OKC Mayor Race 2014

[mkjeeves]

That's what this is all about anyway.

This is about a lot of things. Truth, honesty and integrity aren't near the top on any of the main players' lists.

[Urban Pioneer]

karma

[josiahmdaniel]

"Asking questions about his past is in line with Shadid's own method of seeking and questioning."

ouch.

[CaptDave]

"Asking questions about his past is in line with Shadid's own method of seeking and questioning."

ouch.

Goose & gander anyone?

[PhiAlpha]

From ron norrick:

This month, our community is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the passage of MAPS. That initiative set our city on a path towards the remarkable renaissance we now enjoy. In 1993, I could hardly have imagined Oklahoma City enjoying the lowest unemployment in the country and a contending NBA team. Our rising economy gives us the ability to invest like never before in core neighborhood infrastructure like streets, police, and fire.

But though the voters in December of 1993 took a critical first step towards this day, it has taken leadership to see it through. First, strong leadership from Mayor Kirk Humphreys, and for the past nine years, from Mayor Mick Cornett.

Nobody knows better than I do the challenges and burdens that face a Mayor. It’s not easy governing a city as large and diverse as ours. And it’s even harder when you attempt to do bold things.

Through his honesty, his work ethic and his optimism, Mick Cornett has led this city to do great things. And he’s done it while maintaining remarkable unity. This summer, 80 percent of the City’s residents said in a scientific poll that they felt Oklahoma City was “moving in the right direction.” That level of optimism is the envy of cities around the country. And it’s a direct result of Mick’s leadership.

On March 4th, Mick is running for re-election. I believe we are fortunate that Mick wants to keep serving, and I believe we should take him up on the offer. But it won’t be easy, and he needs your help.

Like you, I am deeply concerned about the opposition organizing to stop our community’s renaissance. If Mick doesn’t win the election on March 4th, our city surely loses. This renaissance won’t last forever, but there’s no reason it has to stop now.

And so, I’m asking for your help. The opposition is well-funded. There are even national groups entering the campaign to try and end Oklahoma City’s renaissance. We can’t let this happen. So, I ask you, please donate today to Mick’s re-election campaign. Even a donation of $25, $50 or $100 will go a long way towards giving Mick the resources he needs to fight for Oklahoma City’s future.

This election is the most important one in a generation. We have to win. Please, help continue our City’s renaissance by donating today.

Thank you for believing in Oklahoma City’s future. Let’s win this election – together.

Sincerely,



Ron Norick
Mayor of Oklahoma City, 1987-1998

P.S. I hope you can donate. Here’s the link. Thank you!

[mkjeeves]

Best comment from the article upthread.

The Oklahoman did not request the records be unsealed. Their self professed 'crack' investigative reporter Nolan Clay did. The problem is that Nolan Clay's family is heaily involved in Republican politics. His wife Diane Clay is Attorney General Scott Pruitt's press relations point man.

Mayor Cornett is the Executive Vice-President of Ackerman McQueen PR firm. He joined the firm while serving as Mayor. Nolan Clay and the Daily Oklahoman has never raised any conflict of interest questions about Cornett's promoting his firm's clients while serving as mayor. The firm's major clients include the Daily Oklahoman and Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. Nolan Clay and the Oklahoman is apparently now handling the press relations for Mayor Cornett's re-election campaign.

OKC's part time mayor has spent two years commuting between OKC and New York City twice a month while pursing an MBA at NYU's school of Business. When asked to reveal his records of how much he was paid to represent his firm's clients include the Daily Oklahoman while simultaneously serving as mayor he refused. The voters are entitled to know if Mayor Cornett used any tax payer money to fund his twice monthly commute between OKC and NYC to attend a business school and if any taxpayer money was used to pay for his hotel bills while in NYC.

Honesty and transparency.

[LakeEffect]

Best comment from the article upthread.

The Oklahoman did not request the records be unsealed. Their self professed 'crack' investigative reporter Nolan Clay did. The problem is that Nolan Clay's family is heaily involved in Republican politics. His wife Diane Clay is Attorney General Scott Pruitt's press relations point man.

Mayor Cornett is the Executive Vice-President of Ackerman McQueen PR firm. He joined the firm while serving as Mayor. Nolan Clay and the Daily Oklahoman has never raised any conflict of interest questions about Cornett's promoting his firm's clients while serving as mayor. The firm's major clients include the Daily Oklahoman and Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. Nolan Clay and the Oklahoman is apparently now handling the press relations for Mayor Cornett's re-election campaign.

OKC's part time mayor has spent two years commuting between OKC and New York City twice a month while pursing an MBA at NYU's school of Business. When asked to reveal his records of how much he was paid to represent his firm's clients include the Daily Oklahoman while simultaneously serving as mayor he refused. The voters are entitled to know if Mayor Cornett used any tax payer money to fund his twice monthly commute between OKC and NYC to attend a business school and if any taxpayer money was used to pay for his hotel bills while in NYC.

Honesty and transparency.

If, by tax payer money, they mean his salary, then yes, he might have used taxed payer money.

[mkjeeves]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that's not what they meant.

[hoya]

Is there any evidence of this? Anything at all?

[mkjeeves]

Is there any evidence of this? Anything at all?

Which part? We can start at the top and try to unravel it. Did Nolan Clay file or did the Oklahoman file?

[mkjeeves]

Maybe you were asking about Wayne Coyne's "pot smoking mayor" comments. I'd still like an answer to that one myself.

