In one of the biggest races, Republicans Rocky Frisco, Liz Hunt and Blake Ewing will square off for the Republican nod in a District which is now more Republican than before. The winner faces the winner of Ken Brune vs incumbent Maria Barnes.
Thoughts?
Quote from: sgrizzle on September 09, 2011, 02:36:14 PM
In one of the biggest races, Republicans Rocky Frisco, Liz Hunt and Blake Ewing will square off for the Republican nod in a District which is now more Republican than before. The winner faces the winner of Ken Brune vs incumbent Maria Barnes.
Thoughts?
Honestly, I think Blake would make a great councilor. He's a great cheerleader for all that is good in Tulsa, but I'm worried about him spreading himself too thin. He would certainly be more visible than Maria has been and express more innovation. I'm really not quite sure why Maria ran for D-4 again unless she was simply pissed that Gomez beat her the last time they met in the general as she's been entirely ineffective and one thing I've heard from many D-4 constituents is: "Do we have a councilor in our district?" That's sad. The only visible moment I do recall for her was when she tried to manipulate the RFQ for the fire station off Cherry St.
I hope the Repubs in this district go with Ewing. Some entrepreneurial youth for a change. Ewing's signs remind me of Nazi propaganda posters though. Lots of them taken down around here having been placed in visible, accessible public row's. The other two just irritate me. But then most things do lately.
Maria may not be real visible but that doesn't mean she isn't doing the job. Gomez was the opposite. Visible and not representing most of us. I have spoken with her a few times in the last year and she is always pleasant and frank, even though I'm not a campaign contributor.
I spoke to her about the RFQ for the fire station and got some insights into how difficult it is to do anything in this town without thoroughly pissing off someone or some group on the simplest matters. I'm not sure I would criticize her for that episode unless you just have some juicy insider stuff. She got hosed by the TW on that one.
Who is Brune? He his name and appearance are familiar but I don't know why. His flyers don't say much. Not enough to sway me anyway.
Quote from: AquaMan on September 09, 2011, 04:16:10 PM
I hope the Repubs in this district go with Ewing. Some entrepreneurial youth for a change. Ewing's signs remind me of Nazi propaganda posters though. Lots of them taken down around here having been placed in visible, accessible public row's. The other two just irritate me. But then most things do lately.
Maria may not be real visible but that doesn't mean she isn't doing the job. Gomez was the opposite. Visible and not representing most of us. I have spoken with her a few times in the last year and she is always pleasant and frank, even though I'm not a campaign contributor.
I spoke to her about the RFQ for the fire station and got some insights into how difficult it is to do anything in this town without thoroughly pissing off someone or some group on the simplest matters. I'm not sure I would criticize her for that episode unless you just have some juicy insider stuff. She got hosed by the TW on that one.
Who is Brune? He his name and appearance are familiar but I don't know why. His flyers don't say much. Not enough to sway me anyway.
She completely over-stepped her boundaries when she meddled with that RFQ. There's no gray area there. I think you'd be surprised how much Gomez was getting done for the district even after he left office as constituents were having a hard time getting emails and calls returned by Maria. I really do believe she was pretty inspired and more of an activist her first term as a councilor. She simply blended in and took the check this time around, IMO.
I'm a believer in replacing a politician when they've clearly failed. Its just not that clear to me that Maria has failed. I read about a couple of those proposals and they were questionable.
It would be a hard decision between her and Ewing though. He employs my son and he's a hands on entrepreneur. Wish he had filed democrat, but then at this level it doesn't matter that much. In district 4 just be competent, moderate and committed to neighborhoods and downtown. And return calls no matter what party affiliation.
Quote from: AquaMan on September 09, 2011, 06:03:13 PM
Wish he had filed democrat,
Your true colors come through.
Quote from: Red Arrow on September 09, 2011, 06:53:44 PM
Your true colors come through.
I don't get to vote for him in the primary, either. Silly closed primaries.
