Texas -- a failed state

43 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Texas Legislature coming for HEB next year?

It won't be open.

50 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Texas Legislature coming for HEB next year?

They already are for the old man’s support of public education. 

17 hours ago, LCHorn said:

Yeah, that total seems ridiculous.  From a public health perspective 26,000 rapes, period, since 2022 is unacceptable.  

The number does seem ridiculous. Then again, any number is fucking unacceptable.

10 hours ago, safe sex said:

Please consider donating some packs. Texas women desperately need access to birth control.

is there a way to donate financially to a group that can bulk buy? 

HEB corporate buyer- hi KY we have a severe personal dryness issue in our state. A drought even.  We’d like to stock everything you make in every size you package it, and also will you private label some for us?

"Personal Dryness Issue", dude? 

Your pornhub search history is getting stranger by the day.  Particularly since they shut it down.  

11 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

"Personal Dryness Issue", dude? 

Your pornhub search history is getting stranger by the day.  Particularly since they shut it down.  

They didn’t shut mine down, I escaped Gilead. 

 

10 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

And yet, he's kept quiet about it for how long?  

Fuck Straus

Establishment Clause. Why is it so hard? Why?

 

 

5 hours ago, pacman said:

 

 

If your speaking at a church with drum set on stage behind plexiglass, you need to seriously consider your life. 

On 4/3/2024 at 4:58 PM, babysdaddy said:

How much raping is going on to end up with 26,000 pregnancies?  I'd like to see that study

Username…?

7 hours ago, pacman said:

I mentioned this in the GQP thread,  but when people say that an election was stolen or rigged, or in this cases, wasn’t “honest” then they need to be pressed on why didn’t they march in D.C. on January 6th.  Don’t ask how or why it was stolen and give them an opening to deflect away from themselves, just ask why they stood idly by and ignored Trump's directive to show up on January 6th.  When they try to come up with some bullshit reason why they couldn’t be bothered to show up, then you tell them “if you believed it was stolen, you would have been there, because something that important would require any true patriot to make their way to D.C.”

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

I mentioned this in the GQP thread,  but when people say that an election was stolen or rigged, or in this cases, wasn’t “honest” then they need to be pressed on why didn’t they march in D.C. on January 6th.  Don’t ask how or why it was stolen and give them an opening to deflect away from themselves, just ask why they stood idly by and ignored Trump's directive to show up on January 6th.  When they try to come up with some bullshit reason why they couldn’t be bothered to show up, then you tell them “if you believed it was stolen, you would have been there, because something that important would require any true patriot to make their way to D.C.”

 

10 hours ago, pacman said:

 

 

Isn't this dude a major quack with a night school law degree from the University of American Samoa at Houston?

 

 

15 minutes ago, F250 said:

Isn't this dude a major quack with a night school law degree from the University of American Samoa at Houston?

These are the credentials of a Texas Supreme Court Justice.

• Devine graduated in 1980 with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He then joined Shell Oil in Houston, Texas and studied law at the South Texas College of Law in Downtown Houston. After earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1986, he went to work for Brown and Root.[3]
• Devine was an anti-abortion activist in the 1980s.[1] At a June 2012 rally, Devine said he had been arrested 37 times for protesting at abortion clinics.[1]
• In 2004, Devine was sued for his refusal to take down a painting of The Ten Commandments on display in his Harris County courtroom. The case drew national attention.[1]
• Devine and his wife continued a high-risk pregnancy for their seventh child even though the pregnancy was likely to cause the death of both the mother and the child, according to Devine. His wife survived the pregnancy but the child died an hour after birth.[1]

24 minutes ago, bolverk said:

These are the credentials of a Texas Supreme Court Justice.

• Devine graduated in 1980 with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He then joined Shell Oil in Houston, Texas and studied law at the South Texas College of Law in Downtown Houston. After earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1986, he went to work for Brown and Root.[3]
• Devine was an anti-abortion activist in the 1980s.[1] At a June 2012 rally, Devine said he had been arrested 37 times for protesting at abortion clinics.[1]
• In 2004, Devine was sued for his refusal to take down a painting of The Ten Commandments on display in his Harris County courtroom. The case drew national attention.[1]
• Devine and his wife continued a high-risk pregnancy for their seventh child even though the pregnancy was likely to cause the death of both the mother and the child, according to Devine. His wife survived the pregnancy but the child died an hour after birth.[1]

On the upside, he rarely shows up for oral arguments, and SCOTX decisions frequently have the notation "Devine, J., did not participate in the decision."

