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  • Vote against removing Liz Wright: An open letter to John Smaligo and Fred Perry

    I can't attend Monday morning's Tulsa County Commission meeting, so I sent the following letter to County Commissioners John Smaligo and Fred Perry urging them to vote against removing Liz Wright from the TMAPC. (I didn't figure there was any point in sending it to Commissioner Karen Keith, the lead... [...]
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    Posted: November 23, 2009, 11:56pm EST

  • Blast from the past: A truly rude TMAPC commissioner

    In February 2004, leaders of neighborhood associations and homeowners' associations showed up by the dozens for a 1:30 p.m. hearing before the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (TMAPC) on zoning protest petitions. Many of those present had to make special arrangements to be at a City Hall meeting in the...' [...]
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    Posted: November 22, 2009, 1:11am EST

  • Santa Claus, Stinky Cheese Man illustrator at Philbrook today

    Santa Claus returns to Tulsa's Philbrook Art Museum for the 25th anniversary of the Festival of Trees. Today (November 21, 2009) is the members' opening of the Festival; the Festival opens to the public on Sunday. Santa will be at Philbrook each weekend of the festival (including the Friday after...' [...]
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    Posted: November 21, 2009, 1:20am EST

  • Karen Keith's ex post facto crusade for unfair zoning

    Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith's bizarre and unprecedented campaign to remove Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission member Elizabeth Wright (for bogus reasons, a year before her term expires) reaches its climax on Monday, November 23, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., at a public hearing to be held as part of the... [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2009, 12:20am EST

  • Texas Playboys' 1930s studio doomed?

    As with Tulsa's struggle over applying new fire codes to older buildings, Dallas is experiencing a battle between historic preservation and downtown revitalization on the one hand and strict enforcement of building codes on the other. The building in question is at 508 Park Avenue, a three-story Art Deco building... [...]
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    Posted: November 19, 2009, 1:02am EST

  • Take the downtown housing survey

    The city's economic development planners would like your thoughts on housing in and near downtown, and they've set up an online survey to collect your input, now through November 23. They want to find out who would be willing to live within the IDL and the neighborhoods immediately to the...' [...]
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    Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:31am EST

  • Buy Christmas gifts from crafty Tulsans

    I've noticed a surge of interest among Tulsa's young adults in arts and crafts. You'll find their creations on sale at local boutiques and coffeehouses and at special events like last month's Indie Emporium, which featured handmade knitwear, jewelry, clothing, accessories, toys, art prints, photographs, greeting cards, and much, much... [...]
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    Posted: November 17, 2009, 10:59pm EST

  • Help make a wish come true

    A note from Joe Kelley, KRMG Morning Show host and chairman of Oklahoma's Make-A-Wish Foundation: My Friends, Six weeks ago, I accepted the call to become Chairman of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma. As a two-time childhood cancer survivor, the mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is very personal to me.... [...]
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    Posted: November 17, 2009, 12:08pm EST

  • Morris Udall's Congressional Reports

    I was "chasing a rabbit," looking for info on how Oklahoma apportioned seats in the State Legislature among counties prior to a 1964 Federal court mandate (which to this day overrules the text of our State Constitution). What I found was a set of newsletters on the University of Arizona... [...]
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    Posted: November 17, 2009, 11:00pm EST

  • Turnout turned off

    Turnout in the City of Tulsa mayor's race fell from 77,341 in 2006 to 66,632, a drop of nearly 14%, albeit still higher than the turnout for 2002's Bill LaFortune-Gary Watts contest of 65,592. The most turned-off precinct in raw numbers was Precinct 168, between S. Sheridan and S. Memorial,... [...]
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    Posted: November 16, 2009, 12:02am EST

  • Adelson improved vote share in Senate 33

    There's a lot of analysis yet to be done on this election, but here's one bit of data that's somewhat interesting. Tom Adelson's share of the vote in State Senate district 33 may be one of the few positives in last Tuesday's results for the Democratic mayoral nominee. In 2004,... [...]
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    Posted: November 15, 2009, 8:10pm EST

  • Sunday brunch at Escargot's

    Last Sunday, as an early birthday lunch, my parents took us out to eat downtown at a new place that's been around for a while. Escargot's is a catering establishment at 8th and Main, in the old Harrington's / KOME building. The dining room has long been used for special... [...]
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    Posted: November 15, 2009, 1:06am EST

  • Election 2009: A couple of thoughts

    Work, homework, laundry, and more have occupied my time the last couple of days. My son is working on a five-paragraph essay for his writing assignment. He decided to write about Saul Alinsky and the ongoing influence of his Rules for Radicals. (Had a birthday, too. Got a DVD collection... [...]
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    Posted: November 13, 2009, 12:08am EST

