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Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Jitter Free on December 20, 2008, 07:26:32 pm We are less than 7 months away from the primary elections and less than a year away from the general election. Can Kathy Taylor be beat? Why or why not?
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: RecycleMichael on December 20, 2008, 07:30:28 pm Not by you.
Jitter is a terrible first name. What were your parents thinking? Free ain't bad for a last name, but I bet it makes fundraising difficult for you. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: sgrizzle on December 20, 2008, 08:00:47 pm If anyone thought they had a real shot, they would've started campaigning by now. Heck, even Paul Tay is sitting this one out.
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Jitter Free on December 21, 2008, 08:20:27 am I don't know if she's beatable or not which is why I posed the question.
I agree with sgrizzle. If someone was seriously considering a run I thought they would have announced by now. Whoever runs, they better be prepared to be outspent by large margin. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: swake on December 21, 2008, 09:00:56 am quote: Her 60% approval rating has to be pretty intimidating too. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: RecycleMichael on December 21, 2008, 12:13:56 pm I was pleased that she was able to get a street improvement bond issue passed in a terrible economy. That says a lot for the citizen's confidence in her leadership.
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Steve on December 21, 2008, 06:40:55 pm If I had anything to say about it, she would be history. I didn't vote for her in the past primary, although I did vote for her in the general election. She has been a huge disappointment to me, but all things considered, I am sure she will win a second term.
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 21, 2008, 07:45:48 pm quote: Or the fact that they realized they were paying more for vehicle repairs than the street improvements would cost them. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: sgrizzle on December 22, 2008, 08:38:17 am What are all the street-related vehicle repairs everyone keeps talking about? Alignment?
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hoss on December 22, 2008, 09:12:44 am quote: I for one know of several people with broken front ends due to the piss-poor condition of Tulsa's streets. Alignments would be if you're lucky. A full repair of a front end assembly on a newer car would be like taking out a mini-mortgage. A-arms, CV joints, struts. All that stuff is not cheap. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: cannon_fodder on December 22, 2008, 09:37:39 am quote: I had to replace a wheel on my Altima. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Wrinkle on December 22, 2008, 10:21:55 am EMSA Tax on your water bills.
Annual water bill rate increases. Supported River Tax which would've effectively removed any input by the City for river development, south Tulsa bridges. Still trying to find way for South Tulsa Bridge, at least so long as it remains a TOLL bridge, after signing pledge against it. Did I mention voting twice in the 2000 Presidential election? IDL Tax for ballpark. City Hall fiasco. Did she really burn down the Towerview? Theft of City Club Building Giving pass to Abundant Life Building, other 58 buildings on hit 'List'. Reappointment of Jim Cameron and Lou Reynolds to the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority. ...typing cramps... Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Wrinkle on December 22, 2008, 10:27:51 am Anyone wishing to run would be wasting precious resources until after the Super Bowl, at least.
Why would they choose to come out yet? Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 11:07:52 am So, why does she have such a good approval rating by voters? It isn't so hard to find mistakes made by executives, but oh so hard to for opponents to list her successes. Had the economy not soured in the last quarter, some of those mistakes you quote would have been positives.
Perspective matters as well. I don't know why you guys had so much vehicle damage last year. I drove about 25000 miles on a company car doing multiple stops in and around the city. We had a fleet of a dozen cars working all around the city logging even more mileage. No vehicle damages reported due to street conditions during the last year. Of course we weren't drinking alcohol, speeding, texting, cutting in front, and tailgaiting either. Gives you more time to notice and avoid road hazards.[;)] My perspective was that the roads issue was designed as a new source for revenue for a city that didn't plan or execute maintenance very well the last two decades. I doubt they will in the future either. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Wrinkle on December 22, 2008, 11:16:48 am quote: ...makes one wonder if TW/KOTV left their respective buildings when doing the survey. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 11:25:09 am quote: They may have gotten as far as their parking lot or the nearby pubs... I can't think of any current leader who could damage an incumbent mayor who has been so activist in nature. People just want something done, anything that will move us off the mediocre list. She's putting forth good, if not controversial, effort in doing so. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 11:28:37 am quote: I guess I wasn't clear on "they". I was referring to the voters as in... the voters were paying more for vehicle repairs than the street improvements would cost the voters. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 11:38:40 am quote: Edit: forgot ..."from" bad roads. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 11:46:24 am Nah, we were driving Toyota Corollas with cheap as possible tires. That car should be the prototype for American cars. Durable, nimble, fuel efficient and comfy. Up to 300,000 miles apiece and they still looked good. 30-35mpg combination mileage. Face it, most of those road damage reports were probably avoidable. Tulsa drivers like to complain about everyone else's driving and the poor roads when most of their discomfort is self inflicted.
