FOIA Teaser

I've filed a Freedom Of Information Act Request, and lest it get blocked by the those more powerful than I, I'm going to play this one close to my chest until it is fulfilled. In the meantime however, enjoy this redacted version of the letter confirming my request.


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FOIA

Sales Tax Revenue July 08

In July* the Third Penny revenue was $6,014,585, an increase of 9.8% from July 2007. The current adopted budget for July is $5,671,000.

The economic data lags a few months so the following numbers are for April 2008.

Total number of Jobs in the Metro area (12 month moving average) was 426,600 an increase of 1.1% from the previous year. The current break down of jobs is as follows 51,800 manufacturing, 207,800 service, 85,600 trade, and 81,400 other.

April 2008 unemployment went down 0.1% to 3.9% in Tulsa area. The unemployment average in April 2008 for Oklahoma was 4.0% and the national average was 4.8%

Passenger traffic at the Tulsa International Airport is up 7.6% from the previous year. Port of Catoosa barge tonnage is down for the month of April by 25.5%, is up 6.7% for the year.

The Consumer Price Index - Urban was 214.7 up 3.9% from last year, and the Producer Price Index is was 176.7 up 6.5% from last year.

And finally, always an interesting statistic are the number of water and sewer customers. Water customers in April was to 136,800 and the number of sewer customers was 127,700

*Receipts for June that were paid in July

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STOC
sales tax

Why no Travel Donation?

Recently there has been scrutiny over Tulsa City Councilors flying in Mayor Kathy Taylor’s private jet, or Mayor Force One, as Chris Medlock likes to call it. It occurred to me last night, and I’m not sure I’ve heard anyone bring it up, but why weren’t these trips voted on by the council as travel donations?

Taylor took councilors to other cities so that they could judge for themselves the transformational power of a downtown ballpark in order that they might make better decisions regarding the move of our own ball club to downtown. Usually I like to call a trip that furthers my responsibility at work, a business trip. With regard to the city of Tulsa, when someone else pays for the business trip of a city employee, it’s called a travel donation, and it must be approved by the council. For example, take this regular addenda item from the city council meting on Apr 24th, 2008, where the council voted on a travel donation from the American Water Works Association for Ken Hill.

3. MAYOR’S ITEMS f. Travel donation from AWWA Southwest Section ($422.50) for Kenneth Hill to attend the Arkansas Waterworks and Water Environment Federation in Hot Springs, AR. 08-1271-2

Now you might argue that City Councilors aren't city employees. I think officially, you are correct, but technically I'd say they are employees. According to the charter "Council shall receive a salary of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000.00) per year payable as employees of the city are paid." True, it does fall short of calling them employees, but they do also get medical benefits, so at best the issue is gray. My assertion is that councilors are close enough to employees that they should qualify for the same treatment as regular employees. Also, the possible ethical implications of donating travel to elected officials demands the a certain level of openness that a vote from the council provides.

It seems to me that it is hard to construe these trips as anything other than business trips. Indeed, I think that with the exception of a business trip, Tulsa city employees/officials have no business on Taylor’s Jet. So I ask again, why weren’t these trips voted on by the council?


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Kathy Taylor
Tulsa City Council

Tulsa loses one Starbucks

Starbucks is falling on tough times. I guess people don't buy as many lattes when gas is 4 bucks a gallon. Anyway, according to their press release, they will close approximately 600 stores, one of them is here in Tulsa.

As we announced on July 1, 2008, Starbucks will close approximately 600 company-operated stores in the U.S. beginning this month and continuing through the first half of FY09. Partners in the stores listed below have been personally notified that their store has been slated to close during this timeframe.

Here is the complete list of stores in Oklahoma that will be closed.

