Study Sought on Effect of Possible Federal Funding Cuts
A Texas lawmaker has filed legislation that would require the state to study the effects of cutting financial ties with the federal government.
Rep. James White, R-Hillister, said he filed House Bill 568 because the state needed to be prepared for the possibility that the federal government could not meet its financial obligations because of "fiscal dysfunction" in Washington, D.C.
Called the "Texas Self-Sufficiency Act," White's bill would create a select committee to look at the consequences of "a possible reduction in or elimination of federal funding" on the state budget, which gets about a third of its ...
Comments (63)
Rick Archer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Stupid!
Andrew Goldberg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
(Red Forman's Voice): DUMBASS!
Andrew Goldberg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I cannot honestly believe that Texans TOLERATE TRAITORS TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the state payroll, making messes out of our lives in the state capitol. Pathetic. GOD DAMN THE GOP for their stupidity, hatred, and malevolence towards everyday Americans.
Renee E. Babcock via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm sure towns like Killeen would recover in oh, 10 or 20 years or so if the military were removed (since the military is federal, not state). Maybe.
Arthur M. Thomas IV via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wow, nice response Rick. You really brought out the intellectual chomps on that one.
I see no harm in looking at saying no to federal money and evaluating the repercussion of it. Their are lots of restrictions that come with that money and it could mean a freer Texas.
The article presents it as a defense measure as well. What wrong with being prepared?
Matt Stillwell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Unfortunately for Rep. White, the defunding of our educational system under Republican leadership means Texas just isn't very good at studying anything. Too bad so sad.
Nicholas Vilbas via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This could backfire tremendously if they would do a REAL in-depth report on the immediate, mid-term, and long term implications of this.
Joshua Bradshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
One of the major reasons Texas enthusiastically joined the Union was the fact that the Federal Government absorbed it's substantial debt. Succession is an absurd proposal and because of that I'm actually curious to see the results of such study.
Matt Russell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Very good Rep. James White! Always good to be thinking ahead in fiscal matters. Too often we are reactive instead of pro-active. Studying the effects doesn't hurt anything. And yes, this is NOT secession.
Julie Benningfield via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas would wither and blow off the map in short order without federal money. I'm sorry Rep. White can't find constructive pursuits.
Kathy Kilmer Moak via Texas Tribune on Facebook
yet another TX embarrassment
Rick Archer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hey Arthur, I've commented so many times about the idiocy of this state's politicians that I'm not wasting my time any more. Stupid and childish is what it is. Texas congressmen and senators are part of the problem in D.C., not part of the solution. This is what we get with a part time legislature, where only the rich can run for office. If you are not rich what do you see in these people?
Rick Archer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why is it Perry and some legislators are always whining about the federal government, but cry like babies for federal help when a crisis arises? Hypocrites!
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why on earth would you want to spend taxpayer money on something this stupid?
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
There are two military bases in Texas as I recall.
Sally Tarasoff via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Oh dear God! All I can do is shake my head in amazement at the ignorance, stupidity and idiocy of this.
Arthur M. Thomas IV via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Then Rick, if you have nothing good to say then don't say anything. We have enough people int he political arena shouting ad homenims. We don't need more.
I am not rich and I run for office. The problem isn't politicians. It is voters. We have a completely messed up government but everyone things the 'other' politcians are the problem. Never theirs. They keep voting the same way they always have. So status quo achieved and everyone keeps complaining.
Hopefully people will learn to look inward for problems of government instead of outward.
Look how many post angrily on these news threads... yet they think when they vote in a booth they are striking a blow for 'their side' when all they are doing is defending the status quo. Government separates us.
Mac Mcclure via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wonder what the percentage of liberals vs conservatives that read the Texas Tribune. My guess based on the response to this article is 80% liberal and 20% conservative. Glad to be part of the 20% minority of Texas Tribune readers but part of the majority of those in office in Texas. Ever wonder why Texas is doing so well just look at who is running the state.
Sharon Cooper Morgan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
stu·pid
/?st(y)o?opid/
Adjective
Lacking intelligence or common sense.
Nancy Olson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Waste of man hours. They need to do something productive.
Jerry Hogue via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Works for me, even though it'll nevah hoppen.
Nancy Olson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Karen Spivey-Cummings, Texas has about 8 times as many military bases as you think.... http://militarybases.com/texas/
Rose Marie Reed Miller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
figures, they will do anything but work. I hope to god, they never cut ties with the Union.
