Bleak Day in Tulsa

The Recession is easing in the rest of the country - yet has just hit Tulsa with a HUGE BANG.

For the last 3 or so months the story of declining sales tax revenue has made every newscast. With the release of the very low Christmas sales - Tulsa was forced to come to terms with the fact that we have no money.

The Mayor came up with a master plan and gave it to the unions last week. The City Non-Sworn employees elected to have people laid-off rather than take a pay reduction. Those lay-offs happen today. Police and Fire didn't like either of the options the Mayor gave them and began the blame game.

Noon today was D-Day for the Firefighter & Police unions to give the Mayor their counter proposals to lay-offs. (in my deranged mind I saw the Mayor in a duster and cowboy hat walking down the street alone to face off with the Union leaders while the theme song to High Noon played in the background. the sun shining high in the sky and Mayor Dewey not flinching to the glare of the BOK Center)

We were geared up for an ever-changing landscape. Stories taking us places we could only imagine. The game plan was to be fluid and ready to roll wherever/whenever. Never once was it imagined that our Police Chief would be asked to resign after he releases 155 officers.

Today is a day of press conferences scheduled all over town to point fingers. All fingers are being pointed at the Mayor. I guess if you have to blame someone - the Mayor is a good place to begin. The Unions are saying that the Mayor keeps changing the rules of the game. Honestly, the rules are fluid because everyday they take to whine - we are another day into the money that we do not have.

The fact is - we, the citizens of Tulsa, didn't buy enough things the past year to keep our current level of police/fire and city personnel. This is not really our fault either. Companies are closing, people are being down-sized, employees are being asked to take on more responsibilities while taking paycuts. We can no longer afford to take the family out to eat 5 nights a week.

We can also lay some blame off on our elected officials. Oklahoma has one of richest deposits of natural gas in the world. Why are they not pushing nationally for more natural gas powered automobiles and use of natural gas for heating and cooling homes and offices?

What we need to remember as we hear the reports on the news and read it in the newspapers is that we are still here. We still have buildings that are standing and police officers to protect us and firefighters to rescue our puppies. The City will survive this latest crisis and with a little luck will come out on the other side a little smarter and a lot healthier.

It was a very long year ago that I faced the same thing going on with the City. We had lay-offs and pay reductions. What I have learned from each of my job experiences is that you must go on. Things will be different - circumstances may not be the way you like them - but, you must go on to the next road in the crossing. Make the best you can of each day.

Long days and pleasant nights to ye...