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So What If Texas DID Secede From The Union?
Tony Romm is now a contributor for The Cram, a student news arm of the newly launched PoliticsDaily.com. To follow his future work, click here.
The blogosphere is still rumbling this week after a suggestion by Texas Governor Rick Perry that the (now
literally) Lone Star state secede from the embattled union. It does not help, of course, that a poll released on Thursday by Research2000 merely confirms the unfortunate truth that Perry's comments may have resonated among some Texans: In the survey, nearly 35 percent of respondents, mostly Republicans, indicated they felt Texas would be better off as an "independent nation."
It would be naive to take these findings seriously; gauging public opinion on any topic is difficult and daunting, especially when the questions themselves are indulgent and practically invite silliness. It is likely that many of the survey's respondents answered only out of jest, submitting to Perry's gaffe without the slightest contemplation of what secession would actually mean for their state, personal or geographic.
But that hasn't stopped a plethora of pundits from jokingly hypothesizing on their behalf. Earlier this week, Daily Kos noted a few drawbacks to Texan secession: the loss of its coveted military bases, exorbitant NASA funding and most of its dirty industry. Preceding that prediction was Nate Silver, who reminded politicos at FiveThirtyEight that an America without Texas would have catapulted the Democrats to a filibuster-proof supermajority in Congress -- even without Al Franken's help -- and ensured that not another Bush family member could have won the White House in 2004.
Indeed, we can attribute to Texas' departure a number of interesting benefits (that only those wary voters who stuck out the economy's apoplexy could reap). For example...
(CLICK TO READ MORE...)
In the realm of higher education, an America without Texas would save the federal government more than $1 billion in Pell Grants (.xls), the program provided annually to college students who demonstrate significant financial need. In the 2006-2007 academic year, the Department of Education awarded Texas enough Pell Grant assistance to cover more than 440,000 college students -- money that would obviously disappear if the state left the union. To give this figure more perspective, recall that the most recent federal stimulus included a provision to increase Pell Grant funding by more than $13 billion dollars, almost $300 per student. When you subtract Texas from that equation and add the money saved by its absence, the United States could opt to cover more students or increase eligible students' current awards (even if only by a tiny amount).
A more substantial benefit from Texas' exit, however, is environmental in nature. According to The New York Times' assessment of state environmental quality, Texas emitted 224.76 million metric tons of CO2 last year -- ranking it first in total pollution. Presumably, this is because Texas also boasts the second largest population in the United States, weighing in at well over 22 million residents. Unfortunately, population totals matter little when state or federal agencies must offset carbon output. It currently costs the country anywhere between $1-30 per metric ton to address troublesome emissions, which would translate in Texas' case to anywhere between $224.76 million and $6.7 billion in CO2 offset fees. Of course, the Lone Star state's withdrawal would not exactly address the root environmental problem here; Texas would still emit pollutants at an alarming rate. However, secession would absolve the United States of its responsibility to pay for or fix it -- good news to the few voters who still weep openly about deficit spending.
And, finally, for those in the nation's capitol still bitter at Sen. John Cornyn's, R-Texas, vote against D.C. voting rights, Texas's exit would permit the District -- should it ever receive statehood -- a spot on the flag. Unlikely, but nonetheless important to the same cadre of cynical voters who first brought you Hippos for Hypocrites.
Indeed, many of these "benefits" are moot; the Lone Star state's exit would severely dent U.S. exports, among other areas of the economy, and test President Obama's foreign policy credentials. Then again, perhaps Obama too stands to gain from Texas' secession -- in some perverted sense, it would finally offer the ersatz Lincoln-ite the chance to walk in his idol's footsteps in more than just name.
The blogosphere is still rumbling this week after a suggestion by Texas Governor Rick Perry that the (now
literally) Lone Star state secede from the embattled union. It does not help, of course, that a poll released on Thursday by Research2000 merely confirms the unfortunate truth that Perry's comments may have resonated among some Texans: In the survey, nearly 35 percent of respondents, mostly Republicans, indicated they felt Texas would be better off as an "independent nation."It would be naive to take these findings seriously; gauging public opinion on any topic is difficult and daunting, especially when the questions themselves are indulgent and practically invite silliness. It is likely that many of the survey's respondents answered only out of jest, submitting to Perry's gaffe without the slightest contemplation of what secession would actually mean for their state, personal or geographic.
