From the Journal Record (full article as of 12:41 pm, 4 November 2013): OKC planning director Claus quits job | The Journal Record (http://journalrecord.com/2013/11/04/okc-planning-director-claus-quits-job-general-news/)

Russell is leaving for Rockhampton, Australia (pop. 62,000); back to the homeland for him.

It's no secret Russel has been very frustrated by the engineer-driven City Manager's office, which is why so many had already quit from the planning department.

I'm sure he'll say all the right things in public but he was very well respected and everyone knows the real reason behind his departure.

It's no secret Russel has been very frustrated by the engineer-driven City Manager's office, which is why so many had already quit from the planning department.

I'm sure he'll say all the right things in public but he was very well respected and everyone knows the real reason behind his departure.

So what is the real reason?

Can you blame him??

I love OKC. I really do. But it is incredibly frustrating city to live in. I'm out of here someday soon, hopefully, as well.

Rockhampton has a population of 61,000, which is slightly larger than Enid.

*******


OKC planning director Claus quits job
By Brian Brus
Oklahoma City reporter - Contact: brian.brus@journalrecord.com / 405-278-2837 / https://twitter.com/JRBrianBrus
Posted: 12:01 PM Monday, November 4, 2013

Oklahoma City Planning Department Director Russell Claus is quitting his position at City Hall to leave for a job in Australia in January, he confirmed Monday.

Claus, who has been involved in every major development project in the city since 1996, said he has accepted a job as planning manager for the city of Rockhampton.

“Russell is a catalyst who put his vision into action to help strengthen Oklahoma City during his 17-year tenure,” City Manager Jim Couch said in a prepared statement. “Our city is economically stronger thanks to Russell’s professional contributions to the community.”

Claus’ presence will linger long after he’s gone. He has been a key figure in the ongoing development of PlanOKC, a decade-long blueprint for the city’s development, as well as the downtown Core-to-Shore corridor and other projects in the $777 million MAPS 3 temporary tax issue package. He placed a high priority on downtown redevelopment efforts and successfully expanded his department’s attention to near-downtown commercial and residential districts through the Commercial District Revitalization Program and the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative.

Claus said he has an outstanding staff that will capably pick up those responsibilities when he’s gone.

“It’s a lot to give up both professionally and personally because of the deep bond my wife, Lisa, and I have developed for the city and the many friends we have here,” Claus said. “But it’s a move that I’d always intended to make when the time was right for my family, and that time is now.”

The planning department works with businesses and community leaders to shape the appearance, use and development of Oklahoma City’s 622 square miles. Divisions under Claus are responsible for helping to develop urban design; manage state and federal grants for affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization; and provide technical assistance to support centralized development. He works closely with assistant city managers Laura Johnson and Dennis Clowers under Couch’s oversight.

A City Hall spokeswoman said the city will start a nationwide search for his successor immediately.

Claus is married with two adolescent daughters. He holds a master’s degree in city planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. He emigrated to the U.S. from Australia in 1992.


Read more: OKC planning director Claus quits job | The Journal Record (http://journalrecord.com/2013/11/04/okc-planning-director-claus-quits-job-general-news/#ixzz2jhlc4xrN)

So what is the real reason?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a job where you are hired as an expert... Yet the employer completely disregards the opinion of what they hired you for because they "know better than you"?

Can you blame him??

I love OKC. I really do. But it is incredibly frustrating city to live in. I'm out of here someday soon, hopefully, as well.

Your first and last sentence don't quite go together. Why not make it better? I think things are getting much better in OKC!

Can you blame him??

I love OKC. I really do. But it is incredibly frustrating city to live in. I'm out of here someday soon, hopefully, as well.

+1

Your first and last sentence don't quite go together. Why not make it better? I think things are getting much better in OKC!

I said I love OKC. I also love California. I love Chicago. Denver is pretty nice too. I love lots of places.

Can you blame him??

I love OKC. I really do. But it is incredibly frustrating city to live in. I'm out of here someday soon, hopefully, as well.

If you love it then its worth fighting for.

It's no secret Russel has been very frustrated by the engineer-driven City Manager's office, which is why so many had already quit from the planning department.

RE: His cagey comments before city council during the Boulevard debate

WOW! HUGE LOSS. This following losing ACOG Transportation Director Doug Rex to Denver.

