A Swing and a Miss For Tulsa

It's a swing and a miss for business owners in Tulsa this last week. You've all been reading my rantings long enough to know my feelings on this whole downtown assessment district to build the Tulsa Drillers a new stadium... but... if you haven't read long enough, let me fill you in. It's cow excrement.

This is getting more and more ridiculous folks... not to mention harder and harder to believe it's actually happening.

Let me catch you up on the details here.

The city council passed what can only be called a completely unconstitutional district assessment fee in the amount of 6.5 cents per square foot on land and structures. This district is located in what is known as the inner-dispersal loop around the downtown area. This fee is supposed to raise $25,000,000.00 to help build a new stadium for the Tulsa Drillers Baseball team. As soon as this happened business owners were outraged... and quite rightfully so.

P.J. Bacon, who before, would have been assessed $100.00 a year will now pay $6,346.00 annually.

Just sit and think about that for a minute. You're a small business owner who just so happens to be located within the inner-dispersal loop. For years and years you have ran your business and budgeted around everything so you always come out on top... or at the very least break even. Now, instead of paying $100.00, you'll be paying $6,346.00.

Let's not forget that the county and state are expected to pay this as well. Naming just the State Department of Central Services, their fee will go from $5,700.00 per year to $50,000.00 per year. That's a tax supported agency ... that means we, the tax payers, are paying for this expense.

Moving on...

As this has all unfolded over the last few months, 20+ business owners got together and had a temporary injunction filed to stop the City of Tulsa from placing liens on their property if they did not pay the fee. Go figure... it was overturned last week.

I told you so... I told you so... I told you so. I hate to be right here... but I was right.

I stressed it over and over folks... if we didn't stop this thing... if we... the citizens... did not unite in a large enough voice to stop this, then it would begin the end of small business in downtown Tulsa. And now it has.

The businesses who refuse to pay the outrageous and very wrong fee will now have liens placed on their property.

I have to ask you folks... When did this happen?

Since when did we live in a country where our government steals money to build privately owned baseball teams a new stadium? Since when did we live in a state, city or county that this happens? It is not the responsibility of other business owners or individual tax payers to provide building expenses to private entities folks and that's exactly what is happening here.

And don't try to tell me it's not effecting the tax payer because it does. It effects the consumer... which, by default, is the tax payer. I assure you businesses who try to remain will pass this new found expense along to you.

Perhaps it's time that we re-educate our leaders in the inner workings of capitalism.

Private individual(s) (investors) invest money into a product which they believe consumers will purchase.

If the product is of interest or benefit to consumers, the business, if ran properly and competitively, will succeed. If the product is of no interest, or not enough interest, then the plan fails and the investor suffers the loss.

When speaking of the benefit of capitalism to the economy and how it works, the list is nearly endless, but that's the basic gist of how it works.

Capitalism... all on its own... with no help from the government... built this entire country. Capitalism is what forged leaps in technology. Capitalism is what made the U.S. the richest country in the world. Capitalism is what provided jobs and made men wealthy. Capitalism is what fed the country. Capitalism is what provided the huge industrial factories, which, during both world wars, through dedicated military development, enabled the U.S. to defeat some of the worst evil and atrocity this world has ever seen. It's what enabled the U.S. to stop the slaughtering of millions of Jews. Capitalism built the United States and dammit... it works.

What does socialism do? Socialism destroys. Period.

What is socialism doing right now? Destroying. Destroying what? Years of hard work by investors who placed small businesses in downtown Tulsa. Small businesses which indeed are the backbone of our entire economy.

This business owners invested their entire lives and fortunes (be those small or large) to take a risk and try to market a product they believed in. Since they are still there, we know they were successful. But now... now it's all changed. All their hard work... their blood... their sweat... and certainly during the hardest of times, their tears... are all for nothing. Our city government... because it wants to build a stadium for a privately owned company... is going to destroy their hopes and dreams. If they refuse to pay a fee that is quite wrongfully being forced upon them, then our city will place a lien and essentially take their property. Guess what that means folks? More burden to the tax payer. How? So glad you asked.

Employees and owners folks... employees and owners. These folks are going to have to get out there and find a way to obtain an income. For many, I can assure you, following current trends, this means the unemployment and welfare lines.

This is not a socialist nation... yet. We're getting there though and I promise you... you mark my words... If we do not stop this from occurring, if our leaders do not overturn it, then we will only be a step closer to losing the freedom we hold so dearly.

What's going to ultimately come of this? Who knows. However, I can provide predictions.

If business owners are willing to fight this to the State Supreme Court, then it may be overturned. In that case... we, the taxpayers, are screwed. Why? Because we will be the only means of providing that $25,000,000.00.

If it stands... we're still screwed. Businesses will have liens placed against their properties which may lead them to file bankruptcy and just be done with it. As I stated back in April... we will find ourselves... by my prediction... having vacant buildings throughout downtown being used by homeless seeking shelter and vandals seeking thrills. I'm sure that will help attract all the new consumers we're told this will bring.

You might be thinking the same thing many people are, "If we're screwed either way, then what is the answer?". Well.. there is an answer after all... and I... your beloved and esteemed writer... will now tell you what that is.

The Tulsa Drillers Baseball team needs to do the right thing. They need to stand up and refuse to take the money. If they want a new stadium... great, grand, wonderful. That's all good and well. But if they want a new stadium, then they need a build a new stadium through private means... not by taking money which is being stolen from their fellow citizens and fellow business owners. I wonder how they would feel if the city told them they would now be responsible for fully providing the wages of law enforcement for the entire district on the night of their games. (the logic behind that statement is in the purpose of the borders of the district, as it is said the stadium will effect that area directly)

I fully understand that our city leaders are expected to provide incentives to companies to bring them to a certain location, or relocate them to the town entirely... but this... forcibly stealing money from private business... this is not the answer and is not how it should be done. Offer them tax incentives...

Or... offer the tax payers the option... offer the business owners the option. And I don't mean putting it to a vote, although, you could do that. It could be placed to a yes or no vote, and all those voting yes would pay higher taxes, and those voting no would not. But... I still don't believe that's the answer. I believe Benjamin Franklin put it best when he said "The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy". If small business owners and/or citizens want to get together and invest $25,000,000.00 into a new stadium, then let them do so. Let the company ownership become split and have as many part-owners as it takes to bring in the bacon. That's how capitalism is supposed to work.

To conclude... Tulsa Drillers Baseball... you have brought me, and perhaps millions, enjoyment beyond words and some of the most exciting times of our lives. You have provided futures to many who have become leaders in our community, including me. You've always done the right thing... so do the right thing here. Decline to receive any of this money. I love freedom... as I am sure you do as well. Don't contribute to the pathway of destruction, contribute to the road of freedom, liberty and republic government.

I bid you good day.

Matthew Q. Llewellyn

Copyright 2009 Matthew Q. Llewellyn