The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Good stuff.

Too bad FB got banned.  I bet his head is exploding reading this but unable to respond.  LOLZ...

Channeling FB...."yeah but what about all the strings attached?"

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=13943.msg140273#msg140273

I always loved his references to "Herr. Kaiser".... LOL.

I'm quite certain Ken Levitt and others at the KFF are making lives far better than the government ever would if they had confiscated more of his wealth via taxes.

Funny that he wrote that government is shirking its duty. It's an interesting juxtaposition.

George Kaiser plans for his foundation's future with a gift only he can give: Oklahoma's biggest bank


Tulsa has seen just a small fraction of George Kaiser’s fortune. Yet he has a long-range vision of how the George Kaiser Family Foundation will spend its last dollar.

His namesake philanthropic organization continues to spend tens of millions of dollars each year on early childhood education, reducing female incarceration, economic development and, of course, that two-thirds-finished park on the Arkansas River. The foundation, according to executives and tax filings, has spent about $1 billion.

There are billions more left for the oilman and banker to give away. And still Kaiser is thinking about the end, about what will happen to the Bank of Oklahoma — the bank he bought because he worried about what the city and state would look like without it. He has pondered what he hopes his fortune will accomplish and come up with a strategy to achieve it, a plan that will last long after he has gone on, as he says, “to one of those two unknowable places.”

Kaiser’s plan will eventually give a nonprofit, the George Kaiser Family Foundation, control of Oklahoma’s largest bank. The bank is a corporate entity that has thousands of employees and about $32 billion in assets.

The transfer itself is part of the unwinding of an economic engine that will leave the foundation, an institution dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in Tulsa, even larger than it already is. It’s part of Kaiser’s promise to give away the majority of his wealth — the Giving Pledge. Unlike some billionaires who took the pledge, Kaiser’s philanthropic focus is almost entirely local.

Foundation’s future
He could still change his mind, but Kaiser, 75, doesn’t plan on selling his controlling interest in BOK Financial, the Bank of Oklahoma’s parent company.

He told the Tulsa World that he and his namesake foundation have designed “a plan to avoid the necessity of selling a controlling position in BOKF because of the importance of the bank in supporting Oklahoma small and medium-size businesses.”

How the transfer will take shape is still being worked out with regulators, but it would likely take place through his estate after Kaiser’s death.

The bank’s stock forms the core of Kaiser’s remaining fortune. His 61 percent stake was worth $3.2 billion at close of trading Friday. There’s about $7.8 billion, according to Forbes, left of his personal fortune.

Kaiser has given the George Kaiser Family Foundation more than $4 billion in cash, stock and stakes in businesses, according to the foundation’s annual tax filings with the IRS.

He himself is mum on how much there is to give away, saying the foundation will receive “the balance” of his remaining personal assets when he dies.

“The amount depends upon when that day is and how successful I am in enhancing or dissipating the assets in the meantime,” Kaiser said in an email. “I plan to keep flying coach, shopping at Wal-Mart and buying Joseph A. Bank suits to help preserve the ultimate foundation corpus.”

Business relationship
The foundation is a bank customer.

The foundation’s IRS Form 990 for 2015, the latest year available, shows that it had a $206 million line of credit from BOKF and a smaller loan for $2.3 million for work in the Brady Arts District. In 2013, there was a loan for $55 million, that year’s filing showed.

The documents describe the loans as “arms-length transactions,” which means the loans are at market rates, giving the bank, mostly owned by Kaiser, the ability to make revenue off philanthropic efforts.

Kaiser said loans from BOKF to him are typically at higher rates than loans he has from other banks.

However, GKFF is among several customer relationships BOKF has with members of its board and shareholders, including Kaiser. If properly disclosed, they aren’t unusual or illegal. They are closely regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency.

BOKF CEO Steve Bradshaw said: “That’s a significant relationship. The foundation is a large entity here in Tulsa. … We’re going to try to earn our fair share, which we consider to be nearly 100 percent of any great relationship that’s available to us. We compete for that. GKFF certainly doesn’t do all their business with us.”

The relationship is a two-way street. BOKF, according to SEC filings, purchased $7.5 million worth of historic tax credits from the foundation in 2016 — which were used to offset the company’s state income tax liability in 2016 — and in 2017.

Following the money
The relationship between BOKF and the foundation is part of a larger pattern of Kaiser’s for-profit enterprises interacting with the George Kaiser Family Foundation — a pattern that has persisted despite media scrutiny.

The foundation itself is a complex entity whose holdings are a window into Kaiser’s own, tax filings show.

At the end of 2015, the foundation, like Kaiser, owned a stake in Memjet Holdings LTD, a San Diego-based printing company; a solar energy company; and The Oil Center buildings in downtown Oklahoma City. It also owns a ship used by Kaiser’s natural gas importing company, Excelerate Energy. And more than 4 percent of BOK Financial, per SEC filings.

The two are legally separate. Kaiser can’t appoint a majority of the voting power to the foundation’s board, and once Kaiser has contributed something to the foundation, it can never revert back to him.

However, the slow growth of the foundation’s giving, its legal structure and the failure of one of its government-financed investments, Solyndra, have attracted scrutiny over the past decade.

As an example of how the foundation invested alongside Kaiser, Bloomberg reported in 2013 that the foundation owned a supertanker called the Excellence, which is among Excelerate Energy’s fleet.

Kaiser co-owned Excelerate at the time and now wholly controls the company, according to its website.

The Bloomberg report came eight years after The New York Times used GKFF as an example of how supporting organizations — the type of nonprofit that the foundation is — give tax benefits to those who endow them without being required to give away a certain amount of their assets every year, unlike private foundations.

The Times reported in 2005 that the foundation had given away only $3.4 million to charitable causes.

Fred Dorwart, Kaiser’s longtime attorney and friend and a GKFF board member, told the Times that Kaiser wanted to help fund a safety net for the Tulsa region, beautify Tulsa and have a program for disadvantaged children.

