Must Read
This is, in my opinion, the most important story in today’s paper: State Tea Party Activists Focus on Oklahoma City Government
Excerpt: Van Manen and Hearron admit they talk often and have a lot in common but stop short of saying they should be viewed as running together. Both men are members of Windsor Hills Baptist Church. Van Manen is music director at the church, where Sooner Tea Party meetings have been scheduled.
I would also urge you to read this story in the Journal Record as well: Ward 2 Seat Draws 6 Candidates
Excerpt: The Sooner Tea Party’s Internet site, for example, in the group’s January newsletter says, “We have two Tea Party candidates for OKC City Council, Cliff Hearron for Ward 8 and Adrian Van Manen for Ward 6. … These races are very low turnout; literally a couple thousand voters will choose who gets the seat, so we stand an excellent chance of winning these two seats if we put money and effort into the races. No doubt other conservative candidates will be found before the filing deadline, so the Tea Party could simply take control of OKC city government if we can rally the Tea Party members.”
Final note: why is this of interest to readers of OKC Central? These reports also indicate the only incumbent councilman supported by the local Tea Party organization is Brian Walters, who opposed MAPS 3 and the 2007 bond issue.
Both elections included significant re-investment in the inner-city.
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Comments
Steve,
I agree…I interviewed the 2 Tea Party candidates Sunday night and their POV
is most interesting. If you are interested, you can hear the interviews in the podcasts on http://www.ktok.com Go to on-demand section this week and find me!
I would love to get your take! Thanks,g
I saw this story this morning. It concerned me as well. I’ll be voting for Patrick Ryan.
Side note: Could Captcha possibly come up with anymore difficult-to-read codes?? I too often have to scroll through a couple options to find one that I can definitively decipher. And even then I still don’t always get it right…
I think it’s time for Devon and the other big-shots to step up and make sure these nutjobs don’t win the election.
This is the level of government that truly affects our day to day lives. Electing people who don’t believe in government to the city council could snuff out the kind of public and private partnerships that have been the cornerstone of OKC’s economic development since the early 90s. Will be watching with interest…
its amazing what fear a small bunch of people cause those on the left. Tea party people from what i understand believe in government just not an all expansive government. We also have others that wish for a giant corporation to use its financial might to effect and control an election.Let have some fun. Instead of trying to control elections why not just let the people vote? If they want Ryan he will get elected. Brian, by the way, I may be canceling your vote but I will at least listen to these people and see what they have to say. And as for the individual that said that local government was the only efficient and trustworthy government left….I almost spit out my coffee on that one.
Sorry, Keith, but tea partiers record is indicative that they could set this City back years. If you haven’t noticed, a big part of the Tea Party agenda is being irrational.
Why are the Tea Party meetings scheduled at a church? I thought churches were off-limits to politcal meetings. Should the IRS revoke their tax-exempt status?
Churches can host as many political groups as they want. They can also advocate for specific policy positions. They just can’t endorse candidates or political parties.
Thanks, Gwin, for posting the links to your interviews. I’ve now listened to them. If both of these guys get elected, I think that it’s safe to say that the downtown rail element will be in grave jeopardy, as well as other possible items, those which principally benefit the city’s core. I expect that Pete White’s 12/21 & 1/4 remarks, even though he appears to have changed his tune on 1/18, will come back to haunt him, and all, during the upcoming campaign.
The Sooner Tea Party endorsed Brian Walters without ever talking to his opponent.
Who in the Tea Party picks who they endorse?
Brian Walters and the entire City Council voted to spend Maps for Kids money in the tune of $1,037,500.oo (yes! over $1 million) to buy 9.15 acres of land in rural south OKC for an elementary school.
There is NO land in rural OKC worth over $100,000.oo an acre!
So much for “over sight” of Maps monies!
The whole City Council should be replaced.
Local government was the only efficient and trustworthy government, and now they’re going to stomp all over that too.