Texas -- a failed state

[chainsaw 9,870]

There's an Israel thread. I agree the olds like Israel more than the Gen Z and Millennials.

Texas is a failed state.

[nbmishoid 949]

16 hours ago, elfenix said:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-the-war-in-gaza-ends/id1346207297?i=1000642138582

 

according to the professor each of israel's prior wars ended when a great or superpower stepped in and told them to stop.  once great britain, a time or two the soviets, mostly us.  so, biden's state department could end it, but it doesn't.  because the US doesn't step in to tell israel to stop until it's politically worthwhile, domestically, for the president to do so.  he then compares it to the US position on cuba, which is entirely driven by a small but politically powerful set of cuban ex-pats.

Microscopic sized set of Cuban expats….

[Fudge Nuggets 19,196]

2 hours ago, nbmishoid said:

Microscopic sized set of Cuban expats….

I don't understand why D's give one flying fuck about them.  They've clearly gone all in with the GQP and mean jack shit in the big picture.  Florida is a lost cause so ignore them and open up Cuba as that might actually help some people or at least increase the population of thick booty hoochie mamas and bad ass baseball players.

[atomheartbevo 89,687]

Fox News sounding the alarm that Soros is pouring millions into Texas.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/george-soros-pours-millions-texas-shifting-power-dems

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3,868]

Fox News sounding the alarm that Soros is pouring millions into Texas.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/george-soros-pours-millions-texas-shifting-power-dems

Has FOX realized if Texas were to secede that; the GOP would lose 40 electoral votes(Dems would only need 250 electoral votes at that point), 25 house seats, and 2 senate seats which would deliver the USA to Democratic dominance of both houses of Congress plus the Presidency for years to come?

They need a boogeyman reason it doesn’t happen.

[Doc Sam Beckett 5,793]

4 minutes ago, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

Has FOX realized if Texas were to secede that; the GOP would lose 40 electoral votes(Dems would only need 250 electoral votes at that point), 25 house seats, and 2 senate seats which would deliver the USA to Democratic dominance of both houses of Congress plus the Presidency for years to come?

They need a boogeyman reason it doesn’t happen.

 

Electoral votes won't matter anymore. We would pay, handsomely, for the rest of the confederacy to go with Texas. The GOP paradise of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South! And no fucking Austin or Houston islands. Complete separation 

[Satchel 6,938]

Are things really that bad for all of the aggy faithful who are pushing for the session? One minute they’re bragging about how much money they have and the minute they’re talking about how oppressed they are.

[Born to Run 6,569]

Has FOX realized if Texas were to secede that; the GOP would lose 40 electoral votes(Dems would only need 250 electoral votes at that point), 25 house seats, and 2 senate seats which would deliver the USA to Democratic dominance of both houses of Congress plus the Presidency for years to come?

They need a boogeyman reason it doesn’t happen.

I've yet to hear an explanation of what happens to the military bases on Texas soil that would need to be moved, let alone decoupling everything else.

Very serious people. Brexit is a rather simple procedure by comparison.

[tx 3 putt 76,986]

houston / dallas / austin / san antonio / probably fort bend county / jefferson (motiva tells them what to do) would all vote to stay in the US

mostly heavily Dem counties

[atomheartbevo 89,687]

10 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

houston / dallas / austin / san antonio / probably fort bend county / jefferson (motiva tells them what to do) would all vote to stay in the US

mostly heavily Dem counties

The olds would vote to stay in the US.  The MAGA olds may talk a lot of shit, but no way they risk giving up their pensions, Social Security, or healthcare.

[tx 3 putt 76,986]

2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

The olds would vote to stay in the US.  The MAGA olds may talk a lot of shit, but no way they risk giving up their pensions, Social Security, or healthcare.

 

How far are abbott / patrick / paxton willing to go if they go down this road ? 

do they have the balls to take out Harris County / City of Houston Dem leadership ?

[atomheartbevo 89,687]

3 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

How far are abbott / patrick / paxton willing to go if they go down this road ? 

do they have the balls to take out Harris County / City of Houston Dem leadership ?