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: swake on December 22, 2008, 12:07:06 pm Under Taylor the city was able to complete the arena as designed and without asking taxpayers for more money (like what Oklahoma City had to do with their cost overruns), she has gotten a massive streets package passed, she has gotten a new baseball stadium started without a general tax increase.
Tulsa has a new city hall replacing that absolute embarrassment of a civic center. She made a wise choice to not tear out the old civic center arena and decided instead to expand the convention center allow Tulsa in the future to bid on events needing two arenas. She annexed the fairgrounds which expanded Tulsa’s tax base and law enforcement reach. I still say that the county is more upset over the fairgrounds now being under the city of Tulsa’s law enforcement jurisdiction than the incremental increase in sales tax. They don’t want city police not under control of the Sherriff to be able to investigate what goes on at the fairgrounds. She settled the lawsuit regarding Great Plains Airlines and fired the lawyers who got the city into the mess. A mess created and unsolved by the previous two mayors. If you want to be upset over the settlement, be mad at the people who got the city into a situation where the city was responsible for the loss. The problem had been festering through two previous mayors and fighting it was most likely only going to cost the city more money in lawyers fees. It’s not really been a loss anyway as the CEO of the Bank of Oklahoma (who we paid the money to) has since donated many times the amount of the settlement back to the city and community. Taylor got a new and mutually agreeable contract done between the city and police. She has had multiple police academies and there are now more cops on the streets. In fact a new academy just graduated in the last week. She got a new (old) and capable police chief in place replacing the train wreck one fired by the last mayor, a chief that the police on the street believe in. Crime has fallen every year she has been in office and from what I know and hear the biggest current problem with law enforcement in Tulsa isn’t the size of the police department, it’s the lack of police support and criminal prosecution from the Tulsa County D.A.’s office. She saved the city’s ambulance service by creating a fee for the service that anyone is allowed to opt out of simply by asking. Taylor is fighting the county from trying to double dip on tax revenue by charging the city for city inmates when a decade ago the city helped pass a dedicated sales tax to support just that function. And she has done all of this after being given an absolute mess of a city budget by the previous administration. More cops, lower crime, hundreds of millions of new money for streets, the arena completed as designed without new taxes, an expanded tax base, a new city hall and baseball stadium without new general tax increases. What exactly are you all so upset about. She’s certainly doing “something” and she’s has not raised taxes any appreciable amount at all. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 12:45:37 pm quote: Tire profile is more important than cost. The best I can determine, the Corolla probably has a 65 profile tire. 20 years ago that would have been a sporty tire. Not anymore. A 195/65 tire should (and evidently does) provide reasonable protection against wheel damage on a light car like a Corolla. Some of the damage around town is probably self inflicted. I don't think I would say most of it. If you are watching the road surface directly in front of you to avoid potholes, you are probably missing the big picture and will eventually wind up in a collision. The damage then is not recorded as road damage. Durable - no question there. Nimble/Performance - depends on your reference. If it struggles to make expressway speeds on a reasonable length entrance ramp, I would say unacceptable. As far as overall handling, it depends on your reference and preference. I assume it's somewhere between Corvette and Lincoln Town Car. Again, I haven't driven one so I don't know this answer for the Corolla. Fuel efficient - yep Comfy - depends. I've sat in many new cars at the new car show at the fairgrounds each year in March. I don't specifically remember the Corolla. Many of the small cars would be OK for a quick commute but I wouldn't want to take them cross country. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 01:02:40 pm quote: Be careful what you annex for a tax base. The citizens may expect to be supported by the city they're paying tax to. I'm thinking of S.E. Tulsa streets. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hoss on December 22, 2008, 01:08:37 pm quote: Wow, not a lot of cars use 45 profle tires; that's an odd number. Probably why we have that in common. What kind of car do you drive? And are those 18 inch wheels (like on mine)? But I would agree. I literally live on the freeways because I know for the most part there aren't any suspension crushing potholes on those. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 01:12:13 pm quote: My 10 yr old car has 225/60R16 tires. 50 profile tires are becoming more commmon even on non-performance cars. I still cringe on some of the surface anomolies I've encounted. I take that back. I cringe on the regular surface, am delighted on the (smooth) anomolies. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 22, 2008, 01:16:12 pm I would say that she is vulnerable. But the local Democrats don’t seem to have a stable of qualified candidates. If we had a viable alternative I would support the alternative.
