Mayor David Holt
Appearances
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
This is a huge honor because many of your listeners may not realize, but you two are the pride of Oklahoma City.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Yeah. I mean, I often say it's kind of a... By the way, we should probably establish, we are in Oklahoma City right now. I don't know that everybody listening to this knows this. But yes, Oklahoma City is really a microcosm of the country, both politically, demographically, and in the way we vote in state and federal elections. And that sometimes is lost because people think of Oklahoma. Right.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
But Oklahoma City is very different than Oklahoma. Right. And yes, the county last week that makes up 80% of Oklahoma City voted 49-48. Yeah. I mean, it's basically, as I said, a microcosm of the country.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
I've had it with people who listen somehow, some way to like 20 podcasts every single day. And because I'm going to tell you, like, I'm going to listen to this. Yeah, it will take me two to three months to get through to get through this 30 minute podcast. I mean, I don't understand. I will talk to people and they're like, oh, my gosh, you got to listen to this podcast.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
I'm like, you know, OK, I'll try to block out some time sometime in January to do that for you. But. But you will talk to people. And I'm sure you now you're in like really deep in the podcast world. You know, I'm sure you talk to people who listen to like what seemingly seems like 40 podcasts a week.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
And I know the games of like, you know, speeding it up and all that to try to make it more efficient. But again, I have no concept for how people do that. And I live in a city where I'm in the car, obviously, all the time. We're always driving. And yet still somehow that does not work out for me.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
So I've had it with these braggarts claiming that they can listen to every podcast under the sun in a record amount of time.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
You're full of it. You're totally making that up. You're reading the synopsis.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
This would stress me out. This would be saying like, I want to try to read six newspapers a day or something. Like it can't be done. What you're doing is impossible.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Well, I mean, so the airport is owned by the city. Okay. It has a director. Okay. He answers to a board. Okay. A trust, technically. Right. And I appoint all the members of that trust. Perfect. I was afraid that was what you were wanting to do.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
So you're saying you've parked? We're parked. You're at the terminal, but you feel that there's a 10-minute gap. Correct. Is it possible that your concept of time is just actually a little off?
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
It could be less more like a staffing issue. Probably. It's not necessarily that the guy or gal is there like the jet bridge is banging against the building. I don't know what they're doing. Right. It may be that there's only so many DREP bridge operators and we'd love to have more. But I mean, I find in lots of things, and I'm sure you're having the same experience, we're all understaffed.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
That would be my first hypothesis, obviously. I can try to run this down for you.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Or like, let's just open the emergency exit and throw the inflatable slide down or something.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
That would have been faster. They got podcasts to listen to. They don't have time for this crap.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
You know, well, I don't know. Your viewers and listeners right now are like, well, I think I'll just catch the next podcast. I think this one's gone a little too far into the weeds for me. But no, I think, you know, you also have to consider that some gates are controlled by different airlines. And like all the gates are not necessarily available to an American airline's
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Yeah, I know. Keeps you awake. Yeah. It's there so you don't fall asleep. I think the- It's like those rumble strips on the side of a highway.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
My wife says the same thing. I think this has been a great advertisement for Oklahoma City. I think that people who come, I want them as they roll their bag through our airport upon their arrival to visit because they want to see the hometown of this podcast. And then suddenly when they hear that... I'll go, oh, that's it. That's what she was talking about.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Are we even taping this or was this you just needed a meeting with me? Is this actually real? Is this real? It's real. It's real.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Yeah. Great question. I think it came in just before I took off. And yes, it is definitely one of those things. It was more private sector driven. It actually, there's actually like some sort of air conditioning units or something that it's blocking.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Yeah. I think it's one of those things where it's like, you know, it kind of happened and once it had, it's very expensive and probably not worth it to undo. But a little, yeah, a little bit, one of those things where you thought nobody cares. said anything? I think it's actually a great case study in sort of human behavior because there probably were people who noticed it.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
But like, how do you say that out loud? How do you say that out loud at a planning meeting, you know?