They wouldn’t do shit. None of the Republican leaders would.  Texas-based companies would move their HQs out of Texas so fast, the Republicans’ heads would spin.  But they will play the stupid fucking rubes in Texas who talk about secession.

[tx 3 putt 76,986]

3 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

They wouldn’t do shit. None of the Republican leaders would.  Texas-based companies would move their HQs out of Texas so fast, the Republicans’ heads would spin.  But they will play the stupid fucking rubes in Texas who talk about secession.

just a small look at the ‘enemy’ in harris county …

 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,515]

With a Texit hypothetical scenario, there’s nothing to make Houston, Dallas, Austin and SA go along with the rest of Texas. With the destruction of Texas as a state, the non-existent state legislature has no authority over cities or counties. If counties even exist at that point.

[RDCanecutter 26,447]

I have changed my mind. I am now Pro-Texit, and plan to move back to Texas to offer my services in some sort of warlord capacity.

The problem with "Texit" as discussed up until this post by me, is that people assume that Texit implies simply taking down the US flag and then working through legal squabbles while the Cloak Room all (showing great creativity) move to Colorado. 

No. Texas is not some spot on a map. Texas is where Real Texans say it is. A True Texit would see our pilgramage (large trucks surrounded by lowing longhorn cattle) in a massive Volkswanderung deep into Mexican territory. Because Real Texans move slap into Mexico and grab off a piece of it. We will cross the Rio Grande as the waters go miraculously dry. The cartels will show respect, and be allowed to stay on the border as our rear guard, or else they will be captured, indoctrinated, and forced to learn Milkman dances.

Where to plant this new seedling of a nation that will grow into the mighty oak of a revived Texas? Los Mochis? Puerto Vallarta? Perhaps. But I suggest some area like Zacatecas, rich in silver mines. We'll make coins, ingots, small pieces of very heavy silver furniture, silver throwing stars for Texas Ninjas to carry.

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549]

On 2/17/2021 at 10:32 AM, Brisketexan said:

I think that it’s now safe to say that we Texans now live in a failed state.  30 years of GOP rule, setting our own standard, living the “Texas Dream,” which they’ve bragged about relentlessly…and let’s see where we are:

A majority of the state in complete failure, unable to deliver the most BASIC of services (things that are called “utilities,” not “luxuries,” for a reason).  No power.  No water.  No means of clearing roads (that one, I can’t fault the state so much….but it wouldn’t be as big a crisis if people weren’t stuck in their homes with no power and water).  So citizens are stuck in their homes, some of them dying there. 

Water resource planning?  After pretending for decades that a drought would never happen again, and not doing ANYTHING to develop resources in the state water plan (a document actually developed using science and mathematical projections), we had several locations, including actual cities, down to a few days of water supply.  We’ve finally gotten on our horse a bit, but it may be too late if the next drought comes anytime soon.  

State rank in key categories:

Education – 34

Health Care - 37

Infrastructure - 33

Opportunity - 39

Environment - 44

Infrastructure - 33 

In overall quality of life ranking by US News, we are now #38, down from #36 just two years ago.  At that rate, we’ll be in the bottom 3 within ten years.

We are SUPER independent, and FUCK the feds….but we have requested federal disaster assistance more than any other state in the past decade or so.

But hey, our economy is ranked #15!

That’s right, we have a “roaring economy” and the “Texas Miracle!”  But we can’t deliver the basics for our citizens.  The economy is VERY efficient at funneling bazillions to the very few…..with little of it “trickling down” to most Texans.  Yeah, the people on this board generally do fine, but face the facts – we’re the top 10% or so.  We are educated, older, and fortunate.

Our federal system allows for state-by-state experiments.  Texas is the poster child for near anarcho-capitalism and zero regulation or oversight.  We have tested that approach, for over a generation now (30 years of Republican rule).  That approach is a failure.  The evidence is undeniable, and overwhelming.  It doesn’t matter how many River Oaks millionaires you produce if the rest of your people are dying in their homes.  Shit, some of those River Oaks millionaires might be freezing to death today, too.

