A Lie As Big As Texas

Last time in my “debunking the Right” series, I talked about how fear of the world is the rigid structure that gives shape to most conservative ideology. I used the objections of one of my readers as an anonymous foil for my response.

This reader—whom I once again thank for taking the time to respond to my column—also claimed that California is broke because of its “retarded green peace tree hugging” ways, and that my criticisms of Florida would not compare favorably in contrast with California, which seemed to be on the brink of economic collapse before its revenue unexpectedly increased last month.

Now California is only on the brink of economic disaster, which is a step up from total collapse.

The reader claimed that the federal government takes “money from profitable states like Texas and gives it to California.” I can’t stress enough how erroneous an idea it is that federal redistribution of state wealth works in California’s favor; in fact, it tends to be such conservative states as Mississippi and Alabama that are the biggest drain on federal coffers, but let’s move on.

The point I would like to tackle—albeit briefly—is the myth that Texas is a profitable state and, more broadly, that conservative states fare better than liberal states. Undoubtedly you heard a lot about Texas’s financial health in the media not too long ago, but it turns out to be completely false.

Completely.

The reason it looked like Texas had money back in 2008 was because the Texas legislature, which sets the state’s budget every two years, was working off of a budget from 2006 to 2007—before the worst of the financial crisis had really taken hold.

But now that 2011 is upon the citizens of Texas, it is facing a budget deficit of somewhere between $12 billion and $27 billion. 

How does that stack up against California? Not very well. As a percent of its projected spending, a $13-billion deficit—on the low end, mind you—puts Texas third in the budget deficit rankings.

Texas’ deficit is approximately 32 percent of its projected spending in 2011. California? Well, California’s was recently reduced to about $10.8 billion, which means that we’re floating somewhere near 14 percent of our projected budget for 2011. That puts us right around 17th or 18th on the list.

In other words, unlike in the NBA playoffs, California dominates Texas in fiscal health. We may be sick, but the Lone Star State is about a Texas two-step away from dying.

And do you know who else is way down at the bottom with Texas? Yet another business-friendly state, Nevada, where the deficit is a staggering 45 percent of its 2011 projected spending.

How about Massachusetts? It's about the only other state in the U.S. that can trump California in liberal policies. It has a 6 percent deficit.

To be fair, Alaska, another conservative state, is even lower than Massachusetts, with no budget deficit and a projected surplus.

What does all this mean? Well, for starters, that liberal and conservative politics do not seem to be the determining factor in deficit rankings. But if you want to make it a factor, it works out much better, on average, for more liberal states than rigidly conservative ones.

Unfortunately, it’s become almost impossible to convince people that although there may be two sides to every story, sometimes one of those sides is wrong. And so misinformation about our current fiscal health continues to thrive.

Rediscovering an affection for the facts could transform American politics and help the Republicans reclaim their once proud stature.

So, here’s to building castles in the air and other impossible projects. I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting to work.

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I’ll be out of the country for a couple of weeks, but Bull’s Eye will return the first week in July. In the meantime, I’ll be writing and photographing my travels through Thailand and Cambodia that you can follow here on Mission Viejo Patch.