The Arena

Today in history: construction begins on the Berlin Wall.

Texas Monthly wonders whether “The Texas Miracle” is real and, if so, whether Gov. Rick Perry should get credit for it. The answers to both questions are clear as day – yes and yes. For a lengthy, wonky, and rather comprehensive treatment of The Texas Miracle, interested parties may want to read Chuck DeVore’s The Texas Model. DeVore pretty definitively answers the first question. As for the second, it doesn’t take much imagination to realize that the longest serving governor of Texas, whose unprecedented term has coincided with a Texas jobs boom at a time when the rest of the nation faltered, deserves some of the credit. While no single individual merits full credit for Texas’ bucking the outgoing economic tide of the past half decade, a respectable portion ought to be reserved for “the governor [who] has been bird-dogging jobs for the past thirteen years.”

I like the cut of this guy’s jib: Living without a cell phone in 2013.

With one of the strongest and most stable economies in the nation and a reputation for welcoming entrepreneurs and visionaries of all strips, Texas is a magnate for people looking for a better life. The resulting population boom has made I-35 one of the most congested freeways in the nation. Booming economy + booming population = booming traffic. We will innovate ourselves out of the congestion and find a way to accommodate everyone. We are Texans, after all.

DPS Trooper reinstated after illegal cavity search. If this had been conducted by anyone other than a public employee, the offender would have suffered much more severe consequences. Public employees should not get lighter treatment than the general public, in fact they should be held to a higher standard of accountability.

Trees are easier to plant elsewhere than power grid infrastructure. In battle to protect power grid, trees often lose.

This is another example of why the expectations of environmental scientists should not drive public policy. Scientists are puzzled by unexpected drop in number of turtle nests on Texas coast.

Are we losing our freedom of speech?

In case anyone missed it, there’s a jobs boom in the energy industry and a good chunk of those jobs are right here in Texas.

It’s Tax Free Weekend in Texas. Stock up without sending more of your hard earned money to the government coffers!