O'Connell's Off Topic

I live in Ward 8, it has been crazy how many phone calls and mailers we have gotten! I don't recall ever hearing this much about a city council election.

Here is a map of the 8 wards in OKC

Ok so any of the 3 running in Ward 1.

Edit: ok the above post answers this. Thanks.

Meg Sayler and Patrick Ryan may be good people and your friends but they are by no means non partisan. They have given countless kick backs and sweetheart deals to the rich, using your sales tax money to line their pockets. The new outlet mall being built came with a huge kick back, the owners get half a million dollars in sales tax money every year for the next 10 years. The city is building a practice facility for $20 million dollars that they will rent out to the Thunder for $100,000 a year. It will take hundreds of years to get that money back. Don't you think that money could be used on streets, roads, and other city functions? The city also gave the Thunder owners the naming rights of the Ford Center, losing a potential of millions there. Then you have the hole Bass Pro Shops debacle.

I'm glad the Thunder and these other businesses are here but the kick backs are ridiculous and unnecessary. They have given huge favors to their friends, giving them a huge advantage, while other hard working businesses have been running their businesses the right way and struggling to get through the downturn in the economy.

If you believe in free market capitalism then these actions should appall you. I would not vote for these people because it will bring more of the same, fascist central planning done by the rich.

The sweetheart deals weren't needed for the Thunder to come to OKC. It was just a hand out for the owners. There is no point in giving these handouts to these companies. It's not like Bass Pro and the outlet mall under construction are bringing great jobs to OKC. They are mostly made of part-time workers making less than $10/hr. So why should they be given an advantage over other businesses trying to make a living?

LOL these are not lies my friend.

I just think it's funny that so many of you gripe about subsidies for oil companies and tax credits for corporations but when it comes to bringing the Thunder or new shopping mall for your wife yall see no problem with it.

Hey , your phone is ringing .......... I'm sure its your union bosses telling you what to say next, since its obvious you can not think for you self.

But you won't gain much traction here, not many union hacks inhabit this board.

What have I said that is incorrect?

And allow me to educate you further on incentives.

Incentives are pure capitalism and free market economics at work.

If you are relocating your business, manufacturing plant, or even professsional sports franchise .... then you realize the value your organization brings to a community.

It brings jobs , economic stimulus, it brings new money into the local economy, they are valuable to the economy where they are located.

And if you a good businessman, then you want to receive payment for that value.

And you negotiate for that value. Because if OKC does not wish to offer those incentives, then there is another city down the road , that will.

Its called COMPETITION ................. its called FREE MARKET, that business relocates to the highest bidder ............. and its called CAPITALISM.

kickbacks, myass ................... let me tell ya, your way does not work we tried it for a hundred fricken years.

We went another direction and lo and behold, we got something goin here .

Of course! We didn't even have a basketball team when the Ford Center was built. But who do you think is going to get the money when they sell the naming rights again? The Thunder.

Here is an article for you sweetheart

http://www.dailythunder.com/2010/08/no-more-ford-center-thunder-is-now-negotiating-new-naming-right/

First off, you said the THE CITY is losing out on millions from the naming rights deal, when they have NEVER owned the naming rights deal - EVER. Second, yup, the Thunder is getting the funds from the new naming rights deal - why wouldn't they? They are the ones negotiating and selling the deal. Why should the city get the funds from a deal they aren't even a part of? And why would they go and expect to receive the funds from the naming rights deal NOW when they have never been a party to the deal in the past?

And don't patronize me, your facts weren't correct. The City has lost nothing from this deal because they were never a part of it.

Duh !

Of course it does, this guy is barking up the wrong tree.

And he would not know a good business deal , if he saw it.

Then he goes around claiming he's all for free enterprise, he does not know what it is.

The Bass Pro deal is getting close to being even sweeter for the City, as the building should be close to being paid for, and the City will get a nice revenue stream of rent from BPS.

Not to mention, that BPS was the catalyst for development of Bricktown, south of Reno. The entire Bricktown project was on high center till the BPS deal came along. And just like Kirk Humphreys told us would happen, as soon as BPS committed , other big projects fell like dominoes.

Man, that deal was a slam dunk for OKC, it was like free money. The only risk was BPS not surviving and going out of business, and they are prospering. And btw, without hurting the business of other sporting goods dealers in OKC. The biggest opponent was Academy, and you can not get into their stores on weekends.

Sometimes ya gotta save people from themselves.