  • A result that really matters

    As generally pleased as I am with Tuesday's election results, the outcome that's most on my mind is this one. Please pray. UPDATE 2009/11/11: After coming off ECMO, Anne Marie Dutcher's numbers are good and stable, much to everyone's amazement. Her mom, Susie, blogs that God has done something extraordinary.... [...]
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    Posted: November 11, 2009, 1:30am EST

  • Tulsa 2009 general election info

    Click the "continue reading" link to find links to helpful essays on BatesLine, my endorsements, voter information from the Tulsa County Election Board, multimedia, and candidate questionnaires, all to help you as you get ready to vote (post-dated to remain at the top until polls close). ("I Voted" sticker courtesy... [...]
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    Posted: November 10, 2009, 7:00pm EST

  • Mark Perkins rebuts Bartlett Jr 2nd Amendment attack

    Here's yet another slimy political attack from the Karl Ahlgren-Fount Holland factory. Dewey Bartlett Jr sent out a postcard to voters claiming, "Mark Perkins wants to take away our Second Amendment right to bear arms." Mark Perkins stated in a debate on KFAQ that he supports the 2nd Amendment as... [...]
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    Posted: November 09, 2009, 5:17pm EST

  • Preserve Midtown surveys the candidates

    Preserve Midtown, a group working to protect the unique character of midtown Tulsa's neighborhoods through compatible infill development, sent a very short and sweet three-question survey to the candidates for Mayor of Tulsa and the four contested City Council seats. The questions deal with the city no longer paying INCOG... [...]
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    Posted: November 08, 2009, 9:03pm EST

  • Auditor: For Preston Doerflinger

    If you weren't convinced a year ago that Tulsa needed a new City Auditor, you should be now. The incumbent, Phil Wood, has held the job since 1988, and he's the only auditor we've had under the 1989 City Charter, which gave the Auditor's office a great deal of independence... [...]
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    Posted: November 08, 2009, 8:28pm EST

  • Council candidates need your help

    UPDATE: Roscoe Turner's volunteers will gather at the Turner home at 3415 E. Haskell St. at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Phone 918-834-7580 to see how you can help. And all campaigns are going to need help on election day: Driving voters to the polls and making last...' [...]
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    Posted: November 06, 2009, 6:44pm EST

  • My wife wants a Maria Barnes yard sign

    My wife asked me the other day if we could put a sign in our yard for Maria Barnes, the former Tulsa District 4 city councilor who is seeking to take back that seat. For my wife, the decision comes down to this: Incumbent councilor Eric Gomez, who defeated Barnes... [...]
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    Posted: November 06, 2009, 5:03pm EST

  • Mark Perkins rates his chances

    Mark Perkins, independent candidate for Mayor of Tulsa, forwarded an e-mail that he sent to the KRMG Morning News team. In it, he provides his analysis of his chances, explaining how relatively small voter shifts away from his opponents and from the undecided column -- entirely possible given the new... [...]
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    Posted: November 05, 2009, 9:49pm EST

  • Kathy Taylor's Trail to revenge: Martinson defeat financed by Lobeck, associates

    What many of us suspected was confirmed by the post-primary ethics filing from Tulsa District 5 City Councilor-elect Chris Trail: Trail was Mayor Kathy Taylor's instrument of revenge against City Councilor Bill Martinson, who opposed her on the ballpark improvement district, raised concerns about the overly rosy revenue projections in... [...]
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    Posted: November 05, 2009, 7:18am EST

  • PAC contributions in city elections

    Several political action committees have contributed to City of Tulsa candidates during the current election cycle: BOK BOK Financial PAC: Dewey Bartlett Jr, $1,000; Chris Trail, $1,500; (Eric Gomez received $1,500 and Phil Lakin received $2,000 before the primary, in addition to contributions from George Kaiser, BOK attorney Frederic Dorwart,... [...]
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    Posted: November 03, 2009, 12:53am EST

  • Million-dollar mayoral race: pre-election contribution reports

    City of Tulsa contribution reports for next Tuesday's general election were due today to the City Clerk's office at 5 p.m. Three of the four mayoral candidates have filed their paperwork, and it indicates that Democratic nominee Tom Adelson has a funding advantage fueled by a personal loan of $850,000... [...]
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    Posted: November 02, 2009, 6:00pm EST

  • Charter amendments: Against 1 and 2, for 3

    As I was pulling out of the driveway on Saturday, a neighbor ran out into the street and flagged me down. She wanted to know what I thought about the three amendments to the Tulsa City Charter on the November 10 ballot. (You can find sample ballots with the text... [...]
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    Posted: November 02, 2009, 5:57pm EST

