Legal Opinion Released  The legal opinion issued by the

City Attorney to Mayor Mick Cornett concerning his potential conflict of interests between the City and his employment at Ackerman McQueen was finally released on Monday afternoon without comment. 

The first thing that I note is that the document is dated September 26, 2008.

(NOTE:  It was brought to my attention it was 2008...not 2009 as I had previously reported.)

SO...now another question:  Had the mayor has been talking about working for ACKERMAN MCQUEEN now for over a year?

Has he been doing contract work for ACKERMAN?  (It mentions he might be in the LEGAL OPINION.)

Has he been receiving money from Ackerman during that period?  He has been receiving money from Ackerman Clients, some that do business with the city for years.

Where's the transparency?

The City Attorney says that the Mayor should not do any work for Ackerman that deals with the CITY or the OKLAHOMA CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRUST, which does business with ACKERMAN.

They also recommend that ACKERMAN keep a record of where the funds that the MAYOR is paid with are derived from.

Are you kidding me?

If he receives a paycheck from Ackerman, his salary comes from EVERYTHING they do, including City work, OCEDT, OG+E, The State Fair, and on and on.

Why do they suggest it?

Because they say if a claim is made against the MAYOR on conflict of interest, they will be able to prove where his money came from?

Well, I am MAKING THE CLAIM.

The Mayor already refuses to say WHAT he does for Ackerman, how much time he will be required to put in, and how much money he is being paid?

Where's the transparency.

Ackerman McQueen, unless compelled by the law, has no requirement to release that information, since they apparently are not a PUBLIC corporation.

The fact that the City Attorney is telling the MAYOR and recommending actions be taken by ACKERMAN MCQUEEN by itself PROVES my point:  His very employment with Ackerman McQueen creates the appearance of wrong-doing.

Meanwhile, let's talk about the THIS CITY IS GOING ON A DIET website?

Why is the city website linking to a commercial website run by FOUNDATION SURGERIES operating as HEALTHY AND FIT COMMUNITIES LLC?

AND THE CITY POLICY?  Here it is directly from there policy statement.

• Commercial advertising or links, paid or unpaid are not accepted.

• The City's Web site will not link to the external sites that:

• May raise legal issues for the City of Oklahoma City . 

• The City does not link directly to a page on a Web site primarily geared towards the sale of a product or service.

• The City does not endorse companies, products or services and strictly prohibits any suggestion of endorsement or superiority of one company, product or service over another company, product or service.

It appears that the LINK to the DIET website is in clear violation of the Cities policy.

There is ONE EXCEPTION:

• The City may link to a site that meets the external link policy and is an active partner in a City program.  

The problem is, by allowing the above, if this covers the DIET website, it violates all of the above.

Did the Mayor or anyone else receive money from any of the sponsors?  

If so, that's illegal. Period.

If he was acting as a private individual, he should not have used his status as MAYOR to promote the website, not only on national TV, but on the website itself.

Who paid for the Mayor to travel to promote this website on Ellen?  The city, or the website and companies that benefitted from it?   That certainly is a question that needs to be asked AND ANSWERED.

(Article IV S 11 No officer of the City shall benefit DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY in any contract made by, to or with the City, or be otherwise directly financially interested in any corporation having any contract or subcontract for doing any contact job or work for the City.)

I have offered for the Mayor to come on the show and discuss this.  

NO REPLY AT ALL.

Here's the Mayor PROMOTING the website.  NOT "THE" website, but as he calls it "OUR" website.  Funny.   The website is not OURS, as in the City, but the website of a surgery center, being operated commercially.

OKC Workers Being Used To Promote FOR PROFIT Website  The City of Oklahoma City website is being used to promote a FOR PROFIT website with advertisers.

The Mayor launched a program called "This City Is Going On A Diet" in 2008.

The website is promoted and linked to the City of Oklahoma City website, through news story posted on the City website, and other places.  (EXAMPLE) 

This website is owned by FOUNDATION SURGERY CENTERS, which happens to do surgery for weight-loss, among other things.   (And gee, the Mayor has had hair plugs, and a MAJOR WEIGHT LOSS a few years ago.  You don't suppose FOUNDATION had anything to do with those, do you?)

