'California is looking at our backside,' Texas Gov. Rick Perry says in San Francisco
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Declaring that his conservative state had knocked California off its perch as the nation's business leader, Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Monday bragged that the Golden State is now "looking at our backside."
A year after his presidential bid ended in falture, Perry returned to the West Coast Friday for visits to San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Los Angeles in an attempt to lure businesses to Texas following a state-wide ad campaign last week. It's part of a push by low-tax states to entice California millionaires hurt by recent tax hikes that have left California's wealthiest to stomach the highest income tax rate in the nation.
In a wide-ranging one-on-one interview with this newspaper, the Republican politician fired return shots at California Gov. Jerry Brown, said Austin, Texas is poised to become the "next Silicon Valley" and characterized California as a great state that has lost its way.
"Some time in the past, California became uncompetitive with other states because of their tax (and) regulatory policies in particular," said Perry, wearing a red tie, dress shirt, slacks and sneakers in a downtown San Francisco hotel room. "There is somebody that wants to knock you off your perch. That's what's happened to California."
Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22566837/california-is-looking-at-our-backside-texas-gov
Umm, isn't Austin (home of the University of Texas flagship campus) politically the San Francisco of the Lone Star State?
benld74
(9,904 posts)Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)I'm a happy Californian - If we're lookin' at Perry, then we're definitely lookin' a Texas' backside!
Lobo27
(753 posts)Texas isn't doing great because of him. Its because of laws that existed before him. He is also scared reps are loosing their grip on the state. I believe this last election every major city other then Ft. Worth went dem.
Scairp
(2,749 posts)With his dress slacks, dress shirt and a tie? What, does he think we aren't quite convinced that he is marginally retarded he has to try and remove all doubt?
pscot
(21,024 posts)DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)Which -->IS<-- one of the great liberal cities of our nation, most of the high tech types do not want to touch Texas with a ten foot pole, because they know that Texas is led by loons.
Imagine you are a high tech company based in San Francisco. First off, you know that you will have a hard time moving your current personnel over there, especially in this economy, and even MORE so because there is a good chance that many of your IT folks are
A) LGBT or
B) Like San Fran because it is LGBT friendly.
Let's not even get into the fact that if your employees are any sort of minority, the idea of moving to Texas is less appealing. Yes, there are Latinos, Asians, and others in Texas, but there is a big difference between being a minority where you have established networks of support, and one where the populace does not like you, and does not want you. Yes, there are racist cops in San Fran, and liberal cops in Austin, but any Minority who buys a nice new car with that Texas salary will always know they will be the target for every would be southern hero with a badge, and even a few without.
Lastly, if you are an IT professional, and you have a kid, you want GOOD SCHOOLS, without religious baggage. Even the better private schools are often places where the Texas version of Jai-zuzz will be fed to your kids, especially if it makes them hate you.
jsr
(7,712 posts)Last edited Mon Feb 11, 2013, 11:03 PM - Edit history (1)
Austin really consists of Lance Armstrong, Michael Dell, panhandlers, grackles and weeds. And corrupt politicians.
LeftInTX
(25,300 posts)Come to Texas, see the birds!!!
jsr
(7,712 posts)LeftInTX
(25,300 posts)It's infesting Austin and San Antonio. Killing our beautiful live oaks just like Dutch Elm disease killed the elms.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)My father took all the naturalist classes the state offers some years ago and correctly identified oak-wilt on their property out west of Dripping. The state Forestry Service sent people out with a big and skinny trenching machine to cut a path between the diseased trees and the healthy ones, so they couldn't spread the disease. It worked and they kept it from spreading across the property and beyond.
I hope the forestry service is doing similar treatments around Austin and SA. I'd hate to see those lives oaks die, too, especially in Landa Park...
TexasTowelie
(112,158 posts)They have music, and it's a great town for musicians so don't knock all of Austin. The rest of Texas sure, but Austin is an island of tolerance, mostly.
