The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Mayor-elect G.T Bynum announces young, diverse staff that includes a political veteran: Kathy Taylor

https://www.readfrontier.com/spotlight/mayor-elect-bynum-announces-young-diverse-10-member-team-includes-political-veteran-kathy-taylor/

It certainly makes their campaign's push back to claims that voting for Bynum would be a equivalent to putting Taylor back in the mayor's office seem pretty disingenuous. .

Also ironic that he is indicating she will be in charge of economic development when her crowning achievement was an ill conceived way to finance a ball park. While I am totally in agreement that the ball park was a good idea, I think the way it came about was less than satisfying for many property owners downtown.

So, is this generally going to be viewed as a positive or negative development in Tulsa?

I would say positive.

Kathy Taylor got things done when she was Mayor. Having  someone like that involved in economic development will be good for Tulsa.

Kathy Taylor was a great mayor.

Then the push back from the campaign is disingenuous. Very untrustworthy behavior.

I liked Kathy Taylor, but the criticism of her time in office is well justified. The Ballpark tax was not appreciated by many who actually have to pay the tax and don't benefit. The purchase of the Dirty Ice Cube made the City the high-bidder on a large chunk of Class-A office space (which Tulsa is short of) and would have only saved money if X Y and Z happened (http://www.batesline.com/archives/2013/06/dewey-bartlett-tulsa-city-hall.html) (some of which STILL hasn't happened). She tried to pay back bonds for our magic airline that the City was not obligated to pay back (http://www.newson6.com/story/15686707/state-supreme-court). It seemed like much of those deals involved Bank of Oklahoma getting a lease, origination fees, or paid back on bad debts.

Kathy Taylor could get stuff done, and she did. She's a great addition to the staff because she has connections and knows how to get stuff done. But those that are upset with the actions of Mayor Taylor have solid reasons.

"Voting for Bynum would be a equivalent to putting Taylor back in the mayor's office" was the claim.  It was disingenuous for Dewey's campaign to use that rhetoric.  The clear implication of the allegation is that Bynum run the city exactly like Taylor, or for the conspiracy theorists that Bynum would be a puppet for Taylor.  Having her lead economic development isn't even remotely the same thing.  Bynum is mayor and will govern his own way and Taylor likely will disagree with some of what he does, and it's not going to stop him from doing it.  It's exactly how politics is supposed to work.  Get a variety of voices for input, then make your own decision.  It can be done collegiality despite the current atmosphere.

This selection will be controversial for people who supported Bynum and who were vehemently against Taylor in the 213 election.  I'm sure it will be used against him in any re-election campaign.

That said, I've never met a more engaged or driven public servant than Kathy Taylor.  In any meeting I've been in with her, she doesn't sit back returning emails on her phone or appear as if she would rather be somewhere else.  She asks questions and figures out how to make things happen or who best to get in contact with to make it happen.

I believe she is more economically sophisticated than the outgoing Director of ED and won't be championing plowing over public space for short-sighted sales tax collection.  I have hope this administration might be able to bring to bear less dependence on sales tax.

She, just like GT is very approachable and very open to ideas and input. 

I believe she is a great addition to his team.

I think the problem is he portrayed himself as something that doesn't appear to be the case. A Republican. His cabinet nearly entirely consists of Democrats.

And you're right, I'm sure Kathy Taylor had nothing to do with the campaign of Bynum.  ::)

She openly supported him so I don't see how there's any funny business that she's going to be part of his administration.  The claim implied that Bynum wasn't his own candidate and was just Taylor in disguise.  That is demonstrably not true.  He will make his own decision and will govern his own way.  She will help in the area of economic development.  It's still his administration.  I agree that Republican's may not like this move but he had already said many things in the campaign that don't align with the national version of the current GOP and he still won by a large margin.  People on both sides like him enough to put him in office.  He will work with all sides of the aisle.  It's the way politics are supposed to work.

There was a ton of Republican support for Bynum in the election. Bynum ran a centrist race against Dewey's attempt to tar him just as you are, as a RINO. How is your label any different?

