Tulsa World: Candidates debate management styles, green issues

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Candidates debate management styles, green issues
An early morning forum has mayoral hopefuls giving details.

MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Tom Adelson, Dewey Bartlett Jr. and Mark Perkins: The three all said they would encourage river development and support completing the Gilcrease Expressway by turning it into a turnpike. They oppose changing the city's form of government and differ on nonpartisan municipal races.

By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Published: 10/30/2009 2:19 AM
Last Modified: 10/30/2009 4:42 AM

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

The leading candidates for mayor described their differing plans for managing the city during a forum Thursday.

Democrat Tom Adelson said he would approach the city like a "nonprofit, public-service" entity and bring his legislative experience with appropriations to allotting public funds.

Although Adelson has some experience in his family's oil and gas business, Nadel and Gussman, he said his work as a state senator has taught him how to decide between "your needs from your wants" and to prioritize government services that best serve the public.

Republican Dewey Bartlett Jr. said he would manage the city like a business, but in a transparent manner.

He said he'd bring his knowledge from serving as president of Keener Oil and Gas Co., which has eight employees. He also touted his experience as a member of the Grand River Dam Authority and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

Independent candidate Mark Perkins, an attorney, said that being neither a legislator nor the owner of a small oil and gas company is a prerequisite for the Mayor's Office.

"It requires judgment, leadership and the ability to collaborate with partners at the county, state, and city council levels," he said. "A lot of it

is brains and attitude."

Perkins said he has managed a payroll of about 15 employees and has stressed that he would surround himself with talent that would enhance his ability to govern.

The election is Nov. 10. Also on the ballot is independent candidate Lawrence Kirkpatrick.

The three participated in a 7 a.m. forum Thursday at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and sponsored by the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

The moderator asked whether candidates would keep a director of sustainability because young professionals often choose where to live before they chose their jobs with the focus on "green" cities.

Perkins said that if the budget would allow, he would have such a position because it is an important role not only to protect the environment but to identify cost savings.

Adelson said that he, too, would have a director of sustainability. He added that he would identify a "green district," such as from the University of Tulsa to downtown between Sixth and 11th streets.

He said the area would require structures "to be developed consistent with preferable standards," allow residents to have their children attend any school in the city, and provide a property-tax abatement through a tax-increment financing district.

Bartlett said he likes to lead by example, noting that his business was the first in the state to install solar panels that generate 30 percent of electric needs.

"I understand alternative energy and also understand the mayor can have a lot of influence over the greening of the city," he said, citing installation of natural gas filling stations and plugging stations for electric cars.

The three all said they would encourage river development and support completing the Gilcrease Expressway by turning it into a turnpike. They oppose changing the city's form of government and differ on nonpartisan municipal races, with Adelson and Perkins in support and Bartlett opposing the idea.

P.J. Lassek 581-8382
pj.lassek@tulsaworld.com By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Mayoral candidates describe different management views at forum," which was published on 10/29/2009.

	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (10/29/2009 11:52:14 AM) I'm guessing this forum was held at the Tulsa Metro Chamber, downtown in one of their meeting/conference rooms.
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (10/29/2009 11:53:40 AM) I like Mark Perkins' remarks. I'm leaning more and more toward Mark Perkins. I agree with the local elections being non-partisan.
	Report Comment irwindale, Tulsa (10/29/2009 1:29:27 PM) Why is it that we are led to believe that a City Government should be run like a business. It is not a business. These people are elected to ensure government functions are provided to it's citizens. Savage and Taylor all claim to run the city like a business and look where we are. Broke and looking like fools for not having prepaired for the obvious downturn. To late Mayor Taylor regarding the revenue issue. Should have brought it up years ago.
	Report Comment irwindale, Tulsa (10/29/2009 10:21:17 PM) Only the claim.
	Report Comment Ayo, T-Town (10/29/2009 8:08:05 PM) NO MORE TURNPIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ENOUGH ALREADY.
	Report Comment Ayo, T-Town (10/29/2009 9:36:07 PM) I don't think I like any of them.
	Report Comment lucky girl, mine (10/29/2009 11:22:40 AM) Guess that's what happens when you go out of town BobDog...No worries, Joyce will fix it.
	Report Comment DelawareSooner, Newark, DE (10/30/2009 10:48:48 AM) I definitely agree that a city should not be run like a business, since it isn't one. Additionally, neither the R or D have run an organization larger than 20 people. I'm pretty sure the city government is larger than that, so their 'qualifications' aren't really that impressive.
	Report Comment CowboyBobDog, Neamh (10/29/2009 11:18:26 AM) Where was my invite? (Bobdog tries to get Joyce on the line.)
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (10/29/2009 9:07:49 PM) What private businesses did Kathy Taylor, or Susan Savage, as another poster mentioned,... ever run? Kathy Taylor's husband has run a successful business, but what has she ever donw other than being a political appointment by Governor brad henry? No criticism here,....just pointing out I know of no business experience. She did seem to marry well, but that isn't experience. I can't remember Susan Savage having any business expense. She was originally appointed to fill the unexpired term of Rodger Randle when he resigned to take a political "good ole boy" job ar OSU-Tulsa. Before that, she was on the Citizens Crime Commission. What business experience?
	Report Comment T5000, 'burbs, Ok. (10/29/2009 12:22:49 PM) There should be a thought bubble above Bartlett & Adelson's heads saying, "Who farted?"
	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (10/29/2009 11:26:25 AM) BobDog is dropping in the polls.
	Report Comment 007, Tulsa (10/29/2009 5:19:38 PM) independent all the way............
	Report Comment pahillbilly, (10/29/2009 5:28:04 PM) I don't know about anyone else, but running a gas and oil company does not mean they can run the city. The city is NOT a business, it is government.
	Report Comment Kilgore.Trout, Tulsa (10/29/2009 11:34:17 AM) Terrible picture. The only one in focus is Bartlett. TW puts no decent pictures of Perkins in any of their stories and makes sure Adelson always has a poor picture displayed in any Tulsa World story.
	Report Comment 4ramseywarrior, (10/29/2009 11:26:00 AM) Why no mention of where the event was held? I thought it was at OSU-Tulsa, but I didn't see it mentioned anywhere.
	Report Comment Observer3, (10/29/2009 6:05:50 PM) Kathy Taylor ran on a platform of "running the City as a business," and look what happened--she ran it into the ground. Please, no more! It is a government entity, not a business. It has specific functions that need to be met--staffing the Police and Fire Department being one of the most important. Businesswoman Kathy Taylor has failed miserably in this area. You can't just lay off police officers when the going gets tough. It's not a business where you lay off part of your workforce. You can't just buy and sell property (city halls) at will as in a business. There are so many differences between governing and running a business. Too bad Dewey Bartlett doesn't see it.
	Report Comment truth fairy, (10/29/2009 1:16:18 PM) Bartlett has only served on the GRDA board since this April. The GRDA and the Turnpike Authority are effective vehicles of public monies and property into the pockets of wealthy political business types. Too few people with too much control and too little oversight. Just ask the Corp of Engineers.

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