Take a chance on tax, or sit on hands

Discussion

January 4, 2013

Take a chance on tax, or sit on hands

Anonymous Submitted The Tahlequah Daily Press Fri Jan 04, 2013, 08:17 PM CST

TAHLEQUAH — Editor, Daily Press:

Zack Smith brought up some valid thoughts in his Letter to the Editor on Jan. 2 regarding the bond issue the mayor and city council have proposed.

I agree with Mr. Smith completely on the need for capital improvements which should have been started many years ago in a methodical and intelligent way. Department heads can only do so much with what they have been allocated in the past budgets and we find ourselves with a lot of things the city owns in need of repair and replacement. I also agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Smith on the uncanny ability that NSU has to extract money from the city's needs, then charge us for using their facilities.

The proposal for use of the bond money is not going to please everyone but it does go a long way in attempting to get caught up on modernizing the city and making it a more friendly and safe place in which to live. I also agree with Mr. Smith on the extreme amount of money that falls between the cracks on a bond issue. A million dollars to go for arranging the bond. Out of that there will be money paid to people for their “help” in getting the bond passed. I believe everyone who benefits should be listed and let the citizens decide if they think this is a fair way of doing business. That would be part of the “openness” that is so much in need now that money is tight.

I couldn't agree more with your take on the NSU involvement in the city's finances. They seem to have an endless supply of money from the federal government, state and other sources and should be able to live within their budget. I suspect that most of their classrooms have a utility value of about 5 percent of available time. Their existence should be based on education, not building empires, kingdoms and amassing stuff.

The fact is that we have a city that needs improvement for the drivers, kids and people who live here and also those who visit. Schools should stand on their own and should keep their hands out of the public money, wherever it comes from. I would suspect the million dollars for arranging the bond election could be negotiated and leave out the bribes or money going back to city employees for their “help” in looking over the documents.

Zack said he would reluctantly vote no on the bonds, and I will reluctantly vote yes in the hope that we can get a lot of bang for the bond buck rather than just continue the tradition that Tahlequah has had in the past.

Some of the past elected officials had a habit of back-scratching and ego-building when it comes to city money, and hopefully we are past that. Let's fix the roads, make a nice place for the kids to play rather than going the drug route, and enhance the raw beauty we have in our little paradise in eastern Oklahoma.

We can either take a chance on the future or sit on our hands and assume the worst is going to happen.

Everett Childers

Tahlequah

Text Only

Letters to editor

Pray for leaders, too
Dave Thomas needs to be sure he is uttering facts, not claims, before he prays.

May 8, 2013
In defense of the 2nd
There are four reasons why I am against a mandated background check to purchase a weapon. The first is how I read the Second Amendment: “...shall not be infringed..” means that Congress does not have any authority over “arms.” I do not believe a body of fallible men and women should have that kind of authority.

May 8, 2013
STIR incensed at letters
Now we learn that not only have Northwest Arkansas forces successfully weaseled another study of Oklahoma’s

April 26, 2013
Foot patrol needed here
Folks are putting in [the Press] their pride for the police department. If all was so fine, why did we get a new chief?

April 26, 2013
Kudos to Daily Press
I just want to let you know how impressed I am with the professionalism displayed by Tahlequah Daily Press Managing Editor Kim Poindexter during a disturbing incident I witnessed Monday, April 1.

April 24, 2013
In defense of cops
One of my pet peeves is people talking about something as if it’s fact when they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. In response to Phyllis Wilfong’s letter to the editor, let me set the record straight.

April 22, 2013
CN to be commended
I have to applaud Cherokee Nation’s investment in health care.

April 17, 2013
In appreciation of cops
Wow, maybe we should start dictating to our police force where, when, what time, what type of food, and with whom they should be eating! More often than not, co-workers are often seen lunching together. Why should law enforcement be looked upon any differently?

April 17, 2013
The unfriendly streets
I have lived in the Tahlequah area since 1994, and since 2009, within the city limits of Tahlequah. Since 2011, I have begun running in town, and since 2012, also started bicycling in town.

April 3, 2013
Coming full circle
When I was a child growing up in Tahlequah, the Indian children were looked down on. The “White” kids made fun of their names and accents.

March 29, 2013
More Letters to editor Headlines

What do you think of Sen. McCain's proposal to allow cable TV channels to be sold a la carte (individually, rather than in bundles with a lot of channels no one wants)? Bear in mind some less popular channels could go by the wayside with no bundling support, and that while overall packages should theoretically decrease in cost, individual channels might cost more.

Letters to editor

Search Results

Discussion

Take a chance on tax, or sit on hands

Site Map

Contact Us