Cleveland Captures GOP commission primary

Forty-year-old political newcomer Rod Cleveland emerged as the winner in a four-way contest, capturing the Republican Party’s nomination for the District 1 seat of the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners.

Cleveland, a Norman businessman and the youngest of the four candidates, captured 1,338 votes — about 56 percent — to win.

Glen Cosper, a member of the Moore-Norman CareerTech board, finished second with 676 votes, or 28.35 percent.

Norman businessman Randy Rogers, making his second bid for the seat, finished third with 267 votes, and south Oklahoma City attorney Ted Ryals finished a distant fourth with 87 votes, or 3.67 percent.

Cleveland credited a strong message and “lots of walking” for the win.

“I had a message,” he said. “I told the voters what I wanted to see Cleveland County be and become, and I think they received that message and rewarded me with the votes.”

As part of his campaign, Cleveland said he spent a good portion of May “walking doors, shaking hands, listening and doing a lot of note taking.”

“It was about connecting with the voters,” he said.

Cosper, who finished second, congratulated Cleveland for the win.

“Everyone worked hard,” he said. “But Rod worked hard, too, and he won; he did a good job.”

Cosper said the race’s low voter turnout made it “kind of different” but didn’t rule out another campaign for public office.

“Yeah, I might have to consider another race,” he said. “Part of what I had was a good message. I hope he (Cleveland) takes a little bit of what all of us had and uses it. Still, I’m going to support him in the general election.”

While he congratulated Cleveland for his win, south Oklahoma City attorney Ted Ryals said he was “stunned” by the low turnout and his distant, fourth-place finish.

“That’s really something,” he said. “I’m a little stunned. I hope county government works out for everyone.”

Like Cosper, Ryals didn’t rule out another race. “We need people, good people in politics,” he said.

Rogers could not be reached for comment.

With only 2,368 votes of a possible 27,000 cast, county Republican officials said they were disappointed in the voter turnout.

“It was disappointing,” said county Republican chair Roger Warren. “But I expect we’ll do much better in the general election. Rod won because of a lot of hard work, but there’s still more work to do.”

Cleveland now faces Newalla Democrat James Earp in a July 10 general election contest.

The winner of that contest will serve the remainder of the four-year term, previously held by longtime commissioner Bill Graves. The seat became vacant following Graves’ death in April from complications due to surgery.

Few voters casting absentee ballots in commission primary

The decision about who will be the Republican Party’s candidate for the Cleveland County Commission will probably rest in the hands of just a few voters, Cleveland County election board secretary said Monday.

Paula Roberts, the county’s election board secretary, said Republican primary voting “has been very slow.”

“If voting is anything like it has been for the absentee-in-person, then it’s been very slow,” Roberts said, Monday afternoon. “We’re not anticipating a very good turnout; but I hope the voters prove me wrong and come in droves.”

As of 2 p.m. Monday Roberts said only 13 people had voted with absentee-in-person ballots and 76 residents had mailed back their absentee ballots. By 6 p.m., the number of those voting with absentee-in-person ballots increased to 20.

About 200 absentee ballots were mailed, she said.

Roberts said summer activities and family vacations have kept voters from paying attention to the race.

“I think it’s the time of the year,” she said. “People are taking vacations and doing several things. Their mind isn’t on this election right now.”

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 winner will face Newalla Democrat James Earp in a July 10 general election. The district includes the north side of Norman and Moore.

COMMENTARY: Taking the $21 challenge

It started out as a lunch between colleagues.

Norman Transcript reporter Carol Cole and myself were dining the other day and she mentioned that she, along with several other city officials were going to participate in a challenge to see if they could manage for a week on $21 worth of groceries.

By the time lunch was over I’d agreed to the challenge, too.

The rules were simple: You have $21 to purchase a week’s worth of groceries. That’s — in theory — three meals per day for seven days.

Twenty-one meals. $21.

Or, the grand sum of $1 per meal.

This is the amount a single person receiving food stamps would have for one week.

Now, if case you haven’t been to the grocery store in the past decade, I regret to inform you that $21 doesn’t go very far.

Take, for example, the price of milk. If you’re lucky you can find it at $3.19 per gallon. If not, it’s even more.

Add in taxes and you’ve already burned more than one day’s allocation on a single item.

Include bread, pasta and maybe a little meat, and quickly, your cash is gone.

Further, you probably won’t be able to buy fruits or vegetables, and you can bet your next copy of Gourmet magazine that all your purchases will fit in one grocery bag.

Another point: Despite your best efforts, you’re probably not going to have a balanced meal; and no way are you going to meet the USDA’s food pyramid standards.

The week wasn’t easy.

I skipped several meals throughout the seven days I participated and stayed hungry.

Peanut butter, beans and a small amount of chicken comprised most of my diet.

I also got a taste — forgive the metaphor — of what it’s like to live well below the poverty line.

Don’t get me wrong, I support the efforts to feed those who would otherwise go hungry. And I appreciate all that the program does.

But you really can’t eat on $21 per week.

Years ago, I had a priest tell me that poverty wasn’t just an economic condition — it was a state of mind. And when a person is locked into that type of state, it’s almost impossible to get out.

When he was president LBJ declared war on poverty. And over the course of the 40-plus years since President Johnson was in office, our country has continued to fight that war.

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re losing.

Here, just in Oklahoma County alone, one of every four children goes to bed hungry.

That’s 25 percent of all the kids.

Your neighbors. Your friends. The family down the street.

Poverty and hunger are all around you.

Oh, I know, there’s something to the argument that “the Lord helps those who help themselves.”

And no, I don’t believe strong, able-bodied people should be able to sit around and just collect governmental assistance.

I’m talking about kids.

Little ones.

I don’t care where they come from, no child — no matter what its race, creed or immigration status — should go to bed hungry in Oklahoma.

It’s time to get serious about hunger and poverty here in the Sooner State.

Because that $21 is going to keep getting smaller and smaller and smaller.