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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

Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I can envision a near future state where lake Travis and other communities like it won’t have a school board because a combination of loss of funding and loss of students to private schools because of vouchers will shutter the ISD. 
 

thats the unspoken plan. When that occurs, some political donors will be celebrating.

sasquatch69

Legacy Members

This is really wild - billionaire Monty Bennett suckered a bunch of Dallas-area education  bigwigs into signing on to help a new nonprofit, the Dallas Education Alliance - which turned out to be a front for a push to start a right-wing charter school that would benefit from a new state voucher program. Those folks fell all over themselves distancing from it when they found out. 
 

https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2025/03/monty-bennett-is-secret-mastermind-behind-dallas-charter-school-group/

Fudge Nuggets

Legacy Members
8 hours ago, troph said:

 

Thank you for sharing your concerns. I’ll make sure management is notified. 

Good.  They need to bump up their numbers, show some decent returns before asking for more money.

troph

Full Members

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
A local school board candidate is spending $10-15k of their own money on a $25k race. They have day jobs and kids in the school and care about what’s going on. These aren’t career Dems man. Jesus fucking Christ. This place is jaded to fuck all. 

Oh, “jaded” doesn’t even scratch the surface.
I believe that humanity is beyond any redemption, and that we fundamentally like it that way.

Fudge Nuggets

Legacy Members
50 minutes ago, troph said:

This place is jaded to fuck all. 

Yeah, no shit.

bluto

Certifiably Surly

Take it all inIMG_7778.thumb.png.91868a67f2f52befcb95f19e9afae96c.png

elfenix

Certifiably Surly
(edited)
Quote

AUSTIN, Texas — A new bill filed in the Texas House would prevent students from behaving like anything other than a human being at schools in the state.

The Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education, or FURRIES, Act, filed by Austin-area Republican State Rep. Stan Gerdes, would "prohibit any non-human behavior by a student, including presenting himself or herself, on days other than exempt days, as anything other than a human being."

 

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/texas-legislature/texas-house-furries-act-filed/269-857d860f-539d-4497-a53a-4e201fa251bf

Is this the adults being in charge?

Edited by elfenix

bolverk

Legacy Members

I guess that means no more high school mascots or productions of The Wizard of Oz.

Valmy77

Full Members

I think this is one of those bills where you have to be steeped in right wing moral panic mongering to get it. I think this is about the legend of kids identifying as cats and having litter boxes in school or some shit like that. But I don't know for sure.

Guadaloopy

Legacy Members

Apparently they can recognize more than “STOP” to opt-out.

IMG_2421.thumb.jpeg.a1ba25398ea0ada24107e3fdbf8bbf1a.jpeg

MissingInAction

Certifiably Surly
On 3/12/2025 at 11:04 AM, Brisketexan said:

The dollars you would have spent on fundraising are better spent on ammunition and other necessary supplies for the coming events.

Just put my go bag together. 6 days rations then it's mad Max time.

South Austin

Certifiably Surly

So much fraud and waste going on with our state parks.

Radical Larry

Burnt Ends

McKinney Falls State Park brought to you by Carl’s Jr. 

Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
On 3/12/2025 at 5:28 PM, bolverk said:

Texas Senate majority unveils bill requiring voters to prove their citizenship
All 20 GOP senators signed on to Senate Bill 16, which would apply to currently registered voters, and restrict some to only congressional elections.

How exactly would the average voter be able to prove their citizenship status? And realize that Trump is fighting to remove birthright citizenship. If that occurs, then showing up with a certified birth certificate means nothing other than you were born here. And just saying your parents were citizens, and therefore confers citizenship on you, may not be enough. Whos to say that your parents were citizens or their parents? 

bolverk

Legacy Members
Just now, Nice Guy Eddie said:

How exactly would the average voter be able to prove their citizenship status? And realize that Trump is fighting to remove birthright citizenship. If that occurs, then showing up with a certified birth certificate means nothing other than you were born here. And just saying your parents were citizens, and therefore confers citizenship on you, may not be enough. Whos to say that your parents were citizens or their parents? 

Quite the conundrum, ain't it? It's almost as if they want to prevent a lot of Texas citizens from voting by a) creating an elaborately Byzantine process and b) intimidating the shit out of our darker-hued neighbors.

bolverk

Legacy Members
2 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

you have to prove citizenship to get a texas DL ?

You don't have to be a citizen to get a driver's license, or at least you used not to have to. Now, I'm unclear.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
Just now, bolverk said:

You don't have to be a citizen to get a driver's license, or at least you used not to have to. Now, I'm unclear.

my last DL i had to bring a passport or approved papers 

 

bolverk

Legacy Members

From the DPS website: https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/apply-texas-driver-license

Step 1.  Gather the Required Documentation:

  1. Proof of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Presence (if not a U.S. Citizen)
  2. Proof of Texas Residency
  3. Proof of Identity
  4. Social Security Number
  5. Evidence of current Texas Vehicle Registration for each vehicle you own. Visit Texas Vehicle Registration website for more information.  Proof of vehicle registration applies to new residents who are surrendering an out-of-state driver license only.
  6. Proof of Insurance for each vehicle you own or a statement affirming you do not own a vehicle.
  7. Impact Texas Driver (ITD) certificate, if you will be taking a driving test for the issuance of your driver license.  The certificate must be dates within 90 days for your driving skills test.
  8. A six-hour adult Driver Education course, if you are 18 through 24 years of age and applying for your first Texas driver license.  This requirement is waived for new residents 18 or older who are surrendering a valid, unexpired driver license from another state.  (No driver education requirements for ages 25 and older)  

Fudge Nuggets

Legacy Members
17 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Quite the conundrum, ain't it? It's almost as if they want to prevent a lot of Texas citizens from voting by a) creating an elaborately Byzantine process and b) intimidating the shit out of our darker-hued neighbors.