There, on the website, using his OFFICIAL CAPACITY OF MAYOR, is Mick Cornett.

This website has sponsors, including the Oklahoma Employees Benefits Council whose business is (according to their website)

The Employees Benefits Council (EBC) is the benefits office for 37,000 Oklahoma active state employees. EBC provides expert benefits management that includes designing for choice and cost effectiveness, superior administration and promoting healthy lifestyles. As the State’s benefits office, EBC works hard to balance benefit levels, cost and choice. However, successfully managing health benefits today involves more than plan design and cost management alone. It involves building a “culture of health” by providing a resource for state employees to better manage their health, in turn lowering health care utilization and reducing health insurance premiums. EBCs State Wellness Program coordinates and develops wellness activities in state government to encourage participation in health promotion programs. The centerpiece of these efforts is the OK Health Mentoring Program, a scientifically proven, web-based, one-on-one health mentoring program.

You don't suppose they have anything to do with the city's business, do you?

Other sponsors.

Another sponsor is HEALTHY AND FIT COMMUNITIES LLC.

Here's what it's website says about it.

Healthy and Fit Communities, L.L.C., supports communities across the United States and Canada in promoting health, fitness, nutrition and wellness through the use of customized, community-based Web sites. Each site showcases local resources in the areas of diet, exercise, weight management and health education. With a Health Elevated, Life Optimized focus, each community site measures the success of the community as a whole publicly, as well as each individual member privately. Each community shares in ideas, Web site tools and information.If you know of a community that could benefit our program or have interest in a Web site and program, contact a member of Healthy and Fit Communities today. 

Mike Panas Executive Director

Mr. Panas is Chief Information Officer (CIO) and offices at Foundation Surgery Corporate Office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Healthy and Fit Communities has three listed clients in OKLAHOMA CITY , ENID , AND TULSA, and something called Energize Bowling Green, a similar program in Kentucky.

All of these programs PROMOTE the MAYOR of the city, or in the case of Enid, they use BRENT PRICE, former OU/NBA player from Enid.

Is the Mayor receiving money for this promotion of a commercial website?

When the Mayor traveled to promote this program, who paid for his travel?  The city or the mayor?

Does the Mayor's own production company have any financial connections with HEALTHY and FIT Communities.

And the big question:

Are city employees and city resources being used to promote a privately-owned commercial website?  It certainly appears so.

This is the actual link from the CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY website:

"This City is Going on a Diet"

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett has an ambitious New Year’s resolution for Oklahoma City. He is asking residents to collectively lose one million pounds in an effort to create a healthier City. An interactive Web site has been created to track the city’s weight loss progress.

At the heart of the program is a Web site that is being launched on New Year’s Eve: www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com. The Web site is designed as a one-stop resource for people intending to lose weight. More 

This links to the COMMERCIAL WEBSITE, and also links to the Mayor's announcement on the CITY WEBSITE, which then links you to the COMMERCIALS WEBSITE.

OTHER BLOGS ON CORNETT'S CONFLICTS

Why Bricktown Opposes MAPS 3

You probably won't see Bricktown owners and retailers say it in a commercial, but they oppose much of the MAPS 3 projects.

Oh sure, they are NOW part of YES FOR MAPS, but they reportedly were "strong-armed" into endorsing it as a group.  However behind the scenes here's what I'm hearing from some.

First of all, the CONVENTION CENTER the OKC Chamber is attempting to ram down our throat, but according to their own polls, NOBODY wants and could not pass a vote standing on it's own.

Secondly, the LOCATION of the CONVENTION CENTER.

Bricktown wants it built a different location, further EAST.

OG+E doesn't because building the convention center in the location the Mayor is pushing for is in their financial interest because of the location of a current OG+E sub-station. 

CORNETT is steering the location of the the CONVENTION CENTER, and guess who signs his paychecks?  OG+E on his TV show THE VERDICT and as a client of ACKERMAN-MCQUEEN.

Council members were essentially told NOT ASKED that the convention center and park WOULD BE on the MAPS BALLOT, even if they didn't like it.

Why?  Because the Chamber…using Mick to deal with the Council, told them it would be.

