The mess in Texas.

[Throckmorton]

There is a bill currently working it's way through the Texas House of Representatives seeking to convert the rainy day fund into gold through Gold Line. This will both secure it's value and keep it from being spent frivolously on things like health care or education.

"Gold Line"? Why would they not just buy actual gold?

 

[alphatarget1]

Texas is near last, or last in every measurable public education metric. As well as every health metric.

Texans get very little return on what very little we pay.

Yeah 30% cuts to Medicad, and 40% cuts to MHMR are the way to solve things.

Im fine all fine for cutting higher ed. Higher ed in Texas has a lot of waste, but other things, like shorting public education by $10billion, cutting healthcare services to children and to the poor from already dead last in per capita spending is wrong.

How about all the roads TxDOT are building and maintaining?

 

[Jhhnn]

The sooner states realize how much of drain paying all of the associated costs for schooling, hospital services and jail that illegal aliens are costing border states, the better off they will be.

It is disgusting how much tax payers are footing the bill for this while we get deeper and deeper in the red....

Mere assertion w/o documentation.

If the federal government collapses the rainy day fund full of dollars won't be worth anything.

Stop it! Don't even try to make sense!

 

[lothar]

There is a bill currently working it's way through the Texas House of Representatives seeking to convert the rainy day fund into gold through Gold Line. This will both secure it's value and keep it from being spent frivolously on things like health care or education.

They should contact Glenn Beck to buy gold coins.

If you believe those things to be frivolous, then which spending by Texas state gov't do you believe is NOT frivolous?

 

[spacejamz]

Mere assertion w/o documentation.

These statistics from 2007 should be sickening to Texas/US Tax payers...2010 statistics are presumably even worse...

http://aapolitics.us/content/illegal-alien-cost-parkland-memorial-hospital

A recent patient survey indicated that 70 percent of the women who gave birth at Parkland in the first three months of 2006 were illegal immigrants.That's 11,200 anchor babies born every year just in Dallas. According to the article, the hospital spent $70.7 million delivering 15,938 babies in 2004 but managed to end up with almost $8 million dollars in surplus funding. Medicaid kicked in $34.5 million, Dallas County taxpayers kicked in $31.3 million and the feds tossed in another $9.5 million.

The average patient in Parkland 's maternity wards is 25 years old, married and giving birth to her second child. She is also an illegal immigrant. By law, pregnant women cannot be denied medical care based on their immigration status or ability to pay.

Parkland Memorial Hospital has nine prenatal clinics. NINE.

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_research2859

The more than $4.7 billion in costs incurred by Texas taxpayers annually result from outlays in the following areas:

Education. Based on estimates of the illegal immigrant population in Texas and documented costs of K-12 schooling, Texans spend more than $4 billion annually on education for illegal immigrant children and for their U.S.-born siblings. About 11.9 percent of the K-12 public school students in Texas are children of illegal aliens.

Health Care. Taxpayer-funded medical outlays for health care provided to the state’s illegal alien population amount to about $520 million a year.

Incarceration. The uncompensated cost of incarcerating illegal aliens in Texas’s state and county prisons amounts to about $150 million a year (not including local jail detention costs or related law enforcement and judicial expenditures or the monetary costs of the crimes that led to their incarceration).

 

[Jhhnn]

Well, the first link's reference to mythical "anchor babies" shows they're talking out their ass, and the second one is obviously biased.

Got anything that might be considered to be merely factual from folks who don't have an axe to grind?

 

[hal2kilo]

Got anything that might be considered to be merely factual from folks who don't have an axe to grind?

On P&N? Surely you jest.

 

[thepd7]

First proposed budget is out. No new taxes, and they are refusing to tap into the rainy day fund. Its gonna be a blood bath of a legislative session.

All which means an 8% cut to to higher ed, including shuttering of 3 jucos and chopping the number of Texas grants in half. Most universities are already on hiring freezes, and most are now talking about furloughs or out right layoffs. And lets not forget public schools, under the proposal they are going to lose out of $5billion they are supposed to get under current laws. The proposal also has a massive 30% cut to Medicaid.

In addition, the proposal also includes shuttering multiple TDCJ units(prisons/juvenile facilities). All told under the current proposal there would be 10,000 state jobs lost.

Honestly most junior colleges are a waste of money on middle class white kids who aren't going to actually apply themselves anyways so that's not bad, sucks about some of the other cuts though but that's the way it is.

Outside UT and A&M, Texas public higher education is a joke.

Furthermore Texas is a joke in every single measurable metric. We were already close to the bottom compared to other states, now we will be at the bottom. Texas public education is going to be short $9.8billion over two years under this budget.

Why hello there last place in education.

And why are we making $31billion in cuts over 2 years when Gov. Goodhair et al say we are going to be short $15billion?

BTW, Texas ranks 49th in revenue raised per capita and 50th in revenue spent per capita.

UH is fine from what I've heard, I've attended both UNT and UTD, UNT is about what I'd expect from most state schools and UTD is outstanding. Do some research into UTD and you'll be surprised.

