Boeing

[Spartan]

I didn't say people don't care about politics. It's just my jaded perspective that it really doesn't affect people for the most part. People always like to pretend like their personally invested in EVERYTHING to give them leverage to talk about..if you don't believe, go to an OKC City Council meeting. "Good morning Mayor, Council, my name is Joe Blow, blah blah blah, I own this city basically, and I want to talk about blah blah blah.."

[HOT ROD]

I left California for good in 1990 (at the age of 20) because I could see the train wreck coming. Smartest thing I ever did. It was interesting to read the comments from the California perspective. There was only 1 negative comment about Oklahoma and the rest seemed to be from people that now understand the problems California is facing. The only problem is they woke-up too late to do anything about it. The demise of California was decades in the making and the coming collapse has a lot of momentum behind it.

I was actually surprised by that - and was expecting some colloquial references towards OKC - but even the 1 negative comment about OK wasn't really even negative. Could it be that OKC's image is finally changing?

I did notice that it seems as though S. Californian's are quite paranoid and point a lot of fingers - regardless if they are true/correct. Many of those posters seem more right wing fanatical than most I've seen from the supposedly right wing fanatic state that Oklahoma is often touted to be.

weird

[PennyQuilts]

I didn't say people don't care about politics. It's just my jaded perspective that it really doesn't affect people for the most part. People always like to pretend like their personally invested in EVERYTHING to give them leverage to talk about..if you don't believe, go to an OKC City Council meeting. "Good morning Mayor, Council, my name is Joe Blow, blah blah blah, I own this city basically, and I want to talk about blah blah blah.."

I think your're right, Spartan, that most people like to bitch and moan and threaten to leave a place over politics but most don't really do more than that. I DO think that the ones who are actually affected in the pocketbook or some other substantial way, are likely to pull up stakes and leave. I honestly believe that is one of the reasons many people who aren't in business think all the gloom and doom over raising taxes on the wealthy is just talk. They don't think anything will come of it because it doesn't directly affect them.

[Kerry]

I did notice that it seems as though S. Californian's are quite paranoid and point a lot of fingers - regardless if they are true/correct. Many of those posters seem more right wing fanatical than most I've seen from the supposedly right wing fanatic state that Oklahoma is often touted to be.

I think that is an indication of how far left the California State Legislature has moved.

[Kerry]

The Califonria situation is worse than I thought - and that is asaying a lot because I thought it was pretty bad for them. I found a guy that tracks companies leaving California and why.

Here is his most recent story.

http://thebusinessrelocationcoach.bl...in-1st_15.html

Companies of all types are reducing their California footprint. The list includes well-known California-based firms like Google, Hilton, Genentech, Yelp, Apple, Facebook, and DIRECTTV.

Reading through the list, one of the very funny thing I noticed is the number of California 'green' companies that are using Obama stimulus dollars to fund their moves out of California. It seems just leaving California in now considered 'green'.

[semisimple]

Thanks for sharing that, Kerry. I count at least seven companies moving or expanding here in Austin--I feel for those having to relocate from Santa Monica.

But I can't get past this staggering factoid: "...California losing more than one million jobs in recent years." What a shame to California.

[jbrown84]

I don't see it mentioned in local media, but all the comments on California based articles indicate that unions contributed to the move and that it will be non-union in OKC. If so, this is a major positive outcome of Right to Work.

[bluedogok]

I think that is an indication of how far left the California State Legislature has moved.

It has much to do with who is buying their votes...

City Journal - The Golden State’s War on Itself

[Spartan]

I think your're right, Spartan, that most people like to bitch and moan and threaten to leave a place over politics but most don't really do more than that. I DO think that the ones who are actually affected in the pocketbook or some other substantial way, are likely to pull up stakes and leave. I honestly believe that is one of the reasons many people who aren't in business think all the gloom and doom over raising taxes on the wealthy is just talk. They don't think anything will come of it because it doesn't directly affect them.

If someone is going to move away from Oklahoma because they are being tax fleeced, then I'd hate to see where they move.. Mexico? Sudan? Vietnam? Mongolia?

[Kerry]

If someone is going to move away from Oklahoma because they are being tax fleeced, then I'd hate to see where they move.. Mexico? Sudan? Vietnam? Mongolia?

How about Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wyoming, New Hampshire and Tennessee. No state income tax.

or

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. No state sales tax.

or

Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. No corporate taxes.

or this little nugget

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/income...nostatetax.htm

Still, it is worth noting that during 2006 and 2007, the seven states with no income tax whatsoever, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming, led the nation in net population growth.

[Kerry]

It has much to do with who is buying their votes...

