THE TEXAS economy is stronger than the economies of California, New York, and -- depending on what scale you use -- most or all other states. This annoys our local newspaper editors, who much prefer the governing policies of states run by their progressive ideological confreres. It also created a major stumbling block for the Democrats' candidate for governor, Bill White. How much easier it would have been for him if our state had been deeper in the ditch.
The real challenge for liberal progressives is to explain why the Texas economy is doing better and, further, to explain why their policies -- usually featuring higher taxes and more regulations -- would make things better rather than worse.
The usual answers are . . .
. . . typically neither entirely serious nor useful.
One -- we might call it the Paul Burka model -- is to dismiss the whole issue as braggadocio by Governor Perry. That's a dodge. The real question is whether the braggard's propositions are true or false.
Another -- let's call it the Bill Hobby model -- is to mention ways in which Texas falls short. The most common example is spending on education. And the usual policy recommendation is that Texas could keep all the business-friend stuff, but just spend more on public schools and universities or other favored programs. The argument is that the best policies are some kind of compromise between those of Texas and those of California. Never explained is how all the states that lie between Texas and California on taxing, spending, and business regulation are not doing better than Texas.
A third -- the Mark White model -- is more serious. It accepts that Texas is doing better than other states, but attributes Texas's better performance to luck -- high oil prices, for instance -- rather than, say, to having a legislature than meets only 140 days every two years, a constitution that sharply limits the power of government, and relatively low taxes, business-friendly laws and regulations, and a court system that largely respects the rule of law.
Texas journalists also have trouble dealing with the issue. Most simply cloak assertions about Texas's relative economic superiority as assertions. A reporter might say, for instance, that Governor Perry claims -- or if the reporter is really down on Mr. Perry, brags -- that Texas is doing better than other states.
This is true enough, of course, but it leaves the essential issue in doubt. Is Governor Perry telling the truth or just claimin' and braggin'?
This is bad form, because the facts about Texas's relative economic strength are relatively easy to find and check. A more honest approach would be to do that, then help voters' understand what's what by reporting that Governor Perry points out that Texas is doing better -- usage that implicitly accepts the truth of the proposition.
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