Great article! I have been saying since around 2000, when Governor Abbott was using critical race theory to scare the white people into voting Republican. I would tell people the the Republicans have had control of public education since 1995; why did they put that curriculum in? They didn’t and. It’s not being taught in public schools because the Texas Government tells teachers what to teach. Just like in the article the GOP said they would lower taxes! Only for the rich! Praying that this article gets into a lot of Texans hands. Too many do not realize that our problems in Texas are caused by the greedy. The false christians using their god against the people. 🤬
It is so very rich that Mr. Maryland, who ruthlessly primaried other Republicans because they crossed him on his donors' pet projects is ordering the Republican voters of those districts to fall in line behind himself-the guy who took away their choice for representative. All the transplanted Republican MAGA leaders ever do is define their own voters' identity for them and then demand that those voters do whatever this conveniently concocted identity supposedly requires them to do. I am so tired of seeing Cruz and Patrick, who are not only not from Texas but who also do not fit in socially with the people of Texas demand Texans bow down to them. They really have lost the plot on Texans. We do not take well to bullying.
I agree Texas Republicans aren't as strong as they think they are. As they have consolidated control from statehouse to county and city, they have detached themselves from the reality of real people. They seem to be in denial about the fact that hurting people economically over and over and then telling them to lump it and like it will eventually backfire. As they say, even a rabbit will fight when it is cornered.
Michelle, I think you are underestimating R strength. I attended the SBOE meeting on Tuesday. For days, TPPF had been posting videos telling people that the Islamic terrorists are going to show up at this meeting and ram sharia law down our throats. All their propaganda worked. The boomer battalion showed up in force holding their TPPF talking points for public testimony, holding hands and praying. Even the Patriot Academy students showed up.
Given all that, given all the big "no kings" rallies, we still only posted 25% turnout for the primary races, total, statewide. We can only win if the 18-40 show up and so far, they aren't, but the boomers are, in force. The Texas Democratic party needs to start talking to this age group, posting to this age group, educating them on what is at stake, giving them the truth, because, and I think you know this, the far right is talking to them right now, especially the males.
I’ll never underestimate them, but I will always be optimistic about the future.
I’m aware of the SBOE meeting. What a shit show that was, even heard about some of the harassment people were getting in halls. It’s the exact same stuff that happened in 2015.
But remember, in a state of 31.5 million people, they’re actually still a minority.
Oh they are going full on anti Muslim right now. Just rinse and repeat the old playbook right here in CD 6, so gerrymandered it now has almost all of Irving. Same old do nothing fear mongering.
As you and I have talked about before I believe, this property tax bullshit is nothing but a shiny object held out in front of everyone in Texas to distract from the real problem.
The real problem is that local control of local taxes has been lost. That combined with 154 unfunded mandates that counties must adhere to our bankrupting rural counties and devastating urban.
Twenty years ago 80% of local property taxes stayed in the county and were used to fund road schools, etc. etc. Over the last twenty years 67% of local property taxes has been funneled to Austin so Abbott and his rich friends can have no bid contracts.
At the same time, unfunded mandates have come from Austin requiring counties to, for instance, provide healthcare for indigent gel populations. Across the nation, our county jails are now the state mental hospitals. In addition, they have removed Medicaid or the counties could instantly place the indigent jail population on Medicaid and not absorbed the cost.
None of this is sexy, and that’s why it’s not being talked about. But that’s what is bankrupting the counties who are now having to pass bonds to pay for these mandates, while at the same time, their money is being stolen, and this could be stopped and turned around with progressive democratic wins.
that is why we work so hard to put a proposition on the primary ballot for local control of local taxes. It didn’t make it out of committee, but I am going to propose that it be part of the state Democratic Party platform at the state convention.
My worry is that he blue wave will come, but the blue will not undo the damage done nor hold its perpetrators accountable. The dems will be a bunch of Shumers....