  • Karen Keith trying to bully neighborhood leader off planning commission

    UPDATE 11:40 a.m. 2009/11/02: Liz Wright called earlier this morning to tell me that the County Commission voted to approve the November 23 public hearing. Karen Keith based her call for a hearing on the need for geographical balance and her desire to make her own appointment, neither of which... [...]
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    Posted: November 02, 2009, 12:07am EST

  • The story of Mt. Zion Baptist Church

    Pastor J. H. Dotson during the construction of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The photos appear to show the remnant of the ruins of the 1921 structure, which had been roofed in 1937 and was being used for worship, being incorporated into the new structure, c. 1948. Beryl Ford Collection/Rotary... [...]
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    Posted: November 01, 2009, 1:54am EST

  • New York Times profiles Tom Coburn, damages barn

    New York Times reporter Mark Leibovich traveled to Sen. Tom Coburn's Muskogee farm for a profile which appears in today's edition: As the health care overhaul heads to the Senate floor, Mr. Coburn is preparing for what he considers a career pinnacle of havoc. Enacting the proposal, he says, would... [...]
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    Posted: October 30, 2009, 6:03pm EDT

  • Some mayoral substance

    Mike Easterling has a good story on the Tulsa mayor's race in the current issue of Urban Tulsa Weekly. Former Mayor Rodger Randle described the temporal challenges the mayor faces, particularly when it comes to the community meetings that demand most of a mayor's evenings: Randle said he often considered... [...]
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    Posted: October 29, 2009, 6:01pm EDT

  • Tulsa Restaurant Deals

    David Christopher has started a Tulsa website making innovative use of blog software to provide information to the public. It's called Tulsa Restaurant Deals, and the site's home page announces the lofty ambition to "cover every restaurant discount deal and cheap food and drink special in Tulsa, Oklahoma": Discover what's...' [...]
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    Posted: October 28, 2009, 9:35am EDT

  • Dewey Bartlett Jr backtracks on Tulsans for Better Government

    Steven Roemerman has a post up on Dewey Bartlett Jr's belated denials that he was a member of Tulsans for Better Government, the group that in 2005 unsuccessfully circulated a petition to change the Tulsa City Charter to reduce the number of City Council districts to six and add three... [...]
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    Posted: October 27, 2009, 1:10pm EDT

  • A busy day

    How I spent my Saturday: I slept in. I've been short on sleep all week, still haven't completely shaken this cold. I actually got 10 hours of good sleep. The downside of that is I lost some precious hours on a perfect autumn day. My wife and older son have... [...]
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    Posted: October 25, 2009, 3:10am EDT

  • Pictures of old Amarillo on Route 66

    I was googling for a restaurant sign in an old photo of Bob Wills' tour bus, the restaurant turned out to be the Old Tascosa in Amarillo's Herring Hotel. The Herring Hotel, like Tulsa's Mayo and Oklahoma City's Skirvin, is still standing but has been closed for over 30 years,...' [...]
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    Posted: October 23, 2009, 12:41am EDT

  • LWV Tulsa mayor, auditor candidate forum, 10/30/2009

    From our local League of Women Voters, a chance to hear from (almost) all of our citywide candidates, on Friday, October 30, 2009: The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa (LWVMT) and the Brookside NA will sponsor a mayoral candidate forum at All Souls Unitarian Church, 29th and Peoria,... [...]
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    Posted: October 22, 2009, 11:00am EDT

  • Oklahoma's abortion-reporting law

    You have likely heard about the lawsuit by abortion advocates seeking to halt implementation of Oklahoma's newly enacted abortion reporting legislation, due to go into effect on November 1, 2009. Here is a news release from Oklahomans for Life debunking a number of claims made in the lawsuit: NEW OKLAHOMA... [...]
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    Posted: October 22, 2009, 2:28am EDT

  • Tulsa blog roundup 2009/10/19

    I spent the last half of last week and all weekend at home dealing with a particularly nasty virus, and in the process missed a family gathering in Arkansas and what must have been an interesting political discussion. To compensate for the abnormal quiet in the house, I had the... [...]
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    Posted: October 19, 2009, 1:54am EDT

  • Roscoe Turner & Jim Mautino need your help

    You may feel that there's no hope for a decent outcome in the Tulsa mayor's race, but there's still a chance to elect more proactive, independent-minded, taxpayer-friendly, and neighborhood-friendly city councilors. Two of the key races are in Districts 3 and 6, where two former incumbents with grassroots backing are... [...]
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    Posted: October 16, 2009, 3:28pm EDT

  • Hyperlinked Tulsa city charter, policies and procedures online

    The City of Tulsa's website presents the City Charter in PDF format, which makes it hard to link to a specific provision and hard to cut and paste text. Beau McElhattan has posted the Tulsa City Charter and the City of Tulsa Policies and Procedures online in HTML format, with... [...]
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    Posted: October 16, 2009, 9:32am EDT

