Author Archives: Admin

Syrian pilot defects

Staff Report

A Syrian air force pilot flew his MiG-21 fighter plane over the border to Jordan and was granted political asylum on Thursday, the first defection with a military aircraft since the start of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

The pilot landed at the King Hussein military air base 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Amman and immediately asked for sanctuary, Jordanian officials told Reuters.

"The cabinet has decided to grant the Syrian pilot political asylum upon his request," Jordan’s Minister of State for Information Samih al-Maaytah told Reuters.

Syria’s defense ministry called the pilot a "traitor to his country and his military honour".

In a statement it said it would punish the man, named as Colonel Hassan Hamada, under military law. Syria was in contact with Jordanian authorities to retrieve the aircraft, it added.

The defection will boost the morale of the rebel movement fighting Assad at a time when government forces are intensifying efforts to crush the uprising and international peace efforts are stalled.

Thousands of soldiers have deserted government ranks in the 15 months since the revolt broke out and they now form the backbone of the rebel army. But unlike last year’s uprisings in Libya and Yemen, no members of Assad’s inner circle have broken with him.

Click here for more Syrian news from the Jerusalem Post. 

Bridenstine’s TASM dispute

David Arnett, Publisher

In a hastily called press conference Wednesday Jim Bridenstine, candidate for the First Congressional District claimed current Representative John Sullivan is distorting his record.  So what is that record?

Asked to provide a compelling reason for voter support in the race, Bridenstine begins, “It comes down to leadership.”  

Then he lists swim teams and academic success that, while significant, are not leadership.  Bridenstine notes multiple assignments as a combat Navy pilot.  All of that is honorable and patriotic, but not leadership.

“I have leadership at [Tulsa’s] Air and Space Museum,” (TASM) he declared then launched into an attack on Congress and the direction of the country which, from public statements, are in agreement with those of his opponent Rep. John Sullivan.

“We have a congressman that has been there eleven years and has voted to extend the debt ceiling eleven times,” Bridenstine declared.

Rep. Sullivan is just now beginning his tenth year in Congress.  He was sworn in late February 2002.

It is Bridenstine’s 21-month stint as the executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum that is at issue and an official statement from Board Chairman Barbara Smallwood was distributed that begins, “The Tulsa Air and Space Museum is neither for nor against any candidate in any election.”

“While at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, Jim Bridenstine developed the QuikTrip Air and Rocket Racing Show and the Land the Shuttle Campaign, both of which garnered tremendous visibility for the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. While Mr. Bridenstine was executive director attendance increased at the museum. In August 2010 Mr. Bridenstine voluntarily resigned from his position as Executive Director at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum in order to follow his orders in the Navy Reserves. “

In direct response TASM board member James E. Bertelsmeyer, released the following:

“As a longtime supporter of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum (TASM), it is my opinion that the best day for the museum was the day that Jim Bridenstine left.

“While these issues have since been corrected by his successor, during Jim’s tenure at TASM, as I recall, the membership numbers were down, employee and volunteer morale was very low and the finances and certainly the financial reporting were arguably the worst they had been in recent years.

“While I respect Jim’s service to our Country as an aviator, I can’t imagine how he is qualified to run a Congressional District if, in my judgment, he can’t effectively manage our Air and Space Museum," Bertelsmeyer wrote.

The planetarium at TASM is named after Bertelsmeyer.

Later in the day, Sullivan spokesman John Tidwell said, “Jim Bridenstine doesn’t want to own up to his past failures.  But the facts don’t lie.  Tax records show that under Jim’s leadership, revenues and memberships at the museum were down significantly.  IRS tax forms show that in 2009 and 2010, TASM lost memberships and lost revenues in excess of $700,000.

“At the end of the day, we have a case of board member versus board member, each offering up their personal opinions. In cases like this, we have to look at the concrete information available — the forms filed with the IRS are the final word. He has long held that his time there was a success and we strongly disagree with his assessment.

“It’s no surprise that Jim doesn’t want to talk about the only real records we have to judge him by: he’s only voted 3 times in the 3½ years he’s lived in Oklahoma, or the fact he lived here for 17 months before registering to vote. He still doesn’t want to address why he did not vote on Super Tuesday. This is just a last minute attempt before Tuesday’s election to mislead voters,” Tidwell added.

Tulsa Today will post more on this race in coming days.  To read more from each candidate, click here for John Sullivan or click here for Jim Bridenstine.

Tulsans vote next Tuesday June 26 in this race.

Anthony accused of protecting harassing aide

David Arnett, Publisher

Updated: A previously confidential now broadcast report raises questions of Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony’s competence and management. FOX 25’s second report details reaction from the Oklahoma Public Employees Association.

The report details how one employee’s problems have cost the state thousands of dollars and possibly much more in lost productivity. Critics of Anthony says he is protecting an employee who has threatened to get others fired following the upcoming primary election.

Click here for the video report from Fox 25, KOKH-TV.