Amonester
(11,541 posts)But the F1 USGP is just three days each year.
jsr
(7,712 posts)Evasporque
(2,133 posts)They prefer Texas' dead bats over other states...
jsr
(7,712 posts)KatyMan
(4,190 posts)Texas has many great schools- public and private. I live within walking distance to two high schools listed in the top 1000 of the nation-- and both are listed in the upper third of that number.
And when did cops in LA get to be so upstanding and tolerant????
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)La cops may be bad, but in texas, the police have been nationally ridiculed for being the arm of White authority:
http://www.dallasjustice.com/dallascriminallawyerblog/category/corrupt-cops/
http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/corrupt-texas-cops-judges-attorneys-kidnap-child_04252011
http://www.aclu.org/racial-justice/racial-profiling-texas-report-shows-significant-disparities-stops-and-searches
http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2011/03/central-repository-for-tx-racial.html
and yes, that includes blue little Austin, as the last link shows:
"For that matter, agencies exhibit widely disparate patterns in how they approach searches in general, particularly how frequently so-called "consent searches" are used. At the Austin PD, for example, just 5.7% of searches conducted were consent searches, while at Houston PD they made up 30.4%. "
Wow, when your cops ask for consent to search at a much lower rate than Houston does, that says a lot. 5.7 percent.
As far as schools go:
http://saveaustinschools.com/
Looks like the good schools might not be around for much longer.
The point is not to dump on you, but rather, the BS that Perry is trying to sell. If a guy sitting on his keyboard could find this data, so can an executive who is researching whether or not to move a company to Austin. Ok, we both know the intern will be doing the research, but the fact is there. And the fact is, with all the problems California does have, I know that many of the employees are not going to move to a place where being Gay, Black or Brown means that any cop can harass you and get the approval of most voters.
and while we are talking about schools, let's not forget how Texas is responsible for the dumbing down of textbooks.
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/20/155440679/revisionaries-tells-story-of-texas-textbook-battle
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/17/AR2010031700560.html
http://www.nea.org/home/39060.htm
From the post article:
Because the Texas textbook market is so large, books assigned to the state's 4.7 million students often rocket to the top of the market, decreasing costs for other school districts and leading them to buy the same materials.
"The books that are altered to fit the standards become the bestselling books, and therefore within the next two years they'll end up in other classrooms," said Fritz Fischer, chairman of the National Council for History Education, a group devoted to history teaching at the pre-college level. "It's not a partisan issue, it's a good history issue."
When the Washington Post slams you for being too conservative, that is a Black eye. You think executives want their kids being taught that Dinosaurs were the Dragons that walked the earth along with Adam and Eve?
KatyMan
(4,190 posts)I went to Texas public schools most of my school life (with the exception of some stints in Catholic school). I was never taught creationism in school, even Catholic school. I live within walking distance to two of the top 500 high schools in the nation.
We have a gay mayor; a huge gay, Latino, Asian population. Houston is very multi-cultural and has a great arts/theatre district. To paint Texas as redneck and backward is both false and defamatory.
And more Texans voted for Obama than citizens in 45 other states. And that is without ANY campaigning by the DNC in any part of Texas. Think what it could have been.
DUers need to stop dumping on Texas. After all, California gave us Reagan; Minn gave us Bachmann, Wisc. gave us Ryan. Every state has outliers.
gcomeau
(5,764 posts)Declaring that his conservative state had knocked California off its perch as the nation's business leader,
GDP:
CA: 1.935 Trillion
TX: 1.308 Trillion
GDP Per Capita:
CA: 51,550
TX: 50,312
And the primary sources?
CA: Silicon Valley and Hollywood.
TX: Oil.
Which has its days numbered and is supported by massive government subsidies again?
Keep yapping Ricky boy.
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)I had a choice between the two, and am happily paying State Tax, higher gas prices, and a higher cost of living to be in a state with (still) some of the best culture, natural beauty, and entrepreneurial business environment anywhere in THE WORLD.
AsahinaKimi
(20,776 posts)right on the money, KeepItReal.
Faygo Kid
(21,478 posts). . . nice presidential campaign run there, Rick. I do like San Antonio and Austin - the rest, I wouldn't bother with. How's that future blue state workin' out fer ya?
