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Texas GOP having a debate about secession.

It's all hot air, but it's a bit entertaining.

Funny.

So would it only be the Republicans that leave, while the rest of the state stays?

If the GOP got the right members to leave, I think it'd help their party tremendously.

TPRJones wrote:Funny.

So would it only be the Republicans that leave, while the rest of the state stays?

I'm still waiting for the mass exodus of Democrats to head to Canada as promised during Bush W's reign.

Leisher wrote:

TPRJones wrote:Funny.

So would it only be the Republicans that leave, while the rest of the state stays?

I'm still waiting for the mass exodus of Democrats to head to Canada as promised during Bush W's reign.

To be fair, Madonna left. Props to her.

Madonna is one of those people who thinks she's left, but is actually right.

No, she's one of those people who speaks like she's from the UK when she's actually from Detroit.

Leisher wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2016 2:52 pm Texas GOP having a debate about secession.

It's all hot air, but it's a bit entertaining.

They are at it again. Honestly, good, go.

33. State Sovereignty: Pursuant to Article 1, Section 1, of the Texas Constitution, the federal government
200 has impaired our right of local self-government. Therefore, federally mandated legislation that infringes
201 upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas should be ignored, opposed, refused, and nullified. Texas
202 retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to
203 pass a referendum consistent thereto.

Also...

38. Utilities: We encourage free-market solutions for providing utilities whenever possible.

39. Power Grid: We urge that the Texas Legislature pass legislation to harden the Texas Electric Grid
increasing capacity and being prepared for all hazards,

Which is it? Free-market or legislation?

One of my best friends is moving to Texas soon. I look forward to hearing reports of how insane it is there.

Texas is generally regarded as having lower taxes than California... but only in aggregate/for the rich.

Catt, you're the economics guy. Please explain how the two bits of info below result in the graph above. I genuinely have no idea.

Texas does not have an individual income tax. Texas does not have a corporate income tax but does levy a gross receipts tax. Texas has a 6.25 percent state sales tax rate, a max local sales tax rate of 2.00 percent, and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 8.20 percent.

The state of California requires you to pay taxes if you are a resident or nonresident that receives income from a California source. The state income tax rates range from 1% to 12.3%, and the sales tax rate is 7.25% to 10.75%.

It's possible that CA has refundable credits that would lower effective tax rates for the bottom 80% either through income tax rebates (like EITC at the federal level) or sales tax rebates.

since the chart above looks at total tax burden, and the quote just looks at sales taxes. Property taxes are also excluded, along with any other local/state taxes, though those are usually the big 3. Texas has high property taxes (although, I've heard CA has pretty high rates as well). And Texas does not have many/(any?) refundable tax credits.

The chart feels like someone is trying to stem the hemorrhage from CA to TX.... and it could be someone on either side of the statement. CA doesn't want to be losing the tax revenue, and TX doesn't really want a bunch of Californians in their state shitting things up.

People aren't fleeing from CA to TX by the hundreds of thousands because they misunderstand the tax burden.

GORDON wrote: ↑Fri Oct 07, 2022 9:31 am People aren't fleeing from CA to TX by the hundreds of thousands because they misunderstand the tax burden.

It was 160,000 people over 4 years (2018 to 2021).

GORDON wrote: ↑Fri Oct 07, 2022 9:31 am The chart feels like someone is trying to stem the hemorrhage from CA to TX

It's created by an organization that protests regressive tax policies that impact poor + middle class more than the rich. Like the chart shows.

Would it be fair to say the chart also does not account for cost of living, among many other factors?

When I first started at this company they were in the process of leaving CA. My boss from CA saw my home and said it would easily be $1M or more in CA. At the time I was living in our starter home and we paid less than $100K for it.

TX has Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, but also a lot of far lower priced cities.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Fri Oct 07, 2022 10:14 am It's created by an organization that protests regressive tax policies that impact poor + middle class more than the rich.

Fair, but to Gordon's point, there's a reason CA and TX were chosen for this exercise.

Leisher wrote: ↑Fri Oct 07, 2022 11:45 am Would it be fair to say the chart also does not account for cost of living, among many other factors?

Well, it is just sticking to state/local taxes as a %age of income. So that's a completely different topic, imho.

Leisher wrote: ↑Fri Oct 07, 2022 11:45 am Fair, but to Gordon's point, there's a reason CA and TX were chosen for this exercise.

CA + TX were chosen because a politician from TX running for Senate said that TXs state + local burden was higher than CA for the vast majority of people. Unsure if this chart was made first or that statement, though.

To be fair to them, it's probably the easiest step to take towards dealing with school shootings. You just have to order and then distribute them.

You're not going to:
-get guns banned overnight, and even if you did, the 325M+ currently out there aren't going to all get turned in.
-solve the mental health crisis immediately.
-get the funds and construction done to make schools safer.
-hire all the right people and be 100% certain the response in Uvalde never happens again.

Has there ever been a school shooting where the shooter didn't just walk into an unsecured building? As in, the door was supposed to be locked, but wasn't. I don't think I've ever read about the shooter needing to break in.