The kids of a middle class family can hardly afford to go to a good state school.  Their prospects for employment are mediocre.  Their prospects of suffering crippling medical debt at some point are significant.  Their chances of not having basic utilities needed for life safety at some point – all but certain.  Their chances of becoming ill or dying from a pollution-caused illness are material.

What’s the result?  Our leaders have sold Texas as a paradise – move here!  Bring your business here!  And some businesses have done so, adding opportunity…..but providing little to no tax support for the infrastructure we all depend on.  To the contrary, over the past few years, I know more and more people – educated people, people who can do their jobs elsewhere, who are looking to bail on this state.  It’s people with young kids, who want them to grow up in a better place.  It’s people in their working years, who simply want a better path.  It’s retirees, who want a safe and secure place to live.

We have consumed our seed stock.  We have burned through our reserves.  We are now consuming ourselves.  The ability to pitch Texas as the land of opportunity is done.  Seeing what we have become, the tentative thought/plan my wife and I had of wrapping up our careers here and then getting the hell out of Dodge is becoming much more concrete.  My children are already unlikely to make their future in this state.  Now we are, too.

But the response from the Republican leadership and their sycophants – “how are you gonna pay for it?  Taxes?  That’s socialism!  You want that stuff, you have to pay for it!”

Fuck yes I do, and I’m okay with that.  I want groceries…so I have to pay HEB.  I want a car…so I have to pay Ford.  I want clothes…..so I have to pay Dillards.  I want my population educated….so I have to pay the school district.  I want electricity, with enough capacity to keep us running when we need it…..so I have to pay my bill, maybe with a capacity surcharge.  I want water to come out of the taps….so I have to pay for development of resources and maintenance of infrastructure.  I want roads….so I pay taxes to build and maintain them.  YES, I have to pay for all of those things, and “nothing is free” – no fucking shit.  So, let’s pay for it.  We have the #15 economy….we HAVE the funds in this state.  An economy with the flow of funds that ours has can produce and maintain all of those results.  But we have chosen a different path; funnel all the dollars to the top, and spend next to nothing for the public good.  We have privatized profit….we have socialized the costs.  And we are dying because of it.

My fellow Texans are dying in their homes….and there’s nothing I can do about it today.  And I am enraged.

I love Texas.  I am 6^th generation here.  My ancestors have Texas historical markers on their graves.  We helped make this state, and this state helped make us.  It educated us (back when college was affordable).  But it’s time to face the fact – this state is a failure, and on its current path, with its current leadership and philosophy, it will only get worse.  This state has a terrible future, unless we dramatically change our path.   Chances of that happening?  0.0% -- because we’ll continue to vote for the guys who make our leadership priorities bathroom bills, and transgender sports, and requiring the national anthem be played at certain events.  Any bill that has been proposed to improve emergency preparedness of gov’t entities has been crushed by the Republicans controlling the lege….but we will definitely stick with those guys.  No taxes.  No government functionality.

What we are seeing happening right now is our system working EXACTLY AS IT WAS DESIGNED AND INTENDED TO WORK.  And we will, I guarantee it, collectively decide to stick with that.  This state is in free-fall, and anyone with eyes can see it.  And anyone with a brain is starting to think of ways to make their life elsewhere.  It breaks my goddamned heart to see us commit collective suicide, but here we are.

 

 

Texas is, like most states, multi layered social strata where those low statistics mean nothing for us softy suburban guys. The poors and strugglers will always be there and always have but they are invisibile. Not sure why this thread exists, what's the point. 

keep in mind that the whole damn world and other Americans are moving TO TEXAS in droves.  ++ biggest corporations in the world.

yeah, failed state, no.  Bad thread. 

[Pato del Muerto 52,508]

Corps are moving because welfare state Texas is giving out tax breaks like Halloween candy.  Guess who gets to make up that money via sales and property taxes?

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549]

1 minute ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Corps are moving because welfare state Texas is giving out tax breaks like Halloween candy.  Guess who gets to make up that money via sales and property taxes?

my taxes went down and massive corporations create jobs. 

