Governor Abbott penned an editorial in the Dallas Morning News on Monday in which he pitched his vision of the “Texas of Tomorrow.”
Governor Abbott started his piece with this quote:
Ever since the first pioneers settled our extraordinary land, Texas has been the frontier of a brighter tomorrow, a state filled with opportunity as vast as our horizon. As lawmakers gather in the Texas Capitol for the start of the 88th Legislature, we are blessed with the opportunity to work toward building an even brighter future.
I believe that spirit of frontier and opportunity is alive and well. Texas independence is really nothing more than an expression of freedom, opportunity and potential after all. Texas nationalists also look forward to “building an even brighter future.” We also are counting on the 88th legislature to do their part, by passing the Texas Independence Referendum Act. If you haven’t yet called your legislators, now’s a good time to start.
Next, Abbott talks about our dominance in technology and energy. If we can attract tech companies to Texas while under the Federal government’s heavy hand, imagine what we could do on our own! If we can manage our energy resources successfully in spite of direct Federal action to discourage oil and gas development, imagine what we could do if we were able to fully take advantage of our resources!
Abbott talks about the economy booming, and about the resulting budget surplus. Texas has historically chosen a balanced budget approach, in direct contrast to the deficit spending of the Federal government. There is no reason that an independent Texas couldn’t continue to live within our means. When the American system’s debt finally implodes, a free Texas can survive, because we operate on better principles.
Abbott touts Texas schools, claiming that our per-student spending is “at an all time high.” He stresses the importance of an education system that keeps kids safe, pushes high performance, and produces a capable workforce. Spending as a measure of success is a bit dubious, and Abbott fails to mention that Texas’ per-student spending ranks 38th in the nation. I don’t mind Texas being the 12th most frugal when it comes to education spending, but we have to continue to focus on quality, perhaps even more than the focus on equality. School may not be the place to solve every social problem, provide every social service, or even provide every opportunity. Parents must take the lead in educating and caring for their children. I’m not sure free school lunches or woke sex-ed are the school’s responsibility in the first place.
Predictably Abbott blames Joe Biden for the border crisis, and predictably his solution involves doing the Federal government’s job for them:
Texas is building a border wall, deploying Texas National Guard soldiers and Department of Public Safety troopers to stop the chaos created by the Biden administration, and targeting Mexican drug cartels that smuggle deadly drugs like fentanyl into our state.
So if Texas is already paying for these things to secure our border, and if the Federal government is consistently failing to deal with the border, what the heck do we need them for anyway? A free Texas could set its own border policies. We’re already paying for it, but with limited effectiveness because we’re tied to a union that’s a rudderless ship.
He ends the piece with this hopeful challenge, “Together we will build the Texas of tomorrow.” Yes we will, and Lord willing the Texas of tomorrow will be free and independent. Texas will again raise its head and stand among the nations!