Though they agreed Cleveland County must move quickly to construct a new jail, at least three of the four candidates for District 1 County Commissioner were hesitant as to where that detention facility should be built.
Speaking Tuesday at a Republican candidate forum, commission hopefuls Glen Cosper, Randy Rogers and Rod Cleveland each answered questions about the jail, but didn’t say where it should be located.
The fourth candidate, Ted Ryals, was more specific.
About 40 people attended the event.
“I have a lot of people come talk to me,” Rogers, 46, said. “And it (the jail issue) is passionate on every side.”
The jail’s location, he said, is “probably going to be made” before a new commissioner is seated. “There are so many things that we are going to have to sit down and look at as far a funding. There are lot of creative solutions we’re going to have to look at.”
Cosper, 56, agreed.
“As far as the location, I think there are still different solutions to be looked at,” he said. “Until one of us is really a county commissioner they aren’t going to have all the facts, all the angles.”
Cosper said a new county jail “can’t be a travesty like they have in Oklahoma City.”
For Cleveland, the jail issue centered on long-term funding.
“I think the jail should be located in the right spot,” Cleveland said. “But I will work to make sure there are no property tax increases to pay for the jail.”
Cleveland, 40, said he wanted to make sure county officials “weren’t going to tie bonds to our property taxes (for the jail) and make us pay for them.”
Speaking last, Ryals, 59, was more specific.
“My personal preference is that the jail be located in the downtown area. It’s more cost effective with regards to inmates when they have court proceedings.”
However, Ryals said he was “open to the idea” of a different location. “I intend to find out what the preference is of my district,” he said.
While the jail was the forum’s major issue, the candidates also answered questions about economic development and maintaining the county’s roads and bridges.
“It’s a matter of the proper allocations of funds and planning,” Ryals said. “We do not have exclusive jurisdiction over very much (of the roads) in the county. This means we have to coordinate.”
Like Ryals, Cleveland said the new commissioner would have to work with officials from other areas to keep maintain roads and bridges.
“We’ll have to work with (officials) from Moore and Oklahoma City,” he said. “Those agreements are important.”
Rogers said he was “the only candidate who actually has built a road.”
“The roads and bridges … are starting to become a real issue. We have grown and outgrown our roads. We have problems,” Rogers said.
Voters will chose one of the four at next Tuesday’s primary election.
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and though voters who want to vote by mail absentee have missed the deadline, they may still vote prior to the election, election board secretary Paula Roberts said.
Roberts said absentee-in-person ballots can be cast by going to the Cleveland County Election Board, at 122 S. Peters Ave., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday or 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.
“In-person absentee voters fill out an application form when they arrive at the office,” she said. “They are required to swear they have not voted a regular, mail absentee ballot and that they will not vote at their polling place on election day.”
Voters who become physically incapacitated after 5 p.m. June 5, are be permitted to vote on an emergency basis, she added.
“(The term) physical incapacitation includes a variety of conditions — injury, illness and childbirth — that prevents a person from voting in person at the polls on election day.”
The winner of next Tuesday’s election will face Democrat James Earp, from Newalla, in the general election, July 10.
About 50,000 voters are registered in commission District 1; of that figure, 5,470 are Independent, 17,740 are Democrats and 27,371 are registered as Republican.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Monday, June 4, 2007
COMMENTARY: In praise of the Okies...
This November, the State of Oklahoma becomes a senior citizen.
It’s our 100th birthday.
And what a century it’s been.
Born amid the flurry of horse’s hooves and billowing dust clouds, the Sooner State came into the union as an awkward, rough-and-tumble child.
We started out with a “boom.”
The agriculture and oil industries flexed their financial muscles and the 46th state of the union quickly took off.
We fought over a capital and even today, continue the argument.
By the 1930s, the rains would stop.
And the fields — like the oil and agricultural revenue — would dry up and, literally, blow away.
Some would migrate to California.
Those who remained became Okies.
And whether you agreed with John Steinbeck or not, it seemed — at the time — that the Almighty was angry with us; still we continued. Slowly, we regained our footing and rebuilt what we had lost.
We’ve had our share of saints and scoundrels — men and women who, for better or worse, left their mark on the Land of the Red Man.