In 2 months when we are getting ERCOT conservation calls remember this.  

 

 

4 hours ago, F250 said:

Isn't this dude a major quack with a night school law degree from the University of American Samoa at Houston?

 

 

Why do the craziest of crazies from other states “migrate” to Texas? 

15 minutes ago, Satchel said:

Why do the craziest of crazies from other states “migrate” to Texas? 

But we put up the racist asshole bat signal. 

Holy shit, he said a lot of other insane stuff in that speech too 

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/05/texas-supreme-court-justice-john-devine-2024-election/

 

"On a federal level, we’re run by a criminal enterprise. … None of you are going to escape this. And so I would implore you to get closer to the Lord. I would implore you to prepare. I would implore you to bring other people on board.”

He blasted legal challenges to Texas’ abortion laws as a “mockery of God,” and invoked apocalyptic language when discussing Democrats — saying his judgeship gave him a “front-row seat to the end of the world.”

And so on. Didn't realize he barely won his primary. Fuck this state, we really are doomed.

 

Former Texas House speaker says GOP megadonor Tim Dunn told him only Christians should hold leadership positions

Spoiler

Straus, who is Jewish, publicly confirmed the conversation for the first time Thursday. It had previously been reported by Texas Monthly.

Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said on Thursday that Midland oil magnate Tim Dunn, one of the state’s most powerful and influential GOP megadonors, once told him that only Christians should hold leadership positions in the lower chamber.

Straus, a Republican who is Jewish, relayed the encounter in an interview with former Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. It appeared to be the first time Straus publicly confirmed the anecdote, which was first reported by Texas Monthly in a 2018 story that cited “Straus insiders.”

The alleged remarks came at a November 2010 meeting, shortly after Dunn’s political network had targeted many of the Democrats and moderate Republicans who had helped Straus ascend to the speakership the year before. With Straus poised to seek a second term as speaker the following January, he said he asked Dunn to meet in the hopes of finding common ground on “fiscal tax issues.”

But Dunn reportedly demanded that Straus replace “a significant number” of his committee chairs with tea party-aligned lawmakers backed by Dunn’s political advocacy group, Empower Texans. After Straus rebuffed the demand, the two began to talk about social policy, at which point Dunn allegedly said he believed only Christians should hold leadership posts.

“It was a pretty unsatisfactory meeting,” Straus said Thursday. “We never met again.”

Dunn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Straus’ confirmation of the comments comes as Dunn’s political empire continues to face scrutiny for its ties to avowed white supremacists and antisemites. In October, The Texas Tribune reported that Jonathan Stickland, the then-leader of Dunn’s most powerful political action committee, hosted prominent white supremacist and Adolf Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes at his office for nearly seven hours. The Tribune subsequently uncovered close ties between numerous other Fuentes associates and Defend Texas Liberty, the PAC that Stickland led until he was quietly replaced last year.

The reporting prompted Speaker Dade Phelan and 60 other House Republicans to call for the Texas GOP to cut ties with Defend Texas Liberty and Stickland. Dunn has not publicly commented on the matter, though Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Dunn “told me unequivocally that it was a serious blunder” for Stickland to meet with Fuentes. Patrick added that Dunn had assured him his political action committee and its employees would have no “future contact” with Fuentes.

 

Late last year, the state party’s executive committee narrowly rejected a ban on associating with Holocaust deniers, neo-Nazis and antisemites — which some members said could create a slippery slope and complicate the party’s relationship with donors or candidates. After outcry, the Texas GOP’s executive committee passed a significantly watered-down version of the resolution earlier this year.

