Panasonic Battery Plant

[Midtowner]

With the state of education in Oklahoma, why would anyone locate a business here when there are 48 higher ranking states?

[Plutonic Panda]

With the state of education in Oklahoma, why would anyone locate a business here when there are 48 higher ranking states?

You’re not wrong. But it still hurts to see Kansas get this over Oklahoma but then I’m biased being from OKC. This just sucks all the way around.

[BG918]

I hope losing Panasonic will mean that a lot of incumbent state legislators get voted out in Nov., including Gov. Stitt. They are NOT doing a good job of leading the state. Interesting that a former legislator, Cal Hobson, wrote in the July Observer, "And as I have said for months, Panasonic ain't coming and most folks wish Canoo wouldn't."

Not going to happen, they will all be reelected and nothing will change. Too many stupid people in this state, it makes the educated ones question whether they should move somewhere else.

[shartel_ave]

Not going to happen, they will all be reelected and nothing will change. Too many stupid people in this state, it makes the educated ones question whether they should move somewhere else.

I love OKC and the state of Oklahoma along with the people that live here and very happy that I moved here but I do not like the state government but I could say that about the federal government and most other state governments.

I'm no fan of democrats or republicans both sides are funded by massive corporate money.

More attention needs to be focused on overturning citizens united.

[TheTravellers]

Not going to happen, they will all be reelected and nothing will change. Too many stupid people in this state, it makes the educated ones question whether they should move somewhere else.

Guarantee you that the majority of Oklahomans have/had no idea about the Panasonic plant and if they did, they wouldn't care, so yeah, all of the above is correct, really sadly.

[Pete]

It's pretty discouraging that one big company chooses the state to your immediate south (Tesla/Texas) and then another that wants to be close by skips over you and goes to a state immediately north (Panasonic/Kansas).

If nothing else, it sends a strong signal that Oklahoma is not competitive and we need to make serious changes.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Yikes. What a miss.

[Jake]

Landing Panasonic would have been huge for the state and transformational for the city of Tulsa so I'm not surprised in the slightest that the state absolutely blew it.

[Pete]

This is a very good time to study the reasons why we keep getting passed over.

Everyone has opinions, but it would be nice to talk directly to the decision-makers at Panasonic and find out why they preferred Kansas. This should not be led by the governor or his cronies. I'd like to see a bi-partisan group established so we can find out the real truth, whatever it may be.


We were never going to get Tesla, but this is different and we need to learn from it.

[Jake]

This is a very good time to study the reasons why we keep getting passed over.

Everyone has opinions, but it would be nice to talk directly to the decision-makers at Panasonic and find out why they preferred Kansas. This should happen and not be led by the governor or one of his cronies. I'd like to see a bi-partisan group established so we can find out the real truth, whatever it may be.


We were never going to get Tesla, but this is different and we need to learn from it.

Especially when it has been noted that the location Oklahoma offered was situated really well and was an ideal place for such a plant. If that still can't get you this project then obviously there's something terribly wrong (I think most of us know what.)

[Pete]

Especially when it has been noted that the location Oklahoma offered was situated really well and was an ideal place for such a plant. If that still can't get you this project then obviously there's something terribly wrong (I think most of us know what.)

Panasonic specifically stated they wanted to be near the new Texas Telsa facility.

And yet they skipped us and opted for someplace farther away. Alarm bells are ringing.

[king183]

Panasonic specifically stated they wanted to be near the new Texas Telsa facility.

And yet they skipped us and opted for someplace farther away. Alarm bells are ringing.

I’m worried the alarm bells are on silent for those who need to hear them most. The last few months has not been a good display of competence from Oklahoma government.

[shavethewhales]

Panasonic specifically stated they wanted to be near the new Texas Telsa facility.

And yet they skipped us and opted for someplace farther away. Alarm bells are ringing.

Oklahoma, well Tulsa specifically, is losing potential businesses to TX, AR, and now KS. We are turning into a black hole. Best we can get is maybe a small production facility here and there. The offices go to Bentonville, KC, or Dallas. Anything worth being excited for is picked off.

I've said elsewhere that I doubt this came down to subsidies/tax breaks. I think OK was competitive there and would have given them anything. There's other issues going on here and I'm too tired at this point to list them all out. OK as a whole can't cut it, and hope for the future is diming.

Good for OKC that you guys have some critical mass and momentum, but Tulsa is going to languish in the future. We can barely keep our regional hub status with NWA and OKC growing so much.

[ComeOnBenjals!]

