Hitting the nail on the head

Someone writing under the name "Citizen" posted this message over on the City Talk Forum. "Citizen" has hit the nail on the head, and you need to read this.

(I've added emphasis to my favorite quotes.)

The promoters have spent an enormous amount of energy and column inches lately trying to demoralize those opposed to Vision2025 by speaking of "do nothings" who don't care about our city and have no concerns other than themselves.

This couldn't be more wrong.

I'd suggest those most vocally opposed have even greater concern than whoever sees this package as a magic pill benefit to our city.

It most certainly is not a magic pill. But, it does have a time-release factor which not only does not require another dose later, it eliminates that possibility altogether. That's if the patient lives.

People, to me, don't seem to understand the terms of this deal well.

Personally, I'm opposed to every proposition on the ballot. This has nothing at all to do with the project lists or even the huge amount of money involved, rather, it's the open-ended, long term, short-sighted implications which I find abhorrant.

If our leaders were as concerned with our opinions and vision of what our city is to become, they would have never packaged it in this manner. It gives us little choice, by design.

The good part is that this one can be defeated, and should be, because it's not the end of the world (the one you live in, but perhaps will be for the paper).

In as little as a few days, and certainly within a few months, a new issue can be prepared which does allow us choice. A couple of months is nothing when compared to the THIRTEEN YEARS the current package entails.

It's not just a lot of money, IT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY. And, the structure of this ballot gives almost total freedom to our County Commissioners (all three of them) to do anything they desire with that money.

Sure, they passed a resolution with a project list. It's also subject to revision with just the same ease.

One minor point -- two Commissioners teaming up could do anything they desire with that money. Commissioner Randi Miller is frequently at the short end of 2-1 votes, and I fully expect to see many more votes like that if the Commissioners have a billion dollars to play with. And they can repeal or modify any of those resolutions on 48 hours notice. The only thing set in stone is the purpose, amount, and duration of the text set out in the ballot title.

I'll be the first to admit that many of the projects are appealing. Some are not. One in particular is wrapped up in a way to best assure it's passage even though we've already twice rejected it. I resent it even being on the ballot now, much less that it's not its' own item.

I'm not voting against Tulsa, I voting against this form of "representation". Just how many times, in how many ways, do we have to tell them what we want?

It ain't their city, it's ours.

And, there is no magic pill, especially one that fixes all the things our servants have not done in years past.

Hear, hear! Well spoken! How many times, indeed, do we have to tell them no?

Some yea-sayers suggest that it's "three strikes and you're out", but the 1997 and 2000 pitches were low and inside and Tulsans wisely declined to swing at them. This one is in the dirt, and I trust that Tulsa County residents will have the same good sense on Tuesday. When we're given a good pitch -- 3rd penny for capital improvements, school bond issues -- we knock the ball out of the park.

City or County, Savage or LaFortune, behind it all we've been stuck with the same worn out pitcher -- the powers that have run this city for so long. Out of ideas, out of energy, but unwilling to yield the ball to a reliever. Time to send to send them to the showers. A resounding defeat Tuesday is the first step.