Quote from: Conan71 on September 09, 2011, 03:47:48 PM
Honestly, I think Blake would make a great councilor. He's a great cheerleader for all that is good in Tulsa, but I'm worried about him spreading himself too thin. He would certainly be more visible than Maria has been and express more innovation. I'm really not quite sure why Maria ran for D-4 again unless she was simply pissed that Gomez beat her the last time they met in the general as she's been entirely ineffective and one thing I've heard from many D-4 constituents is: "Do we have a councilor in our district?" That's sad. The only visible moment I do recall for her was when she tried to manipulate the RFQ for the fire station off Cherry St.
Conan, I don't know who you are or what you have against Maria, but the people you talk to clearly don't have any idea what's going on at City Hall. How could you know about that silly incident with the fire station, and not know what else Maria has done in your district? Here is just a short list of things she has done:
1. Spearhead the passage of form based codes for the Pearl District. Despite his occasional expressions of support, Gomez never did what it would take to pass FBC. Maria promised to push for adoption in the Pearl District, and has done that. She has worked closely with the Pearl District to overcome obstacles & ensure its success.
2. PlaniTulsa--Maria worked on this from the beginning. Much of the persuading & politicking went on behind the scenes, but I promise you that Maria was instrumental in assuring its passage. If it weren't for her commitment to & support of the Plan, I doubt it would have ever passed through council. She continues to play a key role, serving on the committee for the zoning code update, for example.
3. The Lift Program--Mayor Bartlett tried to cut this program, leaving hundreds of disabled & elderly people without any form of transportation. Maria fought & persuaded other city councilor members about its critical need in the city. As a result, many grandparents & parents in this city can remain living independently.
4. Cherry Street Market--admittedly, this was first considered by Gomez, but it was Maria that worked to close down 15th street so that the market could expand. Some people questioned whether you could ever convince Tulsans to close down a major thoroughfare, but Maria's leadership enabled it.
5. Amend the zoning code to better protect historic neighborhoods. People in Yorktown & Swan lake feel under attack by a certain developer who doesn't believe that HP zoning should apply to him. After tearing down several houses, the homeowners were simply asking for some reassurance that those former historic houses wouldn't be turned into parking lots. Despite going up against some very big-hitters, Maria fought to provide that assurance. And now we at least have some limited protection (she fought for further assurance, but lost).
Those are just a few things--I could also mention her work to preserve the number of police & firefighters, her work with Bynum to prohibited the city from discrimination based on sexual orientation, and her current work to have the parking reconfigured on Cherry Street. She constantly attends neighborhood meetings, helping them with issues big & small, not to mention downtown property owners, as well as other business owners.
Of course, you can disagree with her decisions, but to say she hasn't done anything is just ignoring her record.
I find it very ironic that you hear so often that the Council is over stepping their bounds, that they are power hungry & unwilling to bow to the "strong mayor" form of government. But then you hear people also saying that so-in-so councilor never does anything. Seriously, what would you want Maria to do that is consistent with the strong-mayor form of government? You say she isn't visible--do you really want a councilor who is constantly seeking the spotlight, like certain councilors (or potential councilors)?
Most people know that I am a big fan of Maria's. But I hope you will at least seriously consider what I have said. To be honest, I don't always agree with her decisions. But I support her because I believe that her decisions are based solely on what she feels is consistent with what her constituents want, and what is best for her district. I believe that she truly listens to average citizens.
And lets be honest--those neighbors of yours that don't know who their city councilor is probably have no idea who their state rep, senator, labor commissioner, School Board Rep, etc... is either.
From what I've read on this board Conan doesn't live in district four any longer.
I don't live in the district, but I would like to see Maria Barnes versus Blake Ewing in the general.
I simply want Ewing to win the Republican primary to show they can recognize some future leadership that isn't overtly partisan and dogmatic. Don't know a thing about his politics, his personality, his stand on local issues....anything. He was able to understand the downtown opportunities and is capitalizing on them. That is not enough to earn a seat on the council though. And I agree that he may be spreading himself too thin to be effective as a councilor. This is not his time for this position but it will give him a start.