Coolest Ranger
(2,034 posts)How come CA has balanced their budget then
cosmicone
(11,014 posts)than move to bumfuck Texas.
The only people who leave California are the ones who came here from one of the backwoods states.
olddad56
(5,732 posts)Capt.Rocky300
(1,005 posts)My wife and I are both California natives born in 1950 (S.F. & L.A. respectively) and we bailed 25 years ago. We moved to the San Juan Islands of Washington for the tall evergreens, fresh clean air, to live in a nice home on the water for the price of a one bedroom condo in San Jose, the opportunity to sail our boat to an actual destination and not just go around in circles in the S.F. Bay. Yup, the winters suck, but the summers are close to perfect. When we go to California to visit relatives, we can hardly wait to get back home. But yeah, Perry is a total ignorant ass and we could not live in Texas. I know, I temporarily lived in Dallas for about 2 months for my job. Every time I got on the George W. Bush freeway my blood pressure went up about 30 points just because of the name.
Kolesar
(31,182 posts)My wife and I are trying to pick a place to retire to. Is there cross country skiing near you?
Capt.Rocky300
(1,005 posts)It offers downhill as well as XC and snow shoeing. It's a 2 hour drive on one of the most scenic roads in North America. It's also 2 hours to Stevens Pass which has the same offerings.
Kolesar
(31,182 posts)Mt. Baker is in a national park with trails for the "backcountry skiers". That would be for the fit and adventurous. I would have to prepare carefully to ski there. I would have to train a lot, too.
I have vacationed twice in Washington. If you have not seen Slate Peak, take the drive to the trailhead off of the Cascades Highway. There is a day hike to the Slate Peak view point. Very fun
NV Whino
(20,886 posts)Send him back to Texas.
alp227
(32,020 posts)NV Whino
(20,886 posts)kentauros
(29,414 posts)I'd rather let Perry secede. I love my state (that doesn't mean I love all of the politicians)
NV Whino
(20,886 posts)Better answer.
Sophiegirl
(2,338 posts)...he's a ass.
"Here....let me show you!"
underpants
(182,788 posts)LeftInTX
(25,300 posts)The weather, the schools are the main complaints.
The weather is horrible. The scenery doesn't compare. There is a horrific shortage of parks and natural areas. It's not good for outdoors types.
This does not include politics.
DBoon
(22,363 posts)the pizza is lame
Nothing here is as good as it is in Baltimore/Pittsburgh/Akron/Atlanta/Boston
Even worse, taxes are higher on {name your favorite hobby}
AndyTiedye
(23,500 posts)It would never work.
I have friends in Texas. The ones that moved there all gained 50 pounds very quickly.
I'm sure I would too, between all that Texas barbecue (yum!) and no way to burn it off except in a VERY air-conditioned gym (yech).
Too effing hot to play outdoors much of the year.
Went mountain biking this afternoon.
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)she said people out here go hiking and to the beach and things like that.
and that unlike Texas, people don't think it's fun to go shopping all day at the mall.
seriously, she said this.
xxqqqzme
(14,887 posts)On a cross country road trip a couple of years ago (CA to WV), I started comparing rest stops in each state. Texas had the worst. There was usually no water source, so no restrooms. Frequently no shade for the picnic tables. No big maps, history or sheltered information board.
BTW, Illinois had the best rest stops.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)then they are definitely seeing our backside
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)You need water if you are going to have economic development.
In the San Francisco, Silicon Valley area, there is so much demand for housing that prices are shockingly high even now.
In my opinion, if Texas wants to take on our problems, they are quite welcome to do so.
Texas can deal with huge demand for education and no tax revenue to pay decent teachers. Texas can deal with patrolling streets and roads and drug cartels. Texas can deal with funding Medicaid and providing healthcare to a growing population of immigrants.
As long as we get to keep our Mediterranean climate and our beautiful beaches, we will be fine out here in Southern California.
What I look forward to most when California companies move to Texas is the bluing of that state as it welcomes more and more liberal Californians. I already know a couple of very liberal Californians who have moved to Texas.