I’m a life long Democrat but I don’t like Taylor’s style of governing. She fancies herself a Corporate Titan when we really need a Mayor. She is a little Napoleon, she is litigious and she doesn’t have the generosity of spirit that I look for in leaders. She lacks character and has a mean streak. She single handedly threw out decades of public investment in our Civic Center so that the city could have a corporate headquarters as grand her own home. She has failed in her biggest mission – finding us a police chief that would put the good old boy system to rest. In fact Taylor seems to have appointed herself ringleader of the good ole boys. The city’s relationship with the Bank of Oklahoma is downright anticompetitive and unhealthy. Taylor has tried to exploit rather than remedy. The only thing Taylor did that I liked was ask FEMA for money, in person, all by herself. That took leadership. My mole in city government said she has forced out numerous key old timers and replaced them with her yes men and women. It looks like she is planning on using Tulsa one way or the other. I want a shake up in the local Democratic Party, but I’m not hopeful that we are smart enough to make that happen. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: swake on December 22, 2008, 01:17:55 pm quote: I will be sure to go and personally inform every resident of the fairgrounds of that. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: patric on December 22, 2008, 01:30:27 pm quote: As the story goes, the building was purchased as the new home for Dollar Thrifty, but when they backed out of the deal the mayor took it off the developer's hands. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 01:32:39 pm quote: I was referring to annexing in general. However it could refer to businesses. What about the motel there? The waterpark? Will they now start demanding something from the city? Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 01:33:30 pm quote: You've said that before and it is perplexing to me. There is no strong Democratic party in Tulsa because....its Tulsa. We are the last bastion of conservatism, evangelism and status quo. Good Democrats are eaten for breakfast with coffee by the local powers. That's just the environment here. When a massive victory like Obama and the Democrats had nationally amounts to a drizzly fog locally, its pretty telling. Even KT seems a bit too Democrat for these parts and she's a Republican anywhere else. So how does the party bulk up? Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 22, 2008, 01:41:25 pm I still have to find answers to some questions I have but it looks to me like Governor Marland was the wonderful exception in our long history of lousy leadership. How did he do it?
People who have been building strategy on the Democratic power structure as we find it won't like what I have to say but as my friend in Democratic politics said about the last election -- we lost everything (except for my favorite Dan Boren). Now is the time for creative self destruction and reinventing the Oklahoma Democratic Party with a message that is more meaningful to the Oklahomans. We need a shakeup. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 01:51:35 pm I think the only profile for a successful Tulsa mayor would be an evangelical, Native American, entrepreneurial, environmentalist, pragmatic with some Irish ancestors and a African American spouse who wears a holster. Someone who could transcend the incorrect stereotypes that Dems have been branded with here. Is there such an animal?
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 22, 2008, 02:02:04 pm No one has tried coalition politics. We could build a new voting majority. We keep playing the same old game plan without success. Or we could find a Huey Long and play the old game plan to win.
If we had a viable alternative to Taylor, I would support the alternative. In lieu of a good alternative she is our best shot at keeping a Democrat in Tulsa's mayor's office. But I don't like her. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: RecycleMichael on December 22, 2008, 04:15:45 pm quote: inteller=king maker. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 04:18:45 pm I agree that the understanding of how things work in Tulsa is a mystery. It certainly was to me when I started in business. Ignorance was bliss. It amazes me that KT has accomplished as much as she has. The myriad of unaccountable boards and authorities means city leadership is weak by default. That's where the power resides not in the mayor or council. You only have as much power as your troops allow you. As we all know, many board and authority members are reminiscent of Caroline Kennedy as a senate hopeful. Mostly name and connections.
