Barney Taylor, touting diversity as “one of our greatest strengths,” said he believes Muskogee’s racial problems are minimal.

“But all it takes is one fool to do something stupid,” Taylor said. “We must stand ready and be vigilant to guard against” racial or ethnic division.

The prospect of having a new revenue stream — made possible as a result of the hospital lease and the city’s charitable foundation — has spurred a lot of talk about economic development during the 2008 election cycle.

Muskogee resident Ron Slauenwhite, a retiree who stays active through his involvement with several civic organizations, said Muskogee is poised for greatness.

“I have talked to people who have lived here a long time,” said Slauenwhite, who moved to Muskogee after retiring from an insurance company he operated in Connecticut. “They say that they haven’t seen it this good in a long time.”

Slauenwhite said accessibility to the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, railroads and highways makes Muskogee ideally situated for economic expansion.

Assessing the slate of candidates on Tuesday’s ballot, Slauenwhite said he is looking for candidates who recognize the city’s potential and take advantage of it.

“I am looking for somebody with vision,” Slauenwhite said. “I think we can really do some great things if we invest in the infrastructure needed to attract new businesses.”

During the mayoral debate this past week, one resident concerned about businesses taking advantage of tax breaks and then leaving urged candidates to be wary of offering incentives to lure new businesses.

Venters, an employment specialist with Workforce Oklahoma, said part of Muskogee’s vision for the future should be to cultivate the pool of employees and diversify the local economy.

“When you have talent, you don’t have to go wag the dog’s tail,” Venters said about the importance of a skilled labor pool. “Businesses come looking for you.”

Taylor and Hammons said the way to attract new business is by cultivating cultural events and having the capacity to provide entertainment opportunities the employees who would live and work in Muskogee.

McBride, who was mayor when the city lured then lost two big corporations, and Hammons said incentives are necessary to compete.

Defending the use of incentives, McBride said reasons beyond the city’s control — the North American Free Trade Act and the terror attacks in September 2001 — contributed to the loss of those employers. McBride said both those companies — Waterloo and Summit — left before fully taking advantage of the incentives that brought them to Muskogee.

While the candidates and some residents talk about opportunity and greatness, there are others who say those discussions must be buffered by reality.