Texas has a booming economy and should be a model for Fed Gov't!

[PSGator66]

I realize that the current administration doesn't believe in cutting spending but maybe they ought to consider what is happening in Texas.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013...return-excess/

[108]

not every state has the good fortune of its land being above massive oil reserves

texas also leads the nation in lowest average wage, and those making minimum wage

they no doubt are winning the race to the bottom

[rivergator]

from 2011:

According to a recent analysis in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, state debt grew by 282 percent over the last decade, a slightly faster rate of increase than the ostensibly more profligate federal government.
Read more at http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articl...0XvpwyaQHys.99

[gatorev12]

Originally Posted by rivergator

from 2011:

From the article:

Two years ago, he declared there would be "no sacred cows" immune to deep budget cuts as the state struggled with a $27 billion budget deficit amid an economy still feeling the effects of The Great Recession.
Lawmakers responded by passing deep cuts across-the-board, including slashing $5.4 billion from public schools.
The economic picture has since brightened substantially, with sales tax receipts up, unemployment down and the oil and gas industry humming. Yet early draft budgets proposed in the Texas House and Senate were so austere that they would leave about $5.5 billion in projected state revenue unspent and do nothing to restore the 2011 cuts.

...so, yes, Texas racked up a big deficit from 01-11...and promptly responded with across-the-board cuts...which has led to much a much more promising across-the-board economic picture.

[surfn1080]

Originally Posted by rivergator

from 2011:

River posting old news with out doing research first? That never happens!

/end sarcasm

[G8trGr8t]

Sounds silly to say but the West Texas oil boom is really just beginning. Lots of oil there that will be recoverable with current technology. Very prolific shale layers there just beginning to be explored. Would be nice to own a few thousand acres of mineral rights in that scrubland about now. Pipelines to get that oil to Southern California refineries that need the light sweet are in the works too

[Dreamliner]

Flying over Texas, on the way to LA, I was struck by how vast and empty it is. You could double the population and it would still be vast and empty.

[QGator2414]

I sure hope Florida does not fall for the propaganda against Scott as we need to be able to compete with Texas...

[gatorev12]

Originally Posted by G8trGr8t

Sounds silly to say but the West Texas oil boom is really just beginning. Lots of oil there that will be recoverable with current technology. Very prolific shale layers there just beginning to be explored. Would be nice to own a few thousand acres of mineral rights in that scrubland about now. Pipelines to get that oil to Southern California refineries that need the light sweet are in the works too

It'd be far cheaper (and largely use existing pipelines or infrastructure) to ship that oil to Houston or Louisiana and the refineries there.

But yes--the shale oil deposits in Texas are immense and could easily be among the largest in the planet.

Only downside: how to get water down there. Most of the shale oil deposits are found in extremely arid areas of the state and you need to import water from other areas of the state (which has been suffering from an extreme drought over the last several years).

Part of why Texas racked up such a huge deficit in the first place was due to investing in water management and other technologies to increase the availability of water for its growing population--along with growing demand from industry for water needed to blast through the shale layers to reach the oil.

[secgator]

Originally Posted by surfn1080

River posting old news with out doing research first? That never happens!

/end sarcasm

between river and 108, anything to try and dispel a conservative (cut spending) approach which is working at the govt level--no surprise.

Just waiting for Fred to jump in and display his envy for the wealthy folks in Texas to cap the whole scenario off.

[fredsanford]

Texas is one of the top offenders in the "red states that take a lot of federal funding from blue states" derby.

Plus, in Perry's Texas, everything is for sale if you make him a campaign contribution.

[MastaG8r]

Like clockwork.....

[G8trGr8t]

Originally Posted by gatorev12

It'd be far cheaper (and largely use existing pipelines or infrastructure) to ship that oil to Houston or Louisiana and the refineries there.

But yes--the shale oil deposits in Texas are immense and could easily be among the largest in the planet.

Only downside: how to get water down there. Most of the shale oil deposits are found in extremely arid areas of the state and you need to import water from other areas of the state (which has been suffering from an extreme drought over the last several years).

Part of why Texas racked up such a huge deficit in the first place was due to investing in water management and other technologies to increase the availability of water for its growing population--along with growing demand from industry for water needed to blast through the shale layers to reach the oil.

Gulf coast refiners use cheaper lower quality sour crude from Canada and Venezuela and they invested billions to be able to do it. Coastal refineries didn't build the big cokers so better prices are possible shipping it to coasts to replace imported Brent Sea oil

[G8trGr8t]

Originally Posted by gatorev12

It'd be far cheaper (and largely use existing pipelines or infrastructure) to ship that oil to Houston or Louisiana and the refineries there.

But yes--the shale oil deposits in Texas are immense and could easily be among the largest in the planet.

Only downside: how to get water down there. Most of the shale oil deposits are found in extremely arid areas of the state and you need to import water from other areas of the state (which has been suffering from an extreme drought over the last several years).

Part of why Texas racked up such a huge deficit in the first place was due to investing in water management and other technologies to increase the availability of water for its growing population--along with growing demand from industry for water needed to blast through the shale layers to reach the oil.

And they can frack with liquid Nat gas if water becomes a major cost factor. Read up on Gasfrac. Interesting stuff.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by MastaG8r

Like clockwork.....

I know. It's sad.

[reformedgator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

I know. It's sad.

I think that tinfoil hat he wears is permanently attached.

[MastaG8r]

Originally Posted by reformedgator

I think that tinfoil hat he wears is permanently attached.

It is attached, now that he got himself one of those badass tinfoil hoodies.

[bluelang]

Rick Perry tried running on that same platform. How'd it work out for him?

Texas' "prosperity" is paper thin and doesn't survive even the most modest of sniff tests. It's also a giant miserable wasteland of practically free housing.

[gatorev12]

Originally Posted by G8trGr8t

And they can frack with liquid Nat gas if water becomes a major cost factor. Read up on Gasfrac. Interesting stuff.

That is interesting--thanks for the tip

[surfn1080]

Originally Posted by bluelang

Rick Perry tried running on that same platform. How'd it work out for him?

Texas' "prosperity" is paper thin and doesn't survive even the most modest of sniff tests. It's also a giant miserable wasteland of practically free housing.

It's easy to spit anything out without any hard evidence eh? Lets make it sound good and everyone will believe it....