OKC's rampant problems: blight, congestion, lack of civic planning, etc, etc, etc

[mugofbeer]

not a sooners fan, so it aint my tax dollars being wasted down there.

The current contract calls for each school to receive a direct subsidy from the City of Dallas of $850K thru 2011 rising to $1million in 2012-2015.

[mugofbeer]

yeah, its a busy seaport. but how far in range do you think seattle goods are distributed when pacific seaports such as san francisco and los angeles easily rival the quantity of goods being shipped then trucked.

perhaps some speciality goods are distributed to all 48 states, canada, and mexico from seattle, but there are so many other seaports on each coast and the range of regional distribution only stretches so far.

Uh, like across the entire country? Its not the same goods that come into other seaports.

How old are you? 18 - 20???

[metro]

The current contract calls for each school to receive a direct subsidy from the City of Dallas of $850K thru 2011 rising to $1million in 2012-2015.

woop, the economic impact of that game is in the tens of millions - per year!

[mugofbeer]

I would be curious to know what the impact would be to the City of Norman and the Metro area if the game were played here every other year? It would be far less than the DFW area gets because there would be far less Texans coming here for the game. I would be curious if it would be more than the $1mm?

[bluedogok]

The economic impact from most home games is around 2-3 million here in Austin according to a news report earlier this year, I would imagine is is somewhere around the same for Norman/OKC. It would have no more impact than any other home game, both OU and UT have about the same number of home games as any other school that does not have a neutral site game so I don't think it would be an additional game. The schedule would be adjusted accordingly.

[okcpulse]

people in okc do their shopping in dallas because of the diversity that dallas has. another reason is that texas offers an annual tax free weekend. why cant oklahoma do the same? ill answer that for you, because were a tax greedy state.

You need to check your facts on tax burdens between Oklahoma and Texas. First, Oklahoma does offer a tax free weekend. It started a few years ago, and is typically held around the same time as Texas' tax free weekend. And yes, it is a state-sanctioned tax free weekend.

Now, down to other taxes that Texas slaps on its 25 million people that for some reason bitch about the taxes but pay them anyway without protesting the state....

Average property taxe rates

$939 on a $130,000 home in Oklahoma
$2,288 on a $130,00 home in Texas

Sales taxes on average are about the same, slightly higher in Oklahoma. Every city in the Houston CMSA charges 8.25%. And don't the the grocery exemption fool you either... it's only on basic staples.

Texas
Sales tax on vehicle purchases: 6.25%
Vehicle inspections: $39.50
Registration fees: $53.80

Oklahoma
Excise (sales) tax on vehicles: 3.25%
Vehicle inspections: none
Registration fees: range from $25.00 to $95.00

Oklahoma does have an income taxes where Texas doesn't. But put this into perspective... the Oklahoma state income tax rate went down on the top bracket. I may pay more when I get a raise, but my income taxes won't skyrocket just because my neighbor put a pool in his back yard and landscaped the crap out of the front yard. In Texas, people have to take off a day just to go protest their property taxes. It's ridiculous.

My house in Conroe was valued at $104,000 last year. The property taxes went up ten percent to $3,570, even though the value was flat from 2007-2008.

Then there are the higher gas taxes per gallon. And the school taxes, independent from property taxes. And the deregulated electric companies with variable fuel charge rates that can go up without any notice. Then when you MOVE to Texas, they have a welcome wagon for you in the form of a "new residence tax" they charge on each of your vehicles upon the first year of registration.

Still liking Texas are we? I can go on all day long. But if people are willing to salivate over and move to Texas and pay the property taxes and all the other surprises they seem oblivious to, then perhaps we should cut Oklahoma some slack.

[metro]

Mods, why are you keeping this thread in MWC/Del City? It's blatantly about OKC, I don't get it. So should I start MWC threads in OKC Metro Area? Not trying to pick a fight, I just don't understand why have the seperate sections if threads about MWC (which there are) stay in OKC Metro and OKC threads in MWC/Del City section.

[HVAC Instructor]

Mods, why are you keeping this thread in MWC/Del City? It's blatantly about OKC, I don't get it. So should I start MWC threads in OKC Metro Area? Not trying to pick a fight, I just don't understand why have the seperate sections if threads about MWC (which there are) stay in OKC Metro and OKC threads in MWC/Del City section.

Ahhhh...yet another aspiring wannabe forum mod.

[metro]

Pot, this is kettle, you're black. HVAC, from your brief time here, you appear to be the same way, only purposely antagonizing posters.

But back to topic. Nope, I kindly declined it (mod) when it was offered to me several years ago, along with buying the site.

[Martin]

metro, you resurrected a thread that hasn't been posted in for four days just to whine about its location. if you have a question about moderation send it via pm. we've been through this. you know better.

you reported the thread. we looked into it. this public lobbying whenever you don't get your way is getting quite irritating.

back to topic.