But that hasn't stopped a plethora of pundits from jokingly hypothesizing on their behalf. Earlier this week, Daily Kos noted a few drawbacks to Texan secession: the loss of its coveted military bases, exorbitant NASA funding and most of its dirty industry. Preceding that prediction was Nate Silver, who reminded politicos at FiveThirtyEight that an America without Texas would have catapulted the Democrats to a filibuster-proof supermajority in Congress -- even without Al Franken's help -- and ensured that not another Bush family member could have won the White House in 2004.
Indeed, we can attribute to Texas' departure a number of interesting benefits (that only those wary voters who stuck out the economy's apoplexy could reap). For example...
(CLICK TO READ MORE...)
In the realm of higher education, an America without Texas would save the federal government more than $1 billion in Pell Grants (.xls), the program provided annually to college students who demonstrate significant financial need. In the 2006-2007 academic year, the Department of Education awarded Texas enough Pell Grant assistance to cover more than 440,000 college students -- money that would obviously disappear if the state left the union. To give this figure more perspective, recall that the most recent federal stimulus included a provision to increase Pell Grant funding by more than $13 billion dollars, almost $300 per student. When you subtract Texas from that equation and add the money saved by its absence, the United States could opt to cover more students or increase eligible students' current awards (even if only by a tiny amount).
A more substantial benefit from Texas' exit, however, is environmental in nature. According to The New York Times' assessment of state environmental quality, Texas emitted 224.76 million metric tons of CO2 last year -- ranking it first in total pollution. Presumably, this is because Texas also boasts the second largest population in the United States, weighing in at well over 22 million residents. Unfortunately, population totals matter little when state or federal agencies must offset carbon output. It currently costs the country anywhere between $1-30 per metric ton to address troublesome emissions, which would translate in Texas' case to anywhere between $224.76 million and $6.7 billion in CO2 offset fees. Of course, the Lone Star state's withdrawal would not exactly address the root environmental problem here; Texas would still emit pollutants at an alarming rate. However, secession would absolve the United States of its responsibility to pay for or fix it -- good news to the few voters who still weep openly about deficit spending.
And, finally, for those in the nation's capitol still bitter at Sen. John Cornyn's, R-Texas, vote against D.C. voting rights, Texas's exit would permit the District -- should it ever receive statehood -- a spot on the flag. Unlikely, but nonetheless important to the same cadre of cynical voters who first brought you Hippos for Hypocrites.
Indeed, many of these "benefits" are moot; the Lone Star state's exit would severely dent U.S. exports, among other areas of the economy, and test President Obama's foreign policy credentials. Then again, perhaps Obama too stands to gain from Texas' secession -- in some perverted sense, it would finally offer the ersatz Lincoln-ite the chance to walk in his idol's footsteps in more than just name.
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Gregory Dittmer
10:22PM 10:22PM Apr 23rd 2009
Too bad Texas didn't cede from the Union prior to 2000! It would have saved the rest of us from the eight year nightmare of the Village Idiot.
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Craigushka
8:50AM 8:50AM Apr 25th 2009
Yeah you are still wrong. You are wrong again liberal, Eisenhower sent advisors to Vietnam, Kennedy the liberal democrat sent the first troops. Get your facts straight. Unsurp was a typo. But again Obama is not my President, and he has not provided a vault copy of his birth certificate for the american people to see it. Obama lovers posted a false copy of a birth certificate online that was proven to be a fraud. He has sealed up all his records so the people cannot see he was born in Kenya africa to a sorry race mixing woman, that GOD commands against. Stop trashing me and my military service or I will come have a talk with you personally because I know who you are, and where you are. Do not insult me anymore liberal.
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Gregory Dittmer
2:50PM 2:50PM Apr 25th 2009
Craigushka
8:50AM 8:50AM Apr 25th 2009
1) You are wrong again liberal, Eisenhower sent advisors to Vietnam, Kennedy the liberal democrat sent the first troops. Get your facts straight.
2) Unsurp was a typo.
