Tulsa World: Tulsa mayoral candidate speaks at Press Club

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Tulsa mayoral candidate speaks at Press Club

Mayoral candidate Dewey Bartlett speaks at the Tulsa Press Club, on Friday. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World

By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer
Published: 10/16/2009 4:07 PM
Last Modified: 10/16/2009 5:23 PM

From Wayne Greene's Blog: Bartlett plays Truth or Fair at the Press Club

Tulsa Elections: Read bios of candidates for mayor, City Council and city auditor and view a map of City Council districts.

Republican mayoral candidate Dewey Bartlett Jr. at his Tulsa Press Club appearance Friday said he sees the city returning to prosperity under his leadership.

“I see a strong employment base,” he said. “I see strong opportunity - economic opportunity, political opportunity, neighborhood opportunity.

“I see an entrepreneurial attitude with an emphasis on the many assets we have in this community.”

There are also opportunities to build upon the city’s strong manufacturing and aerospace industries, Bartlett said.

Good city governance will help lead to prosperity, the candidate said.

“And that needs to be done without an increase in taxes,” he said. “We need to live within our means and focus on the basics.”

Public safety would be a top priority under his administration, Bartlett said, pledging to work to boost the city’s police manpower by finding efficiencies elsewhere.

When people don’t feel safe, economic development

is hampered, he said.

Bartlett also said he would closely oversee the repair of the city’s streets under the $451.6 million Fix the Street initiative approved by voters last fall.

“These projects must be done on time and on budget,” he said.

Bartlett distinguished himself from his opponents, Democrat Tom Adelson and independent Mark Perkins, in that he is a businessman who has the experience needed to be the city’s chief executive over a workforce of 4,000.

“There is no mayor’s internship,” he said. “The day I am sworn into office, I will see a very large budget that is a problem. We cannot wait for someone to learn the ropes.”

The Keener Oil & Gas president and former city councilor also said his background will help him be the “job-gettingest mayor Tulsa has ever seen.”

“We need to create new taxpayers,” Bartlett said, noting the best way to do that is to give someone a job.

Bartlett declined to set himself a goal for how many jobs he would bring in, saying “more than we have now.”

Bartlett also said he would work closely with the City Council and other government officials toward Tulsa’s success and end the bickering that has characterized local politics.

“You have to be able to go to people with an open hand and an open heart,” he said. “I can do that. We need to be arm in arm.”

The race will be decided in the Nov. 10 general election.

Adelson spoke at the Tulsa Press Club last week, while Perkins is scheduled to appear at noon Oct. 23. By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Public safety is top priority, says mayoral candidate," which was published on 10/17/2009. So far, 35 comments have been made.