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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

Well damn, we might actually see a real civil war in the Texas GOP. 

Fudge Nuggets

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, wildcat09 said:

Well damn, we might actually see a real civil war in the Texas GOP. 

unimpressed michael keaton GIF

Huckleberry

Certifiably Surly
(edited)

It's happening all over but they'll stay united against "evil libs" no matter what. 

The CFISD board flip was assisted by the vice president choosing to run against the president for his seat instead of running for her own seat. Why? Because he wasn't hard right enough. 

The guy who was fired from his job for being racist at a school board meeting wasn't hard right enough for them. 

In that election she got 34%, he got 21%, sane guy who won got 45%.

Edited by Huckleberry

Chad Fuck

Legacy Members
It's happening all over but they'll stay united against "evil libs" no matter what. 
The CFISD board flip was assisted by the voice president choosing to run against the president for his seat instead of running for her own seat. Why? Because he wasn't hard right enough. 
The guy who was fired from his job for being racist at a school board meeting wasn't hard right enough for them. 
In that election she got 34%, he got 21%, sane guy who won got 45%.

lol. More of this please.

bluto

Certifiably Surly

Saw Jeff Yass gave $100M to univ of Austin so education is bouncing back baby!

hornmpa96

Certifiably Surly
3 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

It's happening all over but they'll stay united against "evil libs" no matter what. 

The CFISD board flip was assisted by the vice president choosing to run against the president for his seat instead of running for her own seat. Why? Because he wasn't hard right enough. 

The guy who was fired from his job for being racist at a school board meeting wasn't hard right enough for them. 

In that election she got 34%, he got 21%, sane guy who won got 45%.

They have never been accused of being smart!

Valmy77

Full Members

"Indoctrination" is just code for I am tired of losing open debates.

kevwun

Legacy Members

They should call them Commissars.

tchookem

Legacy Members
(edited)
1 hour ago, C-Man said:

Yeah, this doesn't end well for them. There are enough high school students that are serious about debate and know their shit well enough to derail these meetings by "just asking questions". And they're all here for it too.

Edited by tchookem

Satchel

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

 

JNWRTOV7ZVI6NFEBZ7J4AZDUBE.jpg

Who can’t see that TPUCA is a cesspool of indoctrination.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

when they started redrawing districts, i said if one or two people changed votes they're fucked ....

 

Sawbonz

Certifiably Surly
On 10/20/2025 at 11:17 PM, Firemans4Horn said:

 

It was ridiculously expensive this year. 

pacman

Burnt Ends
(edited)

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/ken-paxton-jolt-initiative-lawsuit/269-e239928b-864c-4061-992b-5c1f2cd23464?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KVUE&fbclid=IwY2xjawN_c-lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR4frF8MAAL5zvS5tI9wbU3kuD4S7fz10MoCQ2miNMYqT0sAoJWmDZJ8FKk1cQ_aem_9Fn3HJFLK7vmjxeTOUutiA

 

Just throwing taxpayer dollars down the drain in the name of authoritarianism 

Quote

The group said Paxton’s claims ignore the fact that Jolt’s volunteer registrars “are legally required to accept all completed forms, while the state itself holds the sole power to verify eligibility.” 

 

“This action is part of the AG's larger efforts to bully civic engagement organizations,” attorney Mimi Marziani said. “Jolt is simply the latest target of his unlawful campaign to undermine and silence civil rights groups in Texas. The AG's claims, alleging Jolt Volunteer Deputy Registrars engage in unlawful behavior, are based on allegations that have already been disproved by the plain language of election law and every ounce of available evidence.”

 

Edited by pacman

Horn Under a Bad Sign

Legacy Members
On 11/8/2025 at 12:22 PM, Sawbonz said:

It was ridiculously expensive this year. 


25 dollar turkey legs. I shit you not.

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
10 hours ago, Horn Under a Bad Sign said:


25 dollar turkey legs. I shit you not.

I mean....FFS.  You can buy smoked turkey legs at HEB for.....$4-$5 each.

