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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.

 

 

User Feedback

Recommended Comments

wildcat09

Full Members
12 hours ago, miguelito said:

Somehow it was all the taxpayers' fault.  They'll pay for this!

Their solution is somehow going to be to pay cops more.

Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
13 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Yea Right GIF
 

 

Funny how the GOP will not call for their own regulators to be investigated. Or it will be an internal investigation only that will still point the fingers outward.

And they definitely won't discuss the impact of deregulation has had on the electricity delivery system. After all, is there any chance that private industry does a poor job with capital improvements when the govt stops oversight of their monopoly?

Ghost of LL

Burnt Ends
1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Funny how the GOP will not call for their own regulators to be investigated. Or it will be an internal investigation only that will still point the fingers outward.

And they definitely won't discuss the impact of deregulation has had on the electricity delivery system. After all, is there any chance that private industry does a poor job with capital improvements when the govt stops oversight of their monopoly?

The problem here isn't deregulation.  This is entirely a failure by Centerpoint, which is a transmission-and-delivery utility.

Electric generators are deregulated, as are retail utilities.  But the issue here isn't with the electric generators.  Unlike during the 2021 winter storm, there's plenty of electricity being generated.  And the problem isn't with the retailers--all they do is read your meter and bill you anyway.

The problem this go-around is entirely with Centerpoint.  And TDUs like Centerpoint are still regulated.  They still operate under a certificate of convenience and necessity, which delineates a territory in which they have a monopoly.  The PUC has to approve Centerpoint's rates; Centerpoint can't get a rate increase without getting the approval of the PUC.

Of course, that approval is typically forthcoming because . . . well, you know--this is Texas.  Regulators aren't really there to regulate industry so much as facilitate the regulated industry's fleecing of the citizenry.

So yeah--this isn't about deregulation.  This is about the failure of Greg Abbott's appointed regulators.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

Remember all this in 2026 ….

What does the county judge have to do with centerpoint  ?

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

This is how I remember things, all the fema paper work has been field before the Stroms …

 

Js1

Certifiably Surly

Reality Reaction GIF by Married At First Sight

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

When has Abbott and Patrick ever taken responsibility for anything ?

when have they showed leadership ? 

wildcat09

Full Members
1 minute ago, tx 3 putt said:

When has Abbott and Patrick ever taken responsibility for anything ?

when have they showed leadership ? 

Taking responsibility isn't something chickenshits do. 

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

 

Pescado_Rojo

Certifiably Surly
(edited)
On 7/10/2024 at 10:23 AM, closetohumping said:

Two people come for every one that leaves 

they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are not conservative christians

Edited by Pescado_Rojo

Jive Turkey

Burnt Ends
1 hour ago, wildcat09 said:

Taking responsibility isn't something chickenshits do. 

Donald Trump GIF by GIPHY News

Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

My guess is that Patrick will not take any more questions on this as he screwed up. At best, he will state that Biden screwed up and is confused, and he (Patrick) is getting to the bottom of it. Which means he won't talk about it again.

kevwun

Legacy Members

Nobody will give a shit about this in 2 weeks.

atomheartbevo

Certifiably Surly
6 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Nobody will give a shit about this in 2 weeks.

Except the people who  still don’t have power.

2 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

What does the county judge have to do with centerpoint  ?

I love the aggy flag sitting there behind him. 

Fudge Nuggets

Legacy Members
2 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Remember all this in 2026 ….

What does the county judge have to do with centerpoint  ?

Well you see she’s a Latina woman so it’s obviously her fault. 

11 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Nobody will give a shit about this in 2 weeks.

Just in time for CenterPoint’s next fuck up. 

kevwun

Legacy Members

And nobody will care about that one after 2 weeks.  The power grid in this state ain't getting fixed.

Neonmoon

Certifiably Surly
2 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

When has Abbott and Patrick ever taken responsibility for anything ?

when have they showed leadership ? 

Why would they take responsibility when their constituents don’t care and keep electing them? 
 

