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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

troph

Full Members
(edited)

Edited by troph

Steamboat1874

Legacy Members
1 minute ago, troph said:

the best thing about last night... we walked into a home of engaged, motivated and happy people, who care for one another and others and they were straight, gay, white, Hispanic, black, men and women (including trans) and it was amazing, normal, refreshing, and just undeniably right.  there can be hope.

I certainly “hope” you are right.

Eskimohorn

Legacy Members

When I went to research the different KISD candidates, the very first sentence from Perez on why he should be re-elected to a FUCKING SCHOOL BOARD was that he was a “strong Christian conservative.”
No additional research needed. Proud of the voters.

Was the same for me. When a board candidate waffles on supporting librarians, it makes it really easy to select.

troph

Full Members

TwiceHorn

Full Members
11 minutes ago, troph said:

there's going to be a backlash like there always is in the mid terms. the real question is when will good people realize that you have to vote in every god damned election and you have to organize, give money and give time to help our neighbors who are running, from city council and school board to state rep and senate to state wide and then federal and national elections.  it's not an option anymore.

And possibly even more than that, will those who remain passive forget all this shit conveniently.  Like they seemed to in 2024.

Steamboat1874

Legacy Members
9 minutes ago, troph said:

there's going to be a backlash like there always is in the mid terms. the real question is when will good people realize that you have to vote in every god damned election and you have to organize, give money and give time to help our neighbors who are running, from city council and school board to state rep and senate to state wide and then federal and national elections.  it's not an option anymore.

Absolutely correct.

Hopefully at least some people might figure it out and I am pretty sure many of the people having their faces devoured by leopards will help swing the mid terms.

Seeing these school board results in Texas is an early, encouraging sign.

 

troph

Full Members

Larry T. Spider

Legacy Members

Turnout > changing people’s minds

Steamboat1874

Legacy Members
Just now, troph said:

my dream is the voucher shit went one step too far and we actually make a dent in the state legislature and congressional races. it's still too much to ask for state wide offices.

I agree and I think we just saw that with these school board results but we need the rural Texans to stand up and say enough!

That will be interesting.

TwiceHorn

Full Members

Seems like Democrats really need to hammer whether Texans voted for Tim Dunn, Faris Wilks, and Jeff Yass to run this state or not.

Larry T. Spider

Legacy Members
4 minutes ago, Steamboat1874 said:

I agree and I think we just saw that with these school board results but we need the rural Texans to stand up and say enough!

That will be interesting.

They already fucked their small towns for eternity with the voucher bill. 

Steamboat1874

Legacy Members
Just now, Larry T. Spider said:

They already fucked their small towns for eternity with the voucher bill. 

Yes and hopefully those people will respond accordingly.

Wait until they can longer afford to replace the lights in the football stadium.

Maybe that will wake them the fuck up.

Sawbonz

Certifiably Surly

Anyone got a link to how the GOP did on dog catcher races?

Pato del Muerto

Certifiably Surly
1 minute ago, Sawbonz said:

Anyone got a link to how the GOP did on dog catcher races?

This is key, as you know that with the immigration crackdown the strays will be uneaten. 

Bozo_Casanova

Legacy Members
41 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Seems like Democrats really need to hammer whether Texans voted for Tim Dunn, Faris Wilks, and Jeff Yass to run this state or not.

That’s inside baseball, nobody knows who they are.

Texas Democrats need to bang on local tangibles, where even Republicans concede they have a problem, and don’t present themselves well, to wit,

shot:

image.thumb.png.a6db8cff2d24a289355c32dd73634299.png
 

chaser:

image.thumb.png.af79446c73d3bbf2e05ace9d2d899188.png

troph

Full Members

troph

Full Members

TwiceHorn

Full Members
9 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

That’s inside baseball, nobody knows who they are.

Texas Democrats need to bang on local tangibles, where even Republicans concede they have a problem, and don’t present themselves well, to wit,

shot:

image.thumb.png.a6db8cff2d24a289355c32dd73634299.png
 

chaser:

image.thumb.png.af79446c73d3bbf2e05ace9d2d899188.png

More chaser.

DX-Photo-Template-2024-10-29T180042.549-

troph

Full Members

Chuckie Finster

Burnt Ends
That’s inside baseball, nobody knows who they are.
Texas Democrats need to bang on local tangibles, where even Republicans concede they have a problem, and don’t present themselves well, to wit,
shot:
image.thumb.png.a6db8cff2d24a289355c32dd73634299.png
 
chaser:
image.thumb.png.af79446c73d3bbf2e05ace9d2d899188.png

This checks out. From the few races I followed, Republican-endorsed candidates tended to emphasize why they would be good Republicans. The Democratic-endorsed candidates seemed to emphasize why they would be good for the position.

Likely not worth reading too much into, but de-nationalizing local races again would be a welcome development.

