# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/41 "2021-02-19T21:21:37Z")
But “Texas” includes millions of people who voted AGAINST Republicans at the national, state and local level. Are you including them as having “no one to blame but themselves?” Are they getting what they deserve? Should they have worked harder to elect Democrats? And what about the poor, medically infirm, children, elderly and others who are disproportionately suffering from this collapse? Do they have no one to blame but themselves? Its easy to treat “Texas” as a monolith (hell, I did so in my thread title) and hold the whole state responsible for the sins of its governing class and the voters who put them there. But the consequences are being borne largely by the powerless and disenfranchised. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/42 "2021-02-19T21:22:48Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > And so I’m sure we’ll get the same circus again, and nothing will change. Oh, I’m sure they’ll slap some bandaid on it and fall all over themselves congratulating each other. But it’ll be at best a patch, and won’t even begin to look at the bigger issue of investing in our infrastructure needs. You could move to California. 😃 The no power thing absolutely stinks, as I know well from many days in the dark and cold in both Ohio and Kentucky. At least they’re saying the statewide Texas grid is up again. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Warmer weather seems to be making the Jet Stream less stable, allowing polar vortex events. Sonny, I remember when they called them things “cold fronts”. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/43 "2021-02-19T21:23:40Z")
“It’s time to bury the myth of Texas exceptionalism.” ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/44 "2021-02-19T21:24:46Z")
Molly Ivins couldn’t say that, could she? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/45 "2021-02-19T21:30:04Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Texas has no one but themselves to blame. Absolutely true. I also fully support doing whatever is needed to help them out. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/46 "2021-02-19T21:30:48Z")
> [@pudytat72](#): > > From The Dallas Morning News: > "Supply for next-day delivery at the Oneok Gas Transportation hub in Oklahoma traded at **$1250.00 per million British thermal units on Wednesday** , according to David Hoy, a trader at Dynasty Power in Calgary. That’s up from $999 on Tuesday, and **just $9.00 a week ago** > > And electricity went from $50 for 1 Mwh of power to $9,000 for 1 Mwh. I’m glad I am on a fixed rate plan. I’m paying $114 per Mwh. The people on Variable rate plans have been totally screwed. One guys monthly electric bill on a variable plan went from $650 last month to $15,000 this month. Free enterprise at its very best! Good thing Texas avoided becoming oppressed under the Yoke of Socialism™, which might have regulated the power companies to ensure stable and reliable power even in adverse conditions, prevented price gouging, and allowed for the exchange of power across state lines where and when needed. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/47 "2021-02-19T21:34:36Z")
With the horrifying reliance of so many Texans on (not always safe) alternative means to heat their houses, has anybody checked to be sure that Governor Abbott didn’t privatize the Fire Departments and Paramedics ? /s ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/48 "2021-02-19T21:41:53Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > Its easy to treat “Texas” as a monolith (hell, I did so in my thread title) and hold the whole state responsible for the sins of its governing class and the voters who put them there. But the consequences are being borne largely by the powerless and disenfranchised. I’m not from Texas and I try to tell myself that for every figure like Rick Perry, there’s someone like Jim Hightower to cancel him out. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/49 "2021-02-19T21:42:24Z")
That’s as may be, but the quote direct is from Heinlein so neener neener. 😉 ---
**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:** [February 19, 2021, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/50 "2021-02-19T21:43:35Z")
Yeah, it’s what blue state America does, bail out red state America and hope that they learn their lesson, lather rinse repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/51 "2021-02-19T21:50:31Z")
Mark Twain also quoted a student with writing the following: **Climate lasts all the time and weather only a few days.** ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/52 "2021-02-19T21:52:36Z")
As bad as the outages were, they were very close to being something much worse: > **[Texas was "seconds and minutes" away from catastrophic monthslong blackouts,...](https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/18/texas-power-outages-ercot/)** > > Officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said that grid operators implemented blackouts to avoid a catastrophic failure that could have left Texans in the dark for months. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/53 "2021-02-19T22:00:04Z")
If they continue to vote against their own interests and reject taking reasonable actions to secure their own well-being, how does it all end? > **[Texas disaster exposes what happens when Republicans replace governance with...](https://www.salon.com/2021/02/19/texas-disaster-exposes-what-happens-when-republicans-replace-governance-with-trolling/)** > > Republicans have mastered the art of breaking government and telling voters it's because government can't work ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/54 "2021-02-19T22:23:12Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I’m disabled. That’s not cool. 😜 ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/55 "2021-02-19T22:34:21Z")
You know, not for nothing, but voter disenfranchisement in Texas is a very real thing. During the 2020 election, Gov. Abbott limited voter drop boxes to one per county. One in the smallest counties, numbering only hundreds of people; one in the largest of counties, numbering millions. That had a disproportionate effect on Democrats. Which was exactly the point. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/56 "2021-02-19T23:32:27Z")
Here’s some commentary about how Texas and the Republicans who own the government there are full of shit. 8 minute video [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/J_EcXfY_77c/maxresdefault.jpg "Biden's press secretary SMACKS DOWN Texas Republicans over power outage lies") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_EcXfY_77c) ---
**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 19, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/57 "2021-02-19T23:48:38Z")
> [@chela](#): > > “It’s time to bury the myth of Texas exceptionalism.” Well, we can certainly construct a valid statement along the lines of “The people governing Texas are exceptionally […].” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/58 "2021-02-19T23:51:01Z")
Apparently shameless lying is a Republican core value now. ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/59 "2021-02-19T23:57:24Z")
This map really helps put things in perspective as far as the way our current states skew the population. More Texans voted for Biden than New Yorkers. Highlights the unfortunate way that our current system advantages one political party of the others. > **[2020 Election Map](https://xkcd.com/2399/)** > > There are more Trump voters in California than Texas, more Biden voters in Texas than New York, more Trump voters in New York than Ohio, more Biden voters in Ohio than Massachusetts, more Trump voters in Massachusetts than Mississippi, and more Biden voters in Mississippi than Vermont. ---
**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 20, 2021, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289/60 "2021-02-20T00:15:54Z")
> [@Strassia](#): > > Highlights the unfortunate way that our current system advantages one political party of the others. I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that. But the way I’d say it that the compelling message from that map is that perhaps as many as 40% of voters (of both parties) are effectively _unrepresented_ under the electoral college system because their votes don’t count for anything when the other party holds a substantial majority in their state. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reluctantly-fuck-texas/933289.md?page=4)