Datasets:

---

innovation-hacking2

/

shitposting_dataset3

like 0

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs..." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid..." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.", ">\n\nStop wasting our tax money on your ridiculous and fullish bussing policy" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.", ">\n\nStop wasting our tax money on your ridiculous and fullish bussing policy", ">\n\nShouldn't have spent so much money shipping migrants to states with humanity.\nAlso, maybe if Texas just laces up its bootstraps and lays off the avocado toast, they can pay for frivolous things like security." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.", ">\n\nStop wasting our tax money on your ridiculous and fullish bussing policy", ">\n\nShouldn't have spent so much money shipping migrants to states with humanity.\nAlso, maybe if Texas just laces up its bootstraps and lays off the avocado toast, they can pay for frivolous things like security.", ">\n\nSomething something something bootstraps" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.", ">\n\nStop wasting our tax money on your ridiculous and fullish bussing policy", ">\n\nShouldn't have spent so much money shipping migrants to states with humanity.\nAlso, maybe if Texas just laces up its bootstraps and lays off the avocado toast, they can pay for frivolous things like security.", ">\n\nSomething something something bootstraps", ">\n\nThe hypocracy..." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.", ">\n\nStop wasting our tax money on your ridiculous and fullish bussing policy", ">\n\nShouldn't have spent so much money shipping migrants to states with humanity.\nAlso, maybe if Texas just laces up its bootstraps and lays off the avocado toast, they can pay for frivolous things like security.", ">\n\nSomething something something bootstraps", ">\n\nThe hypocracy...", ">\n\nI’d love to see Biden tell Abbot to go fuck himself." ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.", ">\n\nStop wasting our tax money on your ridiculous and fullish bussing policy", ">\n\nShouldn't have spent so much money shipping migrants to states with humanity.\nAlso, maybe if Texas just laces up its bootstraps and lays off the avocado toast, they can pay for frivolous things like security.", ">\n\nSomething something something bootstraps", ">\n\nThe hypocracy...", ">\n\nI’d love to see Biden tell Abbot to go fuck himself.", ">\n\nMaybe if they legalized and taxed cannibis LOL" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.", ">\n\nStop wasting our tax money on your ridiculous and fullish bussing policy", ">\n\nShouldn't have spent so much money shipping migrants to states with humanity.\nAlso, maybe if Texas just laces up its bootstraps and lays off the avocado toast, they can pay for frivolous things like security.", ">\n\nSomething something something bootstraps", ">\n\nThe hypocracy...", ">\n\nI’d love to see Biden tell Abbot to go fuck himself.", ">\n\nMaybe if they legalized and taxed cannibis LOL", ">\n\n“The party of fiscal responsibility” 🤡" ]

[ "In April, Abbott began chartering busses to drop migrants off in other parts of the country, like Washington, DC, and Chicago, without giving those cities any notice — a program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\nTexas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time. By November, the amount spent busing migrants out of state had risen to $20 million, according to local outlet WFAA.", ">\n\n\na program that Texas has spent millions of dollars on.\n\nIf you looked at the numbers, the amount paid and how many asylum seekers they trafficked, they could have sent these folks to the Blue States on airplanes in business class. \nIf you pried the lid off of this scam, I bet you discover a bus company owner who's a close personal friend to Abbott.", ">\n\nI wonder if it's to do with air travel being so heavily regulated federally. Like if using airlines would open them up to federal crimes where the buses wouldn't.", ">\n\nThis isn’t really the point being made though :)\nIt’s the fact that the amount of money ‘spent’ minus the amount of money it actually functionally took them to transport them, equals a ton of money that went easily unaccounted for and likely into the personal pockets of whom ever kingpin was involved in the deal with Abbot. It’s embezzlement.", ">\n\nYeah. They could have just given these poor people homes and jobs. But nope.....", ">\n\nCruelty and embezzlement in one convenient package.", ">\n\nWouldn't have sent the \"right message\" to their constituents or benefactors, apparently.