The process of designing Cleveland County’s second jail is like “herding ducks” the jail’s architect said last week.
Ben Graves, a principal with the Norman firm, Architects in Partnership, said he continues to meet with county officials and others involved in the county’s jail project, to get their “input and needs.”
After more than two years of discussion, the Cleveland County Commission voted unanimously in September to build a second jail on a 29-acre plot of land along Franklin Road, near the York-Johnson Controls plant. Earlier this year, the commission voted 2-1 to purchase that land from Johnson Controls for $1.3 million.
Graves’ firm was hired for the jail project two years ago by former commissioners Bill Graves and Leroy Krohmer and current commissioner George Skinner, “when discussions began” about the need to build a new jail.
“It is like trying to herd ducks right now,” Graves said. “We had a very good meeting with the sheriff, the undersheriff and jail administrator. The four of us scratched the surface for administrative needs.”
In addition, Graves said he’s working with a design architect at his firm on the administrative portion of the facility. “That area is one of the four subcommittees we organized,” he said.
A second meeting — set for 11:45 a.m. today — will include representatives from Norman, Moore, Oklahoma City, Noble, Lexington and the University of Oklahoma’s police department.
“We’ll be working on the intake booking area,” he said. “We’re going to put up a couple of intake booking areas of jails and take them through these smaller county jails. We want to talk with them about how we can offer solutions to some of their frustrations in processing and booking inmates and helping them (the officers) get back on the road quicker.”
Hopefully, he said, members of the group “will be e-mailing me with ideas after the meeting.”
The Cleveland County jail is one of several Graves’ firm has designed. Other facilities include the Creek County jail, the Haskell County jail (currently under construction), a jail in Leflore County, a jail in Pontotoc County, a 145-bed facility in McIntosh County and a 210-bed facility in McAlester.
Hired in December 2005, Graves’ 21-page contract with the Cleveland County Commissioners calls for AiP to be paid 7.5 percent of the jail’s construction costs as its fee. And while no budget has been set by the commission, construction cost estimates for the jail have ranged from a low of $20 million to a high of more than $34 million.
AiP’s fee, the contract says, is contingent upon the county obtaining financing for the project and covers the services of a security consultant and a food services consultant.
Should that contract amount come in “below an established budget” the contract stipulates that AiP’s fee “shall be computed as a percentage of said budget.”
The contract also protects Graves’ firm should a public vote on the jail’s funding fail. “If a sales tax election is called and is not successful, the architect will be retained for all future issues,” the contract says.
Graves said the contract is a normal one used for public buildings.
All architect fees on public building contracts are “paid for by a percentage of cost of the project,” he said.
And though the design process is “always slow getting out of the block,” Graves said, he really is “pushing to get information from them (county officials.)”
“We’re going to be meeting numerous times with these folks,” he said. “I’ve sent an e-mail to Don Jones (the jail consultant), asking for a date for initial meeting on detention housing.”
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Feds nail two for fraud
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two Moore men have been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for crimes relating to false aircraft engine log books and filing false tax returns, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s office said this week.
John C. Richter, United States Attorney for Oklahoma’s Western District said Moore residents Larry Gene Good, 59, and Allen D. Good, 37, were sentenced in federal court for crimes relating to false aircraft engine logbooks and filing false tax returns.
A third man, Robert Evan Parker, 44, of Oklahoma City, was also sentenced in the case.
Richter said Allen Good was sentenced to 51 months in prison for making false entries in aircraft engine logbooks and ordered to pay $363,633 in restitution. Good also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit to the United States $176,243.
He has been incarcerated since May of this year.
“Through their involvement in the sale of unsafe aircraft engines with false logbooks, these defendants created a substantial danger to the purchasers and the public,” Richter said. “We will not hesitate to prosecute those who create this sort of danger.”
On September 28, co-defendants Robert Evan Parker and Larry Gene Good received also received federal prison sentences.
Larry Gene Good received was sentenced to fourteen months in prison and was ordered to pay restitution in the total amount of $306,990, while Parker was sentenced to 72 months in prison for the aircraft-engine and tax charges.
