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The situation in Texas (1 Viewer)

timschochet

Footballguy
I don’t want to make a judgment about this because I’m still learning the facts. I’m interested, in this thread, about the political aspects. Here’s what I’m reading: 

1. Many Democrats in the state and elsewhere are using this catastrophe to attack Governor Abbott specifically and, in general, conservative energy policies. 
2. Abbott and other conservatives have lashed out at the Green New Deal, AOC, and liberal policies. 
3. All the while people are freezing to death. Not good. 

So what’s the deal here? Any merit to any part of the blame game? 

 
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This Newsweek article is a bit more specific: 

https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbott-blames-texas-power-outages-green-energy-state-depends-gas-1569804?_gl=1*ajpau*_ga*dk45U0pMZEtnTm5JNEU4SU5yYXA0VVhJM0RnUVJGMGRXci1JUTJSeXo0V2FkUmtlbEFTVUF2MzlTUFJnblNuaQ..

Abbott went on Hannity and blamed the situation on the failure of wind turbines, adding that this illustrates how awful the Green New Deal would be. However, Abbott’s critics (mostly liberals, but also some scientist types as well) are placing the responsibility almost solely on Texas’ reliance on natural gas. 

 
I don’t want to make a judgment about this because I’m still learning the facts. I’m interested, in this thread, about the political aspects. Here’s what I’m reading: 

1. Many Democrats in the state and elsewhere are using this catastrophe to attack Governor Abbott specifically and, in general, conservative energy policies. 
2. Abbott and other conservatives have lashed out at the Green New Deal, AOC, and liberal policies. 
3. All the while people are freezing to death. Not good. 

So what’s the deal here? Any merit to any part of the blame game? 
:lmao:

 
When Texas went dark, conservatives (including the ####### Governor) were quick to put the blame on renewable energy resources. And that simply is not true. Everything failed. The right thing to do is to be honest and transparent. And do every thing you can to help those in need. The moral grandstanding should wait until the crisis is over. 

 
To your specific question tim, all you need to know is Abbott spoke the truth of the situation until he got on foxnews. Reuters had a pretty good report on their app about it. 

 
Apparently ERCOT uses the winter months to perform maintenance. And as a result, many systems are shut down during this time. This contributed to some of the unpreparedness.

A better time to do maintenance would be in the spring and the fall. These are the times when we don’t use our A/C and heat pumps, and energy usage is likely at its lowest. Why perform maintenance in the middle of winter?!

 
When Texas went dark, conservatives (including the ####### Governor) were quick to put the blame on renewable energy resources. And that simply is not true. Everything failed. The right thing to do is to be honest and transparent. And do every thing you can to help those in need. The moral grandstanding should wait until the crisis is over. 
1. In your opinion, is there something that Abbott should have done in the past that would have improved this situation? 
2. in your opinion, is there something that Abbott should be doing right now, which he is not, that would improve this situation? 

 
1. In your opinion, is there something that Abbott should have done in the past that would have improved this situation? 
2. in your opinion, is there something that Abbott should be doing right now, which he is not, that would improve this situation? 
Only thing we can do at this point is ride it out until temperatures rise.

Beyond that, so much infrastructure needs to be replaced/repaired. And that will cut into profits. So we can all probably expect our utility bills to increase.

Abbot just needs to be honest. This is not political. 

 
Only thing we can do at this point is ride it out until temperatures rise.

Beyond that, so much infrastructure needs to be replaced/repaired. And that will cut into profits. So we can all probably expect our utility bills to increase.

Abbot just needs to be honest. This is not political. 
Thanks. I tend to be sympathetic to politicians who screw up in emergency situations. I’m less sympathetic to politicians who respond by blaming others (or worse try to cover up.) 

 
Do you believe he’s deliberately lying, or offering an honest opinion which you disagree with? 
In the beginning, I believe he deliberately omitted critical information that completes the entire picture.

