Secessionist Gov. Rick Perry asks for federal help to deal with swine flu.

[Joanne98]

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), who was last making headlines for suggesting that Texas may consider seceding from the Union, is requesting help from the federal government to deal with a possible swine flu pandemic:

Gov. Rick Perry today in a precautionary measure requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide 37,430 courses of antiviral medications from the Strategic National Stockpile to Texas to prevent the spread of swine flu. Currently, three cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Texas.

According to a recent DailyKos/Research 2000 poll, "37% of Texans and 51% of Lone Star Republicans agree with Gov. Rick Perry’s recent suggestion that Texas may need to leave the United States. ... Imagine the outcries of patriotism (or lack thereof) if Massachusetts or New York hinted at secession during the Bush years," writes NBC's Mark Murray. And imagine how Texas would deal with the swine flu without federal assistance.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/26/tx-perry-swine-flu/

[Jack Rabbit]

1. Nothing like a real emergency to get his head right

Now, if he only thought unemployment in his state, the fallout from the financial meltdown, were a real emergency, he'd really have his head on straight.

You see, Governor, federalism isn't such a bad system after all.

[Big Orange Jeff]

19. They left out a key piece of that poll...

The other 49% of Texas Republicans believe that the US is a part of Texas.

[Kdillard]

2. Unbelievable. We really should let disingenuous morons

like him and the rest of the people who agree with him secede and see what happens. It would be good riddence to bad rubbish. If people's lives weren't at stake and I didn't know he didn't mean a single word coming out of his stupid mouth I would have no problem with the Federal government telling him to take a hike.

[Crooked Moon]

16. what's fucking unbelievable

is that you would lump in more than 20 million people with your flippant "bad rubbish". i've got kids in texas, am progressive and a proud american.

[Kdillard]

17. Obviously you didn't read what I wrote.

[windbreeze]

3. now wait...isn't this the guy who decided parents had NO right to

determine IF they wanted their daughters to take the guardasil vaccine..because he singlehandedly made the decision for all girls age 11 and over?? Now he's ordering up how many shots of vaccines...sure glad I don't live in Texas...because I wouldn't want that guy telling me I had to take a vaccine, and had NO choice about it...wb

[Maraya1969]

44. He made is a LAW that girls over 11 take the Guardasil vaccine?

When does the age limit stop? I find that very intrusive and arrogant especially since he is a man. Who the Hell does he think he is?

[olegramps]

48. Perry didn't give a damn about the health of the girls.

His sole intent was to bolster the sale of the drug to enhance the drug manufacturer's profits by making it mandatory and passing the bill onto the public. Nothing new, just standard Republican strategy.

[Phx_Dem]

4. Ah, what's the matter can't you run your own "country," Perry?

I think they should use this issue as a test case to see how well they can fare without the big bad Fed government.

[AZ Criminal JD]

5. You are forgetting the federal government takes taxes from Texas.

It is a donor state. If they were on their own they would have plenty of resources to deal with the alleged problem.

[mikekohr]

6. Agreed. Let's not punish the other 63% of Texans for the traitors that want to secede.

What is the punishment for sedition during time of war? Any help?

[Phx_Dem]

12. None, because states are not allowed to secede, as of 1865.

[Sebastian Doyle]

28. They may not want to secede, but they allow morans like Perry & Chimp to be their governors

That's not saying a whole lot in their favor. :evilfrown:

[mikekohr]

42. I'm from Illinois. We put Milorod (Rod) Blagojevich in the Governors Mansion Twice

So I won't fault Texas for their ham headed choices. We made a few bad calls ourselves.

mike kohr

p.s. "moran" is an Irish surname, I think you mean moron as in, "George W. Bush is a F-ing moron.

[patrick t. cakes]

46. trust me he means moran.

;-)

[Arugula Latte]

47. Here ya go ... Here's where it all began, at an pro-invasion counterprotest lo these many years ago:

[mikekohr]

49. I get it now. Thanks.

If my memory serves me right "Moran" in Gaelic means "the big one." And the guy with the sign is one of the biggest tools I've ever seen.

mike kohr

[msanthrope]

52. Welcome, mike kohr, and learn what "moran" means on this board. n/t

[mikekohr]

59. The President of Our Local Democratic Club is Named Butch Moran

I'm sure he'll be happy to learn of this.

mike kohr

[yourguide]

7. Um...

They arent a donor state to the extent they generate enough revenue that they would be able to absorb all of the financial implications of an emergency such as swine flu, hurricanes, fires etc. I believe the are a donor state to the tune of 3 cents per dollar...states like NY are up towards 30 cents per dollar.

