Battle brewing over MAPS 3

Next month Oklahoma City voters will be asked to decide whether or not to fund another series of MAPS projects, but an ugly showdown over that vote is building with each passing day.

[sandra smelser]

I have no idea if ya will even get this comment so here it goes....
I live in a small town 96 miles north of okc. I was hoping I could bring a matter to someones attention. My husband has been a victim of little town affair with big money. We used to have a police officer until, the day my husband got tazered 14 times in front of the whole town at the little store here. This officer was higher by the city council to be billings police officer, even tho' they knew that he had been dismissed from the last policemans job in ponca city. This cop harrassed everybody, My husband got wrote 7 different tickets that the judge dismissed at no cost. I kept telling him that the attorney he had on his case was sending him down the creek. There was a 500.00 dollars paid up front to this attorney. Exactly one year to the day it happened, thats when his attorney started sending all these papers to make my husband think he was doing something for him. After one year the statute of limitations ran out of it being civil suit. It got turned into the federal court system and now it would cost us 20,000.00 dollars to get the case opened up and reviewed. My whole point is that, I've lived in this little town going on 6 years. I've noticed all local businesses striving to make it in this day and time. But that also the people responsible for highing this officer is still on our town council. A month ago there was 22 brand new trailers delivered to our town that somebody supposedly donated. And there is absolutely no land to place them on. We are a community of about 500 people. I just don't understand why people with money that think their money can buy off anything. I live in a 3 bedroom trailer that isn't in the best of shape and it makes me angry to see all them new trailer houses which are fully furnished to, anyway setting on main street, for the kids to break the windows out. I've wanted to go national with this story cause some kind of retribution needs to be known. If you have any advice for me, or want to talk more about this, cause it is a very good story about small town officer tazers man fourteen times, over trash and dog tickets, which he had already paid 300.00 on dog tickets. He's not our police officer anymore, he's still around he ended up marrying a widow woman that has alot of farm land. My husband actually shook this mans hand in church, cause that is what God would have wanted him to do. But still the whole situation is just not fair. What do I do?
Sandra Smelser

[maps 3]

Maps 1 was better than I expected. Maps 2 was good for the schools.
Maps 3 is too much at the wrong time.

[Jim]

Why do we need to pass resolutions that will extend or add taxes at a time when the economy is in such bad shape? People are barely making it, if at all and the city wants to spend more money at a time like that! Sounds like more big government to me.

[Paula]

Not now times are to tough. The average tax payer can not afford tickets to the current Ford Center. What would the new prices be for a new convention center. Maps 3 will not draw new jobs for our city, there are no new jobs until the economy improves. Give it a rest Mick.

[frank]

l has been working with the city for 10 years,when the maps 1 pass over the 200 city employes was separate from thers jobs,from diferent deparment,now we are olmost in the same situacion, police dep.do not have people o equipment to support the regular basic services,the city population are increse in las 10 years and fire and police still olmost with the same numbers the employes,like a regular worker l prefer see a police and fire when l called, and not see nice park in the city brick town.l love this city,l love the progrees,but my personal opinion the family sicurity is first ,use the money to get better road,better services to help to young people,get more police and fire,patroling you area and not wait 30 o 40 minutes untill somebory arrived because they can not attend all call because they not have police,fire or other city employee,to send out to help.sorry for this comment or grammatic expresion.

[tant]

Maps 1 and 2 were great! The problem with this maps is that there isn't enough police and fire resources to cover the okc area as it is, and with maps 3, it'll just be worse.
I think it would be great to see the maps money go to projects such as our emergency services, alternative transportation [bike lanes, bus, and how about some sidewalks attached to the handicap ramps that the city was required to put in?]and let's not forget that we already have many wonderful parks that are in need of repair and upkeep.
Or we could put more money into our schools- they still need a lot of help!
Either way, let's use these resources to take care of what we have already!

[Maps 3 - line item vote]

I would like to see the MAPS 3 proposal go forward as a line item vote. I believe that several of the proposals are positive and in line with the "call for ideas" that we, the citizens of OKC, submitted for. 3 proposals in particular are for me not in accordance with the wishes expressed for OKC. MAPS has until this point always been a "voluntary" way for us to pay cash for universally approved. It seems as if the goverment of OKC thought they would push their agenda forward by packaging what they want with what we want and allocate funds towards their prefernces and not ours. A line item yes or no would allow the citizens to vote on the validity of each project and keep to the spirit of MAPS.

