Op Ed: Braggin’

Ed Note: A gentleman reader submitted an article for inclusion in desktodirt in response to “Let them eat cake.” It is published below.

Should other reader’s want to submit Op Ed pieces please forward them for consideration, subject to edit. Think of that to include what used to be called maintaining family values. Thanks.

 

When asking, “what’s gone wrong in America?” one needs to look at California, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey.  Four states on the verge of bankruptcy, begging for bailouts.  How did they get to this point?  There are a few common threads.  High state income taxes have sent businesses heading for the hills.  Labor unions either in the private sector (United Autoworkers) or the public sector (Service Employers Unions, Teachers Unions) dominate industry and legislatures and have created unfunded liabilities (retirement packages and health benefits) that neither industry nor the states can ever sustain.  Political correctness and cushy treatment of prisoners has handcuffed police and created an environment in which crime pays.  Corruption within the state governments is rampant (Patterson, NY, Corzine, NJ, Blagojevich, Ill, just to point out a few).  Although California has acted on out of control tort awards, they stifle business in the other states.

Now, lets look at a different but more successful model.  Texas is growing and acquiring more new businesses than any state in the Union.  What is the attraction?  No state income tax, perhaps.  A right to work state, Texas has little to no influence from labor unions, private or service.  Less than 2 % of Texas teachers claim union membership!  Texas is tougher on crime than most states, having the distinction, good or bad, of executing more capital criminals than all other states combined.  Political correctness is not as popular as in most places and recently a citizen who shot and killed two illegal aliens breaking into his neighbor’s home was no billed by the local grand jury.  Certainly, Texas can not claim an absence of corruption in state government, but it is unique in that it is constituted to be more laissez-faire, hands off and, truthfully, weaker than most.  The Texas legislature meets for six months every two years.  The elected representatives are not highly paid and must depend on making their livelihood in the real world.  Recent tort reform as also created a more business friendly atmosphere.

When looking at the federal government and all the problems it faces, doesn’t it make sense to analyze what works and what doesn’t?  For so long we have heard “as goes California, so goes the USA”.  Do we want to jump off the same cliff or perhaps, stop and change paths?  I suggest we look at Texas.

But then again, I’m just braggin’.

Guest Bob

Native Texan