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
November 19, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Governor Fallin’s decision not to expand the Medicaid program to cover uninsured low-income adults is deeply troubling and unfortunate, putting politics over the interests of Oklahomans. Read more... [More...]
By: David Blatt
November 16, 2012 // Updated: November 16, 2012
Barry Friedman writes the column, “Barry Friedman At Large” for Tulsa People Magazine, is a stand-up comedian, and the author of two books, “Road Comic” and “Funny You Should Mention It”. If he doesn’t overdose on fruit slices and diet… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
October 30, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The problem of untaxed Internet sales is gaining new prominence. As we wait on Congress for a permanent fix, there are actions that Oklahoma can take immediately to create a more level-playing field for our local brick-and-mortar businesses.
The Oklahoma… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
October 23, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Oklahoma should eliminate tax breaks for the oil and gas industry that are no longer needed and are threatening the state’s fiscal stability by squeezing out resources for schools, roads, public safety, and other keys to long-term economic growth, according… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
October 15, 2012 // Updated: May 1, 2019
This year’s state budget provided no additional dollars for common education, even as total state appropriations grew by 3.2 percent. Over the past four years, state support for common education has fallen 11.4 percent while public school enrollment has grown… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
October 10, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Earlier this year, while Oklahoma lawmakers were adjourning their legislative session without a final agreement on Governor Fallin’s top priority of cutting the income tax, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback was celebrating his state’s adoption of major income tax changes. Governor… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
October 3, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Over the past several decades, income growth for most American families has been weak or non-existent. Between 1979 and 2007, incomes for the top 1 percent of households grew more than the bottom 90 percent. Incomes for the top 1… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
October 1, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Last week, I attended CFED’s 2012 Assets Learning Conference, a biannual national gathering of practitioners, researchers, and advocates working to promote economic opportunity and fight poverty for low- and moderate-income Americans through savings, investment and ownership. Following the conference, I… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
September 24, 2012 // Updated: November 1, 2012
Oklahoma Policy Institute is seeking to hire a high quality health care policy analyst. The primary responsibilities of the job are to conduct research and analysis on state health care policy issues, and to prepare, write and disseminate issue briefs,… Read more [More...]