That’s $170 million per mile.

Actual total project cost, all-direct-effects-considered? Likely well-in-excess of $1.5 billion.

They could have redecked and improved the Old Crosstown — making it better than new — for less than $50 million. That would have left a modern highway passage plus the magnificent Union Station hub, best in the West, for handling all transit needs. Imagine what the 12-track-wide, 8-block-long OKC Union Station yard could have become with perhaps half or even a quarter of what’s inescapably going to be spent on “the New Crosstown.”

Oh — and now ACOG wants to talk about “what we need to do to extend transit to Will Rogers Airport.” Of course — ODOT’s fine, intelligent statesmen destroyed a string-straight rail line linking Union Station directly to the northern entry to the Will Rogers Terminal facility with an already-extant spur into the Monroney FAA Center — and did it in such a way as to ensure that this rail access could never be reintroduced.

As longtime World Bank Chief Transportation Economist Malise C. Dick wrote, back in the late 1990s — “This project violates every world standard for acceptability. It is the worst project I have ever seen.”

Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson — who’d spoken words of warning about the destruction of OKC Union Station’s rail center — called ODOT’s project “insane” in a radio interview with KGOU’s Scott Gurian.

Now — as with the famous Oklahoma County Jail — the roadway is no more than “just opened” — and everybody finally recognizes what a goofy, backward, ugly and ultimately unmaintainable boondoggle it really is. (I note that the “taggers,” undoubtedly in awe of the REAL vandals at ODOT, are beginning to have a ball painting up those ugly concrete walls. What did ODOT figure was going to happen?)

My only promise is this: ODOT and OKC leadership has not nearly heard the end of it. Accountability now needs to flow down like mighty, rushing waters.

i ordered the cd of relaxation and visualization from the catholic psychologist you linked to. although his theology on his site is sometimes heavy-handed (gayness, wanking, and junk food as sins) i really liked the cd and sort of got addicted to it for awhile – anyway – i recommend it

I have been curious about the fees for debit cards. Where does this money go? Does it go to my credit union where my checking account is? (I have thought about calling and asking….) or to some mysterious company named “Visa”. And who is Visa?

For some of us, getting to the credit union to withdraw cash is a problem. My solution is to use the debit card, but get “cash back” at a store that allows it. That way, I can make fewer electronic purchases. Not perfect, but better.