[yukong]

My favorite comment in the Oklahoman reader comments is...in part..."Pleading the "Fifth" is every citizen's right. To use that as way to convict someone by innuendo is the lowliest of smears and even The Oklahoman knows it."

Clearly that poster doesn't realize that "pleading the fifth" is the response to any question or inquiry that would lead to an answer that implicates the person being questioned in a criminal act. At that point, it is beyond innuendo. Clearly, during the discovery process in the divorce, or in a hearing, Ed Shadid was asked a question or a series of questions that had he answered, could or would have implicated him in criminal activity. That is not innuendo. Yes, "pleading the fifth" is every citizen's right. No one can be compelled to incriminate themselves in criminal activity. No one is convicting Ed Shadid of anything. This isn't a trial. He cannot be convicted of anything and he won't be convicted of anything from this. It is a political campaign. But as such, I as a citizen want to know if there is any chance Ed Shadid was involved in criminal activity. True, "pleading the fifth" isn't evidence he committed a crime. However, he clearly was concerned enough about his actions and the ramifications thereof that he felt he needed to protect himself from possibly incriminating answers. That is clearly a concern to me as a citizen of this city. Ed Shadid was scared of criminal incrimination. I'm scared of what he has been up to. That isn't innuendo. I have been through lawsuits. I have been deposed and had to respond to questions in a civil discovery process. I have even testified in front of a grand jury. I have never "plead the fifth" as I never felt an answer to a question would implicate me in a crime.

Bottom line...we have a right to know what's up, and Ed Shadid is spending tons of money to keep us from knowing. That's enough for me to not want that guy leading our city.

[tomokc]

Which part? We can start at the top and try to unravel it. Did Nolan Clay file or did the Oklahoman file?

The Oklahoman is doing this, so says this morning's editorial: "Shadid is fighting The Oklahoman's attempts to have the divorce records unsealed..."

Nolan Clay may have signed the filing/application/whatevertheysubmitted, but this is unquestionably the Oklahoman doing this.

[mkjeeves]

We most certainly should know everything we are entitled to know about both candidates. There are two candidates in the race. We don't have a tabloid pushing an agenda against Mick like we do against his opponents though, and we sure don't have a local well financed journalistic organization looking over his shoulder either, so it's a bit tougher.

[yukong]

Which part? We can start at the top and try to unravel it. Did Nolan Clay file or did the Oklahoman file?

If Nolan Clay "filed" or "asked" as part of his duty as a reporter for the Oklahoman...then it really is irrelevant. The Oklahoman asked.

[mkjeeves]

The Oklahoman is doing this, so says this morning's editorial: "Shadid is fighting The Oklahoman's attempts to have the divorce records unsealed..."

Nolan Clay may have signed the filing/application/whatevertheysubmitted, but this is unquestionably the Oklahoman doing this.

You can't have it both ways. Either you file as a legal representative of a legal entity or you file as an individual. Which way was it filed?

[yukong]

We most certainly should know everything we are entitled to know about both candidates. There are two candidates in the race. We don't have a tabloid pushing an agenda against Mick like we do against his opponents though, and we sure don't have a local well financed journalistic organization looking over his shoulder either, so it's a bit tougher.

I feel confident that had Mick C had his divorce records sealed, and was now spending tons of money to fight to keep them from being opened...the Oklahoman would be after him. As would several other news outlets.

[yukong]

You can't have it both ways. Either you file as a legal representative of a legal entity or you file as an individual. Which way was it filed?

Whoever it was...filed a request with the court for the preparation of an investigative report. If it was Nolan Clay, he was doing so in his legal capacity as a reporter. It's irrelevant.

[mkjeeves]

Apples and oranges. There have been plenty of questions about Mick, as illustrated above, that haven't been investigated.

[mkjeeves]

Let me get this for the Mick supporters "But it's about ED!!!!"

[CaptDave]

"But it's about ED!!!!"

You know they have pills for ED now right?

[LakeEffect]

Apples and oranges. There have been plenty of questions about Mick, as illustrated above, that haven't been investigated.

How do you know? The Red Dirt Report would surely publish the "facts" if they were available. From what we've heard via OKC Talk and other sources, Ed's campaign has filed numerous Open Records Requests for information on Mick. However, they haven't come out with a single document showing the results of the inquiries. Do you think that's because they haven't found anything as a result of their requests?

[soonerguru]

Prediction: if what comes out is bad, it's going to really hurt the progressive movement in OKC, which would be too bad. People clinging to Shadid to be our progressive leader are setting us back.

[soonerguru]

I don't recall Cornett pleading the Fifth in open court to avoid incriminating himself, and if he had, you can bet Shadid would be talking about it and the Oklahoman would be reporting on it.

[mkjeeves]

How do you know? The Red Dirt Report would surely publish the "facts" if they were available. From what we've heard via OKC Talk and other sources, Ed's campaign has filed numerous Open Records Requests for information on Mick. However, they haven't come out with a single document showing the results of the inquiries. Do you think that's because they haven't found anything as a result of their requests?

So far, the Oklahoman hasn't come up with any documents on Ed, they are still looking. Ed however, gets soundly criticized for his looking. Ed also doesn't have the same investigative resources as the Oklahoman.

The RDR...yes, they would. I think you just compared The Red Dirt Report to the Oklahoman. I'm not sure the RDR would care for that comparison and it probably isn't a good one either.