OKC Mayor Race 2014

[Urban Pioneer]

Well you guys beat me to some of it. At least Lucca did. There is even more to it than that. Since I'm not black and don't live in Ward 7, I wasn't exactly sure how to bring some of this stuff up or describe what is going on.

It is unprecedented for a Councillor in a different Ward to go into another Councillor's Ward and organize people against a project.

As I understand it, Ed met with black preachers in the area, convinced some of them that streetcar people were preventing mass transit and bus shelters in Ward 7 with the proposal on Tuesday, and then held an intervention with a blindsided Councilman Pettis.

Unprecedented behavior and a complete break from all past decorum. Ed is trying to stimulate a mayoral campaign based on class warfare among other things imhop. He tried to use Tuesday's vote as his muse.

[kevinpate]

This is simply a curiosity question. Do either Cornett or Shadid have siblings in the metro?

[Urban Pioneer]

Shadid has a brother.

[Tier2City]

Hmm, that is VERY interesting.

There was a little blurb in the Journal Record regarding a real estate and club owner requesting a liquor license

The real estate company was owned by none other than Ed Shadid's uncle, and Ed actually recused himself from the meeting. Pettis supposedly ripped into both, at one point calling Shadid's uncle a "crappy" property owner for essentially being a slumlord for the shopping center off of NE 36th and Springlake. Their license was unanimously denied 8-0, which I honestly cannot remember that happening before. Now that I know what you have added, I can't help but to think these two things might be related. For the record, I am very familiar with both the club and shopping center in question, and both are terrible.

Which Council meeting was that?

[SouthsideSooner]

Hmm, that is VERY interesting.

There was a little blurb in the Journal Record regarding a real estate and club owner requesting a liquor license

The real estate company was owned by none other than Ed Shadid's uncle, and Ed actually recused himself from the meeting. Pettis supposedly ripped into both, at one point calling Shadid's uncle a "crappy" property owner for essentially being a slumlord for the shopping center off of NE 36th and Springlake. Their license was unanimously denied 8-0, which I honestly cannot remember that happening before. Now that I know what you have added, I can't help but to think these two things might be related. For the record, I am very familiar with both the club and shopping center in question, and both are terrible.

But yeah, Shadid is really pushing this whole Title VI of the Civil Rights act. As someone who is both African American and has deep ties to the northeast side, I was a bit taken aback at the suggestion that this process has racial undertones. At that point, I just kinda figured Shadid and his allies were throwing poop at the wall and seeing what would stick.

Not to dispute your account of events but just trying to understand. The approval process for a liquor license is a function of the ABLE commission. Were they seeking a zoning variance? Does the City Council have that ability considering that the zoning requirements are a matter of state law?

[CaptDave]

Here's something to ponder. When the streetcar route vote was finally taken, initially there were six green and two red lights. I am pretty sure one of the green lights was Councilman White's and it remained illuminated for a few seconds. After a few seconds it changed to red. Is it possible he thought his "ally" might have voted yes and left him swinging in the wind? Maybe it is nothing, and it probably isn't a big deal. I need to watch the video to be sure I remembered the sequence of events correctly. At first I hoped one of the three had come to their senses, but I'll take 5-3.

[Teo9969]

Pete White definitely had his light green, and it was green for about 2 full seconds before he switched it to red. Not that I think it's related to anything, I don't know that it would be. But that event definitely took place.

[krisb]

Pete very clearly stated that he was voting against the route before the vote was taken.

[soonerguru]

Pete very clearly stated that he was voting against the route before the vote was taken.

Yes, he did, but you are naive. He was ensuring that Ed wouldn't stab him in the back like he has everyone else and suddenly vote for it. This ain't Pete's first rodeo.

[soonerguru]

Well you guys beat me to some of it. At least Lucca did. There is even more to it than that. Since I'm not black and don't live in Ward 7, I wasn't exactly sure how to bring some of this stuff up or describe what is going on.

It is unprecedented for a Councillor in a different Ward to go into another Councillor's Ward and organize people against a project.

As I understand it, Ed met with black preachers in the area, convinced some of them that streetcar people were preventing mass transit and bus shelters in Ward 7 with the proposal on Tuesday, and then held an intervention with a blindsided Councilman Pettis.

