Population Growth for OKC

[bchris02]

Our particular crazies on 23rd and Lincoln certainly don't help matters, but I think education funding is the only really serious problem we have. Our state reps are no crazier than the ones in Texas, and that state is doing fine.

I agree with this. Fix education and I think the rest will fall into place.

[BG918]

I agree with this. Fix education and I think the rest will fall into place.

If it doesn't get undone through the petition/state question process (not very likely but still possible), Oklahoma will be 2nd in the region for teacher pay (behind Texas) and 28th in the nation. Some of the funding has been restored with the recent tax increase but that's the next step is to restore all funding before the 2009 cuts. With the GPT at 5% and oil in the $65-70 range that will result in a significant increase as most of those revenue forecasts were for oil in the 50's.

[mugofbeer]

What would it take for property taxes to be used for state education funding (I realize the mentality of so many would pretty much make it impossible, but what would the method be?). Is it a constitutional issue?

[OKGuru]

Yeah, the state legislature is almost always made up of the B Teamers. Every state has nutjobs who propose crazy bills. California just tried to pass a bill making it a crime (punishable by up to 6 months in jail) for a restaurant to give a plastic straw to customers who don't specifically ask for one.

Our particular crazies on 23rd and Lincoln certainly don't help matters, but I think education funding is the only really serious problem we have. Our state reps are no crazier than the ones in Texas, and that state is doing fine.

Good point, but I think it’s important to throw in our infrastructure as well. It’s not fun having to answer to our friends from out of state how awful and dated our roads are in this state.

[Bunty]

Yeah, the state legislature is almost always made up of the B Teamers. Every state has nutjobs who propose crazy bills. California just tried to pass a bill making it a crime (punishable by up to 6 months in jail) for a restaurant to give a plastic straw to customers who don't specifically ask for one.

Our particular crazies on 23rd and Lincoln certainly don't help matters, but I think education funding is the only really serious problem we have. Our state reps are no crazier than the ones in Texas, and that state is doing fine.

So to you overcrowded, antiquated prisons are not a serious problem. It's very overblown? But reducing the imprisonment rate to the national average would make many millions available for education. Probably more so than reducing school districts by a significant amount. Anyway, the prison problems need taken care of before federal intervention or a massive prison riot happens. Being no. 1 for imprisonment and near no. 50 for education aren't selling points for attracting good paying business, industry and great people.

Other states are doing somewhat better than Oklahoma, despite occasional lapses in rational governing. Some of them are even like Oklahoma dominated by mainly one or two industries.

Let's try to vote to get rid of the crazies at the state capitol in June and November and make Oklahoma OK again. Remaining less than mediocre isn't OK. Maybe a further drop in the growth rate of the next population estimate for Oklahoma City and other cities will sober up more people to the need to do just that.

[dcsooner]

So to you overcrowded, antiquated prisons are not a serious problem. It's very overblown? But reducing the imprisonment rate to the national average would make many millions available for education. Probably more so than reducing school districts by a significant amount. Anyway, the prison problems need taken care of before federal intervention or a massive prison riot happens. Being no. 1 for imprisonment and near no. 50 for education aren't selling points for attracting good paying business, industry and great people.

Other states are doing somewhat better than Oklahoma, despite occasional lapses in rational governing. Some of them are even like Oklahoma dominated by mainly one or two industries.

Let's try to vote to get rid of the crazies at the state capitol in June and November and make Oklahoma OK again. Remaining less than mediocre isn't OK. Maybe a further drop in the growth rate of the next population estimate for Oklahoma City and other cities will sober up more people to the need to do just that.

+1

[pw405]

So to you overcrowded, antiquated prisons are not a serious problem. It's very overblown? But reducing the imprisonment rate to the national average would make many millions available for education. Probably more so than reducing school districts by a significant amount. Anyway, the prison problems need taken care of before federal intervention or a massive prison riot happens. Being no. 1 for imprisonment and near no. 50 for education aren't selling points for attracting good paying business, industry and great people.

Other states are doing somewhat better than Oklahoma, despite occasional lapses in rational governing. Some of them are even like Oklahoma dominated by mainly one or two industries.

Let's try to vote to get rid of the crazies at the state capitol in June and November and make Oklahoma OK again. Remaining less than mediocre isn't OK. Maybe a further drop in the growth rate of the next population estimate for Oklahoma City and other cities will sober up more people to the need to do just that.

