JP Conversations

At Large City Councilors

An initiative petition is circulating that if passed would signficantly change the composition of the City Council.  In place of nine (9) councilors, each representing a specific geographic district, the Council would consist of a few councilors representing specific geographic districts and at three councilors elected at-large.  Proponents of this change say it is needed because the current form of government has lead to divisive ward politics that prevents Tulsa from adopting the best policies and programs.  Proponents also believe it is unhealthy for there to be public disagreement within the City Council on major policy issues.

Several Just Progress members and persons and groups outside of Just Progress have asked Just Progress to come out officially against this proposed change in our city's form of government.  Opponents of this change believe it is intended to reclaim the near total dominance of city government the Chamber of Commerce, certain neighborhoods, and certain economic interests have enjoyed most of the city's history.  This dominance has been challenged since the advent of our current form of government by councilors who believe that what is good for these dominant groups is not necessarily what is best for Tulsa and certainly is not what is best for their constituents.  Opponents of the change also believe creative conflict within the Council is healthy because unanimity often leads to complacency or oppression.  Finally, opponents of the change believe it will violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting the representation of minorities on the City Council.

Before the JP Board takes up the issue of whether to get involved one way or another on this issue, it is essential that it knows the views and wishes of JP members.  So, please let us know your views by recording them as comments to this Posting.

TABOR-Taxpayers' Bill of Rights

Just Progress has been asked to come out officially against the Taxpayers' Bill of Rights (TABOR) initiative petition that is currently circulating.  Those requesting that JP take a stance on this issue include some JP members and concerned citizens and groups who are not a part of Just Progress.

TABOR proposes to limit state government spending growth by a factor comprised of the rate of population growth and the growth of the general consumer price index (this is an over-simplification but essentially correct).  It also proposes limiting the amount of money the State can accumulate in its Rainy Day Account that is intended to provide the money necessary to get the State through hard economic times.  TABOR proponents say it will make the State attractive to businesses and productive citizens (investors, business owners, top professionals, high earning workers) and take away the ability of the State to finance social programs and to shackle businesses and citizens with regulations.

You may remember that David Blatt spoke to Just Progress last Spring about how TABOR would devastate Oklahoma just as it has devastated Colorado (Colorado is now reconsidering scraping much of TABOR through a new initiative petition).  He and others who oppose TABOR believe it will kill Oklahoma's ability to finance even a mediocre education system, will lead to immoral cuts in the social safety net (especially to health care programs and programs that help the needy), will cause an signficant decline in the quality of Oklahoma's basic infrastructure, and make it all but imposssible to enforce well the regulations we need to protect us from business fraud, environmental degradation, workplace safety, public health hazards and a myriad of other problems government regulations are designed to prevent or to mitigate.

Essentially, TABOR pits those who believe in the power of progressive government to channel market forces into the task of providing a safe, just, equal opportunity and prosperous society against those who believe that the best possible society would be that produced by unregulated market forces. 

The Just Progress board would like to know your thoughts on this matter.  If Just Progress is to take an official stance on this issue, it is desirable that it do so this week through a press conference designed to ally us with the major TABOR opponents.  Please let us know your thoughts by registering them as a comment to this Post.