Perry lashes out at Monson, Taylor

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), May 23, 2000 by Marie Price The Journal Record

Oklahoma City publisher Russell Perry, whose nomination as commerce secretary is being blocked by Sen. Angela Monson, D- Oklahoma City, said Monday that he is the object of racism, but not from Monson.

Monson has objected to having both a secretary and a director of commerce, calling the situation bad management. She said later that she has some indication that Perry has been more active in the agency's management than is warranted by his job title.

Both Monson and Perry are black. Monson chairs the Senate Finance Committee, to which Perry's nomination was assigned last week. Normally, the commerce secretary post goes through the Senate Economic Development Committee.

"The culprit in this whole bit is not Angela Monson," Perry said. "It's Stratton Taylor."

Taylor is Senate president pro tempore.

"He's the racist," Perry said. "He has used a black female to do his dirty work."

Both Monson and Taylor reacted angrily to Perry's remark, Monson saying that it harks back to the time of slavery and is insulting to African-American women and their abilities.

Perry also accused Taylor of wielding his leadership authority inappropriately and blocking economic progress in Oklahoma.

"Are they afraid of Stratton Taylor?" he said of the Senate. "Are they scared of him?"

Perry also cited a 1999 report from the Research Institute for Economic Development, in Edmond, which ranked the members of Oklahoma's Legislative Black Caucus at or near the bottom in votes for economic development issues. The report gives Rep. Kevin Cox, D- Oklahoma City, a 33 percent score; Rep. Don Ross, D-Tulsa, 26 percent; Rep. Opio Toure, D-Oklahoma City, 27 percent; Sen. Maxine Horner, D-Tulsa, 45 percent and Monson, 21 percent.

Senate Minority Floor Leader Mark Snyder, R-Edmond, in whose district Perry lives and who would move Perry nomination in committee and on the Senate floor, said that there are enough votes in the Senate to confirm Perry.

Snyder said that the commerce secretary's nomination has traditionally been assigned to the Senate Economic Development Committee. The nomination of commerce Director Ron Bussert was assigned to that panel and approved by it last week.

"One person shouldn't be able to block this nomination," said Snyder. "We're not getting a hearing and Mr. Perry deserves one."

Snyder accused Taylor of taking advantage of personal animosity that Monson feels for Perry.

"It's not the norm," said Snyder. "It's just not the way things are done in the Senate."

Perry, who has held the secretary's post since last June on an unconfirmed basis at an annual salary of $40,000, said that he will work for free, if dual salary for the two posts is the problem.

Monson later said that management of the commerce department, not salary, is the issue.

Perry said that the commerce secretary oversees 23 agencies and 18 boards, not just the commerce department. He said that he has been working 60 to 70 hours per week in this part-time post.

Keating said that Perry is a symbol of the "Joseph's cloak" of leadership in the state, a gifted advocate whose job is to represent business as he travels across the state. He said that it is the director's job to deal with the day-to-day, internal function of the agency.

"It's very important that he be confirmed," Keating said.

Keating said that it was his choice to bifurcate the commerce positions, to have a full-time director to run the agency and a company CEO to act as secretary and represent business.

"CEOs listen to other CEOs," the governor said. "I think it works very well."

Keating has actually had both separate, unpaid secretaries, such as Ron Rosenfeld, and had one individual serve in both posts, Howard Barnett, whom Perry was intended to replace. Barnett is now Keating chief of staff.

On his part, Perry termed Keating "no doubt the most decent, respected person I've ever had the opportunity to work with, whether or not I spend another day with this administration."

"This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to give something back," Perry added, noting his beginnings as a poor, black, urban child in Oklahoma.

"I worked my way up through the private sector," he said. "Only in America, only in Oklahoma."

The publisher said that he was reluctant to take the position.

"I knew that I'd be subject to political shenanigans," Perry said.

Perry was asked how Taylor is racist.

"The most subtle form of racism is passing the buck," he replied. "Everybody seems to be afraid of Stratton Taylor. He has a black female doing his dirty work."

As she stated last week, Monson said she was most offended by this type of remark from Perry. She said that she herself asked that the position's committee assignment be changed, due to her concerns about dual management.

Perry discounted this statement by Monson, questioning why the reassignment was made just last week.

Keating agreed.

"No one said anything about this move to me until last week," he said.

Both Keating and Perry have said that the publisher's conservative, Republican political philosophy, often expressed in editorials against black lawmakers, is the real issue.