GOP won in Texas, so please get back to governing
Once the presidential election is resolved, we need to stop maneuvering to seizing power and start working on building prosperity.
The economy cannot grow if the coronavirus infects more than 90,000 Americans and kills 1,100 more every day. More than 12 million Americans remain out of work and reliant on either state or federal assistance. The poverty rate is rising, and more families report not having enough food to eat.
Wall Street may love the prospect of a divided government incapable of imposing higher tax or regulating predatory businesses, but Main Street shopkeepers, restaurateurs and service providers cannot make money from human suffering.
To achieve a full economic recovery and put people back to work, Americans need to set aside politics, demand wise compromises and learn to love their neighbors again.
Cruelty is not cool; kindness is not a weakness. Societies prosper when everyone does better. Pitting people against one another only breeds inequality and grievance.
Texas voters made clear their preference for the conservative policies of the Republican Party. Democrats and progressives may have turned out an enormous number of new voters, but the GOP did better.
If you believe in democracy, you respect the results. We cannot expect Republican officeholders to adopt progressive positions when the Legislature meets next year.
GOP lawmakers will redraw political districts to retain power for the next decade. They will not guarantee paid sick leave, a higher minimum wage or expanded medical coverage for the poor.
With Republicans in charge of the Legislature and every statewide office, Texans should brace for severe budget cuts, most likely in public health and education. Lost revenue from the depression in the oil and gas industry and the coronavirus recession will hobble state spending. The GOP opposes increasing taxes.
Voters also chose a Republican for the Texas Railroad Commission, the state’s oil and gas regulator, someone the agency has fined $180,000 for permitting and environmental violations. Environmentalists should not expect Jim Wright, backed by oil and gas interests, to crack down on methane leaks or gas flaring, which contribute to climate change.
Taking a closer look at down-ballot results, GOP dominance was so complete that Republicans have a mandate to keep doing what they’ve been doing. Progressives made such small dents in this red state; conservatives feel no compulsion to moderate their positions. Moderate Republicans waiting in the wings will have to wait a little longer as the party moves further right.
Most business people will see the continuation of the status quo as good news and welcome the continuity. No company or partnership needs to worry about new taxes. The energy industry can rest comfortably without fear of significant new regulations.
Consumer-facing businesses, especially those that serve the working class, face a lot more uncertainty. Unemployed and underpaid people have less money to spend, and their numbers are growing.
No one expects oil and gas prices to significantly rise until 2022. Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries may trim production to give oil a little boost, but prices will remain too low for Texas shale oil to compete.
The collapse of oil and gas has led to more than 100,000 layoffs in Texas. COVID-19, meanwhile, has crippled the retail, travel, leisure and hospitality sectors, which makes finding other work difficult.
More than 1 million Texans are on unemployment assistance, more than twice as many as before the pandemic, the Texas Workforce Commission reports.
The COVID-19 infection rate in Texas has topped 9,000 new cases a day. Many of the newly infected do not have health insurance or paid time off for sickness.
Therefore, there is no upside to getting a diagnosis and isolating yourself because the test’s cost could come out of your pocket, and there is no pay if you don’t work. If you are working class and worried about losing your job, you are more than likely not getting tested and will go to work even if you feel sick.
People failing to isolate is what keeps the virus going and the economy struggling.
Lastly, more than half of Texas children live in poverty or near-poverty, census data shows. Their best chance to climb the economic ladder is quality early-childhood and elementary education. They are the workforce of the future and employers need them properly trained.
We should not expect victorious Texas Republicans to change their politics, but hopefully, they will show some grace in the name of shared prosperity. The time for politics is over. Now we need our elected officials to concentrate on governing with pragmatism, not gamesmanship.