tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31117373.post2119586738088018129..comments2024-03-20T05:28:18.440-05:00Comments on Doug Dawgz Blog: Alliance For Economic Development of OKC, Inc.Doug Dawghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14287287108412180656noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31117373.post-34692462503307846652011-04-19T03:27:50.070-05:002011-04-19T03:27:50.070-05:00I've received an email which I'll only ide...I've received an email which I'll only identify as "anonymous" here. But the remarks bear repeating:<br /><br />"Just wanted to drop you an email and tell you how happy I am to have found your blog. I was very active in the Shadid campaign and that's when I found it. I have been a firefighter here in this great city for 21 years as well as a citizen for my entire 42 years. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I also love the links on the history of OKC. I actually bought the Springlake book a couple of years ago. I took it to work and those of us that were born and raised here talked about the amusement park. One of my fondest memories is going to watch fireworks by the lake! <br /> <br />I know we have come a long way and I believe we will continue to move in the right direction, thanks to people like you and Dr. Shadid. Like so many of my fellow firefighters I am a Thunder fan, I am very proud of what Maps has done, I have a desire for this city to grow, and I appreciate the citizens that I work for. However, we do believe we need open and honest government, something that has been lacking.<br /> <br />While reading your blog and while campaigning I ran across a few people that were very upset about the Tea Party candidates. I hope you and others don't have bad feelings toward us firefighters for backing them. I wish we would have had other choices but we didn't. In the end there were several reasons why we felt we had to back them. It's not a coincidence that Meg Salyer and Pat Ryan are the two council members named to the Alliance for Economic Development of OKC. Every name on that committee is also on the board of directors for the Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce. It's not the Chamber that is the problem in my eyes. It's just a few elite that don't want to be questioned. They have surrounded themselves with everyone that could possibly challenge any thing they desire, including people that control the information. It's pretty easy to connect the dots. It's just hard to get the info out.<br /> <br />Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and for noticing what the Committee for Momentum is up to. That's something that might not have happened if a firefighters union hadn't backed a couple of tea party crazies. It wasn't easy, trust me!"Doug Dawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14287287108412180656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31117373.post-86064857435409557132011-04-19T03:24:14.567-05:002011-04-19T03:24:14.567-05:00Thanks, Jeffrey. Were it not for our recent munici...Thanks, Jeffrey. Were it not for our recent municipal city council elections, which involved more than $400,000 being expended to elect particular council members but without any requirement of disclosure, this proposal may well have sailed through on April 12. But, that's not the context we have to live with here. The Texas examples you cite would likely have been better received, but for our local experience with the <i>Momentum</i> committee.Doug Dawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14287287108412180656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31117373.post-447187324864124622011-04-18T21:16:32.978-05:002011-04-18T21:16:32.978-05:00While I do not know anything about the examples me...While I do not know anything about the examples mentioned in Missouri, similar organizations have been established in almost every major city in Texas (though they're funded through their own sales tax approved by referendum). They're called Economic Development Corporations, and they run separate of City governments and local chambers of commerce. They have slightly less controls than municipal governments and slightly more than chambers of commerce. They are able to broker deals and provide incentives for relocation and business expansion, assist with infrastructure projects necessary to draw in certain types of employers, etc., with different stipulations on which kinds of businesses they can offer such services to depending on how they're incorporated. They actually have a decent track record in the state. Oklahoma might be wise to borrow such an idea from Texas and Missouri to remain competitive, depending on how it is set up and how it is overseen/funded.jeffreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16462633564211845631noreply@blogger.com