Blogs like "Voice in the Wilderness" feed the prideful ignorance Texans that sustain the GOP illusion as a people's party. In the posts "You Tell'em, Gov. Perry" and "Gov. Perry Takes Stimulus Money -- on his own terms" the authors act as a vapid cheerleaders on behalf of Gov. Perry’s letter to the president in which Gov. Perry tells president Obama to shove it if he thinks he can dictate how Texas spends its tax revenue. Gov. Perry's letter is a prime example of what's wrong with Texas politics. His letter is an example of political deception by mixing issues, giving confusing statistical evidence, and the cover-up of true intent of his political motivation and real constituency he is serving by his actions.
While some degree of economic inequality is inevitable, the extent to which that inequality exists in Texas is nothing short of a travesty. To the extent that the elderly are neglected, to the extent that the sick go untreated only for simple lack of healthcare, if to support the economic mandates set forth by Gov. Perry and the GOP is to fight for freedom, then up is down, black is white, and evil is the new good. The freedom to amass and maintain extraordinary amounts of wealth at the detriment of a society is not a fight worth fighting for. High taxes for the wealthy are the best way to ensure some measure of equal opportunity in a society. Without them the wealthy become a rigid ruling class, the economy stagnates. “Big government” is essential to the thriving infrastructure that supports a burgeoning and free society.
According to official reports, unlike the claims made by Gov. Perry, Texas has suffered the effects of the recession on a scale much the same as the rest of the nation. The so-called "economic miracle" Perry has been proclaiming as a result of Texas economic policy is a farce. While Texas did turn out better than most of the rest of the nation in this recession, the opposite was the case in the last recession. It is only because the price of oil has been so high that the Texas economy pulled through so well this time around. There is no correlation between robust economies and having lower taxes. Perry is making this stuff up, preying on the ignorance of the public. It is no wonder that the education that would give people the tools they need to see through the charade of these political maneuvers is precisely what is being undermine by these recent political measures.
Education is the only hope those in the middle and lower classes have to rise above their station and participate meaningfully within a society. America is claimed to be the land of opportunity. In Texas that opportunity is being taken away with every budget cut being made in education. It is clear the rich are running the show in Texas. The rich have no need or interest in improving the public education system. The rich send their kids to private schools. The last time Texas was given grant money for education only a fraction of it was applied toward the education budget. Instead of spending the surplus of oil and gas tax revenue in the so-called "rainy day fund" to balance Texas budget shortfalls, Gov. Perry and the GOP party want to choke spending from the already underfunded education. It is no wonder that Obama seeks assurances that federal funds will not be squandered away this next round.
Perry's policies undermine the middle and working class. His policies are meant to sellout the power of the people and serve the power of the economic ruling class. These policies and latest GOP tactics have only been given a sugarcoating to get an unassuming public to take in a bitter and vile poison. The truth is, the smaller the government means more the power will reside in the upper class. Power of government in a democratic state best serves the will of the people. It is not in the best interest of the people to concede that power to a rich self-interested minority that don't get elected and cannot be impeached. Economic oligarchy is not the solution. Scaling back social services is not in the best interest of the people or of a society.
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