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
June 28, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Editor’s note: Over the past eight months it has been my privilege to spend one hour a week doing food prep at Iron Gate, one of Tulsa’s largest and most active food assistance programs. I invited Connie Cronley, Iron Gate’s… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 24, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Each year, the State Board of Equalization meets three times to review and approve projected revenues for the upcoming fiscal year – in December, February and June. At this year’s June meeting, which took place earlier this week, the Board… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 23, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
From time to time, we use the OK Policy blog to post contributions that offer interesting perspectives on important policy issues for the state. John Thompson is an Oklahoma City teacher with 18 years of urban high school experience and… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 21, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
For many state agencies, the first rounds of budget cuts over the past two years could be managed without greatly affecting key programs and services for the public. But as funding cuts go deeper and last longer, often a tipping… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 17, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Today we released the 19th issue of our monthly Numbers You Need bulletin, which tracks monthly and quarterly data for key economic indicators. As in many recent months, the overall economic news was mixed: a slight increase in employment and… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 16, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
The state’s deep and prolonged budget crisis has taken a serious toll on public services in Oklahoma. We have seen rate cuts to providers of community-based health services, elimination of violence prevention programs for at-risk youth, closures of facilities for… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 14, 2010 // Updated: October 17, 2012
As Oklahoma continue to grapple with the worst economic downturn and fiscal crisis in decades, the stakes for all of us who care about public services and the well-being of the disadvantaged are especially urgent. Oklahoma Policy Institute provides a… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 11, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
We’re #1, again! Last month, the National Institute for Early Education Research released the 2009 State Preschool Yearbook, its annual report on pre-kindergarten education across the nation. Overall, the report’s press release proclaimed that “Oklahoma was ranked as the leader… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 8, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
In their efforts to find additional revenues for the upcoming budget year, legislative leaders and Governor Henry took some strong and politically risky steps to suspend tax credits for various forms of economic activity. But when it came to tax… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
June 7, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
As the dust settles on the 2010 legislative session that adjourned on May 28th, we’ve now released a detailed summary of the major highlights of the state budget for the upcoming year. Our fact sheet includes a set of seven… Read more [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
Today we released the 19th issue of our monthly Numbers You Need bulletin, which tracks monthly and quarterly data for key economic indicators. As in many recent months, the overall economic news was mixed: a slight increase in employment and… Read more [More...]
The state’s deep and prolonged budget crisis has taken a serious toll on public services in Oklahoma. We have seen rate cuts to providers of community-based health services, elimination of violence prevention programs for at-risk youth, closures of facilities for… Read more [More...]
As the dust settles on the 2010 legislative session that adjourned on May 28th, we’ve now released a detailed summary of the major highlights of the state budget for the upcoming year. Our fact sheet includes a set of seven… Read more [More...]
