Comments on: The Latest Story on SandRidge Energy

By: Sid Burgess

Sid Burgess — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:45:08 +0000

I say we pull a Coolidge.

By: Jeffrey

Jeffrey — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:14:46 +0000

I don’t think SR was expressing intent to injure, but you have a point on indication something impending. Fascinating things going on here. I suppose the bright side to all of this is that the dustup certainly indicates interest and energy happening downtown. Not sure other cities are having these type of debates.

By: Edgar

Edgar — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Go away, please. I’m sick of arrogant oilies running roughshod over OKC like it’s their personal fiefdom. Hell, they even got the hockey team named after themselves while a way of life threatened in the Gulf. That takes stones.
Any of us of a certain age remember the tragedy of ’70s urban renawal when grand classic structures razed for weedy lots as it turned out. OKC could have had a stately downtone ala Tulsa, rather than the soul crushing anywhwere America corporate blandishments being slapdashed all around.

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:04:14 +0000

Not gonna weigh in on this other to say it’s time to get back to the topic of SandRidge.

By: Doug Loudenback

Doug Loudenback — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:52:35 +0000

JR, you said, “I remember a story in the Gazette about 10 years ago in which Bob Funk, the owner of the hockey team, privately told council members he would leave OK if he didn’t get a 7-year lease to play in the arena. If any corporate assholes want to leave, let them. (The Oke really got scooped badly on that, even though they had the story. They wouldn’t run it.)”

Totally agree with you, JR. The Oklahoman in the past couple of years (when I began noticing) has demonstrated a propensity to censor its paid journalists both as to WHAT they can report about and HOW they are to report it, if at all.

In that context, it’s interesting to me that Steve has apparently been given a free hand (as far as I know) to report on the SandRidge proposal story and developments.

That fact makes me wonder, given the Oklahoman’s established willingness to censor what gets reported and how … what’s up with the Oklahoman? Does Oklahoman ownership concur that SandRidge has gone beyond the pale? Or is it merely freeing up what its journalists have the liberty to report and say?

Pretty interesting stuff, it is.

By: Rob

Rob — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 11:11:59 +0000

Let them leave. Jobs are a dime a dozen. Oil and natural gas companies belong in Houston. Why would we want their corporate presence in OKC? Surely the State of Oklahoma has enough money in the coffer to make up for the taxes SandRidge pays and the City of OKC should be able to easily replace their charitable contributions to our city. And let’s face it, downtown OKC wouldn’t be the same without the familiar dilapidated buildings scattered about. Who needs modern development? OKC is not Dallas and there’s no use trying to be.

By: JR

JR — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 04:11:00 +0000

I remember a story in the Gazette about 10 years ago in which Bob Funk, the owner of the hockey team, privately told council members he would leave OK if he didn’t get a 7-year lease to play in the arena. If any corporate assholes want to leave, let them. (The Oke really got scooped badly on that, even though they had the story. They wouldn’t run it.)

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:02:53 +0000

Jeffrey, I didn’t bait anybody. Here is the dictionary definition of threat:
1 : an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2 : one that threatens
3 : an indication of something impending

If one values SandRidge Energy being downtown; if one appreciates the company sponsoring the Santa 5k Run and other future events, and its workforce being a part of downtown, than wouldn’t one consider a warning they might leave if something isn’t done an indication of injury or damage impending?

By: Jeffrey

Jeffrey — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:58:38 +0000

Doug, Did you honestly expect Sandridge to come back before the final vote on these structures and say to the press, “Nah, we didn’t mean it, we’re not going anywhere. Go ahead and do what you want, we don’t mind.”

I imagine they wish it hadn’t been said, but now it’s out there. Steve’s tried to bait them into a response by labeling it a “threat” but no one’s biting. It’s a lose/lose to comment on it at this point so the best thing to do is wait until the decision’s made. At least this keeps their options open – maybe they meant it, maybe they didn’t.

By: Jeffrey

Jeffrey — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:43:50 +0000

Mike, Lots of people buy buildings with big promises and plans (see Osman Sapta)that end up just exploiting the structures and leave them sitting idle with out-of-town ownership by who knows.

Just putting them on the block is not the solution you’re hoping for.