On the Board of the Chamber, Fred J. Hall, of the Fred Hall Companies, owners of much of the property the proposed park may be purchased from.

The Chamber of Commerce, is a client of Mayor Mick Cornett's employer, Ackerman-McQueen.

Also on the board of the Chamber of Commerce…. Ray Ackerman, Edmund O. Martin, Mick's bosses at ACKERMAN MCQUEEN,  and Lee Allan Smith,  who runs a division Ackerman-McQueen, employers of the MAYOR who is steering the MAPS projects. 

You see any potential for pressure here?

So, let's recap.

Chamber tells MICK CORNETT that the CONVENTION CENTER MUST be on MAPS even though the CHAMBER KNOWS the people don't want it, based on their own poll.

Chamber BOARD has three of Mick's employers, including two of his bosses on it.

Is Mick doing the work of the PEOPLE that elected him….or the work of the Chamber, a client of Ackerman McQueen, which has two of his bosses on its Board of Directors?  

Hard to tell, huh?  Kind of why it's a CONFLICT OF INTEREST and has an APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY.

Do you think Mick Cornett would ever stand up to the Chamber?

Whose running this town.  

Our elected officials or the Chamber of Commerce and Ackerman McQueen and it's clients?  You can't tell.  That's the problem.

That's why it's WRONG for the MAYOR to be working for this agency, at this time.

Next, and maybe even more importantly from the Bricktown perspective,  the plans for the CONVENTION CENTER and PARK involve a new RETAIL AREA that will compete with Bricktown, who has yet to develop a strong retail base.

And who will DEVELOP this new retail area.  Hmmm. 

On the Chamber BOARD OF DIRECTORS are several developers, including former Mayor Kirk Humphries.

Now, the fact that this group of people are on the Board of Directors of the Chamber is not, in itself, a shock, or even wrong.

The fact that the CHAMBER and MICK CORNETT are steering MAPS and where making demands that the CONVENTION CENTER be built is where the conflict comes in.

MICK CORNETT works for ACKERMAN-MCQUEEN, who represents the Chamber, who represents OG+E and all who pay the Mayor's salary.

And suddenly, a week before the Mayor announces MAPS 3, he has an EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT job at ACKERMAN-MCQUEEN, whose clients have vested interest in seeing MAPS passed and that they have the MAYOR to steer what's built and where.

Wake up Oklahoma City .  

There's more incest here then at an ARKANSAS FAMILY REUNION.

You may "like" Mick Cornett.  But there's a REAL STENCH about this and clearly an appearance of impropriety and a minefield of conflicts of interest.

Why do you think the Mayor refuses to come on the show and answer these questions?

Why Am I The Only One? So, based on the emails from 407 different individuals, (which likely represents THOUSANDS of those who don't write,) there are a lot of people very upset about the STENCH coming from City Hall.

So.  Why haven't you heard ANYTHING about this from the TV stations who promote themselves as NEWS stations about Mayor Cornett's obvious conflicts of interests?

Why haven't  you heard anything from the OKLAHOMAN, that's SUPPOSED be a NEWSPAPER?

Maybe you will.

Hardly likely.

The OKLAHOMAN ran a glowing story about Cornett's hiring by Ackerman-McQueen, but didn't ask any questions about it.  If they did, editor's took them all out of the story.

"Whatever HE says"

After all, why would the NEWSPAPER do anything NEGATIVE about the VICE PRESIDENT of the company that does their PUBLIC RELATIONS?   Why would that same newspaper ask any questions about the Executive Vice-President of the company that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars of their clients dollars buying full-size ads in that same newspaper?

And the TV stations?  Well, they wouldn't want to hack off an advertising firm that funnels them hundreds of thousands of dollars a year that represents INTEGRIS HEALTH, OG+E, Chesapeake, The Oklahoma State Fair, Riverwind Casino, Taco Mayo, The Chamber of Commerce, and on and on and on.

They covered the COUNTY COMMISSIONER AUTOMATIC PAY RAISE uproar which first came to light on the show.

They covered the enraged parents who spoke out against Obama's "school" speech, and the parents who picketed Edmond School District offices.