Larry Good was also ordered to serve one year of supervised release after his release from prison and Parker was ordered to pay restitution to 19 victims totaling $378,633.
In addition to the 72 months of incarceration and restitution, Parker was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit to the United States $176,243.
In December of 2006, a jury convicted Parker of conspiracy, making false aircraft engine logbook entries and mail fraud. The evidence at trial established that Parker worked with Larry Good’s son, Allen Good, who overhauled and sold aircraft engines that were not safe and that were accompanied by engine logbooks that misrepresented the work performed on the engines.
The Goods did business as Good Aviation in Washington, Okla. Most of the engines fell within the “experimental” category, Ritcher said.
Ritcher said Parker sold the engines and false logbooks to individuals across the country who responded to classified advertisements he placed in an aviation publication.
According to trial testimony, Parker provided some of the parts for the engines and caused misleading engine data plates to be attached to some of the engines.
Those engines, the jury was told, contained used parts that according to the logbooks should have been new, as well as parts stamped “not airworthy.”
Purchasers and their aircraft engine mechanics from various states testified that the engines were not safe for use in flight. Several purchasers attempted to fly with the engines and were forced to land immediately because of engine problems.
In addition to the convictions at trial relating to aircraft engine logbooks, Parker pleaded guilty Friday to filing a false personal federal income tax return for the 2002 calendar year.
Parker admitted that when he signed his tax return, he knew he was reporting substantially less in gross business receipts than he actually received. His 72-month sentence was based on both the conviction at trial and the plea to the tax crime.
Just before the December 2006 trial, Larry Good pled guilty to misprision of a felony, or failure to report knowledge of a felony, based on his failure to report his son making false logbook entries. Good’s son signed many of the logbooks, and virtually all of the logbooks bore the number of Larry Good’s aircraft and powerplant certificate. This certificate — issued by the Federal Aviation Administration — indicates to the public that the holder can perform quality work on aircraft and therefore played an important part in the crimes committed by Parker.
These sentences are part of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The Oklahoma City Flight Standards District Office of the Federal Aviation Administration also provided assistance in the investigation.
John C. Richter, United States Attorney for Oklahoma’s Western District said Moore residents Larry Gene Good, 59, and Allen D. Good, 37, were sentenced in federal court for crimes relating to false aircraft engine logbooks and filing false tax returns.
A third man, Robert Evan Parker, 44, of Oklahoma City, was also sentenced in the case.
Richter said Allen Good was sentenced to 51 months in prison for making false entries in aircraft engine logbooks and ordered to pay $363,633 in restitution. Good also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit to the United States $176,243.
He has been incarcerated since May of this year.
“Through their involvement in the sale of unsafe aircraft engines with false logbooks, these defendants created a substantial danger to the purchasers and the public,” Richter said. “We will not hesitate to prosecute those who create this sort of danger.”
On September 28, co-defendants Robert Evan Parker and Larry Gene Good received also received federal prison sentences.
Larry Gene Good received was sentenced to fourteen months in prison and was ordered to pay restitution in the total amount of $306,990, while Parker was sentenced to 72 months in prison for the aircraft-engine and tax charges.
Larry Good was also ordered to serve one year of supervised release after his release from prison and Parker was ordered to pay restitution to 19 victims totaling $378,633.
In addition to the 72 months of incarceration and restitution, Parker was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit to the United States $176,243.
In December of 2006, a jury convicted Parker of conspiracy, making false aircraft engine logbook entries and mail fraud. The evidence at trial established that Parker worked with Larry Good’s son, Allen Good, who overhauled and sold aircraft engines that were not safe and that were accompanied by engine logbooks that misrepresented the work performed on the engines.
The Goods did business as Good Aviation in Washington, Okla. Most of the engines fell within the “experimental” category, Ritcher said.
Ritcher said Parker sold the engines and false logbooks to individuals across the country who responded to classified advertisements he placed in an aviation publication.
According to trial testimony, Parker provided some of the parts for the engines and caused misleading engine data plates to be attached to some of the engines.
