City election filing begins

Staff Report

Monday, 07 January 2008
Candidates for municipal office in the City of Tulsa, filing for Auditor and 9 Council Districts, will file Declarations of Candidacy beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, January 14 one week from today.

Patty Bryant, Secretary of the Tulsa County Election Board, said the filing period will end at 5 p.m. Wednesday, January 16. Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted at the Tulsa County Election Board located at 555 N. Denver, in Tulsa.

To be eligible to file as a candidate for the City of Tulsa Auditor, a person shall be a qualified elector (registered voter) and resident of the City at the time of filing. For the office of Councilor, a person shall have been a qualified elector (registered voter) of the election district for more than ninety (90) days at the time of filing for the office for that election district.

The City of Tulsa requires a $50.00 filing fee in the form of a cashier’s check or certified check made payable to the CITY OF TULSA for political party candidates filing for Councilor or City Auditor, or in lieu of the filing fee, a petition supporting a candidate’s filing signed by at least three hundred (300) qualified electors (registered voters) from the city at large if the candidate seeks the office of City Auditor or from the election district if the candidate seeks the office of Councilor from an election district. Independent candidates shall have their name placed on the ballot to be used in the general election by filing with the Election Board a Declaration of Candidacy and shall have attached a supporting petition which shall be signed by at least three hundred (300) qualified electors (registered voters) from the City at large if the independent candidate seeks the office of City Auditor, or from the election district if the independent candidate seeks the office of Councilor from an election district.

The Primary Election for the City of Tulsa will be held March 4, 2008, and the General Election for the City of Tulsa will be held April 1, 2008. Voters registered to vote in a political party may vote for their party nominee at large for the office of City Auditor and by election district for each of the nine councilor districts at the Primary Election. All voters registered to vote in the City of Tulsa may vote for candidates advancing from the Primary to the General Election as well as Independent candidates for the office of City Auditor but only voters registered to vote within each election district will vote for candidates advancing from the Primary to the General as well as Independent Candidates for the office of Councilor in Council Districts 1 through 9.

Oklahoma Voter Registration Application forms are available at the County Election Board office located at 555 North Denver Avenue, in Tulsa, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bryant said that applications are also available at most post offices, most public libraries, and all tag agencies within the county.
Last Updated ( Monday, 07 January 2008 )

“Jesus Fish” hits below the (Bible) belt

Staff Report

Bucking the current trend of family-friendly Christian films, “Jesus Fish” – a collection of vignettes about a Bible-study group – isn’t afraid to get its hands or mouth dirty, and Tulsans who aren’t afraid to take in this gritty indie flick will get one great opportunity to do so at its Red Carpet Invitational Screening, set for 7 p.m. on January 10 at the Riverwalk Theater in Jenks. Presented by Jackson Productions, in association with The Right Guy Productions, the film will be followed by a Q&A session with the cast and crew hosted by the Oklahoma Movie Makers.

While telling a tale of faith and redemption, “Jesus Fish” embraces the intense and visceral feel of modern cinema. Two young men hit someone on a deserted road. Three young ladies befriend a tough-but troubled-hooker and soon find themselves trapped in the home of a cruel and lecherous meth dealer. And one young man falls into despair when everything in his life comes crashing down around him – before he finds a shotgun. A fist in the face of "religious" Christianity, “Jesus Fish” is a dark comedy, with a light at the end of the tunnel.

The feature-length film – which will be entered in the South By Southwest and Bare Bones Film Festivals – was shot entirely in the Tulsa area. Its all-Oklahoman cast includes Matt Lord and Jennifer Abels (appearing in the upcoming horror movie “Please Don’t Feed The Zombies”), veteran stage actors Rob Harris (seen recently in Sapulpa Community Theatre’s “Arsenic and Old Lace”), Chrissy Lewis (from Muskogee Little Theatre’s staging of “The Full Monty”), Starr Hardgrove (who appeared in the Heller Theater’s production of “Rocket Man”), Allison Kirkpatrick (seen in the Nightingale Theatre’s run of “Proof”), Amy Harris (who last appeared in the Oklahoma film “Hookers”), and Cevin Behe (who can be seen in the upcoming film “Dark Lineage”).

The soundtrack consists largely of local artists, including Wendy Nichol, Fly Me Anywhere, Standing Ape Count, The Afterglow, Chuk Cooley & The Demon Hammers, Janet Mayson, Ronnie Deane and James Pesch. The original score was composed and performed by Lydia Ashton and Matt Lord.