[TankLV]

8. Care to back that up with some LINKS?!!!

I find that hard to believe...

[NYC Liberal]

9. Texas does happen to be a "donor state":

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8229012/Tax-Donor-or-Contrib-States

Edit: That's from 2005, I'll see if I can't find a more recent list.

[AZ Criminal JD]

13. Even KO who openly hates the western states

Says Texas only get 88 cents back on every dollar sent in http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30249444/

If Texas was a country they would have all the federal land in Texas which the federal government refuses to release. The same situation exists in the rest of the western states. This is a cost burden on Texas and other western states. They have released ownership in the Northern states. Why the double standard?

[mikekohr]

23. Only 1.43 % of the land within the state of Texas is held in trust by the US Government.

Texas ranks in at 37 in total % of land owned by Federal Government.



But if the Feds were to give up title to the 2,391.4 acres of land it owns in Texas would it not be fair to give it back to the people we stole it from, namely Mexico who stole it from Native Americans? This would right (partially) a historical wrong and not deny any current private land owner use or title to their property.

mike kohr

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mikekohr]

43. Thanks for catching the math error

The list I'm using http://www.nwi.org/Maps?LandChart.html was compiled by The National Wilderness Institute in 1995 and listed the acres omitting the zeros. The figure from that list is 2,391,400 acres, not the 2,391.40 I originally posted. However Texas still is ranked at 37. State plus Federal land in Texas would be 3,216,400 acres for a ranking of 47 out of 50.

"My giveback" proposal is actually being considered in Congress (I am not the author of this proposal). It faces vociferous opposition from Western Congressional delegations and the ranching industry. It would achieve a number of goals. The proposal would be phased in over a number of years. It would gradually reduce the scope of the BLM. It would return land to First Nations that are historically our nation's most impoverished ethnic demographic. It would reduce section 8002 monies paid by the Federal Government to eligible local school districts impacted by Federal Ownership of land http://www.ed.gov/programs/8002/faq.html and reduce Federal expenditures to maintain and manage those lands.

As for intangibles, it would eliminate the ingrained resentment of western states residents toward the Federal Government as absentee landlords.

Another option would be to open these lands to private ownership, sold to the highest bidder. This is also highly controversial among various advocacy and interest group as: environmental activists, and public land use advocates, who fear loss of access to open lands and environmental degradation; Ranching Interests who stand to lose grazing rights that presently fall well below market prices; and consumer advocates that fear speculators and out of state investors would drive up land prices out of the reach of local residents; and hunting/fishing rights advocates that fear loss of access.

The map you posted would not load properly. From what I could make out there are significant differences in what i can only guess if the overall percentage of Federal land ownership in the individual states that did load. Do you have a link?

mike kohr

[Phx_Dem]

11. Geeze, I was KIDDING. I was making a faceious point to Perry's secessionist talk.

I guess we really do have to use the sarcasm tag every time we make a joke.

As much as half of Texans would like to secede from the union, according to polls, they can't. This is not a serious issue. It's bullshit talk from an asshole wingnut Governor which means we're allowed to make fun of them for it.

Do you really think I would support allowing Texans to die from Swine Flu, if it came to that, just because they talked about secession? Really? You thought that?

[AZ Criminal JD]

14. As you can see most of the posters took you seriously

Most people on DU hate the rural and western states -- the "red" states as they like to refer to them. They never miss an opportunity to slander them.

[Paladin]

18. You Haven't Been Paying Much Attention The The Texas Hatred Threads, Have You?

Someone being seriously in favor of Texans dying of the flu because the idiot governor shot his mouth off about secession is easily believable here at DU, sad as that seems. Kindly use the sarcasm tag to differentiate yourself from all the shitheads.....

[Phx_Dem]

35. Point taken. n/t

[LiberalFighter]

25. I seriously doubt they would have the resources that the federal govt has if

they had those same federal dollars.

They would have to pay more than the federal govt pays to have highly qualified scientists work outside the USA. Or rely on a smaller pool of possible qualified scientists.

All military bases and governmental agencies would be relocated outside of Texas. Government contracts would be canceled. How many of those workers at companies with contracts would go where their job went?

