Apparently The Powers That Be think they’ll need it to pass the MAPS 3 package.

The proposals for MAPS 3 were announced over a month ago, with attendant remarks by Mick Cornett:

Mayor Cornett urged citizens to withhold judgment on the MAPS proposal as he and the Council explain the eight projects in detail over the next two-and-a-half months. The Mayor announced that each of the projects will be the focus of regular press conferences starting in October.

“Today’s announcement is exciting, but it’s also a lot to take in,” said Cornett. “We will spend the next two-and-a-half months fully informing the citizens of the benefits of these projects. No one who wants to see our City’s momentum continue should be complacent just because MAPS and MAPS for Kids have been successful. These MAPS projects must stand on their own, and the Council and I believe they will.

“We look forward to what will be a very public discussion.”

Five weeks later, where’s the full information? On Wednesday, Hizzoner presided at the Skirvin over the first of a “series of luncheons.” Whatever information was disclosed at that time, we don’t know: attendance was limited to Chamber of Commerce members (who forked over $30) and however many nonmembers were allowed in (at $35). And the followup in the Oklahoman was sketchy in the extreme.

Two more such luncheons are planned, both at the Petroleum Club, just in case anyone thought the Skirvin was too likely to be invaded by street rabble.

Doug Loudenback points out that there are lots of genuine issues which must be addressed:

Since the September 30 City Council vote, any number of news articles reporting on various aspects of MAPS 3 could have been, and would have been expected to have been, investigated and published. Examples: Issues concerning the vague ballot and the non-binding City Council resolution, including the city’s claim that “log rolling” is now prohibited in municipal sales tax elections; issues concerning whether a new convention center is desirable; issues concerning the location of the proposed Convention Center, even if desirable; issues concerning city-unions not supporting MAPS 3; and so on.

Topics like the above are newsworthy, regardless of one’s disposition to favor, or disfavor, MAPS 3. They are also newsworthy topics which have been, thus far, shrouded with silence in the Oklahoman.

Meanwhile, the Journal Record is aware of the information gap. As transcribed by Blair Humphreys:

At Oklahoma City University, political science department chairman Richard Johnson said the MAPS 3 campaign needs to do a better job of informing constituents. “Unless the supporters do a better job of getting out in front of this, they really risk having it fail,” Johnson said.

“People have felt really good about the MAPS projects generally and getting a reasonable return on their dollar. But there’s not really enough out there yet. The public really needs to be educated about MAPS 3 and what’s in it — something like the need for an expansion of the Civic Center, for example. The benefits really need to be laid out for people to motivate them to vote.”

All the previous MAPS deals were, for the most part, out there in the open, warts and all. I can only conclude that this package must have so many warts that its proponents want to keep the camera away as long as possible. Unfortunately, that sort of thing works only in Hollywood — and, occasionally, in Tulsa.