The Texas Unmiracle

[4588686]

[url="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/the-texas-unmiracle.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fopinion%2Findex.jsonp"]http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/the-texas-unmiracle.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fopinion%2Findex.jsonp[/url]


As expected, Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, has announced that he is running for president. And we already know what his campaign will be about: faith in miracles. Some of these miracles will involve things that you’re liable to read in the Bible. But if he wins the Republican nomination, his campaign will probably center on a more secular theme: the alleged economic miracle in Texas, which, it’s often asserted, sailed through the Great Recession almost unscathed thanks to conservative economic policies. And Mr. Perry will claim that he can restore prosperity to America by applying the same policies at a national level.

[kujo]

Rick Perry: A Neo-Con You Can Believe In

[4588686]

Props!

[vee]

Texas ZZZZZZzzzzzZzzZZZ Endless campaigning for US presidential elections

[dUSt]

Texas is an amesome country. I wish Rick Perry would just have Texas secede from the union.

[vee]

Texas isnt amesome cus I dont live there.
edited to add

Edited August 15, 2011 by vee8

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1313420963' post='2288369']
Texas is an amesome country. I wish Rick Perry would just have Texas secede from the union.
[/quote]
yeah, cause that went real well the first time "y'all" tried that.....

[Jaime]

Although I don't know a bunch about Governor Perry, I'm intrigued by him. He certainly seems to have more experience than a lot in the field.

[Marie-Therese]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1313412667' post='2288292']
[url="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/the-texas-unmiracle.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fopinion%2Findex.jsonp"]http://www.nytimes.c...n%2Findex.jsonp[/url]


As expected, Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, has announced that he is running for president. And we already know what his campaign will be about: faith in miracles. Some of these miracles will involve things that you’re liable to read in the Bible. But if he wins the Republican nomination, his campaign will probably center on a more secular theme: the alleged economic miracle in Texas, which, it’s often asserted, sailed through the Great Recession almost unscathed thanks to conservative economic policies. And Mr. Perry will claim that he can restore prosperity to America by applying the same policies at a national level.
[/quote]

Good article, however I take issue with this statement:
[quote] By the way, one in four Texans lacks health insurance, the highest proportion in the nation, thanks largely to the state’s small-government approach. [/quote]

Nope. The author makes it seem as though if only there were large-government policies in place, somehow the heath insurance issue would be moot. The problem is that the small-government policies are combined with the same problems everyone in American experiences: unjust taxation, hyper-manipulation of the economy by government interests, and a fundamental inability for the citizens to choose how they are governed because of the mutation of the state and federal governments into a massive, bickering nanny state.

Otherwise though, good article. Could have been written about pretty much any of the candidates though. While Texas might have some flattering statistics, the same issues involve every state in the union on some level. Whenever I see some of these quotes touting one or another positive government intervention I always remember the "lies, damned lies and statistics" quote.

[Amppax]

[quote name='Marie-Therese' timestamp='1313427323' post='2288404']
Whenever I see some of these quotes touting one or another positive government intervention I always remember the "lies, damned lies and statistics" quote.
[/quote]

Mark Twain

Funnily enough, my AP statistics course started with that quote. One of my favorite classes ever.

Edited August 15, 2011 by Amppax

[ardillacid]

When I want a fair and balanced assessment of someone on the right I go to hassy.

When I want a fair and balanced assessment of someone on the left I go to Socrates.

[Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1313420963' post='2288369']
Texas is an amesome country. I wish Rick Perry would just have Texas secede from the union.
[/quote]

The best thing to come out of Texas is I-10 East.

[LinaSt.Cecilia2772]

I would say some things, but i'm restraining myself from doing so. All i have to say is that if i was old enough to vote, i wouldnt vote for Perry.

[4588686]

[quote name='LinaSt.Cecilia2772' timestamp='1313438466' post='2288539']
I would say some things, but i'm restraining myself from doing so.
[/quote]


Why?

[LinaSt.Cecilia2772]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1313438529' post='2288540']


Why?
[/quote]

because i dont want to offend anyone. i'm not particularly a Perry fan, me being a texas resident and all.

[Brother Adam]

No really, why don't we like Perry? I have no opinion. If there are "C"atholics who would not vote for him I would like to know why.

