Oklahoma City, In the Press

[ljbab728]

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-metr...rticle/3688726

[Questor]

I don't think rail was overlooked in the article. He was detailing what we have accomplished not what we are hoping for in the future. Any city could say they hope to have rail options eventually. He was emphasizing how things are and how we go about improving our city.

Actually the twelfth full paragraph details out what is yet to come in MAPS 3, so that is what I was referring to.

On second look he did mention "a modern streetcar." I guess that must be it, on first glance I was assuming it was more trolley updates.

[Spartan]

I don't think rail was overlooked in the article. He was detailing what we have accomplished not what we are hoping for in the future. Any city could say they hope to have rail options eventually. He was emphasizing how things are and how we go about improving our city.

We HAVE paid for the streetcar, which is a big difference between us and most other cities. It was an omission, no way to over look that. How many Chamber talking points did he fit in? The bigger question is, why don't our Chamber talking points include the streetcar and commuter rail plans??

Anyway, my first thought was actually.. hmm, I wonder what publication this actually ran in first, because we know the Huff Post doesn't run any of its own stuff LOL.

[Larry OKC]

From the article:

...The tax would have a start date and an end date and the projects would be paid for in cash, without incurring debt. ...

While that was the plan, bonds and other forms of indebtedness were authorized by the ordinance and there were several articles indicating that bond debt was going to have to be used to make up for multi-millions in funding shortfalls/cost over runs. One even stated that it wasn't just a proposal but Council had already approved it. Even with the 6 month "extension". those over runs far exceeded the amount raised in those 6 months. Have asked for it before but does anyone have any proof that no debt was incurred with MAPS? Other than the City saying they didn't? If long term bond debt was issued, we may still be paying it off.

[CaptDave]

We HAVE paid for the streetcar, which is a big difference between us and most other cities. It was an omission, no way to over look that. How many Chamber talking points did he fit in? The bigger question is, why don't our Chamber talking points include the streetcar and commuter rail plans??

Good question Spartan.... I would like to know the answer to that one as well. For all our OK right wing politicians' posturing about "fighting the special interests", they certainly find ways to put forth some organizations' talking points at every opportunity.....

[Snowman]

Small steps, fighting the special interests they don't like

[G.Walker]

Reading articles like this make me happy to be in OKC:

http://www.greaterlouisville.com/Pre...34&blogid=3922

[ljbab728]

Reading articles like this make me happy to be in OKC:

http://www.greaterlouisville.com/Pre...34&blogid=3922

It's interesting that one of the things that article praises OKC for is it's "active lifestyle". I know we have made great strides in that area and maybe it's starting to pay off imagewise.

[G.Walker]

Another cool article:

http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/top_st...a4bcf6878.html

[adaniel]

Another cool article:

http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/top_st...a4bcf6878.html

Good article. Its starting to become a common theme for OKC to be used as an example on how smaller cities lift themselves up.

Can someone find Del Reno on a map for me, not sure if I've ever heard of that

[ljbab728]

Good article. Its starting to become a common theme for OKC to be used as an example on how smaller cities lift themselves up.

Can someone find Del Reno on a map for me, not sure if I've ever heard of that

That's a very small suburb of El Reno. Maybe you should ask them if they ever heard of Del Paso, Texas.

[mmonroe]

Del Reno... Well, since it is a heavily Latino influenced community, i'm sure the editor read El Reno and decided it was wrong and corrected it to Del Reno.

[kevinpate]

I thought Del Reno was just a space saver way to talk about the Del Rancho in El Reno.
Then I 'membered thar warn't one.

[Pete]

OKC with the lowest unemployment rate in the U.S.:



Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, August 29, 2012


Among the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more,
the highest unemployment rates in July were registered in Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.,
and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., 12.9 and 12.7 percent, respectively.
Five additional large areas posted rates of 10.0 percent or more. The lowest jobless
rate among the large areas was recorded in Oklahoma City, Okla., 4.8 percent. Forty-
two large areas reported over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, six registered
increases, and one had no change. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla., experienced
the largest unemployment rate decline from July 2011 (-1.9 percentage points).
Twenty-one other large areas reported rate decreases of at least 1.0 percentage
point. No large area recorded an over-the-year rate increase as large as 1.0
percentage point.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.nr0.htm

[OKCisOK4me]

I thought Del Reno was just a space saver way to talk about the Del Rancho in El Reno.
Then I 'membered thar warn't one.

I thought that was a side street off of Reno through Del City...

[G.Walker]

Oklahoma City currently has the strongest economy in the U.S. among 102 largest metros! Oklahoma City had overall score of 91.04, Austin came in 2nd with a score of 85.86. After that, the gap is not even close! Good deal!

Oklahoma City leads heartland's sweep of Economic Index - The Business Journals

*just wish they could use better/recent skyline photos of Oklahoma City, when they publish national articles like this....

[progressiveboy]

Oklahoma City currently has the strongest economy in the U.S. among 102 largest metros! Oklahoma City had overall score of 91.04, Austin came in 2nd with a score of 85.86. After that, the gap is not even close! Good deal!

