VIEW: 18-34: Run-Off Election Thoughts

VIEW FROM HERE
By Bob McDowell (Born Neil Carson)
Number 18-34
RUN-OFF ELECTION THOUGHTS Week of 2018/08/20
In late July my absentee ballots for the August 28 'run-off'
election arrived in
the mail. This time it contained two separate ballots, one for the office
campaigns
and another for a city bond issue vote. These always tend to put me on guard
because they usually mean an increase in taxes at the local level. The bond
issue
was multi-faceted and consisted of six separate bond issues, another large
red flag.
It has been my practice since January of 1948, when education caused
me
to transfer from the University of Tulsa to Oklahoma in Norman, to continue
my
registration at my parents' home in Tulsa. This continued through
graduation, jobs
in Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma City, Wichita Falls Texas, and self-employed
as consultant and oil producer back to Denver until marriage and house
acquisition
dictated local registration. After that the business pressures made it
questionable
that at any election I probably would be out in the field and unable to
vote, which
was unacceptable. So the absentee was deemed mandatory.
In 1986 on my return to Tulsa I was shocked to find at the first
election here
the inside envelope instructions on the back were heavily printed in BOTH
English
and Spanish. This was quite unacceptable to me, knowing that one of the
requirements for naturalization to citizenship was the ability to read,
write, speak
and understand the English language, as spoken in the USA. It was not long
before
contact was made with legislators and party local headquarters questioning
the
dual language. Some of my efforts such as this one have referred to the
subject
with increasing firmness.
To my complete, and satisfying, surprise, in this one the inside
envelope, the
one into which the marked ballots go, then it into the notarized one, then
all into
the actual mailing envelope the instructions were ONLY in English. Finally
someone woke up to the wastefulness and ignorance of having the foreign
language
instructions present. I would expect that there was a certain added cost to
the dual
set also. Whoever was responsible for the change has earned my most sincere
compliments and a "Well Done".
That is the good part!! On the downside, the 'politics of personal
destruction'
have shown up again in these campaigns, most heavily in the District One
Congressional campaign. Neither candidate was my first choice, or second,
but
my mantra remains the same: those who resort to such do not deserve, or
receive,
my vote as this is abhorrent to say the least, particularly in intra-party
campaigns,
(Primary & Run-off). Here the label for such tactics must become "RINO"
(Republican in name only). Where is the civility or dignity that should be
shown?
Further, in arriving at a decision for whom to vote my interest is in what a
candidate
plans to do, if elected, and what her/his stands are on the main issues.
Thus my
decision was easy and my ballots should already be in the office of the
Election
Board.
Unfortunately there are certain 'campaign consultants' who regularly
resort to
such sleazy tactics and the majority of individuals active in the party
processes have
become aware of the guilty parties. It is too bad that the Party officials
do not take
a more aggressive stance to advise and warn, especially new, candidates not
to use
them. Also, some of these offensive tactics are often paid for by
associations not
'officially' connected with the candidate boosted, so-called 'dark money' on
which
there are no limits on donations received.
Unfortunately the State Ethics Commission seems to be unresponsive,
or not
interested, in taking action against the guilty parties even in the general
election
campaigns. The Legislature could and should take some corrective action
there,
even including replacing the commission personnel not carrying out the
assigned
duties. Or perhaps there is an individual bias there? It is my understanding
that there
is statute or rules that require a disclosure statement on electronic
advertisements
and a printed disclosure on print fliers. Sometimes it has been my
observation that if
present they are very well hidden with minute size font and sometimes white
on white
or black on black or other color on color to mask the disclosure. In earlier
years the
disclosure included the name and address or phone number of a contact
person, but
not lately.
The whole problem boils down to a semblance of dignity and civility
on the
individual's part now sadly lacking in most of the political activities.
Perhaps bringing
GOD back into our lives as a nation would serve to correct the situation.
PRESDT-45 seems to be trying, to his credit!!
END
Composed August 10, 2018
Robert W. McDowell, Jr.
841 Lynwood Lane
918-451-1051 Broken
Arrow OK 74011-8608
Email: abdmcfpi@localnet.com