If it ain't a mess, it'll do till the mess gets here

April 15, 2008 10:53 PM

Statistics compiled by State Senator Eliot Shapleigh in the state's annual ranking, entitled "Texas on the Brink" report dreary news in just about all categories used to characterize standards of living, from education to health to enfranchisement.

Statistics were compiled from the Census Bureau, the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency and a number of bipartisan foundations.

posted by Blazecock Pileon (15 comments total)

How much of this is due to Texas's policies, and how much is due to Texas's geography? If more immigrants (documented or otherwise) come and settle in Texas, that's bound to impact the average education level, income, etc. A lot of these comparisons seem apples-to-oranges: Texas has a huge influx of largely poor immigrants from the south, but the only immigrants to Minnesota are from Wisconsin.
posted by Leon-arto at 11:23 PM on April 15, 2008

Ack! My computer froze up on the pdf link, but I can surmise what it must have said. Texas is notorious for its bad leadership. I wish Molly Ivins were still around to expose them - RIP Molly.
posted by amyms at 11:53 PM on April 15, 2008

and apparently it's not just cults abusing people in TX these days.
posted by ornate insect at 12:22 AM on April 16, 2008

Shit like this doesn't help. at all.

That $415 million number is actually closer to a billion. They fudged the numbers internally as best they could. I was there in those days. What a clusterfuck. We're hearing of 6-8 month backups on people getting their benefits in some places now. When they got to half a bil spent internally on this program, the Lege basically said roll it out whether it works or not, as too much money had already been spent to scrap the whole thing entirely. They did, it didn't, and it is only going to get worse for a great many people in this state.
posted by First Post at 12:27 AM on April 16, 2008

newer link. Less than half of all non-SAVERR food stamp cases (and 63% of Medicaid) are meeting federal guidelines, and workers are (still) leaving the agency in droves.

It's definitely the policies (and the people in charge of making them). Look at those stats in the FPP for health care. That is just piss poor.
posted by First Post at 12:39 AM on April 16, 2008

It says that TX ranks first in percent of mortgages that are subprime. But shows that Texas is managing pretty well, compared to a bunch of other places.
posted by Pants! at 5:43 AM on April 16, 2008

Pretend I closed my tags.
posted by Pants! at 5:44 AM on April 16, 2008

It looks like it's time for somebody to come back and govern the heck out of that state.
posted by Kibbutz at 6:36 AM on April 16, 2008

...but the only immigrants to Minnesota are from Wisconsin.

Not true.

It looks like it's time for somebody to come back and govern the heck out of that state.

Boy, I'll say.

I hate to be That Guy, Kibbutz, but I think your link was borked.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:46 AM on April 16, 2008

Interesting that this posts makes it here on the same day I'm leaving Texas. I mean I've actually got a moving truck out in the back yard and will be driving out in a couple of hours. I'm not leaving because of the reasons cited in this post, but I've been aware of those things and have become quite disillusioned over the years by the monumentally business-oriented, under-the-table politics that go on in Texas. The immigration situation seems to be way out of control here, and I agree that's probably skewing the numbers some.
posted by crapmatic at 7:26 AM on April 16, 2008

Hey

Hate to be cranky yankee guy here...but I figure they got what they prayed for in their Pentacostal churches.

As far as immigrants, I don't think it is too much to expect of elected officials to realize they live on a border, and this should have been something they were worried about about a hundred years ago, and not turn it into some big hoopla today.

I have only been through texas a couple of times. but during both trips, I met nothing but very dim guys, in big hats, and bigger belt buckles. Honest I wasn't on a stupid redneck tour or anything, just passin through, and thats who I met.

Im sure if I got into the bigger cities etc there would be a better mix of folks.

Still, Texas, and much of the south seems like a backwater to me. No offense or anything, but everything south of Memphis just seems like all those retarded cousins you don't talk about out loud. It pains me to know there are some great minds and people down there, and all I ever hear of is the latest Grand Knight of the Klan, and who ever just got drafted to a professional sports team.

I know there must be some sentience down there, but I haven't heard much of late.

Just sayin, I aint moving to Texas anytime soon,
posted by timsteil at 10:55 AM on April 16, 2008

In unrelated news, Texas census bureaus recently began, for the first time, to include the local latino population in their polls.
posted by shmegegge at 11:29 AM on April 16, 2008

No boots, no cowboy hat, no belt buckles. Most of those here who do are frauds. And poor ones at that.
posted by Senator at 11:30 AM on April 16, 2008

It seems to me that State and Federal legislation on immigration causes a section of the population to be left out. If you are kicked around and under constant threat, poverty and ignorance are logical effects. It effects the oppressed and the oppressors. Look at the effect of Jim Crowe on the South. If you make people feel safe and welcomed, they will have energy to devote to bettering their lives instead of surviving hand-to-mouth. I really don't want to be a citizen of a country that discourages immigration by making living conditions here worse than the money-poor country they want out of.
posted by Foam Pants at 1:47 PM on April 16, 2008

timsteil

Wow. Just wow.
posted by Sangermaine at 8:50 PM on April 16, 2008