OKC Mayor Race 2014

[CaptDave]

I hate the notion that to be "progressive" is synonymous with being "anti-business", but people who claim to be "progressive" and constantly rail against ALL business groups definitely give that impression to many. The Chamber isn't an evil junta set out to destroy the "little people"; and to assume everything they do or anyone associated with them is part of a conspiracy is misguidED beyond belief. Sure there are sometimes less than ethical actions committed by "business interests" and the wealth gap between the poor, middle class, and wealthy is cause for concern; but to try to say the Chamber has been bad for OKC and its people is ridiculous. There are definitely opportunities for business and "progressive" interests to find consensus - and OKC has struck a fairly decent balance in many areas.

[Bellaboo]

wonder if Mick's ex would do same.

At this point we know he hasn't..... so what's there to wonder about ?

[Bellaboo]

And this, from his divorce case is VERY interesting:

RESPONDENT'S ASSERTION OF FIFTH AMENDMENT PRIVILEGE AGAINST SELF-INCRIMINATION RELATING TO DISCLOUSURE OF RECORDS FROM TALBOTT RECOVERY CENTER & PSYCHIATRIST, DR. SIAVESH NAEL AND/OR MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER PROHIBITING DISCLOSURE OF PRIVILEGED PSYCHOTHERAPY COMMUNICATIONS & MEDICAL RECORDS THEREOF & BRIEF IN SUPPORT. (FILED UNDER SEAL)

My question is, do we have a crazy man running for mayor ?

It's obvious that Ed has some serious baggage going on here ???

(Ed) Edgar, where are you ?

[Urban Pioneer]

I AM HONORED! I particularly like the part where I guess I was about to cry... lol

Ol' Bezdek piles on ... and it ain't Turkey Day leftovers | Red Dirt Report

Here is the original editorial printed Saturday- OKC resident: Better city is a product of working together | News OK

[soonerguru]

I AM HONORED! I particularly like the part where I guess I was about to cry... lol

Ol' Bezdek piles on ... and it ain't Turkey Day leftovers | Red Dirt Report

Here is the original editorial printed Saturday- OKC resident: Better city is a product of working together | News OK

Whoever wrote that is a complete moron. Oh, wait, I see he wrote for the Waxahachie newspaper. Wow. Serious credentials there.

[Midtowner]

I've seen this sort of thing in some of those crazy uncle emails:

1) Take something which really happened (a couple of city/county transit officials are resigning)
2) Assume facts which aren't in evidence (that they left because they weren't consulted about the rail line)
3) ??????
4) PROFIT

[soonerguru]

I've seen this sort of thing in some of those crazy uncle emails:

1) Take something which really happened (a couple of city/county transit officials are resigning)
2) Assume facts which aren't in evidence (that they left because they weren't consulted about the rail line)
3) ??????
4) PROFIT

Looked further at this guy Andrew Griffin's body of work. It is pretty out there. He is a fellow traveler of the "ACORN is a conspiracy" crowd and speaks to the Agenda 21 nutters. It seems like he's straddling the line between left-wing ideology and Tea Party-inspired libertarianism.

If you look at his writing history, though, it features a lot of tin-foil hattery.

[kevinpate]

Some people cater near exclusively to the tin foil hat crowd. Face it. There's a fair amount of disposable income in that group, if only due to how little they spend on their custom caps.

[Edgar]

My question is, do we have a crazy man running for mayor ?

It's obvious that Ed has some serious baggage going on here ???

(Ed) Edgar, where are you ?

Maybe he's n some good meds now.

[warreng88]

StupED did another interview for the Red Dirt Report (Part 3) and this was by far my favorite part:

Small numbers of people and small numbers of interests that have undue influence generally don’t give it up willingly and have trouble seeing outside their egocentric interests. And dispersal of power and dispersal of appointments would tend to diminish their influence and so there will be resistance.”

Back in October, Shadid was endorsed by both the Oklahoma City Firefighters and the Fraternal Order of Police of Oklahoma City, this, after both Shadid and Cornett spoke to both groups, seeking their endorsements.

Egocentric interests? What do you call the FOP?

[Bellaboo]

Maybe he's n some good meds now.

Edgar my friend, I kind of expected this answer from you.....ES needs to just go ahead and drop out, save his money.

[Edgar]

Was this it:

Passing mailers around OKC of your Muslim looking family seems a bit of a gamble.

[Edgar]

Let me say something else about the Chamber and the people that work there. You won't find a collective group in the city with more civic pride and "let's do this and make our city awesome" attitude than what you find inside the walls of that office. To sit behind a computer screen and anonymously post that they do nothing but cater to "barons" is incredibly ignorant.