 

[Darwin333]

Texas is near last, or last in every measurable public education metric. As well as every health metric.

Texans get very little return on what very little we pay.

Yeah 30% cuts to Medicad, and 40% cuts to MHMR are the way to solve things.

Im fine all fine for cutting higher ed. Higher ed in Texas has a lot of waste, but other things, like shorting public education by $10billion, cutting healthcare services to children and to the poor from already dead last in per capita spending is wrong.

How is it wrong if they flat out can't afford it?

 

[sandorski]

They should contact Glenn Beck to buy gold coins.

If you believe those things to be frivolous, then which spending by Texas state gov't do you believe is NOT frivolous?

Apparently buying Gold at a Bubble Price.

 

[Nebor]

Honestly most junior colleges are a waste of money on middle class white kids who aren't going to actually apply themselves anyways so that's not bad, sucks about some of the other cuts though but that's the way it is.




UH is fine from what I've heard, I've attended both UNT and UTD, UNT is about what I'd expect from most state schools and UTD is outstanding. Do some research into UTD and you'll be surprised.

Did my undergrad at UT and MBA @ UTD. UTD is an amazing school, surpassing UT Austin in several ways, and leading the nation in several fields. :thumbsup:

 

[HumblePie]

Nebor, good trolling there! You got a few hook line and sinker.

 

[Exterous]

I am by no means up on my Texas legislative procedure, but don't they have until september to make a budget?

Also, does anyone have a link to all the proposed cuts? I can only find articles that highlite some of them

 

[spacejamz]

Well, the first link's reference to mythical "anchor babies" shows they're talking out their ass, and the second one is obviously biased.

Anchor babies are mythical? somoene is talking out of their ass and sure isnt' that article...

 

[D-Man]

Opinions are like buttholes everybody has one. Facts are a different matter. The Paul Kugman article to me is just his spin. He mentions conservative decisions as a bad thing Really. Public Sector Unions as being bashed although their pay and benefits are way more generous then Public workers Really. Teacher salaries are insane and in my state 75% of their pay for retirement. Then he blames it on the Republicans. The hole we are in now came from all of us including our Elected Officials, School Boards,Mayors.Governors.Ourselves and Pure Greed. It is about time we become a little more Conservative

 

[Wreckem]

I am by no means up on my Texas legislative procedure, but don't they have until september to make a budget?

Also, does anyone have a link to all the proposed cuts? I can only find articles that highlite some of them

Budget is supposed to be passed by the end of the session in May. If not passed they will have to call a 1 month special session, each month until its passed.

All there are recommendations by the Legislative Budgeting Board. This is the base budget and is likely to change substantially.

 

[Jhhnn]

Anchor babies are mythical? somoene is talking out of their ass and sure isnt' that article...

We've been through this before. If anchor babies are a real phenomenon, then those making such claims should be able to back up the assertion with actual numbers- ie, the number of illegals who are granted permanent immigration status because of their citizen children.

Absolutely nobody has offered any concrete data to that effect. If anchor babies were real, they'd have that to back up their assertions, but they don't. If anchor babies exist anywhere other than in the minds of the usual ravers, they have yet to prove it.

The truth is that thousands of citizen children are deported with their illegal parents every year. Having a citizen child changes an illegal's immigration status not in the slightest.

 

[Zebo]

When a massive nationwide power outage or series of terrorist attacks or zombie apocalypse occurs and society begins to break down, the federal government collapses and the dollar is worthless, we'll be glad we saved that rainy day fund for when we needed it.

You got an MBA? Fuuuck, I guess them schools in Texas are bad.

 

[Svnla]

Mere assertion w/o documentation.

I am pretty sure I did create a thread about this. Yup, I did. You were saying?

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2096318&highlight=

Read the whole thread, there were some good links and stories in it. How someone traveled to the US and gave birth (automatic citizenship)...not from FoxNews but ABC News.

 

[Jhhnn]

I am pretty sure I did create a thread about this. Yup, I did. You were saying?

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2096318&highlight=

Read the whole thread, there were some good links and stories in it. How someone traveled to the US and gave birth (automatic citizenship)...not from FoxNews but ABC News.

And you also started this thread-

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2132268&highlight=illegal

Where I asked the same question, and where nobody answered it, either. You're merely making attributions that aren't true, that having a child who is a US citizen changes the immigration status of the parents. It doesn't.

I'm sure you won't allow facts or the lack of facts to alter the formulation of your opinions, however.

You probably believe in bigfoot and trickle down economics, too.

 

[Svnla]

And you also started this thread-

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2132268&highlight=illegal

Where I asked the same question, and where nobody answered it, either. You're merely making attributions that aren't true, that having a child who is a US citizen changes the immigration status of the parents. It doesn't.

I'm sure you won't allow facts or the lack of facts to alter the formulation of your opinions, however.

You probably believe in bigfoot and trickle down economics, too.

