Oklahoma legislators to get 35 percent pay raise

[O4L]

Honestly, no, if so its so minor that it doesnt really make a hill of beans. We have our on auditing dept. and they run a tight ship.
My job is to build a safe highway that meets the traffic demands and do it as cost efficient as possible. Cost is always a driving factor, always.

Really?

We are supposed to believe that with the amount of funding that goes to ODOT that none of it is wasted?

Even if ODOT, as a self audited agency is that well policed and efficient, what about when that money goes to private contractors? I highly doubt that there is no waste or corruption in transportation construction in this state.

 

[RickN]

I can adress this, that other stuff is all your misinformed opinion and most of it isnt treu at all.
Name a highway that fits your narrative here and I'l tell ya why it was built the way it was.

My misinformed opinion from watching the news, reading reports, seeing the effects on the state, remembering all the way back to the county commissioner scandal and then watching certain state legislators try to sweep it under the rug.

Oklahoma ranks 6th highest in sales tax, 32 highest in personal income tax, 14th highest in pass thru business income tax, etc, etc. We are one of the highest taxed overall but have the worst roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. All because our state leaders do a poor job in my, and many, many other's opinion.

As far as the highways, Turner Turnpike, I-35, I-40, etc, etc. Broadway ext is always a mess but I do not know if the state has anything to do with it.

 

[CHenry]

Really?

We are supposed to believe that with the amount of funding that goes to ODOT that none of it is wasted?

Even if ODOT, as a self audited agency is that well policed and efficient, what about when that money goes to private contractors? I highly doubt that there is no waste or corruption in transportation construction in this state.

I cant comment on that because I dont get involved once the bid is awarded and I do revirew bids and they are usually always real close to what I estimated early on. Once the contract is awarded the field division engineers for construction overlook all work and I really can't imagine those folks being corrupt but I honestly wouldnt know.
Make no mistake, of all the agencies, ODOT has always been regarded a a top agency by the higher ups including the Governor. There are roughly 2,700 ODOT employees across the state and I dont see a lot of what goes on outside of my building.

 

[ignerntbend]

In my own limited experience state roads are plenty good. It's county roads that I cuss.

 

[CHenry]

My misinformed opinion from watching the news, reading reports, seeing the effects on the state, remembering all the way back to the county commissioner scandal and then watching certain state legislators try to sweep it under the rug.

Oklahoma ranks 6th highest in sales tax, 32 highest in personal income tax, 14th highest in pass thru business income tax, etc, etc. We are one of the highest taxed overall but have the worst roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. All because our state leaders do a poor job in my, and many, many other's opinion.

As far as the highways, Turner Turnpike, I-35, I-40, etc, etc. Broadway ext is always a mess but I do not know if the state has anything to do with it.

Turpikes are a different agency so I cant speak for that.
I-35 was build as wide as it could be without wiping out all of the commercial businesses - we are not in the business of buying real estate.. The planners 30 years ago never expected the traffic to be as high as it is today or they would have bought enough right of way for future expansion. We arent perfect.
I 40 is being 6 laned from OKC to somewhere east of Shawnee and was never 3 laned to begin with for reason called money and wastefull spending. Oh you already bullet pointed that. Had we buit 6 lanes 40 years ago they would have never been needed befor the pavement failed due to age and had to be replaced as we have done recently. Why would we build something thats not needed for 20-30 years?
SH-77 (Broadway Ext) is being updated as we speak. Its taken a long while because of funds We only get so much money each year per division and we sure dont want to spend an entire years budget on one project. Do you kno what the pricetag on the new interchange build at I-44 and 77 is? It would blow your mind.

 

[CHenry]

In my own limited experience state roads are plenty good. It's county roads that I cuss.

People who say our roads suck simply dont get out very often. I-35 in Iowa will beat the brakes off your car.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Credit where it’s due?

View attachment 144880


Would you walk into there for a living? I did for it twenty eight years. Because of it I now have heart problems, lung problems, back problems, and who knows what else. When we signed up for this job, we were promised a retirement that at the time we were told would increase as the cost of living increased. I had about ten years on the job when the legislature says, “change of plans guys, no more cost of living increases, you get what we decide to give you”.

As said earlier, I retired in 2007 with a monthly retirement check that equals about half of what I was paid before I retired. No pay raises since. Cost of living has gone up, but our retirement pay has not. We thought we would get a little bit to help our needs, but the legislature shut it down and gave themselves a raise. Am I bitter about it. YES!

If our “representatives” can’t take care of us, why should we take care of them? Their jobs depend on our votes and they frequently forget that.

I appreciate your service!

 

[Fyrtwuck]

I appreciate your service!

Thank you.

 

[RickN]

People who say our roads suck simply dont get out very often. I-35 in Iowa will beat the brakes off your car.

I have been to several other states, some with worse highways, many with better. And yes I know it cost a ton of money, but if you know that in 5 years you are going to need more lanes, it makes sense to do it as you are working on it and save money in the long run. I am not knocking the ODOT employees, but the legislators that waste the money that could improve things, not just the roads. I have seen to much waste, fraud and corruption in the state government in my 62 years. I seriously doubt things will ever really improve. Sure they may do away with some waste, etc but will keep the biggest covered up because it makes them look bad.

 

[CHenry]

I have been to several other states, some with worse highways, many with better. And yes I know it cost a ton of money, but if you know that in 5 years you are going to need more lanes, it makes sense to do it as you are working on it and save money in the long run. I am not knocking the ODOT employees, but the legislators that waste the money that could improve things, not just the roads. I have seen to much waste, fraud and corruption in the state government in my 62 years. I seriously doubt things will ever really improve. Sure they may do away with some waste, etc but will keep the biggest covered up because it makes them look bad.

We do 20 years projected traffic counts and design accordingly. Sometimes they are wrong, they dont have a magic ball that tells them.
There is corruption and waste anywhere you have lots of money changing hands, as a rule. All the way up to Obama