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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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    Eskimohorn

    Posted

    Pretty sure you’re the one who’s missing the point. The starting point is that nothing in LA is a “riot” same with all of the George Floyd protests. With every large gathering there will be some bad actors who either support the cause using violence or who don’t care about the cause and see an opportunity to cause trouble. Local police know how to handle this without tear gassing and rubber bulletins the entire crowd (in theory at least). His other point was that anything the left protests get defined by the few while the right gets away with whatever the fuck because we are officially a shithole country. The very fact that we’re still having this conversation is obnoxious because even non troll regular contributors around here seem to be falling for the right’s tactics of defining the group by the acts of a few and more egregiously outright lies with photos of other events and bs stories from lying liars.  At minimum there should be agreement that nothing justifies national guard and fucking marines but here we are still debating what should be an open and shut question. No US military action against people on US soil. Period.

    A protest adjacent to property destruction and fires is a riot. Especially at night, it doesnt matter sides or who started it; its no longer a peaceful protest.

    I remember an NBA ad that was celebrating BLM, and it showed a masked rioter on top of a burnt out vehicle. Once you get that point, you can’t say the police shouldnt take action.

    There are rules for protesters and the article I shared showed what they were
    Brisketexan

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Eskimohorn said:

    A protest adjacent to property destruction and fires is a riot. Especially at night, it doesnt matter sides or who started it; its no longer a peaceful protest.

    Except if it's by right-wingers intent on decapitating and overthrowing our government.  Then 1) it is absolutely a peaceful protest, and 2) anyone who the authorities dared to arrest/charge must be pardoned.

     

    The right has absolutely succeeded in creating and imposing a double standard.  Not only is the right not answerable for violent conduct, it is REWARDED for it.

    The opposition should learn.  You win by 1) repeated and consistent violence and threats of violence (congresspersons are legit fearful for their lives if they vote against the Regime), and then 2) using that violence and threats of violence to take power.

    Those are the rules.  They've been written, and demonstrated to be true.

    • Like 1
    Gale Snoats

    Posted

    Will be interesting to see what Abbott does with the THC bill.  He said earlier this week (first time he's addressed the issues as far as I know) that he'll 'put on his judge's hat and consider evidence from all sides' or something like that.  I'm sure the decision will go to whichever side contributes the most.  Patrick is gonna lose his shit if Abbott vetoes. 

    • Hook 'Em 2
    GreenspointTexas

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Gale Snoats said:

    Will be interesting to see what Abbott does with the THC bill.  He said earlier this week (first time he's addressed the issues as far as I know) that he'll 'put on his judge's hat and consider evidence from all sides' or something like that.  I'm sure the decision will go to whichever side contributes the most.  Patrick is gonna lose his shit if Abbott vetoes. 

    Hes just gonna not sign and let the time limit go up and the law to go into effect

    • Hook 'Em 2
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    ChuckNorrisActionJeans

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

    Except if it's by right-wingers intent on decapitating and overthrowing our government.  Then 1) it is absolutely a peaceful protest, and 2) anyone who the authorities dared to arrest/charge must be pardoned.

     

    The right has absolutely succeeded in creating and imposing a double standard.  Not only is the right not answerable for violent conduct, it is REWARDED for it.

    The opposition should learn.  You win by 1) repeated and consistent violence and threats of violence (congresspersons are legit fearful for their lives if they vote against the Regime), and then 2) using that violence and threats of violence to take power.

    Those are the rules.  They've been written, and demonstrated to be true.

    Except for the inconvenient fact that the opposition lacks power in the first instance as the minority party

    ChuckNorrisActionJeans

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Gale Snoats said:

    Will be interesting to see what Abbott does with the THC bill.  He said earlier this week (first time he's addressed the issues as far as I know) that he'll 'put on his judge's hat and consider evidence from all sides' or something like that.  I'm sure the decision will go to whichever side contributes the most.  Patrick is gonna lose his shit if Abbott vetoes. 

    Yep. With the way Abbott's  operating these days, I took that to mean, "let the bribing commence."

    TwiceHorn

    Posted

    On 6/10/2025 at 11:39 AM, South Austin said:

    See edits to the reality of their perception.

    Sure, I agree wholeheartedly that racial bias is the primary lens through which MAGA nation views these protests.  But if TV coverage shows beaten protesters who are white like them, the reaction is most likely not outrage, but "Good, crack some lib skulls while you're at it!"

