Lesser of two lessers

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Secondary candidates underwhelm

By World's Editorial Writers
Published: 10/10/2010 2:18 AM
Last Modified: 10/11/2010 2:27 PM

As a group, the candidates for secondary state offices this year are underwhelming.

In one race we frankly can't find a candidate worth supporting. In three other races, we find ourselves resorting to the lesser of two lessers.

For both Democrats and Republicans the strongest candidates for secondary office are in the lieutenant governor's race.

Two state senators - Republican Todd Lamb of Edmond and Democrat Kenneth Corn of Poteau - face independent Richard Prawdzienski.

Lamb is gregarious and personable, and would make a strong representative to the state in economic development and tourism efforts, major assignments for the lieutenant governor.

His experience as a legislative leader during tough times makes him a reliable governor-in-waiting, and we can endorse him with confidence that he will be an effective representative of our state.

State Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage, a Democrat, is qualified and honest. He has faced unfair criticism during the troubled aftermath of the audit of the Broken Arrow Public Schools. Burrage started the effort again after troubles were uncovered in the process. His behavior in the Broken Arrow case has been ethical and appropriate, despite the messiness of the situation.

More distinguished and more typical of what his office can do is seen in the audit of the Skiatook schools, where important revelations by the auditor's office led to a grand jury investigation.

Burrage,

a CPA and formerly a bank president, is opposed by former Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones, whose political resume is mostly made up of failed races for this office. Jones is an earnest man, but not particularly qualified for the job. We endorse Burrage.

Similarly, in the race for state treasurer, state Rep. Ken Miller, R-Edmond, is clearly more qualified than his Democratic opponent, Stephen Colvert of Midwest City.

Miller holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Oklahoma and teaches economics at Oklahoma Christian University. He has worked in private-sector banking and corporate finance.

He is a thinking conservative who will guide the state treasurer's office with prudence. His style and manner remind us of incumbent Scott Meacham, who did a good job in office but who is not seeking another term.

We are less enthusiastic about Republican Mark Costello, but recognize that he is the best available candidate for state labor commissioner. Costello seems to want to fight fights that are only tangentially related to the office he is running for, but faced with the alternative of four more years of Lloyd Fields - a walking, talking public embarrassment to the state - Costello is an easy choice.

Fields is probably best remembered for an incident in 2008 when he ended up in a detox center after he allegedly tried to take a rodeo cowboy's guitar. He said it was a practical joke, but it's not the first time everyone's ended up laughing about Fields. The joke is on Oklahoma if we return him to public office.

A similar logic leads us to endorse Democrat Jim Priest to be attorney general. Priest is less than ideal, but in contrast to Republican Scott Pruitt the choice is obvious. Priest has far more legal experience.

We have no confidence that Pruitt will pursue the water quality issues that are key to the state's future and his plans to dedicate some of the attorney general's already-too-small corps of lawyers to "federalism" issues is the equivalent of a governmental snipe hunt.

In the race to be the next state superintendent of education, Democrat state Sen. Susan Paddack of Ada also is the best alternative, if not the ideal candidate. We would have preferred that Paddack had taken a strong stand against the ill-conceived State Question 744, which would mandate higher state spending on public schools, but would also strip every other state spending priority to the bone and possibly lead to higher taxes.

Instead, Paddack has remained neutral on the question, which is hardly the kind of leadership we expect in this office, but the alternative candidate, Republican Janet Barresi has no legitimate qualification to hold this office.

Barresi is a dentist and a highly motivated person, but that doesn't qualify her to be the state's top education officer. She helped found two charter schools, but that is modest if any preparation for the level of education policymaking that the office requires. Independent Richard Cooper is also unqualified.

By contrast, Paddack has written education legislation and worked on the details of education budgets. She is prepared for the job and deserves the state's support.

We endorse Paddack and hope she will show stronger leadership in the future than she has on SQ 744.

Sadly, in the race for state insurance commissioner we can find nothing about either candidate to be enthusiastic about. Both are disappointments, and we can make no endorsement.

By World's Editorial Writers

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KJNOKIE, TULSA (last week)

It is good that your choices included democrats and republicans. That is the way people should vote. Think. Don't just follow party slate.