“Jesus Fish” was written by Titus Jackson and Matt Lord. Jackson, who directed and edited the film, is a free-lance artist who grew up in Harlem, New York, before moving to Broken Arrow at the age of 13. Together with Rob Harris, Jackson and Lord set out to produce a film based on the idea of “taking the characters in ‘The Omega Code’ and dropping them in the middle of ‘Reservoir Dogs.’ " Kyle Claney, a long-time Jackson/Lord cohort with an eye for the edgy and artistic, directed the photography.

Tickets for the screening are available for $6 by e-mail request to jesusfishmovie@hotmail.com. Those under 17 are not permitted without an adult.
For more information contact Rob Harris at (918) 806-6136 or Titus Jackson at (918) 384-8657, or e-mail jesusfishmovie@hotmail.com or visit the Web site at http://www.myspace.com/jesusfishmovie

McMahan brother accused of political felony

David Arnett

Often both comedic and pathetic in some parts of Oklahoma, politics is a full-contact criminal enterprise. Jason McMahan, brother of Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan is not currently charged with any crime, but Gary Jones says, “I don’t want anyone out there to misunderstand; I firmly believe that Jason McMahan stole my trailer. I was told by the detective, assistant district attorney and the district attorney that they were convinced that he stole it using his pick-up truck.”

Apparently in Tecumseh, Oklahoma’s connected criminals live free of charge unless the crime catches the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This episode is merely grand theft auto. The “Keystone Cops” element is that one person has been charged with possession of stolen property, but no one was charged with stealing it. For that Oklahomans can thank a judge and a district attorney, who was a contributor to Jeff McMahan’s campaigns.

Picture of the suspect pick-up owned by Jason McMahan taken the day after the stolen trailer was discovered on McMahan’s co-workers property.

Jeff McMahan is currently under examination by a federal grand jury for campaign irregularities tied to Gene Stipe, Mike Mass and Steve Phipps – first publicly exposed by Tulsa Today (click here for the original story). Theft of the trailer which was decorated at the time as a “covered wagon” billboard during Jones’ bid to replace McMahan in the auditors office was also first published by Tulsa Today (click here for that original story and the follow-up story).

September 16, 2006 Tecumseh police officer Clint Hill took the report of a larceny of the twenty-four foot goose neck trailer Jones had leased for his campaign. At the time of the theft, the trailer was secured with a cable and lock behind Branson McKiddy Realtors in Tecumseh. On September 22, Tecumseh resident David Jett called police to report that he had seen the decorated campaign trailer sometime between midnight and 2 am on the night it was taken. Jett reported that a red extended-cab pick-up truck was pulling the trailer through town.

November 1, Pottawatomie County Deputy Sheriff Dan McClure called Tecumseh Detective Lt. Kidney and, after comparing notes, the two believed they had located the missing trailer on land owned by Justin Lewis. Investigating, the two officers obtained the vehicle identification number (VIN), but a check of that number showed a trailer owned by the City of Tecumseh. David Johnson, Tecumseh City Manager, (a former employee of and major contributor to Jeff McMahan) told officers that the city’s trailer was at the City Barn, but the VIN plate had been removed.

Deputy McClure and Lt. Kidney returned to the trailer and began to impound it when they discovered the covered wagon frame also belonging to Jones approximately 25 yards from the trailer. The trailer had been repainted. While on the scene, Justin Lewis arrived and, according to official documents, admitted he let “someone” park the trailer there. He said he had seen officers in the field so he went to his mother’s house to call the “guy that put the trailer there” asking that person to come to Lewis’ property to talk to the officers.

Asked if he was a city employee Lewis only said, “You’re good you will figure it out.” Lewis then told Lt. Kidney he could not tell then who the other person was because of “it being a political mess.” When asked what that meant, Lewis said, “You know what I mean.”

Lewis was not arrested and remained at his property when the officers departed with the trailer. Lt. Kidney returned shortly, asking Lewis, “Was it Jason McMahan?”

Lewis said, “You’re good.” Lt. Kidney then asked if Jason McMahan was the one who brought the trailer to his house. Lewis said he, “could not” tell him.

November 3, Lt. Kidney contacted Jason McMahan. At Tecumseh Police Headquarters, McMahan was advised of his Miranda Rights and made the following statements: 1.) McMahan knew Gary Jones had a trailer stolen, but did not know anything about the trailer recovered from Justin Lewis’ field, 2.) McMahan was at work until 12:30 am the night the trailer was stolen, and 3.) McMahan owns a red extended cab pick-up with a gooseneck hook-up, which is required for a pickup to pull the trailer.

