The “most massive quality of life package ever devised in this nation.” That’s a tall claim, but Oklahoma City’s MAPS delivered on its promises and then some. Here’s an interesting…

I am way, way EPU’d, having sat through the book discussion group and the thread that followed it, now going back to see what I missed earlier.

I was born and grew up in OKC. We lived about half a mile north of the fairgrounds. I don’t know if that made us silk shirts; my father was an engineer and wore white shirts to work but they weren’t silk. We lived across the street from a brick mason and next door to a guy who worked in a meat packing plant.

We could see the lights from the fairground at night, and in the summer, could hear the stock car races. We walked to the state fairgrounds when the fair was in session, they let us out of school to go.

I never spent any time that I can recall south of the river, it’s interesting to hear your point of view about that area. I left there when I was 15 and never knew much about the politics.

Your article makes me want to go check out some of the improvements to OKC next time I am in the area. Good job, and good luck with the OK netroots. Rootz!

You’ve got my brain going a hundred miles an hour…

“It’s a question of value”.

Perfect.

Great story about a great success of progressive values! Nice work!

I just about fell out of my chair when I took a minute to catch up on my FDL reading before heading off to a dinner meeting, and saw my Bricktown dinner destination (Mickey Mantle’s, right there in the middle of your image of OKC) instead of the latest Plameology news!

OKC is a gem of a city, and you did a terrific job of explaining why. I moved to this area four years ago, after living for twenty-five years in the greater San Francisco area, and I’ve never regretted doing what I call “the reverse Joad family migration”.

There’s just so much good in this part of the country, whether it’s successful urban development (Bricktown), excellent schools (K-12 and colleges), rich progressive history (the Green Corn Rebellion) or a history of capable political leaders who governed from the center (Carl Albert, David Boren).

There’s plenty that needs work in these parts, but there’s so much more here that’s true and good, and as a happily-naturalized-Okie, I really appreciate how well you have told the story of one of the best things about this part of the country.

Tulsa will has had to struggle with the worst mayor in Oklahoma, and thankfully has picked a Democrat for office instead of continuing with the worst.mayor.ever.

Will things work out the same way for Tulsa? I don’t know, but I gave up after putting in 12 years. It didn’t seem to be getting any better to me. I moved to a purple state and will pitch in here, instead.

And, yes, I am part of the educated/entreprenurial Gen-X crowd that Tulsa knows it needs to keep, but can’t seem to get it together enough to more than mouth the words. Right after getting their marching orders from the Oral Roberts/Victory Christian/south side suburbanites. I don’t think they will ever get it together, but I am hopeful that I am wrong.

Going Fishing

One day I’ll go fishing son
When my working days are done
I’ll buy a rod and learn the art
Of how to still a hungry heart

…

Of how to cast off life’s ambitions
Of those things best left undone
Don’t call me for decisions
I’m goin’ fishing with my son

…

That’s about half of it, not sure how much I could put in without straying across the copyright / fair use line. It’s a beautiful, simple song, worth finding and listening to it.