They would lose some of those tax dollars that went to the federal government because they would have fewer workers and many of them would move to the USA for comparative work.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

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[Trajan]

34. Of those new jobs ...

How many were generated using tax dollars ?

What percentage of the jobs perform private sector work versus government sector ?

Private companies that collect government funds for government contract work would be government sector ...

Also: What is the minimum wage in Texas ?

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

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[SemiCharmedQuark]

39. If their complaint against the U.S. government is that it is TOO big and taxes TOO much, then they

would have very little government and very low taxes. This is not helpful in emergency situations.

[LiberalFighter]

60. Did someone totally disagree with my assessment on Texas's ability to provide the same services?

I see the responder to my post got deleted.

[Trajan]

62. The responder related that ....

Texas created over 70% of all new US jobs, which I doubt .... I am not sure why his/her posts were deleted ...

In any case: I know that much military and aerospace work has been moved to Texas because of favorable ANTI-WORKER laws that allow
for less lucrative compensation to workers, and hence, greater profits for management to splurge on themselves, all without having to
pay but a pittance in taxes ... Even though they receive OUR tax money to pay for those government contracts ...

I adore our DU Texans, but Texas business and Texas corporations have been fucking American workers for decades ....

I have little sympathy ...

[Teaser]

29. "If they were on their own they would have plenty of resources to deal with the alleged problem"

This is a positive statement. Show me the budget you've worked out.

Or else WRONG.FAIL.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

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[stillcool]

40. I am guilty of being...

derisive of those residing in the state of Texas, and it is precisely because of their elections, or the people that are consistently voted into office. I'm sure there are a lot of great people, and great things being done in the state of Texas, but what makes the news and the politicians paint an ugly picture. I really loathe when people make broad assumptions about a place they've never experienced. Thank you for pointing out my hypocrisy.

[ladywnch]

45. they also get back 86 cents of every dollar they pay to the fed. n/t

[Hassin Bin Sober]

61. Do you honestly believe Texas would have used that money...

....to establish the equivalent of a Strategic National Stockpile? LOL

I'm sure they would be all set as far as guns and barbed wire go. But fancy pants drugs? Nah!

[Arkana]

10. If it weren't for the fact that I have a couple friends in Austin

and there are some quality folks here from Texas, I'd say go ahead and let 'em leave the fucking Union.

[saltpoint]

15. Rick is an anti-Irony Republican.

[girl_interrupted]

20. Texas gets back 94 cents for every dollar it pays to the Federal govt

Texas is barely a donor state. NJ for instance, only gets back 61 cents for every dollar paid in federal taxes.

Matthews Hits Back on the Whining About Texas Being a Donor State: Biggest Donor States Are Blue States
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/matthews-hits-back-whining-about-texas-being-donor

"Chris Matthews asks Rep. John Culberson to respond to Tom DeLay's whining about Texas being a donor state and points out that the states which are the biggest donor states are mainly blue states and the ones which receive the most are primarily red states. Of course Culberson has to try to change the subject and talk about not wanting our children taxed instead of answering the question. You sure didn't see any Republicans coming on the television worried about our children's future while Bush was breaking the bank. Matthews gives it another shot and then... what else could he possibly retreat to? Culberson pulls out the France/socialism boogeyman card."

"Matthews: Do you think Texas has a special complaint against the union because you believe that you're a donor state. That's what Tom DeLay said last night. A special complaint. It turns out that a lot of the liberal states which you guys would call Democrat states up in the Northeast, states like New Jersey, are the ones that spend the most money in taxes. Now maybe they should be complainers like Texas but, they're not complaining. Why are you guys complaining? Why are the pitchforks so out in the rural states?"

"Culberson: Because Texas is, because we see Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama and this Congress trying to turn America into France. And Texas is not going to become France. We don't want to be a socialist, European nation. We treasure our freedom. We treasure local government. We treasure the right to let Texans run Texas."

In the accompaning video, Matthews puts up maps of the states paying the most (he calls them the "Obama States" States that voted for Obama) versus the states paying the least (he calls them the "McCain States" those that voted for McCain). Another interesting fact, Texans pay no state tax. I live in NY, we pay state tax along with every tax you can think of. I do find it very ironic that Perry took the stimulus money, is now asking for Federal help regarding the swine flu, while a few days ago, he was talking secession. I certainly dont blame all Texans, but people like Delay & epecially Perry, certainly have a lot of gall.

[saltpoint]

37. Yes. We progressives might LIKE it if Texas became France -- we have

a lot to learn from more mature cultures.

