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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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safe sex

Burnt Ends

Do you see what I did there, Stephen?! Ha-HA!

troph

Full Members
(edited)

Edited by troph

CooterBrown

Full Members
On 1/15/2025 at 7:15 PM, Dnaguy said:

In the 90’s we had Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Young Life.

Super fucking lame. 

Young Life still exists at Anderson High School.

Dnaguy

Certifiably Surly
26 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Young Life still exists at Anderson High School.

I did learn the words to free falling during Young life so it wasn’t all a total loss.

But dammit if I thought I was going to get a handy at that weekend Young Life camp. Kimberly was fucking tease.

Pato del Muerto

Certifiably Surly
1 hour ago, troph said:

During the 1980s you also had the AIDS crisis so LGB folk were a public obsession much like TQ folk are today.  There was also a push for visibility. The political battle included Equal Rights Ordinances in municipalities across the country, much like the school board fights over trans rights now as trans visibility surges.  And like the substantial defeats trans folk are suffering now, so did LGB folk in the 1980’s.

yes there are a lot of similarities.

 

Also the satanic panic 

troph

Full Members
(edited)

Edited by troph

Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand

Legacy Members
50 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Young Life still exists at Anderson High School.

Heartache to heartache they stand?

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
16 minutes ago, Dnaguy said:

I did learn the words to free falling during Young life so it wasn’t all a total loss.

But dammit if I thought I was going to get a handy at that weekend Young Life camp. Kimberly was fucking tease.

A good friend of mine tried out Young Life at RE Lee High in Houston back in the 80s.  At her very first meeting, someone raises their hand and asked the moderator or whatever he was "So, I know the Bible says we aren't supposed to be friends with jews because they killed Jesus, but my nextdoor neighbor Benjamin have known each other our whole lives, and I still want to be his friend."  My friend waits, grinning, for the moderator to gently correct this poor, misguided young soul, only to hear "well, you're right - the Bible DOES say we aren't supposed to be friends with jews....."  My friend got up, walked out, and hasn't darkened the door of any Christian enterprise except for weddings and funerals since that day.

Texas, our Texas.  All hail the mighty state.

Pato del Muerto

Certifiably Surly
18 minutes ago, troph said:

Yep. play the Kiss albums backward and it says very clearly “I love Satan.”

the possible good news is after the 1980’s  backlash we enjoyed progress. Hoping we have the same coming in the future. Not banking on it given other factors like resource scarcity, climate change induced global stress, decentralized threats like terrorism, and population density. 

I wanted to add that a rise in outward evangelical Christianity, by nature, will be accompanied by a rise in demonic accusations.  Or maybe it’s the other way around. But it is two sides of the same coin.  When a movement starts where people are taught they there is evil everywhere, people begin to report seeing…evil everywhere. 

Dnaguy

Certifiably Surly
(edited)
21 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

A good friend of mine tried out Young Life at RE Lee High in Houston back in the 80s.  At her very first meeting, someone raises their hand and asked the moderator or whatever he was "So, I know the Bible says we aren't supposed to be friends with jews because they killed Jesus, but my nextdoor neighbor Benjamin have known each other our whole lives, and I still want to be his friend."  My friend waits, grinning, for the moderator to gently correct this poor, misguided young soul, only to hear "well, you're right - the Bible DOES say we aren't supposed to be friends with jews....."  My friend got up, walked out, and hasn't darkened the door of any Christian enterprise except for weddings and funerals since that day.

Texas, our Texas.  All hail the mighty state.


In the 90’s suburban northeast Houston had decided the tribe was ok to socialize with.

The 5 or so of them in our class of 900 or so were cool enough that their eternal damnation wasn’t going to keep us from being friends.

Maybe some of the more progressive amongst the group thought that they could sneak their way into heaven / got grandfathered in. All the movies and pop culture stuff about the Holocaust like Schindlers List kind of made hating on Jews a little much.

That didn’t stop folks from using the phrases ‘Don’t be Jew’ or ‘That’s Jewish’ in relation to something being bad. Much like using the phrase ‘That’s gay’ when something was lame.

Edited by Dnaguy

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
6 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I wanted to add that a rise in outward evangelical Christianity, by nature, will be accompanied by a rise in demonic accusations.  Or maybe it’s the other way around. But it is two sides of the same coin.  When a movement starts where people are taught they there is evil everywhere, people begin to report seeing…evil everywhere. 

Oh, that's already happened.  Go to conservative social media -- it is full of "DEMONS AMONG US!" shit.

SimonBolivar

Certifiably Surly
(edited)
12 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I wanted to add that a rise in outward evangelical Christianity, by nature, will be accompanied by a rise in demonic accusations.  Or maybe it’s the other way around. But it is two sides of the same coin.  When a movement starts where people are taught they there is evil everywhere, people begin to report seeing…evil everywhere. 

I had to read a solid book on that during grad school.

 

Naming the Antichrist: The History of an American Obsession

 

Naming the Antichrist: The History of an American Obsession | Oxford Academic

Edited by SimonBolivar

mchookem

Certifiably Surly

nope-no.gif

UpperWestside

Certifiably Surly
1 hour ago, pacman said:

If I could trade doing away with North Korea, but in return I would have to do away with Texas I would take that deal in a heartbeat. Your imbeciles in charge are hellbent on destroying anything that remotely functions well there. It’s both incredible and sad to witness from afar. I hope my niece and nephew just get homeschooled. 

Biff Tannen

Burnt Ends
23 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Young Life still exists at Anderson High School.

I participated in Young Life at Anderson in the late 90s to get with a girl. It worked, but man that was some lame shit. 

Underdog

Legacy Members

Young Life or the girl? 

