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Tulsa mayor, others meet with President-Elect Barack Obama in Chicago
Bipartisan support to help cities was promised today by President-elect Barack Obama to mayors of 14 of the nation’s cities, including Kathy Taylor of Tulsa, as they met in Chicago.
Taylor, other mayors and members of the advisory council of the U.S. Council of Mayors said Obama assured them that “we would have the ear” of his administration, Taylor said.
Obama noted the challenges he is facing in urban policy and reinforced his earlier statements that he “wanted to work with us,” Taylor said.
Obama also said he wanted a better relationship between local governments and federal authorities on urban needs.
Taylor said she would like federal assistance to local governments on energy issues so cities can become more efficient, environmentally friendly and save money.
Obama visited with the group for about 10 minutes during city leaders’ two-hour meeting with members of the White House transition team as well as some of the permanent staff of the White House’s inter-government affairs office.
The president-elect asked Taylor about her injured left wrist — broken in a weekend fall — but didn’t sign the soft cast, the mayor said in a telephone interview while heading toward her plane for the return to Tulsa.
The advisory council will meet again in Washington, D.C., three days before Obama’s inauguration, she said.
It was “pretty exciting,” Taylor said.
City to foreclose on downtown Tulsa building
The city of Tulsa plans to file a lawsuit seeking to foreclose on a vacant 11-story downtown building.
City Attorney Deirdre Dexter says the lawsuit should be filed next week but she isn't sure how long the process might take.
The city wants to foreclose on a lien it holds on the Tulsa Club building. If the city's efforts are successful, the building could be sold at a sheriff's auction.
A Tulsa County judge in October awarded the city a default judgment against the building's owner, Carl J. Morony of California.
City officials say Morony has not corrected code issues in the building, which has been vacant for more than a decade.
Tulsa's congressman won't be casting a vote to bailout automakers
He reluctantly voted for a re-vamped $700-billion Wall Street bailout. But if a bailout package for the troubled Big 3 Automakers comes up for a vote, Oklahoma Congressman John Sullivan says count him out. Sullivan says, "No more bailouts." Sullivan also says he won't vote for any measures that include tax increases. He believes that would be a mistake in today's economic climate.
Campaign spending includes trips
Oklahoma political campaign funds were used this election cycle for everything from pepper spray to out-of-state travel.
A Tulsa World analysis of state Ethics Commission reports shows nearly a dozen candidates used their campaign funds to travel outside of Oklahoma.
Rep. Ron Peterson reported using campaign funds to travel to functions in cities such as Anchorage, Honolulu and Orlando, Florida, among others. He reported an expenditure of nearly $1,200 for what was described as USS Oklahoma Memorial Lodging in Hawaii. He spent a total of about $21,000 on travel expenses out of the $94,000 in total expenditures.
Candidates are permitted to use campaign funds for out-of-state travel expenses as long as the purpose is related to the performance of their elected position.
1 of the more unusual expenditures was the $200 Rep. Jabar Shumate spent at an Army surplus store for pepper spray. Shumate says he purchased pepper spray for his young campaign workers who often walked in north Tulsa neighborhoods where many dogs ran loose.
Poll Supports Tulsa Mayor
A new poll shows Tulsans think more highly of their mayor than their City Council. The Oklahoma Poll of 503 likely voters found just over 60% say Mayor Kathy Taylor is doing a good job. Approval for the City Council stood at 42%.
Several of those polled couldn't identify their councilor. But they said they were put off by bickering among council members. The telephone poll was conducted Oct. 24-26. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.36%age points.
Street Proposals Given Green Light
Tulsa voters made their decision on repairing the city's streets. The matter was put before voters in the form of two questions. The first was for a property tax vote and that money would be used for neighborhood street repairs. The second question was for a sales tax vote. That money was to be used for arterial streets.
The ballot question came after months of discussions by the mayor, Tulsa City Council, and residents.
"I think it (tonight's vote) shows that we had great broad support, bipartisan support, the city council. And mainly we listened to the citizens. We revamped when they told us what the original plan wasn't what they wanted and it looks like right now they understood that we listened," said Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor.
The Tulsa City Council considered two proposals. One was a 12-year program that cost $2 billion. The one put before voters was a five-year program with a price tag of $452 million.
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