At the time of his alleged remarks to Straus, Dunn was a lesser-known political entity, using groups such as Empower Texans to push for libertarian economic policy and help fund the state’s nascent tea party movement. Groups and lawmakers backed by Dunn had been particularly critical of Straus, frequently attacking him as a weak conservative — a claim they’ve made against each of Straus’ successors, including Phelan.

Since then, Dunn’s influence on state politics has steadily grown. He and another West Texas billionaire, Farris Wilks, have poured tens of millions of dollars into far-right candidates and movements who have incrementally pulled the Texas GOP and Legislature toward their hardline, anti-LGBTQ+ and immigration stances. Dunn's allies have meanwhile pushed back against claims that he is antisemitic or adheres to Christian nationalism, which argues that America's founding was God-ordained and that its institutions and laws should thus favor their brand of ultraconservative Christianity.

Even after the Tribune’s reporting sparked a wave of backlash, Dunn emerged from last month’s primary perhaps stronger than ever, after his political network made good on its vows for vengeance against House Republicans who voted to impeach their key state ally, Attorney General Ken Paxton. Nine GOP incumbents were unseated by hardline conservative challengers and eight others, including Phelan, were forced into runoffs — mostly against primary foes backed by Dunn’s network.

The primary also paved the way for the likely passage of legislation that would allow taxpayer money to fund private and religious schools — a key policy goal for a movement that seeks to infuse more Christianity into public life. The push for school vouchers was spearheaded by Gov. Greg Abbott, who spent more than $6 million of his own campaign money to help unseat six anti-voucher Republicans and push four others into runoffs.

Straus, whose decade-long run as speaker overlapped with Abbott’s first term as governor, criticized Abbott’s spending blitz to take out fellow GOP lawmakers. He also accused Abbott of falsely portraying members as weak on border security even after they voted for the GOP’s entire slate of border legislation last year, pointing to Abbott’s ads attacking state Rep. Steve Allison, Straus’ successor in his San Antonio district.

“It’s too bad the governor took on all these members who are 99% with him,” Straus said.

Abbott has called the results “an unmistakable message from voters” in support of school vouchers. He recently said the House was two votes away from a clear pro-voucher majority and urged supporters to “redouble our efforts” during the runoffs.

Straus argued Abbott’s move to unseat anti-voucher incumbents “showed more frustration than political courage,” citing the governor’s failure to pass a voucher measure during the spring regular session and multiple special sessions.

“Persuasion failed, so he took on retribution,” Straus said. “I think it’s really unfortunate, and I think it just further diminishes the work of the Legislature and our state government.”

Abbott's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Straus, who served in the House from 2005 to 2019, announced he would not seek reelection in the fall of 2017, after concluding a months-long feud with Patrick over a bill that would have regulated which bathrooms transgender Texans could use. Straus opposed the measure, which never made it through the House.

Since Straus’ retirement, the Legislature has passed laws barring transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapies and restricting which sports teams transgender student athletes can join.

Straus said the array of recent laws aimed at LGBTQ+ Texans have left the community “borderline persecuted.”

“Where's the humanity in that? And why is it such an obsession?” Straus said. “Time and time again, they try to find some niche thing they think will play well in the primary when, in my view, it's rooted in just plain indecency.”

Straus largely demurred when asked to assess Phelan’s performance as speaker, quipping that he “really didn't appreciate former members pontificating about whether I was good or bad” during his run as speaker. He said Phelan has generally been a good speaker, though when asked if Phelan made the right move to impeach Paxton, Straus said, “history has made that questionable,” citing the primary results.

Still, he argued that it remains to be seen how the House will change next session, even with its apparent shift to the right last month and calls from hardline House members to align more with Patrick and the Senate.

"In my experience, the House has never been easily tamed," Straus said after the LBJ School interview. "And I think that if I were a betting man, I would bet that the House will want to protect its independence, that it'll want to protect its institution."

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/04/tim-dunn-joe-straus-christian-texas/

 

Texas you have a problem 

Brilliant to point out that some of the more vocal anti-immigrant assholes in Texas are themselves immigrants to Texas.  Other states are not sending their best.  They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're brining those problems with them.  They're brining drugs (Ronny Jackson is unfortunately native).  They're brining crime (looking at you Paxton).  They're rapists.  And some, I assume, are good people.