\nFucking sad.... fucking embarrassing", ">\n\nThey are incompetent and throwing more money under their control just means that his buddies will get richer and still blame Biden", ">\n\nHe said that Biden should have visited ASAP in his presidency instead of two years later because of the \"damage he's done\". Apparently whatever the heck the Trump administration had been doing up until Biden's inauguration held no bearing on the border situation.", ">\n\nYeah like it was great under trump, but suddenly on day 1 of Biden's presidency it was fucked. How does that work?", ">\n\nI haven’t heard a single one of them screaming about a migrant caravan the last 2 years", ">\n\nThat's because they all upgraded to migrant Grand Caravans. They're kind of like the ones that used to be built in the USA, but now we import them from Mexico.", ">\n\nsoon they will be upgrading them to Astro Wagons.", ">\n\nWhat about the $1B he wasted to help the Trump administration fundamentally paint border fence? What a loser", ">\n\nWhose the real loser? The grifter or the people voting for them?", ">\n\nIt's losers all the way down.", ">\n\nAlways has been..", ">\n\nTexas is the worst state now. What’s fucked up is that the federal government allows shit politicians to drive states into the ground and everyone else hand waved it off as voters voted for it. What a shit show in the USA", ">\n\nIt’s so bad and it makes me so sad. My 75 yr old mom just told me she couldn’t take it anymore and she’s gonna move. Her grandparents built the town we live in. It’s heartbreaking.", ">\n\nMy husband and I are mid 60’s. After our whole lives in Texas, we left a year and a half ago. One kid and their family left too, the other is working on it. The rest of our extended family is happy to stay. I’ll always be a Texan but just can’t take Texas anymore. I tell people who ask, it didn’t use to be like this. It didn’t. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. \nWe maintained our Texas residency while living out of state, traveling back and forth to visit, doctor appointments, and so on, but mainly so we could vote this past election cycle. The turnout among democrats and the youth was poor, and yes, suppression is a huge problem. But apathy is worse, to me. Can’t even put up a fight? That was it, the last straw. We’re officially residents of New Mexico now. We love it here but miss a lot of things, mostly just the familiarity of home. \nI hope your mom finds her place. Tell her a kindred stranger is thinking about her.", ">\n\nThis is the sweetness of Texas I miss. I always say “you never stop being from Texas” 💜 but neither of us can live with this kind of hostility.\n New Mexico is gorgeous!! I wish you many beautiful sunsets.", ">\n\nFellow former Texan and current New Mexican checking in! \nPeople kept telling me it’s the same everywhere. It’s not. Being in NM is a delight compared to Texas (or Arizona).", ">\n\nYou’re giving me a lot of hope for my future. Thanks for sharing. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s nice to hear I’m not alone.", ">\n\nBiden just needs to say it would be fiscally irresponsible to give Abbott more money after wasting so much shipping migrants to other states \"for the lolz\". Repubs love when you bring up fiscal responsibility, remember?", ">\n\nHe needs to point out that Abbott literally said in his debate with Beto he had billions of excess money sitting ready to be used to help Texans. I heard so many Republicans say they were going to vote for him specifically because \"he's the one who saved all that money to use for Texas.\" \nBut here he is crying about not having any money 🙄", ">\n\nIf he has a bunch of money saved up, it's because he hasn't been spending it to help Texas. He's been hoarding it. The stupidity of the people who voted for him astounds and infuriates me.", ">\n\nFor real. He's taxing them and not returning it to the people in any way as taxes are meant to be. They should be furious.", ">\n\nI sure as hell am, but I sometimes feel like I'm the only one.", ">\n\nMaybe they should use some of the State of Texas’ $8.7B rainy day fund? Maybe the money they’re begging for should go to fixing the grid, like they were supposed to do ten years ago? Maybe they should spend their ESF on addressing Texas’ Maternal Mortality Rate, which happens to be the worst in the fucking country. \nFuck Texas.", ">\n\nThe state’s budget surplus is unprecedented, with estimates showing it to be at least $27 billion, and possibly as high as $35 billion.\nIdk why Texas needs more federal money. Biden should withhold funds until Texas expands Medicaid which is paid by the federal government.", ">\n\nI'd rather see that money go back into public shools and help fix Texas education. I know the first thing we can do. Get rid of charter schools. Secondly, get rid of no child left behind. Third thing we can do is help parents with special needs children and behavior issue kids.", ">\n\nTX Rs: \"Best we can do is cut funding to public schools, spend more on charter school vouchers, make NCLB more stringent, and reprimand parents to raise their special needs kids better by threatening their safety nets if they don't without any extra information or assistance from us.\"", ">\n\nThat sounds way fucking accurate. They are trying to destroy public schools before everyone realizes it. Charter schools don't even offer a better enviroment for learning. They can also kick out kids for behavioral problems and other fucked up shit they choose to do. They also cost you more as a parent and there is no public transit and most don't even have elective sports.", ">\n\nYou would think no sports in high school would be a non starter for Texans", ">\n\nYou'd be surprised how many people here don't give a shit about sports. Yes football might be king but even then it is starting to have a down turn. Honestly unless you live in small town or a privileged community the stands are pretty empty.", ">\n\nOne of the many reasons my wife and I are actively looking for a place outside this festering shithole.