Grady County Commissioner admits he discriminates against Democrats…

We found another reason why it sucks to be a Democrat in Oklahoma – you’ll be openly discriminated against by your county government!

Thanks to a tip via the Ogle Mole Network, we’ve learned that Kirk Painter – a good ole’ boy Republican Grady County Commissioner – will ignore various citizen requests submitted by registered Democrats.

We know this because Kirk admitted to the discriminatory behavior that denies certain citizens equal rights under the law due to their political beliefs in a County Commissioners meeting on March 3rd, 2024.

While Kirk and the other two commissioners – Zachary Davis and Gary Bray – were motioning and signing permits and orders regarding speed limit changes, pipeline installations and other mundane county affairs, Painter looked around the room and said the words that every member of the press loves to hear in a recorded open meeting – ”I can say this with the newspaper people gone now…”

Then, instead of talking about where to bury journalists or what goes down at Mud Creek, Painter casually stated, to the giggles of his colleagues, that as long as someone is a Democrat, he won’t “worry about” certain requests because they’re all – malapropism alert – “self-deserving,” and that it’s “all for them” and “not for anyone else.”

You can hear his full discriminatory beliefs that make warped, sweeping judgments about constituents based on their political affiliation in the entire recording below:

Yep. No big deal. We just have an elected official saying he pre-judges and treats some constituents differently based on what letter is by their name.

First of all, if this guy is going to discriminate and hold stereotypical views on people based on their political affiliation, I wonder what effect someone’s race, gender, or sexuality has on him?

When he shares those views, I bet he looks around to make sure women or minorities have left the room, too.

Second, make whatever sweepingly negative generalization you want about Democrats, but at least they’re smart enough to know the difference between “self-serving” and “self-deserving!”

Also, since when did Democrats become the “self-serving” ones?

I say this as a registered Independent voter, but the most annoying thing about Democrats is they want everybody to sacrifice for their interpretation of the common moral good, while Republicans just want to be left alone to do what’s good for themselves. This guy’s such a numbskull rube that he can’t even get his words or stereotypes right.

Anyway, I guess the big questions here are:

1. Which Grady County residents have had legitimate requests ignored or denied based solely on their political affiliation?

2. If they have, does this open up Grady County to some sort of litigation?

I don’t have time or resources to look into Question 1 on my own, but if you live in Grady County and had a request ignored by Commissioner Painter, hit us up on the TLO Tip Line.

I asked Chat GPT to answer question two in a paragraph based on federal and Oklahoma laws and this is what it said:

Regarding question two, based on federal and Oklahoma laws, if Grady County residents have had legitimate requests ignored or denied based solely on their political affiliation, this behavior could indeed open up Grady County to potential litigation. Discrimination based on political affiliation, when it affects one's access to services or benefits that should be rendered impartially by government officials, may violate constitutional principles, specifically the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This clause requires state and local governments to treat individuals equally under the law.

Additionally, Oklahoma state law, mirroring federal protections, mandates equal treatment and non-discrimination by public officials in the conduct of their official duties. Victims of such discriminatory practices may have grounds to file lawsuits claiming violations of their civil rights. These legal actions could compel Grady County to not only address the specific grievances but also to implement measures preventing future discrimination. Legal outcomes could include both injunctive relief, such as ordering the county to process requests without regard to political affiliation, and possibly monetary damages for those adversely affected.

Wow. That’s fancy!

I also asked Chat GPT to answer the question in the tone and style of a simpleton rural republican politician whose worldviews are grounded in stereotypes and negative tropes and who doesn’t know the difference between “self-serving” and “self-deserving”.

This is what it wrote:

Well, butter my biscuit and call me a biscuit, if it ain't a question about our own backyard, Grady County, gettin' tangled up in a pickle over some folks feelin' left out 'cause of their voting card color. Now, as I tip my hat and scratch my head, let me lay it out plain: if them Democrats are hollerin' that their requests are gettin' as lost as a goose in a snowstorm, just 'cause of the side they cheer for, that's a real noggin scratcher. But, let's chew the fat here – if them law-talkin' types reckon there's a case for stirrin' the legal pot, well, we might just see a courtroom hoedown quicker than you can say "mayonnaise on cornbread." Ain't no secret I mix up my words like a salad in a blender, but in my book, it's all about shakin' hands and plantin' seeds, even if we sometimes water the weeds instead of the flowers.

Mayonnaise on cornbread? Things are going to get really weird when the A.I. bots take over, huh?

Anyway, I guess if you’re a Grady County Democrat and have had your requests ignored, you should probably contact a civil rights lawyer.

If you’re a Grady County Republican – or member of the State GOP – you should probably call Kirk and yell at him for saying the quiet part out loud and on the public record.

Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.