[Voter]

We, the voters of OKC, have had enough, of this sales tax increases over the years. Every time MAPS is getting ready to expire. You propose another program. The best thing you should do is take the tax off food.

[Brandi]

As I heard one lady put it - MAPS 3 will be like adding on to a house that is already in disrepair. Let's fix the manning issues regarding public safety FIRST. Don't make us promises that once the proposal passes more officers and firemen will be added. It isn't going to happen. City council is trying to confuse the issue by alluding to the opposition being about wages. It's not. An independent manpower study recently concluded that Oklahoma City has too few officers to provide adequate service to its citizens. We're short around 300 officers! The Mayor says he intends to have around 30 more officers hired once this is passed? It's not going to cut it.

Those that are for the MAPS 3 will not really be affected by too few officers on the streets. They are wealthier individuals and groups that are rarely victims of crimes that are life or death situations requiring immediate response from the police. They're so far detached from the reality of our daily lives that they don't see how this proposal will hurt anyone. Saying that revenue created from the projects of MAPS 3 will allow public safety to increase its manning is absurd. We have a problem NOW. Don't put the horse before the cart!

Further, I'd like to know why a high-ranking representative from the OKC Thunder was allowed in a closed-door meeting between our elected city officials????

[Molly]

I agree that it should be a line item vote. I would love to vote for more sidewalks and items that apply to the areas of OKC where the most people would use them. The majority of the money is going downtown, and most of us are seldom downtown. We are the 17th most deadly city for pedesterians. More sidewalks would make the city much more liveable and safe.

Maps 3 - line item vote wrote:

I would like to see the MAPS 3 proposal go forward as a line item vote. I believe that several of the proposals are positive and in line with the "call for ideas" that we, the citizens of OKC, submitted for. 3 proposals in particular are for me not in accordance with the wishes expressed for OKC. MAPS has until this point always been a "voluntary" way for us to pay cash for universally approved. It seems as if the goverment of OKC thought they would push their agenda forward by packaging what they want with what we want and allocate funds towards their prefernces and not ours. A line item yes or no would allow the citizens to vote on the validity of each project and keep to the spirit of MAPS.

[Mark Gantt]

Have you seen the sad shapr Oklahoma City's schools are in? Let's spend our money on upgrading the schools that are falling down and in disrepair.

[Firefighter]

We were called heroes after the Murrah Bombing, but now we're villians because we don't support a tax the city council wants!

There are so many errors in the video & article above, I'm not sure where to start.

#1. The City did NOT lose arbitration because their offer was deemed inadequate. It was deemed ILLEGAL, because they sent language to the arbitrator that was never negociated. They will probably have file a lawsuit to even get their offer on the ballot, if they go to the people for a vote.

#2 The ballot that goes to the people on Dec.8th has no specific projects listed. It is all bundled up as "Capitol Improvments". So there is no gaurantee that all or any of the projects are started or completed as stated. They could easily decide to apply some of the funds to finishing the upgrades to the Ford Center which will not be completed with the current tax due to revenue shortages. They can divert these funds to anything deemed "Capitol Improvment". Simply no accountability.

#3 They are promising (NOW) "USE TAX" for public safety. However, no specific dollar amount. They could very well promise it now & change their mind if another project comes up. With MAPS1 they used 17 Milllion dollar to build BassProShop. I don't know about you, but I have never got so much as a "thanks, for the 17 mil." from BassPro. Again, simply no accountability.

They are trying to villify the Police Officers & Firefighters as only concerned about pay raises. That simply is not true! The Police did not get a raise. The Firefighters were awarded one by the arbitrators due to the unethical practices of the Cities contract negociators.

The last time the Firerfighters & the City settled a contract on schedule was in 1996. This was because the Firefighters offered to roll-over the previous years contract, due to the tremendous heart-break the citizens & leadership of OKC were enduring. It was promised then that this gesture would not be forgotten. Obviously it was. It is especially dissappointing to see FMR. Fire Chief Gary Marrs turn his back on the men & women who were there for him.

