Yes, Mayor Clark Is Actually Trying To Scare You
Mayor Clark falsely claims water rationing is caused by increased Covid hospitalizations
NORMAN - On Friday, August 27, the City of Norman issued a statement informing residents of a possible change in the city’s water treatment process. But the statement as posted by the city on norman.gov, appears to strive for ambiguity of source - an ambiguity that directly reinforces an objectively false connection to Covid promoted by Mayor Clark herself, on Twitter.
Statement from The City of Norman on norman.gov:
August 27, 2021
The City of Norman has been notified by its vendor Airgas they are experiencing a large increase in demand for liquid oxygen (LOX). LOX is used by many municipal water agencies. Air Gas is declaring a Force Majeure as of August 26, 2021:
Due to significant escalations in hospitalization resulting from the spread of the Delta Variant of COVID-19, hospitals in portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas have been purchasing large quantities of oxygen products. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities caring for patients in need of essential medical treatments such as high-flow oxygen therapy and ventilator support are receiving priority service from such vendors resulting in a reduction in the amount of oxygen products available to municipal water agencies.
First, let’s define the ominous sounding phrase, Forced Majeure. According to corporatefinanceinstitute.com, “Force majeure is a concept in contract law that describes a clause, included in many contracts, that frees the parties to the contract from their contractual obligations in the event of highly unusual and unforeseen circumstances.”
The Airgas legal team is “declaring Forced Majeur” to protect the company from a possible breach of contract, stemming from increased medical demand that is beyond the control of the company itself. Yes, that is in large part due to increased Covid demand for liquid oxygen. But this is not an indication of Spring 2020 level hospitalizations happening today, as strongly implied in the both the statement and by Clark herself.
Like any other business, hospitals must plan for the worst and hope for the best. If medical administrators foresee a possible rise in Covid cases - say, due to an upcoming change in the season - it is in the best interest of the hospital and its patients to stock up on necessary supplies and treatments, such as liquid oxygen.
This is where the structure of the statement on norman.gov, raises serious questions about the desired in intent behind Mayor Clark’s Covid messaging.
As written, the statement appears to be quoting Airgas for the remainder of the statement - at least until the last two separated sentences - but there is no way to tell for sure. This ambiguity leads the reader to infer that Airgas explicitly asked Mayor Clark to publicly stress the Covid induced need for Norman and “municipalities within the region” to abide specifically by Norman’s longstanding water rationing schedule.
“Airgas has asked municipalities within the region to remind their customers to strictly follow Odd/Even water usage and to ask their communities to reduce consumption during this time of oxygen shortage. “
Now, this grammar structure faux pa by itself does not prove a less than honest intent of message on behalf of the Mayor. But the facts in the remainder of the statement, combined with Mayor Clark’s own additions to it on Twitter, very much do.
Statement continued:
The Campbell Water Treatment Plant uses liquid oxygen (LOX) to form ozone which is used in the treatment of drinking water.
The ozone treatment is used to treat for taste and odor in drinking water and has other treatment benefits.
Airgas has asked municipalities within the region to remind their customers to strictly follow Odd/Even water usage and to ask their communities to reduce consumption during this time of oxygen shortage.
Norman residents will continue to receive safe, high quality drinking water during this time. Customers may notice an increase in the taste and odor due to a reduction in ozone treatment.
If you have any further questions regarding your water, please contact the Water Treatment Plant at 405-321-2182 or visit the Norman Water Treatment Plant webpage.
Here, we get a contextual indication that the city’s statement is no longer quoting Airgas, if it ever was. (Again, we can’t tell and Mayor Clark has not responded to my request to see the document sent to the city by Airgas.)
But more importantly, we see that diminished water production is not explicitly listed as a consequence of the liquid oxygen shortage. It is only strongly implied through another unsourced request from Airgas for all local municipalities to continue on going efforts to conserve water.
“Customers may notice an increase in the taste and odor due to a reduction in ozone treatment.”
According to the city’s statement, the only explicit anticipated consequence of the oxygen shortage on Norman’s water supply is a change in smell and taste. But even if there is a connection I am missing (I am fully open to new evidence), I would still have this question: Why didn’t we experience the same advisory in 2020, when hospitalizations were much higher and the vaccination rate was at 0%?
Mayor Clark’s direct message about the issue to Norman residents via twitter on Sunday, August 29, is a mostly a pro-forma recitation of the statement issued by the City on August 27, 2021, but with one major, Covid-centric addition.
Clark begins the tweet by adding her own suggestive preamble: “Please remember to follow the Odd/Even Water Usage schedule! If your address ends in an even number, water on even numbered days and vice versa.”, wrote Mayor Clark, before continuing with the statement posted on norman.gov, two days before.
If the issue with liquid oxygen will not result in a lower quantity of water produced in Norman, why did Mayor Clark feel the need to inject Covid as the reason for her to reminder to continue abiding by the already mandated water rationing schedule?
One word answer here - Fear - and here is a picture and a quick Twitter lesson to prove it.
The number of likes on the sections of a tweet thread determine how that thread will appear to others who view it. You may not know that, but Mayor Clark does. She also knows that she has 7,300 followers - all of whom are on Twitter far more than they visit norman.gov.
This is how her Tweet appears to the citizens of Norman on Twitter right now:
The rest of the thread is hidden. What would you take from seeing this on your phone screen? Probably something like this:
The ‘smarter’ you are, the harder you fall.
Either Mayor Clark is so stupid that she cannot see that there is no direct, evidence based connection linking Covid to water rationing, or she is purposely lying and manipulating that lie to further segregate Norman into two warring tribes. On that note, given what I have seen from her in the past - and I can say this with certainty - Mayor Clark is not stupid.
But despite her intelligence, she is also exceedingly predictable. Because no matter the issue, she follows the same mode of operation: Segregate, Intimidate, Discriminate, Extricate, Dominate.
Whether it’s Defund the Police, Conversion Therapy, or a mythical Covid-induced water shortage, Mayor Clark is in a constant search for any crisis - real or imaginary - that she can use to lift herself up by pulling Norman apart.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_majeure
https://www.normanok.gov/news/citizens-reminded-follow-oddeven-water-usage
https://www.normanok.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2020-05/2016%20Water%20Conservation%20Plan%205%2010%2016%20for%20website.pdf
https://www.normanok.gov/news/water-customers-encouraged-use-oddeven-watering-schedule-during-hot-summer-months