Vote - We have a big election coming up in Tulsa next week. Voters are being asked to approve a sales tax increase for improvements to the Arkansas River which runs through Tulsa. The rhetoric between the two sides has been vigorous and for us onlookers it has been an interesting discussion.
Proponents claim that the $282 million plan will create 10,000 jobs and inject $3.5 billion into the local economy by 2014. These advocates claim that by raising the county sales tax, there will be increased retail development along the river as well as increased recreational opportunities including white water rafting, kayaking, sail boating, and rowing.
Last week the City of Tulsa closed on a deal to purchase arguably the most technologically advanced building in the city, One Technology Center, for $52 million for their new city hall. The city will occupy only a portion of the 750,000 sq ft glass tower and will need to rent out the rest of the building for it to be viable.
Recently Tulsa County voted a sales tax increase for Vision 2025 which among other things financed the construction of a 55,000 sq. ft, 18,000 seat arena in downtown Tulsa. The arena is scheduled to be completed in 2008. One of the goals of Vision 2025 was to lure a Boeing assembly plant to Tulsa which has never materialized.
Now I have to tell you that as someone who regularly takes advantage of Tulsa’s River Parks and a rabid basketball fan, I probably stand to benefit as much as most people from the river development and construction of the new arena. But I have a concern. A recent assessment of Tulsa’s city streets graded them at a “D” and headed for “F” without a change in the way Tulsa maintains them. At the time the mayor said, “She has no specific plan for the streets.” The city has since identified a $600 million backlog of street repairs. Our County Assessor says that Tulsa County already has the highest total tax burden of any county in Oklahoma and a higher tax burden than even New York City. Tulsa’s crime rate is almost double the national average.
Am I the only one that has a problem with spending money on showy, new buildings and parks when the streets look like a literal war zone and our crime fighting efforts are under-funded? The mayor has responded to such concerns by saying there is no reason that Tulsa can’t have both improved streets and the other development. This argument reminds of a conversation I might have with my teenage son. “Son, you haven’t done your chores and your homework over the past month like we agreed so I am not letting you go out tonight.” If my son replied, “Dad there is no reason, I can’t do a month’s worth of homework, finish my chores from the last month, and go out tonight,” I believe that I would probably tell him “that is too little, too late.”
Sometimes when we as individuals are pursuing our goals and passions, we are like the City of Tulsa or my teenage son. We want to spend money and time on the glitzy, showy things, but we don’t want to spend time and money on the foundational things that are essential to our success. We may buy flashy business cards, expensive suits, and the European sedan or fleet of new trucks, but we aren’t willing to do the grunt work. Kevin Carroll calls it “being willing to do the lonely work - those unglamorous tasks that no one asks you to do and that others may never notice.”
I want an amazing river development in Tulsa that includes new recreational and retail development. I want a shiny new arena that might attract NCAA basketball tournament games. But mostly I want the city to take care of the foundational things first like streets so that I won’t ruin the struts on my car. Make sure that as you pursue your passions that you are building a solid foundation by prioritizing the tasks that you SHOULD do before you attempt the more glamorous things that you only WANT to do.
What are you passionate about? What are you doing about it?
Proponents claim that the $282 million plan will create 10,000 jobs and inject $3.5 billion into the local economy by 2014. These advocates claim that by raising the county sales tax, there will be increased retail development along the river as well as increased recreational opportunities including white water rafting, kayaking, sail boating, and rowing.
Last week the City of Tulsa closed on a deal to purchase arguably the most technologically advanced building in the city, One Technology Center, for $52 million for their new city hall. The city will occupy only a portion of the 750,000 sq ft glass tower and will need to rent out the rest of the building for it to be viable.
Recently Tulsa County voted a sales tax increase for Vision 2025 which among other things financed the construction of a 55,000 sq. ft, 18,000 seat arena in downtown Tulsa. The arena is scheduled to be completed in 2008. One of the goals of Vision 2025 was to lure a Boeing assembly plant to Tulsa which has never materialized.
Now I have to tell you that as someone who regularly takes advantage of Tulsa’s River Parks and a rabid basketball fan, I probably stand to benefit as much as most people from the river development and construction of the new arena. But I have a concern. A recent assessment of Tulsa’s city streets graded them at a “D” and headed for “F” without a change in the way Tulsa maintains them. At the time the mayor said, “She has no specific plan for the streets.” The city has since identified a $600 million backlog of street repairs. Our County Assessor says that Tulsa County already has the highest total tax burden of any county in Oklahoma and a higher tax burden than even New York City. Tulsa’s crime rate is almost double the national average.
Am I the only one that has a problem with spending money on showy, new buildings and parks when the streets look like a literal war zone and our crime fighting efforts are under-funded? The mayor has responded to such concerns by saying there is no reason that Tulsa can’t have both improved streets and the other development. This argument reminds of a conversation I might have with my teenage son. “Son, you haven’t done your chores and your homework over the past month like we agreed so I am not letting you go out tonight.” If my son replied, “Dad there is no reason, I can’t do a month’s worth of homework, finish my chores from the last month, and go out tonight,” I believe that I would probably tell him “that is too little, too late.”
Sometimes when we as individuals are pursuing our goals and passions, we are like the City of Tulsa or my teenage son. We want to spend money and time on the glitzy, showy things, but we don’t want to spend time and money on the foundational things that are essential to our success. We may buy flashy business cards, expensive suits, and the European sedan or fleet of new trucks, but we aren’t willing to do the grunt work. Kevin Carroll calls it “being willing to do the lonely work - those unglamorous tasks that no one asks you to do and that others may never notice.”
I want an amazing river development in Tulsa that includes new recreational and retail development. I want a shiny new arena that might attract NCAA basketball tournament games. But mostly I want the city to take care of the foundational things first like streets so that I won’t ruin the struts on my car. Make sure that as you pursue your passions that you are building a solid foundation by prioritizing the tasks that you SHOULD do before you attempt the more glamorous things that you only WANT to do.
What are you passionate about? What are you doing about it?
