Wasteful City Government

[Dustbowl]

How can we cut wasteful spending in the city? Where are the prime areas to cut the budget? How do we catch the slackers who waste our taxes?

[Patrick]

Repaving streets that promote urban sprawl.

[Midtowner]

Repaving streets that promote urban sprawl.

Bingo. Widening the streets in the far northwestern part of OKC so that McMansions would have easy access was a huge mistake IMHO.

[Patrick]

Better be glad I'm not mayor. I'd cut off all city services past Council Rd. on the west and Memorial Rd. on the north!

[Dustbowl]

Wonder how many city employees sit at their desks and internet surf during the day? Is that wasteful? I do sometimes, but I pay my own ticket.

[Patrick]

I think that happens with almost any office job.

I know the way they eliminate it at OU Medical Center is basically every website is blocked, so all you can go to is WebMD and a few other medical sites.

[bornhere]

Well, obviously you can't just choose not to repave streets beyond a certain area. I don't like the Okie Chateau neighborhoods any better than anyone else, but the people who live there have a right to city services just as much as anyone else.

Urban sprawl is toothpaste already out of the tube. The way to have prevented it was to address it in the OKC Master Plan and stick with it, but I think everyone knows how that went.

Most of you probably know that the size of city government has shrunk almost every year for almost a decade, and maybe longer. There was one year, I think, when the work force grew, but mostly it's been scaled down year after year.

Even in years when the economy is good and revenue is high, increases in the cost of health insurance for employees usually eats up the additional income and then some. High fuel prices are also a factor.

I'm sure there are city employees who goof off all day, just as there are in any private business (the real life equivalents of Dilbert's Wally) but I don't think unloading them would save a ton of money.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Stupid government workers. Why don't they get a REAL job?

[PapaJack]

Being a retired government worker, I am as offended by OGTS' remarks as gays are offended by Rep. Kern's tasteless comments. If you don't like the government that allows you the freedom to make tasteless remarks, find another place to live. I spent a year in Viet Nam so comments like yours could be made without reprisal.

As for Wally, he works his ass off trying not to work. His cynical attitude for his boss is admirable, and shared by most employees, public or private.

Finally, I live in far NW OKC, and the roads by my house are horrible. And I pay more taxes than Downtown Denizons do, but the country experience is worth it.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Being a retired government worker, I am as offended by OGTS' remarks as gays are offended by Rep. Kern's tasteless comments. If you don't like the government that allows you the freedom to make tasteless remarks, find another place to live. I spent a year in Viet Nam so comments like yours could be made without reprisal.

As for Wally, he works his ass off trying not to work. His cynical attitude for his boss is admirable, and shared by most employees, public or private.

Finally, I live in far NW OKC, and the roads by my house are horrible. And I pay more taxes than Downtown Denizons do, but the country experience is worth it.

First off, your sarcasm meter is broken. See the guy hiding behind the couch? That means my post was in jest.

Second...I'm a Marine. I did 11 years. I believe I have earned my freedom to post tasteless remarks.

[bombermwc]

Yeah I don't actually see much city waste. Unless there is some evidence that shows something else, I think they do a pretty good job of trimming the fat.

[PapaJack]

OGTS, I certainly respect your service to your country, but I’m dismayed at your “sarcasm” * about government workers. Marines are government employees too.

The sofa “emoticon” completely passed over my head. I’m old school, and the typed word reigns supreme in my world. I would probably be an easy mark for a nefarious “Friend” on MY Space. What’s the emoticon that means “I apologize.”


* "Sarcasm" appeared in English in 1579, from Late Latin "sarcasmos," in turn from Hellenistic or Medieval Greek "sarkasmos," and ancient Greek σαρκάζω (sarkazo, meaning 'to tear flesh'). Sarcasm is frequently referred to as the "lowest form of wit", recent repetitions of this phrase can include a further comment stating "but the highest form of humour".

[okclee]

Yeah I don't actually see much city waste. Unless there is some evidence that shows something else, I think they do a pretty good job of trimming the fat.

Bomber, I am with you. I have thought about this topic and I too think our city does a good job in all areas.

Now if we want to talk about the state , that is another topic and completely different. I think that the state is very wasteful in most areas.

