Joseph Fairbanks Letter To Editor

Wallace Collins Has Problem With Truth, Again!

Editor, The Transcript:

Eliminating the grocery sales tax is perhaps one of the most effective ways we could provide economic relief to poor and working families in Oklahoma. As a resident of Norman, I was pleasantly surprised in the 2006 campaign when then-candidate Wallace Collins announced he would support eliminating the tax. During his previous tenure in the State House, Representative Collins repeatedly opposed such a policy. Unfortunately, his change of heart and eagerness to support the policy was short-lived. In defending his recent failure to support an amendment to eliminate the tax on essential groceries, Collins has been astoundingly dishonest.

He claimed in his response to Bobby Cleveland’s March 30 letter that he did not skip the vote to allow a grocery sales tax exemption amendment to House Bill 3358. A simple search of the Oklahoma House voting records proves otherwise. There were three recorded votes on HB 3358 on March 12, all occurring consecutively. On the vote to allow an amendment to eliminate the grocery sales tax, Collins is registered as “Excused,” meaning he left the chamber during the vote. Collins just happened to be present for the other two votes, in which he voted “Nay.” Furthermore, on each of the five recorded votes immediately preceding and following HB 3358, Collins was present to cast a vote. In fact, the vote on the grocery sales tax amendment was the only vote he missed that day. Perhaps Collins would like to once again “set the record straight” and retract his denial.

It is a common—and cowardly— tactic by legislators to walk out of the chamber during a vote on which they don’t want to take a recorded position in order to avoid any political fallout. In this case, I’m sure Collins didn’t expect someone to actually take the time to look at the official House voting records.

I hope every resident of Norman, especially those of House District 45, will take into account Collins’s willingness to play dishonest political games. When Collins had a chance to support a viable bill that would finally provide poor and working families with essential tax relief, he refused to do so.

Joseph Fairbanks

Col. Stephen Russell Senate District 45

Col. Stephen Russell is the top name being talked about around Senate District 45. In the hotly contested Republican Primary to succeed Kathleen Wilcoxson, Russell has out raised all the other candidates combined in individual contributions. He has over 100 individual donors just from inside the Senate district. Sounds like his campaign has a lot of momentum and support. My sources tell me he has almost walked the entire district.
And I’ve heard that the retired Iraqi War veteran has been receiving excellent responses from the voters – no wonder he is the current leader in the district.

Another campaign that is hard at work again according to my sources that live in the district, is long time Cleveland County Republican activist Melinda Daugherty.

And former Oklahoma City Council Member Jerry Foshee’s campaign signs are starting to show up around the district as well.

This looks to be perhaps the most interesting and crowded Republican Primary in Central Oklahoma in 2008.

Sheriff race

Sheriff race
The Cleveland County Sheriff race is getting interesting. Three candidates will be debating at the "Cleveland County luncheon Club" the first Tuesday in June. Coach's Restaurant 11:30 AM-12:30 PM. Who do you believe is the front runner, Joe Lester, David Williams or Mark Hamm? Doug Blain was not a candidate when this article was published
Posted by bob at 7:31 PM

Library Bond

Rachel Butler and the Mayor failed to point out that Courtney Ruark, their hired gun campaign manager is affiliated with the Democratic National Committee according to her own Facebook profile!!! If you don't have access to Facebook, check out her bio on the leftist INDN's List website http://indnslist.org/courtney_ruark She is a prominent Democratic consultant/hack.
They ran a campaign with paid Democrat operatives!!!! When asked who the paid conultants were weeks before the vote, a Library official refused to respond. Anyone else think that may be why the co-chair Mr. Ryan never asnwered an email to begin with?