poor Texas is doing poorly

[donsu]

http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=66


It Ain’t Good


Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, this morning released the 2007 version of his profoundly depressing booklet “Texas on the Brink: How Texas ranks among the 50 states.” It’s a handy quick-reference to exactly how bad things are in Texas. Shapleigh’s office has compiled the rankings, complete with footnotes and all, for three straight sessions. Perusing the numbers, you realize Texas is actually worse off than you thought. A few of the highlights (and we’re using that term loosely):

49th in per capita tax revenue raised;

50th in per capita state spending;

47th in average SAT scores;

50th in percentage of population over 25 with high school diploma;

1st in percentage of uninsured children;

1st in percentage of population without health insurance;

49th in percentage of women who vote;

1st in air pollution emissions;

1st in toxic chemicals released into water;

1st in cancer-causing carcinogens released into air;

44th in home ownership rate;

50th in electric bill affordability;

1st in number of executions;

1st in number of gun shows.

There — now didn’t that brighten your day? Shapleigh’s point wasn’t to depress the Hell out of us, but to say that the state has pressing needs more urgent than another property tax cut. Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) and Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) joined Shapleigh to stress that increased support for the Texas Grant Program, which provides tuition for college, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program could help alleviate some of these rankings.

At the end of the press conference, a reporter asked Shapleigh if anything had gotten better in Texas?

He paused. “Tax cuts.,” he said.
-----------------------------------


they are not alone - several other states are kissing cousins in the rankings

[BlooInBloo]

1. One deserves what one votes for.

[theoldman]

4. That is what I remind people of all the time.

The bad news is that they never see the light.

[blogslut]

6. I didn't vote for it

:(

[BlooInBloo]

18. Then you don't deserve it. (At least not for that reason.)

[SammyWinstonJack]

22. Neither did I. Not for shrub nor Gov Goodhair.

[CBGLuthier]

21. usual bullshit statement

So fuck every single democrat in Texas and all the poor children just because of the majority vote.

I wonder just what makes some of the people here think they ar either liberals or democrats since they lack basic human compassion.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gr8dane_daddy]

35. I get just as pissed as you Lisa!

When I hear this same crap.

People forget how tough it became for democratic candidates after delay's BS redistricting. And I agree, where's the help from the national party? Hello??? Third highest amount of electoral votes.

[Lisa0825]

45. The people who make such statements are ignorant....

They generally know nothing about what we really do here in Texas or what we have to deal with. The Dems in Texas (for the most part) have been tough and stood strong, even against the odds. they were made out to be cowards by the conservatove media for fleeing the state to protest redisticting, when in fact, it was the bravest thing they could do.

I am sick and tired of being dissed for things that are not my fault. People in liberal states tend to get complacent, whereas we try to kick asses as much as we can to gain ground here. Maybe BlooInBloo needs to see what it feels like to live in hostile territory and keep fighting, and then maybe he'll appreciate us more!

[wicket]

59. OT - love your sig pictures

May they both rest in peace, I hope they're still giving 'em hell whereever they are....

[AnneD]

67. It use to be a Blue state....

til we had a bunch of unemployed folks come down here from Michigan, Mass, and NJ in the late '70's. I never even MET a GOP until college. I don't think the 2 presidents that were REALLY born in Texas were that conservative (Eisenhower, Johnson). This is just another gang up on Texas thread.
To be a DEM in Texas the last decade has meant that you have have such tough skin you could wipe you're butt with a prickly pear cactus. Our sorry ass leadership needs to be kicked out. There is a new wave hitting Texas-lead by some of these new DEMS. The GOP here are scared shit less that the seats they lost this last time are just a sampling of what's to come. It is harder to win, but they are strong wins by strong candidates. I don't think jerrymandering is going to help this time. They would love to keep their old DEM pals in power-but things are starting to shift here in a major way.

[redqueen]

90. "Third highest amount of electoral votes."

That deserves to be trumpeted!

And you're exactly right... we get next to NO help from the national party.

