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ahha closes, OKPOP delayed: Is Tulsa's oligarchy competent?

Looks like Tulsa's billionaire overlords aren't as competent as they pretend to be. If they're going to insist on being in charge and push us to elect their minions, couldn't they at least show some signs of competence? And maybe a little frugality along the way?

Posted by Michael Bates on November 6, 2022 6:18 PM

BatesLine at City Elders: Further reading

Video, with links to further reading, of my talk on the recent school board elections, the Democratic candidates who won despite higher Republican turnout, the connections of the donors who made their campaigns possible, and the challenges of bypassing the media to get your message to "normie" voters.

Posted by Michael Bates on April 21, 2022 12:56 PM

Even billionaires deserve scrutiny and skepticism from the media

There are those who worry about the influence of the wealthy on federal politics but are quite blasé about the influence of the wealthy on local politics. That slobbery, smooching sound you heard Saturday was Wayne Greene's column in the Saturday, December 31, 2016, Tulsa World, telling all of us...

Posted by Michael Bates on January 2, 2017 10:39 AM

Blair Mansion, Riverside Drive landmark, to be demolished

BatesLine photo, October 15, 2011, All Rights Reserved For over a half-century, motorists driving north on Riverside Drive in Tulsa, after navigating the tricky Midland Valley underpass, were rewarded with the sight of an elegant white mansion across a vast expanse of manicured lawn. Tomorrow, all that will end....

Posted by Michael Bates on January 31, 2014 9:35 PM

IRS objects to Solyndra bankruptcy plan, Kaiser firm tax breaks

Interesting story from Reuters earlier this week: The IRS has filed an objection to the bankruptcy plan of Solyndra, the failed solar panel manufacturer that had been backed by Federal loan guarantees and the investment arm of the George Kaiser Family Foundation: Solyndra's bankruptcy plan could prove a further embarrassment...

Posted by Michael Bates on October 13, 2012 9:58 PM

George Kaiser, Solyndra, GKFF, and TCF

Mainstream media sources like Bloomberg News and the Washington Post have been digging deeper into the bankruptcy of federally-subsidized Solyndra, looking particularly at George Kaiser, whose venture capital companies were involved in Solyndra's financing, and his George Kaiser Family Foundation, which held a large stake in the failed company. A...

Posted by Michael Bates on October 2, 2011 11:33 PM

George Kaiser, GKFF, and Solyndra

This is long, but worth reading, particularly if you're knowledgeable about the financial aspects of bankruptcy. There are some interesting twists and turns that seem to suggest that GKFF's investments have been protected to the detriment of federal taxpayers. If that's so, I'm torn: It's better for Tulsa if GKFF...

Posted by Michael Bates on September 16, 2011 12:15 AM