Tulsa World: Mayoral hopefuls keep sparring

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Saturday, November 21, 2009 | WIRELESS

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Mayoral hopefuls keep sparring
Bartlett says he's ready to lead; Adelson says Bartlett leads in the wrong direction.

One Dewey Bartlett Jr. mayoral campaign ad is "Bartlett's Leadership."

By BRIAN BARBER & P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writers
Published: 10/13/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 10/13/2009 3:56 AM

Visit the Tulsa World’s city elections Web page for continuing coverage.

As the Tulsa mayor's race unfolds, the Tulsa World will periodically examine the truthfulness of the campaign ads put forth by candidates. The general election is set for Nov. 10.

The ad: "Bartlett's Leadership"

Format: TV commercial

Paid for by: Republican Dewey Bartlett Jr.'s campaign

The message: (Tulsa World headline "City's proposed budget slashed further" comes into view) "In times like these, we don't need a lawyer or a legislator, we need an experienced leader. Because there's no time for Tulsa's next mayor to learn on the job. Dewey Bartlett — former chairman of the American Red Cross of Tulsa, veteran of the Oklahoma Air National Guard, nationally renowned natural gas and energy expert. (Shots of Bartlett in various office and conversational situations.) A successful conservative businessman, Dewey Bartlett has managed a payroll and created jobs. The time for one Tulsa is now. The leader: Dewey Bartlett for Tulsa mayor."

Fact or fiction?: In the opening sentence, Bartlett is referring to his Democratic opponent Tom Adelson, who is an attorney and Oklahoma senator.

Bartlett served on the voluntary board of Tulsa's American Red Cross chapter from 1992 to about 2002 and is a past chairman. He

joined the Air National Guard in 1969 and served for six years. And Bartlett has held leadership positions in many state and national energy groups, including the National Stripper Well Association and the Oklahoma Energy Resource Board.

Bartlett joined the family business, Keener Oil & Gas, in 1979 as a landman and co-managing partner and became the sole managing partner in 1987. He assumed the role of president in 1994, when Keener changed from a partnership to a corporation.

Keener has eight full-time employees, but the drilling of each well provides jobs to about 100 people.

The ad: "Bartlett's Bag of Tricks"

Format: TV commercial

Paid for by: Democrat Tom Adelson's campaign

The message: (The ad opens with a cartoon of a cabaret-style stage with a red curtain drawn and "Dewey Bartlett's Bag of Tricks" written across it. The curtain opens to an animated Bartlett and vaudeville music.) "Dewey Bartlett has pulled out a Washington bag of tricks. He's talking about Obama and Pelosi, so we won't discuss his raising our tolls, Bartlett voting against senior nutrition programs, wanting to turn our expressways into toll roads, calling for raising our property taxes, pushing to invest our tax dollars in a private airline going bankrupt. Bartlett talks about Washington because he can't talk about Tulsa. Let's not fall for his bag of tricks."

Fact or fiction?: In Bartlett's ads against Adelson, he links Adelson to President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi through campaign donations. In one ad, he includes other top national Democratic leaders such as Hillary Clinton.

The minutes of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for Sept. 16, 1990, and Dec. 18, 2000, which are the citations given in the ad, show increases to the turnpike toll fees and Bartlett, an authority member, voted to approve both.

In the Aug. 28, 1990, Tulsa City Council minutes, Bartlett was among four of nine councilors who voted against a federal $3.6 million Community Development Block Grant, which included $138,000 for the Tulsa Senior Nutrition Program.

Bartlett was a co-chairman of the citizens streets task force that was assembled by Mayor Kathy Taylor. One of the group's ideas for further exploration was to have the city buy the Broken Arrow Expressway from the state and convert it into a toll road to generate street maintenance funding.

The formal recommendation from the streets task force was for the city to pursue at least $1 billion in new property and sales taxes to fully address the street woes. The city ultimately went with a $451.6 million streets package that voters approved in fall 2008.

In November 2002, the Oklahoma Transportation Authority, also known as the turnpike authority, while Bartlett was a member, approved a letter that "expressed intent" of the authority "to finance the acquisition, construction and operation of an aviation hub at Tulsa International Airport to be leased or otherwise operated by Great Plains Airline." The deal never occurred because it needed legislation to authorize it. The airline ultimately went bankrupt.

Brian Barber 581-8322, P.J. Lassek 581-8382
brian.barber@tulsaworld.com, p.j.lassek@tulsaworld.com By BRIAN BARBER & P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writers

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

11 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

	Report Comment GARFIELD, TULSA (10/13/2009 7:46:56 AM) A nod to Bartlett this time, some of those claims/charges go back many years. He does manage a business and meet a payroll and pay taxes. I just wish this nastiness in ads would stop, from BOTH candidates.
	Report Comment olddude, tulsa (10/13/2009 8:08:55 AM) So did kathy taylor,enough said,vote independent
	Report Comment Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (10/13/2009 8:15:13 AM) Agreed olddude.
	Report Comment lucky girl, mine (10/13/2009 8:17:07 AM) I can not stand all the backstabbing and namecalling, they are so the the qualities of the good leader that we need.
	Report Comment dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (10/13/2009 9:22:21 AM) Vote Perkins. Send the message enough is enough. We're not fooled any longer by the Republicans OR the Democrats. This city is in shambles due to entrenched politicans from both parties. VOTE INDEPENDENT THIS TIME FOR TULSA.
	Report Comment born okay the 1st time, tulsa (10/13/2009 10:51:08 AM) Just for once, I'd like to see intelligent debate about what their plans are, not more of the same mud slinging. But I guess thats too much to ask for from the average politician. With Adelson or Bartlett, it's just going to be more of the same; back scratching for Tulsa's elite.
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (10/13/2009 11:26:20 AM) Perkins is looking better and better to me, but where is Mark Perkins? I've not heard a thing about him or seen him on tv. Where is he?
	Report Comment kyote, (10/13/2009 12:26:13 PM) The independent canidate is looking better and better each day.
	Report Comment born okay the 1st time, tulsa (10/13/2009 1:29:48 PM) You havent heard him becaue he hasnt been included or invited in these debates. KRMG has talked with him though. He seems highly intelligent & a great candidate.
	Report Comment yep, Tulsa County (10/13/2009 10:22:40 PM) Jeesh, what a choice. Do you vote for Beavis? Or Butthead? I realize it's reached the point where it takes a $1 mill campaign to win the Tulsa mayor's election now...sadly this excludes all but the elite few (such as the independent candidate) and/or those backed by the midtown contingency. More years of near-obsession with downtown and midtown, and virtual ignoring of the north side and south side again.
	Report Comment tulsa_common_sense, tulsa (10/14/2009 9:29:18 AM) ignoring south tulsa? thats a new one. 71st was just repaved. it took for ever but it was widened and repaved brand new within the last decade. improvements to the streets in south tulsa has happened before it has happened in mid-town. allot has went to south tulsa while midtown and downtown went ignored for many many decades. and north tulsa even longer. mid-town needs to be improved. north tulsa needs improved east tulsa needs improved. south tulsa just needs to suck it up for once.

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.