\nReminder that Abbott, our shock-jock-turned-lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and criminally indicted attorney general Ken Paxton all won re-election by double digits.", ">\n\n2022 gave truth to the lie that Texas is \"going purple!\" like people have been parroting since 2016. The major cities may have some well-educated people who can see beyond a 12-month time horizon, but the state as a whole is a dumpster fire. It's not going to get better.", ">\n\nIt's totally gerrymandered lol. The more purple it gets the more they move the lines.", ">\n\nGerrymandering didn't cause the parents with dead children in Uvalde to come out and vote for their kids to die more. They made that decision on their own. For the people in their right minds, get them out. Let the state sink.", ">\n\nIf he’s got money for political stunts he doesn’t need more federal money. He can ask his own legislature to increase taxes if he misspent and has run out of money.", ">\n\nOur legislature only meets every other year. They meet this year, so he couldn't have asked for the last year. \n(I have to point this out because of how fucking stupid it is these jackasses only work every other year.)", ">\n\nI agree that the Texas Legislature is a bit of a joke, but I feel the need to point out that the governor, if he really needed the money, could call the legislature into special session at any time to ask for a tax increase.", ">\n\nYou mean like...work? clicks mouth Yea that ain’t happening bud.", ">\n\nHe wants a government handout? Thats socialism!", ">\n\nSo he went from owning the libs to begging the libs...", ">\n\nStandard practice for Rs. They'll harshly criticize any federal government spending, oppose raising the debt ceiling every year, threaten government shutdowns, call anything dems want to send on \"wasteful\" and then quietly turn around with their hand out after they finish. There's a reason why the debt still goes up when Rs are in charge.", ">\n\nTexas needs more money while having no income tax. Time to tax those wealthy new Texans like Elon musk and joe rogan.\nedit:\ni get it, ya'll have other taxes. i've got income tax, property tax and sales tax. all i'm saying is these GOP clowns are more than happy to give tax breaks to the rich and get handouts from the feds. Texas should figure out their own \"Elon Musk\" tax.", ">\n\nHe spent plenty of our money on his bs political stunts. We may not have a state income tax, but we have sales tax that gives them plenty of money to spend on things we absolutely don't want them to spend it on. So much fun living somewhere where voters vote against their own wants/needs /s.", ">\n\nIt seems crazy that he has spent millions on that. Seems like an audit should be in order", ">\n\nWhat, you gonna get the indicted-since-2015- attorney general to do it?\nHe's in on it. We're being held hostage. It's hard to get your vote counted in texas. It's a criminal fucking enterprise that we can't get out from under.", ">\n\nJust saw the TX senate is going to ban reporters from the floor, so yeah its going good over there.", ">\n\nHey, I for one agree with Greg, the numbers aren’t adding up. \n3~4 million tax returns collected from illegal immigrants using ITIN with their employment information per year\nUp to 25 arrests per year for employing legal immigrants \nMaybe we could get more funding if we looked at where these millions of illegals are employed and arrest their employers, it’s not like they voluntarily tell us and give us money too… oh wait.", ">\n\nThat would hurt his donors, though. That's why they insist on going after those seeking a better life and not the ones who employ them. If they forced the employers to stop hiring illegals by actually enforcing the laws around that (with attention, fines, or arrests) it would mean they'd have to pay more in labor costs. When that happens, the cost of everything from produce to handbags would skyrocket. \nMeanwhile, Scabbot knows that for every undocumented working immigrant arrested, there are 20 more waiting to take that job, so it keeps prices low and the rabble from rioting because they're paying $30/lb for potatoes and apples. \nThere's also another added benefit. Republicans love that, because these people are undocumented, the employers can keep them in shitty and unsafe working conditions with low pay and no benefits. That plays right into their hardon for no worker's rights/safety regulations, and where the employer controls the worker's life. This fact is what really keeps him at half mast at all times.", ">\n\nBussing people all over the country isn’t cheap. Neither is not maintaining your grid so it requires costly repairs when it fails. \nYou’re on your own Mr Lone Star.", ">\n\nBusing is quite cheap. Busing with your friend's bus company isn't. They have spent $2000 per person. Not justifying busing the practice, but Greyhound gets you there for $150 then add in $150 for food.