State Question 723

A national group is saying that Tulsa's roads and bridges are not being maintained properly. For Tulsa residents, that comes as no suprise. Our potholes are more like sinkholes: they've been known to swallow entire vehicles whole.

State Question 723 is coming up that would provide extra tax money to fix the roads. Oklahoma has a history of mismanaging funds, particularly when it comes to giving Tulsa an equal share. Whether or not the extra tax would be beneficial remains to be seen. I don't think S.Q. 723 is very popular with most voters, however.

So what's the best way to fix the streets? I remember seeing a Dateline episode a few years back where a company made rubberized asphalt that lasted several times longer than normal asphalt. But, of course, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. There were two problems with it. 1) It was more expensive in the short-term (but since it lasted longer, it was actually less expensive in the long-term). 2) Existing companies did not want to offer rubberized asphalt because they felt they would get fewer contracts.

Maybe we should all just trade in our cars for hovercrafts. We wouldn't even need roads or bridges, just grassy areas and open waterways.