That story came at a time early in Kaiser’s giving — the first Educare early childhood education facility was being planned. The foundation’s giving would soon ramp up into the tens of millions, then the hundreds. All around Tulsa, what Dorwart described is coming to fruition.

Financial philosophy
Kaiser, in an email to the World, compared his foundation’s principles to those of the Times.

He said: “One of the many guiding principles of GKFF could be called the New York Times rule. Their masthead … says ‘all the news that’s fit to print.’ GKFF feels the same way about its flexible budget — if the somewhat proven, good charitable ideas within our mission prudently require less than our ideal contemplated distributions, we will underspend the ‘budget.’ On the other hand, if we have more good ideas than money, we will overspend.”

GKFF spent $132 million in grants and contributions in 2015. In 2014, that number was $200.5 million. By comparison, the city of Tulsa’s general fund spent $257.7 million in fiscal year 2014.

Ken Levit, executive director of the GKFF, said that in 2016 the foundation spent more than $200 million in grants, contributions and other projects.

While Kaiser has pledged “virtually all” of his remaining fortune to GKFF, it appears that he is in no hurry to give it away or to sell companies he controls.

He backed away from selling The Woodlands, Texas-based Excelerate Energy earlier this year, according to media reports. However, he did sell his stake in Tulsa-based Summit ESP to Halliburton in early July.

Kaiser said the same “Times” principle applies to distributing his remaining fortune and to the long-term draw-down of the foundation’s assets.

“We will let needs and solutions guide the speed of our distributions rather than put intense pressure on the trustees to liquidate in a hurry at some point and make sub-optimal judgments,” he said.

Impact down the line
Bradshaw and other business associates describe Kaiser’s business practices as those of a “contrarian” — willing to buck the status quo in favor of pursuing long-term profits.

That long-term view is seen by Bradshaw as a competitive advantage for BOKF.

“We don’t waste time thinking about the bank selling, because George is not a seller,” the bank’s CEO said. “I can’t emphasize enough what a gift that is.”

The size and scope of Kaiser’s gifts, both present and future, aren’t lost on another business associate, QuikTrip CEO Chet Cadieux, who serves on the BOKF board of directors and the foundation’s board.

He noted that while other cities had seen large-scale philanthropic giving, those cities are often larger and wealthier and have bigger economies. As a percentage of Tulsa’s economic output, Kaiser-originated philanthropy has to be larger than most, he said.

“I can’t imagine there’s another city that has someone who’s been as generous as he has,” Cadieux said in an April interview with the World.

He also noted that the time frame GKFF is investing over isn’t a brief window.

“I think a lot of the stuff that they’re doing is going to have a much bigger impact than people know, because they’re long plays,” Cadieux said. “He is working to try to treat the cause rather than the symptoms of various problems in our city. … It takes decades to have an impact, and in all likelihood the person who gave isn’t going to be around for everyone to say, ‘Hey, way to go.’ ”

An end-point, but not a date
In its close to two decades of existence, GKFF has spent $1 billion, a significant but not large fraction of its current assets. Theoretically, with the continued contributions of Kaiser’s remaining wealth, the foundation’s assets could last forever. It has a stock portfolio worth hundreds of millions, and the returns could fund its efforts in perpetuity.

While the foundation hopes to earn a good return on investments, Kaiser said the “dominant goal” is to distribute the funds. That distribution could occur over several decades, beyond the lifespan of Kaiser and those he has entrusted to accomplish his philanthropic objectives.

Commitment to, and knowledge of, Kaiser’s objectives and the foundation’s long-term mission will lessen as the people who have witnessed the philanthropy’s path die, he believes. The foundation’s board members — trustees — will be tasked with continuing the mission. Once there are only three of those trustees, or their successors, remaining, the foundation will cease to exist in the way it does today.

“We will distribute our last dollar when … the identified trustees and successor trustees diminish to a minimum practical governance group,” he said in a May email. “The foundation will distribute its remaining proceeds — over a leisurely time period — to supported organizations or to an administrative trust established for their benefit.”

Kaiser and Levit have long acknowledged that the foundation’s mission could be an 80- to 100-year project, giving its benefactor the ability only to guess as to how the transfer of wealth will work out.

“Ken is indomitable and will be there at or near the end, as will my kids, I suspect; I don’t think I’ll make it,” Kaiser said.

I know his main concern is early childhood education, but one of the best things Mr. Kaiser could do for Tulsa is to donate to our local universities, especially TU.  I've said it before but I think building up TU to be a larger part of Tulsa is very important to the growth of this city (see my threads in the Planning forum), especially research and graduate programs.  Kaiser has already given $50 million to OU to start their School of Community Medicine in Tulsa.  I hope he will donate more when OU and TU create a full medical school in Tulsa, and I hope they can somehow use the downtown hospital as their 'home base' and share facilities with OSU's program there.  

I also know that the river and parks are important to him.  If he decides to give more to trails/parks I would hope that would involve extending the new dual jog/bike trails south of 71st Street to the Jenks bridge and extending the west bank trail south of Turkey Mountain to connect to the trails at Riverwalk Crossing.  That and a larger, nicer festival park that encompasses the Mid-Continent concrete plant on the west bank.   ;D

Somehow it escaped me that he was born into wealth.  I had always assumed that when he mentioned the ovarian lottery that he was referring to where/when he was born and then all else fell into place.  Weren’t his parents Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany?

