600 jobs may be coming to OKC

[metro]

Talked to a prominent OKC businessman the other day. Said he was talking to a major out of state employer who is interested in possibly moving approx. 600jobs to OKC. Honestly that's all I know as he wouldn't share what type of business, etc. I know this person wouldn't put their neck out there if it wasn't a good probability, as they dont' go mentioning stuff like this. I don't know if this means another call center, or a corporate HQ or what. Take it for what it's worth.

[lasomeday]

I bet it is another call center.

I think we should targer some of the companies in Oregon. They just raised taxes on the wealthy and businesses again.

[Midtowner]

I bet it is another call center.

I think we should targer some of the companies in Oregon. They just raised taxes on the wealthy and businesses again.

I think California would be an even better place to poach. We could sell the fact that we're not a failed state....

[metro]

I agree, we TOTALLY need to be targeting companies in Oregon. Chicago is hitting them hard to relocate. No reason OKC leaders shouldn't be courting them. I sent a letter to Mayor Cornett and OKC Chamber about it, but no response. Knowing them, they're too busy being out of touch with corporate reality in America.

[lasomeday]

Cornett is all wrapped up in tearing buildings down. He doesn't have time to attract businesses.

[Midtowner]

Cornett doesn't control city policy, nor does he pick which buildings to bulldoze. The mayor in OKC is more of a figurehead than a person of real consequence (although he does have some decent powers of appointment to committees, trusts and commissions which do exercise some real [but limited] power.

This'd be the Chamber's job, and more than likely, they're doing what they can in this arena.

[Kerry]

Here is a link to the Oregon tax vote. It is from the NYTimes so the liberals will believe it. Oklahoma should have opened an office in Portland the day this happened. The CEO of Nike was very vocal in his opposition to the tax.

Oregon Voters Approve Tax Increase - NYTimes.com

[Rover]

I was in LA last week and heard numerous radio ads from Arizona extolling the virutes of moving businesses from Cali to Ariz. If we are going to play that game, it is competitive. I don't know what our promotional budgets are for the state, city, chamber, etc., but we need to mobilize and finance the effort to be competitive, or don't bother throwing our money away on a weak effort.

[Midtowner]

I was in LA last week and heard numerous radio ads from Arizona extolling the virutes of moving businesses from Cali to Ariz. If we are going to play that game, it is competitive. I don't know what our promotional budgets are for the state, city, chamber, etc., but we need to mobilize and finance the effort to be competitive, or don't bother throwing our money away on a weak effort.

I have faith that the Chamber will serve us well.

[Kerry]

I thought the State Chamber of Commerce already had an office in LA.

[Rover]

Just saying that other states are being very aggressive. I am in LA 7-10 days a month and have never seen or heard anything from Oklahoma, but I do hear ads from Arizona and Nevada regularly.

[Kerry]

Here in Atlanta I hear commercials for Jacksonville, FL and Michigan. LOL, like any company is going to relocate from Atlanta to Michigan. Step one in recruiting a company: you need to have something to offer. Michigan has nothing any company in Georgia wants.

[Rover]

Michigan has a plethora of vacant manufacturing facilities, tens of thousands of highly paid (but unemployed) union workers, and high taxes to offer. Who WOULDN'T rush right up there to the cold, cold north to move their business there.

[soonerguru]

I thought the State Chamber of Commerce already had an office in LA.

Oh no. That may actually work against us.

lol

[gmwise]

I would like to see more jobs move here.
Created here as well.
But I dont want a ton of minimum wage ones.
I think we can pass on those.

[mugofbeer]

I would like to see more jobs move here.
Created here as well.
But I dont want a ton of minimum wage ones.
I think we can pass on those.

Tell that to the unemployed. There's rural parts of this state where people are able to live on minimum wage. Be happy if jobs come here whether they pay well or not. Besides, phone center jobs pay more than minimum wage - they aren't executive pay, but they pay most of the bills and often offer flexible hours.

[ljbab728]

Just saying that other states are being very aggressive. I am in LA 7-10 days a month and have never seen or heard anything from Oklahoma, but I do hear ads from Arizona and Nevada regularly.