He got exposed, and he seems to be doing better since. Damage has already been done. There’s gonna be a lot that goes on in the coming weeks. It will take a while to recover. Abbot’s job is only beginning here. There is an opportunity for him to recover. We’ll see what happens. 

 
I honestly didn't realize that Newsweek still existed.  I should probably reserve judgement until I get a second opinion from US News & World Report.

 
On a more serious note, I know we've spent the last four years making jokes about Infrastructure Week, but with interest rates at or near-zero, this seems like opportune time to invest in our capital stock.  

Between covid, the riots, and now this, it's becoming extremely clear to me that our government (collectively -- not any one particular agency or any one particular state) isn't really able to carry out the basic functions that we expect from even a night-watchman state.  

 
WTF? 
I wrote all the WHILE people are freezing to death. While, not white. 
My bad.  Guess I need some new readers.  If it was someone else I would have read it twice instead of reading it as I would typically expect you to post.  My apologies for not giving you them same courtesy

 
My bad.  Guess I need some new readers.  If it was someone else I would have read it twice instead of reading it as I would typically expect you to post.  My apologies for not giving you them same courtesy
You would typically expect me to post “all the white people are freezing to death”??? That doesn’t even make any sense 

 
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1. In your opinion, is there something that Abbott should have done in the past that would have improved this situation? 
2. in your opinion, is there something that Abbott should be doing right now, which he is not, that would improve this situation? 
Isn't the Texas governor the weakest in the nation?  (And I moved from Maryland which is the strongest.)

Those business crippling, consumer unfriendly regulations which would require being more prepared than the competitive price forces of the free market would be a good start, but that requires Texans (my neighbors) to stop electing the people they elect.  (This isn't even a democratic vs republican thing as even democrats in most places won't "go there".)

 
Looks like Cruz decided to get out of town and head down to Mexico until this blows over. 

He’s absolutely entitled to do what’s best for his family but man are the optics on this terrible. 
 

 
On a more serious note, I know we've spent the last four years making jokes about Infrastructure Week, but with interest rates at or near-zero, this seems like opportune time to invest in our capital stock.  

Between covid, the riots, and now this, it's becoming extremely clear to me that our government (collectively -- not any one particular agency or any one particular state) isn't really able to carry out the basic functions that we expect from even a night-watchman state.  
Government paralysis in essential functions has become the status quo. Government where you least need it, like say, holding up an effective vaccine in the FDA (your pet peeve) or making sure that land owners don't kill the last super dung beetle because of the fragility of ecosystems and overweening support of conservationism, to just difficultly arcane and abstruse tax policy at the federal level, or not being able to fire (never mind arrest) a police officer murdering people in plain daylight because of support from a union that bargains against the public at the local and state level, and it's a wonder the people haven't rioted more. 

I suppose we will see more displays of lack of fealty to our government in the form of riots and protests, and they will be justified. Government that can't provide for the basic functions of society render it useless. We need a re-thinking of our paralysis, caused generally by two distinct ways of assessing and sussing out the world. I'll be happy to let my brethren move on to a new country with new flags and new banners if they'd like.

 
My bad.  Guess I need some new readers.  If it was someone else I would have read it twice instead of reading it as I would typically expect you to post.  My apologies for not giving you them same courtesy
That's a "I'm so sorry that I didn't want your rather bulbous head struggling to find its way through the normal-sized neckhole of my finely knit sweater." level apology right there.

 
That's a "I'm so sorry that I didn't want your rather bulbous head struggling to find its way through the normal-sized neckhole of my finely knit sweater." level apology right there.
Ever seen somebody ruin a shirt or sweater that way? "Look at your head, bub. That thing is huge! My sweater didn't want to give birth just then."