[Bozo_Casanova 26,473]

7 minutes ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

Texas is, like most states, multi layered social strata where those low statistics mean nothing for us softy suburban guys. The poors and strugglers will always be there and always have but they are invisibile. Not sure why this thread exists, what's the point. 

keep in mind that the whole damn world and other Americans are moving TO TEXAS in droves.  ++ biggest corporations in the world.

yeah, failed state, no.  Bad thread. 

Have you been outside of the metro area of a big city in Texas in the last five years? 

 

1 minute ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

my taxes went down and massive corporations create jobs. 

Your taxes went down? Did your home lose value? What are you talking about?

Edited January 31 by Bozo_Casanova

[Foosters 17,858]

6 minutes ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

Texas is, like most states, multi layered social strata where those low statistics mean nothing for us softy suburban guys. The poors and strugglers will always be there and always have but they are invisibile. Not sure why this thread exists, what's the point. 

keep in mind that the whole damn world and other Americans are moving TO TEXAS in droves.  ++ biggest corporations in the world.

yeah, failed state, no.  Bad thread. 

Did I miss a memo that went out? That's the second poster in a week who, when faced with statistics showing hardships endured by the poor, says "meh, people have always been poor, not our concern."

[Bozo_Casanova 26,473]

1 minute ago, Foosters said:

Did I miss a memo that went out? That's the second poster in a week who, when faced with statistics showing hardships endured by the poor, says "meh, people have always been poor, not our concern."

Wait I want to hear from this guy whose taxes went down.

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549]

5 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Have you been outside of the metro area of a big city in Texas in the last five years? 

 

Your taxes went down? Did your home lose value? What are you talking about?

outside the burbs, many small towns are quite nice, it's certain poor areas will and have always been poor.  

yes, my prop taxes went down as the appraised value went up too. 

"Did I miss a memo that went out? That's the second poster in a week who, when faced with statistics showing hardships endured by the poor, says "meh, people have always been poor, not our concern.""

never said it's not our concern. 

 

Edited January 31 by Make em eat Taco Bell

[4th&Five 41,558]

NM

Edited January 31 by 4th&Five

[Pato del Muerto 52,508]

3 minutes ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

outside the burbs, many small towns are quite nice, it's certain poor areas will and have always been poor.  

yes, my prop taxes went down as the appraised value went up too. 

"Did I miss a memo that went out? That's the second poster in a week who, when faced with statistics showing hardships endured by the poor, says "meh, people have always been poor, not our concern.""

never said it's not our concern. 

 

Your prop tax RATE went down, or your total bill went down?

because, as you may well know, total taxes collected cant increase by more than like 1% year over year without a vote- so increased values plus new accounts from new residents necessarily means taxing entities adjust their %s downward. 

[Bozo_Casanova 26,473]

15 minutes ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

outside the burbs, many small towns are quite nice, it's certain poor areas will and have always been poor.  

yes, my prop taxes went down as the appraised value went up too. 

“Many small towns” like the ones in your brain? Outside of tourist traps the roads are turning to gravel,  schools are falling apart, the murder and suicide rates are sky high, the drug problems are out of control, huge portions of the population are surviving on federal entitlements, and hospitals are closing everywhere you look.

As for taxes point, that’s a non-answer. Would you agree that my taxes Austin have been cut because rates have been rolled back slightly as my valuation tripled? 

As for your bullshit about how the poor have always been poor, of course they have. But once upon a time we were Mississippi with good roads. Now we’re just Mississippi. 
 

GTFO. I love Texas and I want it to be the wide open, business friendly place that it used to be- a place that offered good infrastructure and a capable workforce. We aren’t that anymore. And we better watch out, because there are a bunch of early warning signs pointing to a brain drain.

Edited January 31 by Bozo_Casanova

[atomheartbevo 89,687]

21 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Many small towns” like the ones in your brain? Outside of tourist traps the roads are turning to gravel,  schools are falling apart, the murder and suicide rates are sky high, the drug problems are out of control, huge portions of the population are surviving on federal entitlements, and hospitals are closing everywhere you look.