Kaiser was born on July 29, 1942 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1][2][6] He attended Central High School in Tulsa.[7] He earned a B.A. from Harvard College in 1964 and an MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1966.[8] He briefly considered joining the U.S. Foreign Service, but instead returned to Tulsa in 1966 to work for his father. Kaiser-Francis Oil Co. was created in the 1940s by Kaiser's uncle and parents, Jewish[9][10] refugees from Nazi Germany who settled in Oklahoma.[11][12]

George's father, Herman had been a judge in Germany until 1935, when he was removed from his job by the Nazis because he was Jewish. He and his wife escaped to England in 1938, then emigrated to the United States. They settled in Tulsa, where Herman's aunt and uncle already lived. Herman joined the uncle's oil drilling business. Their son was born in Tulsa.
. . .
George Kaiser took control of Kaiser-Francis Oil Company in 1969, after his father had a heart attack. Kaiser-Francis was a little-known, privately owned oil prospecting and drilling company at the time. Under George's management, it became the 23rd largest nonpublic energy exploration company in the U.S. by 2010. In that year the company earned about $217 million, based on estimates by Bloomberg News.
. . .
Kaiser typically works 70 hours a week in his office, spending half his time on philanthropy and the rest on banking, energy and other business interests.
. . .
Kaiser is listed third on BusinessWeek's 2008 list of the top 50 American philanthropists, behind Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates.

Yep.  While the start of the story is horrible, its a great American tale.  His parents were forced out of Nazi Germany, came here, and basically started over.  While it seems George Kaiser was born into a good family and was granted fantastic opportunities, it also seems he could have coasted along and lived a comfortable life.  But he didn't.  By all accounts he worked harder than anyone else and went on to world class wealth.  Then decided to give it away.

From wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Kaiser

Unlike Dougie Pielsticker who pissed away a nice fortune his father busted his a$$ building.

Unlike Dougie Pielsticker who pissed away a nice fortune his father busted his a$$ building.

I read somewhere that 70% of wealthy families lose their wealth by the 2nd generation:

time.com/money/3925308/rich-families-lose-wealth/ (http://time.com/money/3925308/rich-families-lose-wealth/)

It is incredibly difficult to build something that lasts beyond a generation. Sad that so many entitled trust fund babies end up wasting so much wealth. A lot of that is unrealistic lifestyle expectations that cause them to far outspend what the wealth will produce (similar to the Arrow Trucking where he cheated and stole from the company to keep up with his lavish lifestyle which was out of control).

Had a good friend of mine get caught up in that hot mess.  She lost her job and said most everyone got blindsided.

I found this interesting.  The USDA is moving 700 jobs to a new office outside of DC.  They received 136 proposals from 35 different states, including three from Oklahoma: Pawnee, Stillwater (in conjunction with OSU) and Tulsa.  The applicant from Tulsa was GKFF.

http://southeastagnet.com/2018/10/22/usda-receipt-expressions-ers-nifa/ (http://southeastagnet.com/2018/10/22/usda-receipt-expressions-ers-nifa/)

I found this interesting.  The USDA is moving 700 jobs to a new office outside of DC.  They received 136 proposals from 35 different states, including three from Oklahoma: Pawnee, Stillwater (in conjunction with OSU) and Tulsa.  The applicant from Tulsa was GKFF.

http://southeastagnet.com/2018/10/22/usda-receipt-expressions-ers-nifa/ (http://southeastagnet.com/2018/10/22/usda-receipt-expressions-ers-nifa/)

Thoughts on this GKFF program?  I think it's pretty innovative and a way to bring more start-ups to Tulsa. 

https://qz.com/work/1461211/remote-workers-can-get-a-cushy-apartment-free-office-space-and-10000-if-they-move-to-tulsa/?fbclid=IwAR1PYUL5BTYsU6jL2mELdnjqR-Wwxg5U_kGODcUm8HEXMtAeDQMK4dPpqNE (https://qz.com/work/1461211/remote-workers-can-get-a-cushy-apartment-free-office-space-and-10000-if-they-move-to-tulsa/?fbclid=IwAR1PYUL5BTYsU6jL2mELdnjqR-Wwxg5U_kGODcUm8HEXMtAeDQMK4dPpqNE)

They’ll also have the option of living in new furnished apartments in the Tulsa Arts District for 33 percent off the base price, as well as free utilities, for the first three months.

Other perks include free work space at 36 Degrees North, weekly brainstorming sessions with other program members and community-building opportunities. Tulsa’s Young Professionals will offer monthly workshops to help develop skills and strategies to work better remotely.

“I think a big part of the success of this will depend on how good the fit is,” Levit said. “We are making an investment in a person, and we want the people to be the kind of folks who are really going to be committed to give that year everything they have and really have a sense that they’re giving Tulsa a good-faith try for a lot longer period of time.”

One of the things I hear often from Tulsa executives trying to recruit out-of-state talent is the hardest thing is getting them to visit Tulsa.  If they visit, the companies are often successful in hiring them.  This program is an innovative way of exposing more people to Tulsa and overcoming that first visit problem.  If it’s successful, it might be worth exploring whether the city could scale it up with some public funding.  

One of the things I hear often from Tulsa executives trying to recruit out-of-state talent is the hardest thing is getting them to visit Tulsa.  If they visit, the companies are often successful in hiring them.  This program is an innovative way of exposing more people to Tulsa and overcoming that first visit problem.  If it’s successful, it might be worth exploring whether the city could scale it up with some public funding. 

It's pretty hard to argue with GKFF's approach on this.  It's a really novel idea and I think likely better than corporate hand outs for call centers, distribution centers, etc. Anything which will help encourage organic entrepreneurism is a great deal.  One of our goals out here in Cimarron, NM is trying to establish a business incubator in one of the vacant buildings to help locals with a skill or trade overcome the cost of entry into owning their own business.

I was in a position earlier this year in which I would've gladly taken advantage of this. $10k for a year isn't a ton of money but with some of the other incentives, it really sounds like a great deal if you work from home and are looking for somewhere else to live.

$10K will generally cover the moving expenses of most millennials and give them some starting capital.  So excited that this incentive came out for Tulsa.

Not addressing this directly at you, but the wider audience....