\nThe point is creulty with a grift on the side.", ">\n\n“Hey Kamala, can you ask Joe for more money so I can traffic people to your front yard again? Pretty please?”", ">\n\nI wish Biden would pat him on the head and tell him he already spent his allowance and should learn better fiscal responsibility", ">\n\nNot one penny more. Not one. You've proven that you are a despicable human being. One that cares nothing for those who are suffering. You don't deserve to be Governor of Texas. You don't deserve to be a resident of Texas. You don't deserve to be a citizen of this country.", ">\n\nAnd where will that money actually go? Another $20 million to bus legal migrants/asylum seekers in the dead of winter into a blue state with no prior warning? Or $19,998,000 into his friends’ pockets while bussing the migrants there with what’s left? \nDon’t give them anything. If they wanted to actually do something and help, they would have, but they don’t. The money is only a grift with no oversight.", ">\n\nIn the span of just 10 days, that poser wasted $9 billion on an 'immigration' stunt — $4B from Texas and $5B from the rest of the country — that got literally no results. He didn't intercept one single gram of fentanyl or any other drug.\n\nThe Week: Abbott's border policy cost the U.S. almost $9 billion in just 10 days\n\nThere is nobody more irresponsible with other people's money than republicans. The party's claim on \"fiscal responsibility\" is just a marketing slogan that the press amplifies but never interrogates.", ">\n\nFuck you, Abbott.", ">\n\nTexas wants Biden to say no so they can use it as a talking point on Fox News. Biden should ask them to show what theyve done with the likely billions theyve already been sent.\nTexas is defrauding the US government with these human trafficing stunts. Personally, I think the federal government should be asking for a refund.", ">\n\nHe sent a few buses to San Francisco on Christmas Eve. No warning, just left them in the cold to let someone else to help then. \nGreg Abbott can get a big fat load of nothing.", ">\n\nHow about you legalize cannabis and use the tax dollars to fund whatever immigration delusion you’re touting? Fucking dunce.", ">\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit", ">\n\n\nWhat a rolling pile of shit\n\nTexas, proudly earning it's one star year after year. \nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved. \nOh wait, Texans hate Mexicans but love exploiting their labor, I forgot.", ">\n\n\nTexas should just make it illegal to hire undocumented people and enforce it like an abortion ban, problem solved.\n\nThis is the answer!", ">\n\nThey need to call it domestic outsourcing.\nAlso, I wonder how all these people got the idea that crossing the border without a visa is legal?", ">\n\nSorry bud, Kevin McCarthy's House of Representatives has decided to cut government spending and governments ability to obtain revenue. \nMaybe Abbot should vote for Democrats who understand a government needs to be funded to operate.", ">\n\nMaybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Abbott, or whatever other shitty saying you Republicans like to use. Fuck off.", ">\n\nHe will spend any amount of taxpayer money for campaign stunts as will most other GOP elected officials. The GOP will not spend any making the people's lives better. Vote in 2023 in all local and state elections. Every election matters from the school board to the white house. Vote every time you can.", ">\n\nIt’s almost like these red states don’t have enough tax revenue to fund their state services. Hmmm. Interesting. \nshrugs in conservative voter", ">\n\nWhy are they asking the rest of us taxpayers? I thought they were so independent. Independent enough to cede the Union in fact. That’s what they threaten all of the time.", ">\n\nHonestly, I thought Texans were not a fan of big government stepping in. Let Texas pay for whatever they want to do. As someone who lived in Texas for 15 years I totally understand how much the Republican party lie to their people and how much they want to remain independent from the federal government. So screw them.", ">\n\nYou know what we need money for? Mental healthcare, education and affordable health care, but no these fucks keep crying about boogeymen.", ">\n\nGov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on human trafficking.*", ">\n\nI have no sympathy for Texas. They keep voting for these idiots.", ">\n\nHow about:\n1.) Let them in.\n2.) Get them jobs.\n3.) Increase GDP.", ">\n\nGuess funneling a shit ton of federal covid bux into OLS while cutting Guard members' benefits wasn't enough", ">\n\nNo. -Texan", ">\n\nAnd they want other states to subsidise them? Nah bruh, raise your taxes.", ">\n\nAsking for a handout Greg? \nYou'll appreciate it more if you work for it. \"Give a man a fish...\" and all that.", ">\n\nHey, it's Texas' border! It's a state problem.