Why wouldn't one of these "news" outlets at least raise some questions about how the Mayor of a city that wants another 777 million dollars out of their citizens just might have a MINEFIELD of conflicts of interests.

Maybe ask at least a question or two about why the MAYOR of the CITY would be receiving money directly from DELTA DENTAL, who does business with the city by providing the dental plan for CITY EMPLOYEES for a TV show that nobody, or hardly anyone watches?  

Perhaps  a simple question or two about why an advertising firm would pay a SITTING MAYOR the salary of an EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT six figures for an unspecified amount of work, for an unspecified amount of hours per week, when that SAME advertising firm cut the salaries of their other VICE PRESIDENTS just 8 months ago.

They might want to ask a question about why the taxpayer paid for website is being used to refer people to a COMMERCIAL WEBSITE about WEIGHT LOSS, which the Mayor launched, and which is a FOR PROFIT website?  Maybe you should check it out for yourself.  THIS CITY IS GOING ON A DIET. 

Oh, and that website domain is owned by a surgery center who promotes, no, couldn't possibly be, promoting WEIGHT LOSS procedures.  

And the Mayor receives WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY for using his office, the city taxpayers website and who knows what else to REFER people to this FOR PROFIT website?

And when the MAYOR went on ELLEN DEGENERES to promote that website, who paid his expenses to travel there?  The taxpayers of Oklahoma City or the FOR PROFIT WEBSITE the Mayor used his office to promote.

Nope, wouldn't want the great INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS who are "on your side" and "looking out for you" to ask any questions about that, would we?

And why would anyone believe that the Mayor would somehow be "enriched" by the all the few MILLIONAIRES in this city who have used the taxpayers of Oklahoma City to cover their expenses, so they could benefit from those improvements?

After all, any TV station, any newspaper that asked questions like that might just PISS OFF  the Mayor's employer, and suddenly find that they were no longer being funneled the millions of dollars in advertising they control.

OH....BUT....if there is a TV station that will take this on....if there is a reporter that is willing to ask the tough questions.  YOU WILL HAVE A LOT OF FREE AIR TIME in radio prime time, on the most listened to station.   Please contact me for details.  

ALL CONTACTS ARE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.   If they weren't...you'd really GET a better picture of what's going on here.

YOU GET THE GOVERNMENT YOU DESERVE!

"They" get the GOVERNMENT THEY BUY!

----------------------------------

Cornett Holds Legal Opinion Hostage   

In the September 13 SUNDAY OKLAHOMAN article that talked about Mick Cornett's hiring by ACKERMAN MCQUEEN, the following was said.

"Cornett said he also sought an opinion from the city’s legal staff to guide him on how to avoid any conflicts in his dual role as mayor and as an executive with Ackerman McQueen."

Last week, under the OKLAHOMA OPEN RECORDS ACT, I requested a copy of the the legal opinion given from the CITY ATTORNEY to CORNETT, if one existed.

On Friday I was called by the Mayor's secretary and told that I could have the opinion, but that the Mayor wanted to meet with me in his office.

The meeting was set for 2pm today.

After giving it some thought, I decided I didn't want to be "called in to the principal's office" as a condition for anything.

On Tuesday, I emailed the Mayor's office and told them I could not meet with him and that I would like the document forwarded to me.

I also offered to talk with him by phone or somewhere else.  He also has been requested to be on the show and answer questions about his involvement with Ackerman McQueen and the conflicts of interest that are apparent.

This morning I received the following:

Mr. Shannon,  The document you requested, a written legal opinion, is a confidential attorney-client communication.  The Oklahoma Open Records Act, 51 O.S. § 24A.5(1), states that the Act does not apply to records specifically required by law to be kept confidential.  The legal opinion is therefore not a public record  under the Oklahoma Open Records Act, and it does not have to be released by the City.  Thanks.

Frances Kersey, City Clerk 

Gee, I wonder what changed?  And why?

More coming.......

Where  Do  You  Stop  Corruption?   

Tired of corrupt officials?

Do you know anyone who would say they are not?

So, the question is, how do these guys get away with it?

The answer:  We let them get away with it.

