Interesting thread from up the "Pike"

[autoMATTic]

I was browsing around the Tulsa.now/forum this morning and noticed a clever little conversation that they were having up there: tulsanow topic. It's funny, really... pretty cool little Google tool they are using.

P.S. Notice they never tried typing in NBA Hornets or Forbes Income Growth.

[Midtowner]

Tulsa doesn't appear on many of these because Tulsa is not nearly as large a city as OKC.

Also, we don't have Sapulpa as a suburb, and I think that should count for something.

[Flatlander]

Wow,Tulsans envy okc so much they try to put us down. Advise if Tulsa ever wants to become a place to be.Just let us know about Tulsa.Tulsa will never be anything close to OKC.Vision 2025?OKC has a vision its 20 20.I look forward to the rest of you being my nieghbor by then.OKC ROCKS

[Karried]

That's something that has been happening since the beginning .. we just honestly ignore all of the OKC bashing ...and just focus on continuing to build and grow and be recognized as a top rated city.

Much better than arguing with them in my opinion.

[Flatlander]

Good point Karried,thanks for a more positive spin on the subject.

[okcpulse]

Ahh, let them bash OKC. It's nothing we haven't heard before.

[Patrick]

Ahh, let them bash OKC. It's nothing we haven't heard before.

They bash OKC while they continue to fall further behind. We continue to move forward. We have no need to bash anyone.

[floater]

I'm sure it makes them feel better about themselves.

[jbrown84]

The amount of searches for Wal-Mart is probably connected to the significant controversy over several metro locations, particularly the Fox Lake Wal-Mart in Edmond.

[Karried]

All this does is make out of state readers have an even more negative image of the state of Oklahoma.

The people on that forum are extremely rude. I think many people believe they are very jealous of the success and fan support with the Hornets and the positive articles surrounding this city.. they just wish they had the kind of recognition and exposure this city has gotten the past year... why else would they take the time to be so nasty about the residents here? White trash? Rednecks? Fat Citizens? I've seen all of that and more in Tulsa.

I said I wasn't going to read it, but I did and they are downright mean.

[shane453]

I'm a regular at TulsaNow. I try to post often and positively on Tulsa developments and issues, so that I can lead by example in showing them that we can respect each other as cities. I also naturally throw in comments about OKC- examples, ie "well this is what we're doing it's pretty similar..." or "maybe you should try what OKC has done recently" and when they bash OKC I usually respond with a rebuttal, since I can't help it. I've told them several times that OKC is no more sprawling than Tulsa. Both cities have a problem (and in Tulsa it's a fast escalating problem as the city population declines and the suburban counties become the fastest growing in the state) with sprawl, both with a problem of bad image, both with a problem of dull downtowns, etc etc... they're so similar, but many people in both cities refuse to admit similarities or superiority in the opposite city. Unfortunately I lost my temper for a post or two in this TulsaNow thread...

[Flatlander]

Hello shane453 I look forward to hearing about tulsa in a positive way.Go tulsa

[HOT ROD]

I agree that the OKC bashing sucks but here are some interesting points:

1) usually the least successful city is the one doing the bashing, usually out of jealosy. this is why Tulsa ALWAYS finds a reason to bash OKC, ditto Dallas for Houston, KC for STL, SF for LA (tho this one is debatable), Pit for Phila, Phila for NY, Boston for NY.

Only the most successful cities dont bash (and often dont get bashed either) - Chicago, New York, Seattle.

2) Look at the OKC people "stand-up" for their city. In years past, that would have been a one sided thread, with only one person speaking up for OKC - if that. I like that people stand up for OKC and use very mature/progressive diction - unlike the often childish pouting that the smaller city exhibits.

3) Perhaps Tulsa USED to have some legitimate complaints about OKC back in the day, but NOW the OKC bashing is DEFINITELY jealosy. OKC's city is bigger (area and population) and pop is growing significantly, OKC gets more tax dollars, OKC has more police officers (some 400 more uniformed officers), OKC has a livelier downtown that is just at the beginning of its growth, OKC attracted a major league team - that was in the top 10 of its league (could have been much higher if all home games were played in OKC), OKC continually gets national spotlight, OKC got some key nonstop flights (and many more to come), and OKC has more people on the internet - hence OKC shows up on searches. Need I go on?...