Bynum was elected by a bipartisan coalition of centrist Republicans and Democrats. Would Tulsa be better off with the kind of extreme partisanship we see nationally and in Oklahoma? This is the entire reason both Tulsa and OKC have nonpartisan municipal elections.

GT Bynum is a registered Republican. His grand-dad was a registered Republican. He was a staffer for Coburn (Republican) and Nickles (Republican). He ran a lobbying firm that was more often than not hired to motivate Republican legislators. His registered political contributions are to Republicans. He was elected with 56% of the vote in a City that is only 30% Democrat.

Tell me more what a huge Democrat he is.

I didn’t see anything about the political affiliation of his staff in the story cited.  Unless you are inferring that anyone who would have worked under Taylor, has been a teacher, urban planner, is black, Hispanic, female, or a combination of any of those must be a Democrat.  The only hint in the bios to anyone’s political affiliation was that Michael Junk had worked for Senators Coburn and Inhofe.


This, right here, is how you build successful coalitions.  You don’t focus on the differences, you focus on similarities which will move your ideals or causes forward.  It also does not appear that the greater majority were picked due to being party loyalists or due to personal patronage which were two issues that defined the awful administration of Mayor Bartlet. (sic)  That’s how we keep ending up with useless re-treads like Clay Bird and Terry Simonson- they keep being selected for their “experience” because they’ve been around forever regardless of the merits of their work, integrity, or lack thereof.

Bynum’s broad appeal crosses many party lines.  I believe that is a very good thing for Tulsa.

That tax doesn't hurt anyone Downtown at all. It was actually brilliant in retrospect. I fundamentally disagreed with a new ballpark because I wanted to renovate old Drillers Stadium but it has paid dividends so far.

Yep.

I looked up the voter registration for the ten people named to Bynum's cabinet. I found three republicans, four democrats and and three that I could not tell for sure without more information.

I wanted the ballparlk, but saying the tax doesn't hurt anyone is shenanigans.

4.3 cents per square foot. That's a real bargain for anyone int he Brady or Blue Dome, businesses that rely on entertainment dollars or being "where its at." It doesn't do much, if anything for office buildings on Boston. It does far less for buildings over by the BA. What advantage, if any, does Riggs Abney or the Celler Dweller get from the ballpark? It does nothing for warehouses in gunboat park either.

You can argue that it is the fairest simplest method to fund the ballpark. You could argue that it is effective. But you can't argue it hasn't hurt anyone at all.

The ballpark tax wasn't ideal but it was the only way to get it done, and if it hadn't gotten done then and there, the Drillers would be playing in Jenks right now in front of tiny crowds.  The ballpark has been a fantastic addition to downtown and I'm glad it got done one way or another.  Taylor had to know going in that she'd take some heat for it and it turned out to be a big issue in her losing to Dewey.  I'm just happy she got it done.

You really think they would have moved forward with that development with the Drillers in Jenks? I think that was dead in the water from the start and that it was a manufactured urgency on the part of the administration. Not to mention the assessment is for 30 years. Hopefully we haven't built a new stadium by then. Drillers stadium only made it 28 and that was a time when ballparks weren't replaced at such a rapid rate. And remember too, that the assessment wasn't really all that necessary in financing the ball park, as $60 million in funds was needed to build a $30 million stadium. Remember the grand plans for the grounds surrounding the stadium. Kind of an insult to injury for all those paying the assessment that in no way benefit from it.

Again, totally for the ballpark downtown and particularly where it is at.

I believe its current location will make it more apt for renovations rather than replacement down the road.  By the time anyone is thinking about that, I suspect any remaining developable property in the area will have long since been developed.  Even the brownfield site to the east of the Greenwood District should be developed in the next 10 years.  TDA can’t sit on that site forever.

The project in Jenks was most certainly real and did move forward even without the stadium. After months of construction on the site the flood mitigation was done and the overall groundwork was largely complete when the financial crisis hit killing the project.

The Drillers moving to Jenks would have been unbearable.  It'd be a mini-version of the Chicago Cubs packing up and moving to Naperville.  It offends the senses. 

Agreed. I just happen to think Mr. Lamson is a tremendously smart fellow. I don't think Jenks was ever truly an option in his mind. But drumming up competition was.