Went to Tulsa Remote website for a while and still trying to get a sense of what this is all about.  First question that comes to mind;

Why??  For this whole thing... 

If the goal is to stimulate economic growth/development/new thinking/company startups, apply parts of this program to people who are doing exactly what this appears to attempt right now.  I know several who are doing remote work, could definitely use some free office space like 36 North - I am thinking about trying to a space there if they will allow old people!  Looks like grey hair is gonna be an uphill battle there as in so many other areas.   Just getting some of that, even without the $10k would be pretty substantial.

If we just wanna have 'guest workers' for a while, again, why??  And I know the answer - get people here for a while and maybe they will come here permanently with whatever work they do now.  I guess I could move my company to Rogers County and that would satisfy the requirements for a lot of this.  Will have to look into it - part of it is already physically there.  Seems like a cumbersome approach, but would love to hear/discuss this more.


Web site;
https://tulsaremote.com/#hero

I travel for business all over the US, and I don't think people in Tulsa appreciate how "nothing" the rest of the US thinks about OK.  They have no idea how different OKC and Tulsa are, or that this area of the state is not flat and dry.  (and that is basically the overall thought about OK, that it is all flat and dry...)  Obviously, there are a few that have been here, and I have never heard a bad thing said about Tulsa from anyone who has actually visited here.  Most of them are very complimentary.   When OK makes the news nowadays, it almost always reinforces old and negative stereotypes, and all the marketing in the world will only go so far to say that "hey, we are different than the rest of the state".  This may be a brute-force way to do it, but if it gets new blood to come in and create things, then that is awesome.

On the age thing, I get it.  Also, I've moved here twice now (hence the "rebound" tag...) because I like the city so much.    Nobody paid me.   And now I'm well past the demographic they are wanting to attract.  But if we (Kaiser) is going to invest money to bring in new blood/talent, age is a consideration.  The longer someone stays in the community, the more ROI on the investment.  I'm not the target, nor are you, but it's still a great deal for the city.

You are right about that - I do the same, talking to a LOT of people in technical/engineering fields.  Left, right, top and bottom coasts.  Couple of foreign countries like Venezuela, Canada, and Baja Oklahoma (self-described Texas).  Have talked here about 'jawboning' just to get them to come visit - not even starting the discussion about coming here to live, except for a couple of people mentioned earlier with Varian - and it is an instant method to get to the "TEGO" moment, followed by drowsiness and then a deep sleep!  I have told the story about one from the east who I pressed so hard to visit he finally came out with the question about what was really bothering him - "what about the Indians...?"   He, and a couple of co-workers, were literally concerned there might be an Indian uprising if they came here!  SMH, over and over and over...   I told them not to worry - OKC and Tulsa were fine and only occasionally did people get arrows shot into their cars on the turnpikes!   They still haven't visited...

Oh, and pictures showing how it isn't all flat and dry don't help.  (Even OKC has some texture, so it isn't all just flat and dry.)  They still get lots of pics of the dust bowl on different channels.

We have quite a few good sized companies from elsewhere with some pretty good sized operations here.  I have worked for a few of them... and each of them considers us a 'colony'.  'Nice' place to get low wage labor, but nowhere near civilized enough to move here to stay.  Managers and Executives move here, then go home when their 'term' is up.  Even a good sized number of our homegrown companies have taken flight to go somewhere more 'glamorous'.  And what we are missing to attract them takes decades to grow.


I guess we will see about the great deal.  Would be nice - I have mentioned many times that I have a pretty sizeable number of family and friends who have left Tulsa due to lack of opportunity.  ALL of them STEM types.  Love to have them back!!  And I have had to go to OKC WAY too much in recent years because of that.  Better than being dead, but not as good as being in Tulsa..!!

I've said it plenty of times but we have to organically grow our STEM jobs.  Which means our universities need to be much better at producing the types of graduates that those industries need.  Tulsa has a long history of innovation...at least in the energy, communications and aerospace industries.  Look at what Williams/WilTel did with fiber optics in the 90's.  Look at all of the aerospace companies that build aircraft components even one time building the robotic arms for the space shuttle.  Tulsa also has really good trade schools which is one of the reasons the area has so many manufacturing jobs.

TU is a good university and is strong in STEM programs, especially engineering.  It could use a boost with its science and technology programs, as well as health sciences (which is happening with their partnership with OU).  The problem is TU is too small, it needs to be about twice its current size to make a more significant impact.  Imagine a TU the size of OU in Norman at 11th & Delaware.  That's not going to happen, but now imagine a TU the size of TCU in Ft Worth (enrollment of ~9,000), that is definitely possible if the will is there.  That coupled with increases in investment from OU and OSU into their respective Tulsa campuses would be trans-formative.  

You are right about that - I do the same, talking to a LOT of people in technical/engineering fields.  Left, right, top and bottom coasts.  Couple of foreign countries like Venezuela, Canada, and Baja Oklahoma (self-described Texas).  Have talked here about 'jawboning' just to get them to come visit - not even starting the discussion about coming here to live, except for a couple of people mentioned earlier with Varian - and it is an instant method to get to the "TEGO" moment, followed by drowsiness and then a deep sleep!  I have told the story about one from the east who I pressed so hard to visit he finally came out with the question about what was really bothering him - "what about the Indians...?"   He, and a couple of co-workers, were literally concerned there might be an Indian uprising if they came here!  SMH, over and over and over...   I told them not to worry - OKC and Tulsa were fine and only occasionally did people get arrows shot into their cars on the turnpikes!   They still haven't visited...

Oh, and pictures showing how it isn't all flat and dry don't help.  (Even OKC has some texture, so it isn't all just flat and dry.)  They still get lots of pics of the dust bowl on different channels.

We have quite a few good sized companies from elsewhere with some pretty good sized operations here.  I have worked for a few of them... and each of them considers us a 'colony'.  'Nice' place to get low wage labor, but nowhere near civilized enough to move here to stay.  Managers and Executives move here, then go home when their 'term' is up.  Even a good sized number of our homegrown companies have taken flight to go somewhere more 'glamorous'.  And what we are missing to attract them takes decades to grow.


