Modeled after a similar report in Kansas City, Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. (DOKC) launched its first downtown residents survey last fall to gather data about downtown residents and people considering moving downtown to see what was on their minds. “We started with Kansas City’s questions as a rough draft and then tweaked it,” said DOKC […]
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UPDATE: Arts consolidation bill approved in committee
+++ A state House committee will conduct a hearing Thursday morning on a measure that could consolidate three agencies into the Tourism, History and Cultural Department. Those agencies are the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Oklahoma Arts Council. The House Government Modernization panel will discuss the issue at 10:30 […]
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Storm Shelter funding debate gets heated
In an exclusive News9/Oklahoma Gazette poll, 52 percent of Oklahoma City residents “strongly supported” public funding to help build storm shelters in public schools. Another 26 percent “somewhat supported” the idea. The survey included 980 city residents, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.13 percent. Though, when asked where the funding should […]
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American Indian Cultural Center funding to be debated Monday
Construction on the cultural center stopped in 2012 when state money for the project was exhausted. Since then, supporters of the cultural center have tried to convince legislators the project can be completed if the state approves the $40 million combined with an additional $40 in private donations. The state’s portion would come from Oklahoma’s […]
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A national celebrity
KOCO sports director Mick Cornett was no different. When I grew up and became a businessman and a community volunteer, I had the opportunity to get to know Cornett. By then, he was Councilman Cornett, soon-to-be Mayor Cornett. Candidly, he was still larger-than-life to me. Imagine my surprise to find that “Mayor Mick” was just […]
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A Republican for Shadid
I support candidates who are committed to fiscal responsibility. I support candidates who will fight to break the stranglehold lobbyists, political action committees and special interest groups have on our politics. And I support candidates who will stand up for the regular people of Oklahoma City, not just downtown power brokers. On each of these […]
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Comic relief
A person wearing a large yellow chicken costume first appeared at the Feb. 17 mayoral debate that was attended by three of the four candidates: Ed Shadid, Joe “Sarge” Nelson and Phil Hughes. Mayor Mick Cornett chose not to participate. The costumed character held a sign that read, “Why won’t Mick debate?” A day later, […]
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Debating the debates
Case in point: Three-term Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett chose not to participate in a forum on Feb. 17 with his three opponents. It was organized by the Black Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Oklahoma City and community members at Fairview Missionary Baptist Church, 1700 NE Seventh St. About 100 people attended. It was the […]
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To pledge, or not to pledge
Apparently that’s not good enough for lawmakers who have authored two bills making their way through the state Senate. KFOR reported Senate Bill 1143 and Senate Bill 1500 both passed the Senate Education Committee and are headed to the full Senate. SB 1143 would require elementary students in public schools to recite the Pledge of […]
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The issues
Mick Cornett 1. Public safety: “We can have all the quality-of-life amenities, but if people don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods, it’s meaningless. That’s why the last decade, we’ve consistently put two-thirds of our budget towards public safety, we’ve used the MAPS 3 use tax to fund a new police fleet and new police helicopters, […]