So Texans believe that the national power grid, with it's regulations, is socialist. But getting FEMA to rescue their frozen asses when their poorly maintained system fails is not socialist.
I'm tired of bailing out people who don't believe in bail outs.
Your “tired of bailing out people who don’t believe in bail outs” statement ranks up there with “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” I love a pithy turn of phrase. Thank you.
There's a large part of the 'devil' part of me that wanted Biden to just ignore him. 'Oh, sorry, what was that you were asking?' Like 45 ignored so many other mayors & governors when they needed help with wild fires or riots or gun violence. We 'nice people' seem to get kicked in the shins by the bully we just helped get up off the ground.
I was enjoying a scenario playing in my mind where Biden holds a press conference and says, "we are getting reports there is state called 'Texas.' Although we are not familiar with this place, apparently it's in the southern portion of the country and they need help. Be assured we are wasting no time in assembling a committee to look into this potentially serious situation!"
Yes it is very tempting but we all know even tho people voted these ignorant crooks into office - its NOT the crooks that are suffering right now - and not ALL the people who are suffering (& dying, I might add) did vote the crooks in. Sorry if I sound as if I'm chastising anyone - I'm not. I do, however, remember what it was like here in NY when we lost power years ago (before gen)! NOT fun, and WE have likely more insulation, warm clothing, and are accustomed (sort of) to colder weather! Reading about families heating with GRILLS or running their cars in the garage? Thats pretty scary stuff. Saying all that, sure would be nice if you could help the "little people" & leave the responsible politicians to fare for themselves, right?
How many Texans are you referring to? The residents of Texas are suffering at the hands of corrupt politicians. Are you seeking revenge from the people who have been lied to, used and thrown away? Our disagreement couldn't be more stark.
Unfortunately, many Americans have not experienced government working for them. Some aspects of the anti-government movement, other than right-wing rhetoric and self-interest is that often the functions of state and federal governments have been geared to the interests of the donor class, Wall St. and corporations rather than the general public. Providing many more Americans with the benefits of good government would go a long way toward a healthier and more equitable society as well as one that is less divided than ours is now.
You are partly correct. But who has elected these politicians? Of course, it may not reflect the true populace because of their active efforts at voter suppression....
Heather, I do not think that I am 'partly correct'. I don't hold the people responsible for their suffering as would would not hold Americans responsible for Trump's sins against humanity. Think of the people that you would harm.
I have friends who live throughout Texas. All of which purchased generators due to the changing climate challenges these last few years. They throughly understand the consequences of an underserviced power grid and the unforeseen weather patterns, so they are managing fine and helping those that aren't.
Rush Limbaugh, hum. I think of the adage, live your life in such a way that people don't rejoice in your death. I can think of others, but perhaps wouldn't be appropriate at this time.
I live in Maine and lose power frequently . Yes I am one of the few on my road who does not have a standby generator. I tried to buy one this summer but there is a huge shortage of generators because there has been an unusual high demand from all over the country. The cost for these standby generators are 10000 plus. I have a generator which you pull outside of the garage which has a pull chord which is difficult to start when you are 40 and in great shape. I am lucky my son in law comes over and starts it. You run it for a few hours then go without power. My heart goes out to the people in Texas. It is hard to go with out heat and power. So the people with means can be-comfortable and those without suffer. Twenty years ago I had an AFS student from Sweden live with us. We lost power for over a week and did not have a generator. She was shocked and had never experienced losing power in Sweden. their power lines are underground so they never lose power from trees falling. Just think of all the fires that could have been prevented in California. Maybe investing in our infrastructure is a better solution.
I’m glad you have a young buck nearby, Susan. Not only per this issue, but for many others regarding winters, autumn leaves, property care, a hammer-and-nail issues, etc.
We moved from South Portland, ME., to our current location in the autumn 2018. One month later, that tremendous wind storm swept through Maine, and our welcome to the neighborhood was an uprooted Norway Maple, measuring some 90 feet. luckily our ‘back 40' is appx 110 feet in length. I just have stacked more than 200 logs, as a friend sawed that thing to pieces.
Immediately after the power blackout, we heard “whirring” all around us. It was the sound of neighbors’ generators, powered by small propane tanks, w/ automatic turn-on. Luckily, the season was mid-autumn, and we managed without heat and electricity for about a week.
WE decided to take the leap and by a generator. Of course, we have not needed it since. Just having that thing, I realize now, is relief (in a way, an immediate “turn--on”
Oh, if we could only be half as smart as those Swedes!
We've lost power more the past several years too. I had a small generator, key start but it wasnt all that easy to get going AND my son would come over & start it for me (he lives about 5-10 minutes away) The kicker was a couple years ago, he almost didnt get here because we had a doozie of a snowstorm - and he was driving his plowtruck!! So the following summer I finally did invest in an automatic gen. (6000 loan) electric box install. hooked up to my house propane tanks. A relief, like Frederick says! But honestly, any kind of generator sure does make a difference when the power goes out. Imagine - not having all these wires & transformers all over! Cant imagine actually.
Linda, I, too, know a lot of people who have family in TX or who are there now. The situation there is absolutely terrible--and it was significantly preventable if maintenance of infrastructure had been a priority. However, the pols in TX think that their main ace-in-the-hand is low taxes--which means very little money for things like infrastructure maintenance and education. I heard this morning on NPR that while power plants in TX were being idled because they did not have the necessary natural gas to generate electricity, the companies were still selling natural gas outside the state. Because profit, y'know, is far more important than people actually not dying. Nevertheless, the yutzes in the state legislature are screaming down the house about the suggestions that maybe they should invest some funds in infrastructure, because it is "socialist." We have reached the level of lunacy when basic human empathy is now rejected by elected officials and their blind followers because it does not gel with their 18th-century Ricardian notions of what "capitalism" is. And to tie in your two thoughts: that is the legacy of the despicable self-aggrandizing balloon-of-methane who died yesterday. He made millions by encouraging the absolutely worst instincts in humanity.
In contrast, AOC this morning starts a Lenten project in honor of Tom Raskin, the son of Rep Jamie Raskin of MD, who was an artist and humanitarian activist--and who committed suicide on Dec. 31. She is asking people to go vegan for Lent--in some way (such as one day a week)--in honor of Tom's memory. And she is asking people to tweet vegan recipes to her. When human empathy becomes visible only on one side of the scale, and that empathy is vilified by the other side (as in our two trolls who jumped out asap to glorify the person who died yesterday), we have reached a level of bizarre in public discourse that I, for one, find incomprehensible. https://plantbasednews.org/culture/law-and-politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-urged-go-plant-based-ditches-meat-for-lent/
Linda, I agree. It was preventable. Certainly to the degree that as long as the climate is changing, we must adapt. The situation varies from friend to friend. My partner has a cousin that lives outside of Houston and they are doing fine. She and her husband are from Central New York so, a little snow and cold does not devastate them. I grew up in CNY, and like this morning when I got 5" of unpredicted snow. My only thought was, damn I better brush off the car. 😄.
I know that weather and conditions are relative, but as Ron's cousin pointed out, if they get 2" of snow, the city grinds to a halt for days. I read an article that stated the top selling vehicle in Texas is the F-150 pick up. This does make me think of the well worn expression from the late Anne Richards, "all hat, no cattle".
I did hear AOC's statement regarding Tom Raskin. I will most certainly go vegan in Tom's memory during lent. I immediately saw discourse from the GOP regarding that. It is diabolical and disgusting the act of being contrary for no reason at all. Speaking of which, the aforementioned trolls have certainly taken the wrong exit when they decided to post on this page. 😉
I lived in western NY for 17 years--about 100 miles south of Rochester, 100 miles east of Buffalo--in an area that gets lake effect from both Ontario AND Erie. The only time things were problematic was when there was an ice storm in the spring or more than 2 feet of snow fell in one day. Where I live currently, 2 inches freaks out everyone, but the problem is there is no infrastructure to handle snow, so it is disastrous and problematic--and I am not in Texas! Half of my neighbors won't shovel their sidewalks (we have about 8 inches on the ground at the moment) in order to help out those of us with dogs to walk. Lack of neighborliness is one of the biggest problems I am experiencing in the "nice" Midwest.
I love the Anne Richards quotation! And I also wonder about people who are dying in TX because they think it is a good idea to turn their cars on with the garage door closed and sleep in them. The Darwin Awards folks are I am sure rolling their eyes. At the same time, elderly people with no resources are dying of cold and hunger--because their neighbors are not checking on them either. Beto has been organizing phone banks to call and rescue old folks who need help. While the piece-of-excrement Cruz goes to Cancun.
I heard about the people sleeping in running cars with garage doors closed. That's not being unfamiliar with cold weather, that's a complete lack of common sense. SMH. It is a shame that helping others is the exception and not the rule.
Hats off to Beto and a swift kick in the nuggets to Cruz.