Radical, non partisan thinking. Where's that going to come from? Float some planks of your platform and see if they are indeed palatable. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: swake on December 22, 2008, 04:22:52 pm quote: Funniest damn thing on the internet this week. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 04:37:48 pm quote: Expand on who the coalition members would be. From what I see, outside of minorities, the power players are: Republican party, Democratic Party, Libertarians, national corporates, trust funds, inner city alliances, outer city alliances, North side, downtown churches/synagogues, suburban churches, oilies, academics, medical, anyone with lots of money, real estate and engineering firms. Right now all but the Democrats and the Northside coalesce to form a pretty strong conservative republican block. Who else do you see forming a coalition with Dems and why would they? Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 22, 2008, 04:52:16 pm Yes, I would like to see decisions about my city made by elected officials not a group of philanthropists that give to get and control.
I've lived all over the place and I've never had the sense that the city I was living in was run by a group of unelected rich individuals until I returned home. The whole ballpark thing has been very instructive. I'll disagree with the self-serving and brown nosing TulsaWorld, we aren't indebt to the philanthropists; we are held back by them. The good old boy system is the problem in Tulsa and until we have another newspaper I don't think any light is going to be shed on the problem because the Lortons are central to the good old boy system. We are stuck, unless someone with enough money or smarts comes along to circumvent the giving gaggle that believes with some reason that it owns Tulsa. Taylor fit perfectly into their way of doing things and as I said, has appointed herself ringleader of the good old boy system. The good old boys are why we got in trouble in the first place. They aren’t going to get us out of trouble. Democrats? Oher than Dan Boren, the Democrats lost everything this last election. Just saw, your most recent post, I'll get back to you about coaltion politics. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Double A on December 22, 2008, 05:57:29 pm quote: Couldn't have said it better myself. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: MDepr2007 on December 22, 2008, 06:04:50 pm The arena might have been done without costing the citizens ( not sure about that though)but at the expense of the skate park and soccer fields. Then again the ones using that are not as important I supopose, they still have other cities they can go to instead for an updated skateboard park.....
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 06:25:28 pm quote: Probably true for more than Ok Dems (meaning Republicans too). Too often the thought is that "we aren't getting our message out" when the truth is that the message got out just fine. It was rejected. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Gaspar on December 22, 2008, 06:34:08 pm I don't think so. She has not been a bad mayor. In fact, I would say that she has been a good face for Tulsa.
The BOK Center was not her child, but it was finished and promoted during her watch, and 90% of the people will make that connection. The new city hall was all hers, and it's a huge improvement to the old dregs. The Ballpark was her child, and the people will associate 100% of that with her. So, I think she has momentum it would be highly unlikely to see any serious candidate. No matter Republican or Democrat, the battle is simply illogical. Now to discuss the legacy. . . she has a good image, she gives Tulsa a smart image in the press. So, I have to go back to ICONS. It's not fair, and it's not right, but leaders are remembered by icons. Just like artists, what did they create? As a Mayor people don't remember you for good things, unless they are lasting icons. Sure they will remember the crime rate, or inflation, or impediments to development or progress. They will focus on every pothole or every time the power goes out. As a Mayor those things are remembered. . . but, a single successful icon like the BOK or the Ballfield or any lasting landscape or architectural feature has the power to erase half a dozen negatives, because time forgets pain. When the pain is gone the Ballfield is still there. Reality is not politically correct. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 06:49:28 pm quote: Kind of the opposite of one aw-s*** wiping out 100 atta-boys. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Jitter Free on December 22, 2008, 07:31:23 pm When I first started this topic, my initial thoughts if KT was to draw a primary opponent or a general opponent were: (i) her opponent better have an awful lot of money and (ii) if that person won, what kind of city would her opponent be inhereting and why would they want to inheret it (I was really thinking about the state of our economy and my assumption that sales tax revenues will decline substantially next year -- this is an assumption)?