The same day, Justin Lewis gave the following written statement after being advised of his Miranda Rights:

“I, Justin Lewis Had a trailer Recovered from my property at 29387 Kimes Ave Macomb OK. Pott County on Nov 2, 2006 at time of Recovery I leared it had Been stolen I Received the Trailer from parties who cant be named at this time and had no prier Knowledge it was stolen until time of Recovery” (sic)

On February 1, 2007 Justin Lewis was interviewed by Deputy Jim Patten of the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office and after being advised of his rights made the following admissions: 1.) When asked what knowledge he had of the trailer he said, “I knew the trailer was on my property,” 2.) When asked if he knew the trailer was stolen he said, “Probably,” 3.) When advised it would be best if he was honest, he said, “You wouldn’t understand, I just can’t say.” Then he volunteered, “I don’t care what happens I’m not saying anything, I’ll just take whatever happens to me.”

Lewis was not taken into custody until a warrant was issued in April of 2007 charging that he knowingly concealed stolen property – a felony.

Jones says, “Anyone can see from official statements that Jason McMahan stole my trailer.”

The night of the theft both Jason McMahan and Justin Lewis were City of Tecumseh Water Department employees, worked out of the City Barn and worked together on the night shift until 12:30 am. The photographs of the red pick-up truck accompanying this story were taken by Lt. Kidney of the “suspect vehicle” which is Jason McMahan’s truck.

If law enforcement or the court system had been timely in the release of this information, it could have made a difference in the election contest between Jason’s brother Jeff McMahan and Gary Jones.

After indicating to Jones that Lewis would be pressured to name the thief or face trail, the Pottawatomie County District Attorney, Richard Smotherman and judge allowed Lewis in late December to enter a blind plea and gather a deferred sentence which means he will not even have a permanent blemish on his record if he stays out of other legal trouble during the time period.

“Basically they swept it under the carpet,” Jones said. “They hid the facts to protect Jeff McMahan’s election, never charged Jason McMahan and let his accomplice skate the system. There is no justice in any of this,” Jones added.

The case had been turned over to the Pottawatomie County District Attorney the day after the trailer had been discovered because Tecumseh Detective Lt. Kidney told Jones, “I felt I had a conflict of interest because it appeared the crime was committed by two city employees and my brother is married to Jeff McMahan’s sister.”

Pottawatomie County District Attorney, Richard Smotherman played in Jeff McMahan’s fundraising golf tournament at least three times. He did offer to recuse himself, but not until after Jones asked him about his donations to McMahan and just days before the plea deal was accepted.

Jones said Lewis’ attorney is also a former employee of Jeff McMahan and a campaign contributor.

Jones said, “If politics had been played cleanly in Oklahoma, I would have more than likely won the 2002 election contest with Jeff McMahan – it was that close and the $80,000 to $100,000 of illegal campaign donations he got made the difference. In the last race [2006] all these stories Tulsa Today published the more mainstream media would not cover because they claimed it was political. Most feel that if those stories or this one had come out before the election– yes I would have won that race as well.”

Jones was later elected Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party.

When asked about being afraid of being sued for making accusations Jones replied “The best defensive against slander is the truth. All I have ever wanted is for the truth to be known. If it means that I am sued or that I have to sue to get my day in court so be it. The public deserves the truth.“

“How many times do Oklahomans have to catch Jeff McMahan lying? He lied about his relationship with Steve Phipps, he lied about his relationship with Gene Stipe, and he lied about money and vacations and gifts received while he has held the office of Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector. Under normal circumstances he would have been prosecuted and thrown out of office a long time ago,” Jones said.

Jones added, “The funny thing is that the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector swears an oath to protect Oklahoma taxpayers.”

Tulsa’s Adkins king of contributions

Mike McCarville

Republican State Rep. Dennis Adkins of Tulsa apparently has parlayed his chairmanship of the House Energy & Technology Committee into a huge campaign war chest, one larger even than Speaker Lance Cargill’s and one that makes him king of all House members going into the 2008 election year. That, despite the fact Adkins hasn’t had an opponent since 2002 and even in that year, his "opponent" was a no-name Independent who wasn’t a factor.

Adkins, his latest Ethics Committee report shows, is sitting on a campaign fund of $192,236 and that’s after he spent almost $54,000 in the last reporting period.

His total cash on hand swamps Cargill, at $120,297. Cargill, however, spent almost $115,000 in the first nine months of 2007 and shows his total cash amount raised as $208,543.

Only Senator Johnnie Crutchfield tops Adkins among all legislators, Crutchfield showing $251,320 in his campaign fund.