You want to see a city with a weak chamber, go move to Wichita, and tell me what they've got going that we should be envious of.

Then why did the chamber campaign so hard to get rid of the intangible tax?

[Rover]

Passing mailers around OKC of your Muslim looking family seems a bit of a gamble.

This may be one of the most ignorant and racist quotes I have seen here in a long time. Do you even understand what a Muslim IS? It is a religion, not a race, not a nationality.

Though I am not a fan of Ed, he deserves respect. He is Christian. He is of Lebanese descent. He is smart. He is successful. He is not my cup of tea politically, but neither are many others.

[bradh]

Then why did the chamber campaign so hard to get rid of the intangible tax?

I'm not going to pretend to know all the ins and outs of state question 766, but that's what you're going to go with? That shows me you're reaching to discount my point.

[Edgar]

This may be one of the most ignorant and racist quotes I have seen here in a long time. Do you even understand what a Muslim IS? It is a religion, not a race, not a nationality.

Though I am not a fan of Ed, he deserves respect. He is Christian. He is of Lebanese descent. He is smart. He is successful. He is not my cup of tea politically, but neither are many others.

The state voted by a 70% margin to save us from creeping Sharia. Got a hunch many would look at Ed's family and assume they're of the Muslim faith, so it is a gamble.

[pickles]

Passing mailers around OKC of your Muslim looking family seems a bit of a gamble.

See, the thing is, they don't look like anything other than a normal American family. Because they are. They could be from anywhere - this is a modern multiracial city in one of the most ethnically diverse countries on the planet. A number of Shadid supporters I know seem to believe that they are behind someone who is in some way the ethnic other, and that this is such a good in itself that they want to pat themselves on the back for it, as you seem to do above, by implying he is taking a risk in exposing the fact that his family has a certain percentage of melanin. This conceit is its own form of provincialism, and betrays a contempt for others. I'm not ignorant of the prevalence of prejudice, and its impact on our politics, but the notion that Ed's ethnic background is such a hindrance that you could term the picture on his mailer a "gamble" strikes me as disingenuous at best.

[Midtowner]

Then why did the chamber campaign so hard to get rid of the intangible tax?

I think you're conflating the State and City Chambers.

They are two different organizations.

[warreng88]

I think you're conflating the State and City Chambers.

They are two different organizations.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Please don't confuse Edgar with the facts...

[Rover]

The state voted by a 70% margin to save us from creeping Sharia. Got a hunch many would look at Ed's family and assume they're of the Muslim faith, so it is a gamble.

So that is the defense of ignorance? Everyone else thinks so too? Playing off people's ignorance, fear and hate is what created the vote. A result, I might add, that was soundly renounced by the courts and everyone else. Am I proud that Oklahoma is in the grips of a fear mongering right wing tea party...NO. Can we sit by and let ignorance go forward without rejection...HELL NO. We want more for Oklahoma. Progress isn't about shiny new buildings up to the sidewalk with rail-cars passing by...it is about lifting our society from a backwards mentality. We should have no place here for profiling to stir up hateful emotions.

[Edgar]

So that is the defense of ignorance? Everyone else thinks so too? Playing off people's ignorance, fear and hate is what created the vote. A result, I might add, that was soundly renounced by the courts and everyone else. Am I proud that Oklahoma is in the grips of a fear mongering right wing tea party...NO. Can we sit by and let ignorance go forward without rejection...HELL NO. We want more for Oklahoma. Progress isn't about shiny new buildings up to the sidewalk with rail-cars passing by...it is about lifting our society from a backwards mentality. We should have no place here for profiling to stir up hateful emotions.

You've made an excellent argument to vote Ed!

[LakeEffect]

You've made an excellent argument to vote Ed!

All I've seen is divisiveness from Ed, so I can't make your argument work.

[Edgar]

I think you're conflating the State and City Chambers.

They are two different organizations.

Greater Oklahoma City Chamber - Let’s make intangible taxes tangible for you

[bradh]

You've made an excellent argument to vote Ed!

And what exactly has Cornett done that hasn't helped elevated OKC's national image and perception?

Shadid is running against a nationally popular Mick Cornett, not Sally freaking Kern.

[bradh]

Greater Oklahoma City Chamber - Let’s make intangible taxes tangible for you

I don't think you understand what a chamber of commerce exists to do. From wikipedia:

A chamber of commerce (also referred to in some circles as a board of trade) is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community.

So yeah, they were for getting rid of the intangible taxes. Why? Because it helped the very local businesses that pay the chamber to look out for their best interests.

If Sid's post a couple pages back about the relationship between local business and the community didn't knock any sense into you, I'm afraid we're all just wasting time here.