  • Forgotten West Tulsa lives on in book form

    If you've read BatesLine long, you'll know that I'm fascinated with forgotten bits of local history, such as the history of Greenwood between the 1921 destruction and rebuilding and its second destruction by urban renewal in the early '70s. It's wonderful to see old photos and to read reminiscences that... [...]
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    Posted: October 15, 2009, 9:46pm EDT

  • Calling in sick

    I've got what's going around -- not flu, I don't think, but bad enough to have trouble sleeping. There won't be anything from me tonight, but I encourage you to check out the good reading on BatesLine's Tulsa headlines page, including a salute to Guinness from McNellie's founder Elliot Nelson....' [...]
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    Posted: October 15, 2009, 3:13am EDT

  • District 4 candidate forum tonight

    The Pearl District Association is hosting a forum featuring the two candidates for Tulsa City Council District 4: Eric Gomez, the incumbent, and Maria Barnes, the previous incumbent. If you're particularly concerned about land use planning, zoning, urban revitalization, and neighborhoods, this is the forum to attend, as the Pearl...' [...]
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    Posted: October 13, 2009, 2:36pm EDT

  • Mapping the 2009 Tulsa mayoral primary

    I have put together a very crude map showing the variation by precinct in the results in last month's Republican primary for Mayor of Tulsa. The base map is from the University of Oklahoma Center for Spatial Analysis. I added dots, using colors to indicate Dewey Bartlett Jr's share of... [...]
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    Posted: October 13, 2009, 11:53pm EDT

  • Squaring Bartlett Jr's statement with his record

    Last Tuesday, I received an e-mail from the Tulsa County Republican Party with the title "An Open Letter to All Republicans from Dewey Bartlett Jr." The introduction says the letter is "the outcome of meetings between the [Tulsa County Republican Party] elected officials and the Bartlett [Jr] campaign officials," which... [...]
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    Posted: October 12, 2009, 1:24pm EDT

  • District 6: Jim Mautino vs. Councilor Crocs on high-speed rail

    Some time ago, Steven Roemerman sent a set of questions to all incumbent councilors to get their opinion on high speed rail, whether Tulsa needs it and how it should be funded. So far three have responded: District 2's Rick Westcott, who was reelected with a primary victory, District 9's...' [...]
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    Posted: October 11, 2009, 5:58pm EDT

  • The Cartel: Why more money != better schools

    A new documentary on the state of public education in America opens in theaters today. The Cartel takes a close look at the disconnect between how much taxpayers spend and the results we see. For more info, read my latest post at Choice Remarks, the blog of Oklahomans for School... [...]
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    Posted: October 09, 2009, 6:09pm EDT

  • Links of note, 2009/10/07

    Too tired and on the verge of getting sick, so no actual writing tonight, but here are a few links of interest from hither and yon: Steve Lackmeyer raises a concern for "Lost Bricktown," the part of Oklahoma City's warehouse district west of the Santa Fe tracks that escaped 1960s... [...]
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    Posted: October 08, 2009, 12:36am EDT

  • Geographical Palin

    Michael Palin, the incoming president of the Royal Geographical Society, spoke out in support of strengthening geography as an academic subject in the latest issue of Geographical, the society's magazine, according to a story in the Daily Mail: 'It's a subject that still seems to be neglected,' he said. 'It's... [...]
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    Posted: October 06, 2009, 12:55am EDT

  • Seminar on visual processing problems tonight

    If you have trouble reading, if letters seem to swim, if words dance on the page, if grids drive you goofy, if bright light gives you headaches, you may have a visual processing problem known as Irlen Syndrome, also known as scotopic sensitivity syndrome. There's an informational meeting tonight, Monday,... [...]
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    Posted: October 05, 2009, 11:33pm EDT

  • Tulsa blog roundup 2009/10/04

    Yet another linkfest: I washed, dried, folded, and distributed seven loads of laundry yesterday, so I'm lagging behind. Meanwhile, Tulsa area bloggers are turning out plenty worth reading. In a post titled, "Why I am a Republican," Man of the West relates the evolution of his political philosophy, having started...' [...]
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    Posted: October 04, 2009, 2:57pm EDT

  • Tulsa blog roundup 2009/10/02

    A few links to tide you over: Tulsa Gal has a photo-filled post on the history of the Tulsa State Fair. The aerial shots showing the evolution of the fairgrounds are fascinating. Tulsa TV Memories has a page devoted to the Tulsa State Fair, including the classic1965 radio jingle that... [...]
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    Posted: October 02, 2009, 2:02am EDT

  • Cornett conflict of interest charges; rail fans dial Preservation 911

    Oklahoma City has a lot going for it, but it has its problems, too. Here are a couple of recent news items that may be of interest at the east end of the Turner Turnpike. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett has a new job with ad agency Ackerman McQueen. (He's...' [...]
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    Posted: October 01, 2009, 11:59pm EDT

  • Mayoral audio

    Tulsa's mayoral election is on the air. At 8 a.m. this morning (Wednesday, September 30, 2009), 1170 KFAQ will have the two major-party candidates for mayor, Tom Adelson and Dewey Bartlett Jr, in studio for a head-to-head debate. As I understand it, host Pat Campbell will stay in the background... [...]
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    Posted: September 30, 2009, 1:47am EDT

  • Small world, isn't it?

