out here in the middle...: I AM VOTING NO

out here in the middle

christianity, cycling, music, culture

I AM VOTING NO

On October 9, residents of Tulsa County will be going to the polls to vote on whether to raise the sales tax 4/10s of a penny. The reason for the tax increase is what the county calls "river development."

I will be voting against it.

The vote is three weeks away, so I am going to be spending some time in this forum discussing why I believe that this tax is a bad idea. If you live in Tulsa County, I hope you will examine all the facts with an open mind, and vote your conscience. Add your comments if you like. If you do not live here, I hope that you will feel free to add your comments, and let your thoughts be known as well. For a point of reference, you can check out the No River Tax website. It makes a compelling case.

Maybe it would be a good idea to begin with a quick history lesson on river development in Tulsa.

Several years ago, a commercial developer approached Tulsa County and asked for permission to develop the river commercially. He wanted to put shops, restaurants, hotels, and condos on various spots along the Arkansas. Many people agreed that the river is our most outstanding natural resource, and the place around which development should take place. The county said no way. At that time, officials from the city and the county were so overwhelmingly focused on developing downtown into an attractive place to go, that they would entertain no other options, including an investor wanting to spend his own money to develop the river.

So, this investor/developer went south, to a small bedroom community known as Jenks. They happen to be along the river as well. They said sure. They gave him permission to build on the land near the river, and he did. What's more, he did it right. It is a fantastic place, right on the river. There are several restaurants, and every one of them will tell you that the wait for a table is 90 minutes. There are festivals there. Live music every weekend. Walking trails. The Oklahoma Aquarium is less than a mile away. There is a movie theater, and last week, plans were announced for the beginning of phase two of the project: apartments, condos, and more shops and restaurants. The investor must be a millionaire by now.

"Oops." Tulsa really missed the boat on this one. So in 2003, they came to the citizens of Tulsa County with a proposal called "Vision 2025." It would include river development, and community centers in other towns around the county. A brand new downtown arena that is large enough to house huge concerts and conventions would be built in the heart of downtown. People got excited when Vision 2025 passed, and the earth started moving. I voted for it, and I'm glad I did.

Now they say they want more money. The development of the river has not happened, because county officials say that the federal matching funds that they were counting on to have enough money to build low water dams along the river did not materialize. No one was a bigger supporter of Vision 2025 than me, and I never heard one word about the need for matching funds. Many voters are wondering if we can trust officials who wait until after the fact to give us all the details.

There are so many reasons that I am opposed to this tax, and I will be elaborating on them here over the next three weeks. For example, developers do not REQUIRE tax dollars to move forward with these projects, they just WANT them. Who wouldn't? I can understand the county giving them a tax break for a few years, but they do not need tax dollars. County Commissioner Randi Miller has proven by her actions that she has much to gain with all of her maneuvering in this. She screwed the Bell family out of their fifty-year family business, and now she wants to stick it to the tax payers. Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor has committed the city to a $70 million dollar city hall that it cannot afford. If this vote passes, Tulsa County will have the highest sales tax in the nation. The highest sales tax in the nation, and our streets are in horrible disrepair, we have had 50 homicides so far this year, and Vision 2025 is in disarray. We do not need this tax.

Officials seem to act as if they have gotten the voters in a "good mood," a YES mood, and that we will fall for their lies hook, line, and sinker. I hope they are wrong.

What do you think?