[Socrates]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1313412667' post='2288292']
[url="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/the-texas-unmiracle.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fopinion%2Findex.jsonp"]http://www.nytimes.c...n%2Findex.jsonp[/url]


As expected, Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, has announced that he is running for president. And we already know what his campaign will be about: faith in miracles. Some of these miracles will involve things that you’re liable to read in the Bible. But if he wins the Republican nomination, his campaign will probably center on a more secular theme: the alleged economic miracle in Texas, which, it’s often asserted, sailed through the Great Recession almost unscathed thanks to conservative economic policies. And Mr. Perry will claim that he can restore prosperity to America by applying the same policies at a national level.
[/quote]
[size=4][b]DEFEND CHANGE!!!![/b][/size]

[Socrates]

[quote name='Marie-Therese' timestamp='1313427323' post='2288404']

Good article, however I take issue with this statement:


Nope. The author makes it seem as though if only there were large-government policies in place, somehow the heath insurance issue would be moot. The problem is that the small-government policies are combined with the same problems everyone in American experiences: unjust taxation, hyper-manipulation of the economy by government interests, and a fundamental inability for the citizens to choose how they are governed because of the mutation of the state and federal governments into a massive, bickering nanny state.[/quote]
The author's a typical NY Times big-government "liberal." ("Liberal" is in quotes because today's American nanny-state tax-and-spend big-gov "liberals" are anything but.)

And while I don't think anyone can honestly claim Texas went through the recession unscathed it's in much better shape economically than most other states, particularly with regards to unemployment and the jobs market. And Texas' comparative economic success can't be dismissed as simply the result of oil, etc. Texas is known for low regulation and business-friendly policies, including no state income tax. While the author lists population growth among the factors responsible, a lot of people are moving to Texas from elsewhere because of the job opportunities.

Perry's far from an ideal candidate, though I'd take him over Obama or Romney any day.


[quote]Otherwise though, good article. Could have been written about pretty much any of the candidates though. While Texas might have some flattering statistics, the same issues involve every state in the union on some level. Whenever I see some of these quotes touting one or another positive government intervention I always remember the "lies, damned lies and statistics" quote.[/quote]

The fact remains that across the country, states and cities that have low taxation and less government regulation of the economy are fairing better economically than those with heavy taxes and government regulation. A recent survey of American cities showed Dallas and other cities with low taxes and regulation to have the least unemployment, while liberal high-tax cities had the most unemployment.

If the Obama-loving big government liberals really want to make a case, rather than just poo-pooing the relative success of "conservative" states like Texas, they should give some real examples of states or cities prospering due to high-taxation liberal Democrat governance.

These "liberals" expect us to believe that what has failed miserably on the state and local level will somehow be a glorious success on the national level.

That's "faith in miracles" indeed.

[quote name='LinaSt.Cecilia2772' timestamp='1313438466' post='2288539']
I would say some things, but i'm restraining myself from doing so. All i have to say is that if i was old enough to vote, i wouldnt vote for Perry.
[/quote]
Who would you vote for?

[quote name='MIkolbe' timestamp='1313421794' post='2288373']
yeah, cause that went real well the first time "y'all" tried that.....
[/quote]
Don't mess with Texas, man.

[Marie-Therese]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1313446144' post='2288603']
The author's a typical NY Times big-government "liberal." ("Liberal" is in quotes because today's American nanny-state tax-and-spend big-gov "liberals" are anything but.)

And while I don't think anyone can honestly claim Texas went through the recession unscathed it's in much better shape economically than most other states, particularly with regards to unemployment and the jobs market. And Texas' comparative economic success can't be dismissed as simply the result of oil, etc. Texas is known for low regulation and business-friendly policies, including no state income tax. While the author lists population growth among the factors responsible, a lot of people are moving to Texas from elsewhere because of the job opportunities.

Perry's far from an ideal candidate, though I'd take him over Obama or Romney any day.




The fact remains that across the country, states and cities that have low taxation and less government regulation of the economy are fairing better economically than those with heavy taxes and government regulation. A recent survey of American cities showed Dallas and other cities with low taxes and regulation to have the least unemployment, while liberal high-tax cities had the most unemployment.

If the Obama-loving big government liberals really want to make a case, rather than just poo-pooing the relative success of "conservative" states like Texas, they should give some real examples of states or cities prospering due to high-taxation liberal Democrat governance.

These "liberals" expect us to believe that what has failed miserably on the state and local level will somehow be a glorious success on the national level.

That's "faith in miracles" indeed.
[/quote]

Hence my saying this:


[quote name='Marie-Therese' timestamp='1313427323' post='2288404']

The problem is that the small-government policies are combined with the same problems everyone in American experiences: [b][i]unjust taxation, hyper-manipulation of the economy by government interests, and a fundamental inability for the citizens to choose how they are governed because of the mutation of the state and federal governments into a massive, bickering nanny state.[/i][/b]
[/quote]

[4588686]

I guess I missed the part where you actually engaged with Krugman's argument, Socrates.