    I'm reluctant to post this, because it could be read as conspiracy-mongering, but I was just fascinated by all the interconnections evident in a single Tulsa World story about a new professorship at the University of Tulsa College of Law. The new chair in energy law is being endowed by...' [...]
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    Posted: September 30, 2009, 12:56am EDT

  • ACORN in Oklahoma City

    A computer abandoned in ACORN's Oklahoma City office contains files that indicate a close working relationship between the leftist community organization and the Oklahoma Democratic party, according to State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. ACORN's former landlord gave the computer and files to Reynolds after the office was abandoned by... [...]
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    Posted: September 29, 2009, 6:18pm EDT

  • Where's Dewey Jr?

    I received an e-mail yesterday morning from Herb Beattie, who is organizing a candidate forum for the League of Women Voters of Metro Tulsa (phone numbers, except for the campaign office number, redacted): Subject: Please help me locate Dewey Since last Wednesday, 9/23, on behalf of the LWVMT, the Brookside... [...]
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    Posted: September 29, 2009, 12:59pm EDT

  • Will Tulsa's next mayor push liberal policies?

    A mailer today from the Dewey Bartlett Jr campaign points out Tom Adelson's contributions to liberal Democratic candidates and causes. Adelson was an early and maximum contributor to Barack Obama's presidential campaign, gave $20,000 to the 2008 "victory fund" (money given to the Democratic Party to promote voter registration and... [...]
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    Posted: September 29, 2009, 12:30am EDT

  • The OKC bombing videos: What's missing?

    The Associated Press reported Sunday on a new development concerning the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for surveillance tapes from buildings near Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. After a long wait, four tapes were released,... [...]
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    Posted: September 29, 2009, 12:00am EDT

  • Fight ALS in memory of Dr. Roger Atwood

    My friend Kathryn Atwood will be walking next month in the Greater Los Angeles Walk to Defeat ALS. This is the third year that she's done this walk, the third year since ALS claimed the life of her father, Dr. Roger M. Atwood, a Tulsa physician. Kathryn's walk team, "Remembering..." [...]
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    Posted: September 28, 2009, 8:15am EDT

  • Tulsa blog roundup 2009/09/27

    Links from bloggers and websites in Tulsa and around Oklahoma: MeeCiteeWurkor looks at a traffic fatality that killed a bicyclist. The trail led to the Sinclair refinery parking lot and the question: Does Sinclair Hire Illegal Aliens?An 1829 letter from President Andrew Jackson, informing leaders of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations that they... [...]
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    Posted: September 28, 2009, 12:11am EDT

  • In Soviet Russia, pigs do fly

    Here's another version, that uses stills backed with the Red Army Chorus singing "Katyusha." MORE: This clip is from the 2005 mockumentary Pervye na Lune (First to the Moon), about the 1930s Soviet space program. Here it is on Google video.... [...]
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    Posted: September 27, 2009, 2:14am EDT

  • Peep, peep! Thomas the Tank Engine at Oklahoma Railway Museum

    This weekend and next, September 25, 26, 27, and October 2, 3, and 4, 2009, Thomas the Tank Engine will be at the Oklahoma Railway Museum in Oklahoma City for a special "Day Out with Thomas" event. You'll be able to take a 25-minute train ride pulled by a full-sized...' [...]
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    Posted: September 25, 2009, 8:30pm EDT

  • Claim your steak

    Tomorrow, Saturday, September 26, 2009, is the Oklahoma Championship Steak Cookoff, to be held on the grounds of Trinity Episcopal Church, 5th & Cincinnati in downtown Tulsa. The meat hits the grill at 12:30. 1st place wins $2,500. Beyond the contest steaks, there will be steaks for the spectators, too:... [...]
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    Posted: September 25, 2009, 8:12pm EDT

  • The Greenwood Gap: My Ignite Tulsa talk

    Here it is: Here are some previous entries on BatesLine that touch on Greenwood and include some of the material I shared at Ignite Tulsa.Greenwood's streetcar: The Sand Springs Railroad (includes photos) The rise and fall of Greenwood (includes high res 1951 aerial photo of Deep Greenwood) Greenwood 1957 Film... [...]
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    Posted: September 24, 2009, 8:07am EDT

  • Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey comes home -- one night only

    Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is returning home to Tulsa for one night this Friday, September 25, on a coast-to-coast tour promoting their new EP, One Night in Brooklyn. The show starts at 9 pm at The Marquee on Main and Cameron in Tulsa's Bob Wills Arts District (look for Bob... [...]
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    Posted: September 24, 2009, 11:04pm EDT

  • Walk for Roscoe Turner

    Former District 3 City Councilor Roscoe Turner is trying to regain his seat on the City Council, a seat lost in 2008 to David Patrick. Patrick quit in 1998 to run for State House; Turner won the November special election. Patrick beat Turner in the 2002 Democratic primary, then lost... [...]
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    Posted: September 23, 2009, 9:09pm EDT

  • Kol Nidre online

    In college I became a brother of Zeta Beta Tau, a historically Jewish fraternity that became non-sectarian in the '50s. About a third of the brothers in our chapter were Jewish. They came from all over the country, from different backgrounds and had widely different approaches to religious observance. From...' [...]
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    Posted: September 23, 2009, 7:56pm EDT

  • Bartlett Jr turns dishonest attack into TV ad

    An update from an earlier entry: Back on September 9, I wrote about a press release from the Dewey Bartlett Jr campaign claiming that Tom Adelson attacked him in a KRMG interview the morning after the primary and then claiming that Adelson said Gov. Brad Henry should be shot for... [...]
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    Posted: September 22, 2009, 11:46pm EDT

  • Betsy Horowitz, naysayer

    Goodbye Tulsa has a remembrance of Betsy Horowitz by her son Andrew. Betsy Horowitz was a Maple Ridge neighborhood activist who was part of the successful fight to stop construction of the Riverside Expressway through her neighborhood in the 1970s. She moved to the Dallas area a decade or so... [...]
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    Posted: September 21, 2009, 12:54pm EDT

  • Signs of Greenwood's rebuilding

    In my Ignite Tulsa talk on the "Greenwood Gap," I mentioned in passing the physical indications of the rebuilding and flourishing of Tulsa's African-American district after it was burned in 1921 by a white mob. I would have included photos of some of those signs, and I had some that... [...]
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    Posted: September 20, 2009, 11:26pm EDT

  • Watch this space: Notes on my Greenwood talk coming soon

    Thanks to the organizers, speakers, and audience for last night's Ignite Tulsa event. It was a great experience, and I only wish I could have stayed through the entire program -- family needs called me home shortly after I spoke. I'm happy I had the chance to come back to...' [...]
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    Posted: September 18, 2009, 1:08pm EDT

  • Feedback wanted: PLANiTULSA, Driller Stadium

    The PLANiTULSA draft vision document, which will serve as the foundation for a fully-elaborated comprehensive plan for the City of Tulsa, is online. You can read it online as separate web pages, or download the "Our Vision for Tulsa" PDF. It's only 50 pages long (with lots of photos), so... [...]
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    Posted: September 16, 2009, 10:37pm EDT

  • Jon Stewart on ACORN expose: Where were the investigative journalists?

    Have you heard about federally-funded ACORN workers in several cities advising a prostitute and her pimp (actually undercover journalists) on how to conceal underage prostitution from the police and the IRS? If not, Jon Stewart's Daily Show segment on the topic makes for a quick overview: The Daily Show With... [...]
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    Posted: September 16, 2009, 9:39pm EDT

  • Ignite Tulsa Thursday night: A wealth of perspective in five-minute pieces

    If you've ever wondered, "Is Michael Bates capable of expressing himself concisely?" you and I will both have a chance to find out tomorrow night, Thursday, September 17, 2009, at Ignite Tulsa. The event will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Blue Dome Diner, at 313...' [...]
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    Posted: September 16, 2009, 12:42pm EDT

  • PLANiTULSA draft "vision" to be unveiled today; high-speed rail meeting tonight

    PLANiTULSA's draft vision, developed by Fregonese Associates in response to the PLANiTULSA scenario survey, will be available after 2 p.m. today, September 15, 2009, at PLANiTULSA.org. City of Tulsa planners are seeking feedback on the draft, which is not a detailed comprehensive plan, but a first step in that direction,... [...]
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    Posted: September 15, 2009, 7:47am EDT

  • The Trail from Sand Springs

    Last Thursday, KRMG's Joe Kelley interviewed Tulsa District 5 City Councilor-elect Chris Trail about his defeat of incumbent Bill Martinson. It was an interesting conversation. During the segment, Kelley mentioned his conversation with Trail at the Beer Summit, and that shortly thereafter, he was speaking to one of Trail's firefighter... [...]
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    Posted: September 15, 2009, 11:29pm EDT