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Well, I will be. I'm the vice, and that's not necessarily how I would describe it, but I understand what you're referencing. I am the vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. I will be the president in June.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Well, we love each other. We're all very popular amongst our class. You know, I think that we all feel that mayors get things done, that we work together well across bipartisan lines, that we really take pride in the effectiveness that, you know, the effective government that's happening in a lot of cities, maybe in some contrast to the state and federal level.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
So, yeah, Paige Cognetti, Scranton, PA. That's right. Now she's got to put in the investment of time to listen to this podcast. Right, that's right. Because she got a shout out.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Yeah. No, I mean, like we can't define success by a press conference or a great tweet. You know, like we have to get things done. And too often it seems, especially in legislative bodies at the state and federal level, it's like, yeah, people just – They've lost sight of what actually an accomplishment looks like, actually doing something.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
And mayors don't have that option because a lot of what we do is absolutely integral to your daily life. Like, you know, if we treat the job like performance art, you know, your trash isn't going to get picked up. Your water is not going to come out of your faucet. Your police and fire protection isn't going to arrive when you need it. And so like we have to take this deadly seriously.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
And we often, you know, represent communities like Oklahoma City that are like 50-50. So we can't say, well, we're just going to side on every issue with the Republicans or the Democrats. We've got to find ways to work together. So, yeah, no, I think we're very pragmatic. And so sometimes we upset the extremes.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
But a lot of times mayors are elected as they are in Oklahoma City in a system where everybody can vote. This is really important to, I think, to an effective electoral system where everybody can see all the candidates and all the candidates have to face all the voters. And that's what we do in Oklahoma City and a lot of cities. We don't go through a closed partisan primary.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
So I can build a coalition of normal Republicans, Democrats, and independents, really the 70% of Americans in the middle who just want to work together to get things done. That group doesn't really have a mechanism to speak with one voice in most other races, but they do in Oklahoma City. And so we just govern differently. We govern for the normal people, the two-thirds in the middle.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
And we see it through the continued passage of initiatives like you just referenced that have made the city a better place.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
You know, certainly here in Oklahoma City, You know, I think my message is, as it has been for the six years I've been mayor, that all people are welcome in Oklahoma City. And as you said, I have and will continue to go out of my way to make sure that they see that tangibly. And as you said, it's not just like historically marginalized populations.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
I also wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Easter. You know what I mean? Everybody deserves to feel valued in Oklahoma City. Right. I can't necessarily extend that influence any farther than the city limits of my city, but I've always viewed in life that I'll just try to control what I can control and try to, you know, set a good example in my backyard. And that's not going to change.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
And as I said earlier, I mean, here in Oklahoma City, we've found a way to work together. I mean, the last election in Oklahoma City, the last presidential election was 49-48, actually. We've had two straight 49-48 elections in Oklahoma County, the largest county in our city. And You know, that came 11 months after MAPS 4 got 72 percent.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
This election came 11 months after a major plan to keep our city a major league sports city got passed by 71 percent. So like we keep showing that even as we're voting in a divided way on federal officials, we are we are uniting on key issues to our city. So. I think we'll keep trying to do that.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
I can't control everything, but we have managed to hold this together in the face of nearly a decade of national division. And part of it is built on this idea that everyone has value. And, you know, I ran on and have served under this ethos of one OKC. And that's what that means to me, that we all should be part of our city's narrative. And certainly... We maybe had overlooked that in the past.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
We're a very diverse city under the age of 18 and our city is 60 percent non-white. So and we have people from every corner of the world and every religion. And yeah, we I just I just will always I don't want to serve if I have to do it in a bigoted way, you know, or an exclusive way. You know, I want to serve in a way that that appreciates diversity. all our residents and truly all our residents.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Sometimes people that kind of swing the pendulum the other way, they're like, well, I just only want to represent the marginalized populations. I mean, that's not right either, right? I mean, it's got to be for everybody and that's the way I view it.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