Maria Barnes on the other hand has served the district, has lived in the district a long time, knows the district and hasn't shown herself to be prone to the vitriolic behaviors some other councilors have. She is capable of representing the issues of both downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Hard to fathom why I wouldn't vote for her.
I don't live in the district any more. I like all five of the candidates.
I was impressed that Blake Ewing threw a fundraiser last night to help his election opponent buy a car. That was a classy move.
I'm a Democrat but will be voting for Blake in the general election. I like his creativity and vision for downtown and surrounding urban neighborhoods which is what District 4 is all about and I why I like living in the district.
My main interest, just because of where I live, is Cherry Street and Swan Lake. I think Maria has been fine for our neighborhood but want to see what Blake can do, especially the revitalization of the Pearl and those neighborhoods which are really close to gentrifying with the right mix of infrastructure improvements and private investment. I do not like the parking plan for Cherry Street which Maria advocated and instead would rather see it remain parallel parking on both sides with a new streetscape. I would be interested to hear Blake's opinion on Cherry Street's future.
PWI alert...... Blake rocked the house tonight at the Owen Park Neighborhood Association meeting.... celebrate good times, c'mon.... makes me wanna play galaga or centipede....
This '83 hs grad sings..... Hale to the Rangers, I said Hale....... ;D
Quote from: rdj on September 09, 2011, 10:17:25 PM
From what I've read on this board Conan doesn't live in district four any longer.
Only since the lines were officially
gerrymandered re-drawn. Does that make my opinion of her any less relevant?
To address PMCalk's post: Fortunately I've not needed Councilor Barnes' help on issues in my neighborhood. I'm not the only one around the city who thinks she comes off as being detached, disinterested, and generally un-prepared for council meetings. I definitely found her to be far more engaging during her first term. Just curious where that Maria went.
Quote from: pmcalk on September 09, 2011, 09:31:39 PM
2. PlaniTulsa--Maria worked on this from the beginning. Much of the persuading & politicking went on behind the scenes, but I promise you that Maria was instrumental in assuring its passage. If it weren't for her commitment to & support of the Plan, I doubt it would have ever passed through council. She continues to play a key role, serving on the committee for the zoning code update, for example.
3. The Lift Program--Mayor Bartlett tried to cut this program, leaving hundreds of disabled & elderly people without any form of transportation. Maria fought & persuaded other city councilor members about its critical need in the city. As a result, many grandparents & parents in this city can remain living independently.
Maria was at tonight's meeting in Owen Park.... Maria has lots of signs in my neighborhood (not as many as Blake), so obviously, in a new district, she's doing something right....
I met a guy a year ago who moved from Rockford, IL to Tulsa..... to die. cuz he has family here.
No amount of thank-you's will thank Maria enough for keeping the lift program available for him --- pain patches, docs who either over-medicate him or insists he has yet another MRI or CT-scan.... I can't be there, and he's not family.... and I coulda got the same rent using roommates.com, but....
I voted about 7:30 this morning and I was #5. I was the only one in there at the time. Hoping for a better turn out.
Quote from: Conan71 on September 13, 2011, 01:00:42 AM
Only since the lines were officially gerrymandered re-drawn. Does that make my opinion of her any less relevant?
Of course not. I was stating that because I thought the poster that addressed thought you did.
IF I was a resident of district four I would not be casting my vote for Maria Barnes.
I saw quite a few signs for District 4 candidates, including the only Liz Hunt sign I've ever seen, in District 9
I am interested to see the total number of votes in the Republican and the Democratic Primary in the new districts.
Is it the general belief that Barns will easily defeat Ken Brune? It is hard to gage these things, but my neighborhood was added to this district and Brune has a lot of signs on my street and in the area. I assume she will easily carry the holdover portions of Dist. 4.