The previous thread which I made a few months ago PROVES that the US (especially border states) indeed has huge problems with ILLEGALS babies (and the source(s) was not from FoxNews). Again, you were saying something about "mere assertion w/o documentation"? How's that for documentation.

Where did I say anything about having a child born here will automatically make the parents become US citizens/change the immigration status in the other thread...kindly quote it for me, would you? The problem I and millions of other US citizens is the blatant abuse of the US Constitution and the huge cost burden impose upon us.

One more thing, as a LEGAL immigrant myself, I and millions of other LEGAL immigrants have to follow immigration law yet the ILLEGALS expect otherwise? I believe in follow the darn immigration law, how about you? You probably believe in the gold at the end of the rainbow and the unicorn and the perfect world.

 

[RightIsWrong]

Yes, many times. Ever drive through the rest of Texas?

Since you asked politely for a link....

http://scorecard.goodguide.com/ranking/rank-states.tcl?how_many=100&drop_down_name=Air+releases

Texas ranked in the top 5 worst in most categories with their best showing as the 12th worst in one of the categories.

Here's a snapshot of what you will find at the link:

Total pollutants released into the environment: 4th worst
Air releases: 5th worst
Water releases: 1st worst
Land releases: 12th
Underground injection: 1st
Total offsite transfers: 1st
Total production related waste: 1st
Ozone depleting potential: 5th
Cancer risk score: 11th
Noncancer risk score: 2nd
Recognized carcinogens to air: 1st
Recognized carcinogens to water: 7th
Recognized developmental toxicants to air: 2nd
Recognized developmental toxicants to water: 9th
Suspected carcinogens to air: 1st
Suspected carcinogens to water: 3rd

I think that you get the point.

 

[RightIsWrong]

http://www.nationalreview.com/exchequer/256614/no-paul-krugman-texas-not-broke

No, Paul Krugman, Texas Is Not Broke
January 7, 2011 2:37 P.M.
By Kevin D. Williamson

In terms of harbingers of the apocalypse, it isn’t exactly dogs and cats living together or John Bolton exchanging facial-hair-grooming tips over sugary mint tea with ayatollahs, but, brace yourselves: Texas is facing a projected budget deficit. I know, I know: horrors, right?

Paul Krugman is practically rubbing his hands together with glee like some thin-mustached and top-hatted melodrama villain: Bwahahaha! If Texas goes down, conservative economics goes down with it!I shall rule the world! Look for the usual liberal snots to be talking up the story: Texas is finished, baby!

Keep your pants on, professor. Texas is not going to have a budget shortfall.

Texas’s present situation is not exactly unprecedented. It happens in Texas from time to time: You have a state with no income tax, property taxes assessed at the local level (where the taxpayers are apt to fire the taxspenders), and very little else, revenue-wise — Texas has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country — which leaves the state sales tax and the 1-percent “franchise” tax, which is a fancy way of saying a weird little business-revenue tax on firms with more than $1 million in sales. (Hey, New Jersey: How’d you like to trade your current state-tax burden for a 1-percent business tax and a 6.25 percent sales tax?

And you trust a person that can't do enough cursory fact checking to get the state sales tax correct?

In the author's desire to "rub his hands with glee" while denigrating NJ's current situation, he doesn't realize that the tax rate in Texas isn't 6.25%, but is in fact 8.25% in all populated counties within the state with only the most rural (and by extension the least contributing to the state tax coffers) still even at 6.5% (not a single tax district in the state of Texas has not added on additional local sales tax and is using the 6.25%).

http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/local/city.html

The author is attempting to hide the truth by not giving the full and accurate picture. The part of Texas that I live in calls someone doing that a liar.

 

[RightIsWrong]

Hey, not every journalist can be Krugman. Most of them have integrity and logic and frontal lobes and such that make Krugman-emulation impossible.

Besides, your plan is impractical; Texas is too big and has too few progressives to stack them vertically.

See my reply to your ethical and logical author that lies and leaves off the additional local sales tax in trying to make a false point.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Since you asked politely for a link....

http://scorecard.goodguide.com/ranking/rank-states.tcl?how_many=100&drop_down_name=Air+releases

Texas ranked in the top 5 worst in most categories with their best showing as the 12th worst in one of the categories.

Here's a snapshot of what you will find at the link:

Total pollutants released into the environment: 4th worst
Air releases: 5th worst
Water releases: 1st worst
Land releases: 12th
Underground injection: 1st
Total offsite transfers: 1st
Total production related waste: 1st
Ozone depleting potential: 5th
Cancer risk score: 11th
Noncancer risk score: 2nd
Recognized carcinogens to air: 1st
Recognized carcinogens to water: 7th
Recognized developmental toxicants to air: 2nd
Recognized developmental toxicants to water: 9th
Suspected carcinogens to air: 1st
Suspected carcinogens to water: 3rd

I think that you get the point.

Did you look at the site? This data from 2002. There have been many improvements in the last 8 years..