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Local and state business leaders on Monday defended the Research Institute for Economic Development's low scoring of Democrat mayoral candidate Tom Adelson's Oklahoma senate voting record.

The 2009 RIED Report rated Adelson a minus 4 of a possible 100.

RIED Chairman Larry Nichols, Devon Energy Corp. chairman, said it is the only statewide organization that objectively evaluates state legislators on how they vote on business, job and economic growth issues.

"The truth of that voting record helps us determine whether candidates for office really support creating jobs and growing our economy or just pretend," Nichols said in a press release circulated by Adelson's Republican opponent, Dewey Bartlett Jr.

Bartlett cited Adelson's low RIED rating last month on the day the two both revealed their economic development plans.

Adelson at the time said he doesn't place much stock in the RIED report and reiterated that Monday.

"Every Senate Democrat received an 'F' from the RIED report, and I put no credence whatsoever in the organization," he said.

"I received the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, which is widely known at the 'voice of small business' and includes over 3,000 small Oklahoma businesses."

Several local-based RIED officials also took up for the report, including Paula Marshall, the Bama Cos. chairwoman; Hans Helmerich, Helmerich & Payne president; and Larry Mocha, Air Power Systems president. All are registered Republicans, along with Nichols.

"Tom (Adelson) can't defend his voting record, so he chose to try and attack the integrity and credibility of this well-respected institution," Marshall said in the Bartlett-circulated press release.

Helmerich added in the release, "Voters are understandably tired of politicians that promise jobs on TV but actually vote in a manner that leads to fewer jobs in the real world."

Oklahoma Senate Democratic Leader Charlie Laster has sharply criticized the RIED Report, saying it is put together by Republican activists who give hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican House and Senate members.

Laster also said the organization will not release the specific criteria by which they score legislators.

"They refuse to disclose their secret and subjective formula for their ratings so that their true Republican agenda will not be exposed," he said.

Adelson, Bartlett and independents Mark Perkins and Lawrence Kirkpatrick will appear on the Nov. 10 general election ballot.

Brian Barber 581-8322

Originally published by BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer.

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