Surely if you're there that often you've heard the Mathis Brother's ads. LOL

[Spartan]

Talked to a prominent OKC businessman the other day. Said he was talking to a major out of state employer who is interested in possibly moving approx. 600jobs to OKC. Honestly that's all I know as he wouldn't share what type of business, etc. I know this person wouldn't put their neck out there if it wasn't a good probability, as they dont' go mentioning stuff like this. I don't know if this means another call center, or a corporate HQ or what. Take it for what it's worth.

Why?

[Bunty]

Here is a link to the Oregon tax vote. It is from the NYTimes so the liberals will believe it. Oklahoma should have opened an office in Portland the day this happened. The CEO of Nike was very vocal in his opposition to the tax.

Oregon Voters Approve Tax Increase - NYTimes.com

Well, no doubt, really it's up to the people to choose to either be responsible and raise taxes for public services desired or else as another choice choose to cut services along with taxes. I wonder why people never vote on what services to eliminate? Raising taxes on businesses is seldom if ever a good idea.

[Bunty]

Michigan has a plethora of vacant manufacturing facilities, tens of thousands of highly paid (but unemployed) union workers, and high taxes to offer. Who WOULDN'T rush right up there to the cold, cold north to move their business there.

They better go back decades to review why so many millions wanted to move up there in the first place.

[Kerry]

Well, no doubt, really it's up to the people to choose to either be responsible and raise taxes for public services desired or else as another choice choose to cut services along with taxes. I wonder why people never vote on what services to eliminate? Raising taxes on businesses is seldom if ever a good idea.

Oregonians just voted to raise taxes on businesses and the 3% or Oregonians that are considered 'rich'. That is hardly a vote to tax themselves. If they were voting to tax themselves they would have taxed themselves either by creating a state sales tax or increasing the income tax across all brackets.

As for lowering taxes or cutting services, if they had lowered their taxes they could have generated more revenue in the long run. You only have to look at what is happening to see this for yourself. When Oregon raised taxes on business what did other states and cities do? They started recruiting Oregon businesses. Do you hear stories about Oregon advertising in Washington saying, 'Relocate to Oregon - we just raised taxes'? It doesn't work that way. Money seeks the path of least resistance and Oregon just doubled down on resistance. They will be out more jobs, have higher unemployment, which will lead to more spending on social programs, which will get cut anyhow because they don't have the money. They will be worse off.


Oregon might see a temporary increase in tax revenue but as businesses move out of state, cancel expansion plans in-state, and new business don't move in they will see revenue drop off.

[hoya]

It's a balancing act. We just passed a 3/4 billion dollar sales tax here. You need to have taxes to pay for stuff you want. I'm not intimately familiar with Oregon, their tax increase, or what they intend to do with the money. What I do know is that packing up and moving requires a major investment. Businesses normally don't jump ship at the first sign of higher taxes. They move only when it becomes clear that they can be more financially successful long-term.

Also, they can't always afford to look long-term. They could be facing a severe budget crunch. Sometimes you have to make a compromise on long-term growth versus immediate need.

For all the good that MAPS has done, it hasn't made OKC into some shining citadel. We aren't the Promised Land. What MAPS has done is bring us up to the level of other cities. It gives us a fighting chance to bring in more businesses, but we shouldn't really be surprised that companies from the Pacific Northwest, where there are big forests and mountains and lots of scenic beauty, aren't tripping over themselves to move here.

[metro]

No, we passed a temporary 1 cent sales tax, the 3/4 of a billion is just an estimate on projected collections. It could be more or less depending on the economy and growth. Businesses relocating for quality of life reasons (as many move to Houston for this reason) will see the value in a MAPS style tax.

[rcjunkie]

Cornett is all wrapped up in tearing buildings down. He doesn't have time to attract businesses.

Care to share what buildings Cornett is tearing down !!!!!!, or are you just spewing because you don't like him or his views.

[Thunder]

Okay, people is hijacking this topic.

Metro, post more details when you can, please.