Engineers.... winning

And yet nothing is done about the engineer problem...

Steve just posted an article to his blog that he wrote last year, that speaks to the planning vs. engineering issue:

Flashback: When Planning is Denied a Vote in Shaping the City | News OK (http://newsok.com/flashback-when-planning-is-denied-a-vote-in-shaping-the-city/article/3900963)

If you love it then its worth fighting for.

Is it? I have limited years and limited years being youthful? Why? If one can enjoy themselves elsewhere is it worth my youthful years fighting for something that is such an uphill battle?

Is the city manager an elected position?

Is it? I have limited years and limited years being youthful? Why? If one can enjoy themselves elsewhere is it worth my youthful years fighting for something that is such an uphill battle?

This to me sort of encapsulates my thought process pretty well. It's going to be easier to just go somewhere else that gets it and enjoy my days there. Sadly for OKC, this is how I think too many young people feel. This city, hell the state, just doesn't get it. There are a couple of real jackasses that make a bunch of terrible decisions and it's just tiresome constantly losing battles.

What a shame. I'm not surprised though.he's been obviously frustrated, beaten down recently. This engineering dominance needs to change, and soon.

Is the city manager an elected position?

No, he is hired by the City Council.

This does not bode well at all. What kind of candidates could we hope to attract when our planning director has made a lateral move to a hamlet?

We are unlikely to find a good one, my good Sir. The brightest planning officials are typically well connected to academia. Word about bad employment locations in the US travels fast due to the electronic age. If I were someone vying for that job, the first thing I would do is contact Russell Claus and ask him about the job that he left. My guess is that they won't be encouraged.

The only element that would make a sane person pursue this job is youthful unawareness or money. My guess is it is going to be money.

Aw, man, that is a big loss for OKC. I got to know Russell very well when I was working for the Automobile Alley Main Street Program and he administered the Murrah District Revitalization Program. That is, he oversaw the federal funds that the U.S. government had given the City of OKC for bombing recovery, distributing them to qualifying programs and applicants. Our program funding came from these matching funds, and among his duties was to verify matching dollars, etc.. He was VERY intrinsic to the success we see now in the Automobile Alley area, among others.

He and I had many lunches together whereby I picked his brain on planning/urban matters and found out what a great passion he had for them, for street life, and for the aforementioned "sense of place." I would say that to some degree I would consider him a mentor, or at least very influential in my understanding of and appreciation for urban redevelopment. We had lots of great Anglophile lunches at Canterbury (RIP) and dreamed a bit about taking over City Hall, or, alternately, simply opening a great (non-smoking) traditional Irish pub. Sorry to say the reality was probably less glamorous and rewarding than he had hoped when he made it as Planning Director. He has been a true asset to OKC, though unfortunately I don't think everyone fully recognizes this.

Again, NOTHING wrong with those who want to make OKC better. I have HUGE amounts of respect for them. And OKC has a lot going for it. But I hope others are able to see and respect that 'voting with your feet' is still a respectable option. Russell is voting with his feet as far as I'm concerned. We've talked about it a lot and I know he's going to be much happier back home.

Nice sentiments. I keep my sanity through traveling.

Russell aspired great change for OKC, but it was nearly impossible for him to do so considering he directly reported to Jim Couch, who differs to engineers. I considered us good friends, and it was sad to see him change over time as he was continually boxed in by City Management, engineers, and Public Works staff. I would not be surprised if his overall well being dramatically improves. He was really in a "bad state" imhop and gave some of his best years to OKC.

Is it? I have limited years and limited years being youthful? Why? If one can enjoy themselves elsewhere is it worth my youthful years fighting for something that is such an uphill battle?

This.

I personally have been here for a little over a year now. I think OKC is an excellent place to raise a family. The low cost of living, conservative values, and budding cultural opportunities makes it a perfect city for that. If I was married, I am 100% certain my OKC experience would have been much more positive. However, from the perspective of an educated, single guy in my late 20s who is well-travelled, I can totally understand wanting to leave OKC and plan on doing so myself whenever the door opens. OKC is improving no doubt, but it still has a long ways to go and I would rather spend what little youthful years I have left somewhere that's a better fit. There is little chance OKC will be able to get to the level I would like to see within the timeframe I would like to see it, even under the best case scenario.