    But, again, we're not trying to reach the MAGAts.  They're irretrievable.

    There are some, though, that are more middle of the road but still susceptible to propaganda.  For us upper-middle allies, I think it's important to present that image.

    • Like 1
    Updawg

    Posted

    We know. As brisket has said it will only get worse

    • Rage+1 5
    safe sex

    Posted

    Who tf is celebrating that?

    Longhorn_Fan68

    Posted

    11 hours ago, safe sex said:

    Who tf is celebrating that?

    forrealz. I sorta avoid this thread because I don't shit where I eat, but I don't recall anyone in this thread taking any victory laps save maybe our resident trolls.

    • Like 2
    Brisketexan

    Posted

    We know. As brisket has said it will only get worse

    Oh, I know the guy.
    It’s even worse than you’d think.
    • Rage+1 1
    Firemans4Horn

    Posted

    What could possibly go wrong?

     

     

    • Haha 2
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    C-Man

    Posted

    Behold, the 2025 Texas Legislative Session’s Cockroach

    https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-lege-brian-harrison-2025/?fbclid=IwY2xjawK9dBJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFsNDF3b2ZyV2xRd3NORUVxAR6r1jAIGc_2wa9rEIexZavSb4Jr1MyWiKk7nrNyHh-5iI70PtVtuafcMtD5Zw_aem_ewTqLTFzmHf31Wkvz4priA

    Quote

    A GOP chief of staff damned Representative Brian Harrison with the faintest possible praise when he told us that the Midlothian Republican would be “good for Congress.” There’s a certain type of lawmaker—like Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Republican Congressman Jake Ellzey—who turns a short, unproductive Texas House stint into a ticket to D.C. In the state legislature, being useless is cause for embarrassment. In Congress, it can be the foundation of a lengthy career.

    Harrison’s last big job was as a Trump-administration bureaucrat. He used to brag that he worked “closely” with Dr. Anthony Fauci and the team that accelerated COVID vaccine production. This is not promising material for a Republican congressional campaign. So Harrison dedicated his session to waging a futile war against Speaker Burrows from his right flank. He passed no bills and made about as many friends. But he forged something rare and inspiring in the House: bipartisan consensus. Most everyone agreed that Brian Harrison is unbearable. 

    As such, he is the successor to former state Representatives Jonathan Stickland and Bryan Slaton, past winners of our honorary title of “cockroach,” an old Lege term for a figure who mucks up lawmaking the same way vermin sully a kitchen. Even compared with the antics of his bomb-throwing predecessors, Harrison’s behavior was uniquely tailored to the X feeds of the Texas GOP’s most conspiratorial far-right voters.    

    While his colleagues debated legislation, Harrison often paced the chamber’s outer ring, chatting on his cellphone. During a hearing on one of his bills, he was excoriated by a fellow conservative who accused him of scrolling on his phone as other lawmakers asked him questions. He tweeted or retweeted more than 3,500 times during the 140-day session and made regular appearances on Steve Bannon’s show to claim that the House was secretly controlled by Democrats. He is an “insufferable combination of hair gel, studio makeup, and narcissism,” one Texas GOP executive committee member said. 

    That Harrison accomplished nothing stands in contrast to his main charge that the House was too lazy. Early in the session, he attempted to force lawmakers to work on Presidents’ Day, claiming that the Texas constitution prohibited three-day weekends. (If having a cold one by the grill on a Monday is unconstitutional, call us Santa Anna.) But he made little of his weekdays, too, favoring stunts over legislating: going “undercover” at what he described as a “transgenderism” conference and leaving the Abbott-appointed chair of a state agency, a Black woman, in tears after grilling her on diversity hiring practices.  

    The loneliest point in Harrison’s session came when he tried to unseat Burrows by forcing a mid-session recall vote. “I’m not here to fight for Brian Harrison’s interests,” Harrison said, drawing mocking laughter from his colleagues. Just one member voted with him. Even Arlington Representative Tony Tinderholt—once the king of the solitary right-wing stand—condemned the effort: “Representative Harrison stood for himself.”

    With enemies like Brian, Burrows must have thought, who needs friends?

     

    wild_turkey

    Posted

    What could possibly go wrong?
     
     

    https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/abbott-signs-law-permitting-use-of-fracking-wastewater/287-89df9861-29c7-4faa-b658-d651f94013ae

    So basically the TCEQ will be responsible for monitoring that the fracking water meets certain safety standards, and we just have to trust that this process is sound and that no one will cut corners or turn a blind eye, because oil companies and our state government have a long history of caring about public health and putting the public’s best interests ahead of profits.