Less than an hour ago, ERCOT had a live zoomed meeting with reporters to "explain" how things stood right now (ice, snow, power on and off - or none at all - boiling water). They had the audacity to report that they had been in touch with their operators and instructed them to return to providing power as they had been before being told to "shed" users, because NOW, they had determined it was "safe" to do so. Now, what has happened between now and Sunday? Anyone? I suspect your point about profiting off sales while being shut down may have something to do with this new decision. I guess their operators (read private owners) had made enough money to justify going back in service. Call me cynical, but I do live in Texas and one cannot help but always question the white male pols in this state.
Two incredibly clear and opposing visions of leading by example which clearly illustrate their relative effectiveness: Biden cares abouty the people and acts to solve the problem as far as his powers permit, Abbot-Boyd act to blame someone else.... "the bogeyman in Washington did it"...and thus to lie and obfuscate, to tell the people to look out for themselves as no one else will and to say that the problem could get worse if we had "more Biden"....and less of them. A no-brainer it would seem.
and then there are the other Texan leaders by example:
Ted Cruz flying his family today to vacation in a warm resort in Cancun!
In contrast to Beto O'Rourke today who set up a phone bank:
"We’re calling as many Texas seniors as we can today to check in on them, connect them to resources, and try to help where we can. The more people making phone calls, the more Texans we can reach."
Hello Lynn!! Beto is irrepressible, despite being walloped repeatedly in the last couple of years.
Have you ever seen the film "Little Big Man?" Dustin Hoffman's character falls in with (literal) snake-oil salesman Martin Balsam in the old West. They're busted, beaten, tarred and feathered. As they're run out of town on a rail, Balsam is already planning his next scheme. Dustin: "You don't know when you're licked." Martin: "I'm not licked, just tarred and feathered!"
Total abdication of responsibility by Repuglycans, and not just now in TX. They simply refuse to govern except for the favored few. The Trumpsky admin embodied it perfectly, climaxing with his total dereliction of duty as the Jan 6 insurrection unfolded.
The word "Balance" seems to be missing from this discussion this evening. Too much regulation is as bad as too little. Too little government can be as bad as too much government. I've lived in rural Texas since 2000 after having lived in Massachusetts for more than twenty years. As with every place I've lived or places I've visited the Texas culture has both features you like and features you could certainly do without. One might think of the stereotypical Texan as a "good ole boy", polite, independent, male, white and very conservative with bowed legs from being on a horse all day managing their cattle ranch who tips his cowboy hat to the "little ladies". When I came to Texas that stereotype was shattered when I found out ranchers use electric branding irons now. I do like the politeness and the independent nature of many Texans. When you go to the big cities in Texas you find a very different and very liberal world. Republicans do control the state government but the demographics of Texas is pushing Texas to purple and eventually blue. In defense of Texas, there are a lot of regulations that apply well in the northern states with colder climates that just haven't been necessary in Texas.... Until now that is when climate crisis events such as this frigid cold are now evident. I've learned that the cause of this frigid weather is a disruption of the polar vortex. This is the largest such disruption ever recorded since 1950 or so and is causing the same havoc in Greece and Turkey that we're having in Texas -- a global event, a climate crisis event that will happen more and more frequently. Like the derecho (I think of it as a horizontal hurricane) which caused billions of dollars of crop losses in Ohio last year it was unexpected and therefore Ohio was ill-prepared for it. I didn't know until yesterday about the polar vortex -- a spinning top of frigid air at the pole. I didn't know that with enough energy it could be disrupted and go topsy-turby. Please read this article about it.
So, as a resident of Texas I will certainly encouraged the state to become better prepared for the climate crisis. I have been very fortunate to have had electricity through the coldest days and nights of this event and only short periods without electricity today and yesterday. So, maybe my electric cooperative is doing a better job than others in the state.
It is true that the Republican politicians have the same disease the majority of the Republican Party nationally. No longer the party of Lincoln, it has become the party of hate, conspiracy theories, insurrection and violence. My answer is to not vote for any candidate that has a R beside their name (or a Q or T for that matter) even if I like a particular candidate like the guy representing me in the state legislature. I sent him an email explaining to him he would no longer have my vote because of the direction his party has taken. The last straw for me was seeing the Texas Senators vote to acquit the 45th President on a technicality. For me, the Republican Party is now dead.
This power engineering student seems to have a good explanation of the power grid problem in Texas. Identifying the problems with more clarity helps identify potential solutions to help find balance in this climate changing world—as we also work to address global climate change at its roots.
Welcome to the world, Texas. Bad decisions have bad consequences.....which only better decisions can put right....which have to be paid for. The power of the people....all the people...will drive Texas there...as will the consequences of their previous irresponsibility.
Stuart, I'm not so sure it would be viewed as irresponsibility for a large energy rich economy the size Texas to make such a decision to be independent of the federal government on energy. If you could see all the wind turbine farms in Texas you'd also see that Texas is embracing sustainable energy. The federal government talks about being energy independent from others counties for defense purposes. I believe you're referring to the larger issue that every state in the union is participating in -- the misuse of capitalism through greed. The income disparity and selfish short-sightedness that will be the demise of capitalism. And energy rich Texas has made getting a higher education very inexpensive for all Texas residents because the Universities have been endowed with mineral rights that produce a lot of income. There is no Texas income tax; property and sales taxes have funded the state. The United States as a whole is making irresponsible decisions because of short-sighted greed rather than planning for the benefit of seven generations.
I appreciate all the points you make, Cathy, but in the current situation no networks should isolate themselves in that way or they deprive themselves of the possibility of power import/export to ensure a better energy balance over time and season both for themselves and their neighbouring States...security comes from sharing a little!
OK. Texas is the size of five states (and in its Treaty with the US to become a state it can separate itself into five states if it wants to) and probably felt the sharing could be done within its boundaries. This storm covered a huge portion of the state. I'm certainly not sure networking with the other two US grids would be more of a benefit than a detriment to Texas. Incompetence and greed within the system needs to be fixed. But, the overall decision to be independent does not seem irresponsible to me. It seems to me like it was a reasonable decision at that time it was made. The Monday morning quarterbacking is not useful. Now that the criteria for Texas power needs has changed the problem is that we are not doing a good job of preparing for the climate crisis largely because of denial from our politicians and the inertia of protecting the fossil fuel industry. This is a common problem in industry to hang on to what has made the company profitable in the past. I think what I'm feeling in the discussions throughout the comments for this letter is the labeling of Texas as a whole as irresponsible and some kind of backward entity and somehow not serving its people. It feels like black and white thinking -- that Texas is all bad because it has Republican leadership. While there are certainly things I would change about Texas politics I do believe Texas is a great place to be. For example, I had a huge hospital bill when I almost died in 2013. Being a sole proprietor and only employee of my business I decided to self insure. I would have had to put a second mortgage on my house to pay it which is the risk I had accepted. I applied for a Texas program through the hospital and received a letter that my bill had been discounted by 100%. Yes, I had to read that multiple times to be sure it meant the entire bill was being paid plus any bills in the next year before I turned 65. Boy, did I feel fortunate to be alive and living in Texas!
I find your responses very cogent and helpful in understanding what Texas is all about. I'm glad your hospital bills were taken care of and hope you are well now. For myself, I have no bad feeling or animosity toward any of the people in Texas. The politicians there, however, I find infuriating, especially Ted Cruz who helped to perpetuate the Big Lie and appears to be nothing but a twisted ball of ambition. My federal tax dollars are now going to pay for the Texas politicians' neglect of their energy infrastructure. I am quite sure winterizing the energy infrastructure is not a new idea, but a recommendation that has been ignored since 2011. I'm wondering why El Paso is connected with the national infrastructure while the rest of Texas is not. Do you know anything about this?
Hi Gina, Thank you for your kind thoughts. What I'm trying to convey is that this storm is like nothing we've ever seen in Texas. In the twenty years I've been here I have never seen snow even stick to the ground. This is to me the result of the climate crisis. Something that the U.S. is not taking seriously and not preparing for. If it weren't for climate crisis I think we would probably be fine with the existing systems. Heavens, we use heat pumps with electrical backup if it happens to go below freezing which is rare. We do not have furnaces. I design homes here in the Hill Country. You do not design them with high pitched roofs made to handle snow load. Along the coast you do design for hurricanes. A national building code would have to require snow load roofs, for instance to cover the entire country. Being part of the national grid might require Texas to spend much more than is necessary for conditions that would happen once in 100 or 500 years. Texas chose not to do that especially with the fossil fuel industry not doing as well as it has in the past and now the competition with sustainable energy. Solar is now so cheap and effective because China has made it so affordable that home owners will find it cost effective to go with solar rather than oil or electric heat. And, I don't pretend to be an expert in the energy industries. It just feels like the media is slamming Texas for being practical and keeping costs down for the consumers. On the other side, I agree with you on Senator Cruz. I don't even bother to write to him because I have written him off. I do write to Senator Cornyn every few days but it mostly just makes me feel good about speaking out. I worked hard to get Beto O'Rourke elected in 2018 and we almost succeeded! Almost... I wrote him a note after the election saying he was just one election too early. What he did do was energize Democrats and Independents and give them confidence that it is possible to unseat a Republican in Texas. Also, El Paso is more than 500 miles west of San Antonio across some rough country. It is simply much more practical and cost effective for them to tie into the Western grid. It's simply geography. I don't know the history of how El Paso became part of Texas. I can think of lots of states -- say all the ones with Republican majority legislatures -- where the politicians are doing awful things these days. But please think of all the people of Texas who do need help now no matter. There are a lot of us that are working hard to change the political climate here in Texas. The people of Texas do pay U.S. taxes for the insurance that FEMA will come when it is needed. In fact, I just looked it up and Texans sent the federal government $261 billion in taxes in 2016, and the state government received $39.5 billion in grants in return, or about 15 percent of our total federal tax tab. So please be kind to Texas it is funding the needs of lots of other states.