Quote from: DTowner on September 13, 2011, 03:17:31 PM
Is it the general belief that Barns will easily defeat Ken Brune? It is hard to gage these things, but my neighborhood was added to this district and Brune has a lot of signs on my street and in the area. I assume she will easily carry the holdover portions of Dist. 4.
96 percent of the Dem vote in and Brune is up by 8 pctg points (54 to 46)
Looks as if it might be Brune vs Blake, as Blake is up 25 points on Liz Hunt with 82 percent in
Looks like Barnes will be out. It will be Brune vs. Ewing.
Interesting outcome. For Blake's sake, I would have preferred a match up with Barns instead of Brune. Overall, it was a bad night for incumbents.
Quote from: DTowner on September 13, 2011, 09:39:07 PM
Interesting outcome. For Blake's sake, I would have preferred a match up with Barns instead of Brune. Overall, it was a bad night for incumbents.
Yep, only two retained, three (Christiansen, Eagleton and Westcott) I believe weren't running anyway. Barnes, Turner, Mautino and Trail were all unseated. I was a little surprised at Trail getting unseated, but the others..not so much.
Congrats Blake. I'm not a Republican, but typically municipal politics isn't so much about party affiliation as it is about listening to your constituents. If I'd have lived in Dist 4 I'd have likely voted for you. Maybe you and Eric Marshall should consider a bid for Governor and Lt Governor at some point. ;)
QuoteMaybe you and Eric Marshall should consider a bid for Governor and Lt Governor at some point.
I would vote that ticket.
Quote from: jacobi on September 13, 2011, 09:46:48 PM
I would vote that ticket.
Hell, I'd just love to be at the watch party
Quote from: Conan71 on September 13, 2011, 10:42:14 PM
Hell, I'd just love to be at the watch party
That was the first thing I thought after that response.
Pizza and beer. How much better could it get?
Quote from: Hoss on September 13, 2011, 11:00:16 PM
That was the first thing I thought after that response.
Pizza and MARSHALL'S beer. How much better could it get?
FIFY.
There's Marshall's and then there's piss.
Although I do have to say I've been enjoying Santa Fe Brewing's Nut Brown Ale lately. It is pretty damn amazing. I love walking into either Collin's Mid-Town Liquor or Ranch Acres and looking through all the beer offerings now available here in Tulsa. It's like spending an hour browsing the shelves at the library ;)
/obligatory beer drift
Quote from: Conan71 on September 14, 2011, 09:32:41 AM
FIFY.
There's Marshall's and then there's piss.
Although I do have to say I've been enjoying Santa Fe Brewing's Nut Brown Ale lately. It is pretty damn amazing. I love walking into either Collin's Mid-Town Liquor or Ranch Acres and looking through all the beer offerings now available here in Tulsa. It's like spending an hour browsing the shelves at the library ;)
/obligatory beer drift
My apologies. I thought it was a given as it regards to me that I only drink the micros, mainly Marshalls. I haven't had a pint of the p-water in ages.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled discussion regarding the District 4 race.
Once again, Godwin's Marshall Law prevails.
I would be interested to hear from both Brune and Ewing what their plans would be for the Pearl District improvements, streetscape projects downtown, increasing gentrification/safety in the neighborhoods between downtown and TU, and the Cherry Street parking plan. What other issues would you like to see addressed in District 4?
I also would like to know how both stand on the trash plan. Hopefully both support going to once-a-week service with wheeled bins for trash and recyclables.
Strange to me that the answers to those questions have not been addressed during the primaries. I still don't know who Brune is, what he has done, what he supports and how he got here. As much as I like Ewing's behaviors I have no idea how he feels about those issues either.
Was the primary just a popularity thing?
Quote from: AquaMan on September 14, 2011, 12:37:50 PM
Strange to me that the answers to those questions have not been addressed during the primaries. I still don't know who Brune is, what he has done, what he supports and how he got here. As much as I like Ewing's behaviors I have no idea how he feels about those issues either.