Among the immigrants that have crossed the border to infiltrate our once-great state to make it markedly shittier:

-John Divine (Indiana immigrant)

-Ken Paxton (Virginia immigrant)

-Chip Roy (Virginia immigrant)

-Bathroom Dan Patrick (Maryland immigrant)

-Ted Cruz (Canadian immigrant with temporary Cancun residency during scary weather events)

-Charles Schwertner (Alabama immigrant) 

-Michael McCloud (Louisiana immigrant)

Edited April 5 by Disco Strangler
typo

8 minutes ago, Smax said:

Former Texas House speaker says GOP megadonor Tim Dunn told him only Christians should hold leadership positions

  Reveal hidden contents

Straus, who is Jewish, publicly confirmed the conversation for the first time Thursday. It had previously been reported by Texas Monthly.

Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said on Thursday that Midland oil magnate Tim Dunn, one of the state’s most powerful and influential GOP megadonors, once told him that only Christians should hold leadership positions in the lower chamber.

Straus, a Republican who is Jewish, relayed the encounter in an interview with former Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. It appeared to be the first time Straus publicly confirmed the anecdote, which was first reported by Texas Monthly in a 2018 story that cited “Straus insiders.”

The alleged remarks came at a November 2010 meeting, shortly after Dunn’s political network had targeted many of the Democrats and moderate Republicans who had helped Straus ascend to the speakership the year before. With Straus poised to seek a second term as speaker the following January, he said he asked Dunn to meet in the hopes of finding common ground on “fiscal tax issues.”

But Dunn reportedly demanded that Straus replace “a significant number” of his committee chairs with tea party-aligned lawmakers backed by Dunn’s political advocacy group, Empower Texans. After Straus rebuffed the demand, the two began to talk about social policy, at which point Dunn allegedly said he believed only Christians should hold leadership posts.

“It was a pretty unsatisfactory meeting,” Straus said Thursday. “We never met again.”

Dunn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Straus’ confirmation of the comments comes as Dunn’s political empire continues to face scrutiny for its ties to avowed white supremacists and antisemites. In October, The Texas Tribune reported that Jonathan Stickland, the then-leader of Dunn’s most powerful political action committee, hosted prominent white supremacist and Adolf Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes at his office for nearly seven hours. The Tribune subsequently uncovered close ties between numerous other Fuentes associates and Defend Texas Liberty, the PAC that Stickland led until he was quietly replaced last year.

The reporting prompted Speaker Dade Phelan and 60 other House Republicans to call for the Texas GOP to cut ties with Defend Texas Liberty and Stickland. Dunn has not publicly commented on the matter, though Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Dunn “told me unequivocally that it was a serious blunder” for Stickland to meet with Fuentes. Patrick added that Dunn had assured him his political action committee and its employees would have no “future contact” with Fuentes.

 

Late last year, the state party’s executive committee narrowly rejected a ban on associating with Holocaust deniers, neo-Nazis and antisemites — which some members said could create a slippery slope and complicate the party’s relationship with donors or candidates. After outcry, the Texas GOP’s executive committee passed a significantly watered-down version of the resolution earlier this year.

At the time of his alleged remarks to Straus, Dunn was a lesser-known political entity, using groups such as Empower Texans to push for libertarian economic policy and help fund the state’s nascent tea party movement. Groups and lawmakers backed by Dunn had been particularly critical of Straus, frequently attacking him as a weak conservative — a claim they’ve made against each of Straus’ successors, including Phelan.

Since then, Dunn’s influence on state politics has steadily grown. He and another West Texas billionaire, Farris Wilks, have poured tens of millions of dollars into far-right candidates and movements who have incrementally pulled the Texas GOP and Legislature toward their hardline, anti-LGBTQ+ and immigration stances. Dunn's allies have meanwhile pushed back against claims that he is antisemitic or adheres to Christian nationalism, which argues that America's founding was God-ordained and that its institutions and laws should thus favor their brand of ultraconservative Christianity.