I guess we will see about the great deal.  Would be nice - I have mentioned many times that I have a pretty sizeable number of family and friends who have left Tulsa due to lack of opportunity.  ALL of them STEM types.  Love to have them back!!  And I have had to go to OKC WAY too much in recent years because of that.  Better than being dead, but not as good as being in Tulsa..!!

I've said it plenty of times but we have to organically grow our STEM jobs.  Which means our universities need to be much better at producing the types of graduates that those industries need.  Tulsa has a long history of innovation...at least in the energy, communications and aerospace industries.  Look at what Williams/WilTel did with fiber optics in the 90's.  Look at all of the aerospace companies that build aircraft components even one time building the robotic arms for the space shuttle.  Tulsa also has really good trade schools which is one of the reasons the area has so many manufacturing jobs.

TU is a good university and is strong in STEM programs, especially engineering.  It could use a boost with its science and technology programs, as well as health sciences (which is happening with their partnership with OU).  The problem is TU is too small, it needs to be about twice its current size to make a more significant impact.  Imagine a TU the size of OU in Norman at 11th & Delaware.  That's not going to happen, but now imagine a TU the size of TCU in Ft Worth (enrollment of ~9,000), that is definitely possible if the will is there.  That coupled with increases in investment from OU and OSU into their respective Tulsa campuses would be trans-formative.  

They had plans to increase somewhat, but TU probably can't/won't feasibly get anywhere near that big any time soon. They are limited by the demographics because of trying to limit admissions to students in top 10%. The pool of applicants isn't growing (for most all universities) so the only way to expand is lower their standards. If they allow too low, their rankings and reputation will suffer and will cause a ripple effect and hurt future years as well. They've actually gotten a bit smaller recently because of the decline in incoming freshmen nation wide.

If Tulsa wants a big university it will need to be public. Many want it and I agree that it would certainly be a big boost that is well needed and would be highly utilized. Maybe Tulsan leaders can seize the opportunity with a Tulsan governor and likely a bit more influence in state politics than usual.

I get what you're saying but that is how things are viewed on a top-corporate level or by big cities just like "flyover country" is dismissed on the coasts. It's a very generalized and wrong view that isn't shared regionally where most prospective future Tulsans would move from. Sure many in Dallas or Houston don't think much of Tulsa or think it's a tiny country town, but many in Chicago ignorantly view KC and Dallas as little redneck towns.

People in the region do know Tulsa and many move here from all over and many of those people enjoy it, especially when people experience our arts, music and midtown areas. Many also love the quiet affordable suburb lifestyle here over places like Chicago where it's very expensive or long commute.

It's not unique to Tulsa that people move away for STEM jobs. I can go show you hundreds of STEM job listings in Tulsa, many of which will be filled by out of state applicants. Those jobs are often very specialized and often bring people from all over. When I was a senior, I had companies from several different states interview me and had offers in different states. The sometimes-higher offers require you to move to some remote area or a big city, but Tulsa's aerospace and oil & gas jobs are often right in line with pay in some much larger cities. I was surprised many offers around here were higher than what a lot of northern/midwest jobs were paying.

The conversation went from "Bringing in new people with new ideas to create new companies" to "hiring for jobs at big, old established firms."

Having both are important. 

But, I think getting Tulsa to be seen as a modern thinking,  "entrepreneurial" city that is both welcoming to newcomers AND supportive of those entrepreneurs who are here, is important. 

And I do get the point that it often doesn't seem like we adequately and as visually/vocally support what is already here and going on.  Do think there are some positive signs on that front though.  A more vigorous "buy local/support local" push by the city would not only be great for those that are here but send a HUGE positive signal to those new entrepreneurs that we are wanting to attract from around the world, that Tulsa is a great, worthwhile place to be.  If when they get here they are going to be ignored like those who are already here are, that's not a good signal to send. If they think that when they get here the attention will instantly go off of them and instead be "getting in someone new", that again is also not a good signal to send. These young, entrepreneurial people aren't stupid. They can see how the people/businesses (downtown stores as a per instance) that are already here are being ignored and not promoted.

"Tulsa Governor in this case won't help.  He has already said he was against the pay raises for teachers - the entry point from which all education flows.  And would like to rescind the raises."

Do you have an article or quote where Gov.-Elect Stitt says he wants to rescind the teacher pay raises. Everything I've seen says Gov.-Elect Stitt wants to increase teacher pay more. For example, this right-before-the-election article:

"Stitt has set a goal of making Oklahoma the highest paying for teachers out in the six-state region.

While he hasn't set a specific number, Stitt has promised to seek an education funding increase next year through a growth in the state's tax base and more efficient spending, but not through tax hikes."

https://newsok.com/article/5613609/candidates-differ-on-teacher-pay-in-first-year

And this just-after-the-election article:

"But [Stitt] has also vowed to increase spending in education and said he would seek another teacher pay raise during the first year of his administration."

https://newsok.com/article/5614226/kevin-stitt-wins-governors-race

And his campaign website itself:

"Raise teacher pay so that it matches the pay of teachers in our six-state footprint. With 95 percent of Oklahoma children attending public schools, we must ensure those on the front lines of teaching our children receive the support they need to succeed."

https://www.stittforgovernor.com/issues/

"Tulsa Governor in this case won't help.  He has already said he was against the pay raises for teachers - the entry point from which all education flows.  And would like to rescind the raises."

Do you have an article or quote where Gov.-Elect Stitt says he wants to rescind the teacher pay raises. Everything I've seen says Gov.-Elect Stitt wants to increase teacher pay more. For example, this right-before-the-election article:

"Stitt has set a goal of making Oklahoma the highest paying for teachers out in the six-state region.