We're struggling down here, but we're still fighting gosh darnit!

:grr:

[WestHoustonDem]

40. That's got to be one of the most ignorant posts I've seen on DU!

I'll tell you what Texas has produced - Anne Richards, Molly Ivins, Bill Moyers, Jim Hightower and Dan Rather to name a few. Ask Cindy Sheehan about the real Texans who have stood with her time and time again in Crawford and throughout the state.

I see from your profile that you're from Washington State. You came very close to electing a Republican governor. So according to you, nearly half of your state deserves what Texas got.

The fact is that Texas has been ignored and written off by the Democratic Party and we have a shitty state party. We are working hard to reform the state party. But the national Democratic party is as much to blame for not helping us fight for Texas as anyone else. Meanwhile, progressives in Texas are working our asses off to unseat these idiots that have run our state into the ground. And we don't need put downs from people who don't know what the hell they're talking about!

[Catherine Vincent]

72. Your hard work for the Democratic party is appreciate, WestHoustonDem!

:hi:

[redqueen]

91. Amen!

:applause:

:hi:

[w8liftinglady]

56. there are many Texans on DU...including Me.

Not only did I NOT vote for these souless motherf%^&ers,I have done everything I could to bring their regime down.Don't judge us because we live in a state of idiots.Some of us can't afford to move.

[Madspirit]

75. Thanks for that...Not.

I'm a Texan, (unlike GB who isn't) and I didn't vote for this but still have to live with it and I don't deserve it.
Madspirit

[brentspeak]

81. Congrats...on the DUMB Post Of The Day

You also win the prize for Ignorant Post Of The Day, with an honorable mention for Divisive Post Of Day.

[theoldman]

2. What do you expect from a state that had G. W. Bush for a

governor followed by his clone. Perry is not as dumb as Bush but he has not had a Democrat Lieutenant governor to cover his ass. When you have the blind leading the blind your chances are slim. Bush had a smart Democrat as Lieutenant governor. I think Bob Bullock was a holdover from Ann Richards administration.

[Turbineguy]

3. They should be counting their blessings

that their Governor moved to Washington DC 6 years ago.

[cloudbase]

8. We liked him so much

we thought we'd share him with the rest of the country. Misery loves company. It just proves what we all learned back in elementary school-anybody can grow up to be president.

[Turbineguy]

23. I hope you weren't coughing as you typed that!

[grytpype]

5. Like Molly Ivins said, Texas is a laboratory for bad government.

They perfect it there and then it spreads around the country.

[MrTriumph]

7. Don't forget: Among the highest sales taxes and property taxes in the US

x

[papau]

10. the 7% sales tax can be budgeted by the poor=pay less tax by spending less- GOPer in Texas said this

I guess the poor could not budget an income tax - and they certainly could not give themselves a tax cut - like they can now with a total dollar sales tax paid that goes down when they simply do not spend so much on food and other things that those poor folks don't really need - right?

The Austin paper headline last week when I was down there was Perry is thinking about increasing state aid to higher education -my take was that it was from almost nothing to almost nothing plus a dollar or two.

It is amazing that the Univ of Texas is such a quality institution despite a state government that is only concerned about not upsetting the most selfish of the rich.

[KamaAina]

76. UT's secret: It has oil leases

It is amazing that the Univ of Texas is such a quality institution despite a state government that is only concerned about not upsetting the most selfish of the rich.

Unlike your garden-variety land-grant college, UT's land grants happened to contain oil. This gives them a nice, comfortable endowment, a fact of which professors seeking stable, tenured employment are not unaware.

[papau]

80. I should have guessed - I was almost ready to think rich Texans made annual gifts to UT! :-)

Boy - would I have been wrong

But I should have known better.

The rich early science type workers in oil gave their millions to MIT (the "Green" building) and other schools like Tech, and not to the local or even regional colleges.

And the know little except how to gamble and cheat types still have most of their money - as they fund nothing except the football teams.