    And HB 49 apparently protects the oil companies, landowners, and water treatment companies in the event the water causes harm.
    • Haha 1
    • Rage+1 1
    • Fuck Around and Find Out 2
    Biff Tannen

    Posted

    6 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

    What could possibly go wrong?

     

     

    Holy shit

    Biff Tannen

    Posted

    Don’t worry. Our almost 70 year old Agricultural Commissioner says it’s ok because of the AI. 
     

    Quote

    Miller said technological advancements are bringing the state closer to being able to fully clean and reuse produced water. “I don’t know that we’re all the way there yet, but with the technology and AI and everything that we’ve got available to us now, we’re in the technology age, so it’s certainly doable and it’s, you know, probably doable pretty quick, I would think.”

     

    • Like 1
    • Haha 1
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    Pato del Muerto

    Posted

    In the name of recycling/reusing, I’d love to be able to clean up dirty water and use it for other purposes. It’s valuable.  And I’m sure the technology is available, but like desalination is too expensive to be profitable. So my guess is they’ll be setting cleanliness standards that the o&g boys choose based on cost, and the water won’t be very clean. 

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 1
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    Sawbonz

    Posted

    On 6/3/2025 at 3:55 PM, StassneyHorn said:

    36 and been posting since 04

    image.gif.86d940c2bff4fcd2e20eb9b9747c5788.gif

    • Like 2
    • Haha 3
    MissingInAction

    Posted (edited)

    46 minutes ago, wild_turkey said:

    giphy.gif

    Post of the monh. Its just so fucking perfect.

    Will we at least get labels on our produce  telling us what it was watered with?

    Meh, back to my morning bowl of paint chips.

    Edited by MissingInAction
    • Haha 1
    wildcat09

    Posted

    It sure seems at this point that the Texas government is intentionally trying to kill us. 

    • Hook 'Em 2
    • Like 3
    Willfully Horn

    Posted (edited)

    Way back when, our CSA contract was with Carlos and Suzanne Santos, and their farm in Kyle. On one of my trips there, during the flow of a typical conversation, Suzanne told me I didn’t have to spend extra on organic milk, that HEB brand milk was equally organic, and that HEB had made the decision too not label their milk as organic. I had no reason to doubt her. You can’t make more money selling organic stuff if you are all in on selling as much stuff as possible, and selling HEB milk as organic at a lower price (to sell as much as possible) would kill that higher priced niche.

    Suzanne later started and managed the Austin Farmer’s market.

    All that to say, I have trusted HEB for forty years. But Republicans are so malevolently corrupt, they have given me reason to be start being suspicious of the food sold at HEB.

    Edited by Willfully Horn
    • Hook 'Em 1
    crash_davis

    Posted (edited)

    What an absolute piece of shit little bitch of a man. Tim O'Hare, Tarrant County Judge

    edit: it gets better. He's a Texas alum.

     

    Edited by crash_davis
    • Rage+1 3
    Hugo Stiglitz

    Posted

    Somebody’s gotta go back and get a shitload of dimes

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 3
    • Haha 3
    Blotto

    Posted

    39 minutes ago, speed817 said:

    Should get all those guys that ICE is picking up to work on this wall.....

    hell....make 'em pay for it while we're at it. 

    Nice Guy Eddie

    Posted

    On 6/16/2025 at 10:00 PM, wild_turkey said:


    https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/abbott-signs-law-permitting-use-of-fracking-wastewater/287-89df9861-29c7-4faa-b658-d651f94013ae

    So basically the TCEQ will be responsible for monitoring that the fracking water meets certain safety standards, and we just have to trust that this process is sound and that no one will cut corners or turn a blind eye, because oil companies and our state government have a long history of caring about public health and putting the public’s best interests ahead of profits.

    And HB 49 apparently protects the oil companies, landowners, and water treatment companies in the event the water causes harm.

    I also bet that the Texas Lege will eventually pass a law to prevent any restaurant/grocery store in providing information whether any food product is tied to fracking wastewater. This could be Dan Goeb's senate bill 1 in the next go-round.

    • Rage+1 2
    bolverk

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

    I also bet that the Texas Lege will eventually pass a law to prevent any restaurant/grocery store in providing information whether any food product is tied to fracking wastewater. This could be Dan Goeb's senate bill 1 in the next go-round.

