# Reluctantly — Fuck Texas **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 19, 2021, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289 "2021-02-19T14:59:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2021, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/241 "2021-02-28T21:48:04Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > If you recall, I was talking about how corporations get in there and often have way too big a hand in writing those regulations. > > Now the regulations apply not only to a given corporation, but to its competitors as well. While there may be particular situations where a reg affects one competitor more than others, in general regulation doesn’t put a given corporation at a competitive disadvantage to its rivals. Being good or bad in the way I’m talking about has very little to do with survival advantage or disadvantage. Regulation is equal for all corporations, but only when there is no corruption, and provided the regulations are enforced diligently. But anyway, the problem arises when that level of regulation is _inadequate_ to protect the interests of society. Then we _rely_ on the goodwill of corporations to not be evil. And we know where that leads. In that scenario we _require_ “good” corporations to protect us - corporations who do _more_ than the regulations require. And then they are indeed at a competitive disadvantage to “evil” corporations who do only the minimum (or cheat). Nothing is gained and immense harm may result from simply _removing_ regulation. The “maximum deregulation” proponents don’t understand markets. Regulations (within reason) do not disrupt the functioning of markets. First of all, obviously the regulations should be adequate to protect the interests of society if corporations simply follow the law, without being “good” or “evil”. Market forces certainly do not naturally work to protect society, regulations do. Then what’s critical for a healthy market to operate is that there’s no corruption and that the regulations are enforced and _equally_ enforced. It’s not the amount of regulation but _equality_ of regulation for all players that promotes efficient markets that grant us the benefit of vigorous competition. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/242 "2021-03-01T23:14:23Z")
Well one power provider is going bankrupt > **[Oldest Texas electricity co-op goes bust after getting hit with $2 billion bill](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brazos-electric-power-cooperative-bankruptcy-texas/)** > > Energy group said it won't pass on "unaffordable electric bills" to its members after state's power freeze. I think there is usually a provider of last resort so people wont not have power and the delivery is handled by whatever entity was there before deregulation. so an expected consequence of free market practices or colossal fuckup due to an absence of sensible regulation. I am sure the companies that actually provided the power at peak rates will just have to negotiate the bill down unless they want to be at the crappy end of a bankruptcy food chain. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/243 "2021-03-02T01:32:09Z")
Relax Texans, your esteemed AG Paxton is suing on your behalf. He did such a great job suing Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan and probably others; he got a 7-2 “_we’re not even going to bother hearing this crap can_” shellacking from the US Supreme Court (Thomas and Alito said they would have heard the case but agreed it was full of shit). ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/244 "2021-03-02T02:47:30Z")
Yeah not holding our breath on anything there, usual grandstanding fuckwittery from that vapid shit wobble. Starting to see adverts on TV to sign up for class action suits so I am sure someone will make money. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/245 "2021-03-02T13:58:44Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Relax Texans, your esteemed AG Paxton is suing on your behalf. Yup, the one who literally declared it was customers’ own fault for sky high bills for [not reading the fine print](https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/lt-gov-dan-patrick-says-texans-on-variable-rate-energy-plans-gambled-11990312). Of course, he was also the one saying grandparents were willing to give up their lives to COVID to preserve the economy, so he’s always been an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/246 "2021-03-02T15:31:16Z")
Although I agree strongly with your point, the official that made that statement, according to the linked article, was Lt Governor Dan Patrick, not Paxton. Paxton’s still a big old asshole, though. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/247 "2021-03-02T16:02:26Z")