3) But again Obama is not my President, and he has not provided a vault copy of his birth certificate for the american people to see it. Obama lovers posted a false copy of a birth certificate online that was proven to be a fraud.
4) He has sealed up all his records so the people cannot see he was born in Kenya africa to a sorry race mixing woman, that GOD commands against.
5)Stop trashing me and my military service or I will come have a talk with you personally because I know who you are, and where you are. Do not insult me anymore liberal.
#####################################################
1) My facts are straight, Eisenhower sent the first military personel into Viet Nam. Call them what you will, but Eisenhower DID start the Viet Nam debacle!
2) Do you know the meaning of "typo" Craig?
typo noun
a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind [syn: misprint]
A "typo" or typographic error is NOT a spelling error except in the case where a key is hit inadvertently, letters reversed resulting in a misspelled word. You, on the other hand, have repeated your spelling error consistently and many times which indicates you simply do not know the correct spelling. In other words, "unsurp" was not a "typo."
3) Are you a citizen of the United States of America? If your answer is "yes," then Obama IS your President like it or not.
As I said previously, repeating something over and over and over again does NOT make it any more true. So please, if you cannot and do not produce actual evidence to your claims of Obama's birth certificate being fake, then you will really look foolish. After all, YOU claim the certificate shown was "proven to be a fraud."
Do you realize what incredible measures would need to be taken to hold a Federal job and still hide your origins of birth from the Federal Government for so long? You must think Obama is some sort of god that can do ANYTHING he pleases!
4) Where is it found "that GOD commands against" mixed race marriage? The ONLY area I am aware of pertains to Jews and nothing but Jews. Furthermore, God's command to keep to themselves made no mention of race at all. God commanded against any mixing of the Jews with ANY nation, NOT race.
5) Craig, I have not trashed your military service. I don't recall addressing your military service in any way. However, I HAVE said you are a miserable excuse for a "patriot" for your failure to vote and your failure to support OUR President.
It really is funny the way you throw around the word "liberal" as if it is some dirty word. Do you think calling someone a "liberal" is insulting? Perosnally, although I vote as an Independent, I am rather proud of being identified as a "liberal."
Are you aware of the AOL "Terms of Service?" Do you realize your threat, veiled or otherwise, is against AOL's TOS, not to mention being against the law?
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priscilla
4:59PM 4:59PM Apr 25th 2009
8 years of the 'village idiot'? there may come a day when you wish you had him back...this jerk in white house now...is worse than a village idiot..muslim communist...and texas would do just quite nicely without creeps like you...
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Gregory Dittmer
9:46PM 9:46PM Apr 25th 2009
priscilla
4:59PM 4:59PM Apr 25th 2009
8 years of the 'village idiot'? there may come a day when you wish you had him back...this jerk in white house now...is worse than a village idiot..muslim communist...and texas would do just quite nicely without creeps like you...
######################################################
NOTHING and I mean absolutely NOTHING would make me wish the illage Idiot would come back!
As for Texas, if you and Craig are the "typical" Texans, a person would have to be brain dead to want to move there!
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Sarah
11:36AM 11:36AM Apr 26th 2009
If Texas left you can kiss all those tax dollars good bye too. The worthless Mexicans living in Texas may FINALLY leave it. That's right I hate illegals - they're criminals. You can also bet there will be a brain drain as the intelligent population either fights the stupidity or just leaves a state of the mentally retarded to fend for themselves. I also hate the pathetic excuse for leadership Texas has had for the past several decades. I can't name one good governor because there wasn't one! Kay Bailey Hutchinson might win the next election but I'd say a chimp is better than governor Good Hair Perry! Leave it to my home state to enforce a cell phone law but ignore the worthless Mexican criminals. Perry can't walk the walk because the lobbyists are telling him what to do. Oklahoma has more sense than Texas! They've kicked out illegals and as usual Texans do nothing but brag about crap they can't do or are too lazy to do. Yeah, I'm NOT proud of my ignorant state.