I was in Austin last week and the kids looked sharp with lots of energy - UT is a good school attracting a good student body - albeit a student body that is not that into politics.

[MilesColtrane]

9. Bush is bringing this vision to all of America.

This is what a government run almost entirely by Republican rule gets you.
BTW I've never seen so much new construction on high end condos, hotels, and retail in Dallas in my life.

[The Cleaner]

27. And property taxes thru the roof

Frisco, Allen, McKinney, north Dallas, Plano, all getting built up like crazy. But foreclosures skyrocketing because of high property taxes, high energy costs (quadrupled since 2002), and high sales taxes.

Homes are inexpensive on paper here but the high costs of everything else is driving people into renting again.

[RB TexLa]

37. I've been looking at a few of those foreclosures that are priced great for flipping

[redqueen]

93. You're kidding, right?

Flipping... :banghead:

[2Design]

11. that was my impression driving through - a right to work state that

is starving its people, roads, etc. The interstate highway is like a blue four lane highway - this state is the armpit - when you starve it of funds there isn't much left

[Madspirit]

94. a right to work state

Here are all the states that are "right to work" states:

Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | Florida | Georgia | Guam | Idaho
Iowa | Kansas | Louisiana | Mississippi | Nebraska | Nevada
North Carolina | North Dakota | Oklahoma | South Carolina
South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Virginia | Wyoming


That's almost half.

...and don't call my fucking state a fucking armpit unless you are from New Jersey and you see the irony.
Madspirit

[Clark2008]

12. The answer to all the other poor standings is this one poor standing:

49th in percentage of women who vote

If women in Texas got out to vote more often, a lot of those other problems would be voted away.

[MilesColtrane]

14. I'd like to believe that.

But, some of the most radical right-wingers I've ever met in my life are Texas women.
They loves them some George Bush.

[cassiepriam]

13. By the time he leaves office, all of us will be like Texas :(

Except Bush and Cheney pals of course: Billionaires.

[Zorra]

15. Texas sounds like America's hell. There's an old joke:

"If I owned Texas and hell, I'd rent out Texas and live in hell."

[Xenotime]

114. Love it! It gets hotter than hell down there too.

[kwyjibo]

16. Read the PDF for more rankings:

http://shapleigh.org/system/news_article/document/882/Texas_on_the_Brink_2007_Final.pdf

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[A Simple Game]

19. Just because I'm curious, why did you leave the state you claim

to still have such strong feelings about?

[Paladin]

20. Several Reasons, Chief Among Them Employment

n/t

[Greyhound]

24. This is important because it is the model to which the corporatists aspire to.

If we let them stay in power and have their way, we can all look forward to living in a similar shithole. One nation under (local corporate sponsor goes here), with profits and privilege for some.:patriot:

[The Cleaner]

25. Texas: Anti-Regulatory Republican Haven; Uneducated, Friendly but Shallow, Somewhat naive.

Austin is probably the most sane place in Texas, I read somewhere that it is the MOST educated city in America which I kinda doubt actually (other cities are far more educated IMHO). Dallas is okay but is for the most part chock full of Bush-lovin' pubbies.

On the cancer rates - because of Texas' anti-regulatory climate companies are allowed to pollute at will and probably skirt the clean air act as well. They deem environmentalists as liberal weirdos. Anyway maybe I'm wrong but it seems there's a preponderance of childhood leukemia here in TX. I know because one of my relatives in law sadly lost a child that way. I always thought it may be because of something in the water or the air.

And now Rick Perry wants to build new coal plants in TX for electricity. Real smart, Perrry (sarcasm).

On a sidenote I heard that Rick Perry, who has a buddy on the board of Merck, wants to make it mandatory that 6th grade girls get the cervical cancer vaccine - which is made by, you guessed it, MERCK.