Those engines, the jury was told, contained used parts that according to the logbooks should have been new, as well as parts stamped “not airworthy.”
Purchasers and their aircraft engine mechanics from various states testified that the engines were not safe for use in flight. Several purchasers attempted to fly with the engines and were forced to land immediately because of engine problems.
In addition to the convictions at trial relating to aircraft engine logbooks, Parker pleaded guilty Friday to filing a false personal federal income tax return for the 2002 calendar year.
Parker admitted that when he signed his tax return, he knew he was reporting substantially less in gross business receipts than he actually received. His 72-month sentence was based on both the conviction at trial and the plea to the tax crime.
Just before the December 2006 trial, Larry Good pled guilty to misprision of a felony, or failure to report knowledge of a felony, based on his failure to report his son making false logbook entries. Good’s son signed many of the logbooks, and virtually all of the logbooks bore the number of Larry Good’s aircraft and powerplant certificate. This certificate — issued by the Federal Aviation Administration — indicates to the public that the holder can perform quality work on aircraft and therefore played an important part in the crimes committed by Parker.
These sentences are part of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The Oklahoma City Flight Standards District Office of the Federal Aviation Administration also provided assistance in the investigation.
Union praises Moore employee's contract
Municipal employees will see their pay increase by more than four percent under a new union contract agreed to last week by the American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Moore City Council.
The contract — the first for the Moore employees’ union — was approved by a 7-0 vote at last Monday’s city council meeting.
Union leaders praised the agreement.
“No one is more excited about this contract than the city employees in Moore who have worked so hard for this,” said William Bryles, President of Local 2406, which represents the city employees in Moore. “We organized a union in Moore to have a voice in decisions about our jobs and our community and this contract provides that voice.”
Under the contract, employees would see a 4.34 percent increase in base wages and a 2.5 percent increase in merit-pay steps for those below the top step.
Those increases, Moore city manager Steve Eddy said, will apply “to about 100” city employees who are eligible for union membership.
For an employee at the low end of the city’s pay scale, the increase means about $75.11 more per month. An employee at the top end of the scale would see an increase of $249 monthly, he said.
The 2.5 percent stipend would add from $758 to $1,271 to an employee’s annual pay.
“There are less than a hundred who are eligible by statute to be in the union,” Eddy said. “I don’t, frankly, know yet how many members the contract will cover, but it will include all employees eligible to be in the union.”
Longtime city employees who have “topped out” on the city’s pay scale, would get a 2.5 percent one-time stipend and employees who are on-call will see pay bumps from $25 to $75 per month.
The contract also provides for new additional hours of sick leave per month and increases the maximum number of sick leave hours to 1,000, up from the previous 816.
Employees also would have an additional day of personal leave — from three to four days — and have up to 10 hours off per month for union business.
Eddy said negotiations with the union were smooth but took a “little more time” than expected.
“It was just a little slow,” he said. “I’m not sure why, but it was probably just a matter of a new union and the employees, perhaps, not being familiar with how things go.”
Usually, Eddy said, city officials have their employment contracts hammered out before the beginning of the city’s new fiscal year.
“I always try to have them (the contract) before the new fiscal year starts,” he said. “It helps for budget reasons. But this time, we were a little behind. But it was just working out the kinks.”
Bryles agreed.
“It has been a very long road for all of us, but we are very pleased with the outcome,” he said.
The contract comes a few years after the passage of the Oklahoma Municipal Employees Collective Bargaining Act, which spawned four new municipal unions in Oklahoma.
“Studies have shown that collective bargaining significantly improves the quality of public services,” Bryles said. “Collective bargaining for public employees also increases productivity, improves stability and reduces turnover.”
Eddy said the contract changes would cost the city about $211,000. Moore’s municipal budget is more than $50 million.
The contract — the first for the Moore employees’ union — was approved by a 7-0 vote at last Monday’s city council meeting.
Union leaders praised the agreement.
“No one is more excited about this contract than the city employees in Moore who have worked so hard for this,” said William Bryles, President of Local 2406, which represents the city employees in Moore. “We organized a union in Moore to have a voice in decisions about our jobs and our community and this contract provides that voice.”