City Journal - The Golden State’s War on Itself

Holy cow - that was something I could have written. He made some great recommendation at the end but the State of California will never enact ANY of them; not in a million years. He made some good points about California thinking "green jobs" were going to save them then we have story I linked to where "green companies" are using their "green job" tax credits to fund their moves out of California

[soonerguru]

Politics aside, this is very encouraging news for OKC and our future. Hopefully this is a trend. It's my understanding that there are a number of good jobs available right now in the defense sector in OKC, so much so that we're recruiting people around the country to fill them. Needing to fill available jobs is a great problem for a city to have, especially in our current economic environment.

[SkyWestOKC]

I can tell you for a fact that Tinker is hiring A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) Mechanics like crazy right now. The A&P school I am at right now is not able to produce enough mechanics to fill the demand. So Tinker is doing heavy recruiting in state (Tulsa especially) and a lot of out of state recruiting, too. This Boeing news only adds to the hiring momentum of Tinker AFB and the MRO.

[betts]

I found this amid an article in the DOK about Californians moving to Oklahoma:

Boeing employees who are considering relocations — after the company's August announcement that it would shift 550 jobs from Long Beach to Tinker Air Force Base — have been pleased with their scouting visits, said Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “They've gone back and told their co-workers to check us out, it wasn't what they thought, and then it becomes viral,” he said.

About 85 percent, compared with a projected 10 percent, are expected to accept relocation offers, Williams said.


Read more: http://newsok.com/migration-stats-in...#ixzz1Ce2Pw2vx

[earlywinegareth]

It's the low cost of living that blows their socks off...when they see how much house they can buy, then they look around and see decent neighborhoods, schools, higher ed, the Thunder...it all adds up to a very good quality of life not found in many places.

[poe]

I enjoyed the article this morning. I really think the attitude towards Oklahoma City is changing nationally. I'm also somewhat surprised a same-sex couple (assuming) was included in the article - a highlight of more progressive thinking and acceptance of today's types of families. Not that OKC is 100% gay-friendly; just nice to see, IMO.

[soonerguru]

Outside of Sally Kern's district, Oklahoma City has become very gay friendly. Fortunately, Mayor Cornett has not carried on Mayor Humphreys' homophobia.

[Jethrol]

I found this amid an article in the DOK about Californians moving to Oklahoma:

Boeing employees who are considering relocations — after the company's August announcement that it would shift 550 jobs from Long Beach to Tinker Air Force Base — have been pleased with their scouting visits, said Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “They've gone back and told their co-workers to check us out, it wasn't what they thought, and then it becomes viral,” he said.

About 85 percent, compared with a projected 10 percent, are expected to accept relocation offers, Williams said.


Read more: http://newsok.com/migration-stats-in...#ixzz1Ce2Pw2vx

Wow...thanks for that! Seriously...that was a great article!

[Pete]

It's good to see so many of the Boeing people are expected to make the move.

The low cost of living in OKC is certainly a factor but I bet a lot of these people would be compromising their retirement benefits if they just opted out. Also, the job market in Southern California currently -- especially in aerospace -- is terrible right now.

[jbrown84]

I'm also somewhat surprised a same-sex couple (assuming) was included in the article - a highlight of more progressive thinking and acceptance of today's types of families. Not that OKC is 100% gay-friendly; just nice to see, IMO.

Yeah I think it was implied in his comment about NE Arkansas not being a place for him.

Great article. So many are pleasantly surprised at OKC.

[bombermwc]

I so totally called this...look back to page 2 my friends.....
http://newsok.com/boeing-starts-new-...dline_business

[okcpulse]

How about Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wyoming, New Hampshire and Tennessee. No state income tax.

or

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. No state sales tax.

or

Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. No corporate taxes.

or this little nugget

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/income...nostatetax.htm

Don't get me started about the all-hailed no state income tax feature that Texans and non-Texans tout. Doesn't matter so much when you get spanked in Texas' other tax categories. Besides, the local rep in my district in Conroe mailed us a survey of ways to raise tax revenue in Texas thanks to the $21 billion deficit. One of the ideas... create a state income tax.

[earlywinegareth]

I'll say it again, this is really good news that the chamber of commerce should be making a very big deal about - that a major corporation is moving ops to OKC for all the reasons that make sense to a company's bottom line.

[Kerry]

It sounds like Texas has a spending problem.

[G.Walker]

Just read article on the new Boeing $40M, 320,000sqft ,6 story "campus" office building. City officials should have lured this development downtown. They could have made 15-20 stories out of 320,000 sqft, making a nice high rise addition to downtown, what were they thinking, not trying to do this?