Centrist, Owasso (9/8/2009 3:49:43 AM)

How is that stimulating the economy? answer: it's not, just like much of the stimulus money going out to states. What a waste of taxpayors money that will eventually mean higher taxes to pay for it.

If you wanted to do some beneficial for our parks then you would put the money into the swimming pools that keep getting closed or threatened to close each summer.

Kilgore.Trout, Tulsa (9/8/2009 4:19:49 AM)

Sounds like Tulsa County is on the ball.

Wonder if the City of Tulsa applied for any stimulus money for lighting in parks? It would be kind of nice to have lights in Hunter Parks Pooch Park.

Good job Tulsa County!

oldrustytulsa, Tulsa (9/8/2009 5:10:11 AM)

Heck, wouldnt it be nice just to have all the street lights turned on?

nativedaughter, (9/8/2009 5:20:47 AM)

To Centrist: you're confusing city parks with county parks. The County has never closed a pool. All are open every year. And the County parks are seeing new construction at LaFortune and Chandler parks and the county golf courses have never been threatened to be closed like the City. Richard Bales knows how to run a park system in the good and bad times. Maybe he should run them all.

To Old Rusty: Tulsa county street lights have never gone off, thats the city.

How is it that in the same economy in the same area the county is able to figure out how to do the basics and the city hasn't?

Eagle 4, Tulsa (9/8/2009 7:16:19 AM)

Gee, nativedaughter, Tulsa the CITY is 70% of the County - is it easier to maintain 30% or 70%? And if the County has it "figured out" why is it appealing to the (hated?) Stimulus for money? HMMM?

Where are the planners for Tulsa who will prioritize the reduction of energy costs, placing more money into the local economy instead of the coffers of AEP-PSO?

Angry Citizen!, Bluejacket (9/8/2009 8:09:43 AM)

Do these parks need electicity?

kyote, (9/8/2009 10:44:32 AM)

I am very disappointed in our county commissioners for even accepting this stimuless money. And even more disappointed in Mr Bales concern of saving pennies for something that is going to cast the tax payers for generations more than pennies. Turn the lights off and say good night.

zork, Tulsa (9/8/2009 11:22:36 AM)

What about longterm stimulus money for maintenance?? These fancy toys are going to break down sometime and the city/county will have to dig in their pockets to keep them going.

The only way that makes sense is to feed the power produced back into the electrical grid, thereby avoiding batteries, controllers, etc. etc.
Wonder how much money will be spent on consultants??

Zork

flyingtheo, Broken Arrow (9/8/2009 12:30:21 PM)

I think it is encouraging that Tulsa County is getting with the program and reducing the demand on the energy grid by installing wind and solar devices. Going to LED stop lights and CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) in street lamps and county building lighting is another area where significant reductions in energy use can be realized. Other candidates could be Natural Gas fueled county vehicles and/or Bio Diesel power.

gruner, Tulsa (9/8/2009 2:39:34 PM)

The US Department of Energy has money to spend so Tulsa intends to use it on "green" power. This is putting the cart before the horse and a prime example of how government playing in the market is usually suspect. How much power do these facilities consume and need? How much will the solar and wind actually generate (keep in mind doing so only when the sun is out and the wind is blowing - maybe 30% available)? What about the operations and maintenance cost of wind turbines? What about security issues for solar panel installations? None of this is relevant when the government gives you a handout, which is really our money and a waste of it.

IrishQuaker, Tulsa (9/8/2009 4:55:13 PM)

Way to go TULSA COUNTY!

We can be proud.

IrishQuaker, Tulsa (9/8/2009 4:57:25 PM)

Thank you Terry Simonson for taking the lead on this.

Skeptic, Tulsa (9/8/2009 5:07:22 PM)

Some of you are complaining about spending money to build windmills and solar collectors that will generate energy from a renewal resourse to be used in our parks, thereby allowing us to buy less energy from PSO.

Incredible! Wise use of the money Tulsa County.

Centrist, Owasso (9/8/2009 6:18:26 PM)

It is not stimulating the economy, the whole point the stimulus was meant for. I would have been proud of my State had they rejected this federal give-away. Nothing is Free, we will all pay for this wasteful spending.

nativedaughter, (9/8/2009 6:29:14 PM)

Centrist
You and me pay any way. Every utility has raised its rates already this year. More of your tax money is being spent on that than on the purpose of parks. The savings will more than be enough to pay for maintenance ect in the years ahead. Why would the county want to continue doing the same thing that will only cost all of us more not less?
And to Angry Citizen, yes all parks need electricity for pools, parking lots, community buildings, athletic fields, ect. The real waste of money is doing nothing while the utility companies charge more and more and no one can stop it.

Centrist, Owasso (9/8/2009 7:25:33 PM)

We will pay in the form of higher taxes and inflation from this ridiculous Stimulus (Spending) Bill and our utility rates will be even higher if they pass Cap and Trade.

flyingtheo, Broken Arrow (9/8/2009 8:20:46 PM)

The energy reality for America and the world is that fossil fuels are a finite resource and are rapidly being depleted. Not to mention the COX (Green house gas), NOX (Ozone depletion and respiratory irritant) and SOX (acid rain) that fossil fuels emit when they are burned. It's time for intelligent people to wake up and realize that the time is now for us to begin weaning ourselves off middle east oil (causing huge economic deficits) and dirty coal and begin transitioning to clean renewable energy sources.

Skeptic, Tulsa (9/8/2009 8:55:22 PM)

Centrist, were you equally opposed to the Bush adminstration's doubling of the national debt from a little over $5.5 trillion to over $10 trillion? If so, I can respect your position.

Unfortunately, I fear your dislike of the stimulus money has more to do with who's POTUS than any true concern about what your children may or may not be saddled with in the future.

BTW, how else do you "stimulate the economy" if not by promoting projects that creates and maintains jobs.....even if only short term?