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  • Texas -- a failed state


    Brisketexan

    I think that it’s now safe to say that we Texans now live in a failed state.  30 years of GOP rule, setting our own standard, living the “Texas Dream,” which they’ve bragged about relentlessly…and let’s see where we are:

    A majority of the state in complete failure, unable to deliver the most BASIC of services (things that are called “utilities,” not “luxuries,” for a reason).  No power.  No water.  No means of clearing roads (that one, I can’t fault the state so much….but it wouldn’t be as big a crisis if people weren’t stuck in their homes with no power and water).  So citizens are stuck in their homes, some of them dying there. 

    Water resource planning?  After pretending for decades that a drought would never happen again, and not doing ANYTHING to develop resources in the state water plan (a document actually developed using science and mathematical projections), we had several locations, including actual cities, down to a few days of water supply.  We’ve finally gotten on our horse a bit, but it may be too late if the next drought comes anytime soon.  

    State rank in key categories:

    Education – 34

    Health Care - 37

    Infrastructure - 33

    Opportunity - 39

    Environment - 44

    Infrastructure - 33 

    In overall quality of life ranking by US News, we are now #38, down from #36 just two years ago.  At that rate, we’ll be in the bottom 3 within ten years.

    We are SUPER independent, and FUCK the feds….but we have requested federal disaster assistance more than any other state in the past decade or so.

    But hey, our economy is ranked #15!

    That’s right, we have a “roaring economy” and the “Texas Miracle!”  But we can’t deliver the basics for our citizens.  The economy is VERY efficient at funneling bazillions to the very few…..with little of it “trickling down” to most Texans.  Yeah, the people on this board generally do fine, but face the facts – we’re the top 10% or so.  We are educated, older, and fortunate.

    Our federal system allows for state-by-state experiments.  Texas is the poster child for near anarcho-capitalism and zero regulation or oversight.  We have tested that approach, for over a generation now (30 years of Republican rule).  That approach is a failure.  The evidence is undeniable, and overwhelming.  It doesn’t matter how many River Oaks millionaires you produce if the rest of your people are dying in their homes.  Shit, some of those River Oaks millionaires might be freezing to death today, too.

    The kids of a middle class family can hardly afford to go to a good state school.  Their prospects for employment are mediocre.  Their prospects of suffering crippling medical debt at some point are significant.  Their chances of not having basic utilities needed for life safety at some point – all but certain.  Their chances of becoming ill or dying from a pollution-caused illness are material.

    What’s the result?  Our leaders have sold Texas as a paradise – move here!  Bring your business here!  And some businesses have done so, adding opportunity…..but providing little to no tax support for the infrastructure we all depend on.  To the contrary, over the past few years, I know more and more people – educated people, people who can do their jobs elsewhere, who are looking to bail on this state.  It’s people with young kids, who want them to grow up in a better place.  It’s people in their working years, who simply want a better path.  It’s retirees, who want a safe and secure place to live.

    We have consumed our seed stock.  We have burned through our reserves.  We are now consuming ourselves.  The ability to pitch Texas as the land of opportunity is done.  Seeing what we have become, the tentative thought/plan my wife and I had of wrapping up our careers here and then getting the hell out of Dodge is becoming much more concrete.  My children are already unlikely to make their future in this state.  Now we are, too.

    But the response from the Republican leadership and their sycophants – “how are you gonna pay for it?  Taxes?  That’s socialism!  You want that stuff, you have to pay for it!”

    Fuck yes I do, and I’m okay with that.  I want groceries…so I have to pay HEB.  I want a car…so I have to pay Ford.  I want clothes…..so I have to pay Dillards.  I want my population educated….so I have to pay the school district.  I want electricity, with enough capacity to keep us running when we need it…..so I have to pay my bill, maybe with a capacity surcharge.  I want water to come out of the taps….so I have to pay for development of resources and maintenance of infrastructure.  I want roads….so I pay taxes to build and maintain them.  YES, I have to pay for all of those things, and “nothing is free” – no fucking shit.  So, let’s pay for it.  We have the #15 economy….we HAVE the funds in this state.  An economy with the flow of funds that ours has can produce and maintain all of those results.  But we have chosen a different path; funnel all the dollars to the top, and spend next to nothing for the public good.  We have privatized profit….we have socialized the costs.  And we are dying because of it.

    My fellow Texans are dying in their homes….and there’s nothing I can do about it today.  And I am enraged.

    I love Texas.  I am 6th generation here.  My ancestors have Texas historical markers on their graves.  We helped make this state, and this state helped make us.  It educated us (back when college was affordable).  But it’s time to face the fact – this state is a failure, and on its current path, with its current leadership and philosophy, it will only get worse.  This state has a terrible future, unless we dramatically change our path.   Chances of that happening?  0.0% -- because we’ll continue to vote for the guys who make our leadership priorities bathroom bills, and transgender sports, and requiring the national anthem be played at certain events.  Any bill that has been proposed to improve emergency preparedness of gov’t entities has been crushed by the Republicans controlling the lege….but we will definitely stick with those guys.  No taxes.  No government functionality.