That price is just insane for what is supposed to be a family-friendly venue.

chainsaw

Full Members
On 11/8/2025 at 12:17 PM, tx 3 putt said:

when they started redrawing districts, i said if one or two people changed votes they're fucked ....

 

Dems fucked this up big time by volunteering to share in the blame for the ACA price hikes

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
1 minute ago, HenryJames said:

 

On the one side are dwindling water resources, a strained and unreliable grid, and the well-being of Texans.  On the other side is tremendous profit and self-dealing by Abbott and his cronies.

So, I'm sure you understand that they really had no choice in the matter, the choice was obvious.

Francisco 2.0

Certifiably Surly

Pilfered from Reddit:

Texas fought to ‘protect medical freedom.’ Turns out whooping cough is exercising its freedom too.

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/whooping-cough-cases-skyrocket-texas-quadrupling-years-numbers/story?id=127435069

 

Quote

Texas is currently seeing four times the number of whooping cough cases compared to the same time last year, the state’s health department said in a health alert.

The state has reported more than 3,500 cases this year. This is the second year that Texas has experienced high increases in whooping cough cases.

Nationally, whooping cough cases have been higher in the past two years than levels seen in prior years and pre-pandemic.

 

Quote

In 2024, the United States experienced roughly six times as many cases compared to 2023, CDC data shows. Cases remain elevated this year but appear to have been trending down since a peak seen last winter, the CDC says.

Federal public health data systems have not been updated amid the government shutdown. The latest available CDC numbers from the end of September show the country has had at least 20,939 pertussis cases so far this year. In comparison, 21,391 cases were reported at the same time last year.

 

Spoiler

The higher numbers of cases in recent years come as vaccination rates for whooping cough have steadily dropped, CDC data shows. Roughly 92.1% of kindergarteners were vaccinated against whooping cough in the 24-25 school year, compared to about 95% before the pandemic started.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria. People can spread the bacteria from the start of symptoms and for at least 2 weeks after coughing begins. It may begin like a common cold; however, coughing can last for weeks or months. Treatment with antibiotics early on makes the infection less serious.

Data from medical records show Nebraska, Idaho, Oregon and Hawaii are the states with the highest rates across the country, according to more recent data from Epic Research.

Doctor visits, emergency room visits and hospitalizations remain lower than at the peak seen last winter, the data shows.

 

CooterBrown

Full Members
Pilfered from Reddit:
Texas fought to ‘protect medical freedom.’ Turns out whooping cough is exercising its freedom too.
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/whooping-cough-cases-skyrocket-texas-quadrupling-years-numbers/story?id=127435069
 
Texas is currently seeing four times the number of whooping cough cases compared to the same time last year, the state’s health department said in a health alert.
The state has reported more than 3,500 cases this year. This is the second year that Texas has experienced high increases in whooping cough cases.
Nationally, whooping cough cases have been higher in the past two years than levels seen in prior years and pre-pandemic.
 
In 2024, the United States experienced roughly six times as many cases compared to 2023, CDC data shows. Cases remain elevated this year but appear to have been trending down since a peak seen last winter, the CDC says.
Federal public health data systems have not been updated amid the government shutdown. The latest available CDC numbers from the end of September show the country has had at least 20,939 pertussis cases so far this year. In comparison, 21,391 cases were reported at the same time last year.
 
Spoiler

The higher numbers of cases in recent years come as vaccination rates for whooping cough have steadily dropped, CDC data shows. Roughly 92.1% of kindergarteners were vaccinated against whooping cough in the 24-25 school year, compared to about 95% before the pandemic started.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria. People can spread the bacteria from the start of symptoms and for at least 2 weeks after coughing begins. It may begin like a common cold; however, coughing can last for weeks or months. Treatment with antibiotics early on makes the infection less serious.
Data from medical records show Nebraska, Idaho, Oregon and Hawaii are the states with the highest rates across the country, according to more recent data from Epic Research.
Doctor visits, emergency room visits and hospitalizations remain lower than at the peak seen last winter, the data shows.

 

Lamar MS has had a half dozen cases of whooping cough since September. Could be more and they just quit sending out the notification emails.