Hey, Texas we look forward to hearing from your Democratic members of Congress in the future.
catchnrelease
(1,945 posts)Does Perry think that Californians moving to Texas will magically start voting Republican? It should only make the 'blueing' of Texas happen faster.
AndyTiedye
(23,500 posts)cstanleytech
(26,290 posts)Maybe thats what Gov. Perry left unsaid.
muntrv
(14,505 posts)teabagger talibornagain demographic.
Crowman1979
(3,844 posts)dkhbrit
(110 posts)But there are a lot of ill informed people here regarding the state of Texas. But of course, everyone in Texas must be like the man that governs here.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)Both sincerely, and how we Texans are treated here
I've been complaining about it for years. Some people hate us no matter what you tell them about us or the state...
muntrv
(14,505 posts)broadcaster75201
(387 posts)It's as irrelevant as what the barking Yorkie next door is saying right now.
liberalmuse
(18,672 posts)WTH?
Crowman1979
(3,844 posts)Ned Flanders
(233 posts)My Texan relatives are constantly boasting about Texas, usually contrasting it with a negative example found in California. What's up with their huge inferiority complex? You know what they say, "Nice truck, sorry about your penis."
jsr
(7,712 posts)In fact it's a year-round favorite tourist destination.
Zoeisright
(8,339 posts)I'm sure that's the "backside" you're referring to, you fucking piece of shit.
wiggs
(7,812 posts)ReRe
(10,597 posts).... picking an economic war with CA. What a fucking joke. When is his term up? I thought there couldn't be anyone dumber than GW, but I was wrong.
Tom Ripley
(4,945 posts)Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)Turbineguy
(37,324 posts)would you like them to pound in the 3 inch splintery damage control plug?
DBoon
(22,363 posts)Now what would be the property taxes in TX compared to CA?
"California actually ranks 45th in the nation for property tax rates. "\
http://www.selectsmart.com/DISCUSS/read.php?16,810137,811003
erpowers
(9,350 posts)I understand that Perry probably does not care about the facts, but they do not support his case. Based on the facts, California is far from looking at Texas's "backside".
Yes, Texas' unemployment rate is 6.1 percent while California's unemployment rate is 9.8 percent. Also, housing prices are much higher in California than in Texas. However, that is where the advantage ends for Texas.
According to the article, California has a 3-to-2 companies advantage over Texas. More California residents have college degrees. The median household income is 21 percent higher in California. There are fewer people below the poverty level in California. In the fourth quarter, the Bay Area of California alone had 12 times ($2.5 billion) the venture capital funding of the ENTIRE state of Texas. Finally, even though California companies such as Apple, Facebook, eBay, Visa, and Chevron have either relocated to Texas or expanded their operations in Texas, a number of companies in Texas have expanded in California. Texas Instruments, Dell, and Samsung have all made investments in California. Yes, according to the article, five companies in California have either relocated to Texas or expanded in Texas while only three companies in Texas have expanded in California. However, that fact is not that bad for California in that California holds a 3-to-2 companies margin over Texas. So, California is still doing fairly well to say the least.
Amonester
(11,541 posts)like rMoney, Lyan, cheney, bu$h, et al
Mr.Bill
(24,284 posts)A man in a restaurant in Texas told his waitress that Governor Perry had created more jobs than any other governor in the country.
She said yes, I know. I've got three of them.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)I am not even looking! I am grateful to be in the golden state.
King_Klonopin
(1,306 posts)triplepoint
(431 posts)SemperEadem
(8,053 posts)to keep him farting like that....
tanyev
(42,552 posts)STFU, Governor Goodhair.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)The red states are a virtual innovation desert. No firm is going to leave Silicon Valley to go there.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lesersense/2013/01/28/making-sense-with-steve-leser--week-in-review-120-12713
kentauros
(29,414 posts)and stop calling us "red states":
http://politicker.com/2012/11/the-purple-election-map/
Next, I would ask you to look at what the various universities and tech centers here are doing. I highly question your "virtual innovation desert" comment. And yes, I listened to you segment on that. It's not good enough to back up your comment here.
Wasn't Reagan from California, anyway?