Think about it. At the current rate, OKC will probably be what Louisville is today in 10 years. It will probably take 20-25 years to become an Austin or a Denver if it ever does. That will put today's twentysomethings in their 40s or 50s by the time this city "arrives."

I know part of OKC's problem is the brain drain i.e. young, active professionals leaving for greener pastures. Can you blame them though for wanting to spend their single twentysomethings years somewhere that has arrived rather than somewhere that is a work-in-progress? Sorry if this post offends anybody here as I don't mean to.

This does not bode well at all. What kind of candidates could we hope to attract when our planning director has made a lateral move to a hamlet?

Russell had a masters from M.I.T. and obviously had a much bigger perspective.


The City almost always hires/promotes the people they already know:

Jim Couch: 26 years as City employee; before that worked for City of Edmond
Eric Wenger: 19 years as City employee; don't believe he's ever worked elsewhere
Jim Clowers: 8 years as City employee; has never lived anywhere other than OKC


Even for the airport, we (Couch) hired Mark Kranenburg who worked at Wiley Post for 9 years, went to non-commercial Riverside for three years (paltry $1 million budget), and then we hired him to run the entire airport authority.

I know part of OKC's problem is the brain drain i.e. young, active professionals leaving for greener pastures. Can you blame them though for wanting to spend their single twentysomethings years somewhere that has arrived rather than somewhere that is a work-in-progress? Sorry if this post offends anybody here as I don't mean to.

A significant portion of any city's younger population will ALWAYS want to move somewhere else, simply because it IS someplace else.

Believe me, even in great places like Seattle, Austin, and Southern Cal, a big chunk of 20-somethings leave. It's the time in life to get out and have experiences.


I don't believe OKC has any worse brain-drain than any other city and in fact, I think it's better than most. And that's a big change from just 10 years ago.

A significant portion of any city's younger population will ALWAYS want to move somewhere else, simply because it IS someplace else.

Believe me, even in great places like Seattle, Austin, and Southern Cal, a big chunk of 20-somethings leave. It's the time in life to get out and have experiences.


I don't believe OKC has any worse brain-drain than any other city and in fact, I think it's better than most. And that's a big change from just 10 years ago.

I agree that the brain drain is slowing but it is still very evident. Over half of the unmarried friends I've made since I've lived here have moved somewhere else like Denver or Austin within the past year and most that are still here plan on moving eventually, and I've only been here a year. My age group is very transient to begin with, but it is much more transient here than where I moved from.

I agree that the brain drain is slowing but it is still very evident. Over half of the unmarried friends I've made since I've lived here have moved somewhere else like Denver or Austin within the past year and most that are still here plan on moving eventually, and I've only been here a year. My age group is very transient to begin with, but it is much more transient here than where I moved from.

It's that way everywhere, believe me. People in their 20's move a lot.

That's not at all the same as brain drain, which means the sharp, educated people leave because of lack of career opportunities.

A significant portion of any city's younger population will ALWAYS want to move somewhere else, simply because it IS someplace else.

Believe me, even in great places like Seattle, Austin, and Southern Cal, a big chunk of 20-somethings leave. It's the time in life to get out and have experiences.


I don't believe OKC has any worse brain-drain than any other city and in fact, I think it's better than most. And that's a big change from just 10 years ago.

Everyone needs to get out while they are young. I made a conscious decision to get out of Texas because I felt that staying there would be stifling to me. Doesn't mean I hate it, and one of these days I very well may move back. If people feel that need for OK than that is completely understandable.

I have moved twice as much as the average person at the age of 27 (thanks Dad and the US Air Force). I can honestly say that the similarities between places are far greater than most people think. Every place is hard to meet people. Every place sucks to find a date. Every place is a pain to travel out of. Every place has some item that is outrageously expensive compared to the national average (housing, taxes, etc.). At the same time certain settings and environments do differ. If you want warm weather don't move to Minneapolis. If you can't stand the heat you should probably avoid Phoenix. Likewise, their are probably far more urban places than OKC (of course with the understanding that you will be paying for it).

As someone who values the ability to make a living for myself and be able to both live comfortably and save (no rich parents to fall back on!) an area's cost of living would be a big factor for me personally. This means I am pretty much limited to the interior of the country, even though I daydream of moving to CA one day. But that is what Southwest Airline sales are for. Others are okay making the sacrifices for themselves and their families. Nothing wrong with that. Just depends on what you value.