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msbobbie, Poteau (last week)

? interesting TW made no mention of Kenneth Corn, other than his name as a candidate for Lt. Governor. I am pleased with the endorsement of Senator Lamb

Gary Jones is also a CPA and I believe he has earned this job. It was his efforts that exposed the Gene Stipe scandal, got McMahon thrown in jail, and his efforts that got A.C.O.R.N. kicked out of OKC in 2008. He is well known and respected in conservative circles all across the state.

Keeping the political climate in mind, and the temperature of voters, I believe Scott Pruitt-R and Constitutional Law attorney has an advantage over Jim Priest-D, especially against an over reaching U.S. Congress on States Rights issues. Some believe Scott should have run for the AG office in 2006 instead of Lt. Governor.

Janet Barresi has an extensive volunteer resume in the public schools, and it was her leadership that got Charter Schools approved in Oklahoma. I believe she does have the “experience”, where most of Ms Paddock’s experience seems to have been a university bureaucrat.

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Branny, (last week)

I applaud the Tulsa World for their bipartisan approach of looking at credentials instead of party affiliation.

I beg to differ with the editor regarding Lloyd Fields. His personal antics aside, he has returned the labor commission to the people. He actually comes to work unlike his predecessor and has lowered the number of safety incidents in the state with his leadership. He has also been invited by the Taiwanese government to be their guest there and talk about his success in implementing agency rules to govern child labor. Only 13 other state labor commissioners have been invited. That indicates to me that he is respected by his peers and his leadership has made a difference. Like the Tulsa World, I hope his personal time is filled with more decorum but we pay him for what he does at the Lobor Commission not after hours.

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TRiggs, Poteau (last week)

It is obvious that msbobbie doesn't know anything about public education. As for Kenneth Corn, he has the experience, drive and compassion to deal with any situation the GOP puts him in. If the GOP gets total control of this backward state, even Arkansas and Mississippi will look good compared to us. Lord, help us!

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NowWeKnow, (last week)

TRiggs,

You jump msbobbie when she made perfect sense of things and explained what was left out of the editorial. Then you go on to say this backward state will be worse with the GOP, but fail to mention we are a backward state because of 100 years of democrat corruption in every position of state government.

As an independant, I intend to throw every democrat who stands for the status quo under the bus, especially where eduction is concerned. Your group has failed us in every way and put us at the bottom of every list, then you have the gall to point elsewhere.

Your right on one thing though, you better pray the tragic harm done to Oklahoma is not permanent.

And thank you msbobbie for laying out sensibly good reasoning.

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msbobbie, Poteau (last week)

Thank you for your support NowWeKnow. I agree it is the 100 years of Democratic control that has us in the shape we are in.

The theme of the 2007 State Republican Convention was "OKLAHOMA IS ON THE MOVE!" I don't know what they will come up with next year, but I am sure it will be good with Matt Pinnell at the helm.

In 2008 Oklahoma voters put Republicans in a solid majority in the State Legislature. In the 2009 and 2010 sessions (Democrat) Governor Henry vetoed more than 50 of the bills passed in the Legislature. Who knows where we might be if Henry had respected the will of the people.

Now it appears Republicans will pick up even more seats in the Legislature and put one in the Governor's chair. I will ask only that the minority work with the Republican Legislature and not play those childish obstructionist games. Let's see how far we can go FORWARD.

TRiggs is obviously a Kenneth Corn fan and the whole post is nothing but an OPINION.

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clucky, Heavener (last week)

Kenneth Corn has proven his ability to be a leader time after time, and he is a winner on all accounts. He is a small town young man and has taken the leadership roll very seriously, and in SE OKlahoma, we are all very proud of him and are supporting him for Lt. Gov.

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Okie1948, Tulsa (2 days ago)

Fallin, Lamb, Jones, Pruitt, Miller, Barresi, Costello and Doak plus Coburn, Sullivan and Dr. Charles Thompson in the 2nd congressional district are the best choices. Republicans all and a very strong slate of candidates especially compared to the list of crooks and ne'er-do-wells with a "D" after their names! Republicans will trounce Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections. They have the momentum for a landslide.

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