So, You Think You Want Another POTUS From Texas Huh?

I'm a native Texan of 55 yrs. and I would like to know, just what it is about our state of affairs here in Texas that would lead you to vote for another Texas politician to become POTUS?

Is it because of the way we've managed to keep our budget in balance and under control?

www.nytimes.com...

Wait — Texas? Wasn’t Texas supposed to be thriving even as the rest of America suffered? Didn’t its governor declare, during his re-election campaign, that “we have billions in surplus”? Yes, it was, and yes, he did. But reality has now intruded, in the form of a deficit expected to run as high as $25 billion over the next two years.

The only thing that let Gov. Rick Perry get away, temporarily, with claims of a surplus was the fact that Texas enacts budgets only once every two years, and the last budget was put in place before the depth of the economic downturn was clear. Now the next budget must be passed — and Texas may have a $25 billion hole to fill. Now what?

Ok then, if it's not due to our great budget management skills, could it be due to our clean environmental record?

www.environmenttexas.org...

A Tatum power plant is the nation’s largest emitter of mercury, according to a new report, and it and another coal-fired plant in northeast Texas are among the nation’s 10 largest emitters of the toxic element.
The report from Environment Texas, a citizen-funded statewide group, found Dallas-based Luminant’s Martin Lake Steam Electric Station and Lignite Mine emits more mercury — 2,660 pounds annually — than any other plant in the nation.
Released as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to propose a standard by March to limit mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants, the report issued last week indicates Texas plants emit more mercury pollution than those in any other state.

Power plants in Texas emitted 16,350 pounds of mercury pollution in 2009, more than any other state. Nationwide, coal-fired power plants emitted 138,259 pounds of mercury that year. Power plants in the Top 10 worst-polluting states, including Texas, were responsible for 56 percent of all mercury emitted from power plants.

OK then, if it's not our clean environment, could it be because of the high value we place on educating and insuring our kids?

crimeblog.dallasnews.com...

The report paints a grim picture of Texas. The state led the nation in deaths from child abuse and neglect, with 1,509, during the years covered by the study -- 2001 to 2007. Looking just at 2007 data, Texas still finished first, with 228 child deaths.

While the report does not directly draw a cause-and-effect correlation, it notes that Texas finished close to the bottom among the 50 states in per-capita spending to protect chidlren.

www.politifact.com...

The fact book also ranks Texas' estimated public high school graduation rate for 2009 — 43rd, with 61.3 percent of students who were enrolled in ninth grade graduating.

Texas' graduation rate has been sliding. In 2001 the state ranked 35th, with 65 percent of students graduating from high school. In 2008, Texas ranked 42nd with 62.6 percent of students graduating.

www.familiesusa.org...

1.4 million children are uninsured in Texas—more than one of out five, or 20.5 percent of Texas’s children. These numbers place Texas first in the nation for the number of uninsured children, and first nationally for the percentage of children in the state without health insurance.

www.politifact.com...

Separately, we found a national poll indicating Texas ranked No. 1 in uninsured residents the first half of 2010.

According to the Gallup poll, an average of 26.8 percent of Texas residents were uninsured. Mississippi trailed in second (25.8 percent), followed by Louisiana (24 percent). California landed fifth, with 21.9 percent. And Massachusetts, which requires residents older than 18 to have health coverage, ranked again as the state with the smallest percentage of uninsured residents: 4.9 percent. Gallup said it interviewed 176,193 adults from Jan. 2-June 30, 2010.

Well then, maybe it's our low poverty rates that are attracting you;

blogs.dallasobserver.com...

According to the data, 17 percent of all Texans live below the federal poverty guideline -- a number that includes 1,774,000 children, up from last year's figures.

I guess that's not it either. As if G.W. Bush weren't lesson enough, you should know by now that choosing a POTUS from Texas is literally, scraping the bottom of the barrel.

*Texas has a very regressive tax system, depending mainly on sales and property taxes. This means that the poor and the working class (and the middle class) pay a far larger share of their income in taxes than the rich do.
* Texas has the largest number of low-wage (and low-benefit) workers of any state in the nation.
*Texas is the biggest polluter in the nation (and if it was a country would be the seventh largest polluter in the world).
*Texas has the largest percentage of its citizens without health insurance of any state -- about 30% of its population.
*Texas is among the worst "per pupil" funders of public education in the nation (and will be even worse after the education cuts being made in the current legislative session).
*Texas currently has one of the biggest budget deficits in the nation -- about $27 billion for the next biennium.
*Texas has the largest prison population in the nation (and executes more people than any other state).
*Texas is seventh in the nation in the percentage of its population living in poverty.
*Texas leads the nation in the percentage of high school drop-outs (about 30%).

