Online Poll: 86% Say Legislators To Blame

The McCarville Report Online's poll (on the right) thus far has resulted in 86 percent saying they believe Oklahoma legislators are to blame for the current tax scandal, not the news media.

Rep. Don Armes, Faxon Republican, blamed the "liberal media" after it was revealed he's been repeatedly tardy in filing his personal taxes.

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World: Headless House To Convene

By Mick Hinton In The Sunday Tulsa World ~ In a history-making session, the body of the House of Representatives will convene Monday without a head.

"It's the craziest thing I ever heard in my life," said Larry Ferguson, a former lawmaker who served for 20 legislative sessions, including eight as the leader of Republicans who were in the House minority.

By Monday's end, however, a new speaker will emerge as the fractured House strives to convince the Senate, the governor and the public that it is ready to do business.

After two top leaders bowed out last week because of embarrassing tax problems, the public is watching, said University of Oklahoma political science professor Keith Gaddie. Residents are alarmed that their leaders have not been paying taxes on time, like they have to, he said.

Read much more at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080203_1_A13_hThef86887.

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Online Poll: Who's Responsible For The Taxes-Paid-Late Scandal In The Oklahoma Legislature?

Rep. Don Armes, Faxon Republican, says it is the "liberal media" that's out to get Republicans. House Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell apparently agrees with him, even though Democrats have been revealed as late-payers as well.

What do you think? Go to the right and vote in The McCarville Report Online's new poll.

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For Democrats, An Opportunity Lost

Oklahoma Democrats apparently have lost a golden opportunity to capitalize on the tax scandal that has shaken Republican leadership in the House as Democrats try to regain seats there and face a determined effort by the GOP to take control of the Senate this election year.

Were the skirts of House and Senate Democrats clean in the tax scandal, they could campaign this fall on the issue of "Republicans don't pay their taxes on time."

But their skirts aren't clean and any political spin they might long for seems out of reach. In the House, one of the worst offenders in failing to file personal income tax returns is leadership member Jabar Shumate of Tulsa, an assistant minority floor leader, and while Republican Speaker Lance Cargill resigned his leadership position because he hadn't paid taxes on time, and Republican Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell withdrew from the speaker's race for the same reason, Shumate remains a House Democrat leader.

Other Democrat House leaders with late-to-file tax problems include Ryan McMullen of Burns Flat, who heads the Democratic Caucus' 2008 campaign operation, and Richard Morrissette of Oklahoma City, darling of the uber-liberal side of the party.

On the Senate side, leadership member Connie Johnson of Oklahoma City was among late income tax filers.

On the House side, one Democrat questions how effective McMullen can be as head of the effort to defeat Republicans when he's among the late tax filers himself: "How credible can he be?" he asked.

A crestfallen Republican consultant said, "It's been a tough week. I'm afraid all we've seen will just have voters disgusted with all of them (legislators)...but thank God it wasn't just Republicans."

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Any Wonder Why Legislators Held In Low Esteem?

Rep. Gus Blackwell, Goodwell Republican, one of those who failed to file property tax returns on time: "If the qualification for office is that your property taxes are paid on time, then we're going to have sad leadership in the state."

Rep. Don Armes, Faxon Republican, one of those who failed to file personal income tax returns on time: "We are all under the microscope, and the media will stop at nothing to tear us apart." The "liberal media," he added, "hate everything we represent."

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Armes: 'They hate everything we represent'

By Nolan Clay, Staff Writer, The Oklahoman ~ A legislator blames "the liberal media” for the negative publicity about lawmakers' tax problems, writing to fellow House Republicans "they hate everything we represent.”

Republican Representative Claims 'Liberal' News Media 'hate the fact that we control the House'

Rep. Don Armes called the media the enemy and wrote "they absolutely hate the fact that we control the House.”

Armes, of Faxon, was one of five legislators who got warnings last month from the Tax Commission for failing to file state income tax returns.

The Oklahoman on Jan. 20 reported on the warnings.

Armes acknowledged in the letter he should have done a better job of tending to his personal business. He wrote the letter before House Speaker Lance Cargill stepped down from the leadership post. Armes declined comment Friday.

"We are all under the microscope, and the media will stop at nothing to tear us apart,” Armes wrote. "They want us and our leader. Plug in any name or face you want into that speaker's chair. The attacks are not going to stop.”

Armes urged House Republicans to "saddle up,” put aside their differences and fight to keep control of the House. He wrote Republicans had started to make changes in the state and should keep building.
"We have to put our egos aside and fight like crazy to make sure the bigger goal is realized,” Armes wrote. "We are all elected officials, rock stars, big dogs, whatever. Oh, and I almost forgot, we are all going to be Governor.”

Another legislator affected by the tax scandal also had complaints. Rep. Gus Blackwell, R-Goodwell, withdrew from the speaker's race Thursday because he was repeatedly delinquent in paying his property taxes.

Blackwell on Friday criticized the "Pharisees” in the House who claim there has to be a higher standard of conduct for elected officials.

He told K101-FM, a Woodward country radio station: "We have in the House, quite frankly, people who have marital problems, people who've had drinking problems, people who have drug problems, people who are openly homosexual, people who have all sorts of problems. And they represent the cross section of the voters who put them there. ... If the qualification for office is that your property taxes are paid on time, then we're going to have sad leadership in the state.”

Blackwell also said, "I have done nothing ethically wrong, morally wrong or legally wrong.”

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Splintered House Republicans Try To Regroup

House Republicans, shattered by the resignation of Lance Cargill as speaker and the withdrawal of Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell as the leading candidate to replace Cargill, are dealing today with factional infighting and a clear leader for speaker has yet to emerge.

"We're splintered like never before," said one exasperated senior House Republican. "I think (Chris) Benge probably has the lead (in the speaker's race) but there's some resistance to him."

Benge's name emerged after Blackwell withdrew. Others in the race are Dale DeWitt, Susan Winchester and John Wright.

This week's relevations that both Cargill and Blackwell were late in paying taxes came just as Republicans were planning their aggressive agenda for the 2008 Legislature.

A Republican caucus is scheduled to elect a speaker-designate on Monday morning and the entire House will then elect a speaker later in the day.

Democrats hope the splintering among Republicans will, by some miracle, result in the election of Minority Leader Danny Morgan as speaker.

"When hell freezes over," declared a Republican leader. "That's a pipe dream."

The GOP Caucus also may have to elect a new speaker pro tem. Blackwell is under pressure by some to resign that leadership post by those who believe a clean GOP leadership slate is needed.

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Two Legislators Rush To Pay Late Property Taxes

By Mick Hinton and Curtis Killman In The Tulsa World ~ Two state legislators rushed to county treasurer's offices Thursday to pay their property taxes after being asked why they were delinquent on their 2007 assessments.

Rep. Judy Eason McIntyre, D-Tulsa, missed a Dec. 31 deadline to pay at least half of the $397 in property taxes due on her home, records show. She described the missed payment as an "honest oversight."

"I'm stunned," McIntyre said Thursday afternoon in a telephone interview from her home. "I could have sworn I paid that."

Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City, said he had paid taxes on his home and a rental property on time but conceded that he has been late four years in a row on a second rental property.

Read the World's article at www.tulsaworld.com, state news section.

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