[paul]

to firefighter. you are not a hero. you voluntarily chose that job. the average citizen, like the nurse that rushed in to help and was killed, are heroes. besides, real heroes don't want to be called one in the first place..

[Don]

More Lies......"Mayor Mick Cornett guaranteed if MAPS 3 passes, not only would we see a downtown central park, convention center and street car system, but we'd also see added police and fire jobs."

We need to Anex the down town and brick town and call it Cornet
City! and let them fund there ideas for maps3.

Then we could use Oklahoma city money where it needs to be for the the hard working taxpayers. Not the RICH!

[Firefighter]

paul wrote:

to firefighter. you are not a hero. you voluntarily chose that job. the average citizen, like the nurse that rushed in to help and was killed, are heroes. besides, real heroes don't want to be called one in the first place..

You are absolutely right, you just don't seem to read very well...If you will read again I said "We were called heroes" not that we were heroes, by the same people (City Council,etc...)that now try to villify & discredit us.

PS. The HEROES such as the nurse were not average citizens. They were heroic citizens. I'm guessing you probably were not one of those people!

[Firefighter]

One of the biggest problems I see with this whole issue is the lack of accountability. Unlike the first MAPS, none, not one of these items are listed on the ballot which we will vote Dec.8th
It is either "Yes" for "Capital Improvments" or "No" for "Capital Improvments". This is far too vague. It gives the OKC Council the lattitude to use these funds on anything they deem a "Capital Improvment". All of the things they promise mean absolutely nothing. Why? Why not list items seperately & let the voters pick which, if any of these items they desire.

I will tell you why. It is so they can get the unpopular projects such as the convention center passed, because people want the beneficial items such as public transit.

Does anyone see a conflict with the Mayor being hired by Akerman & McQueen the same month that MAPS3 is announced?(www.am.com ) This is a advertising & PR firm that represents many Companies & Trusts that do business with the City of Oklahoma City both directly & indirectly. Many business & organizations who stand to directly benefit from MAPS3 projects. This whole thing stinks of conflict of interests. If we had any descent journalism in this city, you would be reading about it or watching it everyday. However, when you have a Mayor who is the VP of Special Projects for the company who represents or has represented the only dialy newspaper in town & controls the advertising and/or PR of :The Oklahoman, Chesapeake, Integris Health, Cox, The OKC Chamber of Commerce, The Thunder, The River and Parks Authority, Riverwind Casino, & many others. It doesn't get much coverage!

[qmack]

I agree this is not the time to add to bricktown because thats all it intend to do.people are having a hard time feeding their family and the city want to build a park and a new arena.

[Charles E Odom]

It appears to me that our mayor has been somewhat untruthful in that he only refers to extending the current tax. The current MAPS Tax expires on a specific date and can not be extended. The maps3 tax would be a NEW Tax or Tax INCREASE.
I am also not sure we need a Park near the downtown area. I believe Parks should be nearer the residential areas for the use of the OKC residents. I do NOT believe the visitors coming into the downtown area will be particularly interested in going to a Park.
I agree that much of the planned activity is worthwile, but because of the first two items I will vote NO.

[Sharon Jenkins]

I am toally against MAPS3. We don't need a park downtown to bring in undesireable people. Why not have a lighted, secured, parking garage which will pay for itself. The rails- how many people will utilize the rail system vs the cost of the system. When will Oklahomans see their ROI (Return of Investment). Also, I don't believe the government. Oklahoma City Govt said if the people of Oklahoma County (only Oklahoma County Property Taxes were raised, not any other county) didn't vote to purchase the GM plant, Tinker AFB could be closed. That was and is a lie. Now, these same people want Oklahoman's to vote again on revitalizing downtown. Even a dummy like me can figure this out and look what we have in office.

[Zena Princess]

These taxes are already hurting us bad! Lots of Neb. people who came here said they wouldn't buy a thing around here because the taxes are outrageous...that's been YEARS ago! The old mapp taxes should have been DROPPED on the date it was supposed to, but illegally they are STILL being used and charging us!!! Put those mobsters in JAIL that is breaking the law to steal money from us with taxes!!!