1.
A critical policy issue for the State of Texas in the coming decade is which programs is the State going to
cut in order to not raise taxes. Property taxes, which are already high and are dedicated to local
funding, actually devalue land due to their hidden cost. Sales taxes discourage businesses from entering
the Texas marketplace – having to handle not only collecting Texas taxes but also realizing that their
products are priced higher than competitive imports from other states and close-by nations (Mexico,
Canada, Caribbean, Central America). With a lack of an effective business tax and a Constitutionallymandated block on an income or wealth tax, there really are no other options to raise additional funds.
Therefore, what is on the chopping block? Education? Health services? Roads? Safety? All of these
things have been cut previously. Where is the “fat” as they say?
https://ballotpedia.org/Public_policy_in_Texas
https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/set/most-important-issue-facing-texas-august-2021
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/ten-ways-to-fix-texas/
2.
The State of Texas, acting through the Legislature and the Governor, are doing an excellent job in
diluting the Hispanic vote. In a state where people regularly do not vote anyway, they are ensuring that
the Hispanic vote, even if they as a population group begin to vote, will be diluted and will not reflect
any sort of legislative representative population for at least the next decade.
https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2021/texas-redistrictingmap/?_ga=2.109086661.1103983952.1635894596-204679921.1635894596
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/01/texas-redistrictingmaps/?_ga=2.150063990.1103983952.1635894596-204679921.1635894596
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/25/2021-texas-redistrictingexplained/?_ga=2.47827047.1103983952.1635894596-204679921.1635894596
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/18/texas-redistricting-lawsuit/
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/15/texas-legislature-redistricting/
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/14/texas-house-redistricting-rio-grande-valley/
3.
To be honest, nothing regarding the State of Texas really surprises me now. Instead of taking personal
or professional responsibility, the people meant to represent our interests rather deflect blame and say
a fictitious spirit did things instead of them; instead of protecting people or property:
https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/San-Antonio-s-CPS-Energy-blames-acts-of16089291.php
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/05/18/after-debating-theology-senate-oks-gender-careban-young-texans/5150720001/
https://www.politico.com/story/2010/05/perry-oil-spill-may-be-act-of-god-036691
The lack of respect and trust that they engender is tremendous. I am very cynical about our current
State government because they refuse to live in the real world. And yet the real fools are the people,
who keep electing them. I do not have any trust the state government; they do not have my, my
family’s, or the people’s interests or welfare as their focus at all. Such is a non-competitive one-party
rule state/country.
At this point I’d sweep out the state government and start over again. New constitution; new systems.
4.
The Texas Tribune, available online at https://www.texastribune.org/
5.
One word: water. The lack of water out west. The excess water we receive in the south. The change in
climate causing both extremes to increase and to flip (as it did a few years ago in Houston where it killed
off a good chunk of Memorial Park). The increase in population in the State where not only is there
more demand for water but also more demand for land, creating hardscape and less areas to store
water, to move water when it needs to be drained, to prevent damage to food and people. All the
water in Texas is allocated and claimed under surface and underground rights. How are we going to
allocate and handle water – potable and non-potable – in the future?