River Parks held hostage

The Whirled should be printing The Channels stories in the Entertainment section.

For that plan to even be being considered in that form is lunacy. Let's face it, our wonderful "Zinc Lake" is filling up with silt. It's got islands now. We needed a plan to dredge it. The Corps likes this since it lofts those costs onto taxpayers. Well, out of their budget in any case.

If Zinc Lake were properly managed, it would suffice for general navigation/swimming. Why build an 18 foot dam (other than to produce hydro electricity, which can cash flow itself)

And, wind turbines.....get real. Tulsa is in a Class 2 wind zone, inappropriate for commercial wind farming.

Generally, I see this as a fine project IF funded by other means than local taxpayers.
Not to say they should not be participants, just not the primary funding mechanism. At best, it could be a TIF.

The loss of River Park West, apartments (off the tax roll) and the concrete batch plant (also off the tax roll) is more than 40-acres by itself. And, is something to consider. That's a pretty huge 'give' for a win-win deal.

I bet Mr. Hardesty's glad he sold that batch plant to a Mexican company in May now.

Mr. Meyer is in an impossible position.

He obviously knows that The Channels project will wreck the heart of Riverparks, tranforming it from an urban park into a Big Dig II for years to come if approved by the gullible voters.

But, a River Parks Authority Board member just happens to be John-Kelly Warren. So, Mr. Meyer is obviously under trememdous pressure not to question too harshly this lunatic idea of a Tax-Grab.

Mr. Warren should have obviously resigned from the Authority the same day he announced The Channels. Warren has conflicts of interests as wide as - The Arkansas River!

Devil's in da details, people. PSO/AEP is constructing Tulsa Waves, a major kayak venue east of the Mississippi. 50 clams the waves become a ripple not worth the drive. Anybody get the feeling TSI is BOTH half-cocked and hamstrung by confidentiality agreements?

I am not sure that even if I do pre-sell 700 Daddy Warbucks willing to fork over $1 million each for a three bedroom flat, complete with his and hers diamond-studded bidets, legal housekeeping help, and RFID entry authentication, Channels will make it through the CoE 404.

This is what the taxpaying citizens of Tulsa get for the stupid approval of tax increases to allow the construction of that White Elephant on Denver. The "technicians" at City Hall and the Tulsa World think we are a bunch of rubes. I voted against the boondoggle, and, until we start turning down these votes, they will continue to run roughshod over us!

I hope they do bring this to a vote so we could stop the nonsense once and for all.

Putting down da crack pipe fir a few moments yesterday, I had a chance to do some rough calculations on the water level after a typically modest rainstorm.

If River Parks, Tulsa Waves, and Westport Apartments goes is in da drink BEFORE a big rainstorm, how much water will put Maple Ridge in da drink AFTER a modest downpour?

At the very least, Darin Filak's house gets it. If the water laps at the doorstep of Mommy Warbuck's Columbia Mansion Number 1, HELL, I'm all FOR it!

I dare say Mr. Warren and his kitchen cabinet better get us some BEFORE and AFTER water level numbers quick, prepare to re-engineer Tulsa's ENTIRE drainage system, or SHUDDUP and git outta town, 'cause the next big rain after Channels will git them cross outta a whole lotta high society shindigs. There won't be a dry patch ANYWHERE in Maple Ridge to send out the invites.

Son, Channels is really starting to look like a high skool science project, gone bad, half-baked by a bunch of wannabe geniuses smokin' crack 'round a kitchen table. Which should be a really scary thought for Mid-townies who live in the floodplain, WITHOUT flood insurance. Is Albert Einstein's kid hydrologist genius still around to help us out?

I am with you Jan. The opposing campaigns will make for some X-mas fun and games. SANTA IN DA HOUSE!!!

But, with West Bank Park, Westport Apartments, and possibly Darin Filak's mansion and Maple Ridge all in da drink, sumbody's bound to blink, to back off, and gyp Santa of sum SERIOUS fun.

Be CAREFUL asking for a "Vote-of-the-People" on the proposed Channel.

They'll structure it like Vision 2025: NO CAP on how much can be raised, and NO finite time limit. The Vision 2025 tax promoters just SAY it's a 13 year tax and just say it's for $585 million.

Vision 2025 could conceivably raise a billion dollars from Tulsa County Taxpayers.

And, never, never forget that a patronage ridden County Election Board under the control of Commissioner Dirty Bob Dick and his partner in crime Dilbert Collins are going to be the ones ADDING up the vote.

Practically speaking, none of us individually has the resources to monitor the County Election process.

what is with the people of tulsa. i have never met so many people willing to vote for more taxes. i am not so sure this dumb idea won't get voted in. or, maybe they learned a lesson after they all got blindsided with "vision" 2025.

sure hope so.

anybody who votes to increases taxes, bonds, etc. etc. in any way shape or form is stupid - unless of course you trust politicians.

Yep. Voters are stupid. The evidence is on the 11th Floor City Hall. And, sumbody got gyped outta his rightful place for CD4 by his OWN party. Stupidity or just plain BLINDNESS. Kinda like the victim wife who puts up with the beater. Voters don't want smart people running the show. They want sumbody to rip 'em off and shove a blunt instrament up where da sun don't shine.

Paul, if you're referring to my race for City Council District 4 in 2002, I had the wholehearted support of the Tulsa County Republican party's officers (the state committeeman at the time was my campaign chairman, the district committeeman at the time was an enthusiastic volunteer), newly-elected Congressman John Sullivan did a fundraiser for me, and many precinct chairmen and Republican volunteers made phone calls and went door-to-door for me. So I don't think it's accurate to say that my own party gypped me out of my rightful place on the City Council.

A few people who are registered as Republicans, but who are uninvolved in the local party organization, raised money and openly supported my opponent. Those people may think they define Republicanism in Tulsa, but active, involved Republicans regard them as Republicans in name only -- RINOs.

My bad, Bates. But, that was the way the situation was perceived to the casual onlooker. Looking back, at that particular juncture, I think you would have completely changed the course of Tulsa's history had you won. That is mainly I keep harping on it time and time again. Instead, we have more of the same GOB. Perhaps if Maple Ridge goes underwater because of Channels, the GOB will finally be SOAKED.

I was just reading the Route 66 Master Plan on the Vision 2025 website, and I had a thought. What impact would "The Channels" have on the Cyrus Avery Bridge. Has anyone heard?