We accept their rationalizations for things they do.  We accept their explanations and denials, even when, in our GUT we know something is wrong.   We assume somehow that because someone is a "good guy" that he couldn't be corrupt.

Well, I'm not accepting this BS anymore and the American people are fed up with it too.

To the case of Mayor Mick Cornett:

Mayor Cornett said in the Sunday Oklahoman on September 13: "Ackerman McQueen is also deeply engrained into our community with a history spanning more than five decades."

That's an understatement.

And now, the MAYOR OF OKLAHOMA CITY is enmeshed with this advertising agency and their clients.

Ackerman-McQueen pays him handsomely for his involvement with their firm....we think.  He won't say how much he's making or what, if any, hours he is expected to put in.

Suppose they give him a "performance bonus?"  Will we know what the PERFORMANCE was?

Don't you think you should know why, how, and what an elected official is doing for his paycheck?

Don't we have a RIGHT????

But we don't, and we won't, presenting you the voters with a choice?

Where do you stop corruption?  When it's proven, or when there is a strong appearance of impropriety?

How many times do you have to be taken in by politicians before you say "NO MORE!" 

For me, it's NOW.  I've had enough.   

I don't care if they got 87% of the vote in their last election.

I don't care who they are connected to or what they threaten me with.

I don't care WHO IT IS, or whether they "seem" like a nice guy or not.

To that end I will continue to pound away,  regardless of the results, I will no longer sit back and watch this kind of CRAP pulled on the public and not address it.   Especially when I am as familiar with the way things operate as I am here.

You decide for yourself, but if you're not willing to draw the line here, then when?

If it were Obama, you'd expect it from me.

This is non-partisan.  I don't care WHO STINKS, I'm going to tell them they do.

Baltimore mayor's $10K is a mystery       Former Houston Mayor Indicted

Detroit's mayor indicted                          Former mayor indicted 

Gulfport mayor indicted                          Jackson Mayor Indicted

Top cop, mayor indicted                          Former Lakewood Mayor Indicted

Brownsville mayor indicted                     New Jersey mayor indicted

But please, don't worry.  It can't happen here.

He Doesn't Know...Really?  So did you hear Obama Sunday say he didn't even know ACORN got federal funds……..

Is that like he didn't know Jeremiah Wright preached racist hate?

Let's see….he worked for ACORN for 3 1/2 years…the only real job he's had……he said he moved to Chicago to get involved with ACORN…..but he had NO IDEA they got federal funds.    

He signed into law a stimulus bill that gave them millions of dollars.  What, Obama doesn't read the bills he signs?  Apparently not.

Maybe he didn't think ACORN needed Federal funds. Could that be because his campaign gave ACORN 900,000 dollars last year to WORK FOR HIS CAMPAIGN?  You know ACORN….a non-partisan, tax-exempt group.

But he doesn't know anything about it…right?   

Sort of like Mayor Mick Cornett has NO IDEA which of his employers clients at ACKERMAN MCQUEEN will benefit from his votes or his support?

Which leads me back to the latest MAPS projects being sold to you now by the Mayor, probably with an advertising campaign orchestrated by his employer, Ackerman-McQueen, I'm not sure.   I'd hire them….they're a great advertising agency…..but the Mayor should not be working for them…..not now.

Folks…it is illegal for the City of Oklahoma City to FUND one side or another of an election.   They pay for the election, but are not allowed to advocate for one side or another using City funds.

In other words, you won't see the CITY directly taking one side or the other using taxpayers dollars.   You won't see an ad supporting a MAPS vote PAID for by the city.  

Well, sort of.

You will the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce pushing it, probably through some organization called FRIENDS OF MAPS or something like that, WHICH WILL BE PAID FOR no doubt using some of the millions of dollars they receive each year from the CITY COUNCIL, and the COUNTY COMMISSIONERS to push the idea with an ad campaign.

In fact, your COUNTY COMMISSIONERS just gave a quarter of a million dollars to the CHAMBER out of the GM-TINKER BOND FUND a couple of weeks ago.

Let's talk about the Chamber's whole roll in the MAPS 3 projects.

The Chamber paid for a polling service to POLL the public on MAPS.