KatyMan
(4,190 posts)and I wish DUers would remember that more Texans voted for Obama than citizens in 45 other states. Only California, Penn, NY and Florida had higher numbers for Obama.
And Austin's biggest claim to fame is not Dell or legislators. It is THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)KatyMan
(4,190 posts)What exactly is wrong in my post? Please proceed, governor.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)kentauros
(29,414 posts)How about twenty more, as one would get for most other scientific studies trying to prove a hypothesis?
The other thing is that you "removed" Dallas and Houston from your findings. Sorry, you have to take the whole state or not at all.
My point is that DU loves to bash Texas. ANY reason at all, and we're the brunt of the worst DU has to offer. I counter your assumptions because you're simply promoting more of the same, and I'm tired of it.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)for intellectual property creation. Of the top spots in Texas where intellectual property is being created, Dallas and Houston, the vast majority of the patents and similar I/P is in the petroleum industry. That is not removing or excluding them.
It's still not enough to put Texas in the top 15 states for per capita intellectual property creation. Only one state is, and that state wouldnt be top 15 if one company moved.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)is how many of those patents are put into production. It's one thing to make a patent, and quite another to actually produce something with it.
You also seem to have ignored a rather important part of your Forbes citation:
That part alone negates your whole argument bashing those of us in Texas and other "red" states. I noticed, too, you didn't say anything about that map of the US I posted. Perhaps because it shows there's truly no such thing as a "red state"?
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)Indeed, individuals of all backgrounds may play more of a role in keeping the U.S. on the cutting edge. While roughly 90% of patents granted go to corporations, universities, nonprofits and state governments, individual inventors, as a group, rank in the top three patent recipients for the 14 of 15 most patent-prolific states. That fraction may increase as large firms cut back on R&D to conserve cash... That part alone negates your whole argument bashing those of us in Texas and other "red" states.
You havent said how it negates my argument. I dont see it as affecting my argument or the Forbes data at all.
I noticed, too, you didn't say anything about that map of the US I posted. Perhaps because it shows there's truly no such thing as a "red state"?
I'm not going to debate with you the commonly used labels of blue and red states.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)because corporations are not individuals, no matter what the SC says or interprets. The fact that those same corporations represent 90% of the patents created says it all. Corporations are not the State, the people are. So, a mere 10% of the patents created were represented by individuals living in those states. That's not much.
Remember, too, that of all those thousands of patents mentioned in that article didn't necessarily come from any of those top states. Corporations love to buy up patents, whether they intend to use them or not. Did you notice that IBM is making their billion in the licensing of their patents? They aren't actually producing anything with the patents themselves. And in which states are those licenses being used? I saw nothing about that part.
The so called "common usage labels" of "red and blue" states is still wrong. That map proves it, and I'm not the only DUer to try and get people to stop using those incorrect terms.
jsr
(7,712 posts)marshall
(6,665 posts)No time to pay attention to small fries like Texas.
mulsh
(2,959 posts)I'd think that business leaders would see something as obvious as what the Gov. believes exists.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)MurrayDelph
(5,294 posts)it's the only way to have a face to face conversation.
tclambert
(11,085 posts)Nice equivalence, Governor Backside.
wasserman
(14 posts)UT is a corrupt school that's building a medical school on the backs of local homeowners
instead of using its vast wealth which includes $1 BILLION in gold.
They already gave the school to Michael Dell to put his name on it.
marble falls
(57,080 posts)bless his pointy little head. All buckle, no oil. All stetson, no cattle. All hair, no brains.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)Kind of like your average evangelical hairstyling
from another fellow Texan
marble falls
(57,080 posts)bamacrat
(3,867 posts)Its just the rest of that big ass state that is not. With all of the Mexicans that live there it could go blue at some point but it is very puky.
hamsterjill
(15,220 posts)I mean, come on...why even go there? That was a stupid thing for him to say, even for him, and we all know he's too damn stupid to even complete a sentence.
Peace to California from a lifelong Texan.