Bozo_Casanova

Legacy Members
32 minutes ago, troph said:

take a page from the other side - find a villain and hammer the message. for progressives and those who care about all people, the villain is the billionaire. hammer the fuck out of us vs them over, and over, and over.

Sure, and maybe I'm wrong but I'm just not sure that Wilks and co have any salience outside of Active Democrat circles and GOP intermurals. Elon Musk, on the other hand, seems to be a potent motivator. He's well known and acts weird in public. 
 

25 minutes ago, Chuckie Finster said:

Likely not worth reading too much into, but de-nationalizing local races again would be a welcome development.

I think talking about local issues works in local elections because of who votes in them.

 

Steamboat1874

Legacy Members
29 minutes ago, troph said:

take a page from the other side - find a villain and hammer the message. for progressives and those who care about all people, the villain is the billionaire. hammer the fuck out of us vs them over, and over, and over.

This right here.

Those assholes use every fucking tactic there is which is mostly, make shit up, scare the shit out of people with the made up boogie man, lie like crazy, act like you are a Christian and do it because you know there are so many dumb, gullible people out there that they will believe anything.

And guess what?

It fucking worked, especially that religion bullshit.

That is one of the main reasons Texas went from blue to red 25 or 30 years ago.

troph

Full Members

TwiceHorn

Full Members
3 minutes ago, troph said:

agreed the actual names of texas conservative billionaire won't resonate with anyone.

Maybe they need to be educated.  Soros certainly resonated with some people.

Bozo_Casanova

Legacy Members
(edited)
49 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Maybe they need to be educated.  Soros certainly resonated with some people.

“some people,” a live look

image.thumb.png.e5a4113b3cb026e4b58d2dea9e7cac7b.png
image.png.fb3b799534d6d9bfd4295db2fcf7a924.png

image.thumb.png.cc8bd8273844092a62d06564363ec73a.png
 


image.thumb.png.29340bab5fe1839b6ea5b248e3f4fce0.png

image.thumb.png.2a38b409279ca8a226073080a0192477.png

Edited by Bozo_Casanova

Dnaguy

Certifiably Surly
1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

 

image.thumb.png.2a38b409279ca8a226073080a0192477.png


Deep cut.

What simpler times.

Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand

Legacy Members
(edited)
3 hours ago, troph said:

take a page from the other side - find a villain and hammer the message. for progressives and those who care about all people, the villain is the billionaire. hammer the fuck out of us vs them over, and over, and over.

Evolution has hardwired a negativity bias into our DNA. Use it, because unlike litterboxes in bathrooms, the threat from billionaires turning America into a neo-feudal society of techno scam artists is real.

 

Edited by Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand

Steamboat1874

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

“some people,” a live look

image.thumb.png.e5a4113b3cb026e4b58d2dea9e7cac7b.png
image.png.fb3b799534d6d9bfd4295db2fcf7a924.png

image.thumb.png.cc8bd8273844092a62d06564363ec73a.png
 


image.thumb.png.29340bab5fe1839b6ea5b248e3f4fce0.png

image.thumb.png.2a38b409279ca8a226073080a0192477.png

Fuck that ugly ass cunt in the Trump shirt many times over and not literally.

She looks like a trailer living dumb fuck.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

image.png

 

IMG_3980.thumb.jpeg.08bf90ba29c3563411ba42b1a113d385.jpeg

 

if only all trumpers followed his lead ....

Teddy Joseph Von Nukem, 35, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on January 30, according to a report from the Texas County Coroner’s Office in Missouri. That is the same day Von Nukem was scheduled to be in court in Arizona, facing four counts relating to illegal import and sale of fentanyl.

safe sex

Burnt Ends

Rest in piss, Nazi scum 

Pato del Muerto

Certifiably Surly

Private school vouchers aren’t drawing them in from all over?

tx ind

Legacy Members
(edited)

How the fuck could we have all these ISD elections and hot wheels couldn't get a vote in Houston for Turner's seat?

Edited by tx ind

Eskimohorn

Legacy Members
How the fuck could we have all these ISD elections and hot wheels couldn't get a vote in Houston for Turner's seat?

Houston ISD didnt have any board elections

Ghost of NMAS

Certifiably Surly

Houston doesn't get to vote for their school board anymore.

Hermanator

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, tx ind said:

How the fuck could we have all these ISD elections and hot wheels couldn't get a vote in Houston for Turner's seat?

Corruption. The answer is always corruption. 

Mrs Whiggins

Full Members

How it started...

How it's continuing...

 

elguapo

Burnt Ends

Texas public school are taking it up the ass this session, is anyone paying attention to this bullshit?

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/14/texas-public-school-funding-legislature/

Quote

Legislators will need to sort out whether to provide public schools with an increase to their base funding for each student and, if so, by how much.

The House has proposed raising the funding, known as the basic allotment, from $6,160 to $6,555 per student. That $395 boost falls well short of the roughly $1,300 increase districts say they need to address inflationary pressures that have only intensified since the Legislature last raised the allotment in 2019.

