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  • 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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    HenryJames

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Gatorubet said:

    Well, the Barsoom vote is pretty much a monolithic block. 

    Watch John Carter | Disney+

    I'd probably vote for this guy.

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    tx 3 putt

    Posted

    how much did this cost him ?

     

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    SydneyCarton

    Posted

    23 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

    how much did this cost him ?

     

    You're not considering the fact that Trump doesn't care about party nearly as much as he loves pardoning criminals, regardless of stripe. The clown from NJ probably next. 

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    tx 3 putt

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

    You're not considering the fact that Trump doesn't care about party nearly as much as he loves pardoning criminals, regardless of stripe. The clown from NJ probably next. 

     

    what's there to gain for trump on this ?

    SydneyCarton

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

     

    what's there to gain for trump on this ?

    He can say "See, I pardon democrats too" and Cuellar probably gave him some tips on bribery. 

    • Haha 2
    Brisketexan

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

     

    what's there to gain for trump on this ?

    It sets the tone.

    Corruption isn't just not a problem, it is the order of the day.  It is a-ok now.

    Trafficking massive amounts of narcotics using the apparatus of a nation state isn't not just a problem.....it's perfectly fine.

    Defrauding people for hundreds of millions of dollars to enrich yourself gets pardoned because that is actually the preferred way of doing business for the regime.

     

    All of these are setting a tone.   Corruption, drug trafficking for profit, and fraud/grift are all socially GOOD things now.  Get on board the Trump train!

    This is the most nakedly criminal regime in US history, and there's truly not even a close second.  And we aren't even a year into this.  I don't think our treasury will survive this (don't forget that the DOJ is handing out "settlements," paid with millions upon millions of YOUR tax dollars, to anyone who sues the US government and who the regime favors, including Michael Flynn and even Trump himself.  They've found and exploited a literal cheat code that lets them hand US treasury dollars directly to friends and members of the regime).

    This is the "The Joker becomes the mayor" storyline in real fucking life.

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    tx 3 putt

    Posted

    image.png.31d7bf09326c00134ae5e794df706bf6.png

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    Bozo_Casanova

    Posted (edited)

    28 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

     

    what's there to gain for trump on this ?

    Continuing the flip of the South Texas machines politically, and accessing the money behind them personally.

    Edited by Bozo_Casanova
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    tx 3 putt

    Posted (edited)

    6 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

    Continuing the flip of the South Texas machines politically, and accessing the money behind them personally.

     

    the drug / cartel money in the rgv would shock people 

    border patrol guys - all their kid goto private school, all the wives have luxury suv's, closet full of $$$ purses, lot of jewelry, big custom build homes. just a small example lol 

    allegedly, $10K / month to let one truck through a month. the tow truck drivers help recruit and identify the right people. entry level pay

    allegedly 

    Edited by tx 3 putt
    • Like 1
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    Evil Bill Obrien

    Posted

    4 hours ago, CooterBrown said:


    I think I mentioned this earlier in this thread. This happened a few weeks ago. Some of the HUB program team were on the road to Houston to host a workshop and they got a call to turn around because their program no longer existed. I need to ask if anybody informed the attendees or if they just got ghosted.

    You really think our current state leadership gives a shit about ghosting a workshop for women and minorities...

     

    Chewbacca

    Posted

    3 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

     

    what's there to gain for trump on this ?

    He's got to be getting paid.  There are way too many of them (and they are all wealthy or have access to donors) for there to be any other reason.

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    atomheartbevo

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

    Corruption isn't just not a problem, it is the order of the day.  It is a-ok now.

    Trafficking massive amounts of narcotics using the apparatus of a nation state isn't not just a problem.....it's perfectly fine.

    Defrauding people for hundreds of millions of dollars to enrich yourself gets pardoned because that is actually the preferred way of doing business for the regime.

    He respects these three men for trying to get paid.

    Brisketexan

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

    He respects these three men for trying to get paid.

    Absolutely.  And, he wants in on the action.  The Boss always gets his vig.

    • Like 1
    Biff Tannen

    Posted

    Local Fox affiliate just did a story on a Dallas homeowner that got screwed by his homeowner's insurance company after a city sewer system backed up into his home.  The end of the interview was him saying "Texas is too good of a state to let businesses run this way."  I guffawed out loud.

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