Manny Soy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas GOP always good for a laugh.... study how long it would take the cartels to take over? i know we got guns,, they have more guns and bigger guns.. we wont have federal military support..
Debbie Spencer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Waste of time and money. Can't they find something more productive to do with that money.
Chris Baker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
That,s awesome. Go Texas. Miss it so much! Andrew Goldberg, keep your liberal tolerance and love and compassion to yourself please, hypocrite.
Lee Patterson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Makes sense.
Alan Lowrance via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Politicians wanting more information about something? It's a miracle! Give them all the information they want. I'm just glad they're thinking about something... anything. I think they spend more time thinking about what to get for lunch than anything else during the day, so having a study done is an improvement from just studying caterers.
Barry Everett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The task of defending a long border with Mexico and a shoreline along the Gulf with no army, navy or air force might be daunting to a 'free' Texas.
Steven Felfe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It's only a study on the subject. It's not much different then all the crazy feasibility studies that city edc s do.
Rick Archer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Arthur, government doesn't separate us, politicians do. You are truly clueless in regard to what is really happening. I will say what I want, when I want, and how I want. No snot-nosed child like you will tell me what to do. I'm an Independent moderate so I vote for what's best for the masses, not a party. I'm an Independent, moderate. I have brains and use them. You try it.
Robert Miller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm not the least bit surprised that all of those venting their spleens in public haven't the foggiest clue that Texas sends billions in taxes to DC and then DC turns around and dribbles back a few million in "funding".
Ignorance runs rampant and bile is substituted for "intellectual discourse".
Laurie Mitchell Dunn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Makes me happier than ever that I finally left my native state two years ago. Texas is an embarrassment to the nation. Please do secede, y'all....we won't miss you.
Tom Duplissey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I wouldn't call this stupid…it could be a complete waste of people’s time but then again we have some strange things going on in Washington. It is best to be prepared for the worse case scenario. It would be nice to see Texas make an intelligent suggestion to the US Congress on ways to cut fed spending...but that probably won't come out of this study.
Rick Archer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Gee Robert, isn't that what all the states do? I help pay for education in this state and look what we get in return. Anyone who has lived outside of Texas should understand all of this very easily.
Renee E. Babcock via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Robert Texas receives far more than just a few million in funding. A quick google search would show you the lie in your statement. In the last legislative session alone, Texas received over $6B (that's right, B, as in Billion) in funds from the federal government, money that was used to plug the budget deficit. Perry always talks how Texas balances its budget, but a) Texas is required to, so yes, even Democratic governors have balanced the budget and b) they couldn't have done it this last session without that federal money. Of course, we're not getting that particular set of monies now, so it's a waiting game to see how the budget gets balanced this go round.
Also, politifact weighs in:
http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2011/apr/22/rachel-maddow/msnbc-host-rachel-maddow-says-texas-routinely-rece/
Jww Weghorst via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It's about time. We should have done it in 1846, a year after Sam Houston's folly of joining this pile of.....
Sharon Cooper Morgan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
2007-2009 Texas Federal taxes paid, avg.: $220.53 billion
2007-2009 Texas Federal funding received, avg.: $202.04 billion
2007-2009 Amount received per tax dollar paid, avg.: $0.92
2007-2009 Change in federal funding received: +47%
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/04/05/budget-fight-which-states-take-more-from-dc-than-they-give-back.html
Patrick Scroggin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What a waste of time and taxpayer money.
Ben Jarvis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I wonder how long it would be before we were taken back by Mexico. Some brass ones on these guys.
Matt Taylor
This article has been linked on thejavelina.com
TJ Scott via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How in the World did this become about Seccession? I for one would like to know what the State Of Texas will do if and when the US Federal Government can not longer pay their bills and fund all of the pork projects it is funding. If the money from the Feds dries up how is Texas going to fund education, how is it going to fund highways, where is the money going to come from to fund medicaid?
Colin Strother via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What an idiot.
Bobby Hawthorne via Texas Tribune on Facebook
A good share of that pork funding goes to Texas, mostly in the form of defense spending. If Texas severed ties with the U.S. government, Collin County would return to pastureland.
TJ Scott via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I am personnally for seccession but that has nothing to do with this bill. This is not about Texas cutting ties from the Federal Governmrnt (althoug I wish it was) this is about what happens when the Federal Government is out of money and they stop funding all the things in Texas that they fund. I applaud Representative White for have the forsight to look at this issue.
Cathy Rosselli via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We must have tons of money just laying around to fund these studies. Guess it's more important than rehiring all the teachers we had to let go when the gov let the budget get way out of control. Priorities. We have them backwards.