Biff Tannen

Burnt Ends
22 hours ago, HenryJames said:

 

What could go wrong?  Man, I’ve gotta get out of this state. 

Satchel

Legacy Members

Well..
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/18/texas-congressional-redistricting-maps

New maps that added five Republican districts in Texas hit a legal roadblock on Tuesday, with a federal judge saying the state cannot use the 2025 maps because they are probably “racially gerrymandered”.

The decision is likely to be appealed, given the push for more Republican-friendly congressional maps nationwide and Donald Trump’s full-court press on his party to make them. Some states have followed suit, and some Democratic states have retaliated, pushing to add more blue seats to counteract Republicans.

 

A panel of three federal judges in Texas said in a decision that the state must use previously approved 2021 maps for next year’s midterms rather than the ones that kickstarted a wave of mid-decade redistricting. The plaintiffs, including the League of United Latin American Citizens, are “likely to prove at trial that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map”, so the court approved a preliminary injunction to stop the map’s use for next year’s elections.

Texas Republicans, under pressure from the Trump administration, redrew the state’s congressional maps earlier this year to make them more favorable to Republicans. But, Judge Jeffrey Brown wrote, the district changes were not purely partisan.

The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics,” Brown wrote. “To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 map. But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map.”

Pescado_Rojo

Certifiably Surly

Screenshot2025-11-21at2_20_04PM.thumb.jpeg.31ec1874d0beafb5632f812f0a81aef6.jpegScreenshot2025-11-21at2_26_15PM.thumb.jpeg.3ea773fd43cdc77171a28f870fa71e05.jpeg

a story in two screen shots

Gil Bang

Certifiably Surly

Alito says Texas gerrymander stays...pending or some shit.

Post Oak

Legacy Members

Of course

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

took him less than an hour ?

Chad Fuck

Legacy Members
Alito says Texas gerrymander stays...pending or some shit.

Speaking of the Piss On Their Graves Tour…

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
(edited)

BREAKING: SCOTUS Justice Samuel Alito has granted a *temporary* administrative pause on Judge Jeff Brown’s ruling re: Texas’ congressional map. He is requesting a response from the plaintiffs by EOD Monday on whether to pause the ruling for the length of the appeal

Edited by tx 3 putt

cmontexas

Legacy Members

Bo French's replacement is the attorney who tried to split Keller ISD into a rich white district and a minority heavy district called "Alliance ISD" and also saddle that new district with the debt from the old district. He failed at his terrible plan and has failed upwards to become the Tarrant County GOP Chair

Longhorn_Fan68

Certifiably Surly
(edited)

this shit still.... SLAPS. watch this, you're gonna love my nuts

 

Edited by Longhorn_Fan68

texasdago

Legacy Members
44 minutes ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

this shit still.... SLAPS. watch this, you're gonna love my nuts

 

Tell me about the female hip hop dancer... asking for a friend.

atomheartbevo

Certifiably Surly
1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Chris Hemsworth Yes GIF
 

Animated GIF
 

Texas will never stop being Texas,

Pescado_Rojo

Certifiably Surly
5 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Chris Hemsworth Yes GIF
 

 

I legit thought this dude was dead. 

Macanudo

Legacy Members
2 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I legit thought this dude was dead. 

If he's running for public office, he's dead on the inside.

atomheartbevo

Certifiably Surly
26 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I legit thought this dude was dead. 

selling billy mays GIF by South Park

aggie08

Legacy Members

Yes, he's way better than the alternatives, we've established that.

atomheartbevo

Certifiably Surly
1 hour ago, aggie08 said:

Yes, he's way better than the alternatives, we've established that.

And let’s be honest on the beating up the sex worker thing - what if he didn’t throw the first half-dozen punches, should we hold the whole incident against him?

Suspicious Monkey GIF by MOODMAN

Biff Tannen

Burnt Ends
6 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Animated GIF
 

Texas will never stop being Texas,

The milf on the right gets me every time. She’s for a Julia Louis-Dreyfus thing going or something. 

bluto

Certifiably Surly

Maybe rust belt/West PA milf

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