Oklahoma, well Tulsa specifically, is losing potential businesses to TX, AR, and now KS. We are turning into a black hole. Best we can get is maybe a small production facility here and there. The offices go to Bentonville, KC, or Dallas. Anything worth being excited for is picked off.

I've said elsewhere that I doubt this came down to subsidies/tax breaks. I think OK was competitive there and would have given them anything. There's other issues going on here and I'm too tired at this point to list them all out. OK as a whole can't cut it, and hope for the future is diming.

Good for OKC that you guys have some critical mass and momentum, but Tulsa is going to languish in the future. We can barely keep our regional hub status with NWA and OKC growing so much.

Bleak. Worst I've felt about Tulsa and the state's prospects in a long time. I thought Tulsa was on the brink of something big happening for once, another strikeout. Not sure how long it is till I start seriously looking to move to another state. OKC at least has some consistent momentum.

[gopokes88]

This is a very good time to study the reasons why we keep getting passed over.

Everyone has opinions, but it would be nice to talk directly to the decision-makers at Panasonic and find out why they preferred Kansas. This should not be led by the governor or his cronies. I'd like to see a bi-partisan group established so we can find out the real truth, whatever it may be.


We were never going to get Tesla, but this is different and we need to learn from it.

Kansas had a 6 month head start and we were used as leverage.

[Pete]

Kansas had a 6 month head start and we were used as leverage.

Then why weren't we in on this sooner?

It's a failure and we need to learn from it otherwise as a state we'll continue missing out.

[gopokes88]

Then why weren't we in on this sooner?

It's a failure and we need to learn from it otherwise as a state we'll continue missing out.

Because they called Kansas first.

These deals come down to hilariously small things that are often out of the states control.

The GE oil and gas center, which was a massive win but the oil market didn’t cooperate. It came down to a GE official was in the same suite as some Okc O&G CEOs at OU’s bowl game. We were called first, Texas was brought in late for leverage and we landed it.

[Pete]

Because they called Kansas first.

Begs another question: Why?


This sounds more and more like the Tesla thing where we make a very late play to try and win even after it's pretty clear they preferred another neighboring state.


Is this what our economic development efforts amount to? Trying to horn in on deals already destined for bordering states... Being used as a bargaining chip and never landing the deal and probably not having a legitimate shot?

[dcsooner]

Because they called Kansas first.

These deals come down to hilariously small things that are often out of the states control.

The GE oil and gas center, which was a massive win but the oil market didn’t cooperate. It came down to a GE official was in the same suite as some Okc O&G CEOs at OU’s bowl game. We were called first, Texas was brought in late for leverage and we landed it.

Ever notice that almost everything Oklahoma "wins" never pans out long term? Auto, Printing, GE etc?

[FighttheGoodFight]

If only we put Panasonic on the Tulsa driller!

[chssooner]

You guys are forgetting that, aside from the OKC and Tulsa areas, the rest of the state wants OK to suck. And our legislators have rigged it to where the part of the state with 10% of the population have 50% or more of the power at the state level.

So yeah. There is nothing we can do. People in Guymon don't care if the state grows, same with people in Atoka. Yet they have an unjust amount of representation, based on population.

You won't hear a damn thing from state legislators, considering some of them wanted them to pick Kansas because they were pro-choice. Quit thinking this will spark change.

[Pete]

At least we have good leadership and positive momentum in OKC.

We are clearly not competitive at the state level, but OKC can continue to move forward and do its own thing. It's the only reason we continue to grow while the rest of the state languishes and it all started with the first MAPS.

Good thing as a city we didn't hitch our wagon to the fortunes of the state.

[Bunty]

At least we have good leadership and positive momentum in OKC.

We are clearly not competitive at the state level, but OKC can continue to move forward and do its own thing. It's the only reason we continue to grow while the rest of the state languishes and it all started with the first MAPS.

Good thing as a city we didn't hitch our wagon to the fortunes of the state.

That is a good way to put it without diving too deep into politics.

[chssooner]

At least we have good leadership and positive momentum in OKC.

We are clearly not competitive at the state level, but OKC can continue to move forward and do its own thing. It's the only reason we continue to grow while the rest of the state languishes and it all started with the first MAPS.

Good thing as a city we didn't hitch our wagon to the fortunes of the state.

I wish this mattered. As more people come to OKC, you actually have less of the population represented at the state level. All but 500 people could move from places like Duncan, Durant, Atoka, etc, and they wouldn't lose a vote. But as those people move to OKC, OKC doesn't gain anything. Just more people losing a say at the state level.

[Plutonic Panda]

Hey Boulder Sooner, what do you think?