Roth settling into role as new corporation commissioner

Just 43 days into the job, the state’s newest member of the Corporation Commission is settling easily into his new job.

And he plans on staying a while.

Speaking last Friday at the Cleveland County Democrat’s Tyner Cornbread and Beans luncheon, newly appointed Democrat Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth told a crowd of more than 40 about his goals as the commission’s newest member.

He also came to listen.

“I want to serve the public,” he said.

Roth was appointed May 16 to serve the remainder of Republican Denise Bode’s term. Bode resigned to take a job in Washington, D.C.

He served as an Oklahoma County commissioner from 2003 to May of this year. And that job, he says, is like his previous county office — helping people.

“I did have a wonderful opportunity and experience at Oklahoma County,” Roth said. “My goal was to return the courthouse to the public.”

A former attorney for the Oklahoma County, Roth said he decided to run for county commissioner several years ago because county government was “inwardly” focused.

“The elected officials thought more of themselves than the public,” he said. “So in 2002 I resigned my job at attorney and ran.”

Roth served two terms and was re-elected to his second term with more than 65 percent of the vote.

As a corporation commissioner, Roth will face re-election in 2008 — this time on a statewide level.

“I’m committed to running in 2008 to fill this term,” he said after his speech. “The governor has give me a high honor and I’ve gotta earn that. But next year the public is going to hire or fire me; I feel like I’m in a job interview every day.“

Roth said he sought the Corporation Commission appointment because he felt himself grow into “statewide thinking.”

“For me, statewide thinking is you gotta make sure the rural interests are protected in relation to the utility issues, not just the urban areas,” he said.

And corporation commissioners, he said, need that type of outlook.

“It’s certainly clear to me the financial decisions that we make in regulating these companies can’t just be geared to how it impacts those companies, you gotta be mindful of that,” he said.

To illustrate his point, Roth used a portion of his speech to seek public input about OG&E’s proposed coal-fired power plant, to be built near Red Rock.

“What this new power plant means to you and I is that a public utility is asking for permission to charge all of you dollars for a new power plant that they suggest we will require in the future,” he said. “I’m trying to present some of these facts to you to hear your opinion.”

Those opinions, he said, are important to commissioners.

“I just want to talk to you and invite you into this; please think through this and formulate your opinions and make those opinions known — it’s about your future.”