Was the primary just a popularity thing?
Isn't politics a popularity contest? You vote for the guy candidate you like. The one with the most likes wins.
Quote from: BKDotCom on September 14, 2011, 12:52:09 PM
Isn't politics a popularity contest? You vote for the guy candidate you like. The one with the most likes wins.
'
This may have been a case of the opposite. There is nothing known about Brune. How do I know if I like him or not? His picture? If so I'm guessing he's retired from selling insurance and needs something to do. His postcards to me said nothing. Less than nothing really. Vote for Papa. He's swell. At least he didn't parade his family out. Would like to see anywhere he made a position statement on any of the District 4 issues that SW listed. Hopefully before the election.
I guess its just "throw the rascals out" time.
I've met Ken Brune, he is a nice guy with god intentions, but pretty quiet. A couple of downtown developer/real estate types have been helping him with his campaign. I'm guessing the pitch for beating Maria is "I'm Ken, and I'm not Maria"
Ken owns the Reunion Center. It's on the NE corner of 4th and Main (think due east of Arby's) and lives in the building. I see him walking around downtown all the time.
While I think Blake would make a good councilor, I think Ken would make a pretty good one too.
Quote from: sgrizzle on September 14, 2011, 01:22:44 PM
I've met Ken Brune, he is a nice guy with god intentions, but pretty quiet.
Quote from: sgrizzle on September 14, 2011, 01:22:44 PM
I've met Ken Brune, he is a nice guy with god intentions, but pretty quiet. A couple of downtown developer/real estate types have been helping him with his campaign. I'm guessing the pitch for beating Maria is "I'm Ken, and I'm not Maria"
Ken owns the Reunion Center. It's on the NE corner of 4th and Main (think due east of Arby's) and lives in the building. I see him walking around downtown all the time.
While I think Blake would make a good councilor, I think Ken would make a pretty good one too.
Thanks, Grizz. I like anyone who lives in his own building downtown.
Brune is an attorney, but I have not seen any particulars on his positions on any issues.
I thought it was interesting that the votes cast on each side were pretty close - 1,928 for the Democrats and 1,869 for the Republicans. That ratio is a pretty close approximation of the voter registration in Dist. 4. It will be interesting to see how independents break in the general election.
Quote from: DTowner on September 14, 2011, 01:53:55 PM
Brune is an attorney, but I have not seen any particulars on his positions on any issues.
I thought it was interesting that the votes cast on each side were pretty close - 1,928 for the Democrats and 1,869 for the Republicans. That ratio is a pretty close approximation of the voter registration in Dist. 4. It will be interesting to see how independents break in the general election.
For my part, I've always held strong to the notion that municipal politics is more about representing your constituents than it is about partison ideology. I'm not sure that all parties vote party line when it comes to this level of office.
Interesting that the emphasis has changed in this district from "protecting neighborhoods" to "encouraging downtown development". And "do the river" has all but disappeared.
Quote from: AquaMan on September 14, 2011, 01:58:40 PM
Interesting that the emphasis has changed in this district from "protecting neighborhoods" to "encouraging downtown development". And "do the river" has all but disappeared.
"Do the river" has been replaced with "Just do something, you dysfunctional fools!"
Quote from: Conan71 on September 14, 2011, 03:49:33 PM
"Do the river" has been replaced with "Just do something, you dysfunctional fools!"
..."and stop smelling your fingers. That's nasty!"
Quote from: Townsend on September 14, 2011, 03:51:19 PM
..."and stop smelling your fingers. That's nasty!"
I think I just peed my pants...just a little
I'd like to congratulate Blake on his hard fought battle...his win...his tenacity to stay in office...
Congratulations on no one challenging you. You got 'em scared and runnin'. Keep on keepin' on.
(http://external.ak.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCoQlDo4WNtvpsQ&w=90&h=90&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tulsaworld.com%2Farticleimages%2F2012%2F20120412_EwingBlake0412.jpg)
I think Blake should demand a recount.