How to Resolve the Deficit, Without the Furloughs

[ILUVTulsa]

Since Council allowed no public comments for Item 3a last night, chime in here with your top three ideas. 

Mine:
1) 86 Waterworks
2) 86 T-Transit
3) 86 Kathy!   

[Wrinkle]

Don't pay the City's portion of the IDL Stadium Tax.

At the end of the year, the City can repossess the properties for failure to pay the tax.

[sgrizzle]

Since Council allowed no public comments for Item 3a last night, chime in here with your top three ideas. 

Mine:
1) 86 Waterworks
2) 86 T-Transit
3) 86 Kathy!   

Your suggestion is to quit providing city services, nix the only public transit system at a time when ridership is increasing quickly, and nix the unpaid mayor.

[nathanm]

This thread is full of win!

[Wilbur]

Your suggestion is to quit providing city services, nix the only public transit system at a time when ridership is increasing quickly, and nix the unpaid mayor.

What's your point?

[Nik]

Your suggestion is to quit providing city services, nix the only public transit system at a time when ridership is increasing quickly, and nix the unpaid mayor.

Sounds like the Republican, small govt dream to me.

[sauerkraut]

Kathy's answer will likely be tax hikes. Some people favor laying off cops because they see them sitting at donut shops all day, but it has to be remembered the cops can only do what their bosses tell 'em to do. If a cop's boss tells him to sit on the B.A. Expressway all day clocking cars with radar & looking for speeders instead of fighting crime, the cop has to do as he's told, but from the public's point of view that cop is taking it easy and it's wasted manpower.

[Hoss]

Kathy's answer will likely be tax hikes. Some people favor laying off cops because they see them sitting at donut shops all day, but it has to be remembered the cops can only do what their bosses tell 'em to do. If a cop's boss tells him to sit on the B.A. Expressway all day clocking cars with radar & looking for speeders instead of fighting crime, the cop has to do as he's told, but from the public's point of view that cop is taking it easy and it's wasted manpower.

You might want to brush up on how the city works, non-resident.

First off, city sales tax hikes can't be increased without of vote of the citizens.  I believe millage rates have to be ratified by vote as well.

Second, there are no places anymore for cops to just 'sit', on the 'B.A.'

[TeeDub]

Second, there are no places anymore for cops to just 'sit', on the 'B.A.'

I guess the times I see them on the 41st St. bridge directing the fleet of motorcycles pulling people over or the ones in the center median as I swing downtown between the 15th and Utica exits don't count?

Now who is making stupid statements?

[Hoss]

I guess the times I see them on the 41st St. bridge directing the fleet of motorcycles pulling people over or the ones in the center median as I swing downtown between the 15th and Utica exits don't count?

Now who is making stupid statements?

My point is, they can't hide anywhere on the BA because of a lack of hidey holes since all the center median is pretty much gone.  That usually deters them from speed traps without the element of stealth.

[DowntownNow]

Perhaps greater control and oversight of Boards, Authorities and Commissions that are allocated large sums of public tax dollars with little to no oversight when required. 

Case in point, the recent MTTA audit that identified a minimum of $500,000 worth of unneccessary expenses (overstocked parts).

Perhaps greater oversight and inspection controls of Public Works projects and bids...its time to trim the fat off teh contracts and hold contractors to their penalties. 

More rapid response and investment in costs savings and revenue generating programs (like the recently approved E-Ticket system) that can be utilized to put more officers on the street, paid for by the implentation and use of the system by the motorcycle patrol.

Greater control and oversight of City employee timesheets....remember the fiasco with TDA staffers (provided by the City) misallocating time to the Community Development Block Grants accounts when they were doing city business?  This should have cost the City the $1.5 million but Taylor got TDA to cover the expense out of their operations budget instead.  Makes you wonder how much is being misallocated elsewhere.

I'm sure there's more in the budget that could be picked through but I haven't read it yet, these are just off the top of my head. 

[RecycleMichael]

I think we should sell naming rights and use corporate logos on city property.

Flash a big Nike Swoosh on City Hall, make orange barrels ads for Cracker Barrel, have the firetrucks advertise for picante sauce, have street department workers wear vests with ads for car insurance, and put bumper stickers on police cars that say "follow me to Krispy Kreme".

[shadows]

It seems a shame that the orange barrels are not subject to naming rights, to be used by the leaser to post bumper stickers on.  That alone should convert much money into the city coffers.

Then there is room in the budget for the second snow storm of the season covering up the alleged fraud in public works.  It’s now a third of a million dollars (plus expenses ?) covering the department to where it will be  shown as sunlight on white glittering snow.  Another snow job will be paid for out of the nonexistent budget shortage all because a whistle blower from within the department ask the feds to look into it. 

[Rico]

I think we should sell naming rights and use corporate logos on city property.

Flash a big Nike Swoosh on City Hall, make orange barrels ads for Cracker Barrel, have the firetrucks advertise for picante sauce, have street department workers wear vests with ads for car insurance, and put bumper stickers on police cars that say "follow me to Krispy Kreme".

While all of these ideas are worthy of consideration, and may very well be on the drawing board, this may be the point at which we need to consider the source of such recommendations.

Yes the people that come up with these ideas...

Below is an article from the 2002 Michael Bates campaign for City Council.

again; we should consider any and all cuts that can be made, no?


In 1979, Tulsa voted a 2% tax on hotel and motel rooms to pay for expanding the Convention Center with 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and other improvements. Taxes were not raised on Tulsans. 2% now amounts to about $2,000,000 a year. When the expansion was complete, most  of that 2% was redirected from upkeep of the Convention Center to an "economic development fund". This money is paid to the Chamber of Commerce for economic development services. We need to examine the situation, decide if we are getting good value for money,

 

[TeeDub]

Isn't it convenient that Tulsa's debt service obligations went from $60 million in 2009 to $68 million in FY 2010...

And somehow there is an $8 million dollar budget shortfall.

http://www.cityoftulsa.org/OurCity/Budget/Budget09-10/Section02ExecutiveSummary.pdf
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