District 4 Republican Primary: For Eric Gomez
There are two good men, Eric Gomez and Larry Self, running in the District 4 Republican primary for the opportunity to defeat incumbent Tom Baker. Baker has shown himself to be an opponent of fair treatment for homeowners, has disappointed many of his former supporters, and is vulnerable to be defeated in this district, where party labels don't matter as much as principles.
Eric Gomez is the best choice for District 4 City Councilor.
Eric is past president and a long-time board member of Renaissance Neighborhood Association. A native of Fort Worth, Eric came here at age 22 and put down roots, getting involved in many aspects of community life. He owns a small renovation and remodeling firm and is a Realtor with Keller Williams.
Eric Gomez's neighborhood involvement began with a shock a few days after closing on his house in Renaissance Neighborhood. He learned that the Tulsa Fire Department planned to build a new fire station across the street from his house, which is in the heart of the neighborhood, nowhere near an arterial street. Eric and his neighbors developed and pushed for an alternative to the Fire Department's proposal -- a location on 15th Street that would put the fire trucks on an arterial street and eliminate a neighborhood eyesore -- an auto repair shop that was effectively a graveyard for junked cars. With much persistence, they persuaded Mayor Savage to back the neighborhood's alternative.
I first met Eric in 1999, when we served together on the zoning subcommittee of the Mayor's Infill Task Force, reviewing possible reforms to the zoning code. As a Realtor, he understands the importance of new infill development (redevelopment in already existing areas), but he also knows the impact of bad zoning and bad infill on surrounding property values. In fact, he can quantify that impact.
The other candidate in the primary, Larry Self, has run for this seat before and was the Republican nominee in 1996. His main issues are police protection and the condition of Midtown's streets. I greatly admire his willingness to run against a well-financed incumbent. Larry is active in many civic groups, including the International Federation of Christian Businessmen, and after he finished second to me in the 2002 primary, he was kind enough to invite me along to their weekly luncheon and introduce me to his fellow IFCB members.
Zoning and land use planning is a critically important issue, and Eric Gomez's experience in dealing with these issues and in dealing with the City Hall bureaucracy will help him be an effective councilor from the start. His active involvement in neighborhood issues also gives him a base of support that will be needed for a successful challenge to Tom Baker, who will have the support of the city establishment and the Tulsa Whirled. For that reason, I'm supporting Eric Gomez for District 4 City Council.
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