Iggo
(47,552 posts)Moonwalk
(2,322 posts)...and chauvinistic. The man is certainly a backside, and I think we can both agree on that. And we need to remember what his REAL aim is here. To argue that states should lower taxes on big corporations (and by extension, that the U.S. should do the same). That we should allow such corporations to retain loopholes and not pay their fair share, etc. Because it's working for Texas. Or so he says.
THAT is what his real message is. That raising taxes on big business doesn't work. If we, instead, end up bickering over Texas vs. California, or mistakenly see Perry as Texas and make rude comments on Texas rather than on Perry, then he has succeeded--he's gotten us to divert our anger at big business not paying its fair share and got us sniping at each other instead. He's played the diversion game and won.
We need, instead, to counter his arguments about taxes on business being bad. And stay angry businesses that don't pay their fair share. Otherwise he's going to put doubts not only in the minds of Californians but in the minds of any one living in a state thinking of raising such taxes, and doubts in the minds of Texans who might be suffering from this business practice of low taxes on the rich--that is to say, they may think, "Well, at least we're getting other businesses from other states...." Yes, but what good does that do the state if they're not investing in the state (with tax money) while weighing the state down with more people that taxes can't pay for?
Let's look at the big picture here and avoid the "my state is better than yours..." sniping. Perry WANTS us to do that. He wants a Texas vs. Cali war like a football game. That's where he wants our attention, not on what he's trying to really do, which is get everyone who is angry at the rich angry at each other. That's the GOP game. Make the middle class angry at the poor rather than the rich. And now, make one state angry at another state by insulting it, rather than angry at politicians who cater to big business rather than to average people. I'm dismayed that his ploy is working here and we're insulting Texas and Texans. We, of all people, should know better. We should know how this game is played and not be falling for it.
northoftheborder
(7,572 posts)justabob
(3,069 posts)You are right, and we would all do well to keep this divisive strategy in mind when reading stories like this.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)justabob
(3,069 posts)Thanks for standing up to the haters. It gets so tiresome reading about how awful Texas and Texans are.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)It's also draining. Thankfully, I can't do this all day, and have my day job to get back to
olddad56
(5,732 posts)Arkana
(24,347 posts)on your face and has your arm in a half nelson.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)I guess that's why we now have a balanced budget after disastrous Republican rule and obstructionism and being raped by Texas-based energy companies.
Myrina
(12,296 posts)Try acting like you have some common sense, Texans ... we'll welcome you to the party!
kentauros
(29,414 posts)and voted Parry into office
Myrina
(12,296 posts)Is that cross you're carrying getting heavy yet?
kentauros
(29,414 posts)I'll stop this when the rest of y'all boot all of the republicans out of your own states.
Broad brushes are neither allowed nor wanted on DU. Clear now?
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)From Enron to Charles Hurwitz and now Rick Perry, oh, not to mention George W. Bush, we Californians have had enough bullshit from Texas. Here's your governor basically taking aim at ours and trying to steal our jobs. Guess what? That pisses us off. Sorry if you don't like it.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)Attack Parry, not the state. Do you like it when people speak badly of California for giving the rest of us Ronny Raygun, or Nixon? I wouldn't think so.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)I am most definitely bashing "Texas values" of letting corporations run amok. California has experienced enough of that from Hurwitz murdering our Redwood forests to Enron shutting off our power. And now here comes Perry the dickhead trying to sabotage our economic recovery.
How about Texas just leave us the hell alone?
kentauros
(29,414 posts)Sounds more like you're confusing standard operating procedures of any big corporation with the values of a region. Corporations don't give a shit where they're located so long as they get the perks they demand of the local populations.
How about we demand that Parry shut the fuck up for the benefit of everyone? Do that, and you won't have to worry about violating DU rules against bashing regions
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)big business? Isn't that the whole point of Perry's, "Come to Texas and exploit your workers and pay no taxes pitch?"
kentauros
(29,414 posts)Now, you may be incredulous about that, but I then have to ask why you haven't been paying attention to how corporations work in the great U. S. of A.
So, I'll reiterate. They do not care what state they end up in so long as the locals and the states give them the perks they want. And they will get those perks any way they can, even in "perfect" California
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)We have a whole host of problems here. But last I checked, our governor hasn't threatened to secession from the union over things like Obamacare and taxes or gone to another state and told them to close up shop and come here because you can save money on things like labor and taxes 'n' stuff.
