TCC Bond Issue Vote 5-13-08

[Steve]

Haven't heard much discussion about this property tax, bond issue vote for TCC coming up on 5-13-08.

We are currently being bombarded with local TV ads supporting a yes vote on this issue.  As a Tulsa city resident for 50 years, I will be voting a stong "NO."  It seems to me a major portion of this bond issue is to construct an Owasso branch of TCC.  I say, if Owasso residents want it, let them pay for it.

It is projected that if this passes, it will increase property taxes by $50 per year for every assessed $100,000 value of a Tulsa county home.  I am sick and tired of ever-increasing property taxes, due to market value increases or tax votes.  Vote NO on 5-13.

[Friendly Bear]

I've received several, slick, multi-color brochures promoting the NEW TCC Tax.

When I see smiling children and smiling Tulsa Fire Dept. personnel in the same slick, multi-colored litho ad, I wonder:

WHO is paying for this?

What the Friends of TCC represent is one tentacle of a favors-trading Octopus, which work collaboratively to get each others tax increases passed.

For instance, TPS returns the favor to the Fire and Police departments, helping get each of their respective school bonds and 3rd Penny Sales taxes, respectively, passed and renewed.  

TCC is another slimey tentacle of this voracious, tax-grabbing Octopus.

AFTER the TCC election, maybe just MAYBE we'll see who the financial donors are to the TCC PAC, if the Lorton's World deems it newsworthy.

In all likelihood, it's the usual bevy of connected construction companies and their crony  sub-contractors, plus a small coven of architects, engineers, bond underwriters, attorneys and accountants:

Vacumning the pockets of Tulsa Taxpayers, again and again, and again, and again, and again.

And AGAIN.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

Haven't heard much discussion about this property tax, bond issue vote for TCC coming up on 5-13-08.

You mean, other than this discussion, right?
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9075

I'm still leaning towards no. Add a downtown parking garage into the bill, then you might sway me enough to ignore the bad stuff.

[waterboy]

I received one of their calls last night. For the first time in my life I am voting against an education proposal.

TCC is a poor administrator of tax dollars imo.
I believe they practice age discrimination.
Their human resources dept. is inept. and unresponsive. (I know this has become common throughout the business world but this is tax dollars)
They cannibalized the areas surrounding the downtown facility for asphalt lots.
Wage disparity is embarrassingly out of balance. Read their classified ads.

I told the caller that at some point TCC will have its attitude with the public reflected back towards them. For me, this is that point.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by twizzler

quote: It seems to me a major portion of this bond issue is to construct an Owasso branch of TCC.

Approximately $16M of the $76M proposal would go to the Owasso learning center - or 21%. A majority?

quote: I say, if Owasso residents want it, let them pay for it.

You do realize Owasso residents have been helping to pay for the Tulsa campuses all along?

Yes, including the one 5 miles away. Where is Broken Arrow's Campus? Jenks? Bixby? Sand Springs?

[swake]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

I received one of their calls last night. For the first time in my life I am voting against an education proposal.

TCC is a poor administrator of tax dollars imo.
I believe they practice age discrimination.
Their human resources dept. is inept. and unresponsive. (I know this has become common throughout the business world but this is tax dollars)
They cannibalized the areas surrounding the downtown facility for asphalt lots.
Wage disparity is embarrassingly out of balance. Read their classified ads.

I told the caller that at some point TCC will have its attitude with the public reflected back towards them. For me, this is that point.

I also am voting no for the first time.

TCC is a poor downtown citizen, works to block 1st and 2nd year classes from being offered by OSU and OU Tulsa and isn't the higher education entity that we need to work to grow.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by swake

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

I received one of their calls last night. For the first time in my life I am voting against an education proposal.

TCC is a poor administrator of tax dollars imo.
I believe they practice age discrimination.
Their human resources dept. is inept. and unresponsive. (I know this has become common throughout the business world but this is tax dollars)
They cannibalized the areas surrounding the downtown facility for asphalt lots.
Wage disparity is embarrassingly out of balance. Read their classified ads.

