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Vote NO on MAPS for Millionaires
By jmb | March 2, 2008
Facebook: Just Say No Way to MAPS for Millionaires!
MAPSforMillionaries.org (if you want to see something creepy, be sure and look at the mail piece by former mayor Kirk Humphreys in which he practically says, “Jesus would want you to vote for the sales tax.” YIKES! I myself, think that Jesus wouldn’t be down with raising taxes on diapers and groceries to fund an NBA team myself.
The Moore American: Ford Center proposal a bad idea, op-ed by M. Scott Carter
Since I’m not a registered voter in OKC anymore (only a resident on some weekends, now that I’ve moved my home to the farm), I can’t vote against this. Unfortunately, if passed I’ll have to pay the tax when I buy stuff in OKC, so I’m encouraging folks who can vote to vote no.
I’m all for raising taxes for the common good. OKC desperately needs the following things in my opinion:
- Mass Transit - longer operating hours for the buses, and working towards having light rail
- Bike Routes - We need to have a coordinated system of bike routes throughout all of OKC, with special attention to problem intersections and places where it is difficult to safely travel from point A to point B
- Parks and green spaces - We need lots more quantity and quality. Many cities of a similar size to OKC in are region are much better in this area. I’m thinking Austin, Tulsa, etc.
- Schools - Just visit your neighborhood OKC public school, and you’ll know what I mean. The system needs major improvement!
And there’s lots more I can think of — community gardens, burying the utility wires so we don’t have bad outages with every ice storm, building more swimming pools and community centers, improving services for the disabled, improving our libraries, heck even things like free public wifi.
The projects I mentioned above are things I would be ok with a tax increase for. Revamping a practically brand-new coliseum to attract an NBA team is not something on my list. Besides, OKC had record attendance when the Hornets were in OKC after Katrina, and that was without a major stadium revamping! I don’t get it. Folks are going to attend the games in droves whether we have the super-blooper jumbotron or not. If the owner of the Sonics is that much into trying extort communities out of their money, then I don’t see why OKC should be the suckers and buy into the boondoggle. Seattle was right in refusing to give into blackmail. OKC should do the same.
I also object to this project because sales taxes are the worst of taxation. Here’s a good article that discusses the effects of Sales taxes on the poor…
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March 2nd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Here’s a very, very good website that provides more reasons why you should vote NO.
http://march4vote.org/index.html
Here’s their top 5 reasons list..
5 REASONS TO VOTE NO:
1. This is a vote on a Sales Tax. Voting no means taxes will decrease.
2. This proposal delays the MAPS 3 initiative and more important needs.
3. This plan is designed to benefit the NBA and includes numerous items exclusively for the NBA.
4. The upgrades are not needed for concerts or other events, such as the Big 12 Tournament.
5. There is not a significant economic return from this investment.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I can’t believe it passed.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Also I will mention that Willa Johnson sent me something in the mail pushing the “Maps for Millionaires” initiative. I thought she was a social justice voice, but I guess I was wrong.
This makes me doubly glad that Connie Johnson beat her in the state senate race a couple of years back.
March 9th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Im so glad this current crop of “leaders” weren’t in charge when McVeigh came…they’d ban the firefighters from entering the scene and pay Halliburton to come in and…