Former Executive Director David Blatt joined OK Policy in 2008 and served as its Executive Director from 2010 to 2019. He previously served as Director of Public Policy for Community Action Project of Tulsa County and as a budget analyst for the Oklahoma State Senate. He has a Ph.D. in political science from Cornell University and a B.A. from the University of Alberta. David has been selected as Political Scientist of the Year by the Oklahoma Political Science Association, Local Social Justice Champion by the Dan Allen Center for Social Justice, and Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers.
By: David Blatt
July 13, 2009 // Updated: August 21, 2025
Across the nation, the deep, prolonged economic recession is putting great strains on state Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs. Oklahoma is hardly immune from these challenges, but our problems are less severe than elsewhere. The combination of having entered the recession… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
July 7, 2009 // Updated: August 21, 2025
We recently reported on how Oklahoma’s robust economic growth prior to the recent downturn vaulted the state from the poorest fifth of states early this decade, as measured by per capita personal income, to the 28th spot in 2008. Further… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
July 2, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
As the worst recession in a quarter-century continues to unfold, insightful and moving stories of its impact on individuals, families, communities, and organizations are appearing regularly in the media. Periodically, we are using this space to call attention to notable… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
July 1, 2009 // Updated: May 1, 2019
As we’ve discussed in various blog posts and issue briefs, most state agencies received basically flat funding or were dealt budget cuts of 5 to 7 percent for the new fiscal year beginning July 1st, even as inflation leads to… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 25, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
For those of you who missed it earlier, the Grindstone Journal has reprinted my article on expanding coverage to the uninsured in Oklahoma that ran originally as an op-ed contribution to The Oklahoman.
The Grindstone Journal is a recently-created, Oklahoma-based… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 23, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
While the arrival of summer has many of us slowing down to a more leisurely pace, in Washington, the debate on health care reform is quickly shifting into overdrive. Several Congressional committees have taken up consideration of health care legislation,… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 22, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Recently I had the pleasure of being invited by the Oklahoma Food Security Committee to give a presentation on funding for food and nutrition programs in the stimulus bill. The meeting featured a superb overview from Liz Tate of the… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 18, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Sunday’s issue of The Oklahoman featured a compelling report by Paula Burkes on the struggles of several Oklahomans who have unexpectedly found themselves among the ranks of the unemployed, losing long-time jobs and struggling to regain their footing in an… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 17, 2009 // Updated: May 1, 2019
The Tulsa World ran our op-ed laying out the budget challenges that state agencies are now beginning to confront as the new fiscal year approaches:
We won’t know until next June the full impact on public services or our health… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 16, 2009 // Updated: May 1, 2019
There has been some discussion in recent days about the performance of the Oklahoma State Lottery, including this editorial from The Oklahoman, after the Lottery Commission adopted a budget for FY ’10 that projects $66.6 million in revenues for education… Read more [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
Across the nation, the deep, prolonged economic recession is putting great strains on state Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs. Oklahoma is hardly immune from these challenges, but our problems are less severe than elsewhere. The combination of having entered the recession… Read more [More...]
We recently reported on how Oklahoma’s robust economic growth prior to the recent downturn vaulted the state from the poorest fifth of states early this decade, as measured by per capita personal income, to the 28th spot in 2008. Further… Read more [More...]