I really can’t speak for the planning situation at 200 Walker. But I trust others opinions and I have no doubt it is terrible and needs to be fixed ASAP. But threads like this have a bad habit of becoming a real downer (This problem X is happening, so obviously this entire city sucks and I need to move!) I try to keep things in perspective. Over the past 2 years, 25K more people have moved here than done the opposite. That is pretty damn remarkable.

Yes, this has absolutely nothing to do with someone leaving OKC for a more dynamic challenge; Claus is heading to a town slightly larger than Enid for crying out loud.


At issue is the City Manager's office and how they manage the Planning Department... And the impact that has on the entire city.


I've said it many times: the City Manager is by FAR the most powerful position in all of OKC and yet very few people pay much attention.

I am sorry to hear Russell is leaving but I understand his reasons. I got to know him a little over the past year and he is a genuinely good, very smart person. It is a huge loss for OKC and one for which blame is pretty easy to assign.

Yes, this has absolutely nothing to do with someone leaving OKC for a more dynamic challenge; Claus is heading to a town slightly larger than Enid for crying out loud.


At issue is the City Manager's office and how they manage the Planning Department... And the impact that has on the entire city.


I've said it many times: the City Manager is by FAR the most powerful position in all of OKC and yet very few people pay much attention.

So do you think this is going to have a huge impact on the future direction of OKC development? What impact do you think this will have?

Russell has two adult children with his first wife, so leaving OKC comes with some personal sacrifices.

Pete, I agree with you that the City Manager holds more power over operations than anyone else, but all it takes is five votes on any Tuesday.

City Manager does essentially all hiring per City Charter. But will Council make any attempt to dictate policy and redress the engineer/planning imbalance beyond a particular person jumping on the band wagon? Oh gawd - here they come, not the tweets!

I checked out Rockhampton on GoogleEarth and the first thing I noticed wad back-in angled parking downtown. Russell will be bored there :).

Losing Russell is going to be about as big a blow as losing Kerr McGee. I'd argue worse, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

Whelp that counts as the first time I have ever heard anyone outside of Ohio refer to Euclidean planning, +1 Sid

I checked out Rockhampton on GoogleEarth and the first thing I noticed wad back-in angled parking downtown. Russell will be bored there :).

Are you sure it is back-in parking? Remember, they drive on the other side of the road.

The Council-Manager form of government has one big problem. The City Manager is hired by the City Council. The council can buck the city manager, but at what price? A City Manager is easily corrupted, or easily falls into mediocrity, because they know everything about the city. They know where the bodies are buried. He is accountable only to people he can, with his influence, work behind the scenes to remove, or worse, work actively against all of their proposals. It creates, if you will, a fiefdom. The person accountable actually - is not. Nobody on the council would move against him until he or she had a majority, how do you get that without the CM "finding out?" He is VERY powerful, you don't want him on your bad side. You end up with situations exactly like what we have here - a system that works like an old-style company that promotes from within, is conservative on their ideas (don't rock the boat), and fairly stagnant in day-to-day governing.

A Strong Mayor system is often looked at as bad around here because of the experience in Tulsa. Why not look at the many successful cities where the Mayor-Council system (Strong Mayor) works extremely well? Namely, people - in elected positions - are accountable.

Many of the problems people are discussing in this thread would change on a dime with a Strong Mayor system. The highest person accountable is actually elected by the people of the city.

Losing Russell is going to be about as big a blow as losing Kerr McGee. I'd argue worse, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

I'm not going to pretend to know much about city planning, but come on, did this guy walk on water or something?

Count me in as one who doesn't need "the sky is falling" attitude every time something bad happens here. People are still moving and looking to move here. Others (including my family) are deciding to stay here in lieu of heading to places previously thought as "greener pastures" compared to OKC.

Are you sure it is back-in parking? Remember, they drive on the other side of the road.

Granted, they drive on the wrong side of the road, but they don't drive backwards.:)

Except for some parallel parking, their entire core is all back-in angled parking.

It will be very interesting who the City hires as a replacement.

This.

