Texas’ Wild Tea Party

[sonias]

http://www.thenation.com/article/160618/texas-wild-tea-party">The Nation Magazine 5/30/11
Texas’ Wild Tea Party

(snip)
It was a desperate cry for sanity in a session that, even by the standards of the Texas Capitol, was setting new standards for irresponsible governance. The madness began on January 10. On the day before thirty new right-wing Republican representatives were sworn in, the state comptroller announced the whoppingest budget shortfall in state history.

The fiscal crisis caught most Texans unawares. For the better part of a decade, they’d had their collective egos puffed up by BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, The Economist and CNBC proclaiming Texas as the economic miracle of the nation. Governor Rick Perry, a friend and disciple of Grover Norquist, had just won re-election by extolling the wonders wrought by tax-cutting, deregulation and the aggressive courting of jobs from higher-tax states like California, Michigan and Illinois. “There is still a land of opportunity, friends—it’s called Texas,” Perry said last year as he cruised to victory. “We’re creating more jobs than any other state in the nation….Would you rather live in a state like this, or in a state where a man can marry a man?”

In the ten years since George W. Bush swaggered away to Washington, Perry has been the chief mad scientist in Texas’ bad-government lab, seizing every opportunity to gut social spending, pander to the culture-warriors and enrich his high-rolling corporate sponsors. In 2003, with a conservative legislature feloniously purchased by Tom DeLay and associates, Perry led a revolution to deregulate, privatize and tort-reform nearly everything. “Texas is open for business,” his campaign happily proclaimed when the dust had settled.

Three years later, with the lawmakers deadlocked over a school finance plan that would somehow meet State Supreme Court standards, Perry engineered a massive “tax swap,” slashing property taxes and replacing them with a modest business tax that left the state with a $5 billion annual “structural deficit” going forward—and a handy excuse to keep cutting programs to make budgets balance.

This year, when the massive debt was announced, Perry’s right-wing allies could not contain their glee. “The bottom line is there are no excuses now,” exclaimed Republican Senator Dan Patrick, a talk-radio host and founder of the Tea Party Caucus. “It’s a perfect storm, in a positive way, for conservatism.” In his inaugural speech, David Dewhurst, three-term lieutenant governor, turned it into a cheer: “We pronounce the word C-R-I-S-I-S as ‘opportunity.’”

5 star crazy. :crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

I love The Nation magazine. They capture the mad/insane/crazy with just the right tone.

[white cloud]

1. That is for sure. Saddy days ahead for these sheep whom voted him in

They capture the mad/insane/crazy with just the right tone.

[plumbob]

6. My hands are clean. I didn't even vote for him for yell leader.

Sadly, that won't keep the shit from the fan.

[onestepforward]

2. Good article

This was the most disheartening part to me:

"Although the state, as Perry often reminds his listeners, has added far more jobs than any other state in recent years, it has also added far more minimum-wage jobs—no surprise, with companies relocating mostly to save taxes, not to find a skilled and educated workforce."

One of my biggest dreams for Texas was to become a national leader in renewable energy with good-paying jobs and a cleaner environment to boot. This dream hasn't died, but it is hanging on by a thread now.

Right now, Texas' future is looking more like the movie, "Idiocracy."

[sonias]

3. Idiocracy - brilliant discription

Texas is devolving as in "To degenerate or deteriorate gradually". Only I don't even think it's happening gradually. It's full speed ahead for us - straight to the bottom. I think Stephen Colbert coined a great phrase - "intelligent decline".

Mike Judge, "Idiocracy" writer lives in Austin, so it would not surprise me one bit if "Idiocracy" was heavily inspired by Texas. :shrug:

And you're absolutely right. We should have been the epicenter of the new, greener energy revolution. We're so full of hot sun and hot windy air currents Texas. We should have led the solar, wind power and the associated manufacturing of components for each. Instead China is going to eat our lunch. :(

[white cloud]

4. We need to get rid of all the

Hot Air and Wind Generators in Austin in their race to the bottom.

[onestepforward]

5. It would be good for our universities too.

Students would be lining up to get into renewable energy classes/programs if we had a strong demand for high tech workers. Universities could profit from new research and perhaps joint ventures with businesses. The list just goes on and on with so many possible opportunities.

"Idiocracy" was both funny and eerily terrifying at the same time. Mike Judge HAD to be inspired by Texas :)