Popeye, T-Town (7/9/2009 4:21:06 PM)

Here's a money saving idea:

Quit paying for, and applying, salt and exotic mixtures to the streets during snow or winter storms.

We've got a river full of sand already, use it! The terrible conditions of most of our streets can be traced to this one change in policy. The balance of damage is the result of over-sized loads.

I swear we could pay for additional police by putting them on the street, in traffic, and having them simply enforce the law. There's a Fort Knox full of money tooling around town at every hour of every day.

Few Clothes, Austin, TX (7/9/2009 7:11:20 PM)

It's tue Popeye. When I lived there the salt would melt the ice, but a new crack or hole in the street occurred shortly after the weather cleared up. Salt, in moderation, is good and fast for clearing your porch and steps but it doesn't work well on roads as they are not concrete.

Eagle 4, Tulsa (7/10/2009 8:15:56 AM)

If you add the overages for the preceeding 8 months you get a 50+. Then add the negative 4 months and you get -31.5. The question arises - If you have surpluses for eight months and negatives for four months shouldn't you still have a surplus for the year?

But of course it's all smoke and mirrors when it comes to the touted transparency in government. "Spend while you got it" seems to be the motto of Tulsa officials. It's like trying to feed a 900-pound gorilla - the more you feed it the bigger and hungrier it gets.

dTHREE, TULSA (7/10/2009 8:17:53 AM)

11% decline already! I have stated before that our '09-10 city budget should have been no larger than 80% of last years budget since we have not yet seen how much revenue will drop!

thinblueline, (7/10/2009 8:39:44 AM)

Darth Voter, if your referring to the smoke and mirrow presentation Martinson made last month as him being right on fiscal matters, you are dead wrong. Martinson just picked one group out. If you take the time to look and compare the budgets for the past several years, you will see police and fire received the same increases as most other groups. What Martinson failed to realize or maybe he did - is that for some reason the city has the IT section under Public Safety. So when he looked at the budgets, he failed to seperate or break down the increases. You go ahead and drink his cool aid, it just contains a lot of crap.....Spend a few minutes and go to the city's website and download the past budgets.

Mar, Tulsa (7/10/2009 11:01:44 AM)

As for sales revenues, I worked in retail for quite a few years, at large department stores. The bad news when sales are down at various times of the year is normal. People can't be constantly shopping day in and day out, they do have other things going on in their lives.

January is usually a slow month because it is right after Christmas and most people splurged for Christmas. Feb. & March are usually slow because tax time is coming and people aren't sure if they will have to pay and how much.

April, May & June picks up some due to people purchasing spring/summer clothing and getting ready for vacations. July is usually slow because in August & September sales pick up due to getting the children ready for school.

October tends to be a slow month, but then of course November & December has high sales due to Christmas.

It is the regular ebb and flow of sales, regardless who is President or what the economy is doing.

I agree about using less salt on streets, do a mix of a little salt with lots of sand, would probably still work and would save the streets. This area has the worst of both types of weather, freaking red hot summers and frozen ice cold winters, this all puts wear and tear on the streets.

Martinson was just grandstanding, trying to make it look like he is important and doing something.

kyote, (7/10/2009 12:36:43 PM)

Poor miss kitty less money to waste.

ajohnb, Jenks (7/10/2009 2:15:45 PM)

Eagle4, the budget is adjusted monthly to account for the surplus.

You know, spend it before it goes away.

Thunder196, Tulsa (7/10/2009 6:17:14 PM)

Bill Martinson our District 5 councilor. The great one who was thinking about running for mayor. The mayors office would have (here we go again) an open door to the public. We can't even get him to return phone calls. He has someone screen all the calls made to his council phone number. He does not answer e-mails, he does not answer letters. He does not address the safety concern of this district. For two years our neighborhood association has heard, "we plan on addressing your issues before the city council, if not this week, next week." If he is ignoring our district, what do you think would happen to us if he should become mayor. I sure hope he has changed his mind about running. As stated above all smoke and mirrors.