Stan Geiger

Bureaucrat Fired

The "CEO" of Tulsa's fairgrounds has been fired. Amen. I'd like to see the heads of more bureaucrats roll. Maybe more of them would start paying attention to the jobs for which they are vastly overpaid.

This firing sprang from the revelation that Big Splash, owned by Loretta Murphy, hadn't paid its 2007 rent. And that a check for half the 2006 rent hadn't been cashed. All told, Murphy owes the fairgrounds $198,000.

Gee, I thought it was Bell's that was in bad financial shape, Randi Miller.

The financial news, of course, came on the heels of a report that the big slide at Big Splash was rotten. Murphy was told that by state inspectors during the off season, and ordered to make repairs. The repairs weren't made, but the park opened for business this summer anyway.

Murphy said that was an "oversight."

Let's see, she was told her slide was rotten and posed a threat to children but fixing it, well, it just up and slipped her mind.

Oh yeah, that works.

Last summer, prior to the inspection, a section of the slide collapsed. A young girl was lucky to have escaped serious injury.

Gee, I thought it was Bell's that had safety issues, Randi Miller.

Anyway, the "CEO" has been sent packing. And rightfully so. But two issues remain. What do we do with the commissioners? And what do we do with Murphy?

Let's face it, KOTV gets credit for breaking the story. Absent questions and investigation from that media entity, no one would know about Murphy's shenanigans. So where were the commissioners when it counted?

I have long believed the Murphys were responsible for Bell's ouster. Bell's competed with Big Splash for summer entertainment dollars, and competed with the Murphy midway during the fair. We know about the sizable Murphy campaign contributions to commissioners. What we don't know is how much money has passed under the table.

To be sure, it's worth sliding a few grand to the powers that be to get rid of a competitor. And it is certainly cheaper to slide a few grand to the powers that be in order to avoid paying rent and avoid making expensive repairs to a dilapidated attraction.

Clearly, the fair board needs an enema. They should all go.

As far as Murphy goes, I'd demand payment of all that is owed immediately. If I didn't get it, I'd sue. In addition, I'd terminate the lease immediately. I would give her a year to find a buyer. If she could make that happen, I would renew the lease for a Big Splash under new, competent ownership. If she couldn't cut a deal, then I would tell her to tear the place down and get out.

Certainly, failure to pay rent provides grounds enough for lease termination. I think the apartment complex in which I live gives delinquent tenants 30 days before serving legal notice that eviction proceedings are beginning.

If not the money, then knowingly allowing kids on a dangerous attraction is surely grounds enough.

I tend to agree with what Mr. Bell, in essence, said on tonight's KOTV newscast: The fairgrounds isn't the property of a handful of goobers; it belongs to us all.

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