The current row about the Tulsa county jail and what it will cost the City of Tulsa for inmates housed therein is ridiculous in the extreme. Clearly adult supervision is needed on both sides. Without being on the inside, or having a good news source that is capable of reporting rather than reprinting press releases, we can’t really know how what should be a routine matter has become a public pissing match.

Both City and County officials, whether elected or staff have a fiduciary duty to the people they supposedly serve, rather than their respective entities. They may well argue that they best serve that duty by standing up for their entity, but most taxpayers would disagree. Although I feel sure there is plenty of blame to go around, other recent events seem to make it clear that a fresh start is needed at the helm of Tulsa County. We have got to get these so-called leaders to stop playing “how can I increase my budget” without regard for where the monies come from.

This is yet another example of why Tulsa needs a different form of county government.