And hey, you are cordially invited to Northern CA and I will be happy to show you the devastation done to our forests by Texas-based Maxxam energy. For decades, Pacific Lumber was a model of sustainable logging, until Maxxam did a hostile takeover and used it to plunder and rape our environment. And then, as I said before, there was the Enron fiasco. And then of course, there's the fact that for years, Texas-based oil companies have been trying to open up our coastlines to oil drilling. Thank God they never succeeded, because I'd hate to be the victim of the next Deepwater Horizon spill. Our coast is quite beautiful. We'd like it to stay that way.
Funny how of all these corporations coming in and fucking with our state and its economy and natural resources, they always seem to be from Texas. And now your politicians are doing it too.
Kindly tell them to knock it off, will ya'?
kentauros
(29,414 posts)But you have also said nothing good about my home, while ignoring the dynamics of corporations and how they work. Any of those corporations could have been from anywhere else, including California. The point is not that they're from Texas, but how they operate. Would you be bashing California if they all were from your state? I think not.
Your intent is to bash Texas by any means, and I'm calling you on it.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)Believe it or not, I didn't just wake up and decide to bash Texas. My views stem from personal experience and research. And I also know there are many Texans that are not to blame. Just as there were many Americans that weren't to blame for the Iraq War. Unfortunately, we all have to live with the shame of what Bush did there even though many of us were adamantly opposed to it. And even though I hate being associated with it, I can at least acknowledge that America, my country, has many problems, both with our values and our system. That there are many of us that are aware of it and don't agree with it doesn't mean the problem isn't there.
Same goes for Texas. If you're going to deny that there's a problem with the way Texas does business, well, I can't stop you, but I really think you're kidding yourself. That doesn't mean every Texan is a greedy corporate worshiper, it just means there's a problem in the state. There's a reason why just about every Republican I've ever known thinks the Texan way of doing business is the greatest thing ever. Because Texas loves deregulation and unfettered capitalism, the two things that got us into this mess.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)I didn't know Texas single-handedly put Bush into the office of the President. I guess I can then blame California for having equal power in putting both Reagan and Nixon into the office of the President.
But, no, I won't blame them because I'm not into bashing regions just for their politics.
And again, you're ignoring what I've said, and even putting words in my posts that aren't there. I have never said that I agree with how businesses do their work here. I have simply attempted to explain that corporations, such as Enron and Maxxam, think far differently than you're depicting them. I'm not going to go over it again, as you can always go back and reread.
Nor am I denying the damage they've done. Please point out where I've said that. I will state that the west coast's own PG&E has done some rather horrible damage to your state, too, including deaths (remember that neighborhood they blew up some years back?) Not to mention their complicity with Enron.
As for Texas loving deregulation and unfettered capitalism, again, you're bashing Texas for commonly held beliefs by corporations the world over. Give it up. You're not going to win this.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)Yeah, corporations hold the same views all over. It's just that some areas provide greater support for it than others, and Texas would be one of those. Your own governor's "sales" pitch to California-based businesses would seem to support my belief there. You might as well give it up if you're going to continue to deny that. Everything you're saying is contradicting what your own governor said while "visiting" my state.
And yeah, PG&E was definitely complicit in Enron's criminality. But it was Enron that was turning the lights out and saying that there was a shortage of power so they could manipulate the market. Enron more than anybody else is to blame, and there is no putting lipsitck on that pig.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)Your beef with Texas seems to be that there are companies here that do bad things. Hello? There are companies all over the world that do bad things. Enron could very well have been located in California, had they greased the right hands. I guess then you'd have to find some other Texas-based boogieman to fuel your bashing.
Has it ever occurred to you that one reason Texas might seem more business-friendly is because the businesses have managed to get themselves into our politics deeper, much the same way they do with the federal government? I'm going to make an educated guess here that the tech companies in California have done similar backroom deals over the decades. No, that can't be proven, but as I say, it's an educated guess.
Corporations do dirty deals everywhere.