Even after the Tribune’s reporting sparked a wave of backlash, Dunn emerged from last month’s primary perhaps stronger than ever, after his political network made good on its vows for vengeance against House Republicans who voted to impeach their key state ally, Attorney General Ken Paxton. Nine GOP incumbents were unseated by hardline conservative challengers and eight others, including Phelan, were forced into runoffs — mostly against primary foes backed by Dunn’s network.

The primary also paved the way for the likely passage of legislation that would allow taxpayer money to fund private and religious schools — a key policy goal for a movement that seeks to infuse more Christianity into public life. The push for school vouchers was spearheaded by Gov. Greg Abbott, who spent more than $6 million of his own campaign money to help unseat six anti-voucher Republicans and push four others into runoffs.

Straus, whose decade-long run as speaker overlapped with Abbott’s first term as governor, criticized Abbott’s spending blitz to take out fellow GOP lawmakers. He also accused Abbott of falsely portraying members as weak on border security even after they voted for the GOP’s entire slate of border legislation last year, pointing to Abbott’s ads attacking state Rep. Steve Allison, Straus’ successor in his San Antonio district.

“It’s too bad the governor took on all these members who are 99% with him,” Straus said.

Abbott has called the results “an unmistakable message from voters” in support of school vouchers. He recently said the House was two votes away from a clear pro-voucher majority and urged supporters to “redouble our efforts” during the runoffs.

Straus argued Abbott’s move to unseat anti-voucher incumbents “showed more frustration than political courage,” citing the governor’s failure to pass a voucher measure during the spring regular session and multiple special sessions.

“Persuasion failed, so he took on retribution,” Straus said. “I think it’s really unfortunate, and I think it just further diminishes the work of the Legislature and our state government.”

Abbott's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Straus, who served in the House from 2005 to 2019, announced he would not seek reelection in the fall of 2017, after concluding a months-long feud with Patrick over a bill that would have regulated which bathrooms transgender Texans could use. Straus opposed the measure, which never made it through the House.

Since Straus’ retirement, the Legislature has passed laws barring transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapies and restricting which sports teams transgender student athletes can join.

Straus said the array of recent laws aimed at LGBTQ+ Texans have left the community “borderline persecuted.”

“Where's the humanity in that? And why is it such an obsession?” Straus said. “Time and time again, they try to find some niche thing they think will play well in the primary when, in my view, it's rooted in just plain indecency.”

Straus largely demurred when asked to assess Phelan’s performance as speaker, quipping that he “really didn't appreciate former members pontificating about whether I was good or bad” during his run as speaker. He said Phelan has generally been a good speaker, though when asked if Phelan made the right move to impeach Paxton, Straus said, “history has made that questionable,” citing the primary results.

Still, he argued that it remains to be seen how the House will change next session, even with its apparent shift to the right last month and calls from hardline House members to align more with Patrick and the Senate.

"In my experience, the House has never been easily tamed," Straus said after the LBJ School interview. "And I think that if I were a betting man, I would bet that the House will want to protect its independence, that it'll want to protect its institution."

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/04/tim-dunn-joe-straus-christian-texas/

 

Texas you have a problem 

We've had a problem. For decades now. 

Isn't this dude a major quack with a night school law degree from the University of American Samoa at Houston?
 
 

That's South Texas College of Law and Hair design, thank you.

Signed, Proud Alumnus

Not defending the maker of that statement though

1 hour ago, ChuckNorrisActionJeans said:

On a federal level, we’re run by a criminal enterprise. …

He doesn’t really believe that, otherwise he’d take up arms and be in D.C.   Sure, he may believe the batshit Christian stuff, but he knows the Democrats are not what he claims. Dumbfuck Republicans eat that up though.   

Edited April 5 by atomheartbevo

On 4/4/2024 at 7:48 PM, Macanudo said:

And yet, he's kept quiet about it for how long?  

Fuck Straus

He hasn't kept quiet about it.  That statement was out there years ago, just nobody paid attention

 

On 4/4/2024 at 12:07 PM, Pato del Muerto said:

HEB corporate buyer- hi KY we have a severe personal dryness issue in our state. A drought even.  We’d like to stock everything you make in every size you package it, and also will you private label some for us?