[mhatrw]

28. The Facts About GARDASIL

1) GARDASIL is a vaccine for 4 strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), two strains that are strongly associated (and probably cause) genital warts and two strains that are typically associated (and may cause) cervical cancer. About 90% of people with genital warts show exposure to one of the two HPV strains strongly suspected to cause genital warts. About 70% of women with cervical cancer show exposure to one of the other two HPV strains that the vaccine is designed to confer resistance to.

2) HPV is a sexually communicable (not an infectious) virus. When you consider all strains of HPV, over 70% of sexually active males and females have been exposed. A condom helps a lot (70% less likely to get it), but has not been shown to stop transmission in all cases (only one study of 82 college girls who self-reported about condom use has been done). For the vast majority of women, exposure to HPV strains (even the four “bad ones” protected for in GARDASIL) results in no known health complications of any kind.

3) Cervical cancer is not a deadly nor prevalent cancer in the US or any other first world nation. Cervical cancer rates have declined sharply over the last 30 years and are still declining. Cervical cancer accounts for less than 1% of of all female cancer cases and deaths in the US. Cervical cancer is typically very treatable and the prognosis for a healthy outcome is good. The typical exceptions to this case are old women, women who are already unhealthy and women who don’t get pap smears until after the cancer has existed for many years.

4) Merck’s clinical studies for GARDASIL were problematic in several ways. Only 20,541 women were used (half got the “placebo”) and their health was followed up for only four years at maximum and typically 1-3 years only. More critically, only 1,121 of these subjects were less than 16. The younger subjects were only followed up for a maximum of 18 months. Furthermore, less than 10% of these subjects received true placebo injections. The others were given injections containing an aluminum salt adjuvant (vaccine enhancer) that is also a component of GARDASIL. This is scientifically preposterous, especially when you consider that similar alum adjuvants are suspected to be responsible for Gulf War disease and other possible vaccination related complications.

5) Both the “placebo” groups and the vaccination groups reported a myriad of short term and medium term health problems over the course of their evaluations. The majority of both groups reported minor health complications near the injection site or near the time of the injection. Among the vaccination group, reports of such complications were slightly higher. The small sample that was given a real placebo reported far fewer complications — as in less than half. Furthermore, most if not all longer term complications were written off as not being potentially vaccine caused for all subjects.

6) Because the pool of test subjects was so small and the rates of cervical cancer are so low, NOT A SINGLE CONTROL SUBJECT ACTUALLY CONTRACTED CERVICAL CANCER IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM — MUCH LESS DIED OF IT. Instead, this vaccine’s supposed efficacy is based on the fact that the vaccinated group ended up with far fewer cases (5 vs. about 200) of genital warts and “precancerous lesions” (dysplasias) than the alum injected “control” subjects.

7) Because the tests included just four years of follow up at most, the long term effects and efficacy of this vaccine are completely unknown for anyone. All but the shortest term effects are completely unknown for little girls. Considering the tiny size of youngster study, the data about the shortest terms side effects for girls are also dubious.

8) GARDASIL is the most expensive vaccine ever marketed. It requires three vaccinations at $120 a pop for a total price tag of $360. It is expected to be Merck’s biggest cash cow of this and the next decade.

These are simply the facts of the situation as presented by Merck and the FDA.

[Olney Blue]

32. "HPV is a sexually communicable (not an infectious) virus."

A sexually transmitted virus is infectious- I don't understand the meaning of this statement in your post.

[mhatrw]

36. HPV is an STD, not a contagious diease.

Get it now?

[Olney Blue]

38. So you wouldn't consider Herpes 2 as "contagious?" It is indeed contagious

as a sexually transmitted disease.

Routes of transmission can vary among viruses causing human disease, but they are all "infectious" (or contagious).

[mhatrw]

41. Do you understand the point or not?

Why are we having this discussion then?

[Olney Blue]

42. You have an error in your post. I was trying to clarify it.

[mhatrw]

47. What word would you rather I used to distinguish the difference between

STDs and diseases commonly referred to as infectious?