I personally have been here for a little over a year now. I think OKC is an excellent place to raise a family. The low cost of living, conservative values, and budding cultural opportunities makes it a perfect city for that. If I was married, I am 100% certain my OKC experience would have been much more positive. However, from the perspective of an educated, single guy in my late 20s who is well-travelled, I can totally understand wanting to leave OKC and plan on doing so myself whenever the door opens. OKC is improving no doubt, but it still has a long ways to go and I would rather spend what little youthful years I have left somewhere that's a better fit. There is little chance OKC will be able to get to the level I would like to see within the timeframe I would like to see it, even under the best case scenario.

Think about it. At the current rate, OKC will probably be what Louisville is today in 10 years. It will probably take 20-25 years to become an Austin or a Denver if it ever does. That will put today's twentysomethings in their 40s or 50s by the time this city "arrives."

I know part of OKC's problem is the brain drain i.e. young, active professionals leaving for greener pastures. Can you blame them though for wanting to spend their single twentysomethings years somewhere that has arrived rather than somewhere that is a work-in-progress? Sorry if this post offends anybody here as I don't mean to.

Are you finally going to quit whining and move?

Are you finally going to quit whining and move?

kVfrIfwXFSQ

Edited to Add one of my favorite "parables"/"illustrations" of all time:

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “only a little while.”

The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”

The American scoffed. “I have an MBA from Harvard, and can help you,” he said. “You should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middle-man, you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening up your own cannery. You could control the product, processing, and distribution,” he said. “Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually to New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “Oh, 15 to 20 years or so.”

“But what then?” asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time was right, you would announce an IPO, and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you could retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.”

The Lesson?
Perhaps(?): It ain't where you are at. It's where you are at.

I agree that the brain drain is slowing but it is still very evident. Over half of the unmarried friends I've made since I've lived here have moved somewhere else like Denver or Austin within the past year and most that are still here plan on moving eventually, and I've only been here a year. My age group is very transient to begin with, but it is much more transient here than where I moved from.

bchris,

You have acknowledged that you have done little to improve your social situation. You live in the suburbs and rarely go out. As far as I know you're not involved in any clubs, groups, or enthusiasms.

I lived in NYC and if it weren't for my job, I would have been lonely at times. I forced myself to go out and meet people, but it's not as easy as it seems in a very large city.

It would help if you lived somewhere other than the outer 'burbs, but we've covered that topic endlessly.

I suspect if you were to move elsewhere you would have similar problems.

Back to topic: I didn't know RK as others do, but this does seem to be a great loss. HOWEVER, the guy was burned out and needed to move on. I remember how upset people were when Garner Stoll left OKC -- and then we got someone better.

OKC is much, much different today than when Klaus arrived, much to his credit. Similarly, the public is much more engaged and sensitive to planning issues. This can only be good. Unlike when Klaus started, the new planning director will arrive to a city that is already rapidly improving, with an engaged citizenry that cares about planning issues. I think this extends to many members of the council and the mayor.

Couch may have won this battle (actually, Klaus is the winner), but the final chapter has not been written. The stranglehold Couch has had on planning decisions in this city is coming to light, and coming under scrutiny, and perhaps the next planning director will have energy for the fight.

Whelp that counts as the first time I have ever heard anyone outside of Ohio refer to Euclidean planning, +1 Sid

You obviously don't read my blog. Ha.

I'm not going to pretend to know much about city planning, but come on, did this guy walk on water or something?

Count me in as one who doesn't need "the sky is falling" attitude every time something bad happens here. People are still moving and looking to move here. Others (including my family) are deciding to stay here in lieu of heading to places previously thought as "greener pastures" compared to OKC.

8 planners have left within 18 months. I'd say the Asst. Director and the Director leaving within 12 months of each other (as part of the 8 total) means this is a big deal. That doesn't count a couple of other retirements and someone going to a different City department as well.

There is dramatically less of a brain drain than there was 10 years ago. John Fowler was a classmate of my daughter's, and he's someone young who is making a difference, as are people like Jonathan Stranger, who went to a different school, but who was part of a large, loosely organized social group of theirs. They're barely in their 30s so I anticipate many years of interesting work by them. Some people want to move into a house that's "move-in ready" and others want one that needs renovation so they can put their own stamp on it. Nothing wrong with either viewpoint.

Are you finally going to quit whining and move?

