If Only we could return the favor to DC

A little history revisited...

When the infamous "Pappy" O'Daniel left the Texas Governor's office in 1941, he was succeeded by the Lieutenant Governor, Coke Stevenson. In addition to the burden of the Governor's office, he also received the burden of a state debt of twenty-five million dollars. This is no surprise, considering that the state had been through some really tough times from the "dust bowl" that wiped out farms to the Great Depression, which left many homeless and in need.

At that time, the Federal Government began to threaten Texas that it would withhold its pension contributions, if something wasn't done about the debt. Governor Stevenson "bit the bullet", as it were and made cuts everywhere, including a freeze on hiring new judges when the present ones retired or left as well as withholding funds from some of the agencies for the disabled, causing them to fend for themselves. He had little recourse, making cuts that would, of course, paint him as an ogre, but was in no position to not respond to the Federal threats. Eventually, World War II brought a renewed demand for oil, cotton and other industry helping Texas to pull itself out of the hole, so to speak and return its accounts to a healthy state.

Texans learned some hard lessons in these times and "righted" themselves because they are survivors. Teddy Roosevelt knew this when he selected his famous "Rough Riders" from the Texas cowboys and the Nation knew this when we sent the most men and women to fight in World War II (708,000 men and 12,000 women). It was our own Oveta Hobby who started the WAACs, which became the WACs and the famous Audie Murphy came from Farmersville, Texas.

Perhaps the Federal Government did us a favor with their threats in 1941 by helping us to learn a bit more thrift. What they didn't realize was that whatever you do to Texans, they won't be down for long. What we need to do is return the favor by withholding OUR money from THEM so that THEY may learn the advantages of thrift. The only way we can do that is to leave before the Federal Government completely drains all of our resources for their profligate fantasies.