The legacy continues.
By the 1950s, Oklahoma began to take its place on the national stage; from our borders came global leaders with new ideas and the iron will put see them accomplished.
But the poorest of us remained the same.
Illiteracy, hunger and gut-wrenching poverty hovered like a plague, dampening our spirits and slowing — or stopping — the progress we’d worked so hard to accomplish.
Still, we stood firm.
Despite the dust bowls, floods or the prairie’s version of the hurricane, we picked ourselves up, dusted off our bluejeans, and started over.
“We’re the people,” Ma Joad said.
It wasn’t an insult but a statement of fact.
Seventy years later, on a bright, cool spring day, a twisted, sick terrorist would try to destroy those people.
A building bombed, hundreds — including, small, helpless children — were killed. Hundreds more injured.
We survived.
Timothy McVeigh’s expression of contempt failed.
And, instead, the down-to-earth goodness and decency of the average Oklahoman, was viewed on a global scale.
With tears in our eyes, we buried our dead.
Then turned our attention toward the living.
We prayed.
And somewhere, deep inside us, we found the will to, once again, stand and go forward.
We’d need that strength.
Less than a decade later, nature would throw her worst at us — Okies living in Moore, Bridge Creek, Del City and in other towns, would experience the fastest winds ever recorded on the face of the earth.
Once again they stood firm.
Churches took in storm refugees and opened their buildings and their hearts to help. Our leaders put aside politics and embraced people.
We took that “love thy neighbor” thing seriously.
And now, it’s 2007.
One hundred years have passed since President Roosevelt put pen to paper and signed our birth certificate.
For the rest of this year, Okies of every stripe, creed and faith will pause and look back at the past. There, they will find our successes, our failures, our accomplishments and our mistakes.
And there, they will also find the underlying core, the foundation of what makes this wind-blown, just-wait-the-weather-will-change state: Its people.
Each and every one us, from the poorest of the poor to the millionaires in Nichols Hill, have discovered their Okie DNA — a gene that, no matter what, simply keeps trying.
I’m not sure how in evolved.
And I certainly don’t know where it came from.
But I do know that we Okies are unique.
And, just like Ma Joad said, we are “the people.”
It’s our 100th birthday.
And what a century it’s been.
Born amid the flurry of horse’s hooves and billowing dust clouds, the Sooner State came into the union as an awkward, rough-and-tumble child.
We started out with a “boom.”
The agriculture and oil industries flexed their financial muscles and the 46th state of the union quickly took off.
We fought over a capital and even today, continue the argument.
By the 1930s, the rains would stop.
And the fields — like the oil and agricultural revenue — would dry up and, literally, blow away.
Some would migrate to California.
Those who remained became Okies.
And whether you agreed with John Steinbeck or not, it seemed — at the time — that the Almighty was angry with us; still we continued. Slowly, we regained our footing and rebuilt what we had lost.
We’ve had our share of saints and scoundrels — men and women who, for better or worse, left their mark on the Land of the Red Man.
The legacy continues.
By the 1950s, Oklahoma began to take its place on the national stage; from our borders came global leaders with new ideas and the iron will put see them accomplished.
But the poorest of us remained the same.
Illiteracy, hunger and gut-wrenching poverty hovered like a plague, dampening our spirits and slowing — or stopping — the progress we’d worked so hard to accomplish.
Still, we stood firm.
Despite the dust bowls, floods or the prairie’s version of the hurricane, we picked ourselves up, dusted off our bluejeans, and started over.
“We’re the people,” Ma Joad said.
It wasn’t an insult but a statement of fact.
Seventy years later, on a bright, cool spring day, a twisted, sick terrorist would try to destroy those people.
A building bombed, hundreds — including, small, helpless children — were killed. Hundreds more injured.
We survived.
Timothy McVeigh’s expression of contempt failed.
And, instead, the down-to-earth goodness and decency of the average Oklahoman, was viewed on a global scale.
With tears in our eyes, we buried our dead.
Then turned our attention toward the living.
We prayed.
And somewhere, deep inside us, we found the will to, once again, stand and go forward.
We’d need that strength.