I'm saying like that's, that's kind of like that 70% leaves room for that 15 and 15. That's right. Kind of on the extremes. You just can't ever be satisfied.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Right. And that's what freedom is supposed to be about, you know? I'm a... As you said, I'm a registered Republican. I served as a Republican in the state Senate. Part of what drove me early in life to that perspective was a strong belief in personal freedom. And freedom isn't freedom if you're expecting everybody to live their life exactly like you live yours. That's not freedom.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
You need to protect the ability of your friends and neighbors to live differently. And that's freedom. And so anyways, I think that's ultimately what drives me. And also just a belief in equal opportunity and that everybody's, Everybody's a human in this city and deserves equal opportunity. Doesn't mean equal outcomes, but they certainly deserve equal opportunity.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Oh, man. Like, will I even be, will this even air if I don't say? If I don't say? You'll be censored. If I don't say hit it? Reality is had it. But hit it. Hit it.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Oh, hit it. Yeah, I know. We're very excited for the Thunder. As we sit here, there's been some injuries just in the last few days. But, you know, it's OK. Playoffs aren't till April. We'll get it together. And the season started very strong. Oklahoma City Thunder could be on a championship run this year.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Oh, I was like thinking of that from like a mental health standpoint. We should all engage in some self-checkout. No, you mean actually... I'm good with self-checkout. Is this a controversial issue? Sometimes.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Oh, you mean like, well, I was thinking like Walmart or something, but you mean like when they tilt the screen towards you. That's a tipping culture. No, no, no.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
It's 100% sure. No, I think I'm hit it. But, you know, you've given me some food for thought.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Well, I mean, honestly, I think you are because they could no longer afford all of the employees in order to keep, you know, I think you're essentially getting that benefit of fewer employees through probably not necessarily price decrease, but probably a lack of a price increase. We're really getting into like econ and capitalism here.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
But, you know, I think you essentially are getting some sort of financial benefit for the fact that you're checking yourself out. You just want to see it more directly.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Oh, had it. No, this is ridiculous. That's un-American. You know, you can't ever profess your belief in the First Amendment or the contest of ideas and think that some things are simply not... fit for our library shelves. I understand. I mean, it's reasonable conversation you can have about age appropriateness.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
That's a different issue, but like, but, um, and, and a reasonable one, but, but just the idea that you would just say, you know, this book should, shouldn't even exist in the world to the extent that we should actually throw it on a fire, you know? I mean, like that's, that has never ended well and it has never been something that we've looked back on with pride.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Uh, you know, I'm, I'm pretty big selfie guy. Sometimes that's, you just don't have a staffer nearby to take your pictures. So you just got to do it yourself, you know? So I don't have a problem with that. And I mean, I'm kind of a human selfie stick, you know? I mean, I'm the one when it's, when it's a group, I'm the one I'll get on the right and I'll do it, you know?
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
So I'm no, I got I got no problem with that. You know, people think sometimes politicians take too many selfies. But, you know, we got to show we were there. It's all about, you know, holding up the celebrating whatever it was, who or place that we were at.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Oh yeah. Yeah. Hit it. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. And, and, and as I said earlier, like, This is a society and a country that doesn't necessarily guarantee equal outcomes, but it absolutely guarantees equal treatment under the law, equal opportunity economically and in every other way. And so to me, that's what defines equality.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
And I'd like to think that as long as I'm the mayor of Oklahoma City, that's an ethos that will come from the very top every day consistently.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Well, that's very... I mean, yeah, because I've been kind of on a downhill slide.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
Well, you know, I wrote a piece this weekend for the Oklahoman that Oklahoma City, and maybe this is going to be translatable to a lot of other communities. You know, there's so many good things happening here. And like... I know the frustrations and disappointment that people might have about national politics, but this is where your life is lived.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
And if you've got something good that you can work with other people on in your own communities, find that as your outlet and your place for solace, I think, right now. And we certainly have that in Oklahoma City. So I encourage everybody in Oklahoma City, regardless of who they voted for for president, to keep finding ways to work together here. And let's get good things done in our community.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
And I think that's a statement that could be made in every city across the United States.
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
We are very proud of your accomplishments in this arena, and I'm sure it will last for years to come. And I've enjoyed watching it, and I'm just so grateful to sit here now today. And one last very selfish shout out. I'm very well acquainted with two of your biggest fans, my wife, Rachel, who...
I've Had It
Mental Self-Checkout
who runs United Way here in Oklahoma City, and also her cousin, Christopher Carroll in PA, who is a huge fan and will now just, will squeal with delight that his name was just mentioned on this podcast.