Inteller, that is an interesting thought about STCC. I live in south Tulsa and I will admit that I am impressed with there organization, their fundraising and their ability to follow through. I haven't been around Tulsa but 10 or so years but I would say that during my time here they have been one of if not the most successful citizens group in town, but I don't think they have ever gotten behind a candidate before. If they did, it would be interesting to watch. At the end of the day, I still wonder whether or not KT can be beat. Too much money and the average person doesn't know anything about her other than (from the average citizen's viewpoint) she got the arena built, she got a streets package passed, she got the drillers to stay in Tulsa and she is getting a ballpark built. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 08:18:53 pm quote: No I didn't forget them. I listed them as "outer city alliances". I prefer to not have areas of the city face off against each other with names like Midtowners, Maple Ridgers and Suburbans, when the reality is that we're separated more by distance than personality. I could easily live in certain parts of the city outside the core and newer homes make life easier. But East Tulsans who live at 41st and 129th face the same problems as other outer citians. People in Brady face the same issues as people in Brookside etc. I agree with you that STCC is a valuable ally just like any other neighborhood group. Building a coalition of inner city and outer city alliances over an issue like the bridge would probably propel someone new into office. That said, Christianson doesn't come to mind. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 22, 2008, 08:55:57 pm quote: I think the strongest element of her icon status is that she is so darn corporate. A lawyer for sure but in the corporate vein. She talks their language, she makes decisions with the same mindset, she rounds up employees that are like her and builds a firewall. Corporates like her. However, that attitude has made her look like she favors a strong, coldly calculating executive type mayorship. True or not, thats the reality. She maybe is not as comfortable with the stable of horses that run the streets as she is with the thoroughbreds. My suggestion for any leader in Tulsa is that before they are allowed to run for office they must show a signed paper that shows they were dropped off by themselves after 5pmatWalMart at Admiral & Sheridan, or 81st & Lewis, one of the casinoes, an apartment complex at 31st & Mingo, a BTW football game, the parking lot at St.John's at 10am, Toys R Us at 71st, south Memorial between 91st and 117th, with $20 bucks in their pocket and a cell phone. Learn about your constituents, then run for office. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 22, 2008, 10:21:46 pm quote: If that's all you're worried about, get some help from the Chicago area. Depending on how it goes with the governor, there may be some people from Springfield available too. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 23, 2008, 09:46:50 am Waterboy, I'm referring to a Coalition of Ethnic, Special Interest, Religious, Political and Fraternal Groups, many of which overlap. Even San Francisco liberals have to employ coalition politics to create a voting majority. A Huey Long to tap into Oklahoma’s undercurrent of Populism would work too.
One of these days I’ll find some time to really research Governor Marland. Did you know that Oklahoma passed State Health Insurance for Oklahomans in the 30s under Governor Marland? Red Arrow, you aren't engaged in a conversation with me, you are taking an opportunity to post your talking points. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 23, 2008, 10:17:02 am A Democratic mayor like a Democratic governor can advance Democratic goals in very practical ways. Also, Tulsa stands a better chance of getting some benefit from the Federal Government's upcoming Stimulus Package because Kathy Taylor is a Democrat and a Democrat is in the White House.
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 23, 2008, 11:42:58 am quote: Inteller did a better job of making my point than I did. I believe in a previous thread that you said you are a "yellow dog democrat". It may have been someone else. I find no benefit in having a Democrat (or Republican) in office only because of their party. I kind of remember reading something about Huey Long in high school. I remember nothing good about him. At the moment, I see you as wanting nothing more than a good old boy network yourself, except that you want different good old boys. Your only goal is to defeat Republicans. I understand but disagree. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 23, 2008, 11:53:57 am There is a lot of distance between me and Oklahoma Democrats.
I've gotten to know you Republicans better than I ever wanted to over the course of my life and I have to say Gerald Ford was the last good Republican. Your crowd has done serious damage to my country and I'm going to hold you accountable until I see a change for the better in your party. May be very long wait. I'm not holding my breath. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 23, 2008, 11:58:32 am We absolutely should have gotten hand outs from Bush when LaFortune was mayor. It's testimony to just how lame the local Republican party is that we did not. (We probably didn't even ask.)
Drive down to Dallas one of these days to see what the Republican gravy train looks like. Sorry I have to explain how politics works to you guys. Lost in the sticks for too long? Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 23, 2008, 12:18:14 pm "What's in it for me."