Oklahoma City leads heartland's sweep of Economic Index - The Business Journals

*just wish they could use better/recent skyline photos of Oklahoma City, when they publish national articles like this....

While this is great news "on the surface" for OKC, especially if you are in the Energy Business, I wonder if they took into other accounts such as long term diversification? I have always stressed that OKC is "highly" dependent on the Oil and Gas business, which as we know, had dire consequences in the 80"s. If CHK ends up on the chopping block or all their assets are acquired, then it will be hard, tough times for OKC. I really think OKC "truly did not learn" their lessons from the 80"s. OKC needs more diversification to soften the blow if or when this current oil boom goes bust.

[Oil Capital]

These are the 18 components of the formula:

1. Five-year change in private-sector employment.

2. One-year change in private-sector employment.

3. Long-term trend in private-sector employment.

4. Five-year change in unemployment rates.

5. Current unemployment rate.

6. Long-term trend in unemployment rates.

7. Five-year change in weekly earnings per private-sector worker.

8. One-year change in weekly earnings per private-sector worker.

9. Long-term trend in weekly earnings per private-sector worker.

10. Five-year change in construction-sector employment.

11. One-year change in construction-sector employment.

12. Long-term trend in construction-sector employment.

13. Five-year change in retail-sector employment.

14. One-year change in retail-sector employment.

15. Long-term trend in retail-sector employment.

16. Five-year change in house values. (House values are updated quarterly. All other factors are updated monthly.)

17. One-year change in house values.

18. Long-term trend in house values.

[CaptDave]

While this is great news "on the surface" for OKC, especially if you are in the Energy Business, I wonder if they took into other accounts such as long term diversification? I have always stressed that OKC is "highly" dependent on the Oil and Gas business, which as we know, had dire consequences in the 80"s. If CHK ends up on the chopping block or all their assets are acquired, then it will be hard, tough times for OKC. I really think OKC "truly did not learn" their lessons from the 80"s. OKC needs more diversification to soften the blow if or when this current oil boom goes bust.

I think OKC did learn that lesson and is actively seeking diversification in our economic base. The aviation sector is huge in the metro despite often being dismissed as mostly government jobs. We have a relatively small but growing bio-tech industry. We have one of the nation's best run regional banks in MidFirst located here as well. With the growth and continuation of lifestyle improvements in OKC, I think we will eventually see more diversification in the type of companies and industry located here. The city's leadership and Chamber have done a pretty good job so far and hopefully it will improve even more in the next few years.

We are extremely fortunate to have well run companies like Devon and Continental to offset some of the risk posed by less risk averse ones such as the McClendon era Chesapeake. For the sake of the people working at Chesapeake I hope they manage to get through these times.

[G.Walker]

Yes, the aerospace industry in Oklahoma City is growing, with Boeing relocating thousands of jobs here, and state policies being implemented to lure aerospace business, I think it could grow rapidly. It would be something if we had a major corporate relocation here by a major aerospace company.

[Bellaboo]

While this is great news "on the surface" for OKC, especially if you are in the Energy Business, I wonder if they took into other accounts such as long term diversification? I have always stressed that OKC is "highly" dependent on the Oil and Gas business, which as we know, had dire consequences in the 80"s. If CHK ends up on the chopping block or all their assets are acquired, then it will be hard, tough times for OKC. I really think OKC "truly did not learn" their lessons from the 80"s. OKC needs more diversification to soften the blow if or when this current oil boom goes bust.

It's great news under the surface as well...........lots of cities, Dallas included, that wish they had our current unemployment rate, and for the last few years. I know that Chesapeake is pulling back, but it's the field offices that are being cut first, just ask Ft. Worth....their ivory tower in Ft Worth is now for sale as well ... I know of several who have left CHK in the last few months and have had no trouble finding jobs at local companies.
There is a lot more diversity here than you give credit for.....don't you know we have been ranked at or near the top for small business start ups ?

[mmonroe]

Any coincidence that it could be that we went over 5-6 years of minimum wage increases from 5.15/hour to 7.25/hour and that the cost of living followed and now it seems like we're just bursting with earnings.... no we just raised our minimum wage. I'm not biting on this one.

[adaniel]

Any coincidence that it could be that we went over 5-6 years of minimum wage increases from 5.15/hour to 7.25/hour and that the cost of living followed and now it seems like we're just bursting with earnings.... no we just raised our minimum wage. I'm not biting on this one.

But wouldn't that be true everywhere?

This is just confirmation of other studies that shows this areas wages are climbing. What's so suspicious about this?

[Snowman]

Any coincidence that it could be that we went over 5-6 years of minimum wage increases from 5.15/hour to 7.25/hour and that the cost of living followed and now it seems like we're just bursting with earnings.... no we just raised our minimum wage. I'm not biting on this one.

It would only be a coincidence not a cause, the number of people making minimum wage is fairly low something under 10% of the workforce. Plus at 7.25/hour unless you are a kid in high school or college student using it for spending money, you realistically are are going to be struggling to cover basic essentials.

[bluedogok]

Here's the same article from the perspective of the Austin Business Journal.

Austin Business Journal - Austin No. 2 in Economic Index report