Tulsa World: February 2006 Archives

All the dirt that's fit to print

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Yes, I've read the front page story in today's Whirled about the dirt being peddled on various candidates. Yes, I have something to say about it, and have already started writing, but I won't finish it until this afternoon.

Whirled hires Marlette

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Let's all give a big Tulsa welcome to the Tulsa Whirled's new editorial cartoonist, Doug Marlette. I have to say I'm impressed that the paper was willing and able to hire a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, even though they won't be paying his full salary -- and even though he won't be coming all the way to Tulsa.

According to his bio, his most recent employment has been with the Tallahassee Democrat and yet his home is in Hillsborough, North Carolina. He is moving to Oklahoma to take this position with the Whirled, but not to Tulsa: According to the Democrat's story on Marlette's departure, he'll also be a lecturer at the University of Oklahoma and will live in Norman. (The Whirled's introductory article overlooked that detail.)

It will be interesting to see if he continues to focus mainly on national and global news. If he does delve in to local and state politics, I hope he doesn't rely on the Whirled's coverage alone as the basis for his cartoons.

I invite Mr. Marlette to explore the BatesLine archive about his new employer, with special attention to the international ridicule that befell the Whirled after its attempt to intimidate me and other critics of the paper. That last link will give Mr. Marlette a good introduction to the way the Whirled wields its influence in local politics -- and a clue as to why the Whirled continues to lose favor and circulation.

Marlette's new boss, editorial page editor Ken Neal, writes:

One of the factors in Marlette's selection is the fact that he is not partisan or convinced that one group or another has a lock on "truth." His cartoons reflect a healthy distrust of government and public life, regardless of the affiliations of public officials. That is often hard for readers to remember when their favorite is portrayed unflatteringly.

Hopefully, Mr. Marlette will include within that "healthy distrust" the ownership and editorial board of the Tulsa Whirled and their favorites in local government.

Tulsans for Better Government (TBG), the group promoting a petition to dismember three Tulsa City Council districts and adding three supercouncilor seats (to be elected citywide to four year terms), filed ethics reports with the City Clerk's office, as required by state law. As of December 31, 2005, the group has accumulated $66,350.00 and has spent $18,882.14. Given that they suspended the petition drive on December 5, it will be interesting to see what they do with the remaining money.

Here is the list of donors disclosed on those forms, in descending order of amount contributed:

Date Name Address Amount
12/30/2005 Tulsa World P. O. Box 26750, OKC 73126 $10,000.00
11/30/2005 George Kaiser Family Fndtn 7020 S. Yale, Tulsa OK 74136 $5,000.00
12/16/2005 Ram Energy 5100 E Skelly Dr, Tulsa OK 74135 $5,000.00
11/9/2005 Anchor Stone Company 2021 S. Lewis, Tulsa OK 74104 $4,000.00
10/18/2005 Howard G. Barnett 6742 S Evanston, Tulsa OK 74136 $3,000.00
10/18/2005 A.H. McElroy, II 1964 E 45th Pl, Tulsa OK 74105 $3,000.00
10/31/2005 Hughes Lumber Company P.O. Box 2220, Tulsa OK 74101 $3,000.00
11/16/2005 Ruth K. Nelson Revocable Trust 1350 S. Boulder, Tulsa OK 74119 $3,000.00
11/16/2005 Mike D. Case 4200 E. Skelly Drive, Tulsa OK 74135 $3,000.00
11/30/2005 Leonard J. Eaton, Jr. 2617 E 26th Pl., Tulsa OK 74114 $3,000.00
12/16/2005 Robert J. LaFortune 427 S. Boston, Tulsa OK 74103 $2,500.00
11/22/2005 Coury Properties 201 W. 5th St, Tulsa OK 74103 $1,500.00
10/31/2005 Ted Sherwood & Associates 15 W 6th Suite 2112, Tulsa OK 74119 $1,000.00
11/4/2005 Capitol Club Tulsa OK $1,000.00
11/4/2005 Joseph McGraw 10900 Louisville, Jenks OK 74137 $1,000.00
11/16/2005 MidFirst Bank PO Box 26750, OKC OK 73126 $1,000.00
11/16/2005 Jack and Maxine Zarrow 2660 S. Birmingham Pl., Tulsa OK 74114 $1,000.00
11/16/2005 Philip C. Lauinger, Jr. 320 S. Boston, Tulsa OK 74103 $1,000.00
11/16/2005 Robert A. Franden 525 S. Main, Tulsa OK 74103 $1,000.00
11/22/2005 GBR Properties, Inc. 6660 S. Sheridan, Tulsa OK 74133 $1,000.00
11/30/2005 Frontier Energy Services LLC 4200 E. Skelly Dr, Tulsa OK 74135 $1,000.00
11/30/2005 Richard Minshall 2444 E 26th Pl., Tulsa OK 74114 $1,000.00
12/16/2005 Stephen J. Heyman 3200 First Place Tower, Tulsa OK 74103 $1,000.00
11/16/2005 Midwesco Industries P. O. Box 3445, Tulsa OK 74101 $750.00
11/16/2005 BHC Pipe & Equipment Co. P. O. Box 701166, Tulsa OK 74170 $500.00
11/22/2005 Ranch Acres Wine & Spirits 3324 A E. 31st, Tulsa OK 74135 $500.00
11/16/2005 Donald B. Atkins 1406 S. Terrace Dr., Tulsa OK 74104 $300.00
11/22/2005 James M. Hewgley, Jr. Trust 427 S Boston, Tulsa OK 74103 $300.00
11/16/2005 Paula Marshall-Chapman P. O. Box 4829, Tulsa OK 74159 $250.00

No time to analyze this, but feel free to comment on who gave, their connections with various interests, and their possible motivations.

About this Archive

This page is a archive of entries in the Tulsa World category from February 2006.

Tulsa World: December 2005 is the previous archive.

Tulsa World: May 2006 is the next archive.

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