Less than a decade later, nature would throw her worst at us — Okies living in Moore, Bridge Creek, Del City and in other towns, would experience the fastest winds ever recorded on the face of the earth.
Once again they stood firm.
Churches took in storm refugees and opened their buildings and their hearts to help. Our leaders put aside politics and embraced people.
We took that “love thy neighbor” thing seriously.
And now, it’s 2007.
One hundred years have passed since President Roosevelt put pen to paper and signed our birth certificate.
For the rest of this year, Okies of every stripe, creed and faith will pause and look back at the past. There, they will find our successes, our failures, our accomplishments and our mistakes.
And there, they will also find the underlying core, the foundation of what makes this wind-blown, just-wait-the-weather-will-change state: Its people.
Each and every one us, from the poorest of the poor to the millionaires in Nichols Hill, have discovered their Okie DNA — a gene that, no matter what, simply keeps trying.
I’m not sure how in evolved.
And I certainly don’t know where it came from.
But I do know that we Okies are unique.
And, just like Ma Joad said, we are “the people.”
June election to narrow GOP field in commissioner's race
For Cleveland County Republicans, the contest to see who will be the party’s nominee for District 1 county commissioner has become a Moore vs. Norman thing.
Four men — two from Moore and two from Norman — are seeking the GOP nod for the seat.
Glen Cosper and Ted Ryals are from Moore; Randy Rogers and Rod Cleveland are from Norman.
The primary election is schedule for Tuesday, June 12, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The winner of Tuesday’s contest will face James Earp, a Newalla Democrat in the general election, scheduled for July 10.
And while vote registration would seem to give the winning Republican candidate the edge in the contest, all four men say they are leaving nothing to chance.
Cosper said his experience as a member of the Moore-Norman Technology Center board of directors makes him the ideal candidate for the commission.
“My experiences on educational and civic boards, combined with professional background provides the skills necessary to assume the duties of a County Commissioner,” he said, earlier this year.
“I firmly believe we need conservative leadership to continue Commissioner Graves' legacy of fighting to reduce the size of county government and work diligently to limit property tax increases.”
A Realtor with Keller Williams, Cosper is a fromer member of the Moore School Board. He and his wife, Beth, have been married 32 years and have two children.
A member of First Baptist Church of Moore, Cosper also belongs to the South Oklahoma City Rotary Club and the South Oklahoma City, Moore and Norman Chambers of Commerce.
For Rogers, the contest is his second attempt at the District 1 seat.
Rogers, the owner and operator of Central Oklahoma land Maintenance and Construction, ran for the office in the 2006 primary.
“As a lifelong conservative Republican, I believe I bring the necessary skills and understanding of county government to hit the ground running after the special election takes place this summer,” Rogers said in April. “My expertise directing operations in land maintenance, managing and training personnel, and experience with contracts and bidding will ensure a smooth transition in the Commissioner's Office if I am elected,” he said.
A native Oklahoman and member of the Chickasaw nation, Rogers holds bachelor's and masters degrees from the University of Oklahoma. He was a varsity letterman on the OU Men’s Tennis team.
Rogers and his wife of 18 years, Susan, are members of First Baptist Church in Norman.
Ryals, an attorney, was the GOP’s candidate against Cleveland County Treasurer Saundra DeSelms in 2006. In that race, DeSelms defeated Ryals with 55.64 percent of the vote.
Ryals also served as a delegate to the state Republican Party Convention in 2005 and 2007.
“My biggest issue is accountablity,” Ryals said. “I’m going to be a real stickler on being accountable to the taxpayers.”
That, he said, means audits of county government.
“One of the statutory provision of the commissioner’s office is to audit the offices of the county,” he said. “And I think that also includes not only financial audits, but physical assets. An audit means more than financial paperwork. We’ve got to know where the money is going.”
Cleveland said he wants to serve the county in a “positive and professional manner” and, at the same time, continue to raise his family.
“As a husband, father and business owner in Norman, I feel that I am uniquely qualified to serve in his position,” he said. “I have a lifetime of experiences in this district to help guide my decisions and efforts.”