I was looking at Texas on a map just the other day, thinking it could easily be three States, to be honest, and noticed how El Paso is barely in it. A little wiggle at the border and it would be in New Mexico.
Gaaah! indeed. Texas x 5 is a gigantic wild card. It's hard to know how multiple Texii (great word) would take shape, but the gerrymandering in all of them would be intense, even the new blues. Maybe it's best to leave it as fantasy. Still, it's a very good bet that Texans will choose to stay as Big as possible. They're into Big.
We need a new narrative to combat the corporatist capitalism of today.
"The Robber Barons have left America freezing cold and in grave danger. Now, we MUST create a Democracy Capitalism - that honors citizens and the earth first, and private profit will THEN flow in abundance to all.” (I hope you get the idea)
These are people who will change the dynamic (purple and blue) when the populace gets fed up, takes action, and actually votes. As the article points out, there are challenges to casting a ballot in TX.
sometimes it takes awhile, but the arc bends toward justice...
I love so much of what you and Cathy Learoyd say, Denise. I would love to put little hearts and gold stars all over your posts at the beautiful things I’m reading. I also send my love to both of you, I’m thinking about you both, and the other gentleman in Texas whose name I forget I think it’s Bruce Carpenter.
No problem, Cathy. When I was in college, I was on an overseas trip with a large group of students who were mainly from California. They, too, mixed up Ohio and Iowa. Many didn't know where it was. I had to say, "halfway between New York City and Chicago."
I think it is important to write to the senators and congress representatives from your state, either thanking them for their votes or expressing your dissatisfaction. They need to hear our voices...one way or the other. I am from NJ with 2 Democrats as senators. I thanked them for voting to convict. I then wrote to my Republican congressman and expressed my dissatisfaction with his vote to not impeach and also with the direction of the party in general. They need to hear from us. We are the ones who they are representing. I want my voice heard from now on. I applaud you, Cathy, for doing so.
I guess the now former Mayor of Colorado City, Tim Boyd, forgets that people pay taxes to recieve services and utility bills for power and water. And Greg Abbot has no problem asking for a federal "handout" to aid the state of Texas.. Maybe after freezing for several days, some of the right wing sheep will wake up and see that they're being fed a mountain of.lies. Limbaugh's death will bring a welcome relief from the divisiveness, lies and bigotry that was his stock in trade.
I shudder to wonder what evil will rise from the ashes of Limbaugh’s death. Praying that it will take time for whomever to develop the hurtful influence he wielded and enough people can develop the patience and skills to outshine their harmful ideas.
You’d think but no. The sheep are posting rants about how green energy caused this problem. And how unprepared people were to be in such dire straits. What? You need food and the stores are out? Why didn’t you buy more when you knew it was coming? Because people were already starving.
I just find it a tad ironic how there are numerous churches with water damage from burst pipes. They couldn’t even use churches to help people because they didn’t have power. It’s a big mess down here!
Texas is in a bad way, to be sure. My heart goes out to the millions of people who are cold and hungry. Will this mess be enough to open the eyes and minds of voting Texans? Will they remember how much they suffered and the reactions of their elected officials? How much longer are people in Texas going to tolerate a sub par infrastructure* before they understand that they are in this pickle because developers, businesses and politicians have refused to support regulations that would make life for everyone better?
Unfortunately he's easily replaced. The role is too lucrative. Many are already climbing over his dead body to get at the pot of gold...and to Trump..et their inanities and "provocative entertainment" for all who will pay.
I'm not so sure anyone else on radio will ever have quite the success. He spent decades building his image, insinuating himself into our culture and cultivating a a broad base. I think his success was actually pretty unusual.
Tucker ”Texas is totally reliant on wind” Carlson comes to mind. That is so ridiculous. Does he really not know, has he not bothered to research the cause of the power outages? Does he not know anything about how Texas oil and gas interests control the Governor’s office, the legislature, the economy? Or does he know his statement is laughably false but considers his viewers too stupid or ignorant to know? I’m not sure which is worse.
Wait, so Texas doesn’t want the federal government to regulate their power but they ask for federal aid when they need it?
Even when Rick Perry says they’d rather go it alone and that mayor says they SHOULD go it alone? It’s almost as if the GOP is operating in bad faith and talking out of both sides of their mouths. It’s almost as if this is a problem of their own creation that they need help to solve butnl they’re biting the hand that, in this case, warms them. It’s almost as if their bad policy choices, made with political expedience but no view toward the future, keep biting them in the butt. Sort of like, idk, dismantling a pandemic response team or something?
Exactly what I thought as I was reading HCR's letter today. If you are so damned hard working and independent solve your own problems individual citizen. Who cares that you pay an electric bill for service from a corporation and then you expect those services. It doesn't matter if you are the richest man (notice, not person but MAN) in Texas, a "welfare queen" or average citizen. If the power plant is not producing power, NO ONE is getting power. This crisis should wake up Texans to demand connecting to other states electric sharing grids and accept the regulation that comes along with that move. Joe Biden (God bless him) understands that the people did not know of this catastrophe waiting to happen and should not die because those at the top who make these decisions were penny wise but point foolish. Those at the top are ELECTED OFFICIALS and the average citizen can FIRE THEM by VOTING. Hey 45's favorite phrase: YOU'RE FIRED.
I’d also like to point out that so far, Abbott is blaming windmills, Perry is advocating remaining in the dark because, freedom and Cruz is in Mexico. Meanwhile, Beto is organizing phone banks for people to check on elderly residents. It’s also almost as if Texans have backed the wrong horse.
Agree. I'm sad for Texans, I am. But you can't have your cake and eat it, too. I'm up here in WA state and I know exactly who my congress people are and the work they do. I know where every cent of my taxes go .. I many not agree with all of it. But I appreciate our good schools, our good roads, building codes, living and safety in a well built home for which I pay huge property taxes, utilities and electric and gas bills that are sometimes too high for me. This is what it means to live in a civilized society, people. In the UNITED states of America. If you want to go it alone, Texas, than do that. Just stop asking the rest of the nation to foot the bill when your plans don't pan out for you.
Kind of like all the farmers and ranchers who are happy to receive big subsidies and big CoVid crises payouts from the Federal “Socialist” Government that they hate so much.
Let's please try to make a distinction between Texas Republicans and the almost 50% of Texas Democrats and Independents. There are a lot of compassionate and caring people here in Texas. Last week when this freeze was forecast our local Democratic chapter raised $2500. in a matter of only a couple of hours to expand shelter assistance and food support for the local homeless coalition in only a couple of hours effort from our local members. We take care of our neighbors and each other. The problem here in Texas is not Texas Democrats and Independents. As in so many places around the country in both red and blue states, it is Republican incompetents and know-nothings.
I lieved in Texas for a year as a high school exchange student in a small town in the panhandle, at a time when the state was fundamentally Democratic ... a small town mayor, Democrat or Republican, who would have thought, spoken and acted like Mr. Boyd whould have been unthinkable and would have been considered a disgrace to his community.
Mr. Boyd does not have the crudest understanding of "res publica". Why did he run for mayor, why did he accept the post, if he had no understanding of serving the public?
A public service, like snow removal, is not a "handout". It is a public service, which has to be delivered most of all efficiently. There is no room for identity politics or much ideology in clearing streets or operating traffic lights.
The absurd example of Mr. Boyd's behavior shows that this has gone beyond anything which thinking Democrats or thinking Republicans would believe in as the basis, or platform, for going into public service on any level of government.
I just want to say, Peter, this is a magnificent post. It just goes to show how far our standards have dropped, with Q and the other extremists hijacking the Republican Party, that your words are so soothing and sound so humane. Every once in awhile my wife and I talk about the old Republican party of the 60s and 70s. Richard Nixon was the headline scandal. The party has turned into a fringe outfit, a terrorist group, which explains why so many people have abandoned it. Joe Scarborough. Nicole Wallace. George Will !!!! A clump of people abandoned it right after January 6, too. Soon only social lepers will remain. Soon there will be multiple parties or major changes of some kind, it’s possible that the right wing political party is being turned into an endangered species as it already has in California.