Oops. You are absolutely correct. That was Dan Patrick, not Paxton. The one that’s not potentially looking at prison time. I have only one excuse - they’re all so uniformly awful it’s difficult to tell all of them apart at this point. And heaven forbid any of the major political positions in Texas be taken by anybody who isn’t an ultra conservative white male anymore. I miss Ann Richards sometimes. Or a lot of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/248 "2021-03-02T17:33:57Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > And of course the thousand years of darkness. I was promised that when I voted for Obama the first time. It must take a while for that to come through. If (when, not an optimist, here) the repubs regain control, you might not (won’t) have to wait for long. Dan ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/249 "2021-03-02T17:57:14Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Pictures posted on his official Twitter account showed the lawmaker handing out bottles of water in Texas, two days after returning to the disaster-hit state. > > Sure doesn’t look like he’s anywhere near any snow, ice and pissed-off constituents. Aw, give teddy a break - at least he isn’t throwing the bottles at his constituents, although the ones who voted for him, well… Dan ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/250 "2021-03-02T18:07:31Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > “However, as the CFO for Texas, **I remain concerned that Texas continues to be a donor state with Texas taxpayers sending more tax dollars to Washington than we get back.** But we also have important partnerships with Federal institutions that are key to the state and national economy as well as national security,” he continued. If Tx is a “donor” state, they should be pleased to donate to all the poor red “takers”. Plus they could ignore their important partnership with FEMA and haul their own freight. Dan ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/251 "2021-03-02T18:32:26Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@madmonk28](#): > > > > And while we’re at it: enough with the big belt buckles, they’re tacky.” > > And bolo ties! Not forgetting the hats. Dan ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/252 "2021-03-02T18:42:23Z")
The whole look at me, I’m special thing has to go. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/253 "2021-03-02T19:01:58Z")
The abject stupidity with that is that Texas has a COLOSSAL wind power installation. 24.8% of total power generation in the state is wind power, which is somewhere in the 30,000 megawatt range. That’s 3 times more than Iowa, the runner-up generates. This is because wind power is extremely economically feasible in certain parts of the state, not because of Democrat mandates or interference, especially in a state where the Democratic party hasn’t controlled the Legislature or Governorship since sometime in the 1990s. That’s what makes this so infuriating to me; on one hand, they want to crow about the effectiveness of the deregulated market in terms of lowering energy costs, but on the other they want to blame everything on the very thing that THEY let happen in the name of lower costs, because it happens to be something the Democratic party feels strongly about. You can’t have the lowest costs if you bitch and moan about the methods that get you there, you know. Sometimes I think the Democratic party ought to go around saying they love Jesus or something, just to see how the Republicans tie themselves up in knots trying to say they disagree with the Democrats, but also love Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/254 "2021-03-02T19:35:07Z")
I took a trawl through the 2019 data from the eia of electricity production by source and price per kilo watt hr. Looking at the top 25 states by generation that account for 80% of the total us power generation there appears to be no correlation between non fossil (NF) generation and average price per kilo watt hour (kwhr) If you look at non fossil nuclear and hydro (NFNH) there is kind of a rising cost with % of NFNH between 0 and 10% and price sort of rising from 8 to 11c/kwhr, cant figure out the R value right now. The you jump up to texas (19%)Oklahoma (33%) and California (24%) where OK and Tx are at 8c/kwhr and CA up at 17c/kwhr. I’ll assume there are some significant other factors going on with California pricing. Anyway tx and Ok have low prices and lots of wind power in the mix.make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/255 "2021-03-02T20:30:45Z")
What I was saying is that with the deregulated market and Republican state government, the only thing making wind power attractive to Texas power providers is its economic utility. And as such, it must be very economical, as it’s about a quarter of all power generation in Texas and the largest state in terms of wind power by a factor of 3. And despite that, they’re all too willing to denounce it because it’s something their opponents champion. SMH. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/256 "2021-03-02T20:34:26Z")
Bump I agree with you , they have what they kind of wanted, low cost, but are complaining about it for political reasons. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/257 "2021-03-02T21:35:37Z")
And now Gov Abbott has announced that he is lifting the statewide mask mandate and all coronavirus-related limitations on businesses because — fuck it, I guess? Only 6% of Texans have been vaccinated, but fuck it. People want to be able to eat some stuffed potato skins and down some tall boys without having to wear those stupid masks or sit a few feet from each other, so fuck it. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/258 "2021-03-02T22:33:55Z")
I hate this guy’s bloody guts. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/259 "2021-03-02T23:16:01Z")
Fucking third world shithole. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/260 "2021-03-02T23:22:43Z")
I read that here. > **[Coronavirus: Texas and other states ease rules despite warnings](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56255701)** > > Texas and other states move to roll back Covid-19 rules, putting them at odds with health officials. I think Texas is literally a failed state. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289.md?page=14)