Great article! I have been saying since around 2000, when Governor Abbott was using critical race theory to scare the white people into voting Republican. I would tell people the the Republicans have had control of public education since 1995; why did they put that curriculum in? They didn’t and. It’s not being taught in public schools because the Texas Government tells teachers what to teach. Just like in the article the GOP said they would lower taxes! Only for the rich! Praying that this article gets into a lot of Texans hands. Too many do not realize that our problems in Texas are caused by the greedy. The false christians using their god against the people. 🤬
We all have but as you know the dems never had a strategy until we finally got a progressive elected.
It is so very rich that Mr. Maryland, who ruthlessly primaried other Republicans because they crossed him on his donors' pet projects is ordering the Republican voters of those districts to fall in line behind himself-the guy who took away their choice for representative. All the transplanted Republican MAGA leaders ever do is define their own voters' identity for them and then demand that those voters do whatever this conveniently concocted identity supposedly requires them to do. I am so tired of seeing Cruz and Patrick, who are not only not from Texas but who also do not fit in socially with the people of Texas demand Texans bow down to them. They really have lost the plot on Texans. We do not take well to bullying.
I agree Texas Republicans aren't as strong as they think they are. As they have consolidated control from statehouse to county and city, they have detached themselves from the reality of real people. They seem to be in denial about the fact that hurting people economically over and over and then telling them to lump it and like it will eventually backfire. As they say, even a rabbit will fight when it is cornered.
Michelle, I think you are underestimating R strength. I attended the SBOE meeting on Tuesday. For days, TPPF had been posting videos telling people that the Islamic terrorists are going to show up at this meeting and ram sharia law down our throats. All their propaganda worked. The boomer battalion showed up in force holding their TPPF talking points for public testimony, holding hands and praying. Even the Patriot Academy students showed up.
Given all that, given all the big "no kings" rallies, we still only posted 25% turnout for the primary races, total, statewide. We can only win if the 18-40 show up and so far, they aren't, but the boomers are, in force. The Texas Democratic party needs to start talking to this age group, posting to this age group, educating them on what is at stake, giving them the truth, because, and I think you know this, the far right is talking to them right now, especially the males.
I’ll never underestimate them, but I will always be optimistic about the future.
I’m aware of the SBOE meeting. What a shit show that was, even heard about some of the harassment people were getting in halls. It’s the exact same stuff that happened in 2015.
But remember, in a state of 31.5 million people, they’re actually still a minority.
Oh they are going full on anti Muslim right now. Just rinse and repeat the old playbook right here in CD 6, so gerrymandered it now has almost all of Irving. Same old do nothing fear mongering.
Yep. Feels like 2015 all over again.
As you and I have talked about before I believe, this property tax bullshit is nothing but a shiny object held out in front of everyone in Texas to distract from the real problem.
The real problem is that local control of local taxes has been lost. That combined with 154 unfunded mandates that counties must adhere to our bankrupting rural counties and devastating urban.
Twenty years ago 80% of local property taxes stayed in the county and were used to fund road schools, etc. etc. Over the last twenty years 67% of local property taxes has been funneled to Austin so Abbott and his rich friends can have no bid contracts.
At the same time, unfunded mandates have come from Austin requiring counties to, for instance, provide healthcare for indigent gel populations. Across the nation, our county jails are now the state mental hospitals. In addition, they have removed Medicaid or the counties could instantly place the indigent jail population on Medicaid and not absorbed the cost.
None of this is sexy, and that’s why it’s not being talked about. But that’s what is bankrupting the counties who are now having to pass bonds to pay for these mandates, while at the same time, their money is being stolen, and this could be stopped and turned around with progressive democratic wins.
that is why we work so hard to put a proposition on the primary ballot for local control of local taxes. It didn’t make it out of committee, but I am going to propose that it be part of the state Democratic Party platform at the state convention.
My worry is that he blue wave will come, but the blue will not undo the damage done nor hold its perpetrators accountable. The dems will be a bunch of Shumers....
Thanks, Michelle! Just shared on bsky, lol.