Odot

[ChrisHayes]

Speaking of cheap labor, business and political leaders say don't raise min. wage. To do so kills jobs and send unemployment rate up. But does that work out in real life? NOPE!

Minimum Wage and Unemployment Rate:
Oklahoma - $7.25, 3.2%
Missouri - $11.10, 2.4%
Nebraska - $9.00, 2.2%

There are very few jobs that pay minimum wage. You can go to a fast food restaurant and earn 10+ an hour.

[Jeepnokc]

Speaking of cheap labor, business and political leaders say don't raise min. wage. To do so kills jobs and send unemployment rate up. But does that work out in real life? NOPE!

Minimum Wage and Unemployment Rate:
Oklahoma - $7.25, 3.2%
Missouri - $11.10, 2.4%
Nebraska - $9.00, 2.2%

That's a joke I have been trying to hire a phone receptionist for the last several months No experience required and we pay 15 hr with benefits, medical and retirement and I cant find anyone. All i have is people with college degrees and or previous managers wanting 20-22 per hour applying for a job answering phones. If I advertised at &7.25 hr...wouldn't get any applicants

[Plutonic Panda]

Better to compare the average wages versus the cost of living to determine the disposable income people have. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed people in Oklahoma on average seem to have more disposable income.

[Zuplar]

That's a joke I have been trying to hire a phone receptionist for the last several months No experience required and we pay 15 hr with benefits, medical and retirement and I cant find anyone. All i have is people with college degrees and or previous managers wanting 20-22 per hour applying for a job answering phones. If I advertised at &7.25 hr...wouldn't get any applicants

This has been our exact issue the last time we needed to hire someone.

[oklip955]

I saw a baby sitting job for like 20 or so hours a week at $17 hr. One small boy. Almost makes me want to go back to work. Bad knees and higher risk if I get covid. Maybe some of us almost or just barely seniors need to look at those jobs.

[oklip955]

$15 might not be bad for a semi or retired person to pick up some cash.

[Bunty]

Better to compare the average wages versus the cost of living to determine the disposable income people have. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed people in Oklahoma on average seem to have more disposable income.

Maybe that explains why there has been no effort in Oklahoma to petition to raise the minimum wage. Instead, Oklahomans have been more determined about the need to get marijuana legalized ever since 2014. But with rent well up in Oklahoma City and probably across the state, not as many people are going to afford rent any more if only making around $10 an hour. Minimum wage in Arkansas is $11. Wingstop in Stillwater was advertising paying $10 an hour in Stillwater before it opened last summer. Maybe the company thought that was generous. If the state can ever repeal the tax on food, that will help coping with inflation, including high price of gas, along with low wages.

[mugofbeer]

That's a joke I have been trying to hire a phone receptionist for the last several months No experience required and we pay 15 hr with benefits, medical and retirement and I cant find anyone. All i have is people with college degrees and or previous managers wanting 20-22 per hour applying for a job answering phones. If I advertised at &7.25 hr...wouldn't get any applicants

The market takes care of itself instead of artificial interference from the government.

Plus, l bet most minimum wage jobs are either in rural areas or special situations like college student work in their major.

[jedicurt]

so, back to ODOT... do we think the reason for pushing back a few of the larger projects was to wait for this 2.5 billion to come in?

[mugofbeer]

so, back to ODOT... do we think the reason for pushing back a few of the larger projects was to wait for this 2.5 billion to come in?

$2.5 billion whose buying power is shrinking by 10% or so annually due to inflation.

[jedicurt]

$2.5 billion whose buying power is shrinking by 10% or so annually due to inflation.

cool. but not really relevant to the discussion at hand

[mugofbeer]

Yes, it actually is. The expected funds aren't going to pay for nearly as much as once thought. Instead of postponing, the state should be issuing revenue anticipation bonds to build now and pay the bonds off once $ actually comes in.

[Plutonic Panda]

so, back to ODOT... do we think the reason for pushing back a few of the larger projects was to wait for this 2.5 billion to come in?

Fingers crossed. This could easily pay for the entire I-240/I-35 interchange, US-75/I-44 interchange in Tulsa, and the I-44/I-40 interchange with funds left over to complete several other projects around the state.

[MagzOK]

Yes, it actually is. The expected funds aren't going to pay for nearly as much as once thought. Instead of postponing, the state should be issuing revenue anticipation bonds to build now and pay the bonds off once $ actually comes in.

Yes to GARVEE Bonds! Oklahoma has used them in the past and this is a great idea of utilizing them now then paying it off later once Uncle Sam wires us the money.

[Bunty]

Fingers crossed. This could easily pay for the entire I-240/I-35 interchange, US-75/I-44 interchange in Tulsa, and the I-44/I-40 interchange with funds left over to complete several other projects around the state.

It would be nice to complete 4 laning of Highway 33 from Langston to Perkins assuming it's not already in the works from being funded.

[rte66man]

It would be nice to complete 4 laning of Highway 33 from Langston to Perkins assuming it's not already in the works from being funded.

It is already scheduled. FFY2023 for the grade and drain and FFY2025 for paving. The second bridge over the Cimarron at Coyle is scheduled for FFY2023
https://oklahoma.gov/odot/programs-a...work-plan.html

[macfoucin]

Looks like there starting to widen I35 to 6 lanes South of Norman soon.

[macfoucin]

https://www.i35mcclaincounty.com/

[MagzOK]

When they rebuilt the Ladd bridge over 35 you could tell by the way it was built that it was designed to accommodate widening the interstate. It's about time. And as someone who frequents 35 to Dallas at least twice monthly, it should be 6-laned all the way to the Texas state line.

[Plutonic Panda]

ODOT rolled out a new map tool to track construction projects: https://oklahoma.public.dotmapsapp.com/map

It is actually much better than the last two ways they had of tracking and staying up to date on current construction projects. They’ve pretty much stopped updating their page and major construction projects with a few exceptions.

[Plutonic Panda]

ODOT will soon hold meetings to discuss ways to include more multimodal aspects of new construction to offer more mobility options: https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/...t-official.pdf

[Plutonic Panda]

US-70 bridge over Lake Texoma will be replaced in 2029: https://us70laketexoma.transportationplanroom.com/home

[CCOKC]

That is a big project. I just drove over that bridge this week for the first time in 15 years and was wondering when it was built. I knew it was old but never realized how old.

[Plutonic Panda]

It looks like per the plans they will build a much longer bridge that won’t be connected to a land berm and it will possibly(hopefully) have a pedestrian/bike path.

[rte66man]

It looks like per the plans they will build a much longer bridge that won’t be connected to a land berm and it will possibly(hopefully) have a pedestrian/bike path.

Not sure they will get started that soon. They still don't have all the funding allocated for it.