Oh, and here's something you might want to read about Gov. Goodhair's success with business in Texas:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10786130
And thus, my educated guess above.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)and they've voted for less regulation?
Oh well, who cares? It's not my fault you don't have the emotional maturity to hear something negative about your state. I take it all back. Texas rules! M'kay?
kentauros
(29,414 posts)However, the corporations have bought the right people in order for them to vote for less regulation. You know, same as what happens in every single state, city, and municipality in our country.
I was wondering if you'd given up. Not that I cared, either. I was tired of tediously arguing with a wall. A wall that still won't acknowledge that it's continuing to bash a region instead of a person or group of people, as the rest of the posters to this thread have been doing.
Perry is indeed an asshole, yet he's not Texas. And I'm going to defend my state from those that can't tell the difference.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)If Texas stops "basically declaring war" on California, does that mean melodramatic statements like ""basically declaring war on California" will finally end? Or will yet have to put up with dramatic hyperbole in place of actual substance?
"Sorry if you don't like it..."
Bless your little heart...
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)If Texas keeps it's big fat corporate-worshiping butt out of our affairs.
The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)and I wish the residents all the best. But our economy is much bigger, our people more educated and the weather here is quite nice.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/15/1007146/-Blue-California-s-Economy-vs-Red-Texas-Not-What-the-Conventional-Wisdom-Suggests
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)That's going to be one tough image to shake.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Why didn't Mitt Romney dump his seaside manse and scurry of to Texas if the place was so swell? Instead, Mittsy's gonna rebuild the joint from the car elevator on up....
mitchtv
(17,718 posts)The envy is palpable, Our wealth and influence is staggering to the"confederate leaning" sort that abound.Look at Jersey and the rockaways, wait til CA has her turn, there will have to be found proof that we ever joined the Union.Besides Gov Brown is target one with the Teabilly set.
olddad56
(5,732 posts)I'm proud of the fact that he would never go to another state and beg companies to move their operation to California. Why would Rick Perry do this. Is the overall intelligence of Texas such that nobody is smart enough or creative enough to develop a business. Is it so bad that they have to go begging in states that are able to afford their citizens the creative license and freedom to create a new business. I think the social climate in California is such that people feel free enough to be creative while in Texas, people have to be more concerned with just toeing the line so they can exist without fearing that they will be ostracized for thinking outside the box.
I had a friend who has a high paying and interesting career with a company that did move to Texas. He was offered a lot of money to relocate. He and his wife visited the area in Texas where his company was relocating. Housing was extremely affordable, but he said no. He said that he was a democrat from California and knew he and is family could never be happy there. Then a few others he worked with followed suit. Today, they all still work for the company, but in small satellite office in Northern Ca.
It worked out for my friend. But he is a bright creative guy and it would have worked out for him in Ca. whether he left the company or not.
Rick Perry is living proof that smart, creative people have no business in Texas.
calimary
(81,238 posts)sendero
(28,552 posts).... when you are ALL BACKSIDE.
Evasporque
(2,133 posts)Politicub
(12,165 posts)And this douche was running for president?
He's doing the equivalent of nanny-nanny boo boo. Grow the fuck up.
It's not just about taxes. The quality of life in the Bay Area can't be beat, and I would go back there in a heartbeat if not for my familial obligations.
Texas? I only go there if I absolutely have to.
suffragette
(12,232 posts)and said it often.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2011/08/rick-perry-molly-ivins
Here's one gem from that link about Perry and Enron. Many more there:
During the "grand old slugfest" between incumbent Perry and the Democratic challenger, Tony Sanchez, Ivins highlighted Perry's misleading smear campaign against his opponent, as well as his eyebrow-raising deployment of the word "coincidental":
This, in turn, brings up the interesting role of coincidence in the life of Gov. Goodhair. Last summer, the Guv appointed an Enron executive to the state's Public Utilities Commission and, the next day, Perry got a check for $25,000 from Ken Lay. He explained this, to everyone's satisfaction, as being "totally coincidental."
How I wish she were still here to give him another well-earned ripping.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)Molly would probably have loved that blog, too