The city council is completely out of control. The city has been in continual decline since the council form of government began. That is undeniable. A city manager employed at the whim of the council will completely destroy what is left of this city government. We would all be far better off to return to commission government, when there was some real accountability in Tulsa. If we put such nonsense as a city manager on the ballot this fall, at least give us the option of going back to accountable commissioners.
The citizens of Tulsa are, as usual, taking a fleecing from AEP-PSO. It is simply a lie to say they couldn't stop mid-stream. They have in my neighborhood, most of which was converted, but critical pieces of which have been left not only overhead, but in abysmal and likely dangerous condition. I have talked to their engineering people for at least 3 years about some of these lines. It is just about as bad as trying to deal with the City of Tulsa. AEP-PSO will almost surely continue to jack up rates to compensate for old and poorly maintained equipment, meanwhile blaming the ratepayers and anyone else they can find.
The fact is that anything other than simple replacement or reconstruction of existing structures in Tulsa is almost impossible due to constantly expanding zoning restrictions. The sole function of INCOG seems to be to keep making the zoning code more complicated. The cost and risk involved simply scares most development away. I fear Planitulsa will not resolve this problem. A complete overhaul of the code is needed if Tulsa is not simply going to petrify.
"Raping for profit" is a rather hyperbolic term - kind of exposes the poster's mind set. The public would, in fact, be the biggest beneficiary of exploring these lands owned by the public.
Inactive leases are generally inactive because they are not profitable, and in fact in almost all cases are lost if they become inactive. Certainly any company that has a lease that will produce a significant amount of oil is producing it now. Drive around the state a bit and see for yourself how few pumpjacks are still. Unfortunately, while potentially profitable on a well by well basis, the total incremental production from most of the private land drilling in the US is insignificant in terms of national needs.
In fact, OPEC has in the past been able to control oil prices and has used that power to wreck the American oil industry. The game has been to allow private companies to invest huge amounts of capital in new production only to be bankrupted by a turn of the valve in Saudi Arabia. Just look at how few major oil companies exist in the US today. This strategy is what has led to our current dependence on imported oil. Believe me, if the US oil industry could control prices as the poster suggests, we would still have a number of major oil companies in Tulsa. Sadly, that is not so.
I think the time has come to try to reverse the most damaging event ever to happen to Tulsa and throw out the council form of government. The change to a council government was engineered by the same hacks that have been destroying our city for decades. Clearly our mayor is far too strong today. We need to go back to commission government and reclaim some element of accountability for those controlling our city. The council is obviously ineffectual and easily controlled by wealthy individuals. How long would a street commissioner or police commissioner last with the current levels of performance? How about a water commissioner calling for huge rate increases for no other reason than to swell the existing city budgets? Back in the bad old days we simply threw out bums like that with the next election. Even better, how would you like to have an accountable city works commissioner, or a mayor that has some limits? Today you can't even find anyone who will admit responsibility for anything.
In addition, it wouldn't hurt to dissolve all the existing agencies and authorities and start all over again. Stormwater management, for instance, has long since accomplished its primary goals and has turned into not much better than a slush fund.
It is time for some real change. Replacing this councilor or that is obviously not getting anywhere.
The more control that is given to city government to determine how and where we work, live, and play, the more opportunity they have to corrupt it to their own interests. For heavens' sake, just look at what's going on downtown now! Can you really trust these people?? More planning almost inevitably means more ugly, unintended consequences. If you've lived here 50 years, you just get tired of watching it happen and watching your wonderful city deteriorate. What the city really needs is BASIC and HONEST government. We have not had that in at least two decades. Make that happen first, then let the city develop on its own, organically, like all the east coast cities that everybody seems to envy did. The result couldn't be any worse than any of our past plans.
Why don't we just give up and throw out the mayor, council and everone else in city govt and declare George Kaiser king? At least we would know what's going on then, instead of having to read between the lines all the time. It's getting to be like "who shot J.R.?" anymore. I cannot recall such a mess in city government. It's long past time for a serious reform in Tulsa.
G. Webster should take a walk through the area in question. In fact, Perry's apartments that currently occupy the space where the Bomasada project is planned are much more like the "Spanish language transmission shop" he references than the proposed improvements. Unfortunately, like the Lassiter and Shoemaker properties at 21st and Harvard, Perry's places will simply sit and continue to be a blight on the neighborhood as long as new development is discouraged by complex and contradictory regulations. There are people at INCOG whose full time job appears to be to continue to expand and complicate the zoning code. If they support this project, you can be sure it is not short on regulation. Anyone who has tried to improve or develop something in Tulsa with their own money can attest to this. Sadly, the regulation itself is what has made it necessary to have considerable wealth to be able to fight through the system to do almost anything, so almost by default, a developer is an evil fat cat that can always draw a handful of cranky protesters. This is part of why there is so much derelict property around Tulsa, including downtown.
I kind of get the feeling that Mr. Bates solution for zoning matters is to simply clear everything with him. A few days back, he complained about "dedensification" of the 21st and Harvard area. Now the Bonasada plan in Brookside is too high density??? What's the secret formula? Regulation of every aspect of any new development is onerous and will succeed only in stopping all improvements in Tulsa.