LOL HaHa. I forgot about the other thread complaining about being isolated in the suburbs. lol

My GF lives far NW and I understand the isolation issue. That is why I have never given up my apartment downtown.

Regarding Claus, it is a huge loss (in ingenuity, creativity, and positive management). And although he was a good friend, I always wondered how much of a fight he put up against Couch. That is an esoteric question. I have taken Couch directly on many times and have often "won" several of the "battles". But I don't rely on the guy for my paycheck either. That has got to be an incredible difficult position to be in. The changes in Russel were both visceral and physically obvious.

LOL HaHa. I forgot about the other thread complaining about being isolated in the suburbs. lol

My GF lives far NW and I understand the isolation issue. That is why I have never given up my apartment downtown.

Regarding Claus, it is a huge loss (in ingenuity, creativity, and positive management). And although he was a good friend, I always wondered how much of a fight he put up against Couch. That is an esoteric question. I have taken Couch directly on many times and have often "won" several of the "battles". But I don't rely on the guy for my paycheck either. That has got to be an incredible difficult position to be in. The changes in Russel were both visceral and physically obvious.

Good post. I've been in employment situations before in which, over time, I was leeched of all energy to fight for my principles. It can be exhausting. The fact is RC fought hard and put his positive stamp on many things during his tenure. At some point, regardless of career, one just loses the energy to fight on. That's why his departure is not necessarily bad for OKC. He will be missed, but I would rather have someone who has all the energy for the fight than someone who is demoralized and exhausted. That others are leaving probably has a lot to do with him leaving.

We will have a new planning director, and he will hire new people, and as engaged citizens, we will work with the new folks to get good things done for our city. RC's legacy will be carried on, not reversed. There is simply too much momentum now to slow our city down.

Urban Pioneer remembers the era of Paul Brum. If people think things are backward now they have no idea what it was like here in the early 2000s.

As citizens, we can hold the mayor and council accountable for demanding good urban planning, good zoning ordinances, etc. They can then put the pressure on City leadership to implement.

One door is closing and another is opening. Salutations and congratulations to Russell Claus for a job very well done. Onward.

Here is something very interesting: Jim Couch has been City Manger for more than twice the time than any of the the previous 35 people that have held that job.

In fact, only 3 of the 35 have held it for more than five years; Couch is at 13 and counting.

City of Oklahoma City | Previous City Managers (http://www.okc.gov/mgr/previous.html)

So, presuming that potential replacements are diligent in researching the climate they'd be working in and following in the footsteps of someone as well respected as RC, who quit the position, does someone really outstanding take on a power struggle in lieu of a meaningful technical challenge with the promise of a spectacular outcome?

No. Just as the climate at City Hall resulted in Russell's departure, it will limit the number of people we would want to replace him.

But we clearly have an abundance of petty, small-minded, pissy people at City Hall who don't know how to lead a growing city to greater things.

I'd like to say that I feel better having that off my chest, but I don't.

I don't believe that it is "small mindedness" or "pissy" people. It is cultural. People often make fun of the differences between engineers and architects. How they think. The divide is even greater between planners and engineers. How they think is literally part of their make up.

One group just happens to have all the adminstrative control aqcuired over years of decisions by previous city councils and specifically Jim Couch (another engineer).

You obviously don't read my blog. Ha.

No but I know I should! I have seen lake effect a couple times, back when I did blog/read for fun

No but I know I should! I have seen lake effect a couple times, back when I did blog/read for fun

It's tough to find time to actually blog and read others' blogs.

There is dramatically less of a brain drain than there was 10 years ago. John Fowler was a classmate of my daughter's, and he's someone young who is making a difference, as are people like Jonathan Stranger, who went to a different school, but who was part of a large, loosely organized social group of theirs. They're barely in their 30s so I anticipate many years of interesting work by them. Some people want to move into a house that's "move-in ready" and others want one that needs renovation so they can put their own stamp on it. Nothing wrong with either viewpoint.
True, but John Fowler also had family money to do something about it too; in all fairness.

True, but John Fowler also had family money to do something about it too; in all fairness.

So what? Having money would just make leaving easier.

Put this another way. There are lots of young people who inherit lots of money, but there are few who do the cool things with it that Fowler has.

Knew plenty of Tulsa private school elite who bolted the state the second they graduated from OU. So no, mommy and daddy's money does not keep you rooted by any means.