We are now entering our fourth day in a row with power outages and NO WATER! If we were able to get any water we are all here in Texas under boil water orders. Still difficult to do without power, so new reason to be thankful for a propane grill to boil water melted from snow. Good news? More snow and freezing rain due today so water delivery is on the way, no thanks to our utilities or political leaders. Oh, and if we could get out to grocery stores, most have bare shelves due to hoarding again and no deliveries.
Bulletin for Tim Boyd and other clueless Texas Republican politicians like Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz (now vacationing in Cancun), and all the rest... We ain't looking for a handout but is concern for your constituents and competence too much to ask. Lots of other states and locations in the world manage their way through unseasonably cold weather and even worse natural disasters. But Texas??? Nooóoooo.
Texas Democrats and Independents and even some Republicans are PISSED OFF and I don't think a few sunny days are going to make them forget this happened on your watch.
So tell us what you are going to do to prevent disasters like this from happening in the future. Let's get busy winterizing and attending to our infrastructure. Is it going to cost money? Of course! Now say it with me... Bond issues to pay for needed infrastructure and revenue allocations to pay for those. It is definitely possible to do this.
The only good news about the disastrous cold weather is that it is front and center. First 30 minutes of Rachel Maddow, for example. Ted Cruz, newest addition to Worst Jerk of the Year Club. A certain attention hog is no longer drawing the spotlight all to himself and taking it away from people who are suffering.
As I boil the microbes out of my water waiting to hear when we can bathe again, I’m really mad that Ted Cruz jumped on a plane with his family last night and went to Cancun.
He needs to run again in 2024 to keep his Senate seat. Fire up Democratic and/or Indivisible groups to promote a different candidate to VOTE HIM OUT. As Senator, he represents all the citizens of Texas so every voter has a say. The ground work starts now.
I'm praying God will see the need for justice here. I don't want to tell him what to do (way beyond my pay grade) just bring His attention to the plight of the Texan people. I'm hoping your efforts please Him.
"The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING! I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn handout!...After an outcry, Boyd resigned."
"Limbaugh [said that] the welfare system...is shredding the social fabric, bankrupting the country, and gutting the work ethic...and moral discipline of the poor.”
There's no irony (said ironically) that these comments came from"those who'd gotten theirs" and had no qualms about punching down at those who didn't. I'm guessing Mayor Tim Boyd had electricity at his home. He's probably financially comfortable. No doubt he's a churchgoer who wears his "Christianity" on his sleeve. Limbaugh came from an upper middle class family and was paid handsomely to espouse Movement Conservativism. Churchgoer or not he leaned on "Christian values."
Their sanctimonious use of implied religious morality, manifested by the liberal sprinkling of Bible references and saying "Jesus taught us" has permeated the right since at least 1992 when Gingrich entered the scene. Many of them couldn't recite the 10 Commandments if they were written on a barn door and probably had a cheat sheet in their jacket pocket just I'm case.
"Abbott [said] that “this shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America.”
The GOP's go-to response is to deflect, project, and reject - and the facts be damned. So Abbott and Carlson and others are attacking an environmental initiative that isn't even a law, and whose statements are easily undermined by a touch of research and, ironically once again, contradicted by the head of the organization that manages the state's power grid. And yet, having spewed nonsense about about a power system that had been privatized with the specific intent of avoiding federal "interference" by regulation, Governor Abbott, backed by election denier Ted Cruz, wasted not one minute asking for "handouts."
"At Abbott’s request, President Biden has declared that Texas is in a state of emergency, freeing up federal money and supplies for the state."
Just like Trump helped Puerto Rico after a hurricane? Or California after wildfires? Or Michigan after water pollution? As Esquire's Charles Pierce might say, these really are the mole people.
I'm literally sickened by the dishonesty and hypocrisy.
Apparently someone let him know he was being trashed by everyone, including his base, so he's heading back home. I hope he finds that house under water and frozen with no power at all.
Well, it seems to me that Abbott cannot have it both ways... he wants no regulation or Federal infrastructure interference.. and Texas has its own power system to prove it ( only state to have its own), but then wants the Feds, ie is via tax dollars, to assist.. or bail them out. Seems hypocritical to me.. as I read recently, ...here is a joke:
Texas-“we don’t want interference! Texas won’t work with the Democrats until he’ll freezes over!”, God-“ok. That’s do-able!” Not to be insensitive to people’s needs.. it’s just that you can’t bite the hand thst feeds you...
It is always delightful to wake up and have Ms. Richardson tie together stories in the news with a historical backdrop. What doesn't change is politicians. "I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies I'm stealing their lollipops." (from Hunt for Red October).
Abbott is lying about what is wrong. This happened a decade ago and FERC made recommendations on how to protect the TX system. As usual, TX ignored the advice. Government failure and Abbott owns it.
"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." While that quote is falsely attributed to Mark Twain I found it quite appropriate to my feelings about the passing of Limbaugh. It was often said that the fact checkers that worked for his show had the easiest job anywhere because they never had to fact check anything. He may have been the first to spew hatred and self-entitlement on national radio with impunity, but he is not the last. We need to apply pressure to our congress people to rewrite and reinstate the Fairness Doctrine to stop the one who will step in to fill the echo chamber vacuum left by Limbaugh.
So Texans believe that the national power grid, with it's regulations, is socialist. But getting FEMA to rescue their frozen asses when their poorly maintained system fails is not socialist.
I'm tired of bailing out people who don't believe in bail outs.
Completely agree. It seems to only be socialist when they are not directly benefiting. Consistently hypocritical Republican.
Your “tired of bailing out people who don’t believe in bail outs” statement ranks up there with “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” I love a pithy turn of phrase. Thank you.
"I'm tired of bailing out people who don't believe in bail outs."
I love that. I'm going to propagate it to my Facebook, if that's okay with you.
Okay by me.
You're a hit, Rebecca!
😂
...and was there not assistance provided from the common pool of resources when the hurricanes and floods rolled through Texas?
There's a large part of the 'devil' part of me that wanted Biden to just ignore him. 'Oh, sorry, what was that you were asking?' Like 45 ignored so many other mayors & governors when they needed help with wild fires or riots or gun violence. We 'nice people' seem to get kicked in the shins by the bully we just helped get up off the ground.
I was enjoying a scenario playing in my mind where Biden holds a press conference and says, "we are getting reports there is state called 'Texas.' Although we are not familiar with this place, apparently it's in the southern portion of the country and they need help. Be assured we are wasting no time in assembling a committee to look into this potentially serious situation!"
Yes it is very tempting but we all know even tho people voted these ignorant crooks into office - its NOT the crooks that are suffering right now - and not ALL the people who are suffering (& dying, I might add) did vote the crooks in. Sorry if I sound as if I'm chastising anyone - I'm not. I do, however, remember what it was like here in NY when we lost power years ago (before gen)! NOT fun, and WE have likely more insulation, warm clothing, and are accustomed (sort of) to colder weather! Reading about families heating with GRILLS or running their cars in the garage? Thats pretty scary stuff. Saying all that, sure would be nice if you could help the "little people" & leave the responsible politicians to fare for themselves, right?
Dealing with naughty children!
Great post. Especially the sentence of word play.
😂😂
How many Texans are you referring to? The residents of Texas are suffering at the hands of corrupt politicians. Are you seeking revenge from the people who have been lied to, used and thrown away? Our disagreement couldn't be more stark.
Every voter who elected the incompetents is guilty. Especially if they elect them again.
Unfortunately, many Americans have not experienced government working for them. Some aspects of the anti-government movement, other than right-wing rhetoric and self-interest is that often the functions of state and federal governments have been geared to the interests of the donor class, Wall St. and corporations rather than the general public. Providing many more Americans with the benefits of good government would go a long way toward a healthier and more equitable society as well as one that is less divided than ours is now.
My response to Heather is the same for you Harry.
You are partly correct. But who has elected these politicians? Of course, it may not reflect the true populace because of their active efforts at voter suppression....
Heather, I do not think that I am 'partly correct'. I don't hold the people responsible for their suffering as would would not hold Americans responsible for Trump's sins against humanity. Think of the people that you would harm.
Amen to that .. sista
Amen to that
Yes...
Thank you Heather.
I have friends who live throughout Texas. All of which purchased generators due to the changing climate challenges these last few years. They throughly understand the consequences of an underserviced power grid and the unforeseen weather patterns, so they are managing fine and helping those that aren't.
Rush Limbaugh, hum. I think of the adage, live your life in such a way that people don't rejoice in your death. I can think of others, but perhaps wouldn't be appropriate at this time.
