Tulsa blog update, 2006/05/02
I am worn out -- I've been up since 5 a.m. and going without a stop -- so I don't have much to say, but my fellow Tulsa bloggers do:
Several bloggers responded at length to Ken Neal's Sunday column in the Tulsa Whirled, which called for raising taxes to cover the cost overruns of the BOk Center:
- MeeCiteeWurkor:
Ken Neal: Add-On tax for Arena - Chris Medlock: You Can't Be the "I Told You So" Crowd, Unless... You Were Right in the First Place
- Dan Paden: Blistering the Weekly Fishwrap at No Cost
And the BOk Center made the cover of the latest Tulsa Inquiry.
MeeCiteeWurkor has Mayor Kathy Taylor's e-mail to city employees about her proposed budget and a response from an anonymous city employee.
MeeCiteeWurkor also has photos and a thoughtful entry about Monday's immigration protest at City Hall.
Tulsa Topics' Bobby was at the City Hall event, too, and has photos, including a panoramic crowd shot.
David Schuttler was at the anti-illegal-immigration rally at 21st and Garnett and has posted his mixed feelings about what he saw and some photos of the event.
Mad Okie has a question about mass healing services:
...as someone said to me a long time ago, "If they really had the gift of healing why aren't they down at the hospitals using their gift instead of making a stageshow out of it?"
Good discussion follows in the comments.
In the "Photo Fun" corner, Mad Okie has some truth-in-advertising billboards and bus benches, and Chris Medlock features State Rep. Ron Peters on an SB 1324-themed DVD cover. Nice midriff, Ron.
Red Bug at Tulsa Chiggers hosted a neighborhood crime awareness meeting in his home and writes about what he learned.
I caught the tail end of the Homeowners for Fair Zoning meeting tonight, after my son's baseball game. Former City Councilor Jim Mautino is the new HFFZ president. Other past, present, and future Councilors there: former District 2 Councilor Chris Medlock, District 4 Councilor Maria Barnes, and possibly-future District 5 Councilor Jon Kirby.
Kirby told me that Martinson has asked for a rehearing of the voter irregularity case, rather than signing off on the judge's order for a new election. Martinson, as the incumbent, will continue to serve until the revote is finally held. It may not happen until the July state primary date.
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Dear Elected Officials, a heads up about the illegal immigration problem and the building unrest in the Land. Oh and a practical solution to boot.
I am a voter, a TAX payer and determined. I am extremely concerned about illegal immigration and its long-term impact on our country.
While illegal immigration from any country is a concern, illegals from Mexico threaten us BY THEIR VERY PRESENCE because of their overwhelming and rapidly growing numbers. The number of Hispanic illegals MUST be reduced; we cannot sanction their presence and legitimize their drain on this country’s resources by providing any form of amnesty, guest worker program or other accommodation.
Our goal should be reduction of the illegal alien population not by wholesale deportation but by attrition. That can be accomplished simply by making this country less attractive to illegals through aggressive prosecution of employers who hire illegals; the withholding of public services and benefits; and possibly even a tariff on transfers of currency to Mexico.
The border must be closed to all but legal immigration. An illegal alien should not be allowed to remain in this country simply because they ran across the border to give birth or to work in an underground ecomnomy.
In addition, the legal immigration process must be streamlined. It should not take five to 10 years for someone who wants citizenship to achieve it. The citizenship process should not be automatic nor even easy, but it should not be overly onerous.
It has been a long time since there has been a single national issue upon which many Americans will cast their votes for President, their Senators and their Representatives. Illegal immigration is quickly becoming that single issue. I believe that the futures of many elected officials, both Democrat and Republican, will depend on how they address this critical topic.