Under the contract, employees would see a 4.34 percent increase in base wages and a 2.5 percent increase in merit-pay steps for those below the top step.
Those increases, Moore city manager Steve Eddy said, will apply “to about 100” city employees who are eligible for union membership.
For an employee at the low end of the city’s pay scale, the increase means about $75.11 more per month. An employee at the top end of the scale would see an increase of $249 monthly, he said.
The 2.5 percent stipend would add from $758 to $1,271 to an employee’s annual pay.
“There are less than a hundred who are eligible by statute to be in the union,” Eddy said. “I don’t, frankly, know yet how many members the contract will cover, but it will include all employees eligible to be in the union.”
Longtime city employees who have “topped out” on the city’s pay scale, would get a 2.5 percent one-time stipend and employees who are on-call will see pay bumps from $25 to $75 per month.
The contract also provides for new additional hours of sick leave per month and increases the maximum number of sick leave hours to 1,000, up from the previous 816.
Employees also would have an additional day of personal leave — from three to four days — and have up to 10 hours off per month for union business.
Eddy said negotiations with the union were smooth but took a “little more time” than expected.
“It was just a little slow,” he said. “I’m not sure why, but it was probably just a matter of a new union and the employees, perhaps, not being familiar with how things go.”
Usually, Eddy said, city officials have their employment contracts hammered out before the beginning of the city’s new fiscal year.
“I always try to have them (the contract) before the new fiscal year starts,” he said. “It helps for budget reasons. But this time, we were a little behind. But it was just working out the kinks.”
Bryles agreed.
“It has been a very long road for all of us, but we are very pleased with the outcome,” he said.
The contract comes a few years after the passage of the Oklahoma Municipal Employees Collective Bargaining Act, which spawned four new municipal unions in Oklahoma.
“Studies have shown that collective bargaining significantly improves the quality of public services,” Bryles said. “Collective bargaining for public employees also increases productivity, improves stability and reduces turnover.”
Eddy said the contract changes would cost the city about $211,000. Moore’s municipal budget is more than $50 million.
Jail won't look like a jail, officials say
Cleveland County’s new jail probably won’t look like a jail, should be cheaper to run than the current downtown facility, and should be designed for future expansion, two officials involved in the project said Monday.
District 1 County Commissioner Rod Cleveland and Donald Jones, a Cushing-based consultant hired by the commissioners to help with the jail’s design, said the facility should be built to fit in with other buildings in the area.
“It probably won’t look like a jail,” Cleveland said. “The front would look like a municipal building, more like a warehouse, with high walls and small windows.”
Both Cleveland and Jones are part of a recently organized committee charged with gathering information and ideas for the jail. Last week, the group had its first meeting with the jail’s architect, Ben Graves.
That meeting followed a decision — made by commissioners in September — to build the jail on a site along Franklin Road, east of U.S. 77. The county purchased the 29-acre plot of land south of the York-Johnson Controls plant for $1.3 million earlier this year.
While some residents voiced opposition about the Franklin Road site, Jones said the goal is to make the jail fit aesthetically in the area.
“You probably won’t see razor wire and things like that,” he said. “There will be an effort to make it not look like a detention facility.”
And though both men emphasized county officials are still “gathering information and have made no decisions yet” about the jail’s size or structure, Jones said the final design should allow for “easy expansion” for future inmate growth.
“The needs assessment for future bed space indicates that in 20 years, the facility should be able to house 700 or more inmates,” he said. “The jail should be built with that plan in mind.”
By anticipating the 700-plus inmate number now, Jones said county would reduce future construction costs.
“It would be much more cost effective to plan for it now,” he said.
Along with room for expansion and a non-jail look, Cleveland said he wanted to consider alternative energy solutions for the facility.
“I’m looking at wind, solar and geo-thermal energy,” he said. “I hope to make it carbon neutral for one, and hopefully, to provide its own power. We want to plan for the future, to try and get the most cost effective solution we can.”
Cleveland said other considerations include where to house the county sheriff’s department and how to use the existing jail in downtown Norman.