Adkins’ donors include executives of OG&E, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy, Phoenix Coal Sales and others, including lobbyist Andrew Skeith, who gave him $5,000 in the first quarter of the year; Skeith lobbies for Phoenix Coal Sales, Chaparral Energy and other firms. In that same period, committees donated about $18,000; included were the Devon Energy Political Action Committee, $5,000, and the OG&E Employees Political Action Committee, $2,500.

In the second quarter, city officials and energy company leaders donated $14,150, most of it coming on June 27th. David Chernicky of New Dominion Oil LLC in Tulsa donated $5,000; a present member and former chairman of the Grand River Dam Authority’s board of directors, Chernicky heads the GRDA Coal Committee and has become one of the state’s top donors to candidates. Committees added $11,400 to Adkins’ war chest in the period, with $5,000 from Energy For Oklahomans, $2,500 from the Spectra Energy Corporation Political Action Committee and $1,000 from the Friends of Oklahoma Coal Political Action Committee.

For the year, including the transfer of about $153,000 from his previous campaign, Adkins has banked $246,018 and spent $53,782.

His expenditures show repeated amounts for unspecified "unreimbursed expenses" in addition to unspecified listings for travel, lodging and meals. He paid $12,000 for "campaign plan development" and lists $3,825 in unspecified consulting costs.

In the third quarter, Adkins’ war chest earned $2,194 in interest.

Adkins’ use of campaign funds put him in the news in September 2006, when the Tulsa World’s Mick Hinton reported Adkins was using donations to pay for an Oklahoma City condo he purchased. Adkins subsequently repaid his campaign the $15,596 it spent for rent on the condo. Hinton also reported that Adkins said he reimbursed the campaign to "get this behind me." Adkins said he had asked the Oklahoma Ethics Commission to determine if he followed the law in making the rent payments from his campaign fund. Director Marilyn Hughes said that when Adkins asked her about the payments, he did not mention he owns the condo.

Adkins, 43, was elected to the House in 2000; he’s not had a serious opponent since and in 2004 and 2006, was unopposed. He has yet to comment on rumors he may run for the Corporation Commission seat now held by Democrat Jim Roth.

About the Author:
Mike McCarville has covered Oklahoma politics and government since he became State Capitol Correspondent for The Tulsa Tribune in 1966. Since, he has been a governor’s press secretary, investigative reporter, television station news executive, radio station program director and talk show host, and political consultant. In 1980, he founded The McCarville Report and it is the nation’s longest-running state political publication. In its online version, it has been called "The best political blog" by Dr. Keith Gaddie, pollster and pundit and "Oklahoma’s venerable McCarville Report" by The Arkansas Times. McCarville, also a real estate investor and commentator for the National Rifle Association on NRANews.com and Sirius Satellite Radio, is a regular contributor to Tulsa Today.

Attachment Disorders Part Three: Dear Mom

Linda Ann Smith

Friday, 28 December 2007
I’m only a baby, and to become emotionally well-adjusted later I need your help! Do you think it will hurt Dad’s feelings that I asked you first? I hope not. His love and care are very important to me too!

Mom, I already have a special relationship with you. Before I was born, I knew the warmth of your body, the rhythm of your heartbeat and the sound of your voice. Now a stronger bond with you will help me learn to trust others for physical and emotional comfort.

When you see my sweet little face, can you imagine that later I could develop severe behavior problems or even commit serious crimes? Probably not! But if I fail to bond now I could develop an attachment disorder and have difficulty with human relationships when I become an adult. Failure to bond with my parent(s) places me at high risk for growing into a manipulative, controlling, "unattached child" without a conscience and with extreme self-control problems. We don’t have any time to waste! It’s important that I develop strong emotional attachments with my primary caregiver within the first eighteen months of my life.

I could develop an attachment disorder if I experience abuse, neglect, or poor parenting skills. I need to trust you for comfort and won’t understand if you are not aware that I am in pain or why you cannot always stop my pain. Attachment problems could arise if our bonding cycle is interrupted due to illness, hospitalization, divorce, or death. It can be dangerous for me to experience numerous changes in childcare, or an "emotionally absent" mother due to chronic maternal depression, drug abuse, or a severe psychiatric disorder. Gee, Mom, that’s a lot of responsibility for you, but don’t get discouraged.

Healthy bonding is simple. My part is to cry when I’m hungry, uncomfortable, or in pain. Every time I cry, I have a need. It may be a physical or an emotional need, but it is a need. Your part is to soothe me with eye-contact, touch, motion, or food so I’ll learn to trust you. If my parents want me to understand that I can trust them, they must respond each time I cry. Some people will say that you are spoiling me. Please don’t listen!

