There is a lot of talk in Washington about inequality. Income inequality. But there is a lot less talk about the inequality that arises from the high cost of everyday life. In blue state coastal cities, you have these strict zoning laws, environmental regulations that have prevented builders from expanding the housing supply. And that may be great for the venture capitalist who wants to keep a nice view of San Francisco Bay, but it’s not so great for the single mother working two jobs in order to pay rent and still put food on the table for her kids.The key is two-fold: keeping financial aid minimal and having jobs people can take. Perry's Texas has done both of these. And I've experienced the lower cost of living in TX, it's real.
From 2005-07 more African-Americans moved to Texas than all but one other state, that state being Georgia. Now, many were coming from blue states like New York and Illinois and California. Many came from Louisiana, where they had lost their homes due to Hurricane Katrina. But each one of those new residents was welcomed to Texas with open arms. They came to a state with a booming economy. We kept taxes low, regulations low, we kept frivolous lawsuits to a minimum. . .
If we create jobs, incentivize work, keep nonviolent drug offenders out of prison, reform our schools, and reduce the cost of living—we will have done more for African-Americans than the last three Democratic administrations combined.
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One odd economic "advantage" TX has that CA does not, much of the terrain while vast is boringly flat and banal. As such, it inspires substantially less green, preservationist zeal than scenic CA.
Texans are likely to ask "To what use can we put this land?" In CA there is often the temptation to allege "Doing anything will degrade this natural beauty."
