INCOG lets the Channels Stakeholders have it

[AVERAGE JOE]

I started a new thread because the other one was getting unwieldly at nearly 20 pages. If the mods want to move this over there, that's fine.

Big shout-out to INCOG for telling the Stakeholders what needed to be said, but that they don't want to hear - open up the process and reveal the details of the plan.

INCOG says plan lacking in details

Interesting bits:

- People are figuring out that in order to make this project work, we'd have to flood the west bank and more than likely extend the 21st Street Bridge by several hundred feet. Of course, the Stakeholders wouldn't comment on that. They've got the whole thing shrouded in confidentiality agreements.

- Jenks Mayor Vic Vreeland raised the very important point of what the big darn hurry is, and that this deal seems incredibly rushed.

- I'm just going to quote the World article here. "Bixby Mayor Ray Bowen questioned how The Channels backers expected the suburbs to pass the proposal, which would increase their already-high sales taxes and make it difficult to approve future bonds needed for their infrastructure needs.

Warren said The Channels is seeking only the four-tenths of a penny from the voter-approved Vision 2025 sales-tax package that would have gone to Boeing but didn't because Boeing didn't relocate to Tulsa."

Yep, that 4/10ths is just burning a hole in some people's pockets. The sense of entitlement over what some consider money left on the table is just appalling. Nevermind that it would raise our sales tax to nearly 9% for decades.

- Good 'ol Randi Miller is staking her county career on this deal. She basically told INCOG they needed to get on board and support this, even though she acknowledged many of the cities involved wouldn't benefit directly.

I'll say it again -- good for INCOG for standing up for the citizens they reperesent by asking the right questions, the questions this situation demands.