Monday, January 10, 2005

Q: Are You A Terrorist?

A: I don't think so. Although, my golden retrievers think I have terrorist tendencies because I like to sneak up behind them in the kitchen when they're begging.

I wish I could leave the answer to this ridiculous question at that. However, it was inferred in Saturday's paper that my fellow councilors and I "use terrorist tactics," apparently to punish our political opponents...that is...when we can learn who those opponents are.

The January 8th, edition of the Tulsa World had a story under the headline, "Coalition behind recall lists some members." Once again, the ill-named Coalition for Responsible Government 2004 sent out a Friday press release, in order to get minimum readership in the Saturday edition. Why would they do that? Because they provided virtually no new names, but wanted a headline that could be cited whenever they face future allegations that they aren't naming the names of the twenty-five or so members they claimed to have, when the first came into being.

Before Saturday, the only two definite names that we had were Jon Davidson of the Tulsa Sheraton and Herbert Haschke, local real estate attorney and associate of the water board's Jim Cameron and Lou Reynolds.

It was Mr. Davidson that used the T-word, though. Apparently answering the question, "Why don't you list the twenty-five individuals your group claims to have?" Mr. Davidson replied as follows:
“'Obviously we aren’t going to list individual names because of the terrorist tactics the councilors have taken against individuals. It’s those very tactics that spurred the recall,' coalition chairman Jon Davidson said."

I would probably have been shocked to hear myself as a practitioner of terrorist tactics, if I hadn't already been accused of using "jack-booted tactics that went out of style in 1940's Germany." That little gem was leveled at me by out-going Chamber Chairman Bob Poe. In fact, between the CRG2004 membership, Mr. Poe, John Benjamin and the editorialists at the Tulsa World, there seems to be a concerted effort to inject insult and character assassination which is devoid of grounding in fact, as a substitute for reasoned discourse and debate.

Or, perhaps I've been sleep walking of late, and in my somnambulistic state, I've been making pipe bombs? Hey...it's possible.

According to Mr. Davidson's own words, our terrorist tactics supposedly began before CRG2004 began its efforts. After all, he said, "It’s those very tactics that spurred the recall." I've been wracking my brain, trying to determine just what actions we took that qualified as terrorist-like.

Surely it wasn't the council's 5 to 4 vote to not approve Mr. Cameron and Mr. Reynolds for reappointment to the water board. That was done quietly, and was well within our purview as a council. It is a charter right for us to approve or disapprove the Mayor's appointments.

Was it our desire to see the actual appraisals on Peggy Jones' Denver Grill? Or, was it our failure, by a 6 to 3 vote mind you, to not annex the twenty-three square miles of north Tulsa County?

I sure wish Mr. Davidson could enlighten us as to what actions prompted his extraordinary statement. Maybe if we knew what it was we did, we could correct it before the new Homeland Security Director gets wind of our activities.

On second thought, maybe they should look into Mr. Davidson and his cronies' activities. After all, it is they who are trying to overthrow a duly elected government.



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chris: Rest assured, by DEFINITION, you do NOT qualify as a terrorist.

By Definition, a terrorist uses VIOLENCE to achieve a political goal or objective. I don't see you concocting a batch of Anthrax in your kitchen.

Other than a stroke of a pen, or a signaling of your vote by hand-signal, or using your voice to speak your mind, I cannot discern anything that even remotely resembles ACTION normally associated with the job as City Councilor.

So, I think by definition, you're CLEARED of any charges of Terrorism.

Keep up the good work.

BT

Anonymous said...

Isn't this REDICULOUS!?

"Terrorist tactics".......my, my, Mr. Jon Davidson obviously doesn't know the definition of that term! He and his group of "cronies" continue to show their lack of character and credibility, as they continue their unwarranted efforts to recall Councilors Medlock and Mautino.

We citizens understand that there have been "threats" toward these councilors and their families, by those who are behind the recall. If anyone, Mr. Davidson and his "cronies" are the ones who have used "terrorist tactics". Yet, Councilors Medlock and Mautino have stood strong and tried to continue serving their districts, throughout all this "crazy situation".
To we citizens, Councilor Medlock and Mautino are proving themselves to be persons of integrity and great strength. THEY DESERVE AN EXTRA AMOUNT OF APPRECIATION AND APPLAUSE!! THEY ARE STANDING UP FOR US, THE CITIZENS!!

Signed: Concerned Citizens of the Tulsa Area

Anonymous said...

Mr. Davidson, and Mr. Poe (in his Chamber of Commerce remarks attributing Mr. Medlock's tactics as Nazi) are in fact guilty of TRANSFERRENCE. It is THEY who are trying to induce political chaos into Tulsa society, using raw intimidation tactics.

It is their tactics that are more like a Reign of Terror.

To Recall and replace Mssrs. Medlock and Mautino with UNELECTED city councilors for Districts 2 & 6 for the remainder of their terms, certainly does NOT appear to be the workings of a representative government.

I think all the squealing we're seeing from greedy pigs like Poe,(Cameron and Reynolds, too) just give us a clearer idea of just how much unbridled POWER over our elected officials they have been allowed to acquire under our "Strong" Mayor form of government.

We need to give Mr. Poe the old Heave-Ho.

Poe must GO.

Anonymous said...

Bob Poe, the rich puppet-master behind the Recall, is a GREEDY, GRASPING, old man.

Aged former somebodies, in their sunset years, either age gracefully, offering sage advice earned from the wisdom of age, or....

Like Mr. Poe, they become extremely covetous of all THINGS, hoping to stave off their day of reckoning with the Grim Reaper by getting more THINGS.

Bob Poe is BAD, and needs to GO.