Most states don’t do politics like we do it here.
I haven’t heard back from a television producer yet, but I expect to.
I pitched a new reality show — “Legislators Gone Loco.” It has a subtitle, too. The complete title is “Legislators Gone Loco — and Other Oklahoma Officials Acting Badly.”
My suggestion was to film our Oklahoma legislators and officials in action and daily life.
Why leave reality TV to supermodels, cops and criminals, and people abandoned in rugged outposts when a wealth of entertainment resides in state government?
For instance, in January, Rep. Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, the former speaker of the House, explained his lapses in filing timely income taxes for two years and property taxes for six years.
He said he was too busy in the state Legislature, serving us. Hah, try the too-busy excuse next time you’re late.
Oh, and don’t forget Cargill’s friend, Rep. Gus Blackwell, R-Goodwell, who was delinquent 13 years in paying property taxes on his home.
Blackwell’s excuse: He had a misunderstanding with the county treasurer’s office.
Now that’s great reality television, and Blackwell wasn’t done. He wrote a letter complaining some people were on a search-and-destroy mission to get rid of honorable legislators like him.
This is great stuff — better than dumb crooks, well, maybe not quite as good, but close, and hey, we have our crooks, too.
Former state Sen. Gene Stipe, while on probation for making illegal campaign contributions, was accused of doing it again. More than 80 years old and in poor health, a federal court ruled he was mentally incompetent, but Stipe and his attorney maintained he’s competent.
Sure, he’s competent. Before his conviction in 2003, he was in court three times, defending himself against tax evasion charges and two fraud charges. I’d say he has shown great competency in what he has done during his 53-year political career.
Oh, then this is the best.
State Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields apologized last month for a practical joke. The public doesn’t know exactly what the prank was about — that’s why we need reality TV to follow our politicians — but Fields, apparently after some drinking, tried to leave a bull riding event in Oklahoma City with a bull rider’s guitar.
This is precious, and really, it could only happen in Oklahoma — a state official dashing out of a rodeo with a guitar that doesn’t belong to him, to be apprehended by the bull rider's friends, to be taken to the county detox center, and yes, to not have any charges filed against him.
Most states don’t do politics like we do it here.
We shouldn’t keep this wonderful stuff to ourselves. We should share it with the country.
We need to share one other thing, too — our state Ethics Commission.
Yes, we have one. Guess where? In the basement of the Capitol, in a little room with only seven employees, one investigator, and all these rowdy officials to watch over.
Each year, the office goes to the Legislature for more money, but the commission’s operating budget is half what it was five years ago. The commission’s entire budget this fiscal year is only $517,000, in a state with a $7 billion budget.
Commissioner John Raley told me the office was severely understaffed and underfunded.
“We have a backlog of cases because we have limited resources when it comes to investigations,” Raley said. “Sometimes it takes months to respond to allegations that are made.”
Rep. Lucky Lamons, D-Tulsa, put a bill before a House committee to adequately fund the Ethics Commission. Raley said a majority opposed it. He said one legislator called it a “political stunt.”
I expect to hear from the reality show producer any day.
Reach Gerard at 684-2920 or dgerard@muskogeephoenix.com.
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