While he hasn't set a specific number, Stitt has promised to seek an education funding increase next year through a growth in the state's tax base and more efficient spending, but not through tax hikes."

https://newsok.com/article/5613609/candidates-differ-on-teacher-pay-in-first-year

And this just-after-the-election article:

"But [Stitt] has also vowed to increase spending in education and said he would seek another teacher pay raise during the first year of his administration."

https://newsok.com/article/5614226/kevin-stitt-wins-governors-race

And his campaign website itself:

"Raise teacher pay so that it matches the pay of teachers in our six-state footprint. With 95 percent of Oklahoma children attending public schools, we must ensure those on the front lines of teaching our children receive the support they need to succeed."

https://www.stittforgovernor.com/issues/

"Tulsa Governor in this case won't help.  He has already said he was against the pay raises for teachers - the entry point from which all education flows.  And would like to rescind the raises."

Do you have an article or quote where Gov.-Elect Stitt says he wants to rescind the teacher pay raises. Everything I've seen says Gov.-Elect Stitt wants to increase teacher pay more. For example, this right-before-the-election article:

"Stitt has set a goal of making Oklahoma the highest paying for teachers out in the six-state region.

While he hasn't set a specific number, Stitt has promised to seek an education funding increase next year through a growth in the state's tax base and more efficient spending, but not through tax hikes."

https://newsok.com/article/5613609/candidates-differ-on-teacher-pay-in-first-year

And this just-after-the-election article:

"But [Stitt] has also vowed to increase spending in education and said he would seek another teacher pay raise during the first year of his administration."

https://newsok.com/article/5614226/kevin-stitt-wins-governors-race

And his campaign website itself:

"Raise teacher pay so that it matches the pay of teachers in our six-state footprint. With 95 percent of Oklahoma children attending public schools, we must ensure those on the front lines of teaching our children receive the support they need to succeed."

https://www.stittforgovernor.com/issues/

So, to be clear, he does not support rescinding the teacher pay raise. He says he wants to increase pay more but not through even higher tax rates. Whether that is feasible or likely is definitely debatable.

Didn't meant to derail the thread. But misinformation like saying he wants to rescind the teacher pay raises is harmful to our state policy debates.

Saying we could have given teacher raises without raising taxes is harmful to state policy debates. It's nonsense.

You need a solid source of revenue to maintain teacher salaries if Oklahoma wants to attract and maintain reputable veteran teachers and become a stepping stone to keep our young teacher graduates in-state.

I'm not sure what you mean by this?  What is a "solid source of revenue"?  The state only gets money through taxes of some form.  To get money, we tax.  OK is near or at the bottom of all states in terms of state budget per population.  Based on the attached Wiki link, we are dead last.   We cannot thrive while continuing to starve ourselves, and that will mean raising revenue (taxes) in some form.  There is no other option, other than continuing our inevitable slog to the bottom...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_budgets (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_budgets)

If I'm reading your reply wrong, and you are in favor of increasing salaries and the overall budget, my apologies.  I am not sure what direction you are promoting

So, to be clear, he does not support rescinding the teacher pay raise. He says he wants to increase pay more but not through even higher tax rates. Whether that is feasible or likely is definitely debatable.

Didn't meant to derail the thread. But misinformation like saying he wants to rescind the teacher pay raises is harmful to our state policy debates.

Public education is one of those necessary evils. It's an antiquated system not well suited for the modern world (from a financial sense). I am for the teacher raises and spending more on education as long as there are real results and it improves the state's reputation nationwide. All of these negative things you hear about education in Oklahoma are derived from one statistic, that we spend less per student than most states. This doesn't even necessarily say anything about the quality of our education, only that we spend less. Then you get some crazy liberal news outlets to jump on the story to try and paint a picture of "Republican stronghold of Oklahoma failing because of Republican policies and spending less than other states".

I graduated high school from Owasso. Within my graduating class, we had one of the highest amounts of national merit scholars for one school in the nation. We competed nationally (and successfully) in debate, band, choir, etc. ACT scores and college admission were well above national average. My point being that state spending per pupil doesn't really matter, at least not in a suburban setting. Rural is a different story since there is less property tax, but even then if you have a curriculum to go by and proper supplies then anyone could teach at a high school level.

Unfortunately there is a negative perception of Oklahoma due to our conservative leanings and if spending more on education will solve that (it won't) then so be it. Stitt said he's for giving teachers pay raises, but said the most recent one was the wrong way to go about it.

I don't pretend to know what the solution is. I just wish people would calm down and realize that more spending doesn't always mean better results.

If there is anyway you can support teacher raises through a moderate tax increase on the corporate sector like the energy (oil & gas) lets explore those options first. If push comes to shove then look at a slight increase in property and/or a special 1/16 increase on state sales taxes dedicated to teacher salaries. Oklahoma will need to raise teacher salaries by $4,000  by 2020 to get us out of the bottom five rut.

We have to get this done.  The damage has already cost the state an exodus of many talented teachers to states like Texas & California.  We need a long-term plan to support those raises that doesn't require one segment of tax papers to shoulder the burden term.

2017 rankings prior to the teacher walkout:  https://www.app.com/story/news/investigations/data/analysis/2018/04/12/teacher-salary-2017/508703002/ (https://www.app.com/story/news/investigations/data/analysis/2018/04/12/teacher-salary-2017/508703002/)

     45. West Virginia, $44,470
     46. Mississippi, $44,364
     47. Arizona, $44,113
     48. North Carolina, $43,897
     49. South Dakota, $40,790
     50. Oklahoma, $40,201

*1970s Oklahoma ranked 44
*1980s Oklahoma ranked 45
*1990s Oklahoma ranked 47 (vaguely recall the 3 decade ranking from memory*).