Perry is a fool. Who knew he had a mouth big enough for both feet?

:thumbsup:

[FrenchieCat]

21. I thought they were gone? You mean they are back? Geeze....

[Robbins]

22. Texas

If they don't want to be part of the US they the federal government should give Texas nothing.Sorry for the good people of Texas but
too many assholes there say Texas to succede.And polls say they are almost the majority of Texas.

[mikekohr]

24. I believe the polls indicate only 37% of Texans support secession.

Here in Illinois, a blue state, I bet you could get a similar %, consisting of crackpots and dead-enders (the Republican base) that would also support secession.

One thing that many people are afraid to acknowledge is the high percentage of wackos we have living among us. Blue state populations are not immune to this fact.

mike kohr

[Paladin]

26. Those "Good People Of Texas" Include Most Of My Family.

A good portion of them live a short distance from the town of Schertz, where swine flu has been confirmed. Several of them are my aunts and uncles, in their 80's and 90's, people with serious health problems already. Oh, yeah---to a person, they're lifelong Democrats, part of the 3.5 million Texans who voted for Obama. Are you ready to see people like them die, just because the dimwit governor said something stupid, supported by nothing even close to the majority of the state?

And the word you're looking for is "secede," not "succede." Even we dumbass Texans know that.....

[MasonJar]

27. If Texans have a clue, Perry will be looking for work after 2010.

[santamargarita]

32. So now Secessionist Swine Rick Perry wants help from a...

country he wants to leave

[Mz Pip]

36. Who said irony is dead?

Perry had to be one of the first to ask for federal help with this. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[Arugula Latte]

41. Well, well, well ... What do we have here?

A big fat ol' case of hypocrisy.

:eyes:

[olegramps]

50. It didn't take long for this idiot to totally discredit himself.

It has been my experience that the urban areas of Texas are generally far more progressive than the rural areas. The rural folks like to envision themselves as independent and being totally self reliant. This, of course, is little more than delusional nonsense.

The small town people I associated with seem to be dominated by a group think mentality. My work in telecommunications took me to literally hundreds of these towns throughout the West. They appeared to me to be basically fundamentalists in the religious beliefs and regard progressives as God hating liberals who are enemies of real American values. That is those values that are dictated to them weekly at church services. The scene of the local pastor with his flock of white parishioners gathering for Sunday breakfast at the local eatery is a common sight. So much,if not all, of their social life revolves around their local church.

They are not rabid racists. These are not evil people, but they definitely tend to be segregationists who only want to associate with people of their own kind. That is white, God fearing patriotic Americans who just happen to be Republicans because Republican politicans have convinced them that they share their values.

I saw this more than once in small towns with a sizeable minority population where the Black and White town people would be attending some event, a school function or parade and they would be standing of sitting in segregated sections. Whites on one side of the street and Backs on the other side. I don't think that they thought this was in least unusual, but normal behavior. It would be a rare sight to ever see a Black person or even a Hispanic at one of the white folks gatherings, most especially sharing a meal together. A person who defended homosexuals or actually associated with Blacks would be immediately ostracized. It is a type of mentality that is very difficult to enlighten. It is a clannish type of mentality and subjection is essential for survivalin these subcultures. Most liberally educated people would find living in this environment to be intellectually stifling. Perhaps things have improved in recent years, but I wouldn't count on it.

[workinclasszero]

51. Perry is a typical HYPOCRITE reich wing nutcase

Whining about the feds and threatening to destroy the union then a few days later asking the federal government for help!

Is it any wonder why the rethug party is dying? Everybody knows what lyin sacks of shit they are. Eight years of Fox "news"/Bush/Limpballs rule have convinced the world of the moronic insanity of the republican party.

Palin/Perry 2012 anyone??:rofl:

[Fire1]

53. Amen to that!

[SKKY]

54. Gov. Perry, here's the alarm clock to wake you up from your dream...

[spanone]

55. ricky, you can't have your cake and eat it too

[jberryhill]

56. Secessionist Swine Request Fed Help In Dealing With Gov. Perry... /nt

[Phx_Dem]

57. Sorry Rick, your GOP co-horts cut the funding from the stimulus bill.

Once again your party screwed the pooch.

You're pretty mouthy when it comes to secessionist talk, so I assume you'll have lots to say about this little development as well.

[snake in the grass]

58. Whatever happened to...

...pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps? Now Perry wants a big government handout?

Rick is truly a dick.