On Secession Pt Deux

Texas Governor Rick Perry unwittingly (or not) set in motion the secession of Texas from the United States during a 'Tea Party' rally yesterday by saying Texans are fed up with federal tax policies, and might get so fed up that they decide they want to secede from the union. Whether he realized it or not, a governor using that powerful word has consequences and could set in motion a series of events that could, in fact, lead to Texas leaving the Union. If that happened, we would see a domino effect of states 'declaring' independence. As I predicted a few weeks ago, this country will not have fifty states twenty years from now. Having a sitting governor of a state as large as Texas more or less advocating secession just sets that timetable to move a little faster. Gov. Perry backtracked to reporters after his rally, but the damage has been done.

While I have always supported secession, and I agree that the 10^th Amendment to the Constitution has lain fallow for some time, I find his reasoning to be ridiculous, to be honest. The chief complaint at this rally was monetary. The attendees were there because they were tired of the government taking their money to fund 'pork'. If they had stopped to think about where they were, they would have realized they were protesting in what will become the centerpiece of the new Downtown Trinity River Project, paid for with a chunk of Federal money secured by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, who will be Perry's main rival for the governorship in 2010. If all the attendees agree to give that money back, I could take them a little more seriously.

While supporting secession myself, I am aware of the realities of what will happen. Most of these people have no clue. No federal money means no more therapy in the schools, no more FDA to protect your food, no more Federal money on the border, etc. If they think they're being taxed now, just wait. In order to sustain itself, Texas would have to tax its citizens at about an average of 50% of all income. That means Texas will start collecting an income tax and property taxes will skyrocket to replace money that school districts will lose. It won't be all wine and roses, folks. Just because the Federal Government isn't taxing you anymore doesn't mean that things are going to cost less. Food prices will jump dramatically because of tariffs and import costs, the same with almost all other goods and services. I think if most of those holding 'Secede!' signs (most of them misspelled, by the way) knew what it actually meant to leave the US, they would sit down and shut up.

And this brings me to another point. They are clamoring because they think the 10^th Amendment isn't being upheld. FOR FUCK SAKE, where the hell were they when the 1^st 4^th 5^th 6^th 8^th & 9^th amendments were torn to shreds?? They decry any whispered hint or accusation of communism but were just fine and dandy with despotism. But hey, they got to keep their money so what the hell, right?

I hope Texas secedes. It would be a nice wake-up call for these idiots.