Experts agree that I cannot be spoiled during my first two years of life. Every time you comfort me when I cry, I’ll learn to trust you and our bond will grow stronger. When you respond to my cries over and over without interruption, I will learn that my environment is safe.

How will you know if I am forming healthy attachments? You’ll recognize when I cry and you meet my needs, that I can be soothed. I’ll gradually stop crying. I will enjoy close contact, cuddling and playing. I’ll smile, chortle, giggle and seem happy. My eyes will seek faces, especially yours, Mom, and I’ll fixate on your eyes. I’ll have a strong sucking response and watch your face while nursing. Though I may display a variety of emotions, including anger and sadness, I’ll seem "normal" and glow with enthusiasm for life.

Do you hear a baby crying? That’s me! I’m just telling you that I want to get started on our bonding cycle right now!

Love,
Baby

Symptoms of un-attachment

Parents don’t panic if you observe an occasional sign of un-attachment. Bonding and attachment require time. However, you should be aware of these symptoms. Babies with many of these symptoms might be a high-risk for developing an attachment disorder:

1.) ABNORMAL CRYING PATTERNS — very weak or very rage full crying, crying without tears, or constant whining.
2.) EXTREMELY RESISTANT TO CUDDLING — arches back or stiffens body in protest, doesn’t conform to contours of parent’s body when held, and fights to be set free from cuddling or physical touch.
3.) RESISTS EYE CONTACT — turns gaze away from parents, uncomfortable with close face-to-face encounters.
4.) NO SMILING RESPONSE — seems passive and ignores smiles of others, does not exchange smiles even with parents.
5.) NO INTEREST IN PLAYING — does not "coo" or gurgle in response to gentle tickling or playful gestures.
6.) NURSING DIFFICULTIES — does not adapt well to nursing, may fail to develop strong sucking responses.
7.) NOT "NORMAL" — displays no sign of strong attachment to any other human, lacks zest for living.

Helping Baby Bond

Babies learn about their environment through their five senses: touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell. When parents provide the kind of nurturing and care the baby needs, the five senses are positively stimulated. To promote healthy bonding, keep these tips from your baby in mind:

TOUCH — Each time I am held, I experience the sense of touch. When I cry, I learn that someone will respond by picking me up to investigate my need. When my diaper is changed, my sense of touch is relieved from irritability. My discomfort after feeding is relieved by patting to help me burp. My need for emotional comfort is soothed by cuddling, patting, or rocking. I sense my parents’ feeling of tension or relaxation through my sense of touch.

SIGHT — If I am held facing away from my parents, I am robbed of the eye contact I need. Studies show that very young babies prefer faces (especially their mother’s face) over other visual stimulation. Hold me face-to-face to promote healthy bonding.

HEARING — I need a balance of quiet time and auditory stimulation. I need quiet time for rest, but I also need my parents to talk to me. I enjoy hearing my parents’ voices when they read or sing.

TASTE — Taste is stimulated when I am fed. I begin to associate relief from hunger with my sense of taste. Feeding time is an especially important time for me to be touched and nurtured. If I am left alone to eat or with a bottle propped up on a pillow, I might not understand that my parents are involved in my relief from hunger. Since I need food to live, holding me will help me understand that I can trust my parents to provide my needs.

SMELL — The smell of dirty diapers and soured milk is just as offensive to me as it is to adults. I use my sense of smell to help me identify people and places. To learn that my environment is a safe and pleasant place, I need clean, fresh aromas.

Edit Note:
Part one of this series is titled "The enemy within" and part two is “Teaching teachers" which is followed by this post "Dear Mom.”

This series was originally published in 1997 by Tulsa Today and is the most referenced work in our archive frequently republished with permission worldwide. While the local Attachment Network is no longer active, parents seeking help are encouraged to contact the Tulsa Developmental Pediatrics and Center for Family Psychology.

About the Author:
Linda Ann Smith earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education degree in 1972, and Master of Education degree in 1980, from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Smith served as consultant for the Oklahoma Writing Project (affiliated with the National Writing Project), as education consultant for The Attachment Network, and on the Broken Arrow Public Schools Writing Cadre. Her other educational memberships include Delta Kappa Gamma, and Phi Delta Kappa, Broken Arrow Education Association, Oklahoma Education Association, and National Education Association. In 1996, Smith received training in the Talents Unlimited program and Six Analytical Writing Traits model.

In her spare time Smith is a dreamer, a freelance artist, and an Internet chat room enthusiast. She has a soft heart for Vietnam Veterans, Native Americans, and people who have a pulse. Her hobbies include interior decorating, raising herbs, and collecting dust.
Last Updated ( Friday, 28 December 2007 )