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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";
color:blue'>fyi<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
color:#002FD7'><a href="http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recID=98730">http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recID=98730</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Opinion</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Roth:
Is Oklahoma City a city in transition?</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>May
18, 2009</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Kudos
seems in order for the city of Oklahoma Citys recent push to focus on issues of
sustainability and smarter urban planning.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Jim
Couch, city manager, and Russell Claus, planning director, have demonstrated an
interest and focus that deserve our thanks. Couch is pushing for the creation
of an Office of Sustainability that will focus on smarter energy analysis of
public buildings, which will in turn lower costs of operation for these
taxpayer-funded facilities. We should like these savings.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Claus
is deeply engaged in planning, zoning and code issues that prove we are all
better off with a development that appreciates appropriate density, instead of
urban sprawl, which would cost us all too much to build, maintain and sustain.
We should like this idea too.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>This
progressive thinking hasnt always been the case for Oklahomas largest city. In
fact, legend has it that former Planning Director Garner Stoll was run out of
town in recent years because of his professional opinions about smarter growth
and efforts to stop the sprawl.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>More
recently, some of the citys elected leadership has even questioned the
existence of climate change and seemed obstinate about taking steps to
safeguard taxpayer costs in this $1 billion public enterprise. Politics aside,
good public stewards take steps to limit costs and risks for those they serve.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Changing
wont be easy and it wont happen overnight, but steps to create a sustainable
city could methodically and permanently undo the harm caused by a past century
of unbridled expansion.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>As
a former county commissioner, I can tell you that the last mile of any road is
always the most expensive, because it serves the least amount of citizens.
Public improvements and investments should be precipitated by need and greatest
impact, not merely outward growth for the sake of growth.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Couch
and Claus are working to transition Oklahoma City to this higher ideal, and
taxpayers will be better served because of it.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Along
their way, we should engage with them, and I hope they will continue to seek
public engagement to achieve lasting change.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>The
city has a strong ally in a community-based group called Transition Town OKC,
an initiative launched by Sustainable OKC.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>These
well-intended citizens are working to create a localized, community approach to
meeting the energy challenges of our time and beyond. Transition Town OKC is
the 27th such transition community in America. These efforts are spreading
across the country as citizens begin to realize we have the power to
collaborate and cooperatively plan for the future with less energy.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>According
to Transition Towns principles, there are two overriding characteristics for
success:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Transition
initiatives are nonpartisan, seeking to include all members of society in the
collaborative development of community resilience.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Transition
is not a spiritual movement. It is a grass-roots, community-led response to
peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. It is interested in
unleashing our collective genius in whatever ways that emerge within the
community.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>To
learn more, please check out <a href="http://www.goinglocalokc.com/"><span
style='color:#002FD7'>www.goinglocalokc.com</span></a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Oklahomans
should like the local control that such an initiative contemplates. These arent
ideas forced upon us by outsiders. Instead, its about localized solutions to
improve and enhance the cost and quality of life for our local communities.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>These
re-localization efforts (food supply, energy options, transit opportunities,
etc.) are designed to result in a life that is more fulfilling, more socially
connected and more equitable than the one we have today.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Its
not the sole responsibility of City Hall or of citizens alone. It takes both to
bring about real lasting, common-sense change.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Its
great to know that citizen groups like Transition Town OKC and Sustainable OKC,
along with public leaders like Couch and Claus, are all working to build
smarter, sustainable, more affordable communities for tomorrow and beyond.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>The
future requires all of us to do what we can, collectively and individually.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Jim
Roth, a former Oklahoma corporation commissioner, is an attorney with Phillips
Murrah P.C. in Oklahoma City, where his practice focuses on clean, green energy
for Oklahoma.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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