“I will want to look at ways to continue to use it,” he said. “The (downtown) jail was built to hold 134, and we’ve been running 177 detainees and personnel around the clock. That’s a lot of people. I think that once we’re able to move into a new facility, then we can take a look at the downtown jail.”
Jones agreed, saying any future use of the existing downtown jail would need to include plans for remodeling.
“They are going to have to bring it up to code,” he said. “Even with simple things like heating and cooling.”
But some of those cost could be reduced Jones said, if the county houses low security inmates, or females at the downtown jail.
“If you reduce it to low-security inmates or females, with the right modifications you could reduce some staff positions and keep costs lower. But again, the commissioners haven’t made any decisions yet. Everything is still being looked at.”
Cleveland said the downtown facility could also be used to house inmates ready for trial; or be slowly phased out of use over the next 10 years.
“That’s what I’m asking the jail administrator,” Cleveland said. “We’re working to get all the operational costs. It could be, over the next few years that the (downtown) facility will go away, maybe sometime in the next decade.”
Cleveland said county officials are “looking at the operation costs for both jails,” to see which might come out better. “It’s not like building a house, where you decide on a size and a budget ahead of time. Here, there are so many variables.”
With the jail’s location selected, Cleveland, Jones, representatives of sheriff’s Dwayne Beggs’ office and architect Ben Graves have planned several meetings to gather information and make decisions about what components will be used in the jail’s design.
Last week, Graves said he would like to have a concept developed by mid-November.
District 1 County Commissioner Rod Cleveland and Donald Jones, a Cushing-based consultant hired by the commissioners to help with the jail’s design, said the facility should be built to fit in with other buildings in the area.
“It probably won’t look like a jail,” Cleveland said. “The front would look like a municipal building, more like a warehouse, with high walls and small windows.”
Both Cleveland and Jones are part of a recently organized committee charged with gathering information and ideas for the jail. Last week, the group had its first meeting with the jail’s architect, Ben Graves.
That meeting followed a decision — made by commissioners in September — to build the jail on a site along Franklin Road, east of U.S. 77. The county purchased the 29-acre plot of land south of the York-Johnson Controls plant for $1.3 million earlier this year.
While some residents voiced opposition about the Franklin Road site, Jones said the goal is to make the jail fit aesthetically in the area.
“You probably won’t see razor wire and things like that,” he said. “There will be an effort to make it not look like a detention facility.”
And though both men emphasized county officials are still “gathering information and have made no decisions yet” about the jail’s size or structure, Jones said the final design should allow for “easy expansion” for future inmate growth.
“The needs assessment for future bed space indicates that in 20 years, the facility should be able to house 700 or more inmates,” he said. “The jail should be built with that plan in mind.”
By anticipating the 700-plus inmate number now, Jones said county would reduce future construction costs.
“It would be much more cost effective to plan for it now,” he said.
Along with room for expansion and a non-jail look, Cleveland said he wanted to consider alternative energy solutions for the facility.
“I’m looking at wind, solar and geo-thermal energy,” he said. “I hope to make it carbon neutral for one, and hopefully, to provide its own power. We want to plan for the future, to try and get the most cost effective solution we can.”
Cleveland said other considerations include where to house the county sheriff’s department and how to use the existing jail in downtown Norman.
“I will want to look at ways to continue to use it,” he said. “The (downtown) jail was built to hold 134, and we’ve been running 177 detainees and personnel around the clock. That’s a lot of people. I think that once we’re able to move into a new facility, then we can take a look at the downtown jail.”
Jones agreed, saying any future use of the existing downtown jail would need to include plans for remodeling.
“They are going to have to bring it up to code,” he said. “Even with simple things like heating and cooling.”
But some of those cost could be reduced Jones said, if the county houses low security inmates, or females at the downtown jail.
“If you reduce it to low-security inmates or females, with the right modifications you could reduce some staff positions and keep costs lower. But again, the commissioners haven’t made any decisions yet. Everything is still being looked at.”
Cleveland said the downtown facility could also be used to house inmates ready for trial; or be slowly phased out of use over the next 10 years.
