For as long as there have been ballots, there have been men and women willing to lie, slander, steal and just about anything else in the hopes of getting your vote.
The City of Lawton is discussing the creation of a TIF district with the expressed goals of saving 160 non-retail, high-paying jobs and making the industrial park “shovel ready.” The plan, based on established case and statutory law, does not require a vote of the people. It would not raise taxes or create a hardship on any one entity. It would allow for a government entity, in this case the City of Lawton, to set aside future tax revenues for investment.
While the City of Lawton has been forthcoming throughout the entire process with public meetings, detailed plans and PowerPoints galore, some have taken to social media with misinformation, lies and accusations of cronyism and corruption in the hopes of creating a frenzy.
The wheels, quite simply, have come off the track. While national politics is traditionally a no-holds-barred, blood-soaked battle, accusations in local races tend to be milder, often a silent war of signs, buttons and shirts. For those with a true disdain for integrity, a misguided mailer seems to be about all the negativity that the public will put up with. After all, at end of the day we are sure to see each other at the diner or Wal-Mart.
Yet, this TIF district seems to have brought out the worst in us. Superintendent Chad Hance took the stage in Cache last week, in one of the nicest school auditoriums in southwest Oklahoma, to proclaim that, “TIFs are a vehicle for cronyism.” He interjected his own speech telling the audience that he is not making any accusations against the mayor but then reiterated that “TIFs are a vehicle for cronyism.”
Not once did Mr. Hance speak about his experience with school bonds, the bidding process that all government contracts go through or any of the safeguards that are in place to protect the public. Surely Mr. Hance understands the process and the fact that a TIF district is no more susceptible to abuse and fraud than a school bond.
Since that meeting, various groups on social media have run amok with wild, unsubstantiated accusations of abuse, corruption and fraud. I made the dreadful mistake of commenting on a post detailing how the money was “dark money” with no accountability, explaining that the law requires “annual financial report.” Over and over, many people posted that no such report, no such law exists.
The law does exist and is printed below, but if you still doubt it, look up the statute: Title 62, Section 867. Every dollar collected on this TIF would be earmarked for this project and could not be diverted. And while the negotiations with potential prospects will be shielded from the public spotlight, the monies allocated for various projects will be voted on in open session of the city council. (No business or government would negotiate in public. If things don’t work out, you want a clear, no-fault split. That is Business 101.)
It is easy to cry foul and shout abuse, corruption and fraud from the rooftops. It is easy to sit behind a keyboard and speak of cronyism, but merely stating it doesn’t make it true. Too many among us are quick to tear each other down without a shred of proof. I have been in the news business for awhile and I have met more journalists than I can count. While we all have a different reason for choosing our field, I suspect that nearly all of us would give our right eye to uncover a “great” government corruption story. I have researched more “corrupt Lawton” leads and come up with nothing.
Is it too much to ask that those who make the accusations provide at least a minimal amount of proof?