Oklahoma Almost Worst State to Live & Work In, Due to Culture War Politics

[Stillwater Townie]

Texas no. 1, Oklahoma no. 2. I think Oklahoma's low quality of life issues is more cultural than political. For instance, way back in 2007 when Democrats ruled the state, CNBC ranked Oklahoma no. 47 for education. Now with Republicans, it's 48.

Too many Oklahomans don't want to take good care of their health and bring down health statistics for those who do. Little to do about it, other than to tell slackers that life if how you make it. Try not make it bad.

These are America’s 10 worst states to live and work in for 2023, and there's a big surprise at the very bottom​

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/car...&cvid=d63ecd2e8d984e7b914c05af5893fc2b&ei=115

 

[Llcoolw]

I’m not kidding. Looking at the criteria, I wonder why violent crime isn’t one.

Regardless, half way down the story is a cnbc link to another story of theirs.

The Top Ten states to do business with. Now look at how many are also the worst place to live.

Someone’s bias is showing.

 

[HacklemanPoke]

Was having a similar conversation w a good friend of mine who also happens to be a pastor in the OKC area. He was coming at the discussion from the stand point that the gop is stronger on family values.

We established that as a baseline OK might be the “reddest” style in the US. And once we agreed to that and going back to the premis that the GOP is the party “advocating” for family values we talked about how OK should be a family friendly and moral state. Then came the actual facts on where OK ranks per capita.

Teen preg-4th

STDs-5th

Smoking-8th

Drug overdose-4th

Weed stores -1st (not per capita)

Child abuse-7th

Gambling addiction -7th

# casinos -2nd (not per capita)

Incarceration-2nd

Adultery-5th

Divorce-3rd

Domestic violence-2nd

Murder-7th

Car theft-9th

Package theft-2nd

Break ins-4th


To drive home the point OK per capita weekly church attendance is top 10.

If we are such a “good Christian” state governed by “Godly” men, why are we one of the least family friendly morally bankrupt states?

 

[CowboyJD]

If we are such a “good Christian” state governed by “Godly” men, why are we one of the least family friendly morally bankrupt states?

Because "Godly" men rarely practice what they preach.

 

[GOGETUMPOKE]

Was having a similar conversation w a good friend of mine who also happens to be a pastor in the OKC area. He was coming at the discussion from the stand point that the gop is stronger on family values.

We established that as a baseline OK might be the “reddest” style in the US. And once we agreed to that and going back to the premis that the GOP is the party “advocating” for family values we talked about how OK should be a family friendly and moral state. Then came the actual facts on where OK ranks per capita.

Teen preg-4th

STDs-5th

Smoking-8th

Drug overdose-4th

Weed stores -1st (not per capita)

Child abuse-7th

Gambling addiction -7th

# casinos -2nd (not per capita)

Incarceration-2nd

Adultery-5th

Divorce-3rd

Domestic violence-2nd

Murder-7th

Car theft-9th

Package theft-2nd

Break ins-4th


To drive home the point OK per capita weekly church attendance is top 10.

If we are such a “good Christian” state governed by “Godly” men, why are we one of the least family friendly morally bankrupt states?

Where are you getting your numbers?

 

[Llcoolw]

Dallas seems to have a law where there must be a strip bar per church.

 

[Llcoolw]

Was having a similar conversation w a good friend of mine who also happens to be a pastor in the OKC area. He was coming at the discussion from the stand point that the gop is stronger on family values.

We established that as a baseline OK might be the “reddest” style in the US. And once we agreed to that and going back to the premis that the GOP is the party “advocating” for family values we talked about how OK should be a family friendly and moral state. Then came the actual facts on where OK ranks per capita.

Teen preg-4th

STDs-5th

Smoking-8th

Drug overdose-4th

Weed stores -1st (not per capita)

Child abuse-7th

Gambling addiction -7th

# casinos -2nd (not per capita)

Incarceration-2nd

Adultery-5th

Divorce-3rd

Domestic violence-2nd

Murder-7th

Car theft-9th

Package theft-2nd

Break ins-4th


To drive home the point OK per capita weekly church attendance is top 10.

If we are such a “good Christian” state governed by “Godly” men, why are we one of the least family friendly morally bankrupt states?

No idea how accurate this is but I’m also not shocked. It’s Oklahoma. The place where elites shun those they don’t around. The place that was so conservative, you had to shut the bar car for 10 minutes on a train. The backlash that happened once God went on vacation was tremendous that the pendulum is still swinging.

 

[HacklemanPoke]

Google will return varying results so I tried to use a source that was middle of the road. Some were probably a little higher some lower.