  • Night life guides: 1948 Tulsa vs. 1959 Chicago

    TulsaGal has been posting scans of past Tulsa ephemera on her blog. The latest scan is of a little 16-page magazine called This Week in Tulsa, December 31, 1948 edition. Recently she posted a copy of the competing magazine, The Downtowner, from March 19, 1948. The magazines had ads for... [...]
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    Posted: September 14, 2009, 6:49pm EDT

  • Barbecue conversations: The Fields Downs Randolph building

    Photo by Daniel Hickman. On Saturday I went to a barbecue with lots of good food and a wide variety of people. One of the highlights of the day was a lesson in the economics of downtown preservation and demolition. In the midst of a political discussion across the... [...]
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    Posted: September 14, 2009, 1:27pm EDT

  • The challenge of fast, accurate election returns

    KRMG's Joe Kelley was frustrated at the slow rate at which Tuesday night's City of Tulsa election results were available to the public. You can't find live results on the Tulsa County Election Board website. For state elections, the Oklahoma State Election Board does provide live results, updated periodically. Many...' [...]
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    Posted: September 13, 2009, 7:59pm EDT

  • Three-year council terms a bad idea

    It's rare that I say this, but I agree with the Tulsa Whirled editorial board. In a Wednesday editorial, they urged the defeat of a proposed charter amendment to have the City Council elected to staggered three-year terms, so that only a third of the council is up for re-election... [...]
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    Posted: September 13, 2009, 12:28am EDT

  • Tulsa 9/11 Remembrance Service

    My apologies for posting this so late, but perhaps a few of you who work downtown will see this early enough to attend. (Postdated to remain at top until the service begins.) As it has every year since 2002, Trinity Episcopal Church at 5th & Cincinnati in downtown Tulsa will... [...]
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    Posted: September 11, 2009, 9:46am EDT

  • Bartlett Jr misfires on Adelson "traitor" quote

    (UPDATED 2009/09/10 9:00 a.m. -- KRMG's Joe Kelley has audio of Adelson's alleged negative attack on Bartlett Jr -- see below.) I guess it must be part of the Ahlgren & Holland playbook: Accuse your opponent of going negative before he actually has. Then you can attack your opponent while... [...]
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    Posted: September 09, 2009, 7:07pm EDT

  • Primary post-mortem: Some initial thoughts

    A few thoughts before turning in: Thanks to news director Dan Potter and the KRMG news team for the chance to contribute to tonight's coverage of the primary election. It was a pleasure, and I look forward to the next opportunity. Many thanks to Chris and Cheryl Medlock for their... [...]
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    Posted: September 09, 2009, 2:17am EDT

  • Running for mayor: The $50 meal ticket

    I tweeted a thought this afternoon and expanded upon it on air tonight. Here's what a $50 filing fee bought the also-rans in the Mayor's race: the right to demand equal time on the radio, an automatic invite to a half-dozen or so forums and luncheons, where you can express... [...]
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    Posted: September 09, 2009, 12:04am EDT

  • Tulsa 2009 election info

    Click the "continue reading" link to find links to helpful essays on BatesLine, voter information from the Tulsa County Election Board, multimedia, and candidate questionnaires galore, all to help you as you get ready to vote (post-dated to remain at the top until polls close).... [...]
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    Posted: September 08, 2009, 7:59pm EDT

  • Mayor: Medlock

    This has been a hard piece for me to write, which is why it's only now being posted. My apologies. I endorsed Chris Medlock for Mayor in 2006, but if you had told me 18 months ago that I'd be voting for Chris Medlock for Mayor in 2009, I'd have... [...]
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    Posted: September 08, 2009, 8:00am EDT

  • City Auditor : For Preston Doerflinger

    UPDATE: I just heard City Council candidate Chris Trail's radio ad unfairly attacking Bill Martinson. I'm sorry, but I can't vote for anyone who is a client of Karl Ahlgren or Fount Holland, as once again they are unfairly attacking an honest, intelligent public official at the behest of a...' [...]
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    Posted: September 08, 2009, 3:25am EDT

  • The 2009 District 8 race

    District 8 is a tough race for me. During his seven years on the City Council, Bill Christiansen has disappointed me over and over again. Early on, he worked to undermine and oppose some positive initiatives from my reform friends on the Council -- for example, the future growth task... [...]
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    Posted: September 08, 2009, 11:52pm EDT

  • Rocky Frisco on downtown development; Chamber to run downtown marketing?