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Karen
10:12PM 10:12PM Apr 26th 2009
Maybe Governor Rick Perry is trying to do what he is paid to do--represent the people. I think that is called taxation WITH representation. Isn't that why we rebelled against England, because we didn't have taxation with representaion. The very word STATE means country. As states we are no longer independent countries, but pathetic infants dependent upon our federal government which use to answer to us, but now reigns over us supreme, believing our ideals are silly. We have no more states rights. Thanks alot Lincoln. Sic Semper Tyrannis or thus always to tyrants. God save Virginia. Remember the confederate cause. WAKE UP PEOPLE, WE ARE NOW IN A SOCIALIST COUNTRY. By the way, thats NOT a good thing.
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Bob Seidman
9:34AM 9:34AM Apr 27th 2009
Truer words were never spoken.
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K.K.
3:49AM 3:49AM Apr 27th 2009
No kidding. If he'd only have been 'President of Texas', we'd still have the World Trade Center, no wars, no recession, et cetera...
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billyed
4:05PM 4:05PM Apr 27th 2009
We couldn't be that lucky....could we??
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Tink
9:38PM 9:38PM Apr 28th 2009
Are you still whining about Bush? How long are you going to live in the past? Move on, it's over.
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rick
10:29PM 10:29PM Apr 23rd 2009
The rest of America would be better off if Texas succeeded. I've been saying for years that we should give Texas back to Mexico.
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escem59
11:52PM 11:52PM Apr 24th 2009
Texas was not and is not yall's or anyone else's to give back to Mexico.Texas won it's independence from Mexico with a few people who were fed up with the bullshit the U.S goverment was up to then,just as it is now.As far as the Bushs' are concerned they can catch the next flight back to Maine any time they choose to do so.The sooner the better.
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ttownsend
10:51PM 10:51PM Apr 23rd 2009
Why did we cheer when the Soviet Union broke up but when a state in the US wants out they are vilified?
The Founding Fathers never envisioned the Federal Government having complete domain over the states...Abe Lincoln would have let SC secede had he known what the Federal Government would grow into...
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Elisa
9:06AM 9:06AM Apr 24th 2009
You must be uninformed...the government doesn't run the country. KKK members from Texas try to but they must be pretty ticked off to make such a STUPID remark...sorry Texas, you lose,or is it we lose cause you have another idiot running your part of the US
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Craigushka
3:44AM 3:44AM Apr 24th 2009
The original states should leave the corrupt Union, and if need be have a second civil war. Then the southern states can run all the liberals out. Obama likes lincoln so much, maybe he will want to fight us like the tyrant lincoln did. This time the south would win.
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The Republican Whine List
4:21AM 4:21AM Apr 24th 2009
Craigushka - The south would ***not*** win - it would lose miserable. Not only because of the resolve of us Patriots the absolutely love our Homeland, but through the help of other nations that will - and you can take this to the bank - be on our doorstep to defend this great nation from treaons tyrants such as yourself. Do you REALLY think that you are the Patriot? No, you are not. You haven't a friggin' clue what Patriotism is. It has been said before to you 20 to 25 percent people - "Bring on your revolution." We will stomp it out and put each of you to bed VERY quickly. We stand FOR America, FOR our Constitution and FOR our President - be he or she a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent.
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revblueroor
7:39AM 7:39AM Apr 24th 2009
what does the origninal states leaving the union have to do with texas. i understand that texans like to take credit for everythin (even george w, go figure) but texas was not one of the original states. in 1776 when the partiots who founded this nation put together the nation texas was not even on their mind. if president polk hadn't made promises to the tennasee poloitical crooks who left this country one step ahead of the law, texas would still be a part of mexico. where, by the way, i think it belongs.
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Craigushka
8:29AM 8:29AM Apr 24th 2009
revblueroor....I bet the men who want to take america back will show you liberals soon enough that you will lose. I swear before GOD you will lose. I am a vietnam veteran and I see more going on than what you think. George Washingtons vision says we will defeat you morally corrup evil people. The one you call your President is an unsurper. You are not a Patriot, you are garbage that is tearing down the great Republic of America, and turning it into a degenerate multicultural cesspool, of socialist marxist, and communist scum that will be defeated. Don't count on your win because the revolution has not begun yet, but it will.
http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/Washington.html
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BogieHalfaDoobie
7:08PM 7:08PM Apr 24th 2009
Lee and Jackson, if you haven't heard, are dead. The South therefore, would have no chance.
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