Biff Tannen

Burnt Ends
58 minutes ago, Underdog said:

Young Life or the girl? 

Young Life. The girl was top notch. 

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
25 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

PA may also have an issue

 

frac'n is hell on water tables 

Baconboy

Burnt Ends
9 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I hope my niece and nephew just get homeschooled. 

Well you’re in luck because sadly that’s what our state leaders seem to want too.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

i'm pretty confident on abbott's next move ...

all public school students must have their citizenship verified to attend school 

sasquatch69

Legacy Members
(edited)
1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

i'm pretty confident on abbott's next move ...

all public school students must have their citizenship verified to attend school 

A related bill has already been introduced by former Flower Mound councilman-turned-House member Ben Bumgarner, an ally of Abbott. It’s a little more nuanced, but seems to be heading in that direction.

https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB371/2025

 

Edited by sasquatch69

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
35 minutes ago, sasquatch69 said:

A related bill has already been introduced by former Flower Mound councilman-turned-House member Ben Bumgarner, an ally of Abbott. It’s a little more nuanced, but seems to be heading in that direction.

https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB371/2025

 

 

abbott wants to act before florida steaks the thunder

Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
20 hours ago, mchookem said:

that's a shame. maybe someday those hardworking Texans will stop electing the leaders that are fucking them and their children over.

 

 

200w (13).gif

I do my best to give as few tax dollars to Texas as possible. I actually believe I spend less in state sales tax in 2024 than I did in 2000. I’m too much of a miser/investor now. Unfortunately my property tax has skyrocketed over that time but at least most of that stays in Harris county.

Biff Tannen

Burnt Ends
12 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Unfortunately my property tax has skyrocketed over that time but at least most of that stays in Harris county.

Recapture says hi. 

mchookem

Certifiably Surly

giphy(1)(16).gif.8f09f60958f5b05df622c7a2fa4f25a6.gif

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

florida / desantis one upping abbott again, they referenced Gulf of America in an official state document 

C-Man

Burnt Ends
florida / desantis one upping abbott again, they referenced Gulf of America in an official state document 

Abbott will follow suit

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
24 minutes ago, C-Man said:


Abbott will follow suit

 

second place is the first loser 

Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
(edited)

Hopefully no one should get mad or triggered about renaming the Gulf. Instead laugh about it. Point out how childish it is to rename something like this.

i think Houston should rename all freeways to Houston Freeway as opposed to how we currently name it in where it goes outside of Houston. Houston is more important. The Katy Freeway should now be called the Houston Freeway. Gulf freeway? Nope, that is also the Houston freeway. NW freeway is how the Houston Freeway or perhaps SE Freeway since it’s SE to Houston.

Edited by Nice Guy Eddie

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

fitting place for this ....

 

Brisketexan

Legacy Members
13 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

fitting place for this ....

 

Care to set an over/under on how many of those 120 Texans who are J6 terrorists end up being elected to public office in Texas within the next two years?

I'll set the number at 6.

Evil Bill Obrien

Full Members
44 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Care to set an over/under on how many of those 120 Texans who are J6 terrorists end up being elected to public office in Texas within the next two years?

I'll set the number at 6.

Smash that over

13 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

fitting place for this ....

 

They will be getting a special reception in Austin during this Legislative Session with appearances by Abbott and Dannie Goeb, book it

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
58 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Care to set an over/under on how many of those 120 Texans who are J6 terrorists end up being elected to public office in Texas within the next two years?

I'll set the number at 6.

 

coming soon to your local school board ....

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members

these three idiots are in charge of the worlds 8th largest economy, just a fyi ...

 

IMG_2723.jpeg

Paper_jam

Legacy Members
On 1/21/2025 at 8:47 AM, tx 3 putt said:

 

this is how oklahoma ended up with a church of satan statue at the capitol lol

If we're gonna have religion in schools, that means we can post other religious  shit on the wall too, right? Like the Seven Tenets of the Temple of Satan, or Anton Levey's 11 Satanic Rules?

Also if we do school vouchers that fund religious schools with public money, I sure hope someone opens a Lucifer Charter School or something similar.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, as they say.

 

royiv

Legacy Members
7 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

these three idiots are in charge of the worlds 8th largest economy, just a fyi ...

 

IMG_2723.jpeg

Those are some alpha men right there. Right out of central casting.

tx 3 putt

Legacy Members
14 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

If we're gonna have religion in schools, that means we can post other religious  shit on the wall too, right? Like the Seven Tenets of the Temple of Satan, or Anton Levey's 11 Satanic Rules?

Also if we do school vouchers that fund religious schools with public money, I sure hope someone opens a Lucifer Charter School or something similar.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, as they say.

 

 

 

IMG_2724.jpeg

IMG_2725.jpeg

mchookem

Certifiably Surly
45 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

these three idiots are in charge of the worlds 8th largest economy, just a fyi ...

 

IMG_2723.jpeg

who they think they are

image.thumb.jpeg.68a4974060d6224443d0cba2a4469bc3.jpeg

 

who they actually are

image.jpeg.991701255ac939314b972adf371021ed.jpeg

Longhorn_Fan68

Certifiably Surly
(edited)
52 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

these three idiots are in charge of the worlds 8th largest economy, just a fyi ...

 

IMG_2723.jpeg

not a single one of them is looking the same direction and two of them are looking in different directions -  if there were 5 cameras there then I would be impressed. truly special googly-eyed freaks. yep, that pretty much sums up Texas politicians.

Edited by Longhorn_Fan68

Burt

Legacy Members
1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

these three idiots are in charge of the worlds 8th largest economy, just a fyi ...

 

IMG_2723.jpeg

Is Patrick transitioning?

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