On top of all that, our election system here in Texas is among the most corrupt in the nation. As this article clearly demonstrates, even our governor is for sale.

www.thenation.com...

Consider the numbers: Throughout his campaigns for governor, Perry raised $102 million, half of which came from just 204 sources. According to the Los Angeles Times, nearly half of those donors have received tax breaks, appointments or large business contracts. Half have received payments from two funds, sponsored by Perry, to funnel tax dollars to private business.

We haven't had a decent governor here in Texas since Ann Richards and I have doubts as to whether or not we'll have another in my lifetime. All the jobs that Rick Perry claims to have created here in Texas were either already on their way to Mexico or he just lured them away from other states by offering tax abatements, ample minimum wage labor and a non-existent environmental standards enforcement policy. Take my word for it, you don't want one of those jobs he created, you'll want 6 of them, because that's what it will take to earn enough to pay your bills. Go ahead and vote for a POTUS from Texas if you are so inclined but I warn you, "Be Careful What You Ask For."

reply to post by Flatfish

Rick Perry on the issues:

He wants to stay in the Middle East and continue the Drug War, that's all I need to know about him. I don't trust the guy:

reply to post by TupacShakur

I hate to say this but I have to agree with you completely. I've never been one to litmus test on voting, but the stakes are just too high this election. If they are pro-foreign military misadventure for anything short of Pearl Harbor by a national government (unlikely...to the extreme) then that pretty well does it for me. We're over 10 years of war and moving toward new ones. Enough.... Perhaps if we all stick to that, we can help create a real turnover in D.C. and finish the job 2010 started.

Who said anything about Rick Perry? RON PAUL 2012!!!!

Hmm according to OP logic I guess we shouldn't have another black president since the one we have now is god awful?

reply to post by TupacShakur


Your instincts are correct. It would be a big mistake for anyone, other than the highest bidder, to trust and/or expect any fair representation from Rick Perry. The man sells more political favors than an ice cream truck does popsicles.

ehm does it really matter where someone is from

i wouldn´t give a poo-poo if he was beamed down here from the moon.

the man makes a lot of sense in his arguments, THAT is what you're supposed to judge and criticize..

not the place he was born, makes no sense.

Ron Paul is from Texas. I'd sure as hell vote for him.

So, yeah, I'd take another POTUS from Texas, if it were him. If it's Perry or any of the other bought and paid for candidates then we are screwed. Hell, we're probably screwed even if RP - I can see the fights with Congress over numerous issues already - can get in but he's the best of the bunch and the only one who has logical ideas to try and fix some of our issues.

wow, way to stereotype.

Great OP.. native texan that bashes texas. thats a first....

give me a break

Originally posted by mossme89
Who said anything about Rick Perry? RON PAUL 2012!!!!

Ron Paul is not really that different from Rick Perry with the exception of his stance on war. Ron Paul talks out of both sides of his mouth just like every other Texas politician.

reply to post by Flatfish

Ron Paul is not really that different from Rick Perry with the exception of his stance on war. Ron Paul talks out of both sides of his mouth just like every other Texas politician.

No way, Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:

He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.

He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.

He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.

Ron Paul on the issues:
War and Peace
Homeland Security
Foreign Policy
Drug War
Government Reform
Social Security
Civil Rights

Ron Paul looks out for the people, he needs to get elected in 2012 or else Rick Perry will screw this country by continuing to fight the wars in the Middle East while also not increasing taxes.

Originally posted by Eavel
wow, way to stereotype.

Great OP.. native texan that bashes texas. thats a first....

give me a break

Yes, I've lived here long enough to watch this state get destroyed by republican policies and I'm not afraid to tell it like it is. Texas was a much nicer place to live when it was a blue state. Nowadays, it's almost as if our state is trying to take the lead in the creation of a new confederacy. Our minimum wage workers are actually nothing more than legalized slaves surviving on less than subsistence level wages and a complete lack of health care. Not my vision for the future of our nation.

Originally posted by TupacShakur
reply to post by Flatfish

 

Ron Paul is not really that different from Rick Perry with the exception of his stance on war. Ron Paul talks out of both sides of his mouth just like every other Texas politician.

No way, Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:

He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.

He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.

He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.

edit on 25-8-2011 by TupacShakur because: To edit my post

Yeah well, he also believes that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional and he has stated that he would not have voted in favor of the civil rights act. He also supports the idea that private businesses should have the right to discriminate. As a teenager, I briefly worked in a business that did just that and I refuse to tolerate such behavior in society.

reply to post by Fitch303

Hmm according to OP logic I guess we shouldn't have another black president since the one we have now is god awful?

I think you JUST SLIGHTLY missed the OP's point. We had a former Texas governor as president, and it didn't work out well.