    From Rocky Frisco's Tulsa Metro Chamber questionnaire. Nail, meet hammerhead. The more the city government has tried to "develop" the downtown, the worse it has become. I firmly believe that if had been allowed to develop naturally, without all the wild ideas for "development," it would still be an exciting,... [...]
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    Posted: September 07, 2009, 7:00pm EDT

  • A conversation with Rocky Frisco, part 1

    A couple of years ago, on April 11, 2007, I sat down at the Village Inn with Tulsa rock and roll pioneer Rocky Frisco and recorded a leisurely conversation with him. I am a lousy interviewer, but Rocky is a great interview subject. It didn't take much prompting to get...' [...]
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    Posted: September 07, 2009, 1:01pm EDT

  • A conversation with Rocky Frisco, part 1

    A couple of years ago, on April 11, 2007, I sat down at the Village Inn with Tulsa rock and roll pioneer Rocky Frisco and recorded a leisurely conversation with him. I am a lousy interviewer, but Rocky is a great interview subject. It didn't take much prompting to get...' [...]
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    Posted: September 07, 2009, 1:01pm EDT

  • District 4 candidate forum audio

    It took me too long to upload this file successfully, but here it is, coughs, sneezes, rumbles, and all. Audio from the League of Women Voters candidate forum, held on September 1, 2009, at Fellowship Congregational Church. All four candidates -- Democrats Maria Barnes and Elizabeth Wright, Republicans Rocky Frisco... [...]
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    Posted: September 07, 2009, 12:37pm EDT

  • Tulsa campaign roundup

    Steven Roemerman has a couple of new entries about local elections worth your attention. He follows up on a question that a talk show host asked him when he called in to express his support for Chris Medlock: "Do you really think Medlock can beat Tom Adelson?" Roemerman answers that... [...]
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    Posted: September 06, 2009, 7:28pm EDT

  • Poll comparison

    This morning the Tulsa World finally got around to publishing the poll it commissioned from SoonerPoll.com. I say "finally got around" because polling was completed on September 1, five days ago. It seems to me that if you're in the business of news, and you have a newsworthy story, you...' [...]
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    Posted: September 06, 2009, 2:06pm EDT

  • OSU journalism prof to Bartlett Jr: "Sealing court records isn't supporting the public's right to know"

    OSU journalism prof Joey Senat, writing on the blog of FOI Oklahoma, an organization that promotes open meetings, open records, and government transparency, chides mayoral candidate Dewey Bartlett Jr for having public records pertaining to his divorce sealed shortly after pledging himself to transparency in government. Bartlett's request came a... [...]
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    Posted: September 05, 2009, 4:08pm EDT

  • Bartlett Jr has divorce file sealed, denounces blogs

    Welcome, new readers! Click this link to read the blog article in question regarding Dewey Bartlett Jr's divorce filings and what his own side's assertions tell us about his financial acumen. Did Bartlett Jr fairly characterize what I posted? Read the article and the accompanying documents for yourself and draw... [...]
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    Posted: September 05, 2009, 5:03am EDT

  • District 5: For Bill Martinson, number cruncher, straight talker, grownup

    As long-time readers are no doubt aware, I was not a fan of Bill Martinson's when he first sought and was elected to the Tulsa City Council. Martinson replaced Sam Roop in District 5 after Mayor Bill LaFortune hired Roop as his chief information officer. Martinson was the candidate of... [...]
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    Posted: September 05, 2009, 2:38am EDT

  • KRMG mayoral interviews

    Recently KRMG's Joe Kelley did a 10-minute interview with each of the three Republican mayoral candidates who had previously served in elective office. The ground rules for the interviews display political savvy and a striving both to be fair with the candidates and to get the information that the voters... [...]
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    Posted: September 04, 2009, 12:51pm EDT

  • District 4: For Rocky Frisco

    A commenter on this blog recently dismissed Rocky Frisco, Republican candidate for Tulsa District 4 City Councilor, as a "perennial candidate," insinuating that voters shouldn't take him seriously. I take him seriously, and on Tuesday I'll be voting for Rocky Frisco in the Republican primary. It is true that... [...]
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    Posted: September 04, 2009, 12:58am EDT

  • Eagleton: Firefighter campaigning violates federal law

    Tulsa District 7 City Councilor John Eagleton today released a legal analysis showing that the political campaigning by City of Tulsa firefighters who identify themselves as Tulsa firefighters on the campaign trail is not only a violation of the City Charter, it also violates the Hatch Act, which prohibits employees... [...]
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    Posted: September 04, 2009, 12:26am EDT

  • Medlock gets "A" from NRA, Bartlett didn't answer questionnaire

    The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund has given an A rating to Republican mayoral candidate Chris Medlock for his views on Second Amendment rights. Dewey Bartlett Jr did not respond to the NRA questionnaire, receiving a "?" rating. Tom Adelson, the likely Democratic mayoral nominee, also received an A,... [...]
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    Posted: September 03, 2009, 5:43pm EDT
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