The threat was real.

This was me back in 2007 organizing a rally
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLBOFUWKlOM

Generally positive.

I looked up the voter registration for the ten people named to Bynumm's [sic] administration.  I found two Republicans, five Democrats, and three that I could not tell for sure without more information.  Of the three I couldn't tell for sure, I think two are registered as Democrats or Independents.

So, the ranges, by my count: 
Republican: at least 20%, but not more than 30%
Democrat: at least 50%, but not more than 80%
Independent:  somewhere between zero and 30%
Other:  somewhere between zero and 10%
 

It benefited us at 5th and Boston.

I hope she fetches a good price for the arena.   ;D

How so?

Having been a downtown person for over 20 years I think it's clear that the one-two punch of the BOK center and Ballpark/Brady investment have transformed downtown.  Both projects provided an impetus for people to take more risks and see downtown as a valuable place.  Of course there were always pioneers and dreamers who were staking a claim downtown: small galleries and businesses that stuck with the Brady district even after the white guys in suits put a jail down the street (remember the Snooty Fox?); early dreamers like Mexicali, Caz's, the Gypsy, Arnies, McNellies, Dwelling Spaces, Joe Mammas, Elote, etc; and all the young folks who supported the downtown businesses after five, etc, etc).  Certainly, downtown wouldn't be where it is today without $3 burger night.  But the real money started coming in once the guys in suits saw a massive public investment. 

Ultimately, it will take both vision and $$ to help downtown reach its potential.  The fact that people are starting to talk about solving the parking problem (ie: connecting places by building on the asphalt wasteland) means that the energy and investment will spread to all the available space soon.  Look at all the old buildings that are being resurrected, and the high price of empty lots downtown. 

I think we can say the ballpark adds value to everyone downtown.  Though I do understand the frustrations of those on the opposite end of the IDL who are wondering how long it will take to get to them.  That will depend if the churches and TCC come to their senses and realize that surface lots function as a DMZ and an obstacle.  Eventually, I think they will.

Sales. Via more walking traffic on game nights and deliveries throughout the week. One of our best weeks ever was during the Big XII baseball tournament last year. Same goes for the BOk and Cox Center events.

GT is going to get a hard lesson about how politics work.....

Interesting.  I may have to start tracking that metric to see what the ballpark does for us.

I keep my ears out and often ask people why they are downtown.  I have never once, NEVER in the almost 4 years I have been in the Deco District heard someone say they were there because of a baseball game.

In an approximate order of "What brought you downtown this evening?"

Dinner/just going out
Weddings & going to something at the PAC
In town for business or visiting as a tourist
Heard about DECOPOLIS and wanted to come see it/ love DECOPOLIS and like coming here
In town visiting family and wanted to come downtown
Going to a concert or event at the BOK Center
First Friday art crawl and its too busy to eat over there so came to the Deco District where its quieter.

And again, never once heard anyone say they were downtown and came into my store because they were going to a baseball game.

But I keep track of how many people come into our doors and have done so ever since we opened (and also make notes of special events or happenings, even if its just a bad rainy day in order to look back and see what days/weeks/months and even times of day are good or not) so will start comparing to see if we get a boost on game nights.

Here's something I've witnessed a number of times with some of the outdoor service workers near the ballpark (such as security crews, valets, parking lot attendants):  When there are events drawing large crowds to the arts district, sometimes outdoor workers are "trapped" for hours.  If they get hungry but can't leave their stations, they can sometimes get a nearby restaurant to bring an order of food out to them.  But if they call Jimmy John's for a sandwich and a drink, they know the order will be delivered to them within a matter of minutes.  And, being service workers themselves, they usually tip anyone from JJ's who bikes over the tracks.
 

I obviously talk to folks like you, but being that I'm in the store less now I simply use numbers/charts as a metric. BOK events and Cox Center events are huge bumps in sales. Drillers games are a slight notch up. We also do delivery so that tilts Oneok to being way more beneficial to us than a retail shop.

Yeah, it's a big advantage we have on delivery.

Any event usually increases walking traffic to varying degrees. Most anything is interconnected in some way. The more people coming through our shop, the more will go through the local merchants near us.