MESS WITH TEXAS 

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The following is not really Texas Bashing or Counter Texas Bashing. It may be what is thought of as objective...or balanced...an Op-Ed piece from an insightful woman named Dianne Stewart...

Texas: Mess With it or Leave It

· It’s not un-Texan to see the real problems and push for change

AUSTIN -- It’s getting hot in Texas, and it’s not just the weather. Presidential politics have directed the spotlight onto the Lone Star State with unprecedented intensity. The media’s focus has highlighted some not-so-flattering aspects of our state that have been interpreted as "Texas-bashing" by officials and pundits.

In a melodramatic move to defend Texas’ honor, a self-appointed group of apologists have formed to counter the "unfair" picture that is being painted of Texas by the national media. Rallying to the cry of "Don’t Mess with Texas," our brave defenders have called into question the loyalty, and even the honesty of those who air our state’s dirty laundry in front of the nation. They imply that it is un-Texan. The message is that we cannot be both a wonderful state with many fine qualities and, at the same time, be truthful about our flaws and weaknesses. It is the year 2000 Texas equivalent of the 1960s slogan, "America, love it or leave it."

Trouble is, there are a great number of fiercely proud Texans whose very loyalty is expressed by working to identify problems, improve conditions for all our residents and ensure that Texas retains its prosperity into the future. People who deny their failings limit their ability to grow and prosper. And, as any corporate manager knows, you cannot build a successful business plan for the future without diagnosing your weaknesses and moving to address them.

The other hitch to the "Don’t Mess with Texas" approach is that it is disingenuous. The national media attention has held up a mirror to our state, reflecting back to us images all Texans should be aware of:

· Almost 3 ½ million Texans live in poverty, most of them in families where at least one person works

· Texas is first among the states in the percentage of residents without health insurance

· A third of Texas children are hungry or at risk of hunger

· Texas’ gap between the rich and the poor is the seventh largest in the U.S.

These and many other Texas truths are publicized on our organization’s web site: www.cppp.org.  So you might say that we are some of those doing the messing. But it is messing with a purpose: to make Texas an even greater state. And, with a number of openly chauvinistic native Texans on staff with roots in this state going back as far as 150 years, we think we are in as good a position as any to insist that we look honestly at ourselves.

Regardless of ideological bent, those engaged in public service in our state generally have one common trait: a desire for Texas to be the best it can be. Though the economy is prospering and the majority of Texans are doing well, it is still true that too many in our state are not benefiting from these bountiful times. Most Texans who are proud of their state and love its history, beauty, and promise, will see in its faults opportunities for improvement. Our state’s limitations don’t detract from its greatness; they merely present a challenge that no true Texan would shy away from. There are a lot of those true Texans out there, and they have the power to act and to urge others to act. It would be un-Texan not to.

Dianne Stewart is Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, Texas. The CPPP is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization, working to improve the social and economic prospects of low-income Texans.


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