I'm doing fine. I made a pile back in liberal territory. It's the droves of middle and low income Okies that need help. I'm a Democrat that believes that my economic well being is tied to the well being of the community that I live in. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 23, 2008, 12:32:30 pm quote: Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on December 23, 2008, 12:47:17 pm The importance of taxes grows in the absence of good income.
Suzy Orman says if you owe a lot of taxes it means your making a lot of money and that's good. Now, I'm not hopeful that the upper class will concur but they have paid professionals working around the clock to help them avoid taxes. And they do. But if I saw you trapped in a burning car Inteller, I would pull you out. That's my way of saying Merry Christmas to you. I've accepted that Republicans will be a part of the landscape for the rest of my life. Now I've got to learn to "enjoy" swimming with sharks. That's life in Tulsa. God bless the Republicans of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Red Arrow on December 23, 2008, 01:07:06 pm quote: Make more, pay more. Most would agree. It's just a matter of how much more. Both Kennedy's and Reagan's tax cuts generated MORE federal income. In Reagan's case it just got spent even faster. If taxes are high enough to pay someone to avoid taxes, taxes are too high. If I saw you in a burning car, any time of year, even knowing it was you (which would be difficult because I don't know you), I would pull you out because that's the way I am. Merry Christmas from the sharks. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Jitter Free on December 23, 2008, 07:37:05 pm Streets, public safety, water, sewer and trash...I don't think partisan politics matters at the city level...Then again that could jusst be my naive and ignorant point of view.
Regardless of party affiliation who would you like to see run for mayor? I think I read a statement where someone didn't want Christiansen to run and I think I read a statement where someone wanted a "community activist" (my words not theirs) to run so I would be interested in hearing some names of who you would like to run for mayor (win or lose). Let's face it some of the best and brightest people for the job lose elections, why? Its called politics. So, politics aside, who would you like to see run again KT? Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: waterboy on December 23, 2008, 08:19:18 pm quote: Nothing gets done with a change in mayoral position only. In my fantasy the mayor and the council members would be intent on changing the way things are done here. Moving away from postions of authority that are based on names, golfing partners, party affiliations, non-profit associations etc. I would hope for a radical mayor and council that are intent on redesigning the web of power that is currently unelected- the boards, trusts, and authorities that have the city by the short hairs. Its an arcane system meant for insiders. Perhaps even adding a city manager to handle many functions. That person as of now doesn't have a name and if he/she did they would be most likely ignored. But when people are tired enough of out of touch government, that person will emerge. I have at least one former counselor in mind but he assures me he has no interest. That's part of the problem. Anyone knowledgeable enough about the current system, doesn't want anything to do with it. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Double A on December 23, 2008, 10:15:21 pm quote: Word. Two glaring omissions from Taylor the Tyrant's wish list that would have been a great benefit for Tulsa are burying power lines/rehabbing our electrical grid and establishing Amtrak service, IMO. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: nathanm on December 23, 2008, 11:42:07 pm quote: As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Gaspar on December 24, 2008, 06:14:08 am quote: Party affiliation means very little on the local level. The elected official is simply too close to the people. Real responsibilities like infrastructure and crime trump Republican ideology, and pandering is less effective for Democrats because interest groups are simply too small in number. A mayor must be an effective, experienced business manager. If they are pushing political philosophy, then they are simply trying to run for something else, in witch case the city is simply a stepping stone. Our country abounds with elected officials who stepped very quickly from office to office to achieve higher goals, without accomplishing a single thing or signing a single paycheck. The measure of effectiveness has nothing to do with party affiliation. Nothing. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Conan71 on January 08, 2009, 11:49:19 pm quote: And you would help him out of a burning car, why????? I thought you had more character than that. Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Conan71 on January 09, 2009, 09:43:54 am quote: That's a troll bridge of course. Back at you, buddy. [;)] Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: Hometown on January 09, 2009, 09:53:50 am Yippeeeee! My favorite Arch Enemy has returned.
Title: Can Kathy Taylor Be Beat? Post by: jne on January 09, 2009, 04:56:37 pm quote: My front end is farked. Its a great fuel efficient car (30+), but I'm looking at trucks now so I don't feel like I'm driving a bobsled. |