G.T. Bynum
BY World's Editorial Writers
Thursday, October 15, 2009
10/15/09 at 4:51 AM
If the city of Tulsa were blessed with nine G.T. Bynums, there'd be a lot less trouble in the City Council chambers and a lot more sense in local government.
Bynum is the model of what a city councilor ought to be, but too few are: bright, dedicated, hard-working and conservative.
He is a coalition builder and a not a man who is so in love with the sound of his own voice that he can't stop sharing it with everyone in the room.
Most important, he's committed to his constituency — City Council District 9 — but capable of thinking on a citywide basis.
The debate last year about a city street improvement package featured an excellent example of Bynum's abilities. While other city councilors were doing nothing or, worse, trying to climb into the mayor's chair and tinker with the details of city government, Bynum was looking for sensible ways he could contribute.
He came up with the idea that the street package should be put before voters with November's general election rather than on an election less likely to draw large numbers of voters. His idea went against conventional wisdom, which holds that big turnout elections bring less educated, more reactionary voters who will see the word "tax" and vote against any question.
Bynum gave voters credit for understanding issues, and the city's need for street funding, and he was right. The street vote passed by a strong margin.
It is but one example of how Bynum has been an energetic leader for progress in the city.
Bynum is a problem-solver who is on top of the city's most important issues — streets, crime and economic growth.
He is the cream of the crop in the current City Council and the voters of District 9 should certainly re-elect him on Nov. 10.
We endorse him without reservation.
