OKPOLICY.ORG
Oklahoma is a young state. In the 110 years since statehood — only about four generations of people — we’ve gone through good years and bad, through oil booms and busts, through the Dust Bowl and the long recovery. Many came here with nothing but hope for a better future, and they built the modern communities we live in today.
Our parents and grandparents accomplished all this because they knew that a thriving community doesn’t happen by itself. It takes all of us chipping in to pay for things like schools with good teachers, modern infrastructure, quality health care, and first responders looking out for our safety.
Today, OK Policy released a new report, titled “Lessons of Our History: Oklahoma’s past accomplishments teach us how to build a better budget and a better future.” The report looks back at some of Oklahoma’s important but perhaps lesser known successes arising from our public investments — how we put an end to dust bowls, brought health care to our children, and made big improvements to public schools. The report then looks at how we’re building on those successes in some ways and falling behind in others. Finally, it shares solutions for reinvigorating public revenues and the important goals that this could achieve.
Our history proves that we can overcome challenges even bigger than the budget crunch we face today. We have the resources and ideas to fix this. We can be a state that isn’t just trying to catch up with other states but takes the lead on having great schools, healthy citizens, good jobs, and strong communities.
Will we choose the path toward thriving communities across our state, or will we leave our children with fewer opportunities and less hope than we inherited from the generations before us?
For ways to take actions towards that better future, go to Save Our State OK and Together Oklahoma.
