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Not At My Table - Political Discussions => National & International Politics => Topic started by: catccaatt on June 20, 2007, 08:36:45 AM

Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: catccaatt on June 20, 2007, 08:36:45 AM
That's an old news I read on the Tulsa world

But I don't know  did the council strike which means the council always delay things to do last for a long time?when was it over or it's still running ?

And what do the citizens think of it?
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: sgrizzle on June 20, 2007, 08:46:45 AM
Well basically, the council members at one time split into two groups. It is over now. It was embarassing.

Some others can fill in the details better than I can, I tried to forget about it.
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: cannon_fodder on June 20, 2007, 11:14:50 AM
It was a political argument that broke the council into two groups.  New elections eventually took place so it is largely irrelevant now.  Most citizens did not really care as it was viewed as petty squabbling.  Those that pay more attention thought it was child like behavior from our city leaders.

again, the details escape me as it was not that major of an event.
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: catccaatt on June 20, 2007, 01:38:41 PM
Then how large the number of people was influenced by it? In life or work or other things?

Thanks
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: sgrizzle on June 20, 2007, 01:57:18 PM
Largely it caused delays more than any actual problems.
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: rwarn17588 on June 20, 2007, 02:04:00 PM
It's my recollection that early in the term, there was a council majority, led by Chris Medlock, of five members that formed a sort of bloc. Exactly what the purpose of the bloc was never seemed clear.

But Sam Roop, not long after, bailed on the group, implying that Medlock was childish. A few of the other ones eventually drifted away; the bloc couldn't hold because its members had diverse opinions.

At one point, there was a recall vote against Medlock and another councilor, but it failed miserably. In hindsight, people didn't support the two so much, but supported the recall effort even less.

At the time, and it seems like more so in hindsight, the bloc's activities made a lot of noise signifying nothing. The nadir of this was Medlock's spending taxpayer money for an independent investigation into Great Plains Airlines and the investigation finding absolutely nothing. I'm not sure a report was even written.

Medlock eventually ran for mayor and was defeated by a terrible incumbent, Bill LaFortune. One lady I knew from a friend's church summed up the primary mayor's race this way: "Chris Medlock is too immature to be mayor." And she is a Republican. But she saw in the general election that LaFortune was too much of a miserable failure, and voted for Kathy Taylor. Taylor's win -- considering Tulsa's strong Republican leanings -- indicates that a lot of usual GOP voters jumped ship like that woman did.

Now Medlock is a co-host on a local winger radio station. 'Nuff said.
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: sgrizzle on June 20, 2007, 02:56:18 PM
Mautino was the other one.

M&M
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: guido911 on June 20, 2007, 06:06:56 PM
What about the great walk out by the so-called "gang of five" or "Medlock cartel". Oh, and Mautino, was ousted by his constituents in the election following the strike.
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: MichaelC on June 21, 2007, 11:08:17 AM
What got me going was lawsuits.  Morons in politics is not a new concept, but Morons that click their heals and wish the Charter away, only to bring lawsuits and threats of lawsuits on the City are intolerable.  "We're going to do this because despite what the city lawyer (who we assume to be the spawn of Satan) is saying, we had three witch doctor bloggers look over it and they're fine with it."

Medlock and his nasty blogger buddies (like Bates) did more to bring down LaFortune than LaFortune did.  It was waste, and certainly not a proud time for Tulsa.
Title: Long ago I heard the "council strike"
Post by: Conan71 on June 21, 2007, 11:22:33 AM
I think Medlock thought student council behavior was acceptible on a city council.  What a bozo.