How Do You Feel About The One Penny Sales Tax Proposal?

[Gaspar]

What are the options on property tax?  Can the city levee property tax for the general fund that easily?

Frankly I am becoming horribly concerned about the streets.  None of the projects mapped out on the streets tax plan seem to have started.  The city has admitted to raiding money from the pothole fund to keep things running the past few weeks.  Meanwhile in the winter madness the streets have gone frighteningly fast from a D+ to an F-.  There aren't enough people filling the potholes up with the little black pebbles - and the little black pebbles aren't doing anything - they keep getting washed out and littering the streets.  Instead of the right lane being the driving lane and the left being the passing lane, the right lane is the pothole lane.  Soon the left lane will be the pothole lane and the right lane will be closed until further notice.

We sorely need to do an "all of the above" approach of keeping current cuts in place, making further cuts, wiping out inefficiencies, AND raising new revenue streams from multiple sources.

Unfortunately mother nature is giving us a hard time.  It does little to try to fill the pot holes in this weather.  Expansion, contraction and the residual salt, sand and ice on the roads makes any repair temporary.  The minute a pot hole gets fixed a snow plow pops it out like a bottle cap. 

We have to hold out until the weather improves or we are just pouring money into the holes.  Sure we've got to fix the bigens so no one dies, but we probably won't see a big push to repair until all of this "global warming" stabilizes. 

[Hoss]

This may be a little generalized, but I LOVE when the righties start snarking about 'global warming', when they don't realize that climate change and global warming are not used interchangeably.

It makes a nice talking point when the temperatures dip, but you might do yourselves well to brush over this:

http://www.grinningplanet.com/2007/01-02/global-warming-vs-climate-change.htm

I've used this to point people in direction of the differences between the two and let them judge for themselves.  Being the weather geek I am, I do know that swings one way or the other don't necessarily include man-made reasons, but they aren't helping.

Sorry for the thread drift, but I thought it relevant given the previous post.

Back to the discussion at hand.

[YoungTulsan]

The minute a pot hole gets fixed a snow plow pops it out like a bottle cap. 

We have to hold out until the weather improves or we are just pouring money into the holes. 

Yeah, I understand that.  But I did hear the pothole budget is being raided.  And my statement was more of a voice of distaste in the shoddy way we patch up potholes here.  Eventually it has to be more cost effective to resurface a piece of road than to fill it in, and watch the holes multiply as more water stands around the other holes.   As the streets start looking like Qusay Hussein's driveway it is looking like funding for the repair of streets may be headed in the wrong direction.

[shadows]

It is easy to add another cent to the list published on the internet.

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his a$$. (edited)

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge T ax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge=2 0Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax


-----

[Breadburner]

Excelent post Shad.....You are really coming around......

[Gaspar]

So I guess the question is. . .

Do we just choose "EASY" and push everything onto the taxpayers again, or do we find and fix the waste, tighten our belts and make our city more competitive?

[Nik]

Those of you that don't support a penny increase, would you support the suggestion I made on page 2?

[Conan71]

The City Of Tulsa's "Easy Button"



At what point are citizens going to quit accepting circle-jerk excuses from the city council and heads of departments that they are doing all they can to identify waste or there is nothing that can be done. 

What is our new auditor Preston Doerflinger doing these days?  I thought he was going to bring in a wave of change and accountability.  I've heard zilch out of the auditor's office in response to our budget crisis thus far.

From his campaign web site:

Better Government Efficiency
"The city must operate economically and efficiently. The citizens of Tulsa expect and deserve nothing less. As an entrepreneur, I know what it takes to eliminate waste, trim unnecessary spending and create financial stability, even during this challenging economy."

Demand Results
"I am not interested in bureaucratic audits that only create an appearance of relevance; I am interested in results. As the next City Auditor, I aim to carefully review every department to identify ways to improve performance and improve efficiency."

Leadership in Uncertain Times
"Challenging times call for strong leadership. The Auditor's Office plays an important role in our economic development. I will ensure that the office provides policy makers with timely, relevant and accurate data so they can make informed decisions that lead Tulsa in the right direction. And I will invite transparency and accountability at every step along the way."

[Breadburner]

So I guess the question is. . .

Do we just choose "EASY" and push everything onto the taxpayers again, or do we find and fix the waste, tighten our belts and make our city more competitive?

Post of the year....Just like the working man has to do......

[patric]

We dont even utilize our existing revenue streams:

"City Owed Millions in Traffic Tickets"
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/City-Owed-Millions-in-Traffic-Tickets/Nm4e6k7bTES6f7gJ6MkK5w.cspx

[buckeye]

I heard on the radio the other day that they're looking into rehiring 35 laid-off traffic enforcement officers.

12% uncollected?  I wonder how that rate compares to various businesses'.

[TURobY]

I heard on the radio the other day that they're looking into rehiring 35 laid-off traffic enforcement officers.

12% uncollected?  I wonder how that rate compares to various businesses'.

When I did business and advertising management at TU's newspaper, we planned for at least 7-10% uncollectable and it usually came in at around 5% of sales.

[Conan71]

A point made by a friend of mine this afternoon is that there's probably a fair amount of uncollected fines (sorry I know "fair amount" isn't very scientific) owed by people presently in jail or prison on other charges, people who don't live in the area, and generally destitute who can't afford to pay the fines.  Doing a round up is costly and making someone stay in jail a couple of days to pay up isn't a solution.  They need to have an amnesty day or week, publish a database of delinquents, and see what that raises.

[Hoss]

A point made by a friend of mine this afternoon is that there's probably a fair amount of uncollected fines (sorry I know "fair amount" isn't very scientific) owed by people presently in jail or prison on other charges, people who don't live in the area, and generally destitute who can't afford to pay the fines.  Doing a round up is costly and making someone stay in jail a couple of days to pay up isn't a solution.  They need to have an amnesty day or week, publish a database of delinquents, and see what that raises.

I remember them doing the amnesty day once or twice...