The problem with America is Americans 

Biff Tannen

Burnt Ends
18 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

Did he call from Asia?

Yes

Satchel

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, kevwun said:

And nobody will care about that one after 2 weeks.  The power grid in this state ain't getting fixed.

Who cares about the grid? We got DEI issues in Texas.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
3 hours ago, Satchel said:

Who cares about the grid? We got DEI issues in Texas.

 

IMG_1006.jpeg

NeverMarryAStripper

New Members

The CEO of Centerpoint must have been a DEI hire

tchookem

Legacy Members
200.gif
 
 
I'm sure the findings will end up right next to the findings of that select committee Abbott formed to find out why Texas teachers were leaving the profession. images (2).jpg

elfenix

Certifiably Surly
On 7/11/2024 at 12:15 PM, tx 3 putt said:

Remember all this in 2026 ….

What does the county judge have to do with centerpoint  ?

you missed the media packet:

 

 

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
you missed the media packet:
 
 

There are people who think Centerpoint has failed. They are dead-wrong.
Centerpoint made billions in profit, and performed exactly as contemplated and designed by the “regulatory” scheme put in place by the GQP leaders who have run this state without opposition for over 30 fucking years.
Centerpoint didn’t fail. Centerpoint succeeded in every metric that matters. It WILDLY SUCCEEDED.
What happened in the Houston area is the system WORKING EXACTLY AS DESIGNED AND INTENDED. And 99% of the people complaining about this outcome will continue to reward and vote for more of the same. Metaphorically, complaining about being ass-raped as they simultaneously present their spread ass cheeks and beg “fuck me here more, and harder.”
Same as we did regarding the 2021 grid failure. Texas isn’t becoming a failed shithole because of immigrants, or “wokeness,” or DEI. It’s becoming a failed shithole because that’s exactly what a governing philosophy of “profits for our donors are the only thing that matters, actual benefit and functionality for the public is just a cost that should be eliminated” produces. Duh. It’s a straight fucking line.

Evil Bill Obrien

Full Members

Guess it makes sense why he stayed about as far away on the planet as one could from the storm hitting his state knocking down trees, worried one might finish the job…
 

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
2 hours ago, elfenix said:

you missed the media packet:

 

 


they had those printed up and ready to go a long time ago 

Longhorn_Fan68

Certifiably Surly
1 hour ago, Evil Bill Obrien said:

Guess it makes sense why he stayed about as far away on the planet as one could from the storm hitting his state knocking down trees, worried one might finish the job…
 

he could've provided the tl;dr version: "The day I became a piece of shit."

Evil Bill Obrien

Full Members
4 minutes ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

he could've provided the tl;dr version: "The day I became a piece of shit."

To be fair he was probably a piece of shit before that day, that just gave him a chance to cash in on a lawsuit and then later prevent others from doing the same…

fattyflattie

Legacy Members
On 7/11/2024 at 11:11 PM, NeverMarryAStripper said:

The CEO of Centerpoint must have been a DEI hire

If you've been around the org much, this isnt as silly as it sounds. 

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

 

fucking lies, the said the same shit after the hard freeze 

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
 
fucking lies, the said the same shit after the hard freeze 

Yep….HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Accountability…from Republican leadership.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA! Fucking RICH!

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


Yep….HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Accountability…from Republican leadership.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA! Fucking RICH!


centerpoint ceo will be replaced and I’ll go out on a very short limb here that he has a hell of a golden parachute 

YGIFS

Full Members
55 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

fucking lies, the said the same shit after the hard freeze 

$50 and my vote of your choosing says he'll be giving out Centerpoint C-level blowjobs by this time tomorrow.  

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:


centerpoint ceo will be replaced and I’ll go out on a very short limb here that he has a hell of a golden parachute 

Bingo.  That's the most "consequence" you'll ever see: replace generic Republican knob-gobbler exec A with Republican knob-gobbler exec B.  

