Love Letters, hate mail

City Center Centrists

(Re: "Vision2 Is Myopic," August 16-22, Vol. 22, No. 7)

Dear UTW:

Bill Leighty's article nails it in every particular. This blurred and blinkered 'Vision' commits Tulsa's tax-payers to paying for a fundamentally flawed project ... until 2029!

The City/County has given itself a stark choice: between writing corporate welfare checks with other people's money in a bid to get businesses to move here, or investing in making the city's infrastructure actually work for Tulsans.

Never mind aircraft hangers (whose updating could be funded by the Airport Trust) -- what about providing a decent bus system? Or streetcars as recommended by the region's Transit System Plan? How about some functioning sidewalks, crosswalks and streetscaping? Or safe and healthy routes to schools? Attractive, innovative open spaces? Are simple things like bike racks too much to ask?

Or aren't they glamorous enough?

Should we not be investing in making Tulsa the kind of place where businesses, their employees and young people actually want to be, instead of paying them to come here?

Boeing relocated from Seattle to Chicago in 2001, not because they were given a large check by a Chamber or Mayor, but because it wanted to be in a city that provided the quality of life to lure highly skilled employees. Chicago happened to be well-located too. Tulsa must invest in realizing our own Comprehensive Plan projects to deliver a higher and equitable quality of life -- for people who already live here and as a matter competitive necessity.

--Jamie Jamieson

Dear UTW:

I'll take a visionary, forward thinking plan that nurtures the great things about Tulsa and builds for our future. While we're at it, I'll take investment that will provide a beautiful, livable, progressive city with great quality of life for those of us that do live here and aren't going anywhere. Please and thank you.

--Rachel Navarro

Dear UTW:

Right on. This thing is ill-conceived, rushed and unimaginative ... just as you have said. The old bag of chamber style throw money at the problem approach is beyond outdated. Quality of life is Tulsa's best selling point. The citizens of Tulsa County deserve better. Yes to the PlanitTulsa vision. As I read somewhere else, it is unfortunate that the Vision 2025 brand is being tarnished.

--Russell Burkhart

Dear UTW:

Bravo Bill! Just look at what Oklahoma City has done and continues to do with their MAPS projects. With their three quarters of a cent they have been building sustainable developments for years that are well thought out, popular and fiscally responsible. That is what PlaniTulsa is supposed to do! Oklahoma Cities MAPS projects are running circles around Tulsa. Their planning efforts make us look like amateurs. Poor visions achieve poor results.

--Dave Strader

Supper's Ready

Dear UTW:

Let me start off with us as Americans, we love our horses. When you think of Oklahoma you think of horses. You think of cowboys, rodeos, and just plain out horse lovers. I'm guessing you didn't know about the horse slaughter bill that has been signed. So now in the United States we have legalized horse slaughter. Now we can legally slaughter all the unwanted horses. Instead of sending thousands of horses over to Canada and Mexico, to be killed.

Every year horses are sent away for human consumption. So Obama made it a little bit "easier" and signed the bill that will allow horses to be killed in the states. Who feels like having a horse burger? Anyone?

I think that pretty much answers that question. Horses are not some livestock, they are part of peoples families. When people think of Oklahoma you don't want them to think we abandoned our horses.

Sad thing is, PETA thinks this is a good idea when in realitly we shouldn't be sending away our horses to be killed, we shouldn't be killing our horses to be used as food. What are we going to do next send away are unwanted cats and dogs to China? How far are we going to go?

--Samantha Beaulieu