Letter to the Editor: All should resign

By Jack Murdock, Tulsa - 11/2/2009


The mayor and all of the elected officials in the city government need to resign.

How can we possibly have enough money for a new city hall, a new ballpark and the BOK Center while we do not have enough money to keep the law enforcement people who are already trained, experienced and for whom we have the equipment (cars, motorcycles, uniforms, office space, etc.)

If we do not have enough money to maintain and keep open facilities, which we already own, (such as swimming pools in poor neighborhoods) then we must stop building or buying new city halls, new ballparks and such.

We need to do a great job of the basics, law enforcement, fire protection, good streets and such before we build these ivory towers.

Stop construction of that baseball field we don't need. Tulsa already has a nice ball park at the fairgrounds. Find places to cut that do not affect the basic city services we need. Making the streets even more unsafe by laying off police officers is outlandish.

I realize that the idea is to get the federal money to rehire the laid off police officers. That is a lousy way to do business.

Let's not cut other programs so we can dupe the feds into paying for essential services. The elected city officials (especially the mayor) who thought it was a good idea to lay off cops and could not, instead, find anywhere else to cut, need to go right now.







Letters to the editor are encouraged. Each letter must be signed and include an address and a telephone number where the writer can be reached during business hours. Addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters should be a maximum of 250 words to be considered for publication and may be edited for length, style and grammar. Letters should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, Tulsa World, Box 1770, Tulsa, Okla., 74102, or send e-mail to letters@tulsaworld.com.



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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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PhoenixIX, Jenks (11/2/2009 5:09:46 AM)
Jack Murdock, There's plenty of "fat" to be trimmed within the TPD budget which would allow for the retention of the 21 Officers. Just ONE example is : The Tulsa Police Sergeant who is the event coordinator for the City. He drew in excess of $ 50,000.00 in OVERTIME pay this past year in addition to his $70,000.00 salary.

RAIDERS FAN, (11/2/2009 5:12:25 AM)
Jack Murdock, AMEN! I agree with what you wrote 100%. All those politicians have managed to do is cripple Tulsa. Many great former Tulsans have left because of them and their disgusting, pathetic and corruptive ways that they have done to citizens and especially homeowners. Our streets aren't fixed yet, we have less police and more crime and our money is going to projects that do not generate a positive cash flow, yet us taxpayers are being reamed over the coals. The solution to any problem is to eliminate them and by that I mean seeing them resign or voting them out. They need a touch of reality and citizens are fed up with them considering they are only lining their wallets and doing nothing of what they promised or took oath to do. As for the police, we, the taxpayers pay a lot for that service and that includes firemen and all City workers, none of them should have received a furlough or layoff. Cut the fat, leave the muscle. Meaning, cut the fat from the Mayor's office on down, leave the muscle means keeping our city services and creating more jobs so Tulsans will have opportunities to work and generate a cash flow. Since most people now are making the same wages we saw 20-30 years ago, but yet with the inflation that was made of 400%, the prices of homes, groceries, gas and everything else should go back to what it was 20-30 years ago and that includes tax which was at 4% back then.

Michael Phillips, Tulsa (11/2/2009 6:18:15 AM)
Jack, no question about it, the city is making some crazy spending choices.

dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (11/2/2009 7:51:01 AM)
The mayor resign? Who do you think she is? Sarah Palin?

my view, Sand Springs (11/2/2009 8:15:31 AM)
Jack, You have a gripe about city hall but it's a strike out on the ball park and the BOK. The ball park is being paid for by private money and money received from downtown property owners assessments. The BOK Center was built with Vision 2025 bond money voted on by the county taxpayers.

nosurprise, (11/2/2009 8:16:30 AM)
"Jack" we regret to inform you that the editorial board that picks the letters to print looks for 'easy pickins' like you: quick to spout off but no intelligent or educated facts. That way they don't have to worry about what they print either. We could vote to raise sales tax again to pay for the budget crisis-if you believe that spending patterns would continue even at the low levels they are. Or we could build these things you talk about to attrack more popluation to the city and increase it the right way. As for cutting the fat, you really didn't do your research about the cost savings that have been implemented in the past 3 years. And for the police-lets start by picketing the FOP, not the mayor. Did you know that the mounted officers each also get a car to drive home? and that when they are not 'mounted' they don't work? Or that the helicopter police don't work when not in the air and also get a take home car? Wouldn't it be great if you could call your boss this afternoon and tell him you are taking vacation for the next few days and he can't say no? You could decide after a few days to take a few more and they can't say no? This has NOTHING to do with our current mayor so unless you are going take a post or make an EDUCATED statement, i would rather you just say nothing and leave the comments to the informed.

Hijinx, (11/2/2009 8:35:45 AM)
I agree with my view and nosurprise. And furthermore, Police are important but not indispensible. Many many people are being cut back all over the city. But I don’t see any tears shed on here for them. Hardworking folks who are struggling to put beans on the table have little sympathy for a cut back on a few cops.

Thunder196, Tulsa (11/2/2009 8:38:43 AM)
PhoenixIX Thank you for your comment. Good one.

regulatorsmountup, (11/2/2009 8:40:39 AM)
hate for anyone to lose a job in this economy, but the FOP and other unions cut their own throats with their DEMANDS. Furthermore, we are not any less safe than we were...there are still the same number out on the 'beat' at any given time, just less in the salary pool...and those of little faith in the DOJ, my bet is the fed money is a done deal and those guys won't lose their jobs anyway. Hide and watch, better yet, shut up and listen.