[jbrown84]

I always saw that sofa emoticon as "uh oh I better hide because people are not going to like what I said", not "haha just kidding".

[Karried]

Bingo. Widening the streets in the far northwestern part of OKC so that McMansions would have easy access was a huge mistake IMHO.

Oh come now .. you all know how hard it is to navigate Huge Hummers down single lanes!

We need big streets up here to tow our Yachts and Mega Motorhomes. sheesh, if only.

I doubt road widening is the problem here.

[Midtowner]

Oh come now .. you all know how hard it is to navigate Huge Hummers down single lanes!

We need big streets up here to tow our Yachts and Mega Motorhomes. sheesh, if only.

I doubt road widening is the problem here.

The new roads will facilitate development which will put a strain on our already heavily overtaxed infrastructure.

These roads will be responsible for a great deal of inefficiency.

[OKCCrime]

The way money gets spent sometimes seems like a waste. For example, on the river walkway (no the walkway itself isn't the waste, although one has to wonder), there is a bell tower (sort of) at the eastern terminus of the north path. I know, you've probably never been there. Almost no one goes on the river walkway past the boathouse. However, you might have seen the tower when driving down I35 or I40, because the tower is right at the intersection of the two highways and the river - nothing else around. The tower has four or five bells, none of which swings or has a ringer. Makes sense, right? Why bother? Lo and behold, I was walking the path the other day, and the tower rung on the hour. I was shocked so I went over and noticed at the top of the tower there is a big speaker hidden behind a metal grill that must have emitted the fake bell sounds. Then I was dumbfounded. You see I reasoned before that the bells didn't have ringers because no one would ever be around to hear them, see them - yes, but not hear them. Now, I have to reconsider. Why do we have a tower in the middle of nowhere that rings the hour? Maybe it is a memorial, that would justify a bell tower. No, the only plaque is a marble one placed directly under the bell tower in the concrete pedestal on which that the bell tower stands. It proudly proclaims the designers, the engineer's, and the contractor's names (who should have remained anonymous and for this post shall remain anonymous). Maybe it's for boater safety. Nope, a real signal horn is located on a pole just down the river. I can't figure it out. But I've moved on to a more troubling question. If you have decided to build a bell tower in the middle of nowhere, why not do it right, with real bells, real ringers and real sounds? The answer just can't be because it would be too expensive and would be a waste. Building a bell tower there is already a waste, so you are obviously not too concerned about waste. If you are going to waste many thousands of dollars on a bell tower, why not go a bit farther and put in real ringers! At least then it wouldn't be an EMBARRASSING waste.

[jbrown84]

1. It was paid for by Kerr-McGee. It is the Kerr-McGee Centennial Belltower.

2. It's only a matter of time before there will be people in that area. 3 universities are building boathouses there.

3. Why should they remain anonymous???

[Karried]

The new roads will facilitate development

The development is already here... we just need roads to make getting to them easier.

Turning into additions creates a backlog of traffic when there is only one lane.

The new housing tracts were all built next to single lanes (now major thoroughfares), which is why now they have to go back and create more lanes to handle all the traffic.

I can't believe how backwards this all is... why in God's name didn't they plan this all out better.. they are moving power poles just a few feet back and widening roads like crazy. How mental.

Of course, now that the developments are filled with tax paying residents they can afford to do the road work.. but I'm thinking they should have hit up the developers in the beginning, would have cost a lot less to do it right the first time, imo.

[OKCCrime]

1. It was paid for by Kerr-McGee. It is the Kerr-McGee Centennial Belltower.

Actually it was paid for in part by Kerr-McGee. The base of the tower was paid for by the city.

Council Approves 50-Foot Bell Tower - Technology - redOrbit

2. It's only a matter of time before there will be people in that area. 3 universities are building boathouses there.

There really isn't much space near the tower being that it is at the junction of a river and two highways, and the bells (errr, loud speakers I mean) don't chime very loud either.

3. Why should they remain anonymous???

$80,000 spent and bells that don't ring. Enough said.

[Karried]

What's the name of the Light - a Beacon if you will in Bricktown ... ? Was it Devon?

That one seems a little like the bell tower idea.