Vince Orza

Orza Touts Business Expertise In Governor's Race

Sat Jul 6, 2002

By Ron Jenkins
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Vince Orza, self-made millionaire restaurateur, says he's the only real businessman in the governor's race with the skills and experience to turn around Oklahoma's economy.

Orza says Oklahoma has done a poor job promoting itself and such advantages as its central location, inexpensive office space, low-cost housing and abundant energy. If elected, he said he will fly across the country to convince corporate executives to locate in the state.

"Because I'm an Oklahoman by choice, perhaps I'm a little more astute in terms of what are the positives of living here," he said.

"Thirty years ago, we were a little out of the way, but in the last 30 years everybody in America has moved to the Southwest. Why shouldn't we be a regional office center or a corporate capital for companies across America?"

He said has the knowledge to persuade corporate executives to come to Oklahoma where others have failed.

"When we start talking business, I'm not talking theory. I've done it. I did build my business here. I know what the obstacles are, but I know what the advantages are."

He envisioned a scenario where he would ask corporate executives: "Tell me what you want. Let me go back to Oklahoma and get it for you. But if I get it for you, I want you to come up with x-number of jobs like you promised."

In an interview with The Associated Press, Orza called for elimination of the state income tax, increased teacher salaries and characterized himself as a high achiever who will bring "a dose of free enterprise to state government."

He is one of four Democrats in the race for governor. The others are state Sens. Brad Henry and Kelly Haney and state Rep. Jim Dunegan. Republican candidates are Steve Largent, a former congressman, and Jim Denny, a political newcomer. Independent Gary Richardson also is running.

Orza, 51, ran for governor as a Republican in 1990, winning the primary but losing in a runoff. He said his political style is patterned after former Democratic Gov. David Boren and former Republican Gov. Henry Bellmon.

He said Bellmon and Boren are two governors who "got everybody around the table and tried to accomplish something instead of drawing lines in the sand all the time."

Orza was raised on the East Coast and likes to joke about his Italian heritage and fast-talking manner.

He said he ignores advisers who tell him to "take off some of the polish" by not wearing double-breasted suits or french cuffs when he goes to rural Oklahoma.

"You know, I said I don't think people judge me like that. This is who I am. I make fun of being a Yankee living in Oklahoma and it's never worked to anything but my favor.

"I don't go talk to farmers and ranchers and pretend I am a farmer or rancher. And I don't go talk to oil and gas guys as if I know an awful lot about oil and gas. I understand olive oil; that's a whole different ball game."

He also says farmers and ranchers are businessmen and he understands business, having been a television business reporter, taught business economics and started a restaurant chain, Eateries, Inc., that now has 78 restaurants in 27 states.

"I'm not a lawyer. I don't come out of government. I taught school for 15 years. I'm very proud to be Dr. Vince Orza. I worked like hell to get my doctorate and I'm proud of that. It doesn't make me better than anybody else but it shows that when I have a goal I can achieve it."

Orza said he has been preaching against the state's 7 percent income tax for 20 years and is convinced it hurts the state's ability to attract companies to the state.

"I've never liked the income tax," he said. "That may be the Republican in me. I work hard for my money. I don't like the fact that the government gets my money before I do. I'm very willing to pay my taxes, but I'd rather pay them in a way that I find appealing or is less
painful."

Orza said he could support some restructuring of the tax code to obtain money that would be lost by doing away with the income tax, perhaps raising the gasoline tax to get money for roads.

His main objective, he said, would be to increase the tax base by bringing in new industry and taxpayers.

He said Oklahoma can become a significant tourism center by capitalizing on its western heritage. "Why should we be ashamed of it," he said. "It's what sets makes us different, and I think in a lot of cases, is much more salable than a lot of places. Arizona capitalized on being the Southwest. Why wouldn't we capitalize on being the West?

Orza said he does not gamble but could support a lottery if proceeds go to fund one-time projects for education.

He said Oklahoma's best economic times came after major road construction such as Interstate 40 and Interstate 35 in the 1950s, 60s and early 70s.

He said Richardson is "dead wrong" by proposing an end to the turnpike system. He said he did not like turnpike fees, but turnpikes promote economic growth.

The former teacher said the current educational system errs by not giving additional compensation to the best teachers and not rewarding experience.

Orza said the public also hears little about successes in Career Tech, like a program that trains students for high-paying jobs to do maintenance on flight-simulators.

He promised to lead by inspiration and get things done.

"My goal is to have people walking around thinking, `I didn't think we could be this great of a state, I didn't think our schools could change this much, it never occurred to me we could have this many new businesses.'"