Brady District

[Red Arrow]

Please remember that the District is still offering free valet parking for Brady business patrons on select evenings...   Also...remember to tip your valet!

I'm not going to say the valets don't deserve a tip but if you have to tip them, the parking is no longer free.

Just a minor point.

[ZYX]

I keep hearing about the streetscaping in the Brady and how it will drastically improve the Brady in the coming months. I thought this project was a long ways out. Has it already started? If so then in what areas? I agree that it will indeed make the Brady look a whole lot better.

Hopefully if it has not started then it will start soon.

[HeyMambo]

I keep hearing about the streetscaping in the Brady and how it will drastically improve the Brady in the coming months. I thought this project was a long ways out. Has it already started? If so then in what areas? I agree that it will indeed make the Brady look a whole lot better.

Hopefully if it has not started then it will start soon.

No it hasn't started yet. It will start around the park, museums and KOTV studio areas first then go west on Brady. Will start seeing the streetscaping in the next few months.

[carltonplace]

There is some streetscaping on First at Boulder. Is this part of the Keiser plan?

[Townsend]

Was there a vote on the Pop Museum funding today?

I was shocked that OETA funding was approved for another year.

[godboko71]

Wow OETA got funding that is amazing considering the state we are in.

[dioscorides]

Was there a vote on the Pop Museum funding today?

I was shocked that OETA funding was approved for another year.

do you know what the bill number for the pop museum is?  i can't find it.

[Townsend]

do you know what the bill number for the pop museum is?  i can't find it.

Apparently our Chamber was there today.  Not sure what came of the situaltion.

[Townsend]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120426_16_A11_OKLAHO848912

Tulsa Metro Chamber members lobby at Capitol; About 225 metro leaders push a variety of causes

OKLAHOMA CITY - About 225 Tulsa-area business leaders worked the halls of the state Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, pushing for better roads, more money for schools and other priorities of the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

Gov. Mary Fallin, state Treasurer Ken Miller, House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, and Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, spoke to the group before it fanned out on the chamber's annual lobbying blitz.

The chamber urged a six-item agenda: increased state funding for education, state bond funding for a popular culture museum in downtown Tulsa, funding for a quick-action closing fund to attract employers, protecting key tax credits and incentive programs, transportation funding and more funding for physician training programs.

On some of those items, especially the pop museum and tax credits, the chamber may be swimming upstream.

Many lawmakers are determined to limit bond funding this year and do away with transferable tax credits as part of an income tax reform and reduction effort.

Fallin spent some of her time with the group talking about the importance of a substantial cut in the state income tax, but chamber President Mike Neal said essential government services have to be paid for first, and all of the items on the chamber's agenda are essential.

The chamber backed Fallin's plan to put money in a quick-closing fund that would allow for last-minute incentives to companies considering Oklahoma as a place for new facilities.

Neal said the state has lost hundreds if not thousands of jobs because it doesn't have money for that purpose, while other states competing for jobs do.

The Legislature created a quick-closing fund last year but didn't put any money in it.

Rep. Ron Peters, R-Tulsa, gave the chamber group some encouragement on the possibility for bond funding for a popular culture museum.

Bond funding for the project will be difficult this year, but Capitol talk about bond spending has been ballooning in recent days, Peters said.

The Tulsa project might be able to get in on that momentum, he said.

Chamber Vice Chairman for Government Affairs Jeff Dunn told the citizen-lobbyists that Oklahoma is underwriting the medical treatment of sick people in other states because some Oklahoma-trained physicians have to leave the state for medical residencies.

Sen. Rick Brinkley, R-Owasso, pointed out that if the state can increase funding for residencies for three years, the federal government will pick up the cost subsequently, allowing Oklahoma to have more physicians to treat poor and rural areas.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120426_16_A11_OKLAHO848912

[Townsend]

Wow OETA got funding that is amazing considering the state we are in.

Just read approved for 2 more years.  Super shocked.

[DTowner]

I hope Tulsa area legislators don't agree to support bond funding (another $40 million on top of previous $60 million) for the native American museum in OKC in exchange for a promise of Pop museum funding next year.  Next year never comes for Tulsa in the Okla. legislature.  However, I don't see any way Tulsa gets the money without OKC getting another $40 MM.

[Conan71]

I hope Tulsa area legislators don't agree to support bond funding (another $40 million on top of previous $60 million) for the native American museum in OKC in exchange for a promise of Pop museum funding next year.  Next year never comes for Tulsa in the Okla. legislature.  However, I don't see any way Tulsa gets the money without OKC getting another $40 MM.

They've dropped the ball and mis-managed that whole Indian museum project from the start.  Screw 'em and let them finish it out with private funds.

[AquaMan]

Yeah, but if we screw'em, they screw us. damn politics.

[DTowner]

They've dropped the ball and mis-managed that whole Indian museum project from the start.  Screw 'em and let them finish it out with private funds.

I agree, Okla. tax payers' $60MM contribution is more than enough and, even with the project threatening to sit unfiished, the local OKC gov't/business/tribal community is still only willing to put in $30MM IF Okla. kicks in another $40MM.  However, Tulsa has no chance of getting any state money for the Pop Museum if OKC doesn't get to scarf up some more at the gov't trough.  As much as I want the Pop Museum, I think Tulsa legislators are better off waiting another year and letting OKC sweeten up the offer (scale back the project, more private money, less state money, etc.) before making a deal.

[Red Arrow]

Yeah, but if we screw'em, they screw us. damn politics.

Even if we don't screw'em, they screw us.