Be safe, be well.
I live in Maine and lose power frequently . Yes I am one of the few on my road who does not have a standby generator. I tried to buy one this summer but there is a huge shortage of generators because there has been an unusual high demand from all over the country. The cost for these standby generators are 10000 plus. I have a generator which you pull outside of the garage which has a pull chord which is difficult to start when you are 40 and in great shape. I am lucky my son in law comes over and starts it. You run it for a few hours then go without power. My heart goes out to the people in Texas. It is hard to go with out heat and power. So the people with means can be-comfortable and those without suffer. Twenty years ago I had an AFS student from Sweden live with us. We lost power for over a week and did not have a generator. She was shocked and had never experienced losing power in Sweden. their power lines are underground so they never lose power from trees falling. Just think of all the fires that could have been prevented in California. Maybe investing in our infrastructure is a better solution.
I’m glad you have a young buck nearby, Susan. Not only per this issue, but for many others regarding winters, autumn leaves, property care, a hammer-and-nail issues, etc.
We moved from South Portland, ME., to our current location in the autumn 2018. One month later, that tremendous wind storm swept through Maine, and our welcome to the neighborhood was an uprooted Norway Maple, measuring some 90 feet. luckily our ‘back 40' is appx 110 feet in length. I just have stacked more than 200 logs, as a friend sawed that thing to pieces.
Immediately after the power blackout, we heard “whirring” all around us. It was the sound of neighbors’ generators, powered by small propane tanks, w/ automatic turn-on. Luckily, the season was mid-autumn, and we managed without heat and electricity for about a week.
WE decided to take the leap and by a generator. Of course, we have not needed it since. Just having that thing, I realize now, is relief (in a way, an immediate “turn--on”
Oh, if we could only be half as smart as those Swedes!
Yeah.. the socialists! Lol
We've lost power more the past several years too. I had a small generator, key start but it wasnt all that easy to get going AND my son would come over & start it for me (he lives about 5-10 minutes away) The kicker was a couple years ago, he almost didnt get here because we had a doozie of a snowstorm - and he was driving his plowtruck!! So the following summer I finally did invest in an automatic gen. (6000 loan) electric box install. hooked up to my house propane tanks. A relief, like Frederick says! But honestly, any kind of generator sure does make a difference when the power goes out. Imagine - not having all these wires & transformers all over! Cant imagine actually.
Linda, I, too, know a lot of people who have family in TX or who are there now. The situation there is absolutely terrible--and it was significantly preventable if maintenance of infrastructure had been a priority. However, the pols in TX think that their main ace-in-the-hand is low taxes--which means very little money for things like infrastructure maintenance and education. I heard this morning on NPR that while power plants in TX were being idled because they did not have the necessary natural gas to generate electricity, the companies were still selling natural gas outside the state. Because profit, y'know, is far more important than people actually not dying. Nevertheless, the yutzes in the state legislature are screaming down the house about the suggestions that maybe they should invest some funds in infrastructure, because it is "socialist." We have reached the level of lunacy when basic human empathy is now rejected by elected officials and their blind followers because it does not gel with their 18th-century Ricardian notions of what "capitalism" is. And to tie in your two thoughts: that is the legacy of the despicable self-aggrandizing balloon-of-methane who died yesterday. He made millions by encouraging the absolutely worst instincts in humanity.
In contrast, AOC this morning starts a Lenten project in honor of Tom Raskin, the son of Rep Jamie Raskin of MD, who was an artist and humanitarian activist--and who committed suicide on Dec. 31. She is asking people to go vegan for Lent--in some way (such as one day a week)--in honor of Tom's memory. And she is asking people to tweet vegan recipes to her. When human empathy becomes visible only on one side of the scale, and that empathy is vilified by the other side (as in our two trolls who jumped out asap to glorify the person who died yesterday), we have reached a level of bizarre in public discourse that I, for one, find incomprehensible. https://plantbasednews.org/culture/law-and-politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-urged-go-plant-based-ditches-meat-for-lent/
Linda, I agree. It was preventable. Certainly to the degree that as long as the climate is changing, we must adapt. The situation varies from friend to friend. My partner has a cousin that lives outside of Houston and they are doing fine. She and her husband are from Central New York so, a little snow and cold does not devastate them. I grew up in CNY, and like this morning when I got 5" of unpredicted snow. My only thought was, damn I better brush off the car. 😄.
I know that weather and conditions are relative, but as Ron's cousin pointed out, if they get 2" of snow, the city grinds to a halt for days. I read an article that stated the top selling vehicle in Texas is the F-150 pick up. This does make me think of the well worn expression from the late Anne Richards, "all hat, no cattle".
I did hear AOC's statement regarding Tom Raskin. I will most certainly go vegan in Tom's memory during lent. I immediately saw discourse from the GOP regarding that. It is diabolical and disgusting the act of being contrary for no reason at all. Speaking of which, the aforementioned trolls have certainly taken the wrong exit when they decided to post on this page. 😉
I lived in western NY for 17 years--about 100 miles south of Rochester, 100 miles east of Buffalo--in an area that gets lake effect from both Ontario AND Erie. The only time things were problematic was when there was an ice storm in the spring or more than 2 feet of snow fell in one day. Where I live currently, 2 inches freaks out everyone, but the problem is there is no infrastructure to handle snow, so it is disastrous and problematic--and I am not in Texas! Half of my neighbors won't shovel their sidewalks (we have about 8 inches on the ground at the moment) in order to help out those of us with dogs to walk. Lack of neighborliness is one of the biggest problems I am experiencing in the "nice" Midwest.
I love the Anne Richards quotation! And I also wonder about people who are dying in TX because they think it is a good idea to turn their cars on with the garage door closed and sleep in them. The Darwin Awards folks are I am sure rolling their eyes. At the same time, elderly people with no resources are dying of cold and hunger--because their neighbors are not checking on them either. Beto has been organizing phone banks to call and rescue old folks who need help. While the piece-of-excrement Cruz goes to Cancun.
Linda, then you definitely know snow and cold.
I heard about the people sleeping in running cars with garage doors closed. That's not being unfamiliar with cold weather, that's a complete lack of common sense. SMH. It is a shame that helping others is the exception and not the rule.
Hats off to Beto and a swift kick in the nuggets to Cruz.
They are just so many people on here who I love. Linda Mitchell with a cool Greek name we’ll never know, you are one of those people
“ the aforementioned trolls have certainly taken the wrong exit when they decided to post on this page.”
👌
As my gps says when I go the wrong direction, ‘make a U- turn as soon as possible!’
Less than an hour ago, ERCOT had a live zoomed meeting with reporters to "explain" how things stood right now (ice, snow, power on and off - or none at all - boiling water). They had the audacity to report that they had been in touch with their operators and instructed them to return to providing power as they had been before being told to "shed" users, because NOW, they had determined it was "safe" to do so. Now, what has happened between now and Sunday? Anyone? I suspect your point about profiting off sales while being shut down may have something to do with this new decision. I guess their operators (read private owners) had made enough money to justify going back in service. Call me cynical, but I do live in Texas and one cannot help but always question the white male pols in this state.
Cynical? Hardly. Practical. Realistic. Knowledgeable. You know whereof you speak.
Hear, Hear!
Two incredibly clear and opposing visions of leading by example which clearly illustrate their relative effectiveness: Biden cares abouty the people and acts to solve the problem as far as his powers permit, Abbot-Boyd act to blame someone else.... "the bogeyman in Washington did it"...and thus to lie and obfuscate, to tell the people to look out for themselves as no one else will and to say that the problem could get worse if we had "more Biden"....and less of them. A no-brainer it would seem.
and then there are the other Texan leaders by example:
Ted Cruz flying his family today to vacation in a warm resort in Cancun!
In contrast to Beto O'Rourke today who set up a phone bank:
"We’re calling as many Texas seniors as we can today to check in on them, connect them to resources, and try to help where we can. The more people making phone calls, the more Texans we can reach."
https://twitter.com/TexHellCat/status/1362276429849886720?s=20
You gotta hand it to us Dems. We take a lickin' and keep on tickin'! Kudos to Beto O'Rourke.
Hello Lynn!! Beto is irrepressible, despite being walloped repeatedly in the last couple of years.
Have you ever seen the film "Little Big Man?" Dustin Hoffman's character falls in with (literal) snake-oil salesman Martin Balsam in the old West. They're busted, beaten, tarred and feathered. As they're run out of town on a rail, Balsam is already planning his next scheme. Dustin: "You don't know when you're licked." Martin: "I'm not licked, just tarred and feathered!"
Hey, TPJ! Never saw that film, but will put on my must-see list. Don't know if you read the Washington Post, but here's satirist Alexandra Petri's latest take on the "Honorable" Senator from the Great State of Texas: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/18/ted-cruz-cancun-surprised-texas-wants-him-back/?utm_campaign=wp_follow_alexandra_petri&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_alexandrapetri
One is on the side of the people or one is not. Actions speak louder than words
I hope that this becomes the banner for the midterms! ‘Ban the Bastards and Bring on the Blue’!