\nAsking for Federal money is just plain old socialism.", ">\n\nI live in Philly, where we are overwhelmed with [mostly white] opiate addicts. \nI would gladly trade Abbott one of our addicts for every two of his unwanted immigrants. I've worked closely with immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Those folks work HARD. They have FAMILY VALUES. They are COMMUNITY MINDED. They start small businesses. And, not for nothing, they often have awesome food and great tunes.\nIn the neighborhoods I canvassed during the 2022 election, if there was one thing that stood out to me was how nice and safe our low-income Latino neighborhoods were in comparison to the nightmare on Kensington Ave. So yeah, Greggers—I'm happy to trade you our white people for your brown people.", ">\n\nWait.. isn’t the GOP allegedly the party of fiscal responsibility?", ">\n\nHere’s a thought: Provide migrants with a work visa and then work with various US cities that have labor shortages to bus migrants to places that they want to go to.\nOh Chicago, you need more workers? Great, we have an influx of people that want the opportunity to work, let’s ask and see if they want to head up there.", ">\n\nHuman trafficker Greg Abbot seeks taxpayer bailout.", ">\n\nFuck that asshole. Ship red state MAGA lunatics by the busload to Greg Abbotts house. Make a trade- immigrants for MAGA losers.", ">\n\nAbbott totally mismanages and now wants Biden to bail him out. Typical republican.", ">\n\nNeed more money? I thought Republicans didn't want government spending? Maybe the Texas republican government needs to budget better, stop buying lattes and stop buying avocado toast? Where are the BOOT STRAPS?", ">\n\nSorry, no. That would be socialism. Can’t have any of that in Texas.", ">\n\nI thought Republicans were against government funding?", ">\n\nsounds like that's his problem.", ">\n\n(I have posted this before but I think it is relevant here.) \nThere is a super easy way to stop illegal immigration. It won't cost the government anything and no one has to go to jail. Use those vile civil asset forfeiture laws and go after the ill gotten gains of the people who benefit from the labor of illegal immigration. If it’s perfectly okay to seize a car or a home or a business for the crime of a little bit of weed then apply the same standard to those who commit the crime of employing illegal workers. \nIf an illegal immigrant is stocking shelves at a WalMart, seize the Walmart and auction it off. If an illegal immigrant is working construction, seize the construction site and the assets of the contractor and auction them off. Working at a nail salon? Seize the nail salon and auction it off. Mowing my neighbors yard? Seize his home and auction it off. Working as a nanny? Same thing. Seize the home and auction it off. If a farmer is using illegal immigration, seize the farm and auction it off.\nDo that a few hundred times and there will be next to no illegal immigration because no one will come here because they will starve to death if they do. But doing that will require going after rich white people who break the law of the land by paying them instead of the poor brown people who break the law of the land by coming here.\n-OR we could go the sane, rational route.-\nWe could be honest about this issue. We could address the fact that paying low wages is the ultimate end game of the businesses that exploit this labor. We could hold them accountable for shutting out American workers in favor of cheaper and more exploitable labor. We could acknowledge the fact that politicians use illegal immigration as a cheap dog whistle in order to pander and stoke the fears of their ignorant base. We could also address the fact that there is a place in our society and our economy that the labor of illegal immigration fulfills.\nPersonally, I think if someone comes here willing to work, they should be given a Social Security number, a warm smile, a firm handshake welcoming them to America and the legal protections in the work place we all enjoy. There should be swift and fierce retribution to any employer who exploits them.\nI work with illegal immigrants everyday. They are good, hardworking, decent, moral, human beings that only want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. \nBetween 1910 and 1925 All 4 of my grandparents walked off ships and started working. They along with all working people are what made America great.\nI will add that no illegal immigrant has ever hurt me. The demographic group of people who have hurt me have mainly been rich, old, straight, so called Christian, white men in suits. Because of them The only affordable healthcare I can get is through my job. Because of them I have a shitty 401(k) instead of a pension. Because of them I don’t have a union and all the protections they secure. Because of them my 16-year-old may very well be in massive debt by the time he graduates college. Because of them that same 16 year old will probably not be able to earn a true living wage once he does graduate college. Because of those old rich white men ALL of our rights are slowly being eroded away one idiotic piece of legislation and one ridiculous court decision at a time. If the old rich white men have their way the world will be a toxic waste dump in a few hundred years because why leave the world a better place for future generations when there is a few more cents to be added to the quarterly