 

16 hours ago, Frank Erwin said:

He hasn't kept quiet about it.  That statement was out there years ago, just nobody paid attention

This-I’ve heard Straus speak a couple of times and he‘s subtle about it but not hiding the fact the Texas GOP is in thrall to a minority.  

On 4/4/2024 at 7:37 PM, tx 3 putt said:

 

I had a family last night from Portugal. They asked where I was from and I explained and apologized to them that it was Texas. The first thing the man said about Texas was “Oh those people who think they can be their own country.” He made fun of Texas for the anti-immigrant stance as well as the UK for their anti-Polish sentiment as far as immigrants they don’t like there. He said ask Britain how Brexit is working out. I told him I was in favor of Texas leaving along with a few other states. Thank you again Texas for having such a sterling reputation the world over.

This is embarrasad. An example of regulatory capture. We really needed to elect that naked lady.

Largest wildfire in Texas’ history, with over one million acres scorched. I wonder how many of those affected will insist, through their future votes, that someone be responsible for inspecting power lines in the future.

Waiting for our intrepid AG to uncover the real truth--those power lines fell down because DEI.

 

 

17 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I had a family last night from Portugal. They asked where I was from and I explained and apologized to them that it was Texas. The first thing the man said about Texas was “Oh those people who think they can be their own country.” He made fun of Texas for the anti-immigrant stance as well as the UK for their anti-Polish sentiment as far as immigrants they don’t like there. He said ask Britain how Brexit is working out. I told him I was in favor of Texas leaving along with a few other states. Thank you again Texas for having such a sterling reputation the world over.

How did they taste?

1 hour ago, Biff Tannen said:

How did they taste?

Fantastico!

Meanwhile....

15 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Meanwhile....

Why?  Is this people getting prime spots to view tomorrow's eclipse?

On 4/5/2024 at 6:01 AM, Macanudo said:

If your speaking at a church with drum set on stage behind plexiglass, you need to seriously consider your life. 

Counterpoint: sounds like a church where I'd feel inclined to stay awake. Can I throw this hymnal at the drummer if the Spirit takes me?

10 hours ago, Willfully Horn said:

Largest wildfire in Texas’ history, with over one million acres scorched. I wonder how many of those affected will insist, through their future votes, that someone be responsible for inspecting power lines in the future.

But Paxton will blame a wind farm line (whether it was or not) and shut them all down in response.

Waiting for our intrepid AG to uncover the real truth--those power lines fell down because DEI.
 
 

In addition to wind and sun

 

Republicans continue to try and create problems that didn’t exist before, so that their rich donors can make money off the taxpayers,  

4 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Republicans continue to try and create problems that didn’t exist before, so that their rich donors can make money off the taxpayers,  

Time for some more trickle down!!

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

Republicans continue to try and create problems that didn’t exist before, so that their rich donors can make money off the taxpayers,  

it got better …..

 

That loneStarLeft account is trash. I’ve watched both of your posts in this thread from her, and the clips have him saying nothing like that. The way they phrase their tweets of their personal opinions and mockery as what that knob is saying is the kind of shit that the right does to spread disinformation. You should unfollow that clown and stop posting that shit here. 

On 4/5/2024 at 4:20 PM, Disco Strangler said:

Brilliant to point out that some of the more vocal anti-immigrant assholes in Texas are themselves immigrants to Texas.  Other states are not sending their best.  They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're brining those problems with them.  They're brining drugs (Ronny Jackson is unfortunately native).  They're brining crime (looking at you Paxton).  They're rapists.  And some, I assume, are good people.

Among the immigrants that have crossed the border to infiltrate our once-great state to make it markedly shittier:

-John Divine (Indiana immigrant)

-Ken Paxton (Virginia immigrant)

-Chip Roy (Virginia immigrant)

-Bathroom Dan Patrick (Maryland immigrant)

-Ted Cruz (Canadian immigrant with temporary Cancun residency during scary weather events)

-Charles Schwertner (Alabama immigrant) 

-Michael McCloud (Louisiana immigrant)

I guess Texas is the new Los Angeles:

Crossposting for more eyeballs.