Don’t forget that Republicans are more than happy to tell small town schools to fuck off while they bend over backward to hand out money to suburban parents who want their kids in religious schools.

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549]

30 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Your prop tax RATE went down, or your total bill went down?

because, as you may well know, total taxes collected cant increase by more than like 1% year over year without a vote- so increased values plus new accounts from new residents necessarily means taxing entities adjust their %s downward. 

total bill , prop rate DOWN.  Appraised value UP. 

"As for your bullshit about how the poor have always been poor, of course they have. But once upon a time we were Mississippi with good roads. Now we’re just Mississippi. "

no, we're Texas.   Next you'll say we are Cameroon. 

Edited January 31 by Make em eat Taco Bell

[Brisketexan 105,154]

25 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

GTFO. I love Texas and I want it to be the wide open, business friendly place that it used to be- a place that offered good infrastructure and a capable workforce. We aren’t that anymore. And we better watch out, because there are a bunch of early warning signs pointing to a brain drain.

This.  Our Taco Bell fan is doing this routine: gorging on our reserved seed stock, getting super fat and happy, and saying "look how much food is on the table and how fat we're getting, how can you say we're failing???" 

That's the entire point and problem.  We are shoveling all the coal we can into the furnace/eating all of our seed stock so that we can be warm/fat and happy today....but we're utterly fucking ourselves for tomorrow.  Ant and Grasshopper problem, and the Grasshoppers don't fucking get it.

[dieucla98 2,942]

8 minutes ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

total bill , prop rate DOWN.  Appraised value UP. 

 

That's not how math works.

Edit: Or you're leaving out a key piece of info such as "I now have a homestead exemption or ag exemption or..."

Edited January 31 by dieucla98

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549]

8 minutes ago, dieucla98 said:

That's not how math works.

Edit: Or you're leaving out a key piece of info such as "I now have a homestead exemption or ag exemption or..."

oh but it does. HS exemptions are relatively minor given the appraisal and it's not a damn farm haha.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,473]

1 hour ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

oh but it does. HS exemptions are relatively minor given the appraisal and it's not a damn farm haha.

What appraisal district would this be?

[Chewbacca 7,780]

That's not how math works.
Edit: Or you're leaving out a key piece of info such as "I now have a homestead exemption or ag exemption or..."

Yeah, that math don't math unless he's withholding information.

[Pato del Muerto 52,508]

2 hours ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

oh but it does. HS exemptions are relatively minor given the appraisal and it's not a damn farm haha.

The 10% annual taxable value increase cap is not relatively minor, if the value has gone up significantly.  

[fattyflattie 4,639]

5 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

But once upon a time we were Mississippi with good roads. Now we’re just Mississippi. 
 

Lulz.  

[Bozo_Casanova 26,473]

8 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

The 10% annual taxable value increase cap is not relatively minor, if the value has gone up significantly.  

10% gets smaller and smaller, the higher 100% gets.

Edited January 31 by Bozo_Casanova

[Biff Tannen 45,691]

This has to be a bit. 

[Eastwood 4,394]

9 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

12 hours ago, dieucla98 said:

That's not how math works.
Edit: Or you're leaving out a key piece of info such as "I now have a homestead exemption or ag exemption or..."

Yeah, that math don't math unless he's withholding information.

My first guess was that he has, or just received, the 65+ exemption. 

I am originally from, and still have family in, small town Texas. I can’t think of a single small town in Texas that I’ve been to, that isn’t a vacation location or commuter town to a big city, that is “nice.” They are all filled with equal parts impoverished people and retirees who made a life in that town when it was possible in the 60s and 70s. People will point to Fredericksburg or Round Top to claim small town Texas is great. Not the Gillette or Tivoli or Corsicana type towns. The towns that industry forgot. 

[atomheartbevo 89,687]

KYHorn mentioned this in the Ukraine DT thread, but just think of Russia dumped a few hundred thousand or even million into a little bot farm activity to ramp up Texas secession idiots online.

 

[Neonmoon 38,129]

13 hours ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

my taxes went down and massive corporations create jobs. 