    What we are seeing happening right now is our system working EXACTLY AS IT WAS DESIGNED AND INTENDED TO WORK.  And we will, I guarantee it, collectively decide to stick with that.  This state is in free-fall, and anyone with eyes can see it.  And anyone with a brain is starting to think of ways to make their life elsewhere.  It breaks my goddamned heart to see us commit collective suicide, but here we are.

     

     


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    7 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


    Should I share our private text messages from Jan 6, as the traitors were actively attacking Congress? And then a few more from the following days? The texts where he said things like “we have to sever from Trump entirely,” and “we became a cult of Trump” and “I agree he is a danger?”

    And there’s more. Lots more. Because Republicans are all lying hypocrites.

    Huh? You have private text messages from Mackowiak? By share, I assume you mean with the media?

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    Huh? You have private text messages from Mackowiak? By share, I assume you mean with the media?

    We have known each other for a long time. From before he went off the deep end.
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    Just now, Brisketexan said:


    We have known each other for a long time. From before he went off the deep end.

    Fair.

    Given your "we are at war, take no prisoners" attitude, wouldn't this be something you should publicize as it could hurt him politically? Your passionate calls to arms lose a bit of their punch if you're unwilling to risk upsetting this relationship with someone who is actively fighting against everything you stand for.

    Just my .02

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    Fair.
    Given your "we are at war, take no prisoners" attitude, wouldn't this be something you should publicize as it could hurt him politically? Your passionate calls to arms lose a bit of their punch if you're unwilling to risk upsetting this relationship with someone who is actively fighting against everything you stand for.
    Just my .02

    Oh, the relationship is over. What I’m less willing to do is dox myself. Because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, republicans are murdery and get a free pass for it from our governor.
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    5 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


    Oh, the relationship is over. What I’m less willing to do is dox myself. Because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, republicans are murdery and get a free pass for it from our governor.

    I'm pretty sure if anyone looked for active restraining orders from Sela Ward you'd be doxxed pretty quickly, not sure what you have lose.

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    16 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


    Oh, the relationship is over. What I’m less willing to do is dox myself. Because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, republicans are murdery and get a free pass for it from our governor.

    Understandable 

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    Also…what would airing that laundry gain (other than making Mackowiak lose)? Understand that the messages would indicate that he’s not Trumpy ENOUGH…meaning that the Trumpier candidate would win.
    At this point, in Repub elections, it’s like being a Jew choosing between the candidate who is all-in on the final solution, and the other candidate who has slight concerns about the cost of Xyklon-B, and would like to find a cheaper means of extermination. You get to have a tiny bit of influence over how and when your doom arrives, but that’s it.

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    15 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

    concerns about the cost of Xyklon-B, and would like to find a cheaper means of extermination.

    Iswydt?

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    3 hours ago, Serak The Preparer said:

    I'm pretty sure if anyone looked for active restraining orders from Sela Ward you'd be doxxed pretty quickly, not sure what you have lose.

    Suspicious Monkey GIF by MOODMAN

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    3 hours ago, Brisketexan said:


    Oh, the relationship is over. What I’m less willing to do is dox myself. Because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, republicans are murdery and get a free pass for it from our governor.

    You still have that spiral staircase, right?  You should be fine.

     

    Besides, his response will be something like, "The faults of President Trump pale in comparison to the crimes BidenSoros have committed against this great nation."

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    Travis Morrow to Travis Co GOP Chair part faux. Abraham George was literally arrested for domestic disturbance because he thought his wife was cheating on him and had a loaded gun and was attempting to drive to the family friends house. That’s Mackowaiak’s current competition.

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    30 years of republican rule, and our grid is shittier than ever, education is a political tool used to punish voters and their kids, fewer freedoms, a goon squad police force, and criminal AG’s.

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    3 minutes ago, Nivek said:

    30 years of republican rule, and our grid is shittier than ever, education is a political tool used to punish voters and their kids, fewer freedoms, a goon squad police force, and criminal AG’s.

    I think most people are just numb to it. Or this is what they want. 

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    On 5/17/2024 at 11:41 AM, Foosters said:

    Fair.

    Given your "we are at war, take no prisoners" attitude, wouldn't this be something you should publicize as it could hurt him politically? Your passionate calls to arms lose a bit of their punch if you're unwilling to risk upsetting this relationship with someone who is actively fighting against everything you stand for.

    Just my .02

    Would be pretty crappy of him to do this, to be honest.