Just to note the police priorities in the 3rd & Lewis area, I recently got a ticket from one of Tulsa's finest for stopping halfway through a turn from Lewis to 3rd when a drunk jaywalked in front of me. The light turned red while I sat there. I guess the cop just considered him to be one of the local "hazards" to dodge. There is a real problem with police policy in Tulsa and no one is addressing it.
Today I saw not one, but two bums urinating in public. One was at the west end of Lyon's Indian Store at 11th and Elgin. The other was leaning against a telephone pole right at the intersection of 51st and Lewis. It's getting ridiculous, folks.
Again in Tulsa, we have "harmless, merely annoying" homeless people beating a victim to death. Will our DA step up to the plate this time? Will the TPD take ANY interest in bums other than those threatening the Mayor's Arena? I doubt it.
Whatever the police are doing or not doing, the result seems to be simply to push the panhandlers, bums, etc. outward from downtown. The article implies that there is no problem on 11th street any more. Not so. Aggressive panhandlers and prostitutes continue to inhabit 11th from downtown east and are only getting worse - all over midtown. Calling these people only annoying is ridiculous. They are much more so if you don't carry a gun and drive a black and white - and the city leadership seems not to care at all. The mayor needs a "plan" to get a grip on this problem soon or she will surely leave an opening for a serious challenge to her reelection.
I agree completely with the other posts. For years we had no public higher education in Tulsa. Now we have ridiculous duplication of institutions which has resulted in enormous waste. For the money spent we should have had a good, full offering university in Tulsa. Instead we have a mish-mash of offerings and have actually greatly complicated schedules and degree programs for OSU students. Many classes are offered only in Stillwater or only in Tulsa resulting in extra semesters and/or miles commuting between the two campuses for frustrated students. There are all sorts of turf wars between Stillwater and Tulsa that have done nothing but hurt students and higher education in Oklahoma. It's time for MAJOR consolidation of these institutions.
I can't believe it! I just saw my first squeegee man in Tulsa. The bums are absolutely taking over the city and the city leadership, cops, etc. are completely silent on the matter. This guy was working a small strip center on the north side of 11th street about Birmingham. This was in addition to another belligerent, filthy panhandler. These guys apparently are there daily. There are tax-paying merchants trying to make a living there and law abiding citizens trying to shop and eat there. What is going on with this city????!!!! I wonder if these bums were chased away from the downtown arena area only to light elsewhere - the arena seems to be the only thing that interests the city govt. Whack-a-mole is not going to fix this problem.
This fable about homeless people being harmless has simply got to stop or we will never revive downtown, and indeed run the risk of losing midtown also. The news is replete with reports of murders, beatings, theft and robbery related to these people who wander around town intimidating and frightening law abiding, tax-paying citizens. Some city leader is going to have to step out of the politically correct zone and address this issue, and soon. The beautiful new arena is going to rapidly lose its appeal as patrons find a bum in every shadow. Likewise for the River Parks.
With all the serious problems this city is facing, we're worrying with prayer at city council and spending another $70million for a downtown ballpark. I wish I could vote no for all of city government.
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COMMENTS
Posted by: Midtowner
22 comments total
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Re: Not Always Second Fiddle
Re: Are You Pissed Off? Tell us about it.
Re: Surprised by Surprise
Re: Are You Pissed Off? Tell us about it.
Re: Weathering the Storm
Don't hold your breath.
Re: Potemkin PLANiTULSA?
Re: Drill Now
Inactive leases are generally inactive because they are not profitable, and in fact in almost all cases are lost if they become inactive. Certainly any company that has a lease that will produce a significant amount of oil is producing it now. Drive around the state a bit and see for yourself how few pumpjacks are still. Unfortunately, while potentially profitable on a well by well basis, the total incremental production from most of the private land drilling in the US is insignificant in terms of national needs.
In fact, OPEC has in the past been able to control oil prices and has used that power to wreck the American oil industry. The game has been to allow private companies to invest huge amounts of capital in new production only to be bankrupted by a turn of the valve in Saudi Arabia. Just look at how few major oil companies exist in the US today. This strategy is what has led to our current dependence on imported oil. Believe me, if the US oil industry could control prices as the poster suggests, we would still have a number of major oil companies in Tulsa. Sadly, that is not so.
Re: The Control Freaks' Squeeze Play
In addition, it wouldn't hurt to dissolve all the existing agencies and authorities and start all over again. Stormwater management, for instance, has long since accomplished its primary goals and has turned into not much better than a slush fund.
It is time for some real change. Replacing this councilor or that is obviously not getting anywhere.
Re: Survey Says
Re: Are You Pissed Off? Tell us about it.
Re: Big Plans for Brookside
Re: Big Plans for Brookside
Re: Archer Street Blues
Re: Are You Pissed Off? Tell us about it.
Re: Are You Pissed Off? Tell us about it.
Re: Archer Street Blues
Re: The Quiet Election
Re: Are You Pissed Off? Tell us about it.
I wonder if these bums were chased away from the downtown arena area only to light elsewhere - the arena seems to be the only thing that interests the city govt. Whack-a-mole is not going to fix this problem.
Re: Much Ado About Downtown
Re: Prayer Police