Help California now! Why?

California has spent years digging a big hole in which to dump its economy. Finally, they have got the hole deep enough that there is no way to see out. But do they put the shovel down? No way, they rent a backhoe so they can dig faster.

This is a state with out of control spending on every social program imaginable. Pensions are available to employees who have worked thirty years and retire. Pensions at 90% of post-retirement salaries. Firemen can retire at age 50 with thirty years service and their pension can top $100,000 per year. The state provides generous welfare benefits, and extends those benefits to the large population of illegal aliens, undocumented workers, whatever the euphemism du jour for people who are illegally in the U.S. Unions hold strong sway over the state legislature. All of this is supported by high tax rates on businesses and individuals. Employers have been departing the state as fast as they can relocate. Population growth is driven by illegals.

What is the solution to all of this responsibility? Well obviously, we (you and I and the citizens of the other 49 states) must bail California out. And we must do this without the state even making any changes in its irresponsible fiscal behavior.

I for one have no interest in helping California fix its budget mess. Texas has been pilloried for years as being stingy with social benefits, but guess what, we have a healthy economy even in the face of a national economic decline. I see no reason to sacrifice my hard earned dollars to save the citizens of a state who take no responsibility for their own fiscal house.

It's a miracle

Farouk Shami, who is running for Governor of Texas, announced today, the invention of a blow dryer that causes hair to regrow and smooths out wrinkles. Shami's day job, when he's not proving how clueless he is about state government, is selling hair care products. Billions of dollars worth of hair care products. This invention should add a few more billion.

It's good to know he'll have something to fall back on when he gets his butt kicked in the Democratic Primary.

Ruination

The Texas hill country is truly one of the most beautiful areas of Texas. Geographically it is roughly the area defined by the Edwards Plateau. The scenery is lovely, the people are friendly and the activities available are wide and varied. Everything from wineries to dude ranches. Fredericksburg is the central location within what would be considered the hill country. Fredericksburg is a German community settled in the late 1840's. The German influence is still strong; names like Klein, Schwertner, Weinheimer, Ersch, Knopp, Loeffler and even Jacoby are still common in the area. There are beautiful rivers like the Guadalupe, the Pedernales, the Frio, the Sabinal, the Medina and the Llano (one can see a bit of the Spanish influence there.) These rivers are lined with large cypress, oak, pecan and elm trees.

It has long been a well kept secret from non-Texans. That has ended. The New York Times puts the hill country as the number one vacation spot for the summer of 2008. Fredericksburg was already nothing more than a tourist spot. Now the rest of the region is in danger of becoming something quite not authentic. But know that you will always be made to feel welcome. This is a happy circumstance for the region economically, but there is always a lot lost in translation.

Hat tip to the Lady from Ipenema.

To the four winds

This afternoon I met, on Highway 83 moving south, three buses, escorted by three Texas DPS troopers and three ambulances. Three buses will hold somewhere between 70 and 110 passengers. It appears Tom Green County has emptied the Coliseum and transferred the children of the YFZ Ranch all over the state of Texas.

San Jacinto Day

Today is a significant day in Texas and American history. On this day in 1836 Sam Houston's Texians caught Santa Anna's Mexican army literally sleeping; they were at afternoon siesta when the attack came. Santa Anna was said to be entertaining Emily Morgan, the Yellow Rose of Texas, in his tent. The Texians suffered two killed while several hundred Mexicans were killed, and Santa Anna was captured. Since he was the dictator of Mexico, Houston forced him to recognize Texas' independence in return for his release. Thus was born the Republic of Texas.

This event led eventually to the Mexican War. Texas was annexed into the United States in 1845 and Mexico did not recognize Texan sovereignty. This led to the conflict in 1846-1848. As settlement for the war the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo led to the Mexican Cession. The Mexican Cession added approximately a third to the size of the then United States; added territory included California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Texas, Colorado, Utah and Idaho.

The events of April 21, 1836 truly had long range affects both for the U.S. and Mexico, and all because Santa Anna did not prepare to defend his army.

Big empty

The weekend was spent in suburban Rule, Texas. The denizens refer to the area as the big empty. If you've ever been there it's not hard to see why. It is possible to see for several miles in any given direction, and the wind does blow a little bit. This is the southern plains and there is not much to see but wheat, oats and cotton; for miles in any direction. This is farm country and the people do definitely cling to their guns, religion and antipathy to others. This is America. The America that Woody Guthrie was writing about in "This Land is Your Land."

It is not a world for the faint of heart. If you live in the city it is almost impossible to imagine how wide open the country is. There are birds, snakes and coyotes, but trees are rather scarce. The saying when a blue norther is blowing is that, "there's nothing between here and the arctic circle but a barbed wire fence, and it has blown down."