I told the caller that at some point TCC will have its attitude with the public reflected back towards them. For me, this is that point.

I also am voting no for the first time.

TCC is a poor downtown citizen, works to block 1st and 2nd year classes from being offered by OSU and OU Tulsa and isn't the higher education entity that we need to work to grow.

And that'd be a "NO" here for the same reason, though I will say that TCC does offer some career programs which are good, but do quite well within the structure, and buildings they have now.  I'm guessing a good soaking is coming on property tax when the road proposal is finally brought forth in it's final form.

[Wrinkle]

quote:Originally posted by twizzler

quote: It seems to me a major portion of this bond issue is to construct an Owasso branch of TCC.

Approximately $16M of the $76M proposal would go to the Owasso learning center - or 21%. A majority?

quote: I say, if Owasso residents want it, let them pay for it.

You do realize Owasso residents have been helping to pay for the Tulsa campuses all along?

I understood that $36 million of these potential proceeds are unallocated, making the Owasso campus over 50% of those that are.

Also not too fond of having over 1/3rd of a tax increase not accounted.

TCC is well funded, otherwise they couldn't offer free tuition and fees, or build and maintain their four existing campuses.

The pay scale and retirement benefits of those in charge are flat astronomical as well.

And, the slug they're being on OSU/OU growing is just wrong. Perhaps if they were out of business altogether, OSU and OU would grow to what we expect. And, we'd save a whole lot of Ad Valorem tax to boot.

Yup, I'm voting NO.

[swake]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by swake

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

I received one of their calls last night. For the first time in my life I am voting against an education proposal.

TCC is a poor administrator of tax dollars imo.
I believe they practice age discrimination.
Their human resources dept. is inept. and unresponsive. (I know this has become common throughout the business world but this is tax dollars)
They cannibalized the areas surrounding the downtown facility for asphalt lots.
Wage disparity is embarrassingly out of balance. Read their classified ads.

I told the caller that at some point TCC will have its attitude with the public reflected back towards them. For me, this is that point.

I also am voting no for the first time.

TCC is a poor downtown citizen, works to block 1st and 2nd year classes from being offered by OSU and OU Tulsa and isn't the higher education entity that we need to work to grow.

And that'd be a "NO" here for the same reason, though I will say that TCC does offer some career programs which are good, but do quite well within the structure, and buildings they have now.  I'm guessing a good soaking is coming on property tax when the road proposal is finally brought forth in it's final form.

I expect that if TCC were to agree that OSU and OU could offer 1st and 2nd year courses in Tulsa that TCC would find itself with plenty of extra classroom space for any needed expansion of it's more vocational class offerings.

[Gold]

Voting No.

If we spent the money on our schools that we spend on TCC, we wouldn't need TCC.

It is a bloated, mostly unaccountable bueracracy that doesn't give us much back on our investment; we could spend similar funds and attempt to make OSU-Tulsa a real research school.

I'm all for education funding.  I always vote yes on every school bond.  But this one just stinks.

"Center for Creativity" indeed . . .

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by swake


I expect that if TCC were to agree that OSU and OU could offer 1st and 2nd year courses in Tulsa that TCC would find itself with plenty of extra classroom space for any needed expansion of it's more vocational class offerings.

Good point! [}:)]

[waterboy]

Help me, Conan. I'm in mainstream opinion and I can't....find... my... way... home. Its all so strange. []

[breitee]

TCC is a moneysucking leach. VOTE NO!

[Renaissance]

I'm with the consensus here.  It just doesn't seem like building suburban community colleges should be at the top of our priority list, given scare resources.

[RecycleMichael]

Doesn't Owasso need a driving school for cheerleaders?

http://www.tulsanow.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9244&SearchTerms=owasso,cheerleaders