Bottom line OK has always had “conservative” white male leadership. But we also have leaders that don’t give a rip about the average Oklahoman. They just make you think they do.

How else do we end up w Ryan Walters?

Straight party voting has to go.

Sure we flipped from D to R late 80s through the 90s but leadership principles and cultural morales have been consistent. They just changed the letter attached to their name.

We’ve gone from a state that had blue laws and no liquor by the drink to a state that has more weed shops than any other and dang near more casinos save Nevada.

 

[Stillwater Townie]

No idea how accurate this is but I’m also not shocked. It’s Oklahoma. The place where elites shun those they don’t around. The place that was so conservative, you had to shut the bar car for 10 minutes on a train. The backlash that happened once God went on vacation was tremendous that the pendulum is still swinging.

I've heard from years ago that Oklahoma was so conservative that while you were enjoying a drank on a plane that the stewardess might have to come up to you and snatch your drink. When asked why she did that she replied, "We're entering dry air space--Oklahoma".

I suspect one major reason Oklahoma is so conservative traces back to meeting one of the requirements for it to become a state. That was it had to agree to be a dry state for 20 years. So that surely attracted a lot of conservative Christians and they stayed. Many of the ones who came looking for oil left the state when things went bust. Oklahoma has slowly but surely changed a lot since alcohol was made legal in 1960 per county option. It seems for now, though, too many far-right Republican decedents of those who came looking for a dry state are in power.

One of my favorite sayings is "Life is how you make it". So, if you want to be dumb enough to make it bad, then Oklahoma is a good state to do it in, while keeping down the quality-of-life statistics.

 

[HacklemanPoke]

Where are you getting your numbers?

The numbers I have always used are the same as commonly used in the US. Some call it the Arabic Numerical system. It also goes by the Hindu-Arabic Numerical system and is 0-9 based. It is common throughout the world.

Hope that answers your question.

 

[Stillwater Townie]

Google will return varying results so I tried to use a source that was middle of the road. Some were probably a little higher some lower.

Bottom line OK has always had “conservative” white male leadership. But we also have leaders that don’t give a rip about the average Oklahoman. They just make you think they do.

How else do we end up w Ryan Walters?

Straight party voting has to go.

Sure we flipped from D to R late 80s through the 90s but leadership principles and cultural morales have been consistent. They just changed the letter attached to their name.

We’ve gone from a state that had blue laws and no liquor by the drink to a state that has more weed shops than any other and dang near more casinos save Nevada.

How else do with end up with Ryan Walters? Well, the Chairman of the Payne County Republican Party, who isn't white, supports Walters. He is a typical far-right Oklahoma Republican who speaks for many thousands of voting Oklahomans male and female.

 

[HacklemanPoke]

How else do with end up with Ryan Walters? Well, the Chairman of the Payne County Republican Party, who isn't white, supports Walters. He is a typical far-right Oklahoma Republican who speaks for many thousands of voting Oklahomans male and female.

Do you honestly believ Ryan Walters cares about students in Agra or Carney or Meeker or name any other small very rural town in Oklahoma? Same question for inner city schools.

Do you think Walters would make a decision unpopular w his base but in the best interest of teachers even if it meant costing him his current job or future political aspirations?

 

[Llcoolw]

Do you honestly believ Ryan Walters cares about students in Agra or Carney or Meeker or name any other small very rural town in Oklahoma? Same question for inner city schools.

Do you think Walters would make a decision unpopular w his base but in the best interest of teachers even if it meant costing him his current job or future political aspirations?

Hit the nail square on. Why would any politician do that? Left right up or down?

AI for president?

 

[Llcoolw]

Thinking about the 2 lists, worst states and best states for business. Could it be, the business, that’s hurting the okies?

 

[Stillwater Townie]

Do you honestly believ Ryan Walters cares about students in Agra or Carney or Meeker or name any other small very rural town in Oklahoma? Same question for inner city schools.

Do you think Walters would make a decision unpopular w his base but in the best interest of teachers even if it meant costing him his current job or future political aspirations?

No to both. As I have written before, I believe Walters is more devoted to keeping up with and following the propaganda of far-right groups than taking on the serious role of leading Oklahoma education forward. This was so well proven true when he went to speak at the Moms For Liberty gathering in Philadelphia and said, "I'm proud to be fighting alongside them". So, I suspect many of his followers and voters are also more interested in keeping up with the viewpoints of out of state far-right groups than helping Oklahoma education in a serious way. They probably still believe there are schools that offer sandboxes in school restrooms for the students who identify as cats. Look for Republicans to tell more tall tales to get ready for the elections in 2024. Surely, many gullible voters, especially ones who hate Democrats, will be eager to fall hook, line and sinker for them.

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