Derick Smith via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree with Mr. Vilbas. The study will point out the ignorance of those supporting such a bill. While Social Security could use some tweeking, if we had taken Bush's proposal to privatize social security peoples retirement would have been lost with his buddy's company Enron with the rest of those employees there that got screwed. All of you foolish Secession idiots need to read the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and its amendments and quit acting like the few clauses you cite over and over again like a broken record suggest you understand it. This is the United States of America and traitors like this should be impeached. It took Texas 6 years to get back into the Union after civil war. It will take at least that long to get some people like this to understand how foolish their rhetoric is.
Neil Moyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
waste of time/$$$; send him to the corner with dunce cap...
D W
i suppose its ok,. it will only show how much the Fed's send the state. consider there are a lot more than 2 military bases in this state. and if you look around in San Antonio you can't miss a few of them. then there is NASA in Houston. and of course a lot of defense contractors (think they would be staying? not likely. US rarely has bought major equipment from foreign companies. then of course there are all of those interstates, and US highways. if we have trouble keeping those up now, wonder where the money will come from to fix them if we were on own. of course Houston would no longer be a US port of entry. probably replaced by New Orleans. of course then we have to find the money build our own military.
Harmony Edwards via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ridiculous. What a complete waste of time and money.
Kristi Thibaut via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why do these people waste our valuable time and resources...
Brian Jones via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The $$$ would be better spent conducting a study on gerrymandering and its impact on the quality of state and federal legislators...
Colin Strother via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Do we need a study to determine the % of our budget the feds pay? It's in the budget documents. 40%. Every biennium. 40%. Maybe Mr. White should study the Google search. And, as if we're going to replace SS payments! We can't pay our own bills as it is. What a silly waste of time.
Marie Megan
Boy so being prepared should the government run out of money since well the government is going bankrupt is stupid? I guess we should just "pray" the government magically stays solvent and that China and Japan buy our debt forever.
Hey better yet let's loan China money so they can keep buying our debt. Yeah that worked out great when we did that for Europe before the Great Depression.
That's right being prepared for the worse is treasonous and a bad idea. Have any contingency plan is not foresighted, it's just dumb. Leave your fate to the wind. People need to calm down.
Debbie Crawford-Aguila via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This would finally stop the hypocrisy of amnesty and the theft of our state. We can't stop the usurper from starving 20 million unemployed legal citizens but making sure illegals get jobs or a free ride, but we can stop this treason in Texas!
Marvin Tyson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The ignorance of some posters on this is just sad. "the Federal Government absorbed Texas'debt"? Texas ceded land that is now Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming to the US in return for that "absorption"! Texas was almost twice as big pre-Statehood! And people who probably cheered out loud when Georgia, Ukrain, Latvia, Estonia and dozens more declared their Independence from their former countries will now scream that their fellow Americans are traitors and criminals for even discussing our options. What a twisted sense of freedom that is! It's a sickness that is epidemic on both the Liberal and Conservative sides in every debate. "You don't see it the way I do, your a traitor and deserve to die!" Sad indeed!
Andy Jones via Texas Tribune on Facebook
idiot!
Debra Uetz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
You have to start the process of secession somewhere. Texas, you got courage.
Seth Hollist via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How much of that 40% of the budget really buy for Texans? That what the study needs to figure out. Is it really worth the strings that are attached?
Robert Ruiz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
first these guys cut funding to those things the "poor, the tired, the huddled masses" need and now they use my tax dollars for the needless and ridiculous. what a bunch of clowns. would not give you a bucket of snot for the lot of them. repugnant.
Charles Burr via Texas Tribune on Facebook
A moron, posturing for other morons.
Tim Griffin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Embarasment for Texans.
Rudy Gonzales
Another Select Committee to waste money and time! Texas is still part of the United States and these TEA-types taking Texas down the tubes are supposed to be working for the people. Texas is the laughing stock of the nation with the TEA-types running us into the swamp. State Rep. James White should be working to improve the lot of Texas' 25% uninsured and implementing fully the PPACA in Texas. The strongest influence is at the local level, then state and then nationally. At the state level people have effected huge influences of not accepting federal money for increasing and improving Medicaid to limiting voter influence across the nation. Do not sit on the sidelines and allow others to make decisions that will effect you, or your family directly, without your input. Get active in local, state and national politics and keep yourselves informed. The strongest influence is at the local level, then state and then nationally. "Sweep the HOUSE CLEAN....in 2014"