Cynthia, that made me laugh out loud.
Thanks ! We can always use a laugh!
Me too!
We the People, All of Us this Time, Every Time! For All Time!
Good one, Cynthia!
Wonder why it is that Repubs are so much more experienced (shall we say) in blaming everyone else for their own failings!
Total abdication of responsibility by Repuglycans, and not just now in TX. They simply refuse to govern except for the favored few. The Trumpsky admin embodied it perfectly, climaxing with his total dereliction of duty as the Jan 6 insurrection unfolded.
How true!
The word "Balance" seems to be missing from this discussion this evening. Too much regulation is as bad as too little. Too little government can be as bad as too much government. I've lived in rural Texas since 2000 after having lived in Massachusetts for more than twenty years. As with every place I've lived or places I've visited the Texas culture has both features you like and features you could certainly do without. One might think of the stereotypical Texan as a "good ole boy", polite, independent, male, white and very conservative with bowed legs from being on a horse all day managing their cattle ranch who tips his cowboy hat to the "little ladies". When I came to Texas that stereotype was shattered when I found out ranchers use electric branding irons now. I do like the politeness and the independent nature of many Texans. When you go to the big cities in Texas you find a very different and very liberal world. Republicans do control the state government but the demographics of Texas is pushing Texas to purple and eventually blue. In defense of Texas, there are a lot of regulations that apply well in the northern states with colder climates that just haven't been necessary in Texas.... Until now that is when climate crisis events such as this frigid cold are now evident. I've learned that the cause of this frigid weather is a disruption of the polar vortex. This is the largest such disruption ever recorded since 1950 or so and is causing the same havoc in Greece and Turkey that we're having in Texas -- a global event, a climate crisis event that will happen more and more frequently. Like the derecho (I think of it as a horizontal hurricane) which caused billions of dollars of crop losses in Ohio last year it was unexpected and therefore Ohio was ill-prepared for it. I didn't know until yesterday about the polar vortex -- a spinning top of frigid air at the pole. I didn't know that with enough energy it could be disrupted and go topsy-turby. Please read this article about it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/topsy-turvy-polar-vortex-brought-record-freeze-texas-rcna290
So, as a resident of Texas I will certainly encouraged the state to become better prepared for the climate crisis. I have been very fortunate to have had electricity through the coldest days and nights of this event and only short periods without electricity today and yesterday. So, maybe my electric cooperative is doing a better job than others in the state.
It is true that the Republican politicians have the same disease the majority of the Republican Party nationally. No longer the party of Lincoln, it has become the party of hate, conspiracy theories, insurrection and violence. My answer is to not vote for any candidate that has a R beside their name (or a Q or T for that matter) even if I like a particular candidate like the guy representing me in the state legislature. I sent him an email explaining to him he would no longer have my vote because of the direction his party has taken. The last straw for me was seeing the Texas Senators vote to acquit the 45th President on a technicality. For me, the Republican Party is now dead.
This power engineering student seems to have a good explanation of the power grid problem in Texas. Identifying the problems with more clarity helps identify potential solutions to help find balance in this climate changing world—as we also work to address global climate change at its roots.
https://twitter.com/l___kent/status/1362071338014437376?s=21
Really helpful and cuts through some of the misinformation.
Do read the article linked in this Twitter thread-very informative.
That’s wonderful. Thank you!
Thank you for this balanced and insightful account of Texas. Hoping and praying the weather changes for the better soon, politically as well.
Welcome to the world, Texas. Bad decisions have bad consequences.....which only better decisions can put right....which have to be paid for. The power of the people....all the people...will drive Texas there...as will the consequences of their previous irresponsibility.
Stuart, I'm not so sure it would be viewed as irresponsibility for a large energy rich economy the size Texas to make such a decision to be independent of the federal government on energy. If you could see all the wind turbine farms in Texas you'd also see that Texas is embracing sustainable energy. The federal government talks about being energy independent from others counties for defense purposes. I believe you're referring to the larger issue that every state in the union is participating in -- the misuse of capitalism through greed. The income disparity and selfish short-sightedness that will be the demise of capitalism. And energy rich Texas has made getting a higher education very inexpensive for all Texas residents because the Universities have been endowed with mineral rights that produce a lot of income. There is no Texas income tax; property and sales taxes have funded the state. The United States as a whole is making irresponsible decisions because of short-sighted greed rather than planning for the benefit of seven generations.
I appreciate all the points you make, Cathy, but in the current situation no networks should isolate themselves in that way or they deprive themselves of the possibility of power import/export to ensure a better energy balance over time and season both for themselves and their neighbouring States...security comes from sharing a little!
OK. Texas is the size of five states (and in its Treaty with the US to become a state it can separate itself into five states if it wants to) and probably felt the sharing could be done within its boundaries. This storm covered a huge portion of the state. I'm certainly not sure networking with the other two US grids would be more of a benefit than a detriment to Texas. Incompetence and greed within the system needs to be fixed. But, the overall decision to be independent does not seem irresponsible to me. It seems to me like it was a reasonable decision at that time it was made. The Monday morning quarterbacking is not useful. Now that the criteria for Texas power needs has changed the problem is that we are not doing a good job of preparing for the climate crisis largely because of denial from our politicians and the inertia of protecting the fossil fuel industry. This is a common problem in industry to hang on to what has made the company profitable in the past. I think what I'm feeling in the discussions throughout the comments for this letter is the labeling of Texas as a whole as irresponsible and some kind of backward entity and somehow not serving its people. It feels like black and white thinking -- that Texas is all bad because it has Republican leadership. While there are certainly things I would change about Texas politics I do believe Texas is a great place to be. For example, I had a huge hospital bill when I almost died in 2013. Being a sole proprietor and only employee of my business I decided to self insure. I would have had to put a second mortgage on my house to pay it which is the risk I had accepted. I applied for a Texas program through the hospital and received a letter that my bill had been discounted by 100%. Yes, I had to read that multiple times to be sure it meant the entire bill was being paid plus any bills in the next year before I turned 65. Boy, did I feel fortunate to be alive and living in Texas!
I find your responses very cogent and helpful in understanding what Texas is all about. I'm glad your hospital bills were taken care of and hope you are well now. For myself, I have no bad feeling or animosity toward any of the people in Texas. The politicians there, however, I find infuriating, especially Ted Cruz who helped to perpetuate the Big Lie and appears to be nothing but a twisted ball of ambition. My federal tax dollars are now going to pay for the Texas politicians' neglect of their energy infrastructure. I am quite sure winterizing the energy infrastructure is not a new idea, but a recommendation that has been ignored since 2011. I'm wondering why El Paso is connected with the national infrastructure while the rest of Texas is not. Do you know anything about this?
Hi Gina, Thank you for your kind thoughts. What I'm trying to convey is that this storm is like nothing we've ever seen in Texas. In the twenty years I've been here I have never seen snow even stick to the ground. This is to me the result of the climate crisis. Something that the U.S. is not taking seriously and not preparing for. If it weren't for climate crisis I think we would probably be fine with the existing systems. Heavens, we use heat pumps with electrical backup if it happens to go below freezing which is rare. We do not have furnaces. I design homes here in the Hill Country. You do not design them with high pitched roofs made to handle snow load. Along the coast you do design for hurricanes. A national building code would have to require snow load roofs, for instance to cover the entire country. Being part of the national grid might require Texas to spend much more than is necessary for conditions that would happen once in 100 or 500 years. Texas chose not to do that especially with the fossil fuel industry not doing as well as it has in the past and now the competition with sustainable energy. Solar is now so cheap and effective because China has made it so affordable that home owners will find it cost effective to go with solar rather than oil or electric heat. And, I don't pretend to be an expert in the energy industries. It just feels like the media is slamming Texas for being practical and keeping costs down for the consumers. On the other side, I agree with you on Senator Cruz. I don't even bother to write to him because I have written him off. I do write to Senator Cornyn every few days but it mostly just makes me feel good about speaking out. I worked hard to get Beto O'Rourke elected in 2018 and we almost succeeded! Almost... I wrote him a note after the election saying he was just one election too early. What he did do was energize Democrats and Independents and give them confidence that it is possible to unseat a Republican in Texas. Also, El Paso is more than 500 miles west of San Antonio across some rough country. It is simply much more practical and cost effective for them to tie into the Western grid. It's simply geography. I don't know the history of how El Paso became part of Texas. I can think of lots of states -- say all the ones with Republican majority legislatures -- where the politicians are doing awful things these days. But please think of all the people of Texas who do need help now no matter. There are a lot of us that are working hard to change the political climate here in Texas. The people of Texas do pay U.S. taxes for the insurance that FEMA will come when it is needed. In fact, I just looked it up and Texans sent the federal government $261 billion in taxes in 2016, and the state government received $39.5 billion in grants in return, or about 15 percent of our total federal tax tab. So please be kind to Texas it is funding the needs of lots of other states.
