Tag Archives: economy

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Severe Weather

I still remember the day quite vividly. I was young and had been away at a summer camp and my dad was on a trip in Washington, D.C., which left my mom home alone to take care of livestock and our house. I remember that year being an exceptionally wet year and I remember this due to a particular event that I will never forget. Our house flooded.

We’re not talking about a basement flood or that the carpet in our house was wet and soggy due to a water leak, we are talking about the fact that there was so much rain that water slowly rose to a point that it crept in through our doors and filled our house to a point where water was up to your knees. Granted the water only rose as fast as it rained which allowed us to save most all of our belongings but as I mentioned earlier, my mom was home alone and pregnant at the time so we considered ourselves lucky to be from a small rural community that pulled together to help save what they could. It was one of those times that you find out who your friends are and consider yourself blessed to have said friends and family.

Our natural disaster was mild compared to some of the other stories we have seen and heard over the years but in this week’s video blog, you see how weather can affect not only lives but can also be big business. I also mention in the show a top 10 weather disaster list where Oklahoma was mentioned more than once and that list can be viewed at the link provided below.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-costly-weather-disasters.htm
Kela Kelln

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Shipping Out

Whether it is in a barge floating the Mississippi to the Gulf, or on a railcar tracking its way across the lower 48, the United States sends goods nationwide. But what happens to those goods once they hit our borders?

The United States has a solid reputation for producing high quality products. While our nation utilizes many of the things produced here, the vast majority of what we manufacture and grow is utilized by millions around the globe.

Oklahoma may have been one of the last territories to become a state, but it ranks high on the list of export markets. In today’s video blog, we take a look at the diverse export market that keeps Oklahoma ahead of the curve and in high demand worldwide.
Andy Barth

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Financially Strong

The U.S. economy is on the minds of many Americans and is it is not a positive thought to most. From unemployment to a failing stock market, people are unsure of their future. What lies ahead? What about my children? What about my retirement?

For those living in Oklahoma there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is a bright one. The market crash did not hit the state nearly as hard as the rest of the nation and jobs are springing up all over. In this week’s video blog see how from aerospace and energy to small business the economy in Oklahoma is on the up and up.

~Andy Barth

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On The Horizon: A Royal Pain

I was recently watching a report on Prince William and Kate’s 11-day swing through North America, when the reporter said the Duchess is bringing with her 40 different outfits, but not her “stylist.” I guess I should applaud her for being able to dress herself for a week and a half, but that simple statement just reminded me of the chasm between the royals and the rest of us. I am no fan of a leisure class living off the hard work of others, either in Brittan or in this country.

Yes, we have our own royals; they just go by the name “super rich.” Words do not describe the disdain I have for politicians that in the attempt to get our country’s fiscal house right propose aiming such belt tightening solely at the middle class and below, while refusing to ask the super rich to share the burden that Wall Street and investment banks created.

You know we live in a world upside down when CNBC’s Jim Cramer of Mad Money fame (a Wall Street cheerleader if there ever was one) says he is embarrassed to be in line at Starbucks knowing his Wall Street gains are being taxed at a much lower rate than the incomes of the middle class workers behind him.

We are now almost three years out from when we learned those whiz kids on Wall Street were actually just street hustlers using our money to put billions into their own pockets while putting at risk our entire national economy.

In the summer of 2009, I sat down with The Nation’s columnist Bill Grieder to talk about the financial mess our country was in. Grieder has spent the last 40 years covering our nation’s capitol and says when it comes to pointing fingers for financial meltdown and subsequent recession; there is enough blame to go around. Continue reading On The Horizon: A Royal Pain →