[Olney Blue]

50. I don't think you need to make that distinction.

"HPV is a sexually communicable (not an infectious) virus" could be written as:

"HPV is a sexually communicable virus." Leave out the "not an infectious." Then, the statement is scientifically accurate, because from a medical viewpoint STD viruses are all "infectious."

Why do you think that distinguishing HPV as sexually transmitted as compared to other infectious diseases is important?

[mhatrw]

51. It's vitally important from a public policy point of view when it comes

to MANDATORY vaccination.

Your risk of getting the disease has everything to do with your sexual behavior and that of your sexual partners. It's not going to spread through the classroom unless classmates are humping each other as well as other infected people.

[Olney Blue]

52. So an effective HIV vaccine should not be mandatory, either?

[mhatrw]

55. Why would it be?

If you want it, sign up. If you don't like the fact that I didn't, don't fuck me.

[Bridget Burke]

116. Who would want to "fuck" (your word)....

Someone who doesn't consider STD's to be "infectious diseases"?

[redqueen]

95. Come on, now... cut Dallas some slack!

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/elections/2006/stories/110906dnmetdallasdems.3311036.html

[Kazak]

26. "Tax cuts."

Haha, good one!

[unblock]

34. yet, so typical of republican thinking.

they fail to recognize that tax cuts might be part of the PROBLEM. or at least, part of preventing the solution.

[Horse with no Name]

29. The odd thing about Texas is

that the majority of the urban areas vote Dem.
It is the backwoods, sloped forehead, inbred, Bible-thumping areas that basically determine how this state votes as a whole.
I am not completely convinced that voting machines aren't rigged in a majority of these areas...but after getting an idiot governor that only 29% voted for (split vote)...sometimes I think we get what we deserve.
I blame the teachers unions who constantly gripe about the schools...but then vote as a block for a candidate that doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of winning the race.
I blame the young adults who thought it might be "fun" to have a Kinky governor.
The Republicans voted lockstep and won the governor election by 29% and that is a goddamned shame.
The Attorney General had MAJOR ethics issues...yet he beat a solid great candidate--our own David Van Os.
I shudder when I hear the words "they voted for it they deserve it"...and shudder when I almost believe it.

[unblock]

31. wiki has perry's take as 39%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_gubernatorial_election,_2006

[Horse with no Name]

33. You are correct. Sorry

It was Bell that 29%.

[struggle4progress]

54. Add low voter turn-out. When I lived there, I couldn't believe how many people didn't vote.

[rainbow4321]

65. Back when chimp was re-elected gov

MSM bragged how he got like 75% of Texan votes...little factoid that they left out was that in that same election, only like 20-25% of the TX population voted. But the 75% sounded more supportive to chimp's lapdogs so they ran with it.

Then we have most of the local newsrags that endorse every repuke gov candidates the week of each gov election---but the same rags then print stats like these the other 364 days of the year. Most notably, Dallas Morning News-- owners is repuke backer Belo Company.
So in the past several years when I hear that the DMN subscription rates are plummeting, I jump for joy. It was so bad for them one year that they were leaving free copies in our driveways and also set up a stand in the grocery store giving out free copies..in hopes of getting their readers back.
Given that Dallas County has been overwhelmingly turned Democratic over the last few years, the repuke leaning DMN is having a hard time in getting customers/readers.

[redqueen]

97. Very well said! n/t

[theHandpuppet]

39. Don't mess with Texas, huh?

Sounds pretty messed up already.

[Rex]

43. Some areas here really are still the Wild West!

Believe it!

[snot]

44. We've had electronic voting in Dallas County for at least the last 2 elections. nt

[fidgeting wildly]

86. I lived in an urban section of Dallas County through early 2006

and we still voted on paper ballots. Has the whole county switched over now? That's a shame.

[pnorman]

46. No disrespect intended to Texan DUers,

but I'll save that!

pnorman

[lonestarnot]

48. How's that gerrymandering working out for you TX?

[EFerrari]

49. Texas is beautiful country. You all deserve better.

K&R

[redqueen]

98. Awwww...

Thank you.

