My morning paper, in honor of the completion of a year in this Republican Presidency, chose to interview average joe, joelene, joelette, joseph, hoseph, whatever. This being the state that came closest to a unanimous vote for the great and powerful wizard of Oz, there were almost no individuals willing to comment publicly against him.
The majority of my fine, upstanding peers were overjoyed because the economy is booming as proven by the stock market.
😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑
About 25% of the citizens of the USA are stockholders. Soooo, if Oklahomans follow that (which is purely wishful thinking, our state is forever dragging the bottom economically) then 75% of those people loving the new, improved status of our economy need to explain what has changed for them, personally.
Did they just get a HUGE raise?
Were they promoted?
If they were unemployed, did they just get a new job that paid much better than the one they lost?
Oklahoma
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Look at those 12 month % changes, only 2 are above the stagnant 3% left from the recession, and represent mining and logging (in Oklahoma--say oil and gas, an industry so propped up by the government as to be a drain on all other state provided services; and construction, which is down from last month and cycles up and down in the best of times. Together those 2 represent the jobs of about 2000 people.
Our unemployment continues at the same >4% number it has been.
There is nothing on this chart that indicates a booming economy.
The cost of living in Oklahoma (OK) is lower than the nationwide average. The average yearly pay in Oklahoma is $42,457.00, which is lower than the U.S. average annual salary by $7,351.00.
As of 2013, Oklahoma had about 60,000 workers making minimum wage. Minimum wage jobs ( https://www.minimum-wage.org/oklahoma
Oklahoma has 5 billionaires among its residents. (not sure they actually spend much physical time in Oklahoma but who knows.)
Harold Hamm, worth more than 13 billion dollars. OIL & GAS. Hiland Partners and Hiland Holdings, Continental Resources. He created "fracking". (My doorways thank him)
George Kaiser, worth more than 7 billion dollars. OIL & GAS and Banking (Bank of Oklahoma). Tellers and Banking representatives still make under 15$ and hour--their the most numerous jobs in banking.
David Green, worth more than 6 billion dollars, HOBBY LOBBY. ( no one at minimum wage, and no one with paid birth control, so yay! and Boo!)
Tom and Judy Love, worth more than 5 billion dollars, LOVES TRAVEL STOPS and COUNTRY STORES. They have 112 locations in Oklahoma. They hire mostly truck drivers and hospitality workers and retail clerks. Oklahoma has about 300 jobs available from them right now and many already employed by them, but, alas, also not high-paying jobs.
Lynn Schusterman, worth more than 3 billion dollars, OIL & GAS, and Investments. Focused on philanthropy now, so except for some foundation employees, no big help for our unemployed or underemployed.
About 25% of jobs in Oklahoma are tied to energy. But that includes wind and solar energy. In the oil and gas industry, most of the jobs pay under 30,000/year. Roustabouts, equipment operators, etc. require a high school diploma and are basically on-the-job trained. The better paying jobs require engineering degrees, business degrees, and science degrees of various types. While Oklahoma has multiple universities that provide that education, our public schools are not providing the universities with a lot of students that are ready to excel in those fields.
So.
Is the economy better?
If people think the economy is better and so buy more stuff they wouldn't buy if they thought it wasn't better, does that make it better?
Is this all about self-fulfilling prophecies?
At least we know their are 5 Oklahoma families that have nothing to worry about--their economy is just fine.
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