Rocky Frisco



Q&A

  1. A recent presentation by a city councilor showed Tulsa's overall police and fire budget has grown more than three times above the rate of inflation over the last 40 years without adding manpower in at least the last decade. It has been described as "unsustainable growth" with the city's current level of revenue. How would you propose to address this situation?
  2. First I would like to see how other cities with similar populations deal with this question. I think it will be difficult to make any drastic changes because of the Unions and the arbitration process. We should reward successful suggestions regarding waste and redundancy and protect whistleblowers. I do not agree with accepting federal funds that will further indebt the city at a time when the national economy is so shaky. That same Councilor's presentation showed that crime rates are tied to unemployment rather than the number of officers, so it seems unwise to incur further debt to add officers at this time.
  3. Over the last several years, controversy between the City Council and mayor's administration has triggered discussions about changing from the current strong mayor- council form of government to a city manager-council form of government and about having Tulsa's elected offices be non-partisan. Would you support either of these ideas? Why or why not?
  4. I would not support either idea. We can't keep changing the form of government every time conflict arises. I don't think the controversy is caused by the form of government, but rather by the personalities involved. I don't support non-partisan city elections because I think party affiliation tends to reflect political attitudes to some extent and is helpful to voters in the selection process.
  5. Improving mass transit (i.e. additional bus service, rail lines, etc.) has been a major topic of discussion through the city's ongoing PlaniTulsa comprehensive planning process. Do you believe Tulsa's public transportation system needs improvement? Please explain.
  6. Perhaps we need to evaluate the present service in terms of use of vehicles. If vehicles on some runs are never full, maybe smaller vehicles can be used. Tulsans depend largely on personal transportation rather than public transport. Maybe we should research some cities' licensing of "jitneys" to supplement public transport.
  7. What would be your top three priorities if you are elected?
  8. 1. Simplify and streamline city codes, ordinances, guidelines and rules so that citizens and businesses are not tied down by excessive red-tape. As part of this process, eliminate rules and codes that depend on citizens complaining against their neighbors on minor matters, since this encourages rancor and discord in our neighborhoods.

    2. To represent the best interests of the people and businesses of my District and the City of Tulsa and to listen to their issues and concerns. To make sure they are informed in advance of decisions that affect them and their neighborhoods, rather than to let them learn after the fact in the news media. To promote transparency in city government and inhibit tendencies to make important decisions behind closed doors.

    3. To encourage private interests to develop a monthly PBS broadcast of Tulsa area musicians and performance artists, something similar to "Nashville Skyline" and "Austin City Limits." We have many of the world's best musicians and performers right here in Tulsa and promoting them will also promote Tulsa and local tourism. Our large entertainment venues take money from Tulsa citizens and send it out of the city in the pockets of entertainers and crew from other areas. A good monthy TV presentation might be able to reverse that flow, as Tulsa artists gain fame, enabling them to go to other cities and bring the profits back home.