A graduate of Lexington High School and the University of Okahoma, Cleveland holds a bachelors degree in Economics. Cleveland and his wife, Christine, are member of the Eagle Heights Baptist Church in south Oklahoma City.
The owner of PostNet Postal and Business Services, Amazing Grace Inspriational Gifts and Experienced Golf Balls, Cleveland is a graduate of Leadership Norman.
In 1996, he captured the Republican primary for the State Seante District 15 contest.
About 50,000 voters are registered in District 1; of that figure, 5,470 are Independent, 17,740 are Democrats and 27,371 are registered as Republican.
The District 1 became vacant following the death of long-time incumbent commissioner, Bill Graves, who died from complications due to surgery in early April.
Four men — two from Moore and two from Norman — are seeking the GOP nod for the seat.
Glen Cosper and Ted Ryals are from Moore; Randy Rogers and Rod Cleveland are from Norman.
The primary election is schedule for Tuesday, June 12, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The winner of Tuesday’s contest will face James Earp, a Newalla Democrat in the general election, scheduled for July 10.
And while vote registration would seem to give the winning Republican candidate the edge in the contest, all four men say they are leaving nothing to chance.
Cosper said his experience as a member of the Moore-Norman Technology Center board of directors makes him the ideal candidate for the commission.
“My experiences on educational and civic boards, combined with professional background provides the skills necessary to assume the duties of a County Commissioner,” he said, earlier this year.
“I firmly believe we need conservative leadership to continue Commissioner Graves' legacy of fighting to reduce the size of county government and work diligently to limit property tax increases.”
A Realtor with Keller Williams, Cosper is a fromer member of the Moore School Board. He and his wife, Beth, have been married 32 years and have two children.
A member of First Baptist Church of Moore, Cosper also belongs to the South Oklahoma City Rotary Club and the South Oklahoma City, Moore and Norman Chambers of Commerce.
For Rogers, the contest is his second attempt at the District 1 seat.
Rogers, the owner and operator of Central Oklahoma land Maintenance and Construction, ran for the office in the 2006 primary.
“As a lifelong conservative Republican, I believe I bring the necessary skills and understanding of county government to hit the ground running after the special election takes place this summer,” Rogers said in April. “My expertise directing operations in land maintenance, managing and training personnel, and experience with contracts and bidding will ensure a smooth transition in the Commissioner's Office if I am elected,” he said.
A native Oklahoman and member of the Chickasaw nation, Rogers holds bachelor's and masters degrees from the University of Oklahoma. He was a varsity letterman on the OU Men’s Tennis team.
Rogers and his wife of 18 years, Susan, are members of First Baptist Church in Norman.
Ryals, an attorney, was the GOP’s candidate against Cleveland County Treasurer Saundra DeSelms in 2006. In that race, DeSelms defeated Ryals with 55.64 percent of the vote.
Ryals also served as a delegate to the state Republican Party Convention in 2005 and 2007.
“My biggest issue is accountablity,” Ryals said. “I’m going to be a real stickler on being accountable to the taxpayers.”
That, he said, means audits of county government.
“One of the statutory provision of the commissioner’s office is to audit the offices of the county,” he said. “And I think that also includes not only financial audits, but physical assets. An audit means more than financial paperwork. We’ve got to know where the money is going.”
Cleveland said he wants to serve the county in a “positive and professional manner” and, at the same time, continue to raise his family.
“As a husband, father and business owner in Norman, I feel that I am uniquely qualified to serve in his position,” he said. “I have a lifetime of experiences in this district to help guide my decisions and efforts.”
A graduate of Lexington High School and the University of Okahoma, Cleveland holds a bachelors degree in Economics. Cleveland and his wife, Christine, are member of the Eagle Heights Baptist Church in south Oklahoma City.
The owner of PostNet Postal and Business Services, Amazing Grace Inspriational Gifts and Experienced Golf Balls, Cleveland is a graduate of Leadership Norman.
In 1996, he captured the Republican primary for the State Seante District 15 contest.
About 50,000 voters are registered in District 1; of that figure, 5,470 are Independent, 17,740 are Democrats and 27,371 are registered as Republican.
The District 1 became vacant following the death of long-time incumbent commissioner, Bill Graves, who died from complications due to surgery in early April.
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