Chances of any material changes in policy, institutional behavior, and the like?  Below zero%.  Like, negative eleventy billion%.  The exact same enterprise, doing the exact same things, making the exact same profits (correction....even LARGER profits, because they'll be approved for a rate hike to make up for all of the "storm-caused lost revenue and excess costs") and the exact same donations to state Republican leaders, is what you are going to see a year from now.  It won't even break stride.

And again, the voters of Texas will overwhelmingly tell those same state leaders "GREAT JOB!  KEEP DELIVERING MORE OF THE SAME, RIGHT UP OUR ASSES WITH NO LUBE!"

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Bingo.  That's the most "consequence" you'll ever see: replace generic Republican knob-gobbler exec A with Republican knob-gobbler exec B.  

Chances of any material changes in policy, institutional behavior, and the like?  Below zero%.  Like, negative eleventy billion%.  The exact same enterprise, doing the exact same things, making the exact same profits (correction....even LARGER profits, because they'll be approved for a rate hike to make up for all of the "storm-caused lost revenue and excess costs") and the exact same donations to state Republican leaders, is what you are going to see a year from now.  It won't even break stride.

And again, the voters of Texas will overwhelmingly tell those same state leaders "GREAT JOB!  KEEP DELIVERING MORE OF THE SAME, RIGHT UP OUR ASSES WITH NO LUBE!"


 

he’ll get appointed to am or ut board of regents is my 2nd guess 

Bozo_Casanova

Legacy Members
6 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:


 

he’ll get appointed to am or ut board of regents is my 2nd guess 

He’ll run for SBOE, nobody has done more to protect SE Texans from viewing online porn.

kevwun

Legacy Members

Don't forget that Centerpoint will make a nice donation to PACs of Abbott and Patrick's choosing.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
18 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

They abandoned Houston because Houston votes Dem. It's fucking easy.


enough voters in Houston to sway every state election, just have to show up to the polls

 

kevwun

Legacy Members
(edited)

But that would cut in to profits.  Therefore nope.

 

Edited by kevwun

Im_smarter_then_you

Burnt Ends

Can we still make fun of the California rolling blackouts?

Evil Bill Obrien

Full Members
3 hours ago, closetohumping said:

Can we still make fun of the California rolling blackouts?

Hot Wheels and Lt Dan will definitely do that next time they have the opportunity, they have no shame.

royiv

Legacy Members
6 hours ago, closetohumping said:

Can we still make fun of the California rolling blackouts?

Of course we can. Rolling blackouts are for pussies. We do it bigger and better in Texas. 

Biff Tannen

Burnt Ends
7 hours ago, Captainant said:

KHOU put out some good reporting on this actually 

https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/centerpoint-bill-hurricane-beryl/285-9ae6118f-51f6-40b4-bd75-a9d8894cff11

"If I spend $1 on prevention, tree maintenance, cutting the trees down, I make two or three cents," Hirs said. "But if I spent $100 on disaster recovery, I'm going to make a significantly much greater profit. Therefore, we (utilities) kind of wait for disaster to strike."

Turns out where they make pennies on the dollar for investing in prevention, they can make fat multiples in profit by jacking up rates after a storm to """pay for repairs""". They've been compounding rate increases since 2021 now

How is this not criminal? (Looks at thread title). Oh. 

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
7 hours ago, Captainant said:

KHOU put out some good reporting on this actually 

https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/centerpoint-bill-hurricane-beryl/285-9ae6118f-51f6-40b4-bd75-a9d8894cff11

"If I spend $1 on prevention, tree maintenance, cutting the trees down, I make two or three cents," Hirs said. "But if I spent $100 on disaster recovery, I'm going to make a significantly much greater profit. Therefore, we (utilities) kind of wait for disaster to strike."

Turns out where they make pennies on the dollar for investing in prevention, they can make fat multiples in profit by jacking up rates after a storm to """pay for repairs""". They've been compounding rate increases since 2021 now


this is what one party rule gets you 

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
9 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:


this is what one party rule gets you 

 

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