Why are they bothering?  Non GQP people don’t vote now.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
3 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

they're just on a tear to eliminate whatever they can regardless of the consequences.

 

the funny part, trump doesn't give a shit about abbott / patrick / paxton 

Evil Bill Obrien

Full Members
1 hour ago, CooterBrown said:

Bill filed to eliminate TPWD. Enjoy your state parks before they are sold to the highest bidder.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2025/03/17/texas-parks-and-wildlife-department-pat-curry-house-bill-hb-4938-representatives/82490153007/

Friend who works as staff for a House member told me this morning that this bill is already dead (see how high the bill number is,  will likely never even make it to a committee hearing) and is likely just a freshman rep trying to swing his tiny little dick around. Said its likely someone at TPWD slighted that member and he is trying to get their attention...

Satchel

Legacy Members
3 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

they're just on a tear to eliminate whatever they can regardless of the consequences.

The entire country seems to be in a non thinking space right now.

royiv

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, Radical Larry said:

McKinney Falls State Park brought to you by Carl’s Jr. 

More like The Villas at McKinney Falls by DR Horton.

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

How exactly would the average voter be able to prove their citizenship status? And realize that Trump is fighting to remove birthright citizenship. If that occurs, then showing up with a certified birth certificate means nothing other than you were born here. And just saying your parents were citizens, and therefore confers citizenship on you, may not be enough. Whos to say that your parents were citizens or their parents? 

The elimination of birthright citizenship absolutely has this as the end-game.  You say you're a citizen?  Well, your birth certificate isn't enough.  You need to show proof your PARENTS were citizens/legal residents when you were born.  What, you don't have that paperwork?  Then GIT OUTTA HERE, YOU DIRTY FOREIGNER!*

* Please note that this will NOT be the way the law works....at least, it won't be if your name is John Smith, Bill Jones, etc.  You only have to worry if you have a name like Juan Gomez or some dirty messican shit like that.  And don't think I'm not looking at you, too, Maheer Abdul.

HalfSack Horn

Certifiably Surly

Just called Pat Curry’s office.  I’d recommend you all harass them too.  Fucking insanity 

Here’s the number - 512-463-0135.  They have some kid answering the phone.  He was cordial, but I want to shame him for working for a dickhead 

HalfSack Horn

Certifiably Surly
(edited)
8 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Great idea. Maybe if enough people call their elected leaders and voice their outrage it’ll have absolutely no impact whatsoever.

I don’t disagree, but it made me feel better for all of 1 minute and for the minute it took me to type my post haha.   These people answering the phones deserve to hate their jobs at least…

Edited by HalfSack Horn

Evil Bill Obrien

Full Members
43 minutes ago, HalfSack Horn said:

Just called Pat Curry’s office.  I’d recommend you all harass them too.  Fucking insanity 

Here’s the number - 512-463-0135.  They have some kid answering the phone.  He was cordial, but I want to shame him for working for a dickhead 

Kinda surprised you got an answer right away on the phone, have heard some rather astonishing stories of how far the phone skills of the fresh meat Gen Z new capital staffers have fallen...

bolverk

Legacy Members
25 minutes ago, Evil Bill Obrien said:

Kinda surprised you got an answer right away on the phone, have heard some rather astonishing stories of how far the phone skills of the fresh meat Gen Z new capital staffers have fallen...

I harangued the staff of my State Rep, my State Senator, and my U.S. Rep late Friday afternoon. It felt so good to unload on them, I'm pretty sure I'm going to make it a weekly thing to call just before 5 pm while they're getting ready to leave the office for the weekend.

washparkhorn

Legacy Members

For all the fuckupedness Texas politicians demonstrate, I have an equal disdain for New York and South Carolina idoit politicos. The three states have produced some of the most craven windbags in the history of this nation. A pox on all of them. 
 

 

royiv

Legacy Members

The lege is really going after the furries and the anime dorks (probably quite a bit of overlap in that Venn diagram) this session. 

speed817

Legacy Members

🤣🤣🤣

Screenshot_20250317-183849.thumb.png.7dbc771ac9120206cfce342a43929d03.png

Longhorn_Fan68

Certifiably Surly

shit. I guess the border crisis is over and all rapes averted. well done, govner!

speed817

Legacy Members
2 minutes ago, Tonesky said:

I hope my kid's theater department selects a fuck you Abbott version of Cats for their next production.

Abbott won't STAND for that kind of disrespect 

Macanudo

Legacy Members

Pat Curry seems like he sucks.

Pat Curry earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M. His career experience includes working as an entrepreneur, owning and operating multiple businesses, and as a farmer and rancher. 

https://ballotpedia.org/Pat_Curry

Chuckie Finster

Burnt Ends
31 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

Pat Curry seems like he sucks.

Pat Curry earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M. His career experience includes working as an entrepreneur, owning and operating multiple businesses, and as a farmer and rancher. 

https://ballotpedia.org/Pat_Curry

He looks exactly as you would expect with that bio.

Spoiler

🚨 Rusty Surette on X: "State lawmaker Rep. Pat Curry (and an Aggie) has  filed a bill to get rid of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and  spread their services/duties to

 

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