Census growth, public policy not a clear connection

By John M. Crisp

The word "love" has been overused to the point of banality, so let's just say I like Texas. A lot. Michael Barone likes Texas, too.

In a recent syndicated column Barone, a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, interprets the nation's patterns of growth during the last decade, as described in the just-published report of the 2010 Census.

Not surprisingly, our population is shifting toward the south and west. Barone notes that we're used to the westward shift toward the Pacific coast, but he points out that California, Oregon, and Washington grew at a rate (11 percent) just one percent above the national average.

In fact, the fastest growth was in the South Atlantic states, Virginia through Florida, at 17 percent, and the Rocky Mountain states, at 21 percent.

Barone connects the growth patterns described in the census report to public policy, particularly to low taxes and weak or non-existent public employee unions. For example, the eight states with no state income tax grew at a rate of 18 percent; the rest grew at just 8 percent. The 22 states with right-to-work laws grew 15 percent, the others just 6 percent.

Barone's choice for the state with the best climate for growth and business is my home state, Texas, which has no state income tax, no public employee union bargaining, and light business regulation. And, sure enough, Texas grew at the nationwide-high rate of 21 percent.

But there's more to the story: the same edition of my local paper that carried Barone's column carried also a full-page, four-color ad from RaiseYourHand.org, which features a disappointed schoolgirl sitting at an old-fashioned empty desk beneath a banner that reads: "Texas ranks 44th out of 50 states in education spending per pupil."

The front page of the same newspaper carries this headline: "Texas highways earn failing grade." The story reports that the state-sanctioned Texas Transportation Commission has advised the state that Texans have two choices: either raise the gas tax or be resigned to sitting in traffic congestion on roads that the state doesn't have the money to improve.

The next day the newspaper reported more of the same. The headlines tell the story: "Big cuts would include schools"; "Protesters say budget cuts would hurt many in state"; "House votes to strip funding of the arts."

In fact, the Texas legislature is in the middle of a hardnosed budget battle not unlike the one going on at the national level. Republicans control the legislature and all statewide offices, and many of them are committed to an ultra-lean budget without any new revenue. The shortfall is on the order of $23 billion. Drastic funding cuts are being proposed to an already stringent state budget. This isn't mere belt-tightening. The impact on public services of all kinds will be dramatic and, as usual, the ones who will suffer most are the poor, the disabled, and the elderly.

But the middle class will suffer, as well. School budgets are being slashed, teachers are being laid off, and class sizes will undoubtedly increase. Frills like art and music will be chopped. The current House budget bill cuts scholarship money for college students by two-thirds. The impact on education of the final version of the budget remains to be seen, but "devastating" isn't an overstatement.

The undermining of the schools is ironic. Barone points out that part of the strength of Texas' economy comes from its ability to diversify beyond petroleum to knowledge-based, high-tech industries, the kind that require a well educated workforce. Demolishing the educational budget is akin to the behavior of the scorpion, which, when mischievous boys set it afire, will, so I understand, sting itself to death.

So, with its low taxes, minimal regulation, and lax environmental concern, Texas may still be a good place to do business. But will it be a good place to live?

John M. Crisp teaches in the English Department at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is also a columnist for Scripps Howard News Service (www.scrippsnews.com). E-mail him at jcrisp@delmar.edu.