Economist Says Changing Texas Demos Will Bring Changes — More Like California? Texas-Bound U-Hauls Pricier Than California-Bound
Christopher Lockwood says our low taxes and light regulation have helped get us where we are — probably the best place to be in the U.S. right now. 150,000 people are moving to Texas each year, while they are leaving New York and California in droves. (The second best place to be right now may be D.C., where lawmakers are turning out greenbacks faster than than people can unpack a moving van.) The recession didn’t hit us ’till last fall, and even though almost everyone of us knows someone who has been laid off, Texas unemployment is at 7.1%. We’ve got a state surplus, our foreclosure problem isn’t devastating, and the Texaplex — D/FW, Houston, San Antonio/Austin – is one of the nation’s most dynamic regions. The only problem I had with Lockwood’s article was — not a problem, really — Joel Kotkin’s bullishness on Houston over Dallas, but I am trying to lure Mr. Kotkin to Dallas to show him first-hand why we are so much better.
On the negative side, we have many problems: education, high percentage of un-insured (stemming from illegal immigration), more Medicaid babies born in Texas than anywhere else.
“Texas spends less on each of its citizens than does any other state. Being a low-tax, low-spend state has not made Texans rich, though they are not dirt-poor either; their median income ranks 37th among the 50 states.”
To which I chirp in: spending money is not the answer — look at the Dallas public schools, look at California. It’s how you spend it— smart spending where it pops. (Sorry, I get so weary of the “let’s throw money at it” response.) Another great take-away from this piece: we need to watch it bigtime.
“Get it wrong, and Texas could follow California (which “flipped” from Republican to Democratic control in part thanks to rapid immigration) down the road of high taxes and excessive regulation. This route has bankrupted California and is prompting a net 100,000 people to leave each year.”
We like it that the U-Hauls to Houston cost three times as much as a U-Haul to LA, despite the glam.
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