Citizen Tay Calls for De-annexation of North Tulsa

In May, 2010, the City of Coweta deannexed some neighborhoods, because they were draining the City's ability to provide services.

The idea to de-annex North Tulsa is nothing new.  Homer Johnson, a longtime North Tulsa activist, pitched it during his lifetime.  I never knew Mr. Johnson or his efforts, until I pitched the idea myself to former Councilor Roscoe Turner and current Councilor Jack Henderson.  Great ideas never die.  They reincarnate.

The news media never tires of portraying North Tulsa as the bastion of crime, gang activity, and poverty.  Yes, there's much truth to that.  Most of South Tulsa buys into that.  News media never tires of dismissing North Tulsa views and the one lone black City Councilor as some sort of cartoonish figure.

The blunt truth is black and white.  If that is offensive to some, I don't care.

If the mostly white South Tulsa views the mostly black North Tulsa harshly, simply de-annex all land area north of Admiral, Tulsa's 38th Parallel.  The black people I've talked to are mostly unsupportive, mainly because they fear black people can't govern.  They even point to black Boley as example of failed black governance.  How sad.

White people in South Tulsa mostly complain and grouse about black people in North Tulsa as mostly welfare single moms living off Section 8.  But, they don't do anything about it.

To be sure, there's a lot of creative Section 8 financing, food stamp horse trading, and a million and one ways of making a buck most of District 9 will never know.  In a lot of ways, North Tulsa is the closest equivalent to a large third world city I know well, Rangoon, Burma, the place of my birth.

But, I truly believe the mostly black North Tulsa can govern themselves successfully.  Certainly, there's no shortage of highly intelligent black people, like Ray Pearcy, Bobby Eaton, Reuben Gant, Lester Shaw, Regina Goodwin, Rose Washington, Kristi Williams, Chris Brown, Shonda Crews, and many others. 

White South Tulsa should quit with the complaining and whining.  If elected, I intend to carry out Homer Johnson's vision, and introduce for committee discussion the City Council Resolution De-Annexing North Tulsa.