Liberals try to discredit the Lone Star State's economic suc

archer wrote:

SS109 wrote:

archer wrote: And that has what to do with the crappy Texas education system? It was bad enough when I lived there, from all indications and from what has been reported, it is even worse now. I know.....everything bad in this country is because of illegal aliens.....what a convenient way to avoid the facts, especially about what Rick Perry has done to Texas.

You haven't got your new Dem talking point. The Texas Governor is just a figurehead, so none of these jobs or poor education, etc are his fault.

Is that the new Republican talking point? Perry didn't cause all the problems in Texas, he's just a figurehead? Isn't that just like conservatives, take credit for what goes right, and blame democrats for what goes wrong.

Actually the Republicans don't talk about the bad side of Texas's economy. No state income tax came before Perry, Perry did help get tort reform through which inspired doctors fleeing high malpractice insurance rates to come to Texas. And by decreasing regulations, might have kept jobs in America that could have gone to China and India.

I love how they trot out the "no state income tax", as if that suggests that Texans, therefore, pay less in taxes. No, Texas just shifted the burden to homeowners, and they pay the difference in property taxes:

Texas Property Taxes Third Highest in Nation, Percentage of Median Value

I know we don’t have a state income tax, but when it comes to property taxes, Texas lines up right behind Connecticut and New Jersey, some of the “tax-iest” states in the union. Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Westchester County taxpayers pay the very highest property taxes in the nation – no shocker there. But is it surprising that the average Texan pays more than the national average in property taxes?

From the Tax Foundation:

“The top 10 states for median real estate taxes as a percentage of median home value are, from 1 to 10: New Jersey (1.89%); New Hampshire (1.86%), Texas (1.81%); Wisconsin (1.76%); Nebraska (1.76%); Illinois (1.73%); Connecticut (1.63%); Michigan (1.62%); Vermont (1.59%); and North Dakota (1.42%).”

:indifferent: :Whistle

Schools still have to be paid for; highways still have to be built and maintained; utilities still have to be provided; fire/police/ambulance services still have to be provided, etc. The money comes from somewhere... So, let's soak the property owners?

Rick Perry Wrestles With Health Care Stance, Opposition to Obamacare

WASHINGTON -- Texas would be among the biggest beneficiaries of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, standing to gain coverage for nearly 4 million uninsured residents.

But Gov. Rick Perry blocked moves to lay the groundwork for that expansion of coverage, and among the alternatives he's supported is an untested regional solution that could prove as controversial as Obama's remake.

Texas has received various grants under Obama's law for planning, insurance regulation and consumer education. The state employee benefits system says it expects to draw $60 million in federal subsidies this year to help cover its early retirees, cashing in on a provision of the law.

That still leaves Texas with the nation's lowest rate of insurance coverage, even when compared to other states that have high immigrant populations. Experts say one of the key problems is a relatively low level of employer-sponsored private coverage. Many of the Texans who would gain coverage under Obama's law would be middle-class workers and their families, newly eligible to join the exchange.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/2 ... 32838.html

Yeah, Texas is so great under Perry... 4 million uninsured residents; lowest rate of insurance coverage...But they're still sucking $60 million at the Government tit, all the while decrying the "Federal Government spending"...

Hypocrisy, thy name is Perry... "Who you going to believe? Me or your own two eyes?"


We'll pause here for you to wait for your next "rumor" or your "I've got a friend who says ______" moment of enlightenment.

Well people are moving into Texas much more than other states.... I guess it's because they want to be miserable.

Or maybe they're falling for all the hype. Me? Been there, done that. I can do without triple digit summers.

I left in 1974... I still thank my lucky stars that I did... I do my best not to let on that I was born there... The "Land of the Bubbas" is nothing to be proud of.