-M

[kevinpate]

:





on the bright side, having that one game in the Cotton Bowl gives a fairly quiet weekend to the rest of the locals each fall. Kinda nice.

[HVAC Instructor]

Pot, this is kettle, you're black. HVAC, from your brief time here, you appear to be the same way, only purposely antagonizing posters.

But back to topic. Nope, I kindly declined it (mod) when it was offered to me several years ago, along with buying the site.

I just say what I think. If you feel antagonized, that's your problem. And you shoulda took the mod job when you had the chance, that way you could be the forum Gestapo and put a stop to all these moderates & left wingers on here.

And really back to topic: All I have to do is take a trip back to Atlanta to appreciate OKC. OKC does damned near everything better than Atlanta! I suggest the OP go live in ATL for a year or two & then make the comparison....

[metro]

I used to live outside of ATL and disagree. ATL has far more quality of life amenities than OKC. This is all personal preference really.

mmm- again, not trying to pick a fight, but are you saying the mods are always right, and can't be called out on stuff? I honestly think it's still a legitimate question, when the topic and title clearly state problems in OKC and this thread is in Del City/MWC. And there are threads about MWC in the OKC forum. It just raises my point why have the different ones? I'm curious as to what Pete would say.

[HVAC Instructor]

I used to live outside of ATL and disagree. ATL has far more quality of life amenities than OKC. This is all personal preference really.

I lived there from 1964 - 1982, and then from 1986 to 2007.

How long did you live there?

Quality of life amenities? Like what?

Huge housing projects and other high violent crime neighborhoods where you can get shot for making a wrong turn at the wrong time?

Bumper to bumper traffic on the downtown connectors and main surface streets from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM and again from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM? I lived 5 miles from my work in Atlanta and it often took 30 minutes to get there.

Multiple murders on the news EVERY night? "If it bleeds, it leads."

50 roads named "Peachtree" Street Road Blvd, etc?

Still high racial tensions. Only in the last decade was the Confederate stars & Bars removed from the state flag, which was placed on the flag by the state legislature in 1956 to thumb its nose at the civil rights movement. Republicans vehemetly opposed it, and a Democrat governor signed legislation that changed it in 2001. Racism and bigotry from both blacks and whites is still prevalent.

I've been to Tokyo, Manila, Naha, Sydney, Adelaide, and a whole bunch of U.S. big cities and even LA is not as bad traffic wise as ATL.

ATL has better night clubs and some better restaraunts, but it's quite a price to pay for those amenities. Metro ATL has turned into a mass of urban sprawl and crime, but if one likes that atomosphere, take I-40 to US 78 to I-20 and 15 hours later...enjoy!

If it were not for family still living there, I'd never go back. OK may still have some backward laws, but for me, it's a far better place to raise my family and a lot safer that ATL.

[Redskin 70]

Never been to Atlanta myself though my great grand daddy traveled through there in 1864..........He wasnt to impressed either............

[okcpulse]

I used to live outside of ATL and disagree. ATL has far more quality of life amenities than OKC. This is all personal preference really.

I would hope Atlanta has more amenities than OKC. It is after all a larger metro area. It's all a numbers game.

I'm sure if OKC swelled to 3 million + in the MSA all of the amenities would follow.

[jbrown84]

The OP is living in some kind of dream world if he thinks there should be a freeway every mile. Stoplights are a fact of life. If you don't like it, move closer to your job.

And I can't even begin to respond to all the other misguided comments in the original post. Bigger markets just sit by and wait for corporations to move to them?? Far from it. Every city gives incentives.

[bombermwc]

Why is this still in the midwest city forum?

[SoonerBent]

Dream world is right.

Show me a large metro area that doesn't have blighted areas.
Congestion? Try driving the freeways in Dallas, St Louis, Houston, Kansas City, etc., etc., etc. in rush hour traffic. OKC hardly has rush hour traffic. I can get from north of Lake Hefner to WRWA in 20 minutes. Do that in any of the cities I listed.
And some private entity gaining from a public project? I would be amazed if any public project was ever done anywhere without some private entity getting something out of it.

Get real.

[Chance23]

why did OKC feel the need to spend money to lure Bass Pro here in an attempt to draw other businesses here? did they really think other corporations were really going to relocate here just cause a major outdoor supply store is located here? what kind of logic is that? whats worse, theres no hiding the hideous patchworked highway that is the I-40 crosstown that Bass Pro is located right next to.

Why does our city feel the need to bribe businesses to come here, when other major cities simply take a back seat, improve their city on their own accord, and soon enough corporations begin to notice the benefits on their own merit.

Spoken like someone who has no idea how business works. Maybe you should read up on corporate tax subsidies that are offered to lure corporations before you drone on about things you have no clue about.