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    On 5/17/2024 at 10:46 AM, Brisketexan said:


    Oh, the relationship is over. What I’m less willing to do is dox myself. Because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, republicans are murdery and get a free pass for it from our governor.

    sacrifice-evil-bosses.gif

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    Not sure how accurate this is, but after reading through the story it seems plausible...Apparently the knuckleheads that are running our state can't even secure secret ballots anymore. This publication Current Revolt was able to exploit the algorithm used by voting machines in Texas to assign "random" numbers to each ballot to identify Republican Party of Texas chairmans ballot from the March Primary (and that he didn't vote for Trump in the like he said he did...lolz to that)
     

    https://www.currentrevolt.com/p/exclusive-hacked-ballot-proves-texas

    Apparently the algorithm that all the voting machines in Texas use to assign "random" numbers to each ballot is very easy to cross reference with publicly available data, they successfully used this to reproduce 8 other elected officials ballots.... not great bob...not great

     

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    This colossal fuckup may help to explain why that position is competitive again.  Albeit being marketed as a "We need more robust financing to secure a Red Texas."  Rinaldi fucked this up, and I think we know who's gonna pounce on that opportunity.  Frankly, I don't blame him.  

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    We can’t count on much these days,  but we can always count on Matt Mackowiak. As consistent and regular as an atomic clock. 

     

    Edited by Bozo_Casanova
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    On 5/22/2024 at 5:11 PM, Evil Bill Obrien said:

    Apparently the algorithm that all the voting machines in Texas use to assign "random" numbers to each ballot is very easy to cross reference with publicly available data, they successfully used this to reproduce 8 other elected officials ballots.... not great bob...not great

    image.png.4e1213d12d5e95efab27464fcc3cad7a.png

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    Matt Mackowiak is a skeletor looking, inflated sense of self importance cunt face and has been since high school. That dude is the worst of us.

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    Matt Mackowiak is a skeletor looking, inflated sense of self importance cunt face and has been since high school. That dude is the worst of us.

    He’s worse than you think.
    No. I mean even worse than that. Trust me.
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    11 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Looks like a bit of a heftychonk to me.

    mmackowiak-1089417942.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt

    I knew him in HS - he had 20 pounds less face back then. 

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    11 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

    Looks like rittenhouse plus a few dozen Big Macs. 

    It looks like he ate Rittenhouse. 

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    It looks like he ate Rittenhouse. 

    He’s lost weight since that photo. He also dumped his wife and traded her in for a younger model. Oh, and he’s doing plenty of party drugs I hear, that helps with the weight loss.
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    5 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


    He’s lost weight since that photo. He also dumped his wife and traded her in for a younger model. Oh, and he’s doing plenty of party drugs I hear, that helps with the weight loss.

    Yeah, I keep seeing him at concerts and evening events and he looks like someone cruising for a second wife.  I’m sure “oh yeah, I’m kind of a big deal in politics-I’m the Travis County Republican Chair” plays great with the Austin Bumble coterie.

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    Yeah, I keep seeing him at concerts and evening events and he looks like someone cruising for a second wife.  I’m sure “oh yeah, I’m kind of a big deal in politics-I’m the Travis County Republican Chair” plays great with the Austin Bumble coterie.

    There’s a crew (it’s bigger than just Austin - think Florida, where he’s been spending a lot of time) that is into that.
    I mean, yeah…you’d be hooking up with a gal who thinks Republican operatives are cool, but there you have it.
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    On 4/18/2024 at 11:40 PM, fattyflattie said:

    Anecdotal, but every single R I know has 10x the contempt for Biden than they did for Obama.  It’s not even close.  Obama is spoken about more like Clinton.  
     

    Please. Please. PLEASE. 

     

    IMG_0428.gif

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    He’s lost weight since that photo. He also dumped his wife and traded her in for a younger model. Oh, and he’s doing plenty of party drugs I hear, that helps with the weight loss.
    41840a285d02dcfc1969c7350975685b.gif
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    1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:


    George likes his kung pao spicy!

    Jimmy is new in town.  Jimmy doesn’t know a lot of people.  Jimmy works out at the same place as JFK, Jr who will one day run a shadow government and exile and help support his cousin RFK Junior.  
     

    Worlds are colliding.  An RPT divided against itself………cannot stand.  
     

    I mean it’s not like that Republican party would start selling sneakers that have no athletic function whatsoever like Jimmy’s jumping low rise shoes.   Oh wait, gold Trumpers.  But yes, we don’t totally live inside of a computer simulation.   Most of you are educated and people of faith.  So use your cognitive abilities in your hearts to see That is just fucking with us at this point that we are in a spiral of lunacy   
    Which is just fucking with us at this point
     

     

     

     


     

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    1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

    “3%? I like the sound of that!”
    - TravCo GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak

     

    Lulz. What a maroon. 

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    15 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

    “3%? I like the sound of that!”
    - TravCo GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak

     

    He needs that 3%, more than they need him

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    6 hours ago, TexEx15 said:

     

    Democrats need to call for forming a new state out of the area bounded by Houston/Dallas/Austin in accordance with the joint resolution by which Texas was annexed

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    12 hours ago, TexEx15 said:

     


    The only reason they push that now is that are worried that the urban areas are going to show up at the polls and vote against the GOP. It’s a sign their polling has the, concerned.

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