I was looking at Texas on a map just the other day, thinking it could easily be three States, to be honest, and noticed how El Paso is barely in it. A little wiggle at the border and it would be in New Mexico.
5 Texii? Gah! So much for Dems dream of granting state hood to DC and PR to push the Senate left.
“5 Texii.” You’re making the language snobs on this channel very happy. 😊
Gaaah! indeed. Texas x 5 is a gigantic wild card. It's hard to know how multiple Texii (great word) would take shape, but the gerrymandering in all of them would be intense, even the new blues. Maybe it's best to leave it as fantasy. Still, it's a very good bet that Texans will choose to stay as Big as possible. They're into Big.
Just imagine gerrymandering five new states! Texas is turning blue between Latinos having larger families and Californians escaping the wildfires.
We just need it to translate into better voter turnout and decisions.
We need a new narrative to combat the corporatist capitalism of today.
"The Robber Barons have left America freezing cold and in grave danger. Now, we MUST create a Democracy Capitalism - that honors citizens and the earth first, and private profit will THEN flow in abundance to all.” (I hope you get the idea)
We need less voter suppression and threats. We need a healthy Republican party to have a two party system. And yes we need more voter turnout.
Methinks Stuart is correct. People eventually tire of being lied to by officials.
In the 2020 election "some 5.7 million Texans were registered but did not vote."
https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/06/texas-voting-access-turnout/
These are people who will change the dynamic (purple and blue) when the populace gets fed up, takes action, and actually votes. As the article points out, there are challenges to casting a ballot in TX.
sometimes it takes awhile, but the arc bends toward justice...
I love so much of what you and Cathy Learoyd say, Denise. I would love to put little hearts and gold stars all over your posts at the beautiful things I’m reading. I also send my love to both of you, I’m thinking about you both, and the other gentleman in Texas whose name I forget I think it’s Bruce Carpenter.
Ohioan here. I think you’re mixing up Ohio and Iowa. We weren’t much affected by last year’s derecho. Those pesky vowel states!
Yes, it was Iowa. My apologies.
No problem, Cathy. When I was in college, I was on an overseas trip with a large group of students who were mainly from California. They, too, mixed up Ohio and Iowa. Many didn't know where it was. I had to say, "halfway between New York City and Chicago."
Iowa and Idaho. Another vowelly state. Quite confusing in grade school.
We in Michigan call it The Polar Kotex.
LOL! Very familiar with the polar vortex here in MA, but I love your name for it.
(somehow, I think I’ll never forget your humor; and seeing your name will remind me of ‘Michiganders’ humor)
I love the name Michigander. But shouldn't it be a Michigan woman, and a man is a Michigoose? Or am I overthinking this?
You are a silly goose. (I was going to write “goofball” but in mid-sentence it changed on me)
that gander is cooked
100%
100%
I think it is important to write to the senators and congress representatives from your state, either thanking them for their votes or expressing your dissatisfaction. They need to hear our voices...one way or the other. I am from NJ with 2 Democrats as senators. I thanked them for voting to convict. I then wrote to my Republican congressman and expressed my dissatisfaction with his vote to not impeach and also with the direction of the party in general. They need to hear from us. We are the ones who they are representing. I want my voice heard from now on. I applaud you, Cathy, for doing so.
Actually the derecho was in Iowa, not Ohio. (As an Ohioan, I often wonder why people mix us up!)
My apologies to Ohio. Yes, it was Iowa.
An electric cooperative?? That's SOCIALISM !!!!!!
(No wonder it works.)
I guess the now former Mayor of Colorado City, Tim Boyd, forgets that people pay taxes to recieve services and utility bills for power and water. And Greg Abbot has no problem asking for a federal "handout" to aid the state of Texas.. Maybe after freezing for several days, some of the right wing sheep will wake up and see that they're being fed a mountain of.lies. Limbaugh's death will bring a welcome relief from the divisiveness, lies and bigotry that was his stock in trade.
Thanks, Heather, rest well.
I shudder to wonder what evil will rise from the ashes of Limbaugh’s death. Praying that it will take time for whomever to develop the hurtful influence he wielded and enough people can develop the patience and skills to outshine their harmful ideas.
It will take time.
You’d think but no. The sheep are posting rants about how green energy caused this problem. And how unprepared people were to be in such dire straits. What? You need food and the stores are out? Why didn’t you buy more when you knew it was coming? Because people were already starving.
I just find it a tad ironic how there are numerous churches with water damage from burst pipes. They couldn’t even use churches to help people because they didn’t have power. It’s a big mess down here!
Texas is in a bad way, to be sure. My heart goes out to the millions of people who are cold and hungry. Will this mess be enough to open the eyes and minds of voting Texans? Will they remember how much they suffered and the reactions of their elected officials? How much longer are people in Texas going to tolerate a sub par infrastructure* before they understand that they are in this pickle because developers, businesses and politicians have refused to support regulations that would make life for everyone better?
*Houston, flooding.
It's also of note that the frozen wind turbine photos are actually photos of wind turbines taken in Sweden in 2014.
My guess is that they are going to believe the lies they are being told that it is because of “green energy”.
Unfortunately he's easily replaced. The role is too lucrative. Many are already climbing over his dead body to get at the pot of gold...and to Trump..et their inanities and "provocative entertainment" for all who will pay.
I'm not so sure anyone else on radio will ever have quite the success. He spent decades building his image, insinuating himself into our culture and cultivating a a broad base. I think his success was actually pretty unusual.
Serendipitous... the Zeitgeist helped. But you can bet that Tucker Carlson will give it his best shot...
Watch to see who will try to take up the mantle of Rush Limbaugh.
Tucker ”Texas is totally reliant on wind” Carlson comes to mind. That is so ridiculous. Does he really not know, has he not bothered to research the cause of the power outages? Does he not know anything about how Texas oil and gas interests control the Governor’s office, the legislature, the economy? Or does he know his statement is laughably false but considers his viewers too stupid or ignorant to know? I’m not sure which is worse.
Don’t mess with us. But, by all means send federal emergency bailout funds.
“I want government out of my life, but don’t mess with my Social Security.”
Haha
Wait, so Texas doesn’t want the federal government to regulate their power but they ask for federal aid when they need it?
Even when Rick Perry says they’d rather go it alone and that mayor says they SHOULD go it alone? It’s almost as if the GOP is operating in bad faith and talking out of both sides of their mouths. It’s almost as if this is a problem of their own creation that they need help to solve butnl they’re biting the hand that, in this case, warms them. It’s almost as if their bad policy choices, made with political expedience but no view toward the future, keep biting them in the butt. Sort of like, idk, dismantling a pandemic response team or something?
Exactly what I thought as I was reading HCR's letter today. If you are so damned hard working and independent solve your own problems individual citizen. Who cares that you pay an electric bill for service from a corporation and then you expect those services. It doesn't matter if you are the richest man (notice, not person but MAN) in Texas, a "welfare queen" or average citizen. If the power plant is not producing power, NO ONE is getting power. This crisis should wake up Texans to demand connecting to other states electric sharing grids and accept the regulation that comes along with that move. Joe Biden (God bless him) understands that the people did not know of this catastrophe waiting to happen and should not die because those at the top who make these decisions were penny wise but point foolish. Those at the top are ELECTED OFFICIALS and the average citizen can FIRE THEM by VOTING. Hey 45's favorite phrase: YOU'RE FIRED.
I’d also like to point out that so far, Abbott is blaming windmills, Perry is advocating remaining in the dark because, freedom and Cruz is in Mexico. Meanwhile, Beto is organizing phone banks for people to check on elderly residents. It’s also almost as if Texans have backed the wrong horse.
Agree. I'm sad for Texans, I am. But you can't have your cake and eat it, too. I'm up here in WA state and I know exactly who my congress people are and the work they do. I know where every cent of my taxes go .. I many not agree with all of it. But I appreciate our good schools, our good roads, building codes, living and safety in a well built home for which I pay huge property taxes, utilities and electric and gas bills that are sometimes too high for me. This is what it means to live in a civilized society, people. In the UNITED states of America. If you want to go it alone, Texas, than do that. Just stop asking the rest of the nation to foot the bill when your plans don't pan out for you.
Kind of like all the farmers and ranchers who are happy to receive big subsidies and big CoVid crises payouts from the Federal “Socialist” Government that they hate so much.
Almost as if. ❤️ You nailed it.
I'm waiting for Texas to pull itself up by its boot straps. Geez, practice what you preach!