In response Anthony’s Republican challenger, Brooks Mitchell, released a statement late this afternoon that reads in part:

Last night Oklahoma City’s FOX News station aired a scathing report about a personal staff aide for current Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony. According to the broadcast, the unnamed aide has been accused and investigated on several occasions after dozens of sexual harassment, improper conduct and creating a hostile work environment by women who work at the Corporation Commission.

Despite a report by an outside agency detailing allegations by more than 30 women and a recommendation by the investigators that the unnamed aide never be allowed to be alone with female workers, Anthony continues to pretend there’s no problem.

“Bob always talks about his leadership, his integrity and being a watchdog. Where’s the leadership when he allows a man to continue act in an inappropriate manner towards female co-workers and create a hostile work environment to continue to work for him?"

“Did he not understand the significance of the report’s finding that this man never be allowed to work alone with women at the Commission?”

“This attitude towards women went out with the rotary telephone. It’s obvious Bob is totally out of touch with his workers, with his own integrity and his ability to lead.” 

The Oklahoma Public Employees Association says issues detailed in confidential report obtained by Fox 25 could pose problems for employees at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.  The OPEA says employees have a right to file grievances against the agency if they feel issues are not being handled properly.  The former director of administration of the commission [Brooks Mitchell] says Anthony’s inaction has aided in creating a negative working environment.

Click here for the FOX 25 report on Oklahoma Public Employees Association’s position.

Anthony accused of protecting harassing aide

David Arnett, Publisher

Updated: A previously confidential now broadcast report raises questions of Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony’s competence and management. FOX 25’s second report details reaction from the Oklahoma Public Employees Association.

The report details how one employee’s problems have cost the state
thousands of dollars and possibly much more in lost productivity.
Critics of Anthony says he is protecting an employee who has threatened
to get others fired following the upcoming primary election.

Click here for the video report from Fox 25, KOKH-TV.

In response Anthony’s Republican challenger, Brooks Mitchell, released a statement late this afternoon that reads in part:

Last night Oklahoma City’s FOX News station aired a scathing report about a personal staff aide for current Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony. According to the broadcast, the unnamed aide has been accused and investigated on several occasions after dozens of sexual harassment, improper conduct and creating a hostile work environment by women who work at the Corporation Commission.

Despite a report by an outside agency detailing allegations by more than 30 women and a recommendation by the investigators that the unnamed aide never be allowed to be alone with female workers, Anthony continues to pretend there’s no problem.

“Bob always talks about his leadership, his integrity and being a watchdog. Where’s the leadership when he allows a man to continue act in an inappropriate manner towards female co-workers and create a hostile work environment to continue to work for him?"

“Did he not understand the significance of the report’s finding that this man never be allowed to work alone with women at the Commission?”

“This attitude towards women went out with the rotary telephone. It’s obvious Bob is totally out of touch with his workers, with his own integrity and his ability to lead.” 

The Oklahoma Public Employees Association says issues detailed in confidential report obtained by Fox 25 could pose problems for employees at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.  The OPEA says employees have a right to file grievances against the agency if they feel issues are not being handled properly.  The former director of administration of the commission [Brooks Mitchell] says Anthony’s inaction has aided in creating a negative working environment.

Click here for the FOX 25 report on Oklahoma Public Employees Association’s position.

Port of Catoosa receives grant

Staff Report

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), today announced that the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) will award the Tulsa Port of Catoosa with a $6.4 million grant.   

The funds, made available through the Transportation Investment
Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program, will cover approximately
48 percent of a rehabilitation project for the Port’s Main Dock.

“The federal government has an obligation to maintain this federally
operated waterway,” said Inhofe.  “That is why I have long worked with
the Army Corps of Engineers to make sure the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas
River Navigational System operates at full capacity.  The Port of Catoosa is a major economic gateway.  Barge traffic delivers $1.3 million of commerce to Oklahoma each day, and this grant will provide a portion of the funding to make important improvements while expanding the Port of Catoosa’s main dock.  This is great economic news for Oklahoma and the region.”

The project encompasses a significant rehabilitation of the Main Dock through demolition of an existing obsolete transit shed, construction of new concrete dock surface, upgrades to the existing overhead crane, and the addition of a second crane on the expanded dock. The project will double the Main Dock capacity, allowing simultaneous handling of multiple barges and potentially containers.

"The rehabilitation of the Main Dock at the Port will generate substantial, long-term benefits to the nation and the region through significantly increasing capacity the Port’s overall capacity by creating a state-of-the-art cargo handling facility within the current main dock footprint," said David Page, Chairman of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority. "The Tiger Grant will also provide other benefits, including further enhancing the Port’s existing status as an international logistics center."

As a result of the capacity increase provided by the Main Dock Rehabilitation Project, more than one million tons of iron and steel/break bulk cargo can be handled per year at the Port of Catoosa. These capacity improvements have the potential to redirect truck transport traffic including intermodal shipments from a number of Gulf ports to inland waterborne traffic routes through the Port of New Orleans and subsequently to the Port of Catoosa.
            
The 2,500-acre Port complex offers industrial sites for lease, and its Riverview Business Park, adjacent to the Port, offers property for sale. Together they are home to more than 65 industrial facilities employing more than 3,700 employees.