In fact, according to OK Policy Institute, if we were merely AVERAGE at imprisoning people, it would save tax payers about $200,000,000/year:



link to full story: https://okpolicy.org/oklahomans-dont...apitol-update/

[bchris02]

In fact, according to OK Policy Institute, if we were merely AVERAGE at imprisoning people, it would save tax payers about $200,000,000/year:



link to full story: https://okpolicy.org/oklahomans-dont...apitol-update/

It would be interesting to know how many people are incarcerated for simple marijuana possession and nothing else.

[LocoAko]

Not to derail this thread further, but those acting as if teacher/education issues are the only things from the Legislature that are hurting the state are ignoring lots of other examples (these just from yesterday alone):

https://twitter.com/CyndiMunson85/st...06382444990464

https://twitter.com/stevelackmeyer/s...93990588866560

Employers don't want to relocate to states with poor education systems, nor do they want to locate to states with poor healthcare systems, poor criminal justice, poor treatment of its LGBT population, etc. etc. etc.

[bchris02]

Not to derail this thread further, but those acting as if teacher/education issues are the only things from the Legislature that are hurting the state are ignoring lots of other examples (these just from yesterday alone):

https://twitter.com/CyndiMunson85/st...06382444990464

https://twitter.com/stevelackmeyer/s...93990588866560

Employers don't want to relocate to states with poor education systems, not do they want to locate to states with poor healthcare systems, poor criminal justice, poor treatment of its LGBT population, etc. etc. etc.

My personal opinion is that all these issues are tied together. Fix education and the rest of it will fall into place. The special interests promoting the anti-LGBT bills are also inherently anti-public education. They want the state's education system to fail so they can promote homeschooling and religious schooling. School vouchers are their solution to everything.

[Bunty]

It would be interesting to know how many people are incarcerated for simple marijuana possession and nothing else.

I don't know but a number of people are also imprisoned over hard drugs, such as meth. You may stay out of prison if it's your first possession, if you abide by the conduct agreed to, in order to stay out of prison, including paying a stiff fine. I bet some counties wouldn't be that generous, especially toward minorities.

I heard someone say that 3 people are in prison for life over marijuana. For one person it happened over a joint, but it was his 3rd offense.

The new justice reform bills just signed by the governor have been criticized for not going far enough. More work is needed or a new prison will be needed.

[Bunty]

To get closer to topic, some Californians are moving to Oklahoma, unsurprisingly due to the lower cost of living. Maybe Oklahoma could do more to promote itself for this reason. This positive article with video suggests Oklahoma has a lack of image problem, rather than a bad one.
http://fox40.com/2018/04/26/why-more...n-moving-here/

[OKC_Chipper]

I have an aunt who just moved from LA to OKC for her retirement years. She sold her house for a Million + there, bought a house for 250k here and was able to retire earlier than planned based off that difference. She's been here for 3-4 months and has already said she wishes she would've made the move earlier.

[pw405]

I have an aunt who just moved from LA to OKC for her retirement years. She sold her house for a Million + there, bought a house for 250k here and was able to retire earlier than planned based off that difference. She's been here for 3-4 months and has already said she wishes she would've made the move earlier.

I know of a family (Cousins/Aunts/Uncles/etc) that did the same. The original CA to OKC transplant came around 2000, then his sister and husband came, their daughter's family etc all in the last 18 months. For most, the cost of living and frustration of transportation in CA's big cities is simply no longer sustainable. Good thing is that one is Phd business owner who has employed people here ever since his move. We just need about 5,000 more of him. That'd be nice.

[OKCRT]

It would be interesting to know how many people are incarcerated for simple marijuana possession and nothing else.

I know someone (young woman) in prison today for failing a drug test while on probation. She was orig. on probation for MJ. Been in for about 1 1/2 years and they tell her she has over 2000 days to go.

Blows my mind.

[OKCRT]

I don't know but a number of people are also imprisoned over hard drugs, such as meth. You may stay out of prison if it's your first possession, if you abide by the conduct agreed to, in order to stay out of prison, including paying a stiff fine. I bet some counties wouldn't be that generous, especially toward minorities.

I heard someone say that 3 people are in prison for life over marijuana. For one person it happened over a joint, but it was his 3rd offense.

The new justice reform bills just signed by the governor have been criticized for not going far enough. More work is needed or a new prison will be needed.

If a judge sentenced someone to life over a joint that judge should be sentenced to death IMO.

