This is just a reminder to everyone of how vitally important to the health and well being of this city that it is that we all go out and vote "Yes" for MAPS 3. In order to demonstrate the importance of this issue, I have pointed out all that we will get with MAPS 3, and I have outlined the dangers that we as a city face if it fails. What we'll get:
1) A world class Convention Center. Though we already have two civic convention centers and dozens of hotels with convention space, and though convention business is dropping steadily across the nation, I choose to believe a fictional novel when it says "If you build it, they will come." I know that other cities who've built convention centers in the past several years have all seen convention business decline and leave them holding the bills for an unused building, but OKC has one thing these other cities don't have: year round bad weather.
2) A new park: It will be complete with water features that will also serve as free bath tubs for the homeless community that will be displaced when the Salvation Army Social Services Center is torn down to make room for the park. And because it will be protected by a dangerously understaffed police department with an average response time to high priority calls of just over nine minutes, park goers can be sure that they will have an exciting time after dark. Who doesn't like excitement? And though MAPS contains money to build these projects but not to mantain them, the park can be mantained for a mere $3 million dollars (about the salary and benefits for two police officers or firemen for an entire career) a year!
3) A new light rail system: Imagine all the middle class riders that will now only have to pay for parking once in Bricktown and who won't have to walk at all when visiting downtown! And, since the city will surely end its habit of ignoring underserved parts of the city, the rail system will provide a foundation to build a rail system off of that which would actually stretch into inner city neighborhoods so people can come from the projects to work at the convention center. After all, that's the purpose of mass transit anyway, and the city's sterling record of providing quality mass transit speaks for itself.
4) Sidewalks and Trails: Assuming someone picks up the $250 Million dollars of the convention center cost that MAPS 3 does not budget for, money will be left to add much needed sidewalks and trails that will help people lose the weight that they will gain because they don't have to walk around downtown thanks to the light rail system. And what a bargain at only $143,000 a mile!
5) Senior Wellness Centers: because someone has to drive those pesky non-profits like the YMCA out of business!
So, you can see that we have much to gain from MAPS 3, but what will happen to us if we fail to pass MAPS? Our progress as a city will instantly stop! Our investment in Bricktown ended in 2001 when the MAPS tax transferred to the MAPS for kids tax. Nothing has been built in Bricktown after 2001. And just look at neighborhoods that didn't see any MAPS money. None of them have thrived, except maybe Midtown, the Paseo Arts District , the Downtown Arts District, the Plaza District, the Asian District, and the hospital district. Okay, so a few have, but those were accidents of a good economy, while MAPS projects thrived only because we raised the money for them.
If you need an example of how much difference MAPS money makes, just look what MAPS for Kids did. Every school in the Oklahoma City Public Schools has received much-needed money for improvements and upgrades. Now everyone wants to put their kids in OKCPS. No one tries to move to other districts like Yukon, Moore, Edmond, and Putnam City. After all, if you could choose between Edmond Memorial and John Marshall, why wouldn't you choose John Marshall, aside from the gang problem, the under performing scores, and the low graduation rate?
Finally, a "no" vote on December 8th threatens the progress we have made in our city. If MAPS does not pass, the Bricktown Ballpark will be torn down. The Ford Center will crumble. The Oklahoma City native that owns the OKC Thunder will move the team to Las Vegas, and the canal will be filled in with dirt, on top of which will be built a pot-hole filled road. Don't let Oklahoma City move backward! Don't tell the city that you would rather them to invest your money in uselss things like firemen who are just going to slow traffic during the MDA drive or police officers who do nothing but write you tickets anyway.
Vote "Yes" on December 8th.
