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

[gatorev12]

Originally Posted by bluelang

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

His campaign bogging down had more to do with him not being prepared to handle the constant crush of the national spotlight rather than an empty platform.

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.

Not really...their economic numbers and state unemployment are far better than the national average--and especially since the recession began in 2008:

http://www.deptofnumbers.com/unemployment/texas/

Given that Texas has so consistently performed better than the national average in addressing the recession and improving their economy in tough economic times, it's worthwhile considering how they've been able to accomplish what they've done. Especially since they have the second-largest state economy in the US.

[bluelang]

Originally Posted by surfn1080

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

If you think a "good economy" is poor-paying jobs built on poverty and no chance for betterment of future generations - while living among the fattest people in America in a stinky, miserable humid desert - feel free to join them.

Texas ranks 50th among the states in the percentage of its population 25 or older with a high school diploma, per capita spending on mental health, the percentage of non-elderly women with health insurance, the percentage of pregnant women who receive prenatal care and share of its workforce – 76 percent – covered by workers’ compensation.It’s No. 1 in executions, share of its population that lacks health insurance and five categories of air pollution — nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, mercury emissions, volatile organic compounds and particulates.
Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, said Texas can’t seem to shake miserable rankings.
Naishtat, the group’s treasurer, cited how the state was tied with Florida as No. 1 in the share of children who are uninsured — 18 percent — and tied with Alabama as fourth-highest in child poverty at 32 percent, according to 2008-09 census data.
“We often hear our leaders brag about what a great state Texas is for business. Sadly, the same does not hold true for Texas children,” he said.
Former Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth, R-Burleson, said the booklet ignores positive trends in Texas, such as job creation and population growth.
“This report makes for some interesting trivia. But if Texas is such a horrible place, why have 4.5 million people moved here in the last decade?” asked Wohlgemuth, executive director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which advocates for smaller government. “What people care most about are jobs, and on that measurement, Texas ranks first.”

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state...ocrats-say.ece

[bluelang]

Look, if all you want is a job, move to Brazil or Singapore. You can shovel feces all day for a few cents an hour and be super proud of yourself. They have amazing economic growth, too.

I personally have higher standards for America. Economic "prosperity" on the back of wage slavery is just another form of bubble economics. At some point those people are going to age out and you're going to have to pay the piper.

[108]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

I know. It's sad.

yes, its sad that people add some missing detail

[bluelang]

Look back on the housing and tech bubbles and one thing becomes very apparent: economic growth in a vacuum is not a success metric. Sustainability is the key to success. Is Texas' economy sustainable?

Those poor people are going to start voting eventually.

[gatorev12]

Originally Posted by bluelang

Look, if all you want is a job, move to Brazil or Singapore. You can shovel feces all day for a few cents an hour and be super proud of yourself. They have amazing economic growth, too.

I personally have higher standards for America. Economic "prosperity" on the back of wage slavery is just another form of bubble economics. At some point those people are going to age out and you're going to have to pay the piper.

Problem is: not everyone is a perfect fit for high-paying, super-skilled jobs. For one, those tend to be jobs that require a lot of education and schooling...and not everyone in this country has the motivation or the desire to obtain advanced degrees.

How many young adults are buried in student debt because the social expectations forced them to get a college degree when they weren't a good fit for college? Lacking the will or the maturity to successfully complete a four-year degree, many students stretch their studies out for 5-6 years, taking on still-more loans in the process. When the smarter option would have been to accept an entry-level position out of high school and worked your way up? Or attend a two-year skills college and obtain employment in a trade job in half the time and with half the debt?

At some level, you're going to need to have low-skilled a medium-skilled labor in order to be a viable, functioning economy. Otherwise, the pure economic reality in this age of globalization is that it'll be cheaper to outsource those low-skilled/medium-skilled jobs to other countries--and, like you, I'd much prefer as many jobs to stay in the US as possible. Because, while admirable, it's not realistic to aim for everyone to have a $65,000+K a year job.

[northgagator]

Originally Posted by bluelang

Look, if all you want is a job, move to Brazil or Singapore. You can shovel feces all day for a few cents an hour and be super proud of yourself. They have amazing economic growth, too.

I personally have higher standards for America. Economic "prosperity" on the back of wage slavery is just another form of bubble economics. At some point those people are going to age out and you're going to have to pay the piper.

I don't understand your comment about shoveling poop in Singapore. Are you saying the economy of Singapore dies not produce paying jobs?

As for your comments on slave wages in Texas you have to realize that world is undergoing an economic revolution.

In the past twenty years manufacture has sprung up all over the world. Prior to 1960 most consumer and durable goods were manufactured in North America or Europe.

In the 1960's and 70's the first shot of that revolution was fired. Japan and later Korea made their presence known in the manufacture in both consumer and durable goods. Both countries start eating into the World market that North America and Europe had to themselves for a hundred plus years.

In the early to the mid 1980's the Japan and Korea (the new kids on the block) were using their assets (latest technology, new factories, work ethic, lower wages) very well. So well that many US industries had to contract due to a loss of market share. This contraction gave birth to the rust belt. Many older factories from the east coast to the west coast were padlocked and shuttered.

The next shot of the revolution was fired when India, Indonesia, and China became and industrial and high tech powers. These new powers have the advantages of business friendly governments, lower cost of living, newer factories, natural resources (rare metals), and being closer to some key markets than the US.

The US has the disadvantages of a non-business friendly gov't, restrictive union agreements, overly aggressive environmental policies, higher cost of living, and in some case a poor work ethic coupled with a sense of entitlement.

Harping about wages is not going to do any good. Wage hikes will only make the US less competitive. We need a gov't that allows businesses to be competitive and at the same time stay within the law. As a culture we need to shift gears. In many areas our work ethic sucks. Our work ethic has to be one where we show up at work wanting to make the company money instead of showing up for a paycheck. In other words we need to improve productivity. If we want move money for our work then we have to increase the value of our work.

It is a competitive world market out there. The day of having a guaranteed market because of the "Made in USA" stamp is over. We need to work harder and smarter. Our gov't, work force, and business need to be working partners instead of advisories.

[gatorev12]

Originally Posted by northgagator

It is a competitive world market out there. The day of having a guaranteed market because of the "Made in USA" stamp is over. We need to work harder and smarter. Our gov't, work force, and business need to be working partners instead of advisories.

+100000000.

I try and "Buy American" as often as possible to support American jobs and companies...but as you stated, it's a competitive world and we need adjustments in expectations and attitudes if American companies and American jobs are going to remain successful in an increasingly competitive global economy.

[madgator]

simple rule I was told at a young age


when the economy is good in the country overall...the economy is bad in Texas

when the economy is bad for the country overall.....the economy is good in Texas



been that ways for a long long time.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by 108

yes, its sad that people add some missing detail

Like making stuff up. Texas only gets back 80 cents of every dollar it remits to the feds.

[bluelang]

Originally Posted by northgagator

We should race to the bottom.

If this strategy actually worked then the solution to all of our problems would be zero corporate taxes and no minimum wage. But municipalities that implement these policies do not fare statistically better than others in the absence of bubble motivators (ore strikes, oil, etc). Why?

[wargunfan]

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.

Maybe Obama can get the environmental lobby to allow a water pipeline from the Great Lakes to Texas.