    Thanks for putting that out there in the universe, you twisted asshole. 

    Longhorn_Fan68

    Posted

    14 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

    Is this their photo op stage?

    that's art. don't you like art?

    sidis

    Posted (edited)

    On 6/16/2025 at 10:26 PM, Pato del Muerto said:

    In the name of recycling/reusing, I’d love to be able to clean up dirty water and use it for other purposes. It’s valuable.  And I’m sure the technology is available, but like desalination is too expensive to be profitable. So my guess is they’ll be setting cleanliness standards that the o&g boys choose based on cost, and the water won’t be very clean. 

    It’s actually not available. Even when the expense was put forth. I was significantly involved in litigation between Antero and a French company called Veolia that spent a quarter billion building a “state of the art” facility in West Virginia called Clearwater to try and clean up all the saltwater typically disposed in disposal wells in Marcellus. The idea was to stop injecting and instead create river quality water. They spent a ton of money and then spent a ton more money…and then a ton more trying to make it work. It ultimately led to them just having to buy up the global supply of fly ash because the shit didn’t work. And even then they had to transport all the radioactive shit coming off the water (to Texas by the way). 

    they put the money in, hired the global leading firm to build it for them, and it did not even come close to working. 

    we are still not able to technologically achieve the processing of SWD water into river quality water. This bill is utterly fucking insane and will absolute make some lawyers rich after some people die. 

    edit: if you want to read about it, long story here (as someone more than intimately familiar with the facts and issues of the case, I’d say this article gets it about 95% right which isn’t bad for these type of advocacy websites):

    https://www.desmog.com/2023/09/19/radioactive-fracking-waste-west-virginia-veolia-antero-clearwater/

    Edited by sidis
    • Hook 'Em 2
    Blotto

    Posted

    It is what it is. Cant really stop nobody from doing something. Especially a super star ....

     

    White Guy Blinking GIFs | Tenor

    • Haha 1
    Ghost of NMAS

    Posted

    If this were Florida, people could have run them over

    MissingInAction

    Posted

    I'm just glad i have no idea what a shaboozey is.

     

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 4
    Pescado_Rojo

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

    I'm just glad i have no idea what a shaboozey is.

     

    You do, but I'm not going to put that awful ear worm in anyone's head. 

    • Haha 2
    royiv

    Posted

    15 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

    I'm just glad i have no idea what a shaboozey is.

     

    Are you at the bar getting tipsy?

    MissingInAction

    Posted

    1 minute ago, royiv said:

    Are you at the bar getting tipsy?

    I wish. Cant be in public until my wbc is normal next week.

    • Like 2
    royiv

    Posted

    1 minute ago, MissingInAction said:

    I wish. Cant be in public until my wbc is normal next week.

    There’s a party downtown near 5th Street.

    • Haha 1
    HenryJames

    Posted

    21 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

    I'm just glad i have no idea what a shaboozey is.

     

    image.jpeg.110ade61029b6dc4e76f6c8d0ac309ef.jpeg

    • Haha 4
    Chad Fuck

    Posted

    Should get all those guys that ICE is picking up to work on this wall.....

    They’d get it fucking done, that’s for sure.
    crash_davis

    Posted

    11 hours ago, HenryJames said:

     

    Great thing Mexico paid for it....

    • Like 1
    Nice Guy Eddie

    Posted

    Sorry if I'm slow with my thoughts, but I'm going to assume that a law allowing wastewater to be reused is not really about finding a reuse of the water or frankly even disposing of it. If O&G can "safely" reuse wastewater for agriculture, then why not allow them more access to more groundwater. They'll return x% of it back to the river or agriculture canals at a later date. Let's face it, O&G wants 100% of Texas water so they need to identify how to sell that argument. 

    In a way, it reminds me how the chemical industry came up with the idea of plastic recycling. Not because they wanted to reduce landfill waste or that they wanted to buy recycled plastic. They wanted to shift the blame of plastic waste in our environment away from them. Chemical companies aren't the bad guy, it's your neighbor who refuses to separate their trash. This gives the chemical companies more of a market because the consumer doesn't feel bad about choosing plastic.

    • Hook 'Em 7
    • Like 1
    tx 3 putt

    Posted (edited)

    that waste water it's being sold back, not given back 

    Edited by tx 3 putt
    • Like 1



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