[EFerrari]

111. I have seen the blue bonnets and more to the point, I have tasted

Vanilla Blue Bonnet ice cream.

:)

[ceile]

112. I think you mean Blue Bell....

Thanks for the compliment. I love my state. I just wish I could kick all the idiots out.

[EFerrari]

115. You're right! Those flowers that carpet the place, not blue, not purple

and we went to the BB ice cream factory. They pretty much had to kick us out.

Well, you guys have a very interesting mix in TX just as we do in CA. Everyone thinks of Hollywood but we have plenty of deep red areas -- heck, modern evangelism pretty much started in SoCal right after the 1906 quake.

Thanks goodness these places are big. :hi:

[Vidar]

53. I lived there for a miserable year. Doesn't surprize me.

[DuaneBidoux]

57. There are some great public schools but the inequality is awful

My child is in Clear Creek ISD which is the school district that serves most of the NASA engineers. The SAT scores and college graduation rates are off the charts.

I'm substitute teaching right now waiting on my Texas teaching license at Channelview ISD. The difference between the two is simply tragic.

[donsu]

58. kick

nt

[DuaneBidoux]

60. Texas: Never have so many been so proud of so little

The arrogance among Texans is amazing. They actually think they live in one of the greatest states in the union. School kids are even forced to say the pledge to the Texas flag every morning.

It is very typical to see a bumper sticker that says: "American by birth, Texan by the grace of God." Or, "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could." Simply laughable.

There is another tourist slogan: "Texas, like a whole other country" (my part added: yea, a third world country). I'm here because my wife has an awesome job she simply cannot have elsewhere, otherwise it would be bye bye Texas.

[Ishoutandscream2]

61. How about the arrogance of "some Texans"?

And the fucking legislature mandated saying the Texas pledge three years ago along with the US pledge in public schools. Never in my lifetime as a student and public school employee had we ever been made to recite either pledge until three years ago.

[Madspirit]

77. Wrong Bashing

You people are also bashing a lot of innocent and good people. A large number of us are not conservative but we have to suffer at their hands. George Bush was born in Connecticut not Texas and I, in my hippie youth, lived in Boston during the busing riots. That was fun, young black child hung from basketball pole. Every place has bad. We have a lot of bad but we also have good.
I love my state. I want to help change it, not abandon it.
Oh yeah and for some odd reason, Molly Ivins made it her home and also, Ann Richards is from here.
Madspirit

[Madspirit]

78. Lastly

My city has ALWAYS, without exception, carried the Democrat in the presidential election. Without exception. Austin Rocks.
Madspirit

[DuaneBidoux]

110. I agree, Austin rocks (unfortunately I'm in Houston)

Being from Texas I believe I have the right to bitch a little about the typical arrogance of my fellow Texans. I don't know of anywhere else that kids are required to recite the state pledge of allegiance.

[Bridget Burke]

117. Maybe you should get a job, so you can leave Texas.

Your profile says you live in Houston. Just how far outside the Loop?

[dogday]

62. Another Texas sux thread

lovely, like we don't get enough of them as it is.....

[Ishoutandscream2]

64. Yes, and there are DUers who claim there's no Texas bashing

at DU. Amazing, isn't it? I believe there are some Texas haters here on DU who are actually getting a kick out of these appalling statistics. It sort of helps with their feelings of superiority.

The statistics quoted are an indication of how much work progressives have to do in our state. There are many of us fighting for progressive principles, but it's going to take time. We're getting there slowly but surely.

[depakid]

66. Nothing bashing about showing the FACTS

and the article in the OP came from the Texas Observer.

I think you'd see a lot less animosity if so many Texans weren't trying to turn the rest of the country- and other more progressive states into versions of themselves.

[Ishoutandscream2]

68. Not denying the FACTS

As I stated, the stats are appalling. But there are many here at DU who seem to gravitate toward bashing Texas. And pushing animosity toward Texas DUers is directing that hatred at the wrong folks.

