Egads! Apparently, new state Sen. Kristin Thompson, R-Edmond, somehow missed the meeting where all Oklahoma Republicans swore on their well-worn Bibles to support and defend only smaller government and lower taxes.
This freshman lawmaker has proposed to, hold your breath, create a brand new agency. A brand new agency to implement a brand new program called OK EDGE to fix a very old problem … economic development in our state.
That’s right. This independent thinking lawmaker believes what has been tried over many decades is not working if the goal is to create and/or retain good paying jobs for more of our fellow citizens. Those things include but are not limited to: 1. A Right to Work law; 2. Throwing millions if not billions of your tax dollars at companies who use our state as the bridesmaid but never the bride at the altar of economic development; and even 3. The creation of a new state motto … Imagine That!
Go ahead. Imagine that. Except for pockets of progress such as the Thunder-driven resurgence of downtown Oklahoma City, modest expansion of the Mid-America Industrial Park near Pryor, and casino-triggered investments in rural Oklahoma – think Winstar near Thackerville – most of our state looks about like it did, or worse, compared to 40 years ago.
Jobs “out there” in the boonies often pay only minimum wage salaries in retail, restaurant or service sectors which, of course, younger generations reject by moving to about 10 growing counties surrounding Oklahoma City and Tulsa, thus making the 46th star not one state but two.
We might as well call them “Have Oklahoma” and “Do Not Have Oklahoma,” whether it be medical care, abundant quality jobs, broadband services or arterial connections. About a lucky dozen counties “have,” about 60-plus “don’t have” – just like the mid 80s.
Good luck, Sen. Thompson. I have only one suggestion: Take the tax cut money Gov. Stitt proposes and invest all of it in public education, Pre-K through graduate school.
You’re welcome.
Editor’s Note: Thompson’s proposal is contained in two measures,SB 1447and SB 1448, both of which now have been sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.
