Maybe, just maybe, the exodus from California to Texas didn't really happen the way Governor Perry said. Was it cheap labor and cheap land plus high oil prices that created the illusion of prosperity? Whatever it was, Texas is not and was not the "miracle" that the Republicans bragged about. People like Perry loved taking shots at California during their troubles, so now he will have the opportunity to have the favor returned. The real tragedy here is that the already suffering poor in Texas are going to be walloped by the Republicans. That's what they always do. LA Times:
Even Perry's claims of companies that have decamped from California to lay down roots in Texas appear to be overblown. When the Austin American-Statesman looked into the Texas governor's boast that there were 153 such companies in 2010, reporters found the claim included California firms that stayed put but maybe opened a Texas branch. The newspaper concluded that Perry's figure was grossly inflated.So when are we going to see a 60 Minutes episode on the Texas Miracle? They slobbered all over Chris Christie yet somehow keep ignoring Texas.
Perry's staff said the governor was too busy to be interviewed in Austin last week. Media reports later revealed that he was on a five-day trip through California, which involved trying to coax companies east. His spokesman refused to name the companies.
The state's dogged determination to not tinker with its tax system or lean on business in other ways is certain to win points with some executives. But some Texans question whether business leaders will tolerate the resulting deterioration of public infrastructure, particularly in the education system.