Norman Transcript:  Mar 29, 2018:  "The massive tax package, which is expected to raise about $447 million in new revenue, will allow lawmakers to give classroom teachers an average $6,100 pay increase:  https://www.normantranscript.com/news/government/senate-narrowly-approves-teacher-raise-package/article_9403013b-4f74-5f48-8ad5-6f61e5e94934.html (https://www.normantranscript.com/news/government/senate-narrowly-approves-teacher-raise-package/article_9403013b-4f74-5f48-8ad5-6f61e5e94934.html)

Oklahoma's is still among the bottom 5 states with the worst in teacher pay @$46,301; several states in that bottom five have increase teacher salaries for 2018.

Public education is one of those necessary evils. It's an antiquated system not well suited for the modern world (from a financial sense). I am for the teacher raises and spending more on education as long as there are real results and it improves the state's reputation nationwide. All of these negative things you hear about education in Oklahoma are derived from one statistic, that we spend less per student than most states. This doesn't even necessarily say anything about the quality of our education, only that we spend less. Then you get some crazy liberal news outlets to jump on the story to try and paint a picture of "Republican stronghold of Oklahoma failing because of Republican policies and spending less than other states".

I graduated high school from Owasso. Within my graduating class, we had one of the highest amounts of national merit scholars for one school in the nation. We competed nationally (and successfully) in debate, band, choir, etc. ACT scores and college admission were well above national average. My point being that state spending per pupil doesn't really matter, at least not in a suburban setting. Rural is a different story since there is less property tax, but even then if you have a curriculum to go by and proper supplies then anyone could teach at a high school level.

Unfortunately there is a negative perception of Oklahoma due to our conservative leanings and if spending more on education will solve that (it won't) then so be it. Stitt said he's for giving teachers pay raises, but said the most recent one was the wrong way to go about it.

I don't pretend to know what the solution is. I just wish people would calm down and realize that more spending doesn't always mean better results.

I'm not quite sure how a discussion over teacher salaries registers with George Kaiser and his philanthropy but I think this has strayed well enough off topic.

But as long as we are here in a time-honored tradition of our thread drift:
 
Great new taproom!

Public education is one of those necessary evils. It's an antiquated system not well suited for the modern world (from a financial sense). I am for the teacher raises and spending more on education as long as there are real results and it improves the state's reputation nationwide. All of these negative things you hear about education in Oklahoma are derived from one statistic, that we spend less per student than most states. This doesn't even necessarily say anything about the quality of our education, only that we spend less. Then you get some crazy liberal news outlets to jump on the story to try and paint a picture of "Republican stronghold of Oklahoma failing because of Republican policies and spending less than other states".

I graduated high school from Owasso. Within my graduating class, we had one of the highest amounts of national merit scholars for one school in the nation. We competed nationally (and successfully) in debate, band, choir, etc. ACT scores and college admission were well above national average. My point being that state spending per pupil doesn't really matter, at least not in a suburban setting. Rural is a different story since there is less property tax, but even then if you have a curriculum to go by and proper supplies then anyone could teach at a high school level.

Unfortunately there is a negative perception of Oklahoma due to our conservative leanings and if spending more on education will solve that (it won't) then so be it. Stitt said he's for giving teachers pay raises, but said the most recent one was the wrong way to go about it.

I don't pretend to know what the solution is. I just wish people would calm down and realize that more spending doesn't always mean better results.

https://m.chron.com/business/article/Oklahoma-s-Future-Rests-in-the-Hands-of-Two-13453843.php

I stumbled upon this article and thought it was really interesting. Push the politics aside, it highlights what Kaiser has done for Tulsa and many of the positive things happening in the city and state as a whole.

It's unfortunate Harold hamm isn't quite as generous as Kaiser.

It's unfortunate Harold hamm isn't quite as generous as Kaiser.

Some are givers, some are receivers.  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/oil-magnate-and-trump-friend-harold-hamm-expected-to-be-cramers-finance-chair-should-he-launch-senate-bid/2018/02/14/5548ae90-11aa-11e8-8ea1-c1d91fcec3fe_story.html

George Kaiser, a 76-year-old Oklahoma banker and oilman giving away almost his entire $10.5 billion fortune, wants higher taxes on his own industry. He’s bankrolling trendy neighborhoods in Tulsa, an early-childhood education program and a movement toward criminal-justice reform. Kaiser says his priority is to wean the state’s economy from “cyclical, commodity-based industry.”

Harold Hamm, founder of Oklahoma City oil-and-gas giant Continental Resources Inc., has fought to keep things as they are: lean budgets, lax environmental regulations and low fossil-fuel levies. With a net worth of $13.8 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he funds the state’s most conservative politicians while arguing for higher taxes on wind turbines sprouting on the rolling hills. Hamm, 72, has promised to donate most of his money to “causes that will enable people with ambition and tenacity to achieve their goals.” So far that’s included millions for research on what he calls the “American energy renaissance”—a doubling of oil production since 2011.

“You couldn't find anybody more different than those two guys,” said Mike Cantrell, a former Continental Resources executive who is president of the Oklahoma Energy Producers Alliance, a group of small oil companies that campaigned for higher taxes to fund education. “They both care a great deal about Oklahoma, and both are tough and brilliant businessmen.”

The Sooner State and its wind-swept, derrick-dotted plains are a microcosm of America. Millennials and minorities are flocking to its two big cities, propelling the economy even as oil dominates its politics. Now, its two richest billionaires have taken opposite sides in a fight that may decide whether the industry that built their fortunes will define the future. The conflict has been raging all year, including a teacher’s strike, the first tax increase since 1990 and election victories for a swarm of educators. Meanwhile, the state’s economic transformation is accelerating, following trends evident across the country: While rural areas bleed jobs, metro areas like Oklahoma City and Tulsa win new wealth and flashy amenities.

