Well, it’s nice to see Oklahoma still knows how to pay tribute to Donald Trump!
Earlier this week, TLO Super Fan Barb Hoberock of Oklahoma Voice reported that the state expects to spend nearly $145,000 operating an Oklahoma-themed booth at Trump’s weird little Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. – including $50,000 in travel costs.
Via Oklahoma Voice:
The state expects to spend $145,000 to operate its Oklahoma-centric booth at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.
While final costs aren’t yet available, the Oklahoma 250 Commission budgeted $80,000 for booth design and equipment, $15,000 for shipping and $50,000 for travel costs related to the 16-day event celebrating the country’s semisquincentennial, according to the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation.
Listen, I know doing stuff like this is simply the cost of doing business in Trump’s America. If the president throws a weird MAGA pageant on the National Mall, every loyal red state is expected to show up and kiss the ring, but can’t we at least do it on a budget?
Seriously, it cost nearly $100,000 to build and ship this thing? For that price, it better dispense Braum’s milkshakes and come with an actual Thunder player!
Let’s take a look:
Wait a second. “Bold Belongs Here?”
This may require further investigation, but do we have a new state slogan?! If so, Imagine That?!
Naturally, the booth is loaded with Route 66 imagery, including that new “Oklahoma City Is Mighty Pretty” boot thing, because nothing says Oklahoma’s bold future quite like endlessly recycling the same roadside nostalgia from 70 years ago.
As the Oklahoma Voice article notes, the state also budgeted $50,000 in travel costs to staff the booth. That works out to more than $3,000 a day, which seems a little excessive for a temporary trade-show exhibit.
Couldn’t we have called Express Personnel, hired a few temps, handed them Thunder shirts and told them to say “y’all” whenever someone walked by?
Apparently, yes:
Seventeen people were sent to Washington, D.C., to work the event, including two commissioners, who are agency employees.
Nelson said while other states hired local staffing companies to work their booths, “Oklahoma saw the value in sending Oklahomans to Washington D.C. to staff the Oklahoma booth.”
Yep, they saw “value” in sending 17 real-life Oklahomans to Washington to prove that we do, in fact, exist – and remain fully committed to spending whatever it takes to appease Donald Trump.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We'll keep you advised.