 
I don’t want to make a judgment about this because I’m still learning the facts. I’m interested, in this thread, about the political aspects. Here’s what I’m reading: 

1. Many Democrats in the state and elsewhere are using this catastrophe to attack Governor Abbott specifically and, in general, conservative energy policies. 
2. Abbott and other conservatives have lashed out at the Green New Deal, AOC, and liberal policies. 
3. All the while people are freezing to death. Not good. 

So what’s the deal here? Any merit to any part of the blame game? 
I mean it certainly appears at a minimum ERCOT dropped the ball after 2011:

https://news.yahoo.com/parts-texas-not-ercot-power-080159059.html

 
I'm no Cruz fan but what's he supposed to be doing exactly?  It's a Senate recess week the guy is allowed to go on a vacation with his family.
A US Senator can offer nothing? Can’t help get things moving quicker, cant help organize assistance, can’t help this situation in any way? Goes to a resort while his neighbors are freezing with no power.

He’s just good at giving speeches I guess. 

 
I'm no Cruz fan but what's he supposed to be doing exactly?  It's a Senate recess week the guy is allowed to go on a vacation with his family.
In what is shaping up to be one of the worst natural disasters in Texas history, as one of two Senators in the state - something more than going on vacation. 

No one is expecting him to start working on the power grid himself but he can work to help all of those folks in need in numerous other ways. 
 

 
I don’t want to make a judgment about this because I’m still learning the facts. I’m interested, in this thread, about the political aspects. Here’s what I’m reading: 

1. Many Democrats in the state and elsewhere are using this catastrophe to attack Governor Abbott specifically and, in general, conservative energy policies. 
2. Abbott and other conservatives have lashed out at the Green New Deal, AOC, and liberal policies. 
3. All the while people are freezing to death. Not good. 

So what’s the deal here? Any merit to any part of the blame game? 
Texans of all stripes are criticizing Abbott.

 
Cruz is terrible, but you get what you vote for. Texas is very red outside the cities. And it’s also gerrymandered to hell to keep republicans in control. 
 

I really hate the blame game politics. People are freezing to death, the focus should be on restoring power and water and seeing what can be done to prevent this from happening again. Who cares who’s fault it is?!? So frustrating. But I doubt anybody will learn their lesson from this and this will happen again. 
 

 
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I'm no Cruz fan but what's he supposed to be doing exactly?  It's a Senate recess week the guy is allowed to go on a vacation with his family.
Maybe so...but the optics are bad.

And I better not hear or see him complain that the impeachment was wasting time that could have been spent helping people.

 
I'm no Cruz fan but what's he supposed to be doing exactly?  It's a Senate recess week the guy is allowed to go on a vacation with his family.
I pick and choose my spots when to take a vacation. I went nearly a year without a day off a little while back because of dire circumstances. Maybe that's excessive, but seems a US Senator might have some sense responsibility in a situation like this. If he can't figure out something to do, he could look at what Beto O'Rourke is doing and follow his lead. He could be doing anything. Just something. Even if it only helps one person, it's better than splitting for Mexico.

 
Pretty much. 
Someone forgot to tell private citizen Beto that there is ‘pretty much’ nothing that can be done. 
 

https://mobile.twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1362280019863564291

Beto O'Rourke

@BetoORourke

We made over 151,000 calls to senior citizens in Texas tonight. One of our vols talked to a man stranded at home w/out power in Killeen, hadn’t eaten in 2 days, got him a ride to a warming center and a hot meal. Help us reach more people, join us tomorrow:

Join a virtual event with Beto on Thursday, February 18

act.betoorourke.com

12:57 AM · Feb 18, 2021·Twitter for iPad

 
I'm no Cruz fan but what's he supposed to be doing exactly?  It's a Senate recess week the guy is allowed to go on a vacation with his family.
I normally agree with most of your takes but ignoring the optics of it, I have to think there’s something that Cruz could be doing to help and postponing a vacation to Mexico with his family is a small price to pay.

ETA - and just to be clear, I’d say the same of any high level politician in Texas no matter the party.

 
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