When Texas' economy suffers, where do the displaced economic gypsies go then? (Galveston: home, employment)

[truckin54321]

http://blog.kir.com/archives/homeless2.jpg (broken link)I have just that basic thought.....

If the influx of displaced out-of-staters, along with illegals, continues
where is the NEXT place that beckons? How close is Texas to tipping over into hard recession just by virtue of all the people moving in, let alone the
connections with the national economy?

At what point does texas' unemployment rate begin to discourage even the hard core displaced? 6.5%? 7%? 7.5%? That's a rough calculus, but I would say that 7% would be the kicker that would discourage.....how close is Texas to that point now? I would imagine it will be quite close later in the year, at least in certain pockets, if not the entire state....
Energy and Tech were the two bolsters of the state economy keeping them somewhat high and dry, but now that oil is dropping down so low, and tech is tanking now, can we really expect texas to buck the national trends much longer? Also, Texas could linger longer in its own recession, while the rest of the nation begins to pick itself up from one. I really see the state suffering later this year....I just can't see all these poor internal migrants with much to grasp onto anymore in Texas......self employment seems to be where its at now......if you are completely unmoored from home and friends, and totally dependent on strangers in another state, I would almost say it would be better for the folk to stay put, where at least they are surrounded by friends and family to help out...strangers in a new and far away state are suffering through the recession themselves, and are not in a situation to help out OTHER strangers....sad as it is....

[Philip T]

Most Texas hardcore homeless are home-grown mentally ill.

Most likely the case with your Poster Boy photo?

Texas is too cheap to do much real mental health care, so even if the state takes them in and gives them meds, they are back on the street and in the gutter pretty quick. Then they either sleep in the ditch or do some county jail time. Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

Back towards your premise -- Many of the Mexicans can come or go depending on what is going on. The network is pretty effective. Something going, a key man phones back to the village, and they are the way. Work gets caught up and it is time to go back and chill out. Far more flexible and adaptable than most Americans.

You are correct that energy is looking at the abyss. But that is likely to knock down more folks from and in Texas than from the outside. So the real question becomes where do the locals go when things go down? Answer: Fishing.

[truckin54321]

Or heavy drinking...

[desertsun41]

You have to realize that so many people are not up on current events. Old word has it that there are plenty of jobs in Texas and so they come.

I came here from Las Vegas last year but not for chasing jobs. Just 5-7 years ago jobs grew on trees in Vegas and all high paying jobs too. Vegas led the nation in high school dropouts because kids could quit school in 10th grade and go out and make $15/hr to start. Today Vegas's unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation yet my friends tell me people are still flocking there every day with Uhaul trucks carrying their lifes belongings. All having out of state plates but mostly from the worst hit places from this economic depression. But soon they are broke and homeless. They never read or heard how bad it is there before packing up their lives to move there.

I see this in Texas too now. Just take a drive through Galveston and find nothing but Michigan, Missouri, NY, California, Illinois, and Florida license plates which dominate the roads. They soon find there is no work here either.

At least Texas is only in a recession while much of the country is in a depression. It still ain't pretty out there......

[doss1]

Folks, not long ago, we had many migrants come from the interior US to work in Texas. Even in Texas, jobs were better than those found in California and Florida. They were paying jobs, but families still suffered.



Even farms along the way offered free food.

[Philip T]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

Even farms along the way offered free food.

WOW! Thanks. Nick, THAT second one is a great picture.

Any idea about Where, and When that was?

Pretty much defines building lifeboats -- my current past-time. (or is that pass time? dunno). But seems a worthy endeavor.

[wanderer74]

I believe those pictures were during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s.

[doss1]

Yea, great depression. What a time. So when people tell you these days that we're in another great depression, they don't realize how far off we are. We still have it so good.

[Philip T]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

Yea, great depression. What a time. So when people tell you these days that we're in another great depression, they don't realize how far off we are. We still have it so good.

I suspect things are less seen and better managed now.

Food Stamps are presently at a record high of over 10% of the population.

That is roughly 30 million people. 30 million folks in soup lines and things might look a like a Depression is supposed to?

Take away the housing assistance and unemployment comp that also exists now, and I am thinking it would be coming to near the same look but with Color photos this time.

As a follow-on . . . does anyone know Where that "Farm" sign photo is from? Thanks.

[doss1]

Hey Philip,
There are actually color shots of the Great Depression. I did some research at the National Archives last year and was fascinated with the stuff. They actually have them online for you to download (public domain):

Prints & Photographs Online Catalog - FSA/OWI Black-and-White Negatives - About (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/fsaabt.html - broken link)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/fsacabt.html (broken link)

Also, I looked it up and that farm shot was taken in Riverside, California, not Texas. My bad..I have a batch of photos labeled Texas and it was in there.