Houston (and San Francisco) To Become America's Next Dominant Cities (Detroit: 2013, loan)

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by H'ton

I agree.... the majority of the workers in Detroit's car industry were factory workers without college degrees working for low wages. Once the factories started to downsize, the workers did not have an education base to transition.

Houston is the EXACT opposite. The Energy companies hires those with advanced business and engineering degrees and with all the construction, architecture degrees and in the medical fields, advanced MD or nursing degrees.

An educated workforce is dramatically different than an uneducated workforce

You left out the vast majority of the rest of Houston which is not in that high paying sector. The other half of the job creation numbers is low wage work, usually service sector. Texas is already pretty low on the totem pole when it comes to states with a reliable social safety net. Heck without the federal government poor working people would be SOL. But of course for some odd reason that doesn't factor in to the arguments of some texans when discussing any flaws with the Texas model. I think it has to do with the fact that they don't believe people are really in need of anything other than "personal initiative".

[PDXNative2Houston]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

You left out the vast majority of the rest of Houston which is not in that high paying sector. The other half of the job creation numbers is low wage work, usually service sector. Texas is already pretty low on the totem pole when it comes to states with a reliable social safety net. Heck without the federal government poor working people would be SOL. But of course for some odd reason that doesn't factor in to the arguments of some texans when discussing any flaws with the Texas model. I think it has to do with the fact that they don't believe people are really in need of anything other than "personal initiative".

That's why we love the pluarlity of the USA. Want far left, tree hugging, save the world policies? Move to Oregon (where I'm from). Want greedy, pro-capitalist, every man for himself policies? Move to Houston (where I currently reside).

There's no absolute right or wrong answers to the moral questions surrounding how far the Government needs to go in ensuring a social safety net.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by PDXNative2Houston

That's why we love the pluarlity of the USA. Want far left, tree hugging, save the world policies? Move to Oregon (where I'm from). Want greedy, pro-capitalist, every man for himself policies? Move to Houston (where I currently reside).

There's no absolute right or wrong answers to the moral questions surrounding how far the Government needs to go in ensuring a social safety net.

What about just having a reasonable middle ground? It's not one or the other, or bust.

[PDXNative2Houston]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

What about just having a reasonable middle ground? It's not one or the other, or bust.

Ok, move to one of the states that's more moderate.

Be practical because guess what? The utopian society your after only exists in Heaven.

[jerbear30]

Originally Posted by PDXNative2Houston

That's why we love the pluarlity of the USA. Want far left, tree hugging, save the world policies? Move to Oregon (where I'm from). Want greedy, pro-capitalist, every man for himself policies? Move to Houston (where I currently reside).

There's no absolute right or wrong answers to the moral questions surrounding how far the Government needs to go in ensuring a social safety net.

This is more of a question of sustainability than anything. What happens to Houston when these high paying jobs disappear? Hopefully they'll be here for life in the health sector, but they likely won't last that long in oil and gas. Do we like this city and care about it, or is it a great place to be while the getting's good?

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by PDXNative2Houston

Ok, move to one of the states that's more moderate.

Be practical because guess what? The utopian society your after only exists in Heaven.

Oh c'mon. Has politics really shifted that far to the right that any critique saying things could be better is considered "utopian"? That's the definition of being reactionary or regressive.

Texas will face its flaws once it realizes that relying on mostly private sector growth is limited in scope. Quality of life is only a by product of the main goal. The rest is a matter for the state. That's what every normal city or state does. It's not about being super left wing Bolshevik. Good lord. I do think some texans have drank too much of libertarian kool aid. The state is not just supposed to be the administrative arm of big business.

[PDXNative2Houston]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

Oh c'mon. Has politics really shifted that far to the right that any critique saying things could be better is considered "utopian"? That's the definition of being reactionary or regressive.

Texas will face its flaws once it realizes that relying on mostly private sector growth is limited in scope. Quality of life is only a by product of the main goal. The rest is a matter for the state. That's what every normal city or state does. It's not about being super left wing Bolshevik. Good lord. I do think some texans have drank too much of libertarian kool aid. The state is not just supposed to be the administrative arm of big business.

Way to misunderstand the point of the post completely. I'm personally not far right, or even right at all. I lean left.

However to think that there is this magical perfect society that fits everyones wants and needs out there is disneyland, college kid thinking. Move to where you can get most of what you like (whether that's left, right, up, down or turnaround), and settle on the rest. Bottom line.

[PDXNative2Houston]

Originally Posted by jerbear30

This is more of a question of sustainability than anything. What happens to Houston when these high paying jobs disappear? Hopefully they'll be here for life in the health sector, but they likely won't last that long in oil and gas. Do we like this city and care about it, or is it a great place to be while the getting's good?

I don't think Houston high paying jobs are going anywhere unless some new technology takes out our reliance on petrochemicals. Even then, why would Houston not gobble up that technology and become a hub for new said technology?

[deckhanddavy]

Originally Posted by PDXNative2Houston

Way to misunderstand the point of the post completely. I'm personally not far right, or even right at all. I lean left.

However to think that there is this magical perfect society that fits everyones wants and needs out there is disneyland, college kid thinking. Move to where you can get most of what you like (whether that's left, right, up, down or turnaround), and settle on the rest. Bottom line.

This pretty much sums it up. I'm older and have seen a lot, done a lot. The older we get, the more realistic we become. There can never be a perfect society or near perfect because of human nature. As a society, we are too individualized to ever come to a common understanding.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by deckhanddavy

This pretty much sums it up. I'm older and have seen a lot, done a lot. The older we get, the more realistic we become. There can never be a perfect society or near perfect because of human nature. As a society, we are too individualized to ever come to a common understanding.

Ah the old human nature canard. People have been saying that's its just the way it is since the feudal days. Slumlords in the ancient china used to tell their tenants that you can no more trade places with me than the fun can rise in the west.

It's not like we are talking about ending slavery here, jeez. You guys act like sensible policy is utopian.