Unprecedented behavior and a complete break from all past decorum. Ed is trying to stimulate a mayoral campaign based on class warfare among other things imhop. He tried to use Tuesday's vote as his muse.

And he and Nick Singer arranged to bus them to the meeting in an OKC Public Schools bus. I think UP has the photos. It's pretty crazy. The people were plants.

But Pettis knew what went down, didn't even address the people, and voted for the streetcar. He must think Shadid is a total scumbag at this point. Pretty sure Ed did what he does best: blow up another bridge.

[soonerguru]

Not to dispute your account of events but just trying to understand. The approval process for a liquor license is a function of the ABLE commission. Were they seeking a zoning variance? Does the City Council have that ability considering that the zoning requirements are a matter of state law?

I was there. This did happen. You can probably watch it on the OKC.gov site or youtube.

[Hutch]

And he and Nick Singer arranged to bus them to the meeting in an OKC Public Schools bus. I think UP has the photos. It's pretty crazy. The people were plants.

I can confirm UP's report. I was waiting outside of Council chambers for the streetcar item to come up on the agenda. Nick Singer was standing across the room, clearly texting and communicating with someone. At one point he left, and about that same time I went outside to make a phone call. I was standing on the steps of the building when Jeff came running up to me saying "you won't believe this". He then told me that he had just been waiting out front for someone to drop of a box of materials for the streetcar meeting when an Oklahoma City school bus pulled up and all of these people started filing out. He told me that one of them came up to him and asked if he was Nick with the Shadid campaign. He then showed me the photos of the school bus and the people getting off that he took with his iPhone. My jaw dropped. I've been involved in many City Council issues, both in Norman and Oklahoma City, and I've never seen anything quite like that.

[Hutch]

As I understand it, Ed met with black preachers in the area, convinced some of them that streetcar people were preventing mass transit and bus shelters in Ward 7 with the proposal on Tuesday, and then held an intervention with a blindsided Councilman Pettis.

Unprecedented behavior and a complete break from all past decorum. Ed is trying to stimulate a mayoral campaign based on class warfare among other things imhop. He tried to use Tuesday's vote as his muse.

I can confirm this information as well. I was told the same thing by a trusted friend who is very good friends with Councilman Pettis and his father. Absolutely sleazy political behavior.

Most of the ministers that Ed met with didn't want to have anything to do with his efforts. The ones that turned out at the Council meeting with some of their members were the few that bought into Ed's delusions.

What shocked and angered me even more than knowing that Ed had secretly met with these people behind Councilman Pettis' back in order to try to get them to pressure him to join Ed's voting block against the streetcar was when Ed publicly played the race card during his ugly personal attacks against Jeff. Quite clearly, Ed was so desperate to find a way to secure the last vote he needed for a 4-4 tie that would have killed the streetcar project, that he was willing to go so far as to recruit African American church leaders and residents of Ward 7 to come to City Council to speak against the streetcar, and then while they were sitting there in front of Councilman Pettis to make irresponsible, offensive, racially-charged accusations about the streetcar committee and the route selection process in hopes of forcing Councilman Pettis to vote against the streetcar. Absolutely disgusting behavior for an elected public official.

If anything clearly demonstrates that Ed Shadid has no business being Mayor, this is it. After witnessing all of that, he has no business being an elected official of any kind.

[betts]

Pete very clearly stated that he was voting against the route before the vote was taken.

I just wonder if all the behind the scenes, ethically questionable politics by his "partner" finally got to him and he hesitated on his vote.

If you think you have all the answers, you don't respect the voters and have disdain for a democratic political process, you may think the end justifies the means. But that attitude scares me in anyone, more so in a civic leader.

[LakeEffect]

is that why sidewalks were included in the Roads proposition, where road widening projects happen, sidewalks are to be included (rather than a stand alone proposition)?

Yes, that is why.

[LakeEffect]

Not to dispute your account of events but just trying to understand. The approval process for a liquor license is a function of the ABLE commission. Were they seeking a zoning variance? Does the City Council have that ability considering that the zoning requirements are a matter of state law?

