulsa Over Arbitrary, and Unfair Taxation

More Join Lawsuit To Stop Ballpark Assessment Fees|NewsChannel 8

The City of Tulsa has decided that ANY business in the Downtown Assessment Area is going receive extra benefits from having the new Ballpark near them, so it’s only fair that they should all have to pay more taxes for it. A LOT MORE TAXES!

William Tabler of Chromium, a chrome plating business, has seen his assessment go from a couple of hundred dollars, to more than 12 THOUSAND DOLLARS! That’s basically like forcing them to make a contribution to the park, and yet receive ZERO benefit. Ballpark attendees are not going to stop in to get a little chrome work done, on the way to the game. SERIOUSLY, where is the “benefit” to Mr. Tabler’s business? Why should he have to foot the bill for the rest of the City?

William Tabler’s story is not unique. In fact, seventeen other businesses in the Downtown Area, have filed a Class-Action lawsuit against the city over it, claiming the “Assessment Zoning” is unfair. The lawsuit includes an injunction to prevent the collection of the assessments.

If the lawsuit is successful, there is still enough money to build the Ballpark, but the other developments slated to be built on property surrounding the Ballpark, will have to be funded in another way.

Let me say that again…

If the lawsuit is successful, there is still enough money to build the Ballpark, but the other developments slated to be built on property surrounding the Ballpark, will have to be funded in another way.

So, the assessment isn’t REALLY for the Ballpark? It’s to pay for the development of new businesses, and improvement on privately owned properties?!?! Stop me if I’m wrong here, but doesn’t that strike anyone else as WRONG? Why are our tax dollars going to fund someone else’s business? I’d like to know who the business owners are, that are benefiting from this, wouldn’t you?

This seems really fishy to me.

What I do know, is this. If I want to build a building for my business, not only will I not get it paid for by the City, but they will make me jump through 9 kinds of red tape, and pay exorbitant “zoning fees”. So, why is the City, which is already several million dollars in the red, using tax dollars to pay for improvements for private businesses? The City Budget had to be cut in numerous areas this year, and we still don’t have the 200 more cops on the street that were promised, but Tulsa can afford a new 86 million dollar City Hall building, a 178 million dollar Duct Tape Arena (BOK Center), and another 60 million dollars to build a new Ballpark, and develop the area around it?

Someone is making a LOT OF MONEY at the expense of the City of Tulsa, and the taxpayers. Don’t be surprised when the final investigation turns up fraud and corruption on the level of Chicago and New York organized crime.

Mark my words.

Newcomer Clay Clark Polling Well

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Since Kathy Taylor‘s announcement that she would not seek a second term as Tulsa‘s Mayor, the local Talk Radio stations have been running online polls, asking the question

“Who Would You Like to See as Tulsa’s Next Mayor”

On KRMG, the Polling results show Chris Medlock out front, with 23% and several other names showing strongly, including Newcomer Clay Clark in 2nd with 14%, former Mayor Bill LaFortune with 14%, and City Counll Councilor Bill Christiansen with 12%.

On KFAQ, the Poll has Medlock leading, as well, with 38%, and Clay Clark in 2nd again, with 28%. Christiansen has 11%, and noone else has more than 5%.

Considering the major advantage in name recognition that all of the other candidates have, this is a really good starting point! With these kinds of numbers this early, Clay has to be considered a serious contender, and the “powers that be” have to be getting nervous!!

Kathy Taylor’s Decision Creates "Wild West" in the GOP

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Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor‘s decision not to seek re-election, has suddenly changed the race for the GOP nomination. Taylor, though unpopular with many Tulsans, was seen as unbeatable, prior to this surprising announcement. Last week, it looked like no one from within the GOP wanted challenge her, and her “Million Dollar War Chest”. Now, with her out of the race, it looks like every, “I’m retired from politics“, “my wife couldn’t put up with another run”, I’m happy where I am” Republican inside the city limits, is suddenly chomping at the bit, to be Mayor!

City Councilor Bill Christiansen said “I’m strongly considering it and very likely to run for mayor.”

“I’ve been interested,” said Jim Williamson, a Republican and former state senator. “I wasn’t going to run against (Taylor), but I may look at it now.”

Republicans who were reticent to challenge Taylor, now seem almost eager to throw their hats into the ring. Besides Christiansen and Williamson, City Councilors G.T. Bynum, Rick Westcott and Bill Martinson and former City Councilors Dewey Bartlett Jr. and Chris Medlock all say they will at least consider the race. Even former City Councilor Susan Neal and former Mayor Bill LaFortune are more cautious but didn’t rule out campaigns.

Bynum said he is being encouraged to run by a number of people throughout the community, which has him looking at the possibility.

Westcott said he’s always done what he believes is in the best interest of Tulsa.

“The determining factor for me on this race is whether it is best for the city that I continue to serve as a councilor or mayor,” he said. “I haven’t yet figured that out.”

Martinson said he isn’t ruling out a bid for the seat, but for now is focusing on getting a city budget approved.

Medlock, an unsuccessful mayoral candidate in 2006, said he owes it to his supporters to consider the race.

“My phone has been ringing off the hook the last 24 hours,” he said. “I’ve had Facebook messages. I’ve had people asking me for yard signs. Out of respect for those people, I have to at least give it consideration.”

And then there is the man who has the Courage of His Convictions, and had already announced he was running, and was willing to take on Taylor’s Big Money backers, Clay Clark.
Clark is a newcomer to the Tulsa political scene, and has been quickly gaining support amongst the “grassroots” and Tea Party crowds, with his message of “Smaller Government = Bigger Wallets” and “The Fight Against Socialism Starts in Tulsa” message. Clark is a two-time SBA Entrepeneur of the Year, due to his work in founding and running Tulsa’s DJ Connections. Clark’s message of common sense and Conservative Values, resonates with the same people who stand strong on Constitutional Principles, and the Christian Values, that our Nation was founded on.

His critics, and opponents, will point to his lack of experience in public office. But look around at the candidates running against him, do we really want more of the same, from the same old candidates? I say it’s time for more Clay Clarks to stand up, and run for major office. Who says you have to start in a low-level post, and work your way through it? That may be the accepted method, but the accepted method is very obviously BROKEN! What we do NOT need is more career politicians, looking for the next step up the ladder of politics.

Only two of these candidates have shown ANY support for the Tulsa Tea Party Movement, Chris Medlock, who spoke at the Tax Day Tea Party, and attended the first Tea Party on Feb 27, 2009, and Clay Clark, who attended the Tax Day Tea Party, and was inspired by that event to declare himself in for the Tulsa Mayoral Race, and will speak at the Flag Day Rally ‘Round The Flag Tea Party on June 13th, 2009.

We can win this, and show all of the established politicians that we mean business! As of the writing of this Blog, Chris Medlock was leading in all three polls, with Clay Clark 2nd in 2 out of 3, and City Councilman Bill Christiansen garenering the 3rd most votes. Conservative politics have the lead, and Tulsa would be well served by either Medlock, or Clark. However, my pick for the GOP nomination is Clay Clark, because he will bring a new, fresh perspective to running Tulsa!

It’s time that “We the People” became part of the process again, instead of just sitting on the sidelines, and watching the same group of people make the decisions for us! Get out there and VOTE FOR CLAY CLARK! Starting today in the surveys and polls placed on http://www.krmg.com and http://www.1170kfaq.com/patcampbell and on this page. Then at the primaries in September, and the Election in November!

DO YOU HAVE THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS?

Clay Clark Does.
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