Massive corporations create jobs whether they are located in Vermont or Texas. The reason they move to Texas is because Texas is saying you don’t have to pay shit in taxes. Taxes pay for roads, schools, and hospitals. Texas is bribing corporations with money stolen from their poor and middle class, and like old company stores, forcing them to live in shitty conditions because at least they have a job. 

[Js1 85,371]

1 minute ago, Neonmoon said:

Massive corporations create jobs whether they are located in Vermont or Texas. The reason they move to Texas is because Texas is saying you don’t have to pay shit in taxes. Taxes pay for roads, schools, and hospitals. Texas is bribing corporations with money stolen from their poor and middle class, and like old company stores, forcing them to live in shitty conditions because at least they have a job. 

Yeah you have to mention Texas has cheap labor. An abundance of poorly educated morons. And not just aggys 

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549]

40 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

Massive corporations create jobs whether they are located in Vermont or Texas. The reason they move to Texas is because Texas is saying you don’t have to pay shit in taxes. Taxes pay for roads, schools, and hospitals. Texas is bribing corporations with money stolen from their poor and middle class, and like old company stores, forcing them to live in shitty conditions because at least they have a job. 

corporations give well paying jobs for college grads. 

[atomheartbevo 89,687]

3 minutes ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

corporations give well paying jobs for college grads. 

Given that Republicans are attacking and trying to dumb down higher education, that could concern some companies.

Although I have to admit, I enjoy giving my aggy friends/family grief that aggy is being turned into an online diploma mill.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,473]

58 minutes ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

corporations give well paying jobs for college grads. 

Oh you’re back. Great. You mean the college grads and high skill professionals we are importing because there aren’t enough here, so that our natives can serve them burgers and drive them around for Uber? 
What tax district did you say your rapidly appreciating home with a shrinking tax bill was in?

 

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549]

4 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Oh you’re back. Great. You mean the college grads and high skill professionals we are importing because there aren’t enough here, so that our natives can serve them burgers and drive them around for Uber? 
What tax district did you say your rapidly appreciating home with a shrinking tax bill was in?

 

natives get good corporate jobs too -- see UT Austin grads. 

[dieucla98 2,942]

1 minute ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

natives get good corporate jobs too -- see UT Austin grads. 

Using anecdotes to defend your position is usually a sign of a weakness. Which is the case here.

UT Austin grads make up a small % of "good corporate jobs" in Austin, certainly not enough. Most, like Bozo said, are imports following the work.

[crash_davis 23,113]

On 1/29/2024 at 11:31 PM, atomheartbevo said:

The olds would vote to stay in the US.  The MAGA olds may talk a lot of shit, but no way they risk giving up their pensions, Social Security, or healthcare.

Socialism is bad, except when I receive it.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,819]

2 hours ago, Eastwood said:

Not Tivoli 

Damn, now I'm hungry for a #2 plate at Canales Cafe.

['stache 21,818]

I have a long term commitment locally until summer of 2025. I'm going to look in earnest this fall about moving to D.C. or Minneapolis, maybe central coast California. This shit is too far and there's no signs of sanity returning to Texoma anytime soon.

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13,585]

4 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Socialism is bad, except when I receive it.

It's not socialism when I get something from the government. It's socialism when, you know, "they" get something from the government. 

[texasdago 7,575]

2 hours ago, Eastwood said:

I am originally from, and still have family in, small town Texas. I can’t think of a single small town in Texas that I’ve been to, that isn’t a vacation location or commuter town to a big city, that is “nice.” They are all filled with equal parts impoverished people and retirees who made a life in that town when it was possible in the 60s and 70s. People will point to Fredericksburg or Round Top to claim small town Texas is great. Not the Gillette or Tivoli or Corsicana type towns. The towns that industry forgot. 

Yup... the vast majority of towns in Texas are falling apart at the seams and despite complete Republican dominance on a state-wide level... Republican dominance that has done absolutely nothing for them, they are the ones keeping guys like Abbott (who is actively screwing them) in power.  I will say this for the towns we drive through on the way to something nicer... the decay makes for interesting photographs.