Cindy Rosenthal & Fiscal Responsibility

I listened to the first mayoral debate last week, and a few things stood out at me... One of the most striking was the fear-mongering around "outrageous spending."

One of the major tactics of the Ezzell campaign has been to claim that spending is completely out of control. The way this seems to work is to add up all of the money set to be spent on anything over the next 30 years until you get an outrageous sum. Most of the numbers provided aren't increases at all. And, almost all of the things that Ezzell has pointed to as unnecessary are things he voted for.

My mom has made financial responsibility a priority - under her leadership the city's bond rating has improved. Norman has also managed its budget shortfall very effectively compared to other towns and cities nationwide. Smart cuts have been made - ones that don't jeopardize Norman's future growth. You can't just stop paying for clean water during an economic downturn--that's the kind of thing that ends up costing more in the long run. If you compare Norman to Tulsa & OKC (both cities have had lay-offs to cover their budgets), our record is impressive!

One last note about the debate. Hal Ezzell keeps throwing out the accusation that the city is hiring expensive consultants for no good reason. But if you listened closely to the debate, Ezzell cited consultants' reports in his comments about the various issues. Consultants can provide good information--you just have to use them sparingly and responsibly!

First outrage

Someone has started a fake twitter account slandering my mom: http://twitter.com/sindyrosenthal

Perhaps the posts intend to be parody, but the twitter definitely doesn't identify them as such. Perhaps more amazing, I am shocked that someone has the time to make up twits like this every hour or so.

Here's a screen shot of the latest:

Amazing! If anyone making these accusations actually bothered to consult her voting record, they might discover that she has voted against the university's interests many times... and that when she has supported the university it has been from a consensus position.

UPDATE - Feb 26: Wow, this twitter has gotten really nasty. I'm blown away that anyone could think this tactic was effective. Anyone who actually reads all of the posts won't believe any of them!

About me!

Hi, my name is Catie Rosenthal. I grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and consider myself a proud native despite having been away for a few years. Right now, I'm away in Boston, MA, where I'm getting a PhD in economic history and working on a dissertation on the evolution of accounting and numerical record keeping during the industrial revolution. Before coming up here, I was a consultant with McKinsey & Company where I specialized in consulting for non-profits (but also worked for lots of businesses!).

I'm starting this blog in support of Cindy Rosenthal--my mom!! She has been mayor of Norman for the last three years, and before that she served on city council. Before that, she was a tireless volunteer, and she still is a great mom. She's also a professor at OU. Over the past three years, I have watched her work incredibly hard. She's the kind of politician who isn't political. She listens to everyone and tries to find a solutions that work for everyone--she stands up for her principles, but also recognizes that others have different priorities.

The election is only a few weeks away, and even thought I can't be in Norman, I had to do something. The election has gotten so dirty: every day when I call home, there are new lies and rumors... none of them true!