This coming school year marks our final year to pay college expenses for our five kids. My greatest achievement as a Tulsa based financial planner is getting our kids through college without school loans!

Yet for multitudes of families, college has become more and more out of reach because of skyrocketing costs. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the nation’s best-known public universities have been on a massive spending spree the past two decades and have passed the bill along to students and their families.

Unfortunately, the Journal reports that the University of Oklahoma “hit students with some of the biggest tuition increases, while spending millions on projects including acquiring and renovating a 32,000 square foot Italian monastery for its study-abroad program.”

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As the University of Oklahoma prepares to enter its final football season in the Big 12 Conference, it has announced changes to its tailgating policies.

Tailgating Areas

The university is adding a public tailgating location designated along the south side of Lindsey Street between Asp and Jenkins Avenues. In this location, tailgating may only take place on the grassy area between the Lindsey Street curb and the north side of the sidewalk. Other campus areas designated for private and public tailgating will remain the same as the 2022 season.

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In a public notice, neighbors have been advised that an application for a Transitional Living Facility to house 40 to 50 convicted individuals at 5707 South Memorial has been filed. A special meeting has been schedulefd for 1:00 pm on August 22, at the Tulsa City Hall, Council Chambers. Written comments are also welcomed by email to planning@cityoftulsa.org, Case Number BOA-23549.

Melissa Ethridge-Jack posted publicly Monday the following letter to the Tulsa Planning Commission:

I am a home-bound individual that is unable to attend the meeting regarding a proposed [Department of Corrections] DOC halfway house located at 57th & Memorial.

I worked in the mental health and substance abuse field for about ten years.  The facility where I worked maintained contractual obligations with Oklahoma State Probation & Parole and US Federal Probation & Parole.  Depending on the parolees’ status determined which facility they were allowed to be housed in and yes, we had parolees that broke the terms of their contractual obligations and were taken back to prison.  As an individual whose life has been affected personally by substance abuse and worked in the field;  I am able to give a realistic viewpoint on this issue.

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In an update from Gays Against Groomers, founder Jaimee Michell is asks for support to fund a “growing need for security to ensure the safety and well-being of all our members and attendees.”

Gays Against Groomers mission is described as “dedication to stand against those who wish to harm innocent children.”

As published by the UCLA Williams Institute, Tulsa’s population of LGBT is 4.1 % of the population of the city with a gender ration of 44% male and 56% female. The race of the community in Tulsa is noted as 59% while and 41% all other races. Of those in Tulsa 34% are raising children and 66% are not.

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Analysis: I am a big fan of local control.  I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I want local control over my business, my city and the school district that serves my city where I own several properties.  More than control I want my business, my city and the school system that serves my city to be successful.

As far as I know the Tulsa Public School system (TPS) has always been controlled by people who reside in Tulsa.  Therefore, TPS has had and currently has local control.

In my view there are three methods of local control for a school district.  The first is what I will call superintendent control, the second is school board control and the third is parental and citizen control.

There is something positive to be said for each of these. 

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