Someone to pay the bills

[Hometown]

So much of what I don't like about Tulsa can be explained away by our dilemma of dwindling resources.  More people fighting over less.  Number one on my list of what Tulsa needs is someone to pay the bills.  Long-timers are tired of being reminded that we are a company town that has lost the company.  But that is the big story around these parts.

The mantra for 30 some odd years has been diversification.  And to that I say:  diversification has failed.

Now, least we forget, Tulsa is still a player in Energy Services.  One Google search of oil-related companies in the Tulsa area produced over 500 hits, and that is close enough to a critical mass to call it that.  So not all is lost.

As we move into peak oil we can expect consistently high and climbing prices.  And though we might never have the headquarters we once had, I believe with some serious tinkering Tulsa could make a play for energy industry research facilities and strengthen its niche in energy services.

Why oil?  Because it's still our strength, because of the good will Tulsa enjoys in the industry, and because it is a top drawer industry.

Here's some interesting information from an October 18th Tulsa World story:

... In Oklahoma, oil and natural gas long has been the top industry. Three other key businesses have emerged since 1990 -- gambling, call centers and meat packing.
...
The latter three industries, unlike oil and gas, are generally low-paying....

The average salary in oil and gas in 2005 was $66,972.

In contrast, gambling paid $21,335, call centers $25,838 and meat packing $27,596.