“That’s what I’m asking the jail administrator,” Cleveland said. “We’re working to get all the operational costs. It could be, over the next few years that the (downtown) facility will go away, maybe sometime in the next decade.”
Cleveland said county officials are “looking at the operation costs for both jails,” to see which might come out better. “It’s not like building a house, where you decide on a size and a budget ahead of time. Here, there are so many variables.”
With the jail’s location selected, Cleveland, Jones, representatives of sheriff’s Dwayne Beggs’ office and architect Ben Graves have planned several meetings to gather information and make decisions about what components will be used in the jail’s design.
Last week, Graves said he would like to have a concept developed by mid-November.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Meet John Gordon: Think Tank founder at age 92
MOORE — Even at 92 John Gordon is a believer.
From the time he was a kid — back in Caddo County in 1920s — Gordon believed in the importance of education, democracy and government service.
He also believed in getting involved.
And, he believed politics.
Yes, politics.
Despite its negative perception, Gordon says politics can provide the framework to solve many of the state — and the country’s — social problems.
So John Gordon puts his beliefs to work.
Call him a democracy activist.
Call him a voting advocate.
Call him a public service servant.
Call him what you want, just call him.
Because like Uncle Sam, John Gordon wants you; he wants you to listen and learn, and get involved, and most of all, go vote.
And he so serious about it, that just last year — at the youthful age of 91 — he founded his own Think Tank — a forum for ideas and idealists, he says.
He calls it the More Democracy Think Tank.
“My goal is simple,” Gordon said. “I want to get people involved in government. I believe people should give back, but they have to learn how to do it. Social problems can be solved with political solutions.”
To start the process, Gordon’s Think Tank holds weekly meetings where different speakers wade deep into the waters of a current issues. A way, Gordon said, of making people aware of those issues and inspiring them to act.
“The more people are involved, the stronger the country. There are lots of social groups looking for help, for volunteers. But people want to understand before they get involved.”
For Gordon, getting involved has been a life-long adventure.
After graduating from Gracemont High School in 1936, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) — a work relief program for young men from unemployed families, established by then President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
While in the CCC, Gordon spent two years in Wyoming and Colorado, working in the nation’s national park system. From there, he spent time at several farm cooperatives.
“I stayed pretty busy then,” he said.
In 1942, he left farming and joined the U.S. Navy, serving as an electronic technician until the end of World War II.
Later in 1948, he moved to Ada, where he earned his degree at Central State College. From there, it was off to the Indian Services and a teaching gig at South Dakota’s Indian schools for three years.
In the late 1950s, he worked for the Federal Aviation Agency and in 1967, he returned to Oklahoma City to teach mathematics and science in public schools. He retired from teaching in June 1978.
Since then, he’s served as a community volunteer, as a member of the American Legion, a member of Kiwanis and the Moore Council of Aging.
“I like to stay involved,” he said. “I like to help.”
That desire reached its apex last summer.
In June 2006, Gordon and a handful of friends founded More Democracy. A way, he said, to show social issue organizations how to solve their problems using political tools.
“The thing that really gets me is that we’ve got a lot of social organizations that work on child care, parenting, the environment, protecting the wildlife and such,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of those, but they are nonpartisan. And their members don’t always participate in political activities to reach their goal.”
That, Gordon says, is the wrong approach.
“If you’re going to reach some environmental goal and you are nonpartisan, and you just keep talking about, say, pollution, and you don’t turn people out to the precincts to vote, well, you can’t get improvement by sitting back and not doing anything politically.”
People, he said, should be politically involved.
“Everything is political,” he said. “I laugh when I hear someone from church saying they don’t like politics, but then they are heavily involved in church politics. Politics isn’t ugly, its a way of doing business.”
Through his organization, Gordon is slowly exposing Cleveland County’s less active residents a way to be involved in their community and achieve their goals — through a political structure.
“I’m politically inclined because I see the goal we’re trying to reach,” he said. “But the only way we’re going to get there, is through political action.”
Groups fighting social problems, he said, should say to their members, “we’re going to have to do this through political channels, ‘cause we can’t get there any other way.”