Yes, it was zoning related, not license related. All alcohol uses (except for a small area in downtown) must go through Planning Commission and City Council for approval.

[OSUFan]

So Shadid has been endorsed by the FOP and will put more police on the street. Has he mentioned how he will do this?

[betts]

So Shadid has been endorsed by the FOP and will put more police on the street. Has he mentioned how he will do this?

Well, there's still a bunch of MAPS money floating around

[LuccaBrasi]

If anything clearly demonstrates that Ed Shadid has no business being Mayor, this is it. After witnessing all of that, he has no business being an elected official of any kind.

The above comment pretty much sums it up!

UNBELIEVABLE series of events.

When ES and his minions showed up at my neighborhood gathering a few weeks back and I saw some neighbors wearing his t-shirt, I had some minor concerns his grass roots efforts in NW suburbia might be concerning to winning the election, but no more. With antics like he just pulled, he now stands zero chance. I can't wait to inform my blurry eyed neighbors about this, as I'm sure they have no idea. Maybe they will stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

[CaptDave]

In these areas I think he will use the public safety gambit saying crime is terrible in certain parts of OKC and soon it will be on your street. Fear of "those people" often resonates in suburbia and everyone likes more police officers right? At least that is what I would do if I wanted to run a negative campaign.

[bradh]

I heard he was at Rock Knoll neighborhood night out. I was hoping he'd show up at mine so I could have politely asked him to leave.

[adaniel]

Not to dispute your account of events but just trying to understand. The approval process for a liquor license is a function of the ABLE commission. Were they seeking a zoning variance? Does the City Council have that ability considering that the zoning requirements are a matter of state law?

Yes, my apologies, it was a zoning variance.

[Bellaboo]

Well you guys beat me to some of it. At least Lucca did. There is even more to it than that. Since I'm not black and don't live in Ward 7, I wasn't exactly sure how to bring some of this stuff up or describe what is going on.

It is unprecedented for a Councillor in a different Ward to go into another Councillor's Ward and organize people against a project.

As I understand it, Ed met with black preachers in the area, convinced some of them that streetcar people were preventing mass transit and bus shelters in Ward 7 with the proposal on Tuesday, and then held an intervention with a blindsided Councilman Pettis.

Unprecedented behavior and a complete break from all past decorum. Ed is trying to stimulate a mayoral campaign based on class warfare among other things imhop. He tried to use Tuesday's vote as his muse.

krisb - if you continue to support this scumbag shadid........then it's on you. You should know better. Don't be the slimeball Ed is by turning a blind eye to these crappy low class tactics.

I do think you're a nice guy, but for some reason you just don't get it.

krisb - go ahead and man up to Ed, then run like hell !! LOL

[kevinpate]

Not in defense of Candidate Shadid, but is everything being touted truly factual? I think it helps that candidate more than harms if things get overstated.
One example, church folks arriving on a school bus. was the bus something arranged by the candidate, or was it something arranged by someone, minister or otherwise, who bought the pitch the candidate was selling? And yes, there is a difference, at least to me.

Main reason I ask in regard that example is the report of folks just of the bus and approaching someone to ask are you from the campaign? That has as much a someone we know got us downtown and said look for the candidate's team as it says the candidate put that trip together.

Shills are often used in politics and elsewhere. While I am not in favor of shills, I do think it is useful to know who is shilling for whom. If others see it as a distinction without a difference, I can agree to disagree on that point.

[betts]

All I saw was someone who works for Councilman Shadid in the lobby hovering near the door either on his cell phone or texting during the early meeting. It looked odd. I was watching because I thought maybe he was waiting for some big audio-visual presentation to bring in and I was curious as to what it was. Then I no longer saw him. A fairly large group of older people entered the council chambers all together prior to the discussion about the streetcar and many of them spoke against it. I believe the group got off the bus, which was a OKC Public School bus, and they first encountered Urban Pioneer. They asked him if he was that particular person on the cellphone. It's all circumstantial, of course. And not illegal. But slightly slimy.

I am more concerned about what Hutch reported, as I think that is even more ethically questionable. Again, not illegal. But there are things in this world that, while legal, are not ethical.