If Loving Texas is Wrong...

I was technically born in Baton Rouge, and I say technically because as soon as my Dad graduated LSU, we headed for Texas, which has been home since I couldn't change my own diapers. And it probably will be until I reach that point again.

And, I love my state, in spite of its leadership. I love the history, particularly as we are at the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, which, in the book "Fourteen Minutes," historian Stephen Moore called one of the pivotal battles in the 19th century. I love the breadth of its landscape from the Piney Woods to the Hill Country. I love most of the people here for their unpretentious view of life in general.

Now ask me about Austin. In my very first batch of scribblings for this august collection of writers, I talked about the leadership here...

Texas, Our... Oh, Texas

So, the path forward will look a lot like the path just traveled. We can count on more wailing and gnashing of teeth over CRT, cancel culture and whatever our fearless leaders deem to be “woke.”

Texas Outlaw WritersRoger T. Gray

...and for the most part, it hasn't changed since I wrote that in 2022. That was pretty much near the end of the Covid pandemic, and initially, Governor Ironside showed some actual independence. He put rules in place for mask-wearing and public gatherings, for example. And as soon as the MAGA faithful showed a bit of pushback, he folded like a cheap suitcase.

Then there is the more recent health crisis in the form of a measles outbreak in West Texas. Describing an exceptional display of craven timorousness, the Texas Tribune reported at the time...

But neither Gov. Greg Abbott nor lawmakers from the hardest hit areas have addressed the outbreak publicly in press conferences, social media posts or public calls for people to consider getting vaccinated. State and local authorities in West Texas have not yet enacted more significant measures that other places have adopted during outbreaks, like excluding unvaccinated students from school before they are exposed, or enforcing quarantine after exposure.

Why? Pure, pusillanimous cowardice in the face of the idiotic, RFK Jr. inspired attitudes toward modern medicine. If Kennedy recommended leeches, Abbott would have some dug up for a TV demo.

And how about the most powerful figure in the state government, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick? Here's what I wrote four years ago...

Then there's Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. Personal note: I worked for and was a business partner with Dan, and, like Oscar Levant's comment that he knew Doris Day before she was a virgin, I actually knew Dan before he became Mr. Hyde. And, by the way, I wouldn't recommend the business partner part to anyone.

And, let me reiterate that "don't go into business with Dan" part. Dan's right-wing talk host persona has served him well and nowhere better than the impeachment hearings on Attorney General Ken Paxton, who makes the old rural aphorism "Crooked as a dog's hind leg" seem like a compliment. With Paxton's mistress actually waiting in the wings to testify, Dan managed to weasel his way through to an acquittal.

The only silver lining to that debacle is that if MAGA voters give Paxton the Senate nomination over John Cornyn, it offers the Democrat, James Talerico, who looks like a guy you knew in 9th grade, a chance in the general election.

In line with the right-wing antipathy toward public education, this pair of deuces pushed through a bill using education money to fund vouchers for students to attend private school. I wrote about that as well. The fact is, though, the $10,000 provided with the voucher is still short of the private elementary school average tuition cost of $13,142 per year and the private high school average of $14,497 per year.

Those wealthy enough to bridge that gap are no doubt, happy about the state help. But they probably didn't need it to begin with.

And of course, that robs education funding of much-needed dollars, as does the current fight against property taxes. Some, like Patrick, would like to reduce them to zero, but they are the main funding mechanism for local education. So, where do we make that up?

But we can cut costs in education by just offering movies in lieu of history, which Patrick doesn't much like anyway, at least not the unsavory parts. Just run the John Wayne version of "The Alamo" instead. You know, the one where Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa, of "Bridge on the River Kwai" played Santa Anna.

History for Grownups, Not Politicians | Texas Outlaw Writers

We all know that wonderful line in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” that “when the facts meet the legend, print the legend.” And legends are what these politicos want to promote, no matter how slanted and incomplete that history is.

Texas Outlaw WritersRoger T. Gray

Our power couple in Austin has also not had the courage to say no to Trump's border wall through Big Bend National Park. That particular desecration in an area with few if any illegal crossings ought to be a slam dunk "NO" for any leader of Texas.

Then there is energy and water in the state. The city of Corpus Christi is just about out of water, and others aren't far behind. Solutions to Texas water needs due to population growth and climate change-induced drought will cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Will state leaders, who almost to a man deny climate change even exists, be up to the challenge, even when big tech is offering billions in investment in water and power-intensive data centers?

Oh, and then there is power. The comically named Electrical Reliability Council of Texas manages our electric grid, which is ever-so proud to say we are independent of any other grid that might be able to help in the event of, oh, maybe a winter storm that kills a few hundred people.

To prepare, Abbott and Patrick have a plan to revive incentives for more power production. Well, as long as it isn't renewable. Yep, only natural gas or nuclear need apply. Senator Bryan Hughes of Mineola said...

“Let me be clear. If there is a proposal for a new economic development program, to give incentives, if it has wind and solar, I’m not just gonna vote no. I’m gonna do everything I can to kill it. I can tell you that will not pass the Texas Senate with wind and solar in it.”

Meanwhile, Texas has more wind and solar energy than any other state, and unlike buying natural gas, oil, coal or any other energy source, the actual energy cost is zero.

The far-sighted former Texas Land Commissioner, and proud Republican, Jerry Patterson, simply doesn't understand. Every day he publishes the energy chart from ERCOT and as I write this, here is today's...

Seventy-five percent of the juice we used today came from wind and solar, both of which are free. So, why the antipathy? How about MAGA hatred for windmills and oodles of campaign cash?

And of course, being pretentiously religious, they have gotten the Legislature, full of pretentiously religious types, to mandate the Ten Commandments be posted in public schools. Interestingly, though, not the Beatitudes...

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit, ...
• Blessed are those who mourn, ...
• Blessed are the meek, ...
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, ...
• Blessed are the merciful, ...
• Blessed are the pure in heart, ...
• Blessed are the peacemakers, ...
• Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness...

You know, that meek and mild stuff.

But old habits die hard, and this crowd will no doubt continue running the joint for the foreseeable future. Even if these clowns cost us more for power, water, and education, they are our clowns, damnit!