earnings per share statement now? Old rich white men are the ones who are truly suppressing this country. \nAnd yet people are still hung up on immigrants!", ">\n\nMaybe he should stop drinking starbucks and start meal planning. I hear thats the thing to do to save money", ">\n\nTake it out of his pocket. He had no business using funds on busing migrants to other states and the obvious money Laundering by these corrupt politicians, desantis im looking at you, needs to stop.", ">\n\nDon't they need first and foremost an updated power and water grid? Last I heard nothing much has changed on that front. Almost like they don't give a damn for their actual constituents. Rather waste money on wild goose chases, even though most illigal drugs and imigrants come by conventional means into the US. But I guess my European brain is just rotten with socialism or something and I don't get it.", ">\n\nSounds like Texas needs to get a second job, stop having avocado toast, and start making coffee at home. Where's that self-sufficient can-do spirit I keep hearing about? /s", ">\n\nNot a single fucking cent. \nTexas has been GOP controlled for 27 years; everything failing in Texas is failing because of Republicans.\nNot another cent.", ">\n\nHe's free to tax his residents and raise the money in-state.", ">\n\nI don't doubt texas needs money to address the migrant issue. What I do doubt is texas WISELY spending any federal funds on the migrant issue.\nWhen you waste money making political stunts, they bite you in the ass when you actually need money.\n(Read a book: The Boy Who Cried Wolf)", ">\n\nI hope Abbott destroys the Texas economy beyond recognition. Then maybe we can vote for the right person instead of this crooked sorry excuse for a governor.", ">\n\nThe republican majority in the House signals it wants to cut spending.", ">\n\ncreate an issue so that you can siphon more money, cool beans moron", ">\n\nAnd some people still think the GOP is a party interested in rooting out wasteful spending.", ">\n\nDoes Texas want government money or not, they seem to want to take but never let anyone else have any", ">\n\nUgh, welfare state looking for federal handouts. Pull yourself up by your boostraps.", ">\n\nFix your infrastructure, damn man.", ">\n\nr/fuckgregabbott", ">\n\nDidn't Greg Abbott and his Republicans also say we don't need taxes or the IRS?\nWhere does he think this money is going to come from?", ">\n\nThe Federal Government should be slashing funds going to Texas, due to their rampant abuse of funds they are already parasitizing from Blue states.", ">\n\nAren't they going to secede anyways? Fuck em.", ">\n\nSeriously? \nGreg already finished wasting all that money Trump gave him?\nWhat a loser.", ">\n\nMaybe he shouldn't have spent that money!!!", ">\n\nTough shit gregg, should have used the federal funding smarter..... Texas deserves better than you", ">\n\nHa! They spent all their money bussing illegals into the country that they ran out of money to keep them out of the country! This was a poorly thought out plan. I'm going to laugh even harder now! Hahahaha!", ">\n\nI can't believe this fucking guy got re-elected.", ">\n\nTax oil millionaires. And you're a state, income tax is not your only tool. You can tax property. They can keep the first $10 MM, for their pension savings, What's the rest for? Political garbage. Tax it away.", ">\n\nAh, the hypocrisy of Republican politicians. It knows no bounds.", ">\n\nRemember Patriots, it's only socialism is somebody else gets the money! /s", ">\n\nIt doesn't matter how much money the federal government throws at problems in Texas. The legislature there has no actual intention to fix anything. They'll pocket the money and continue to blame Biden when things don't improve.", ">\n\nI have had it with Texas, tho. They talk crap about Californians all the time, call us a welfare communist state. But they are constantly begging for cash.", ">\n\nLOL Texas is the biggest joke in the union. Secede, vote for it. I'd love to see how fast it turns into a 3rd world nation with such leadership and infrastructure.\nA tumor attached to the US.", ">\n\nhe needs money for immigrants which he wasted on bussing them. yet not for upgrading the electrical grid...", ">\n\nThey could always, you know, raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.", ">\n\nStop wasting our tax money on your ridiculous and fullish bussing policy", ">\n\nShouldn't have spent so much money shipping migrants to states with humanity.\nAlso, maybe if Texas just laces up its bootstraps and lays off the avocado toast, they can pay for frivolous things like security.", ">\n\nSomething something something bootstraps", ">\n\nThe hypocracy...", ">\n\nI’d love to see Biden tell Abbot to go fuck himself.", ">\n\nMaybe if they legalized and taxed cannibis LOL", ">\n\n“The party of fiscal responsibility” 🤡", ">\n\nGreg Abbott needs to come up with a plan on how to spend these new funds complete with progress reports, etc., and he needs to submit a request for those funds, and Biden gets to appoint a commission on monitoring Abbott's plan and progress.\nAbbott must sincerely and cluelessly believe Biden will write him a blank check?" ]