Editor's note: The Tulsa World will examine the accuracy of television ads for each of the mayoral candidates.
A recent campaign television ad proclaiming that Mayor Dewey Bartlett brought life back to Tulsa largely passes a fact check, but the validity of its more subjective claims depends on interpretation, a Tulsa World analysis found.
The ad, which began airing this month, opens with images of presumably unemployed workers and darkness befalling Tulsa's skyline before Bartlett took office in 2009, when, as the narrator says, Tulsa had just lost 18,000 jobs.
As the sun rises again, the ad proclaims that "violent crime is down" and Tulsa has regained 9,000 jobs - all as Bartlett did more with less, saved more money, refused to raise taxes and never gave into labor unions.
The statements of fact in the ad - the job numbers and violent crime claim - were confirmed by the World's analysis. The rest is open to debate.
Violent crime: The number of violent crimes reported to the FBI by the Tulsa Police Department last year was down 8.1 percent from 2009, falling from 4,296 to 3,949, with no significant change in Tulsa's population, data show.
Moreover, the 12,218 violent crimes reported during the three years under Bartlett are less than the 13,780 reported during the three full years under former Mayor Kathy Taylor.
Those numbers include four of the five crimes defined by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program as violent: homicide, aggravated assault, rape and robbery. The fifth category, involuntary manslaughter, is typically defined in court and not included in police records.
The one blemish for Bartlett was in 2010, when his administration laid off about 125 police officers and violent crimes increased to 4,308. Every violent crime category, however, has improved in the past two years - although 2013 may reverse that trend.
The number of homicides this year - 24 - already exceeds half of last year's total of 42 and is ahead of the pace set in 2009, when the city had an all-time record of 69 homicides.
Jobs numbers: In December 2009, when Bartlett took office, the city had 173,320 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. That number increased to 182,306 by December 2012 - an 8,986 difference.
Between April 2006 and November 2009 - Taylor's term - the city lost 18,163 jobs amid a crippling recession that raised unemployment nationwide.
The figures in Bartlett's ad reflect those reported by a Tulsa World story that debunked his previous claim that Tulsa had gained 15,000 jobs. That number was more in line with the city's U.S. Census-defined metropolitan area, which gained 21,981 jobs.
Did more with less?: Bartlett's first budget - $566.4 million in fiscal year 2010-11 - was 2 percent smaller than the previous year's budget, but its operating funds were slightly larger: $525 million to $520 million.
His next two budgets were the largest in city history: $650 million in 2011-12 and $703.1 million this year.
Refused tax hikes?: Although Bartlett has consistently refused to raise the city sales tax, he has proposed extending the third-penny tax and the city's share of the 0.167-cent former 4 to Fix the County tax.
The latter is eyed as a permanent extension for public safety and street operational costs, but Bartlett has stressed that he would be open to a temporary extension.
Stood up to unions?: Bartlett has had a consistently poor relationship with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1180, which represents the city's nonsworn employees - although he gave such employees raises in 2011.
Since then, the union says the mayor has refused to meet face-to-face and has come across as arrogant and unsympathetic to the city's lowest-paid employees.
Bartlett's relationship has been better with police and firefighter unions, although he made enemies in the police union over the 2010 layoffs despite an official understanding with union leadership.
Bartlett agreed to grant raises for police and firefighters during negotiations this fiscal year.
Saving more?: The city created a rainy day fund during Bartlett's term, but that fund was a City Council initiative. Bartlett says it has $2 million this year. The city has typically also included a 6 percent reserve in its budget.
Top claims
- Violent crime is down: True
- Tulsa lost 18,000 jobs: True
- Tulsa has gained 9,000 jobs: True
Zack Stoycoff 918-581-8486
zack.stoycoff@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: In general, Bartlett ad passes muster
