Texas as a low taxes and low services state - What does it mean and is it true according to youe experience (insurance, daycare)

[Yenisey]

As in the title of the thread.

Does it mean no real financial and economic activities are taking place in Texas?
Does it mean no real education is to obtained in Texas?
Does it mean no real innovation is available to research and develop in Texas?

Texas has the second largest economy in the Union. It is not the wealthiest state by any means, as some of the sources wants it to be, neither by the gross domestic product per capita, nor median household income.

Does the low services states means that in this state you get considerable and noticeably lower in quality products and services? In Texas bigger, but in Texan also worse?

Or does it reffer to state role in economy, meaning lower taxes for less social and economical aid provided by state?

And, as far as you know, via living, working, studying or going through Texas, this state has really lower taxes and lower services?

[Midessan]

Well, the low tax thing is a myth.

[Yenisey]

Originally Posted by Midessan

Well, the low tax thing is a myth.

Apart from no personal income tax? No personal income tax is a huge advantage. I know in the United States the question of taxation is more open, but in Europe it is unthinkable, never will the major party propose such a thing. So maybe in this only, but you have really exceptional position.

[PCALMike]

Originally Posted by Yenisey

Apart from no personal income tax? No personal income tax is a huge advantage. I know in the United States the question of taxation is more open, but in Europe it is unthinkable, never will the major party propose such a thing. So maybe in this only, but you have really exceptional position.

Texas just makes up for it in other ways, like fees for everything and an abundance of toll roads (state with most toll roads in the union). So the grandmother on 10 000 dollars a year have to pay the same as the millionaire.

[explorer2014]

Not having a state income tax is nice but property taxes really hurt. The state budget has been fine due to high oil prices but it will be interesting to see what happens now they are falling so sharply. The state budget might not look so great.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by Yenisey

As in the title of the thread.

Does it mean no real financial and economic activities are taking place in Texas?
Does it mean no real education is to obtained in Texas?
Does it mean no real innovation is available to research and develop in Texas?

Texas has the second largest economy in the Union. It is not the wealthiest state by any means, as some of the sources wants it to be, neither by the gross domestic product per capita, nor median household income.

Does the low services states means that in this state you get considerable and noticeably lower in quality products and services? In Texas bigger, but in Texan also worse?

Or does it reffer to state role in economy, meaning lower taxes for less social and economical aid provided by state?

And, as far as you know, via living, working, studying or going through Texas, this state has really lower taxes and lower services?

You shouldn't have to ask your first question at all. Do you think Texas has no economic activity? That you are on a Texas forum says you are paying attention to Texas. There is tremendous economic activity in Texas.

The 2nd question is silly. What do you think a "real education" is? Texas has a wide range of education. Public K-12 education is highly variable in quality, just like it is every where in the US that has a diverse population. Education quality has nothing to do with how much money is spent in the state on education.

What is real innovation to you? Is there such a thing as un-real innovation? How can we have have economic growth without innovation?

The left leaning media likes to portray Texas as a state with no services at all. As if we didn't have healthcare, aid for the poor, no infrastructure, no environmental protection, etc. We have all those things, but we spend a bit less on it that other states.

[TheOverdog]

Does it mean no real financial and economic activities are taking place in Texas?
Does it mean no real education is to obtained in Texas?
Does it mean no real innovation is available to research and develop in Texas?

No, it is a comparision to other states in the US, and it has nothing to do with any of that. That is just silly.

It means that comparatively, other states have more services and the higher taxes that go with those services than Texas does.

For example, in some states, college education at a state school for residents is reduced in price or free, not true in Texas. Other states have more insurance protections than Texas, such as state-paid maternity leave. Other states have more programs for the poor than Texas does.


Low taxes means that on a list of all the states, the individual state tax burden (inclusive of property tax, fees, and income tax) is lower in Texas than most other states.

[SoundNinia]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

No, it is a comparision to other states in the US, and it has nothing to do with any of that. That is just silly.

It means that comparatively, other states have more services and the higher taxes that go with those services than Texas does.

For example, in some states, college education at a state school for residents is reduced in price or free, not true in Texas. Other states have more insurance protections than Texas, such as state-paid maternity leave. Other states have more programs for the poor than Texas does.


Low taxes means that on a list of all the states, the individual state tax burden (inclusive of property tax, fees, and income tax) is lower in Texas than most other states.

And that is part of the problem here in this state. In the public school level, the education is definitely sub par and why do we even need education when you can get hired on at oil jobs with just a high school diploma, making $$$$. I don't think this way, but a lot of people do and trust me, I find it to be highly annoying. My university offered very little in scholarships and due to that, I have student loans. Keep them poor, keep them stupid seems to be the motto here.

The insurance thing was also an issue. Thank God that I actually had insurance when I needed back surgery last year, otherwise, I would have had to apply for some sort of temporary disability due to not being able to work. I was informed that I might have been able to apply for medicaid, but since Texas didn't expand it, then I couldn't.

The truth of the matter is, unless you are married with kids, you don't get help here. I have been at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and trust me, when you are single, with no kids, it's very hard to get services in this state which ticks me off considering that I pay my taxes (state, federal, local) and there should be help for those that need it.

Also, in my 20 years of working, I have never once gotten unemployment in this state. You can get fired for just breathing wrong and guess what? It's not Texas's problem because we cater to big business and screw over the little guy.

[lonestar2007]

Help, help, help as in what else can I get for free. Gimme, gimme, gimme, I need help getting more freebies. It seems I can't stand in line behind anyone anymore in a store that they are not paying with a Lonestar card. Buggies filled to the hilt with junk food, frozen meals, shrimp platters, prepared foods and they whip out those Lonestar or WIC cards.

That's just on the grocery end of it. Texas (that's the working class,yep, the tax paying idiots who don't cater to every whim they have and instead do without some things in an effort to put some money back for emergencies) also picks up the tab for daycare, picks up medical expenses, picks up school breakfasts and lunches and this is just all on the surface. These are just a few of the handouts I know of. I'm sure there are plenty more handouts and those in the system know all about how to get them.

So, my, my, my, seems we're not doing enough, huh? My heavens, we really must correct that. Maybe the state of Texas can make up committees that will go cut their food up for them and read them a bedtime story and tuck them in at night.

Gimme, gimme, gimme, I want more, more more. That's the main battle cry anymore.

As to the education, why bother? Biggest majority of kids are too fat and lazy to bother with trying to learn anything anyway. Besides, they don't have to.They are being taken care of now by the state of Texas. They get older, shoot, just have a kid of their own, spend a few hours down at McDonald's flipping burgers for the next fat generation and live high off the hog which in this case is Texas. Oh yeah, and complain how it's not enough, How wonderful it is, don't you agree?

[War Beagle]

Texas as a low taxes and low services state

The short version is that Texas' political culture is to contribute as few tax payer dollars as possible to deadbeat, societal leeches.