And for Gordon the results are worth the effort.
“Politics isn’t a bad thing,” he said. “It’s a way to get stuff done.”
Especially if you’ve spent nine-plus decades believing.
The More Democracy Think Tank meets weekly at Earl’s Rib Palace, 920 SW 25th in Moore. Call 794-4541 for meeting times and topics.
From the time he was a kid — back in Caddo County in 1920s — Gordon believed in the importance of education, democracy and government service.
He also believed in getting involved.
And, he believed politics.
Yes, politics.
Despite its negative perception, Gordon says politics can provide the framework to solve many of the state — and the country’s — social problems.
So John Gordon puts his beliefs to work.
Call him a democracy activist.
Call him a voting advocate.
Call him a public service servant.
Call him what you want, just call him.
Because like Uncle Sam, John Gordon wants you; he wants you to listen and learn, and get involved, and most of all, go vote.
And he so serious about it, that just last year — at the youthful age of 91 — he founded his own Think Tank — a forum for ideas and idealists, he says.
He calls it the More Democracy Think Tank.
“My goal is simple,” Gordon said. “I want to get people involved in government. I believe people should give back, but they have to learn how to do it. Social problems can be solved with political solutions.”
To start the process, Gordon’s Think Tank holds weekly meetings where different speakers wade deep into the waters of a current issues. A way, Gordon said, of making people aware of those issues and inspiring them to act.
“The more people are involved, the stronger the country. There are lots of social groups looking for help, for volunteers. But people want to understand before they get involved.”
For Gordon, getting involved has been a life-long adventure.
After graduating from Gracemont High School in 1936, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) — a work relief program for young men from unemployed families, established by then President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
While in the CCC, Gordon spent two years in Wyoming and Colorado, working in the nation’s national park system. From there, he spent time at several farm cooperatives.
“I stayed pretty busy then,” he said.
In 1942, he left farming and joined the U.S. Navy, serving as an electronic technician until the end of World War II.
Later in 1948, he moved to Ada, where he earned his degree at Central State College. From there, it was off to the Indian Services and a teaching gig at South Dakota’s Indian schools for three years.
In the late 1950s, he worked for the Federal Aviation Agency and in 1967, he returned to Oklahoma City to teach mathematics and science in public schools. He retired from teaching in June 1978.
Since then, he’s served as a community volunteer, as a member of the American Legion, a member of Kiwanis and the Moore Council of Aging.
“I like to stay involved,” he said. “I like to help.”
That desire reached its apex last summer.
In June 2006, Gordon and a handful of friends founded More Democracy. A way, he said, to show social issue organizations how to solve their problems using political tools.
“The thing that really gets me is that we’ve got a lot of social organizations that work on child care, parenting, the environment, protecting the wildlife and such,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of those, but they are nonpartisan. And their members don’t always participate in political activities to reach their goal.”
That, Gordon says, is the wrong approach.
“If you’re going to reach some environmental goal and you are nonpartisan, and you just keep talking about, say, pollution, and you don’t turn people out to the precincts to vote, well, you can’t get improvement by sitting back and not doing anything politically.”
People, he said, should be politically involved.
“Everything is political,” he said. “I laugh when I hear someone from church saying they don’t like politics, but then they are heavily involved in church politics. Politics isn’t ugly, its a way of doing business.”
Through his organization, Gordon is slowly exposing Cleveland County’s less active residents a way to be involved in their community and achieve their goals — through a political structure.
“I’m politically inclined because I see the goal we’re trying to reach,” he said. “But the only way we’re going to get there, is through political action.”
Groups fighting social problems, he said, should say to their members, “we’re going to have to do this through political channels, ‘cause we can’t get there any other way.”
And for Gordon the results are worth the effort.
“Politics isn’t a bad thing,” he said. “It’s a way to get stuff done.”
Especially if you’ve spent nine-plus decades believing.
The More Democracy Think Tank meets weekly at Earl’s Rib Palace, 920 SW 25th in Moore. Call 794-4541 for meeting times and topics.
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