What does Tulsa have to compete with against OKC? Pretty much the same "attractions" they had 30 years ago. Sometimes, civic "pride" can turn a city into anarchy. But its not OKCs fault that they are in the position their in.

There are "some" Tulsans who dont resort to the trough but they will probably end up leaving for OKC because that's where the jobs are/fun is/.

Kudos to Oklahoma City, you will only get better!!!

[MadMonk]

Wow, I usually don't frequent Tulsa forums (why bother?), but it seems that they have a serious inferiority complex up there! Its hard for me to understand. I don't dwell on Tulsa; it's just...well...Tulsa. Why are they so obsessed with OKC?

They're like your little brother who trys to talk trash to make himself feel big. All you can do is hope he matures and grows out of it.

[soonerguru]

So the denizens of Little Brother have their knickers in a twist? So what else is new?

Shouldn't they stop wasting their time on the Internet and jump in the ring to provide mediation for their brawling city councilors instead? Maybe they should form a large human tourniquet to stop the bleeding from the absolute hemorrhaging of jobs that's taking place in their city. They lost another 350 just last week.

Not to be cruel, but Tulsa is one of the few cities that is more widely recognized for the industry it has lost than any significant new industry. "Oil Capital of the World" hasn't been a credible boast since the early 1930s.

[BDP]

they're so similar, but many people in both cities refuse to admit similarities or superiority in the opposite city.

Exactly. It's a very strange "rivalry".

I think the most significant change for OKC, since I have been back, is that it has realized that action is much more effective than hollow rhetoric. We used to spend so much time making excuses for our community instead of doing something about it. We are now getting to a point where we don't have to waste time and money blowing smoke about our city. When you begin to gain real substance, as we have, the promotion takes care of itself to an extent.

I think we all know OKC still has a lot it can improve upon, and I guess if TulsaNow wants to helps us find some things, that's fine, but this smells more like a specious attempt to validate themselves with internet searches on another city. In the end, we're not trying to be Tulsa or take anything away from that city. I'm not sure what Tulsa's goals are, but, like Shane pointed out, generally the biggest problems of both cities are very similar. I don't follow Tulsa vey closely, but I can say that I am happy to see OKC addressing some of its problems and, in the end, that's all I really care about. Tulsa can do whatever it wants and, as long as it doesn't mess with our focus on our goals and competition, I don't see how it affects me much.

[The Old Downtown Guy]

It is troubling to watch the onerous public political displays in Tulsa city government in the past few years. It is very reminiscent of the OKC City Council of the 70's & early 80's.

The current OKC City Council, with the exception of our overtly politically motivated present mayor, is the best in my memory,and it has been steadily improving for nearly 25 years now. I'm not saying it is perfect by any stretch; there is still room for plenty of improvement. I am told by political watchers senior to me that it is the best in their memory as well.

I really believe that OKC's solid, generally non-combative political leadership at the local level is the foundation that has supported the revitalization of Oklahoma City's community spirit which has in turn driven all of the economic reinvestment and redevelopment we are enjoying today. Obviously, in an adverse economic climate, nothing would be happening. But that's fortunately not the case.

If there is a lesson that Tulsa can learn from OKC, it is not about revitalizing their downtown with public works projects, it is about the benefit of improved quality of local elected officials and that's a long, slow grass roots process. It only takes one real ass on a small, highly visible, critical decision making body like a city council to keep everyone distracted from important issues. I'm not saying that everyone should keep their mouth shut and toe a line, but the issues should not involve personalities and egos should be left in the hall, allowing the focus to be on the greater public interest.

I just hope that Mick Cornett's recent hard turn to the dark side doesn't signal a slide down some slippery political slope that diverts attention from the enormous amount of unfinished work that we have to do to keep improving the quality of life here in OKC. His credibility and effectiveness are obviously undermined at this point, but that doesn't mean doom. It just means that some of the stronger people on City Council are going to need to step up and provide the quality leadership gone missing in the Mayor's office.