Tx secession
If there’s one thing that’s been blown way out of proportion, it’s Texas Governor Perry’s implication about secession. It does amuse me though that his comment was about Texas independence (not actually declaring independence but that Texas is a pretty independent place) and he goes and asks the feds for flu vaccine.
Via Guav, who wonders about other federal largess that heads to Texas like That $200 billion Texas got in defense contracts between 2000 and 2007? Well, I guess the nation of Texas would need it’s own defending.
Actually, I’m amused by all the secession talk lately as a mental exercise. No one who is taken seriously advocates secession but could it be done? The SCOTUS ruled that leaving only happened “through revolution, or through consent of the States” and secession was a no go.
April 28th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Seems like if the State is willing, keeping it in the union is like keeping an innocent person in jail: wrong.
BTW Perry is a lot closer to Bush than Reagan but he usually means well.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Perry has great hair. He may also have presidential aspirations. Therefore the media are already denigrating him.
Regarding the flu vaccine, the feds have an exclusive lock on storage and distribution. The “emergency” for swine flu was declared to allow distribution of meds from their stockpile. Rhode Island will do the same thing as Texas if it wants some, ask the Feds.
As for the defense contracts, I think giving the contracts to Texas companies only makes sense. When you want something done, get a cowboy to do it.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Perry is a good man, and had he not been from Texas, he would long ago have been considered POTUS material. (And he’s a serious gun owner, practices shooting each week at a local range — without state trooper bodyguards — which would make a refreshing change for a POTUS.)
And, for the record, Texas usually pays more than it gets back (in 2004, Texas got back $0.94 in federal funding for every tax dollar its citizens and corporations sent to Washington). So the $200 billion “handout” smear is unfounded.
And if you listen to his whole speech, you’ll hear that he was making a point about how Texans are a lot more independent-minded than, say, New Yorkers or Illinois. The “secession” comment was simply an underlining of that, but as usual, the fools and idiots jumped in.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Not sure, but I believe that there is something different about the way that Texas joined the union and the requirements for the state. Probably a moot point by now, but maybe not if you look carefully at the law and the state constitution.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Texas can’t secede from the Union, period. What Texas MAY do (according to its statehood conditions) is divide itself into as many as four smaller entities (each of which would than have the option of joining the U.S. or be independent — but NOT joining up with another state or with another country like, oh, say, Mexico).
Most Texans get this wrong, too.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Yeah, the Texas can secede thing in an urban legend. I heard it all the time in El Paso.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:29 am
US Law has no provisions which can legally DEFINE why and under what conditions a State and her citizens may secede. The findings of the Supreme Court are irrelevant, and it is the will of the people of that State or region who decide whether or not to go forth independently. It’s not a myth, or a rumor, or a misunderstanding of legal precedent. The Colonies did not have any legal authority to declare their independence from England, nor to form or join a union, much less to fight off their former ruling government with force of arms. They did this because it was their natural right which they exercised of their own choosing. No legal precedent required.
As for requesting of flu vaccinations, are we not allowed to give foreign aid when the need suits us? If an easily spread epidemic breaks out in Mexico or Canada, are we forbidden from rendering medical aid? Even if Texas were independent, if an unforeseen event were to occur that would require the assistance of neighboring states, we would be a likely candidate to give foreign aid.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:58 am
When we star worrying about the federal “largess” that comes our way, you better start worrying about the hydrocarbon production and refining, electrical production, and communications infrastructure “largess” we send your way.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:00 am
LOL – phelps wins.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Not sure if this topic deserves a straight answer or not, but some minor points:
Texas A&M commissions about as many young officers as West Point (I had brothers at both) and the display of Medals of Honor in the Memorial Student Center is truly inspiring.
No idea how many of the active duty troops are Texians (that’s what Jackson called Hood’s Texas Division), but I’d bet it’s 10% or more, and I’m pretty sure most of them would come home.
As Phelps has said, we have enough wealth down here (oil, cattle, cotton, corn, wheat, rice, etc.) to buy whatever we need.
Besides, we’ve got enough stubborn old f**ts like me to whup up on just about any bunch of yankees that wants it!
April 28th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
God Bless Texas!
April 28th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Texas Jack,
I was born in Houston, and if Texas seceded you’d get one more stubborn old f**t.
April 28th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
DC needs Texas much more than Texas needs DC. Of course, the Democrats in the Texas Legislature were the first to scream bloody murder when Perry uttered the S word, as they saw the inevitable weaning from the Federal Teat as a possibility.
Folklore or not, piss off Texas and see what happens.
Regards,
Rabbit.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
I, for one, would be happy to vote to allow states such as NY and CA succede from the United States of America to form their own United Socialist States of America. Regular trade between the countries would be good for all and since they have all the money and are really the smarter and more sophisticated I’m sure they’d be very much more happy without the anchor of us poor, benighted red staters. Give them the chance to proved they can really pull off a feat that has never been done in human history.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
The downside of course is that Colorado has been thoroughly Californicated it would be a toss up whether we’d go USA or USSA, so I might have to move back to Wyoming.
April 29th, 2009 at 3:54 am
I figure once any state decides to secede, they’ve pretty much shown that they really don’t care what the fellows in dresses have to say about it.
The loss of the War for Southern Independence showed that secession was at the time not practicable, not that it was wrong.