[DuaneBidoux]

71. I'm a Texan. Bash away.

[AndyA]

63. I think we should all encourage George Bush to spend as much time

as he possibly can in Texas! It's his mess, he helped to get it where it is today, so he should be proud to sit and fester in it!!

[Madspirit]

89. I think we should all encourage George Bush to spend as much time

as he possibly can in Connecticut. It is where he's from.
Madspirit

[BluePatriot]

69. I live in Texas

and, yes, our electric bills are crazy. $200 for a 1br LOFT on 68 degrees in winter!!!! Arggggh.

I think a lot of the stats are skewed due to the immigrant population, though.

[Madspirit]

96. I think a lot of the stats are skewed due to the immigrant population, though.

Exactly but to see that would require deep thought from bashers and hey....
Madspirit

[Bridget Burke]

118. But Texas has gained a lot from immigrants.

For one thing--we keep getting them, in large numbers.

Oh, you really meant "illegal Mexican" immigrants, didn't you?

[Madspirit]

121. Some of my best friends...

...are illegal Mexican immigrants. On a test though, since English is not their language.... It skews the literacy rates because of this, though unfair.

This is their land. I feel like the illegal immigrant.
Madspirit

[mainer]

70. My Texas story:

I was invited there to give a speech to a group in my industry. I stood up at the podium and was about to start when one of the organizers said, "Wait, wait! First we have to say the Pledge of Allegiance."

These were ADULTS I was talking to, not schoolkids. And this speech was to a bunch of civilians, and it had nothing to do with government matters.

Whenever I tell this story in other states, people stare at me as if I'm making it up.

[Madspirit]

73. Also!

We're last in funds for mental health. There's even a bumper sticker...<g> When Bush was our governor he basically dismantled what mental health help we did have.

Madspirit

[treestar]

74. The poor people must be voting for these guys. And this one

state senator is a Democrat.

Many right wingers are blue collar or poor - it's strange, but they vote against their own interests, or they believe the right wing propaganda that it's all the liberal's fault they're in this mess.

[Madspirit]

79. Silly Molly Ivins

The Incredible Molly Ivins could have lived anywhere she wanted. She CHOSE my state, Texas, to be her home. Just sayin'...
Madspirit

[brentspeak]

82. Texas is a great state; it deserves a million-times better

[Manifestor_of_Light]

83. I didn't vote for Goodhair or my two excuses for senators.

The only Congressional rep I have that is worth the powder it would take to blow 'em to hell is my Congresscritter, Sheila Jackson Lee.

I didn't vote for Senator BreckGirl or Senator "Let's Imprison Activist Judges-But-I-Used-Ta-Be-a-District-Judge-Myself-So-I-Should-Know-Better" Cornyn.

Didn't vote for Senator Cabbagepatch Georgia Cracker Gramm either.

Don't blame me.

Mom and dad were Yellow Dog Democrats, knew Billie Carr and Frankie Carter Randolph, who founded the Harris County Democrats. Dad went to law school with the first 2 Hispanic judges in Harris County, A.D. Azios and Felix Salazar.

In law school, they would go to restaurants in groups, with their Mexican law student friends, so the hispanic guys would not get thrown out. In Houston, Hispanics couldn't eat in white restaurants, just as if they were Black. Nobody talks about that kind of discrimination. This was in the late 40s after World War II.

Grandmother voted for FDR, and she moved to TX from Mississippi.

Dad voted for Norman Thomas in the Depression (even though Dad was an imported Yankee).

I'm a third generation Yellow Dog.

Don't blame me. I didn't vote for any of these idiots.

[Madspirit]

92. I didn't vote for Goodhair...

Everyone notices his hair. Am I the only Texan who has noticed that he doesn't have a neck? I think that is even more disturbing...<g>
Madspirit

[NuttyFluffers]

84. sad. best of luck with that. please stop exporting your governance, btw.

:hi:

[Madspirit]

87. GWB

George Bush was born in Connecticut, not Texas. Stop blaming us.
Go jump on some Connecticut person's ass and let's bash Connecticut.