Thunder196, Tulsa (11/2/2009 8:40:58 AM)
My brother is here from California and we have been discussing perks the police department receive out in California. Especially Long Beach. We can only hope they don't get some of those ideas in their head here.

hmmmmmmm, (11/2/2009 8:45:22 AM)
I can't believe the Tulsa World would publish an article from such an educated reader.

hmmmmmmm, (11/2/2009 8:45:31 AM)
uneducated*

Michael Keller, (11/2/2009 8:57:23 AM)
"my view", there's the item you've overlooked: "downtown property owners assessments". Not all the affected downtown property owners were on board for being taxed to build an unnecessary ballpark. If the Drillers believe they have to hold the city hostage, then they can go somewhere else. Demolish both ballparks and put the properties to better use.

my view, Sand Springs (11/2/2009 9:08:32 AM)
Michael Keller, Your right there are some that are taking the city to court over the assessment.

DBJohn, Tulsa (11/2/2009 9:17:54 AM)
The official should resign? Maybe we ought to talk to the people who hired them instead?

Mar, Tulsa (11/2/2009 10:42:22 AM)
Raiders Fan and myview, I agree with both.

QLC, (11/2/2009 10:58:38 AM)
Dear Jack, I always love it when a writer contradicts himself within the same paragraph. You say that you want them to cut the non essential items rather than the TPD, and then want to throw money at the old standby... swimming pools. Since these people were elected, then they have the blessings of the people so if you want to get rid of them, then you are going to have to un elect them. Good luck with that. Since you are in the land of voting for the party rather than the person, then we are stuck with what we got. But please, let the swimming pools go. Supporting them is as stupid as running on a platform of getting a grocery store into north Tulsa. And then failing to do so, and then running on that platform again, AND WINNING! You are correct about one thing. The elected officials are idiots. But look at who elected them.

dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (11/2/2009 12:05:20 PM)
Elected officals = dumb those who elected them = dumber

JCash, (11/2/2009 1:11:11 PM)
Nosurprise: Why you hatin' on the FOP? FACT: The FOP does not assign cars. The TPD does. FACT: Every employee who isn't working a primary assignment (mounted patrol) still has to put in 40 hours to get paid. That's makes you sound like a complete idiot. FACT: Ditto for the Air Patrol. Ditto for the IDIOT remark. FACT: Vacation time is allowed with permission, period. Idiot.... Our police department is not perfect but it doesn't help that people such as yourself are allowed to write things without any fact checking. If you were a reporter instead of a....person who does not write the truth, you'd be laid off too. Just so you know, I don't think Mayor Taylor is the devil either. But she does have to stand next to her record, like it or not. Stop using the FOP to promote Taylor's shortcomings.

redbeard, Stillwater (11/2/2009 3:40:37 PM)
Taylor's not running for re-election.....that's the same as resigning. I don't know much about Kathy Taylor since I'm not a resident of Tulsa,but I wonder how many of these problems would have popped up regardless of who the mayor is. The economy you know..........

nosurprise, (11/2/2009 4:30:14 PM)
Jcash-you are right-i am not educated enough on the TPD/FOP arrangements. All i know is everytime a unionized govt agency goes to the negotiation table, they get most of what they want. I don't hate the TPD or the FOP, but disagree with their tactics to get benefits that most others don't. I do have some knowledge of the mounties and the heli's and they don't put in 40hrs on a beat-maybe the get it in a desk job. Why do they need a patrol car to drive home? The only people i know who have a paid car get it as part of a benefit package as compensation and have to pay taxes on them (other ones are collegiate coaches who get dealer cars-they pay tax on it too) or maybe i don't know what i'm talking about. But tell me about the vacation stuff...the paper reported they are allowed to request vacation the day before and that if 50 tpd want to take a day to go to an event, the tpd has to pay 50 others overtime to cover...? TRUE/NotTRUE/SomewhatTRUE? Believe me, i don't regularly take the papers word for much, but i believe this was part of a public records report. The TPD does a great job with what they have but it's not the mayors fault or anyone else at city hall...it's past elected officials and unions and nobody, no mayor or other can change those things. Further, Taylors shortcomings are thinking she could truly change the way this town has been run, but realizing how many lazy and unrealistic (mostly unionized) people work in this city-i promise you this, lafortune wasn't getting it done and neither of the 3 up for election can make it better either.

mr.peabody, country side oklahoma (11/2/2009 7:54:03 PM)
"If you were a reporter instead of a....person who does not write the truth, you'd be laid off too." Well, unless you work for the TW. I'll stay out of the arguement. I thought it was funny.

Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/2/2009 8:39:41 PM)
interesting.

truth fairy, (11/2/2009 9:29:31 PM)
Seems a little silly to demand resignations of all our city's elected officials, when the election is only a week away. Actually, it's ridiculous, but, I try to be kind to the uninformed.

JCash, (11/2/2009 10:17:10 PM)
Nosuprise: The FOP does nothing to get benefits that most other city employees don't have too. The cars are a glaring exception. But the FOP can't strike or cause any type of disruption to get what they want. Trust me, we get promised WAY more the we ever get. Further, the politicians love/use us once every four years. The rest of the time we can't even get arrested by one. (Joke) I tried to answer your other questions but honestly it takes too long to write them out. I could tell you in two minutes if we were talking. Second, its as boring as watching grass grow. I promise you there is nothing sinister to our Contract and methods. I hope that helps.


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