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( – promoted by DocHoc)
The People Need a New DA by Lynn Green
We need a change of leadership in the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office. Actually, what we have in our DA’s office is a nearly total lack of leadership. In his tenure as DA, Wes Lane is frequently absent from duty and provides little direction to the assistant prosecutors who have the responsibility of representing the people of Oklahoma County in criminal cases. Due to the rudderless direction in the DA’s office, Oklahoma County has in the last year seen over 50 prosecutors leave the office, many out of sheer frustration. Lane’s predecessor, Bob Macy, never experienced anything near the current attrition rate during his tenure in office. This means that taxpayers have had to pay for the retraining of new prosecutors who lack the experience of those they replace. These new prosecutors receive only the briefest of orientations, and no mentoring, before they are thrown into their important tasks. This often has led to new resignations and the cycle of retraining new prosecutors begins anew.
This has had a detrimental effect on criminal prosecutions in the county. Current, there is a backlog of approximately 14,000 unprosecuted felony cases in Oklahoma County. Cases are taking well over two years to get to trial. This means that criminals able to make bail are out on the street committing new crimes while their trial is repeatedly postponed. Those accused who are unable to make bail remain in the county jail, at taxpayer’s expense, awaiting trial. Imagine if you have been arrested for a crime you did not commit and having to wait 2 years before you have a chance to establish your innocence. Imagine being the victim of a crime and having to go through the trauma of reliving molestation or assault and then finding out that the prosecutor has had to file yet another continuance because a new attorney has had to replace the one who quit. During this time victims are revictimized, memories fade, and errors creep in to the prosecution. All too often the solution to this is for the prosecutor to plea bargain for lesser sentence. Truly justice delayed is justice denied.
Clearly we need a change in District Attorney. David Prater, a former police officer and prosecutor, has promised Access, Accountability, and Action when he becomes our new District Attorney. He will be accessible to his employers, the citizens of Oklahoma County. He believes that the one in charge of the office should accept accountability for the production of that office. He will take action to fix problems rather than just let them slide. Pious platitudes sounded when election time comes are no substitute action and accountability. I urge my fellow citizens of Oklahoma County to vote for David Prater as our new District Attorney so that the people can finally obtain adequate counsel in our criminal courts.
Oklahoma Greens to hold 5th Annual State convention
Taken from: http://www.okgreens….
All Oklahoma Green Party members and friends are invited to our 5th Annual Green Party state convention.
The convention will be held at Saffron’s Coffeeshop (more info at www.saffroncoffee.com, 1148 S. Harvard) in Tulsa, from 12-3 p.m. on Saturday, August 19th.
A New Democratic paradigm
My first swipe at a New Democratic Paradigm: Or the way to stop a horse race is to stop betting on it.
Since I refer to this term so often I thought I had better start trying to define what I mean when I say NDP. What brings us all to this group is the realization that the current two party system is ineffective or moot in responding to basic human needs. We all are doing what we can to change this. As a novice student of history and politics, I have tried to educate myself as to why we have become essentially a one party nation, and how free thinking people have been cut out of Public affairs.
This is why there is a need for a new Democratic paradigm.
To me, the direction of the country will remain stagnant as long as we maintain the illusion that we can evolve by merely helping more freethinking people get elected.
When we give up this illusion, we place ourselves in a precarious position. First, we take ourselves out of the political process, and in a sense, marginalize ourselves. Then we are left with no leadership, organization, or direction. Well, I see this position as a golden opportunity, a chance to create something new, and our chance to take ourselves out of a dysfunctional cycle.
It seems impractical, and downright ridiculous to go back to square one or reinvent the wheel, but I fell like in this case, it is imperative. In doing this kind of work, we all need to develop tolerance for ambiguity. Inherent in this is the willingness to do our work regardless of feeling fear of the unknown.
Now, for some specifics: If we were to start with a neighborhood that needs some help with supplying itself with food (for example). We go into this N and, at their request help them start a community garden, or some kind or co-op that serves their particular needs. While we are doing this, we will be having organizational meetings to figure out what we want to do as a political group.
We can benefit from the co-op project by getting used to working with each other while having the momentum of possibly creating a sense of community. What a Co-op project, what ever it is, will get us use to dealing with basic human needs. I think this kind of mindset is necessary in creating a new political paradigm.
All criticism and comments will be appreciated.
Bill Turley
8/6/06
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( – promoted by DocHoc)
Found on another blog: OK State Senator switches parties
Via cookiebear at DailyKos I noticed the news about Senator Nancy Riley switching from the Republican party to the Democrat party. Her reasoning? (more on the flipside):
My Sorry Congressman
The Tulsa World blasted 1st District Congressman John Sullivan (R) in an unusually harsh editorial in this morning’s edition. The editorial writer claims Sullivan is jumping on the bandwagon of those groups who use hate-filled speech, fear-mongering, bigotry and distortion of facts, about these people, claiming to be protecting our way of life.
What prompted Sullie’s remarks is a comment Tulsa Police Chief Dave Been made about a 20 year policy of the TPD’s treatment of economic refugees who are here without permission. Chief Been said, “The policy, in short, is that Tulsa officers do not track down and arrest immigrants because they might be illegals.” Officers also tap information from illegals to help solve other crimes.
Some local RWR groups are after Mayor Taylor to fire Been because of his ‘hands off’ policy toward this group. Seeing an opportunity to score some points with these myopic xenophobes, Sulllivan joined their chorus.
The World is right about Sullivan…..to paraphrase Frosty Troy, “he’ll stoop so low that it’ll take a depth-finder to locate his social conscience.”
Read the editorial here.