They tested words that would help pass it…and the number one phrase they found out the public would fall for was "ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT."

One of the phrases they tested was about "keeping the momentum" going on MAPS.  That polled at 64 percent positive.  That's why you'll hear Mayor Mick and others beat the word MOMENTUM to death.

They asked a question:  Do you feel this is the right time to MOVE FORWARD.  That polled at 62% positive. That's why you hear MICK CORNETT constantly talk about MOVING FORWARD.

Oh and the term ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, another term that tested positive…that's why MAPS is being promoted as ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, but it's hard to understand how you count a PARK as economic development….or sidewalks….or a Senior Aquatic Center.

This CHAMBER POLL also found the MOST UNPOPULAR of the MAPS projects were the NEW CONVENTION CENTER, which polled at only 37%....but reportedly told the MAYOR…if the CONVENTION CENTER was NOT in the MAPS proposal, they would not support it.

Hence….even though most people do not support it….there it is….and it is the MOST EXPENSIVE PROJECT of all the MAPS proposals.

IN fact, the Chamber's polling showed that the CONVENTION CENTER, the so called TRANSIT project, and the URBAN PARK, when people were asked if they would support JUST THOSE THREE alone, found that it would not have passed a vote of the people.

However….the most popular item according to the poll by the Chamber was SIDEWALKS…which only accounts for 10 million dollars of the 777 million dollar, 7 year tax being proposed.

The other projects that passed the test on their own were the River, the Trails and the Sr. Center, the cheapest of all of the projects, other than the sidewalks.

NOW….listen to this.

The Mayor is asking for 777 million dollars with a 7 1/2 year extension of the MAPS tax.

They are estimating that the tax will bring in 100 million dollars a year.

However….and this is important.  THE MAPS TAX has never brought in 100 million dollars a year while it's been in effect, and with sales tax collections continuing to drop, is hardly likely to make 100 million dollars a year anytime in the near future.

In the latest sales tax distribution… Oklahoma City dropped another 12.1 percent.

OK….so let's say we pass this MAPS TAX.   It's unlikely that it will ever make it's goal of 777 million dollars.

So…what happens if it doesn't?

Something is going to have to be dropped so that the cost of the projects meets the cost of the final dollar amount doesn't exceed the cost of the projects.

In other words….they may have to drop projects to save money.

So…there's a chance…that IF YOU VOTE FOR MAPS 3 because you want new sidewalks…..those sidewalks may NEVER be built.  Those Senior Centers may never be built.

We don't know…because you don't know how much the penny tax will bring in….but it's unlikely it will bring in the amount projected by the COUNCIL that the all of the projects will cost to build.

So, who will decide which projects get CUT?

The council.  

This council?  

Hardly likely.  We'll have a turnover of council in the next 7 years.  What if they don't want the RIVER PROJECT built.  It will be gone with a vote of the council.

The TRAILS, could be gone.

If they don't raise the money with the penny tax, something will have to be cut.

You get the picture?

You may vote for MAPS because you like a project…but you have NO GUARANTEE that whatever project it is will ever be built.

I will tell you this…..I can almost guarantee….that the CONVENTION CENTER, THE PARK, and the FAIRGROUNDS will NEVER be cut, even though they are the least popular projects and couldn't pass a maps vote by themselves, according to the CHAMBER POLL. 

Oh, and coincidentally……The STATE FAIR is a client of…you guessed it…..Mick Cornett's employer….Ackerman McQueen.

Oh…and here's another shocker…..THE OKC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, which receives millions in support from the CITY COUNCIL?  A client of, who could have guessed?  Ackerman McQueen, the Mayor's new employer.

The River Parks Authority…a client of…you guessed it, the Mayors new employer…Ackerman McQueen, as is the Oklahoma Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Ray Ackerman sits on the board, as does Ackerman's chairman EDMUND O. MARTIN.   Clay Bennett is also on the board…..Clay a member of the Gaylord Family by marriage, which owns THE OKLAHOMAN….which….coincidentally is….a client of Ackerman McQueen.

But the Mayor's job at Ackerman McQueen will have NO EFFECT on his thinking or voting…..right?     And Barack Obama doesn't know that ACORN gets federal funds….right?