Let's please try to make a distinction between Texas Republicans and the almost 50% of Texas Democrats and Independents. There are a lot of compassionate and caring people here in Texas. Last week when this freeze was forecast our local Democratic chapter raised $2500. in a matter of only a couple of hours to expand shelter assistance and food support for the local homeless coalition in only a couple of hours effort from our local members. We take care of our neighbors and each other. The problem here in Texas is not Texas Democrats and Independents. As in so many places around the country in both red and blue states, it is Republican incompetents and know-nothings.
YOU GO!
I lieved in Texas for a year as a high school exchange student in a small town in the panhandle, at a time when the state was fundamentally Democratic ... a small town mayor, Democrat or Republican, who would have thought, spoken and acted like Mr. Boyd whould have been unthinkable and would have been considered a disgrace to his community.
Mr. Boyd does not have the crudest understanding of "res publica". Why did he run for mayor, why did he accept the post, if he had no understanding of serving the public?
A public service, like snow removal, is not a "handout". It is a public service, which has to be delivered most of all efficiently. There is no room for identity politics or much ideology in clearing streets or operating traffic lights.
The absurd example of Mr. Boyd's behavior shows that this has gone beyond anything which thinking Democrats or thinking Republicans would believe in as the basis, or platform, for going into public service on any level of government.
You know the Panhandle has power. They’re on a different grid. As well as border cities on the south and cities by Louisiana.
I do, Denise! They not only have power, they also have a strong sense of community.
I just want to say, Peter, this is a magnificent post. It just goes to show how far our standards have dropped, with Q and the other extremists hijacking the Republican Party, that your words are so soothing and sound so humane. Every once in awhile my wife and I talk about the old Republican party of the 60s and 70s. Richard Nixon was the headline scandal. The party has turned into a fringe outfit, a terrorist group, which explains why so many people have abandoned it. Joe Scarborough. Nicole Wallace. George Will !!!! A clump of people abandoned it right after January 6, too. Soon only social lepers will remain. Soon there will be multiple parties or major changes of some kind, it’s possible that the right wing political party is being turned into an endangered species as it already has in California.
Update from shivering in Texas...
We are now entering our fourth day in a row with power outages and NO WATER! If we were able to get any water we are all here in Texas under boil water orders. Still difficult to do without power, so new reason to be thankful for a propane grill to boil water melted from snow. Good news? More snow and freezing rain due today so water delivery is on the way, no thanks to our utilities or political leaders. Oh, and if we could get out to grocery stores, most have bare shelves due to hoarding again and no deliveries.
Bulletin for Tim Boyd and other clueless Texas Republican politicians like Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz (now vacationing in Cancun), and all the rest... We ain't looking for a handout but is concern for your constituents and competence too much to ask. Lots of other states and locations in the world manage their way through unseasonably cold weather and even worse natural disasters. But Texas??? Nooóoooo.
Texas Democrats and Independents and even some Republicans are PISSED OFF and I don't think a few sunny days are going to make them forget this happened on your watch.
So tell us what you are going to do to prevent disasters like this from happening in the future. Let's get busy winterizing and attending to our infrastructure. Is it going to cost money? Of course! Now say it with me... Bond issues to pay for needed infrastructure and revenue allocations to pay for those. It is definitely possible to do this.
Conservatives + competence are like oil + water.
They don't mix well.
I hope you get some relief soon!
The only good news about the disastrous cold weather is that it is front and center. First 30 minutes of Rachel Maddow, for example. Ted Cruz, newest addition to Worst Jerk of the Year Club. A certain attention hog is no longer drawing the spotlight all to himself and taking it away from people who are suffering.
Sending you and yours love and best wishes for this difficult time.
As I boil the microbes out of my water waiting to hear when we can bathe again, I’m really mad that Ted Cruz jumped on a plane with his family last night and went to Cancun.
He needs to run again in 2024 to keep his Senate seat. Fire up Democratic and/or Indivisible groups to promote a different candidate to VOTE HIM OUT. As Senator, he represents all the citizens of Texas so every voter has a say. The ground work starts now.
We’re on it!
I'm praying God will see the need for justice here. I don't want to tell him what to do (way beyond my pay grade) just bring His attention to the plight of the Texan people. I'm hoping your efforts please Him.
We’ll be available to help!
Of course he did. And the beard looks stupid.
Thanks for making me laugh!
Hahaha!
So stupid!
In Mexico the water may not be boiled......and Cruz can get very sick.
Praying!!!
One can only hope!
I bet that really galls you. It would certainly gall me..Nothing like standing by your constituents in a time of crisis.. not
Scumbag Cruz. Sending hope for power restoration. ❤️🤍💙
Thanks! I haven’t had a power issue. 🤫 don’t tell anyone!
I'm glad!!
Thanks!
Unbelievable, Denise.... I hope you get clean water back soon
ETA is noon!
According to what I've seen on the recent news, all the hoodoo about his trip convinced him to come back today rather than stay till Saturday!
Loser.
"The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING! I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn handout!...After an outcry, Boyd resigned."
"Limbaugh [said that] the welfare system...is shredding the social fabric, bankrupting the country, and gutting the work ethic...and moral discipline of the poor.”
There's no irony (said ironically) that these comments came from"those who'd gotten theirs" and had no qualms about punching down at those who didn't. I'm guessing Mayor Tim Boyd had electricity at his home. He's probably financially comfortable. No doubt he's a churchgoer who wears his "Christianity" on his sleeve. Limbaugh came from an upper middle class family and was paid handsomely to espouse Movement Conservativism. Churchgoer or not he leaned on "Christian values."
Their sanctimonious use of implied religious morality, manifested by the liberal sprinkling of Bible references and saying "Jesus taught us" has permeated the right since at least 1992 when Gingrich entered the scene. Many of them couldn't recite the 10 Commandments if they were written on a barn door and probably had a cheat sheet in their jacket pocket just I'm case.
"Abbott [said] that “this shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America.”
The GOP's go-to response is to deflect, project, and reject - and the facts be damned. So Abbott and Carlson and others are attacking an environmental initiative that isn't even a law, and whose statements are easily undermined by a touch of research and, ironically once again, contradicted by the head of the organization that manages the state's power grid. And yet, having spewed nonsense about about a power system that had been privatized with the specific intent of avoiding federal "interference" by regulation, Governor Abbott, backed by election denier Ted Cruz, wasted not one minute asking for "handouts."
"At Abbott’s request, President Biden has declared that Texas is in a state of emergency, freeing up federal money and supplies for the state."
Just like Trump helped Puerto Rico after a hurricane? Or California after wildfires? Or Michigan after water pollution? As Esquire's Charles Pierce might say, these really are the mole people.
I'm literally sickened by the dishonesty and hypocrisy.
You know Ted Cruz took his family to Cancun last night.
I don’t really have that option. Wonder who is left to watch his house and make sure the pipes don’t burst. Just kidding! I don’t cart.
Apparently someone let him know he was being trashed by everyone, including his base, so he's heading back home. I hope he finds that house under water and frozen with no power at all.
What?! Wow! He doesn’t usually care. It would be icing on the cake if his house had some plumbing issues. Odds are pretty good!
Religion, is it? They seem to have forgotten entirely the 8th Commandment: "Thou shalt not bear false witness."
Joan, it's not real religion, never has been, and they've probably
been the most prevalent violators of religious principles of anyone.
Appreciating this thread of back story to the “modern conservative” narrative— a pernicious and vulgar lens.
I believe you may have meant to say "movement conservative"... a specific entity that needs to become a well-known topic in the national discussion.
Well, it seems to me that Abbott cannot have it both ways... he wants no regulation or Federal infrastructure interference.. and Texas has its own power system to prove it ( only state to have its own), but then wants the Feds, ie is via tax dollars, to assist.. or bail them out. Seems hypocritical to me.. as I read recently, ...here is a joke:
Texas-“we don’t want interference! Texas won’t work with the Democrats until he’ll freezes over!”, God-“ok. That’s do-able!” Not to be insensitive to people’s needs.. it’s just that you can’t bite the hand thst feeds you...
It is always delightful to wake up and have Ms. Richardson tie together stories in the news with a historical backdrop. What doesn't change is politicians. "I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies I'm stealing their lollipops." (from Hunt for Red October).
Abbott is lying about what is wrong. This happened a decade ago and FERC made recommendations on how to protect the TX system. As usual, TX ignored the advice. Government failure and Abbott owns it.
"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." While that quote is falsely attributed to Mark Twain I found it quite appropriate to my feelings about the passing of Limbaugh. It was often said that the fact checkers that worked for his show had the easiest job anywhere because they never had to fact check anything. He may have been the first to spew hatred and self-entitlement on national radio with impunity, but he is not the last. We need to apply pressure to our congress people to rewrite and reinstate the Fairness Doctrine to stop the one who will step in to fill the echo chamber vacuum left by Limbaugh.
Clarence Darrow, yes?
Even that attribution was questionable, but whoever said it I still like it🙂
Appears in his autobiography ‘The Story of My Life.’