re: Ethics complaint against 2 city councillors

[Limabean]

Did anyone catch the Fox 23 report last week about an ethics complaint filed against 2 city councillors?

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by Limabean

Did anyone catch the Fox 23 report last week about an ethics complaint filed against 2 city councillors?

It's a project we discused earlier here.
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11029&whichpage=2

The story:
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Ethics-Complaints-Filed-Against-City-Councilors/9RLwW2CqWkqYu6L1xS8yyw.cspx
Sorry about the long URL.

[Limabean]

I went to the Fox 23 website. The video discusses a bank at 13th and Utica.

Is the ethics violation on the recently approved Bumgarner project or another project?

Are there 2 ethics violations? Are these complaints public information?

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

"FOX 23 News has chosen not to identify the councilors named in the complaint until more evidence is presented and the council decides whether to take action."


Oh gee....I wonder just WHO it could have been...I mean, I could NEVER guess which of the Bumgarner lapdogs councilors it could have been.[}:)]

why is there not an ethics rule that prevents people who get campaign money from a donor from voting on issues directly related to the donor?

If we did that, we would have senate votes with 93 people abstaining..

[Chicken Little]

From the fox23 story:

quote: "Now an ethics complaint has been filed against two city councilors who voted in favor of the project.  The author believes the two “are receiving some sort of compensation from the credit union."

This is a bunch of speculative BS.  

quote:The author of the ethics complaint speculates the “real estate company or the credit union company are the ones who wrote these letters” supporting the project.

WHATEVER.

[Conan71]

They refuse to identify the complainant and the two councilors and call THAT news??? PFFFT!

[swake]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by inteller

"FOX 23 News has chosen not to identify the councilors named in the complaint until more evidence is presented and the council decides whether to take action."


Oh gee....I wonder just WHO it could have been...I mean, I could NEVER guess which of the Bumgarner lapdogs councilors it could have been.[}:)]

why is there not an ethics rule that prevents people who get campaign money from a donor from voting on issues directly related to the donor?

If we did that, we would have senate votes with 93 people abstaining..

great....maybe it would get the public to wake up and not elect bought and paid for politicians.

So, by your rule no Senator that received a donation from a retired person could vote on any issue related to Social Security, no Senator that received a donation from a doctor could vote on issues related to Medicare…

You see where this is going. Where do you draw the line?

[Townsend]

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local/story/Councilman-says-he-wants-to-clear-up-allegations/liakjKA9T02Oep0nA2AUjw.cspx

Wednesday, one city councilor wants to clear up an allegation of corruption.

Council Chairman, John Eagleton, says a report of an ethics violation against two council members is not true.

He says a citizen reported the two councilors were receiving some type of compensation for a vote involving the St. John Credit Union slated for the area of 13th and Lewis. Eagleton says the council conducted an investigation and there was no evidence of wrong-doing.

He says, the citizen who made the accusations denied it when he was confronted by councilors.

"He initially responded, 'I have no evidence to support the allegation of criminal behavior,' or words to that effect he then said 'Oh, and I didn't actually say that," said Eagleton.

Eagleton also says that same citizen released the info to a press outlet, so today's news conference was needed.

"For as long as I can remember, baseless allegations, once they are determined to be baseless, that's the end of the story, and it doesn't go public," said Eagleton.

Eagleton would not name the citizen who reported the allegations or the two council members in question.

From Tulsa World:

"In a Feb. 4 complaint, Tulsan Paul “Chip” Atkins alleges that Councilors Eric Gomez and Bill Martinson received compensation from St. John’s Credit Union for their votes in support of a zoning decision that allows the facility to locate at 13th Place and Lewis Avenue."

Anyone know who Chip Atkins is?

[Conan71]

Take your pick, "Chip" is usually a Jr., III, or IV

http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/casesearch.asp?query=true&srch=0&web=true&db=all&icasetype=&iDATEL=&iDATEH=&iCLOSEDL=&iCLOSEDH=&number=&iLast=atkins&iFirst=paul&iMiddle=&iID=&iDOBL=&iDOBH=&SearchType=0&iDCPT=&iDCType=0&iYear=&iNumber=&icitation=

There's a III and a IV listed on OSCN, I'd bet on IV.

So since the council has investigated itself, then all's well and this will vanish like a fart in the wind.  Good for them.

[Limabean]

Is this ethics complaint and the findings public information?

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by Limabean

Is this ethics complaint and the findings public information?

Council Dismisses Ethics Complaint

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by Townsend
Anyone know who Chip Atkins is?

I know him. He is the President of the Swan Lake Homeowners Association.

[Limabean]

The Fox 23 story takes a very different angle to this issue than the Tulsa World.

Why is everyone making such a big deal about this? Don't we have bigger news in Tulsa?

[TURobY]

The article says 13th and Lewis (which is pretty close to my backyard). Does anyone know where, as in side of the street, this would be located? I'm curious if this would remove a couple of blighted houses...

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by Limabean

The Fox 23 story takes a very different angle to this issue than the Tulsa World.

That's a good thing, because broadcasters have a legal obligation to disclose conflicts of interest , whereas publishers like the Whirled dont.