The Senate, on the other hand, has opposed increasing schools’ base funding this session by any significant amount. The chamber’s education committee announced earlier this week that it would propose doing so by a modest $55 per student.

A $55 increase in the basic allotment per student which hasn't been raised since 2019, go fuck yourself Abbott

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
5 minutes ago, elguapo said:

Texas public school are taking it up the ass this session, is anyone paying attention to this bullshit?

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/14/texas-public-school-funding-legislature/

A $55 increase in the basic allotment per student which hasn't been raised since 2019, go fuck yourself Abbott

That's because....and this is very, very important, because it is the foundation, cornerstone, walls, girders, and roof of the political ruling class in Texas....THEY WERE LYING.

Quote

Lawmakers called it the “Texas Two-Step,” promising that passage of a private school voucher bill and a multibillion-dollar public school funding proposal would happen in tandem. But with less than three weeks until the end of the 2025 legislative session, additional funding for cash-strapped public schools is dancing alone.

They lied to get the school voucher bill passed.  "Pass the voucher bill, and we'll increase funding to public schools."  We've passed the school voucher bill.  And....they have broken their promise.

Because there is no part of the political ruling class of Texas that is not built of and for lies.  It's not what they do.  It's what they ARE.

Larry T. Spider

Legacy Members
(edited)

Superintendents are already coming out and saying that if we get a $55 increase to the basic allotment, expect staff reductions and programs to be cut. It’s an embarrassingly low amount, even for the clowns running our state. As one pundit put it, people passed vouchers to save the hostage and now they are returning the hostage dead, in pieces, and in a body bag.

Even if a slightly larger amount gets passed, we have started negotiations at such a low number, we are going to end up in a really bad place. This is the equivalent of somebody offering you 15k for your 500k house. 

Two things need to happen, and neither will help the kids or the districts.

1. Every superintendent needs to be extremely transparent with their community about what this will mean. Nobody should have any doubts about where blame lies when programs get cut. They have kept quiet in the past and taken the blame for the legislature’s fuck ups.

2. Rural republicans should be publicly shamed by their communities for being little bitches that fucked over their kids and (usually) the largest employer in their area.

Edit: just for some context, the current basic allotment is $6,160 so $55 is less than a 1% increase. Districts have faced massive inflation on building costs, maintenance, busses, and a million other things since the last increase 6 years ago.

Edited by Larry T. Spider

South Austin

Certifiably Surly

I hope my son gets through the next four years of high school with as little fuckery as possible and then goes to college somewhere other than this shithole state.

Chips O'Toole

Full Members

My kids' elementary school (Hays CISD) has already announced they are cutting STEM completely for next year to avoid staff reductions.

Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
1 minute ago, Chips O'Toole said:

My kids' elementary school (Hays CISD) has already announced they are cutting STEM completely for next year to avoid staff reductions.

If Jesus wanted your kids to know about microchips, science or medicine, he would have added it to the Bible.

miguelito

Legacy Members
34 minutes ago, Larry T. Spider said:

just for some context, the current basic allotment is $6,160 so $55 is less than a 1% increase.

Like anyone (with a Texas education) could know that.

Pescado_Rojo

Certifiably Surly
35 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I hope my son gets through the next four years of high school with as little fuckery as possible and then goes to college somewhere other than this shithole state.

I'm so thankful both of mine graduate Saturday. 

troph

Full Members

Sbbruin

Certifiably Surly
33 minutes ago, Chips O'Toole said:

My kids' elementary school (Hays CISD) has already announced they are cutting STEM completely for next year to avoid staff reductions.

Damn, STEM has become so fundamental to a well rounded education.  But I had to send both of mine to private school to ensure they would get it.

troph

Full Members

Eskimohorn

Legacy Members
Superintendents are already coming out and saying that if we get a $55 increase to the basic allotment, expect staff reductions and programs to be cut. It’s an embarrassingly low amount, even for the clowns running our state. As one pundit put it, people passed vouchers to save the hostage and now they are returning the hostage dead, in pieces, and in a body bag.
Even if a slightly larger amount gets passed, we have started negotiations at such a low number, we are going to end up in a really bad place. This is the equivalent of somebody offering you 15k for your 500k house. 
Two things need to happen, and neither will help the kids or the districts.
1. Every superintendent needs to be extremely transparent with their community about what this will mean. Nobody should have any doubts about where blame lies when programs get cut. They have kept quiet in the past and taken the blame for the legislature’s fuck ups.
2. Rural republicans should be publicly shamed by their communities for being little bitches that fucked over their kids and (usually) the largest employer in their area.
Edit: just for some context, the current basic allotment is $6,160 so $55 is less than a 1% increase. Districts have faced massive inflation on building costs, maintenance, busses, and a million other things since the last increase 6 years ago.

giphy.gif
Abbott’s reaction

Brisketexan

Legacy Members

giphy.gif
Abbott’s reaction

It’s not fine. It was the plan all along.
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