Then let's have a thread bashing Boston. I was there during all the busing riots. That was fun. It's also the FIRST place I ever saw a giant billboard that said, "It's not a choice; it's a child".

Or let's bash...blah blah blah blah.

Of course, we Texans do have Molly Ivins, Ann Richards, Jim Hightower, lots of DUers, etc.

You could bash any state, any town, any city. All places have good and all have bad.
Madspirit

[redqueen]

100. Thanks for all your posts in this thread.

:hi:

[Madspirit]

102. teasing or serious

I don't know if you're teasing or serious but I just HATE generalizations and you would think leftists would know better. Thanks, if you're serious.
I was born here, lived in the very cool and liberal East Coast in my early twenties and voluntarily...came back to MY HOME...Texas.
Madspirit

[redqueen]

103. Hell no I'm not teasing...

I'm up north of the metroplex. HARD work trying to turn this area blue. VERY hard... but not impossible!

Eventually these rural people who are voting against their own self-interest will wake up. I've been trying for years. When / if I give up, it'll be cause I'm leaving the country entirely.

[Madspirit]

104. Something disturbing

I read something disturbing in The Austin American Statesman about a year ago, I guess. It said Texas' Hispanics are registering to vote, in record numbers....AS REPUBLICANS. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
What's that about? Any ideas?
Madspirit

[redqueen]

105. Well the obvious issue would be choice - cause lots are Catholic.

However we're seeing that change now that places like Carrollton are trying to have people evicted over the immigration issue.

Sad that all that crap up there in the OP isn't enough, isn't it?

[Madspirit]

106. I was surprised

I have a lot of Hispanic friends and all are Catholic and all are Democrats, so I was surprised. I guess the Republican ones would call my friends "Cafeteria Catholics".

Yes, you would think all the facts in the OP would make people think further than just Choice.
Madspirit

[Bridget Burke]

119. Do you have hard data on how Texas Hispanics are becoming Republican?.

Seriously. I know the Republicans keep saying that. But they lie!

[Madspirit]

120. No

I don't. I hope you are right and it's just a Republican lie. It was in an article I read a year or more ago. It didn't make a lot of sense to me. None of my Hispanic friends are Republicans. Not one. Thanks for the reassurance. That makes me feel better because I found that very disturbing.
Madspirit

[JNelson6563]

85. A shout out to Texas Dems!

While my own state is blue (MI) I can tell ya it's damn red here in the north. I know what it's like in hostile territory!

Don't give up! Keep at it! Let these ugly facts drive you to organize even more and prepare to take your state back in 08! I know you've been gerrymandered, so have we! My Cong. District is probably as red as the worst parts of Texas, we join you in the effort to change things for the better!

With you in spirit--

Julie

[Madspirit]

88. Thanks

Julie...someone who "gets" it. All places have bad and all have good.
Madspirit

[redqueen]

101. Thank you!

:hi:

[ceile]

113. Thank you! n/t

[DaveJ]

99. And this is WITH all the handouts

To good ol boy club under the * Administration. Evidence that the trickle down Banana Republic theory does not work.

[AspenRose]

107. Try being a Democrat, volunteering for Ann Richards' campaign,

on the campus of Texas A&M University.

Talk about hostile territory....

[Madspirit]

108. Brave!

You are very brave going into Aggieland. Still, Ann could not have won without all the crossover Republican women who voted for her. She even acknowledged that. Clayton was such a frakking loser even his mother and daughter and wife were disgusted with him and said so, after his little rape joke. I guess even Republican women don't like rape. I LOVE Ann. RIP.

...and good on you...braving Aggieland. (though I will only go to veterinarians who graduated from there.)
Madspirit

[AspenRose]

109. Yep

The alumnae center is named after that horrid man Clayton Williams. So you could only imagine the atmosphere, after the rape joke AND his comments about Ann "hitting the bottle again."

Aggie Democrats are tough as nails. We have to be!