Now the establishment has rolled out another one and conversatives & the TEA party are eating their hearts out over him because of all these supposedly wonderful things that happened in Texas...but apparently Texas, under this new post-Bush governor, is no really doing quite so good.

You really didn't pick up on any of that? Maybe I just misunderstood your post, if you could clarify it somewhat more...thanks in advance.

reply to post by Flatfish


Gov. Perry will self destruct in short order. His stance on worshiping corporate America will eventually eat his lunch because people are sick of being screwed by big business. Especially the WAR machine that profits handsomely on the blood and lives of our young people.

and there are some other more salacious reasons that I had to edit out.

reply to post by Flatfish
Hi Flatfish.

First off, as to earmarks - non-issue and silly argument to start. Earmarks are a tiny percentage of federal spending in the first place, and they're already allotted for spending regardless. SO, if congress doesn't appropriate the fund to help their constituents out, guess what? The money goes to the executive, and they get to decide how it gets spent - and I personally think the Pentagon and the executive's other pet products already get plenty of funds, thank you - I'd rather see it go to help the people.

Yeah well, he also believes that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional

He's correct there, but if the states want to have such programs, power to them.

and he has stated that he would not have voted in favor of the civil rights act. He also supports the idea that private businesses should have the right to discriminate. As a teenager, I briefly worked in a business that did just that and I refuse to tolerate such behavior in society.
I can't argue too much with him here - he would not have supported the CRA as it infringes on the property rights of private citizens/business owners. And why shouldn't private businesses have the right to discriminate? Let them shoot themselves in the foot and lose business and respect. Private citizens can discriminate and racism still exists, on all sides. You should not force people who would rather not associate with one another to do such. It's a violation of their liberty, whether or not it's unclassy and retarded.

Do you also refuse to tolerate racism in society otherwise? Well, guess what, it's still legal, so you should not tolerate businesses that do such in exactly the same way - don't support or associate with them. That's your right.

EDIT:
On a side note, the drug war is one of the most openly racist things in our society today that vastly and disproportionately harms minorities. I'll give you one guess who the one major candidate is who wants to do something about that, as well as stop us bombing brown people for no good reason.

But if you like bombing brown people and locking up minorities, then by all means, carry on...if we're going to make this a discrimination issue.

reply to post by Flatfish

Yeah well, he also believes that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional and he has stated that he would not have voted in favor of the civil rights act.

Ron Paul on Health Care and Social Security:
Ron Paul on why he would not have voted for the Civil Rights Act:
Ron Paul on racist accusations:

He also supports the idea that private businesses should have the right to discriminate.

Maddow asked him, "Do you think that a private business has the right to say 'we don't serve black people'?"

"[color=limegreen]I'm not in favor of any discrimination of any form," he responded. "I would never belong to any club that excluded anybody for race. We still do have private clubs in America that can discriminate based on race. But I think what's important about this debate is not written into any specific 'gotcha' on this, but asking the question: What about freedom of speech? Should we limit speech from people we find abhorrent? Should we limit racists from speaking? . . . I don't want to be associated with those people, but I also don't want to limit their speech in any way in the sense that we tolerate boorish a nd uncivilized behavior because that's one of the things freedom requires."

Source

But yeah I definitely disagree with Ron Paul when he says that he wouldn't have voted for the Civil Rights act, and that people have the right to discriminate on their property. He explains why and he has his reasons, but that's something I just can't agree with him on. That as well as his stance on taxes are what I disagree with him on, but just about everything else I agree with.

Originally posted by Flatfish

Originally posted by TupacShakur
reply to post by Flatfish

 

Ron Paul is not really that different from Rick Perry with the exception of his stance on war. Ron Paul talks out of both sides of his mouth just like every other Texas politician.

No way, Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:

He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.

He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.

He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.

edit on 25-8-2011 by TupacShakur because: To edit my post

Yeah well, he also believes that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional and he has stated that he would not have voted in favor of the civil rights act. He also supports the idea that private businesses should have the right to discriminate. As a teenager, I briefly worked in a business that did just that and I refuse to tolerate such behavior in society.

Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional, along with the Civil Rights Act. Does he think they are bad things? No. He merely thinks the way they came about were unconstitutional and caused an unnecessary expansion of the federal government when the states could have solved the issues in a way they saw fit.

reply to post by BrianC


Any politician that even hints a revamping the social security, medicare, medicaid is doomed in today's geriatric political climate. Don't even think about touching my parents medicare.
The blue hairs would vote for Hitler if he promised an decrease in medical costs, ex, co-pays.

The GOP can demonize Obama until they are blue in the face but all he has to do to be reelected is point out the GOPs stance on medicare and social security.

The GOP needs to come up with a viable alternative and quick.

reply to post by whaaa


So we should support puppets to gain support of the sheep?