Recently, The New York Times had a front-page article spotlighting the extent to which victims of the economic downturn are able to access public benefits that are part of the nation’s safety net. Most programs, including Unemployment Insurance, food stamps,…
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By:
Paul Shinn
May 18, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The Brookings Institution recently released a study of the continuing shift of jobs away from cities and toward the suburbs. According to Job Sprawl Revisited: The Changing Geography of Metropolitan Employment, only 21 percent of Americans who live in metropolitan…
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On Friday afternoon, legislative leaders and the Governor announced the outline of a long-awaited budget agreement. This step is necessary to start the flood of bills to fund state agencies, allocate some of the federal stimulus money, and decide what…
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By:
David Blatt
May 15, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
Dan Piraro provides a Bizzaro taste of what’s in store for publicly-funded services in Oklahoma…
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As we reach one week until the scheduled adjournment of the Oklahoma Legislature on May 22nd, we can only share the advice offered by Bette Davis in All About Eve: “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy…
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By:
David Blatt
May 14, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
In November, U.S. Senator David Vitter of Louisiana proposed that all applicants for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program be required to submit to a mandatory drug test as a condition of receiving assistance. His proposal was defeated…
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Numbers You Need is a monthly publication from OK Policy that presents key data on the state’s economy, work force, human services, and budget in one concise, easy-to-read fact sheet.
The forecasters may be predicting an economic turnaround ahead, but…
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By:
David Blatt
May 13, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
It’s taken me awhile, but I finally made it to the White House blog, which has been up and running since President Obama’s inauguration. For those interested in paying attention to what is going on in the White House, the…
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Kudos to the Oklahoma Legislature and Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland for taking a small but worthwhile step in helping Oklahomans keep their health insurance. SB 553, authored by Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha) in the Senate and sponsored by Rep. Leslie…
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By:
David Blatt
May 12, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
This being the second Tuesday of the month, the Office of State Finance released the monthly revenue figures today. Unless you were the one who picked “down 21 percent” in the office betting pool, there was little to be happy…
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