[Laramie]

The signs of a population boom in OKC (2016 estimate) are right around the corner. The Key communities are:

Oklahoma City 638,367 +10.06% change

NORTH of OKC (102,683)

Edmond 91,191 +12.02% change
Guthrie 11,49
Goal: 150,000 needed 47,000

SOUTH of OKC (185,595)

Moore 61,415 +11.50% change
Norman 122,180 +10.15% change
Goal: 250,000 needed 65,000

EAST of OKC (79,255)

Midwest City 57,305 +5.40% change
Del City 21,950 +2.90% change
Goal: 100,000 needed 21,000

WEST (Canadian) of OKC (65,918)

Yukon 26,340 +15.99% change
Mustang 20,792 +19.53% change
El Reno 18,786 +12.16% change
Goal: 100,000 needed 34,000

The combination cities south of OKC are closing in on 250,000; the ones north of OKC 150,000 and those east & west are approaching 100,000 each.

Access to Roads & Expressways: Expansion & upkeep of I-40 E-W bound, I-35 N-S/235 N and I-44 NE-SW. The new Eastern Oklahoma County 21-mile tollway turnpike loop ($300 million) will link Interstates 40 and 44 in eastern Oklahoma County providing an alternative route to Tulsa that will ease congestion on busy Interstate 35. The new turnpike will loop will accelerate growth in the Midwest City east area and the Southwest Kilpatrick extension I-40 and State Highway 152/Airport Road to the west.

The East-West corridor cities will be the stimulant for the OKC metro growth in 2030.

[ChrisHayes]

Once the park, convention center, and CC hotel are done, OKC should do another video like they did a number of years ago but featuring the newly completed features in downtown, as well as the beginning of Strawberry Fields. Show that the city is progressing and growing and that the blighted areas are rapidly disappearing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GJIHhypBmU

[bchris02]

Once the park, convention center, and CC hotel are done, OKC should do another video like they did a number of years ago but featuring the newly completed features in downtown, as well as the beginning of Strawberry Fields. Show that the city is progressing and growing and that the blighted areas are rapidly disappearing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GJIHhypBmU

That Chamber of Commerce video makes me think of this.

[gopokes88]

That Chamber of Commerce video makes me think of this.

I love South Park so much

[bchris02]

You may think this is a good thing or bad thing depending on your political and religious sensibilities, but OKC ranks very poorly in the area of LGBT-friendliness per the HRC's municipality equality index scoring system. In fact it currently scores the worst in the country for metro areas above 1 million population. Regardless of your personal feelings about this issue, this is something high profile companies such as Amazon look at when determining where to invest or relocate. Dallas and Fort Worth score 100%. Here is the latest report.

https://www.hrc.org/resources/mei-20...ur-citys-score

[Rover]

You may think this is a good thing or bad thing depending on your political and religious sensibilities, but OKC ranks very poorly in the area of LGBT-friendliness per the HRC's municipality equality index scoring system. In fact it currently scores the worst in the country for metro areas above 1 million population. Regardless of your personal feelings about this issue, this is something high profile companies such as Amazon look at when determining where to invest or relocate. Here is the latest report.

https://www.hrc.org/resources/mei-20...ur-citys-score

On the other hand, this would be seen very positively by companies like Koch Industries.

[Bunty]

You may think this is a good thing or bad thing depending on your political and religious sensibilities, but OKC ranks very poorly in the area of LGBT-friendliness per the HRC's municipality equality index scoring system. In fact it currently scores the worst in the country for metro areas above 1 million population. Regardless of your personal feelings about this issue, this is something high profile companies such as Amazon look at when determining where to invest or relocate. Dallas and Fort Worth score 100%. Here is the latest report.

https://www.hrc.org/resources/mei-20...ur-citys-score

Maybe the pro gay lobby has been too busy fighting anti-gay legislation at the state capitol for which they have for the most part been doing a good job.

[dankrutka]

You may think this is a good thing or bad thing depending on your political and religious sensibilities, but OKC ranks very poorly in the area of LGBT-friendliness per the HRC's municipality equality index scoring system. In fact it currently scores the worst in the country for metro areas above 1 million population. Regardless of your personal feelings about this issue, this is something high profile companies such as Amazon look at when determining where to invest or relocate. Dallas and Fort Worth score 100%. Here is the latest report.

https://www.hrc.org/resources/mei-20...ur-citys-score

This is a really informative report. Essentially, you can easily go to your city and say, why can they get this [specific laws or services] done in Birmingham, Alabama, but we can't here? OKC can do much better (what's up with Stillwater?!?). Thanks for sharing.

[HOT ROD]

Maybe the pro gay lobby has been too busy fighting anti-gay legislation at the state capitol for which they have for the most part been doing a good job.

ya, sad to say but I think the low rankings for OKC has more to do with the state of Oklahoma than it does for the city. OKC as a city/community is very LGBT friendly and has been for a long time. Not necessarily and OPEN LGBT city but not worthy of the worst major city ranking either as I can think of others who are worse.