The County Clerk’s race provides the most striking choice between an idiot and an excellent public servant. 

As published in Assessing the assessor’s debate, Dean Martin is, from all indications, a [Ken] Yazel devotee running against Pat Key for Tulsa County Clerk.  Martin knows nothing about the function of the Clerk’s office.  Martin thinks he can be the figurehead and “find someone like Pat Key to run things,” as a supporter who spoke on Martin’s behalf said at a Republican Club meeting last month.

Further, Martin recently sent out an endorsement by former-State Senator Randy Brogdon saying, “Dean Martin is the kind of conservative Republican I can get behind.”  The email was a misrepresentation as it did not identify Brogdon as a FORMER Senator, but we can understand why.  Brogdon spent his entire elected career ranting about career politicians, then when term-limited in the Legislature he ran for governor and he now works for the State Insurance Commissioner.  That’s right; Randy Brogdon became what he so often damned.

By email, David Tackett, Martin’s campaign manager, wrote: “I have advised Dean not to interview…”  Tackett assured it was not personal.  We suspect he either thinks Tulsa Today readers have no minds of their own or Martin fears difficult questions.

Does he go by Dean Martin as a grasp at movie star fame? Inquiring minds would ask.  Floyd Dean Martin is listed in abundant court documents.  We wonder why there have been so many liens and judgements against him – specifically IRS number 5372 0532 92 000606 documenting a $5,904.20 dispute.  There is another issue with the Oklahoma Tax Commission regarding documentary stamps that we suspect can be explained away as a minor detail of omission, but the Tulsa County Clerk’s Office is an office of detail.  If he can’t get the paperwork right in his own life, how does Martin expect to manage a busy public office of commanded compliance to law?

We found one divorce record 29 pages long – a lot of that activity appeared highly contentious and financially irresponsible.  Problem is, Martin doesn’t want to talk about it and, if he does, what he says is often vague, but it is clear from the record, he failed to pay child support as ordered and judgement was rendered.  There is also a “Sole Ownership Certificate of Fictitious Name” that is very odd.

Martin’s campaign also lies in published campaign mailers.  It is dirty politics.  In one received today, Martin asserts “millions of taxpayers’ dollars have been wasted and state laws have been broken.”  That is false.

Software at the County Clerk’s office was purchased prior to any other office and it did not cost millions.  That software was specifically land record software for the land record office and therefore compatibility with other County software was not required or expected.

The County Clerk’s office has never denied an open record request.  Some media and individuals want all records for free, but there is a small charge or subscription allowed by law.  There is never been a legal allegation of malfeasance in regard to the Open Records Act in the County Clerk’s Office.