GDP Growth in 2023

[Rover]

Life is how you make it.

There seems to be a failure to understand how lack of an educated work force and reliance on low value-added industry, as well as protectionism vs, excellence, and lack of investable capital produces low GDP numbers. Those states also seem to be of a common political belief. There is a pretty clear separation in gdp from the coasts vs the interior low population, less educated and more agrarian states. Florida and Texas are enhanced with big population centers investing billions in high value industries and attracting educated and trained workers from other areas.

[bison34]

There seems to be a failure to understand how lack of an educated work force and reliance on low value-added industry, as well as protectionism vs, excellence, and lack of investable capital produces low GDP numbers. Those states also seem to be of a common political belief. There is a pretty clear separation in gdp from the coasts vs the interior low population, less educated and more agrarian states. Florida and Texas are enhanced with big population centers investing billions in high value industries and attracting educated and trained workers from other areas.

I still don't see Texas as some bastion of education. They bring in people for their relocation, but those are based basically off money being given to them by the Legislature down there. They have so much oil and gas money, they make fully guaranteed incentive offers to companies that Oklahoma just can't do.

It has helped them immensely, so bully on them for that. But let's stop making them seem like they are educating their students so, so, so much better than Oklahoma is.

[Mesta Parker]

I still don't see Texas as some bastion of education..

Like everywhere it depends on where you live.

My family lived in an area on the Texas Gulf Coast with a population of about 60,000 whose schools were supported by property taxes on 20 - 25 billion dollars of petrochemical infrastucture. The public school facilities were outstanding as was the staff; as good or better as any private school here in OKC. And probably more important, was the highly educated work force operating those petrochemical facilities who value education for their kids and work to ensure it happens. All my kids got excellent educations, preK - 12 in those public schools.

[Rover]

I still don't see Texas as some bastion of education. They bring in people for their relocation, but those are based basically off money being given to them by the Legislature down there. They have so much oil and gas money, they make fully guaranteed incentive offers to companies that Oklahoma just can't do.

It has helped them immensely, so bully on them for that. But let's stop making them seem like they are educating their students so, so, so much better than Oklahoma is.

You are right with their rural areas. But Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio areas all drive the growth in Texas and they value education in those areas (especially higher ed) and have huge trained work forces … way more than OK. You can’t attract companies with incentives if they can’t get the work done once they are here.

[Laramie]

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They are private companies. Not public. FORTUNE companies are all public. Love's, QT, Hobby Lobby, all would be top 500 companies if they were public.

Good observation Bison34:

List of largest private companies: https://www.forbes.com/lists/top-private-companies/

11 - Love's Petroleum industry and Retail - 26.5 - 40,000 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, also
20. Quik Trips (Tulsa),
59. Continental Resources (OKC),
69. Hobby Lobby Stores (OKC)

[bison34]

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List of largest private companies: https://www.forbes.com/lists/top-private-companies/

11 - Love's Petroleum industry and Retail - 26.5 - 40,000 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

11, 20, 59, and 69 on the list. Didn't realize Continental was private.

[BoulderSooner]

11, 20, 59, and 69 on the list. Didn't realize Continental was private.

HH bought the rest of it (that he didn't already own) a few years ago ..