Don't forget to vote
https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-new-attraction-2018/a-gathering-place-for-tulsa-tulsa/

So I guess the next question is what's next for GKFF?  I know they are involved in a large residential project in the Arts District and will hopefully release more details on that soon.  Also the Bob Dylan Archives which will start construction next year on the parking lot next to AHHA at MLK & Archer.  And the second phase of Gathering Place which is supposed to be announced next year as well.  

If I had a wish list I would put higher education at the top.  Not sure in what capacity possibly the OU/TU medical program or expanding OSU academic programs and research downtown (which would tie into GKFF's work revitalizing the Arts District).

So I guess the next question is what's next for GKFF?  I know they are involved in a large residential project in the Arts District and will hopefully release more details on that soon.  Also the Bob Dylan Archives which will start construction next year on the parking lot next to AHHA at MLK & Archer.  And the second phase of Gathering Place which is supposed to be announced next year as well.  

If I had a wish list I would put higher education at the top.  Not sure in what capacity possibly the OU/TU medical program or expanding OSU academic programs and research downtown (which would tie into GKFF's work revitalizing the Arts District).

So I guess the next question is what's next for GKFF?

Well.....I'm ready for someone to bring a major professional sport to Tulsa lol ;). Unfortunately the two sports that people actually care about (football and basketball....sorry soccer fans) would crash and burn in Tulsa given our proximity to OKC, KC, and Dallas.

https://medium.com/@mikebasch/my-2018-in-the-paris-of-the-heartland-tulsa-f4ebc76ed54c

Although not everything in this article is about the GKFF, it gives you a good idea of "what's next" for the organization. Highlighting the efforts from Tulsa Remote and Mohawk-Peoria Industrial park, etc.

There seems to be a larger effort to bring quality jobs and companies to town than any of us really see.

Although not everything in this article is about the GKFF, it gives you a good idea of "what's next" for the organization. Highlighting the efforts from Tulsa Remote and Mohawk-Peoria Industrial park, etc.

There seems to be a larger effort to bring quality jobs and companies to town than any of us really see.

https://medium.com/@mikebasch/my-2018-in-the-paris-of-the-heartland-tulsa-f4ebc76ed54c

Although not everything in this article is about the GKFF, it gives you a good idea of "what's next" for the organization. Highlighting the efforts from Tulsa Remote and Mohawk-Peoria Industrial park, etc.

There seems to be a larger effort to bring quality jobs and companies to town than any of us really see.

A lot is said about local governments doling out incentives for companies to relocate.  This is a similar private-based program that is not targeting companies but individuals, those that can live downtown and be a part of the startup scene.  I've heard GKFF has already been recruiting people to Tulsa in a similar way this just opens it up to a potentially bigger audience.

Launched in November by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the Tulsa Remote program wanted to generate publicity for the city. And it sure did. Officials thought they might get 1,000 applications, total. But they got nearly that many in one day.

Inquiries came from more than 200 countries and all 50 states until Tulsa Remote decided to cap the number of applicants at 10,000.

...

The original plan was to bring 20 to 25 people to Tulsa. But with the program’s unexpected popularity, GKFF agreed to increase the budget. Significantly.

Participants will ultimately receive $11,000 instead of the $10,000 that was originally announced last year. Tulsa Remote had planned on providing a furnished apartment for the first three months of a participant’s stay in Tulsa, but that idea became impractical after the program grew from 20 participants to more than 100. Officials decided instead to offer an extra $1,000 as a housing stipend.

Nice.   Wonder what brought him to Tulsa....?

Interesting.  Glad they are seeing an opportunity and going for it for us.  Glad someone is.

Unfortunately Tulsa didn’t make the cut.  The top three sites still in the running are West Lafayette, Indiana, Kansas City and the Research Triangle (NC).

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/05/03/perdue-announces-top-sites-ers-and-nifa-relocations (https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/05/03/perdue-announces-top-sites-ers-and-nifa-relocations)

Unfortunately Tulsa didn’t make the cut.  The top three sites still in the running are West Lafayette, Indiana, Kansas City and the Research Triangle (NC).

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/05/03/perdue-announces-top-sites-ers-and-nifa-relocations (https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/05/03/perdue-announces-top-sites-ers-and-nifa-relocations)

   I'm not a 501K, so the philanthropy of Tulsa has thus far failed to hear my idea.  The idea of mapping Greenwood prior to 1921 has many facets; but we start simple.

   after locating the 1920 census of course there's tremendous reference material and one of the most frustrating aspects in looking back at Greenwood is the dysphoria of information.

   I propose a Wiki Style digital Library of all things relevant to that one place overtime.  Place book indexing.  Cities have GIS and I suggest Greenwood should.

    I was disappointed that things did not happen in 2018 to commemorate the 1918 bird's-eye view of Tulsa.   AHHA has a fantastic print Laboratory. we should have discussed what the city fathers were trying to convey to the world in commissioning that image.  Bartlesville bird's eye view came earlier & it is not as refined... looks Ozarkie.  The 1919 bird's eye view of Atlanta is 100 this year but Atlanta doesn't have what we have. 

   During our growth the Sanborn Maps maintained a wealth of information. Atlanta only has one edition because of its early creation.

   I've located three versions of Tulsa Sanborn Maps which run from  1896 though our Magic years.  One is from the national Library of Congress and it is readily available online however it's not geographically referenced so to move from one sheet to another rather than just panning a map you have to go to a library index and search out other locations and that's just stupid.

   On the third floor of our Central Library is a big tabletop computer dedicated to maps.   In the Oklahoma room are paper copies of the Library of Congress Sanborn maps of Tulsa.  8x11... The Originals arer 54 inches by 3 foot or so.  Equally stupid.  And worst of all we had at our library a unique set worthy of study that have been buried in the city historical society's basement, accessible through payment of money ...unacceptable. 

   A third set is in the hands of University of Oklahoma.

   Each has unique information which I propose to consolidate and with Wiki effort should we build it in the cloud the crowd will come.

    Anyway, a crowd is coming soon.

Sounds like a great idea!