Don't mess with Texas

[KC Elbows]

we're not all hicks and we don't all wear 10 gallon hats.
i wouldn't say we're "macho", because that implies a false sense of bravado.
i liken it more to a fierce streak of independence and an unwillingness to back down when challenged.

The unwillingness to back down comes from the cultural influence of machismo.

The irony of cowboy culture is that it comes from South of the border; only the color of its adherants is different North of it.

But I digress, Texans are interesting, but some of them are walking stereotypes, not independent free thinkers who take no guff. Every group has it's db's.

[1bad65]

So the 3 economic holes in this country that you pointed out - combined actually had more Reps than Dems running them in the last 40yrs, so how is this only the fault of liberal Dems?????

Now show which Party controlled those State's legislatures through the last few decades...

[Reality_Check]

So then explain why the three States (NY, Cal, Mich) with the biggest financial problems have had decades upon decades of Democrat governors.

Now show which Party controlled those State's legislatures through the last few decades...

Well, there you go moving the goalposts again.

[1bad65]

Well, there you go moving the goalposts again.

Call it what you will. But Governors AND the Legislatures are both key parts.

You guys cite Arnold in California. Keep in mind when he took office, 'Gray Out' Davis couldn't even keep electricity in the State!

[MasterKiller]

Call it what you will. But Governors AND the Legislatures are both key parts.

You guys cite Arnold in California. Keep in mind when he took office, 'Gray Out' Davis couldn't even keep electricity in the State!

cough *ENRON* cough

[Reality_Check]

Call it what you will. But Governors AND the Legislatures are both key parts.

Perhaps you should have considered that before you wrote this:

So then explain why the three States (NY, Cal, Mich) with the biggest financial problems have had decades upon decades of Democrat governors.

[1bad65]

cough *ENRON* cough

Blame them all you want. But for some reason it only affected ONE state...

[1bad65]

Perhaps you should have considered that before you wrote this:

Facts are facts, no matter if I put them in the first post or the 500th post.

[MasterKiller]

Blame them all you want. But for some reason it only affected ONE state...

In October 2000, Daniel Scotto, the top ranked utility analyst on Wall Street, suspended his ratings on all energy companies conducting business in California because of the possibility that the companies would not receive full and adequate compensation for the deferred energy accounts used as the cornerstone for the California Deregulation Plan enacted in the late 1990s. Five months later, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) was forced into bankruptcy. Senator Phil Gramm, Republican, the second largest recipient of campaign contributions from Enron, succeeded in legislating California's energy commodity trading deregulation. Despite warnings from prominent consumer groups which stated that this law would give energy traders too much influence over energy commodity prices, the legislation was passed in December 2000.

As Public Citizen reported, "Because of Enron’s new, unregulated power auction, the company’s 'Wholesale Services' revenues quadrupled—from $12 billion in the first quarter of 2000 to $48.4 billion in the first quarter of 2001."

Before passage of the deregulation law, there had been only one Stage 3 rolling blackout declared. Following passage, California had a total of 38 blackouts defined as Stage 3 rolling blackouts, until federal regulators intervened in June 2001. These blackouts occurred mainly as a result of a poorly designed market system that was manipulated by traders and marketers. Enron traders were revealed as intentionally encouraging the removal of power from the market during California's energy crisis by encouraging suppliers to shut down plants to perform unnecessary maintenance, as documented in recordings made at the time. These acts contributed to the need for rolling blackouts, which adversely affected many businesses dependent upon a reliable supply of electricity, and inconvenienced a large number of retail consumers. This scattered supply raised the price exponentially, and Enron traders were thus able to sell power at premium prices, sometimes up to a factor of 20x its normal peak value.

[SanHeChuan]

Facts are facts, no matter if I put them in the first post or the 500th post.

Are you sure they are facts? You thought the governor thing was fact and was proven wrong. I think you're just taking shots in the dark.

[1bad65]

Had California not refused to build any new power plants for over 20 years, Enron, the GOP, Bush, Phil Gramm, couldn't have collaborated to turn the power off in California.

When you become dependant on others for any need, you run a huge risk. They chose to be 'green', and it bit them in the ass.

[1bad65]

Are you sure they are facts? You thought the governor thing was fact and was proven wrong. I think you're just taking shots in the dark.

We all know California and New York are liberal strongholds. And they are facing bankruptcy. While Texas is doing just fine. Even the Democrats we elect to State office are usually quite fiscally conservative.

[1bad65]

Are you sure they are facts? You thought the governor thing was fact and was proven wrong. I think you're just taking shots in the dark.

If we start mentioning cities, you're screwed.

LA, Detroit, Washington DC, Newark, etc. All have high crime, high poverty, massive unemployment, and liberal Democrat mayors. In DC's case, they kept electing a liberal crackhead!

[MasterKiller]

Had California not refused to build any new power plants for over 20 years, Enron, the GOP, Bush, Phil Gramm, couldn't have collaborated to turn the power off in California.

When you become dependant on others for any need, you run a huge risk. They chose to be 'green', and it bit them in the ass.

Oh, so California just had it comin'?

[Lee Chiang Po]

Texas should secede and get lost already.

Sick of the macho BS posturing around 10 gallon hats, bar-b-ques and handguns to shoot animals with laser sights.

yee haw!

lol

I can see you have not been off pavement before, and you have definately never been to Texas. I don't recall ever seeing a 10 gallon hat here, but we do have lots of guns. You can not depend upon law enforcement to protect you against real crime. Maybe a family squabble, but not serious crime. Law enforcement only comes in and mops up the blood and tries to solve the crime. You are charged with your own defense. Yours and your families.
Shooting coyotes here is a sport. We kill the SOB's any chance we get. They are an American Jackel and have all the same habits of any Jackel anywhere else. If we don't kill them they eventually start grabbing your kids off the yard. It has already happened more than a few times.
Being from Canada I am not surprised that you have such silly notions. You really need to look outside your small little world sometimes.