1610 N MAIN ST ALTUS OK
1100 S LYNN RIGGS BLVD CLAREMORE OK
4755 SE 29TH ST DEL CITY OK
2015 W DANFORTH RD EDMOND OK
2141 W 15TH ST EDMOND OK
1204 NW SHERIDAN RD LAWTON OK
427 S GEORGE NIGH EXPY MCALESTER OK
591 W SHAWNEE MUSKOGEE OK
12124 N PENNSYLVANIA AVE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
3131 W MEMORIAL OKLAHOMA CITY OK
125 W BRITTON RD OKLAHOMA CITY OK
9201 N WESTERN AVE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
2400 N 14TH ST PONCA CITY OK
1702 S MUSKOGEE AVE TAHLEQUAH OK
9524 E 81ST ST TULSA OK

And because I'm a nerd, I ploted all the store closings on a Google map.


View Larger Map


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Oklahoma
Starbucks

Tulsa's Art Deco architecture featured in Preservation Magazine

Hey, look what I found on Yahoo news! Tulsa's Art Deco treasures are featured on the July cover of Preservation Magazine

Think Art Deco architecture, and what places pop into your head? New York. Miami Beach. Los Angeles. Tulsa.
Tulsa?
Definitely yes, says Preservation magazine, which profiles the city's deco style in a cover story for its July/August issue.

Of course we all know that Tulsa has some awesome Art Deco buildings, but it's nice to be recognized.

Here are two pic's I've taken of the Philtower and of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, both in Downtown Tulsa, and both great examples of Art Deco architecture.




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Art Deco

The P in Randi Miller stands for Perfect attendance

Ohh wait, there is no P in Randi Miller....scratch that. How about the A in Randi stands for Absent? Yeah that works much better.

Last night I saw a pretty damming report on Channel 6 about Randi Miller's attendance at meetings to which County Commissioners are asked to attend. The Reader's Digest version is that she is absent...a lot. Click here for the report or to watch the video.

This morning KRMG's Joe Kelly had Randi Miller on an extended version of his show. Randi's complaint was that the Channel 6's report was unfair and unbalanced. Joe was quick to point out that she did not answer Channel 6's request for comment, and that it was disingenuous to call the report unbalanced is she refused to present her side of the story. As usual Randi's explanation was unconvincing. She had one good explanation for a meeting she missed. After the ice storm on Dec 10th, she was attending other emergency meetings and could not attend the regular meeting that morning.

Other than that she kept saying that channel 6 was unfair and unbalanced, and that the meetings that she missed were not required. Again Joe pressed her, asking why her colleagues seemed to have a better attendance record for both the required and non-required meetings? I honestly did not understand her answer. It didn't seem to make any sense; perhaps because it's hard to defend a position that says I meet the bare minimum requirements when my colleagues seem to go above and beyond.

Kudos to Channel 6 for their report, and special kudos to Joe Kelly for having her on your show and not letting her off the hook.

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Tasha's Guessing Game

Do you know where this picture was taken?

If so, go over to Tasha Does Tulsa and submit your answer for a prize!

If you can guess where this photo was taken, you win a prize. Not a very big prize, but a prize nonetheless. And recognition. And maybe a few extra gold stars next to your name in the Book of Life.

Yea, I love prizes.

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A B C'ya Dr. Z

Dr. Michael Zolkoski, superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, "resigned" and will "step down" in October. This after a special executive session of the TPS school board last night where his job performance was called in to question. Sounds to me like he was fired, but I've been known to be confused over the difference between resignation/retirement, and termination before...but I digress.

For more info on Dr Z, head over Alternative Tulsa, they have been following Dr.Z's performance for a while and have some interesting posts.




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Tulsa Public Schools
Michael Zolkoski

Taxes are stealing...

... or, train a child in the way he should go.

When my children are eating some kind of snack or treat, I often proclaim, "Daddy Tax!!!," and take a small portion for myself. I do this mostly just because I want some of whatever they are eating, but also to teach a lesson about taxes.

My lesson seems to be working, because the three-year-old, in response to the "Daddy Tax" has started to make her own proclamation. With scowl on her face, and a stern tone she says, "Daddy, taxes are stealing!"

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Because you're fat

Yea, Oklahoma made another top ten...oh wait, this time it's bad. According to CalorieLab, Oklahoma is the 9th fattest state in our fair Union.

(via The Consumerist)

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Shawshank in a Minute by Jib Jab

The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies. Jib Jab condensed the plot down to a one min rap which I find extremely funny.


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Jib Jab