Religion And Liberalism In Austin (Houston, Dallas: taxi, tax, fence)

[1mintjulep]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

Wow. What does that mean? What exactly are people who have kids like? Because I have kids and there are plenty of other people I know that have kids that I don't really fit in with either.

It means their lives tend to revolve around their kids (I'm specifically talking about people with young children), and I really don't care to hear somebody talk about the issues their having with potty training or diaper rash or gluing macaroni on construction paper or whatever.

Wow, I'm on a tear this morning!

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Exactly. Texas is, for the most part, governed as a fiscally conservative, no frills, business friendly state. And it sure helps that the monkeys are only let out of their cages every two years to do their finger painting.

I'd be interested to see if a correlation exists between voting patterns and economic health. We know how it's gone in California. How are the other solidly democratic states and/or or heavily unionized states weathering this economic mess? We know Texas is outperforming the rest of the country on almost any measure.

Is there any correlation or is it based on less obvious factors such as industry, affordability, etc?

Steve

I think this is a very accurate assessment and part of the "secret formula" for Texas. We have our problems and some ugly things happen periodically (such as the infamous Vidor incident). But the conservatism of the state is largely based on fiscal policies and the role of the state government.

For Doctorjef - the anti-sodomy law was silly and ancient. But I think you know it wasn't enforced in any meaningful way. The good news it was overturned.

Governor Goodhair is nothing special as already noted. But he also hasn't harmed the state and is scandal free. I'll give him credit for that.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by 1mintjulep

It means their lives tend to revolve around their kids (I'm specifically talking about people with young children), and I really don't care to hear somebody talk about the issues their having with potty training or diaper rash or gluing macaroni on construction paper or whatever.

Wow, I'm on a tear this morning!

Well, honestly, when my son was in the potty training stage we only discussed it with a few friends that had kids going through the same thing at the same time. We were savvy enough to know that are childless friends weren't interested in the intracracies of junior's bodily functions and milestone achievements. My point is that you cannot lump all people with kids into the same category.

[McDavis]

Originally Posted by 1mintjulep

I think if you leave the major metropolitan areas, you're right - it is a sea of conservatives. The OP seemed to be under the impression that Austin was the only place in TX that wasn't "redneck central," which isn't true. There's a big difference, IMO, between the Dallas, Austin, Houston, and SA metro areas, and places like Lubbock, Tyler (which may not be as conservative as it was 30 years ago, but I still would not feel comfortable spending more than 20 minutes there, sorry), Texarkana, etc.

Maybe folks in Tyler have just been in a bad mood all these years because they have to drive across the county line to buy a six pack. Come to think of it, isn't Lubbock dry too? And I'm pretty sure the Texas side of Texarkana is also. Hmmm....

[1mintjulep]

Originally Posted by McDavis

Maybe folks in Tyler have just been in a bad mood all these years because they have to drive across the county line to buy a six pack. Come to think of it, isn't Lubbock dry too? And I'm pretty sure the Texas side of Texarkana is also. Hmmm....

No clue. However, Shreveport/Bossier is just like Texarkana except on a larger scale, so I'm thinking not. You wanna talk hell-hole, now there's a hell-hole. I was born and raised there and you'd have to knock me out and tie me to the roof of your car to get me to ever go back. Nothing but casinos, old people, hospitals, old people, Southern Baptists, old people...

[doctorjef]

I lived as a teenager for less than two terrible years in Monroe, Louisiana (east of Shreveport/Bosier City where 1Mintjulip lived). There isn't anywhere in Texas that would come close to being as bad as the retrograde State of Louisiana, though the nearest approximation would definitely be in East Texas -- so much more Southern than the rest of Texas. Actually, it was a tremendous relief when we moved from La. to Lubbock, TX. Given how conservative the Hub of the Plains is, you can imagine the backwardness of Looziana. I wouldn't want to compare TX at all to that state.

[1mintjulep]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

I lived as a teenager for less than two terrible years in Monroe, Louisiana (east of Shreveport/Bosier City where 1Mintjulip lived). There isn't anywhere in Texas that would come close to being as bad as the retrograde State of Louisiana, though the nearest approximation would definitely be in East Texas -- so much more Southern than the rest of Texas. Actually, it was a tremendous relief when we moved from La. to Lubbock, TX. Given how conservative the Hub of the Plains is, you can imagine the backwardness of Looziana. I wouldn't want to compare TX at all to that state.

My bf lived in Monroe for *eight* years...I will never understand how. Honestly, I think it screwed him up in the head big time. I spent a year in Ruston at La. Tech and that was all I could stand. Of course, I'm probably just being narrow-minded and intolerant because there is obviously no difference between not liking someone for their race or sexual orientation, and not liking them for being a bigot, especially since bigotry doesn't exist except in the minds of us liberals.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by 1mintjulep

My bf lived in Monroe for *eight* years...I will never understand how. Honestly, I think it screwed him up in the head big time. I spent a year in Ruston at La. Tech and that was all I could stand. Of course, I'm probably just being narrow-minded and intolerant because there is obviously no difference between not liking someone for their race or sexual orientation, and not liking them for being a bigot, especially since bigotry doesn't exist except in the minds of us liberals.

Hey! I'm no liberal and I believe there are bigots. Again with the broad strokes.

[1mintjulep]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

Hey! I'm no liberal and I believe there are bigots. Again with the broad strokes.

I was using hyperbole.

What I was objecting to was the idea that conservative and liberal views are morally equivalent and that I, 1) do not know what extreme conservatives really think despite being raised around them for the first 20 years of my life, and 2) should somehow not be bothered by people who espouse views that I find morally objectionable.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by 1mintjulep

I was using hyperbole.

What I was objecting to was the idea that conservative and liberal views are morally equivalent and that I, 1) do not know what extreme conservatives really think despite being raised around them for the first 20 years of my life, and 2) should somehow not be bothered by people who espouse views that I find morally objectionable.

Yeah, and I was just yankin' your chain However, I do get frustrated that bigots are linked together with conservatives. A political conservative is someone that believes in small government, period. All that other stuff - anti-gay sentiment, racism, etc. is not part of it and it is a bit tiresome for people to assume that if you believe in small government and that courts should just interpret the law and not make law, you are a narrow minded bigot.