First Came Brexit, Now Comes Texit

[dismal]

Wow, I didn't realize paying guys to put on green suits and walk around was such a font of unlimited wealth. Maybe we should start up a couple thousand more military bases to really jump start the ol' GDP. It's like free money.

Not for you, it isn't, since you are paying them $200 and getting nothing out of it that I can tell. I am only shelling out half that, and getting a return on my investment. Also, those guys will help to protect me from anyone who wants to steal shit from my back yard, so even if I only break even monetarily, it is a net positive for me.

The part I'm not sure about is it seems like those 4 guys would be living somewhere and buying food somewhere if they were being paid to do something useful too. But we'd also have that something useful.

But they won't be doing it in my backyard, so I won't have as good of a chance to profit from it, and they also won't be protecting my backyard from thieves. Nah, I think I will keep the deal you offered in the first place.

Ah, well in the past I have had landscapers come into my backyard to do stuff. I didn't realize that by selling them food and housing I could have turned a profit.

 

[Keith&Co.]

But they won't be doing it in my backyard, so I won't have as good of a chance to profit from it, and they also won't be protecting my backyard from thieves. Nah, I think I will keep the deal you offered in the first place.

Dismal seems to be hung up on a clear useful byproduct of the DOD stationing people within driving distance of a mall.

Maybe the Army is too subtle a benefit?

After a secession, though, the Border Patrol will also pull out. And Homeland security. FBI. DEA. All the letters...

 

[KeepTalking]

Not for you, it isn't, since you are paying them $200 and getting nothing out of it that I can tell. I am only shelling out half that, and getting a return on my investment. Also, those guys will help to protect me from anyone who wants to steal shit from my back yard, so even if I only break even monetarily, it is a net positive for me.

The part I'm not sure about is it seems like those 4 guys would be living somewhere and buying food somewhere if they were being paid to do something useful too. But we'd also have that something useful.

But they won't be doing it in my backyard, so I won't have as good of a chance to profit from it, and they also won't be protecting my backyard from thieves. Nah, I think I will keep the deal you offered in the first place.

Ah, well in the past I have had landscapers come into my backyard to do stuff. I didn't realize that by selling them food and housing I could have turned a profit.

The kids with the lemonade stand down the street figured it out...

What you are missing, though, is that those landscapers aren't being paid solely to maintain your yard. They have hundreds of other clients to care for as well, so they aren't in your backyard 24/7/365. It's going to be a lot harder for you to charge them anything.

What you are really missing, though, is that the backyard is just a metaphor for the State of Texas (one you provided, so I'm surprised you missed it). There are a lot of restaurants, stores, and banks in Texas, and most military personnel stationed there do not have the option to go to another State to make conduct routine business.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Best? I don't notice anyone offering it as the best argument... Certainly nothing like the ONLY argument.

But it IS something else to think about.

In addition the money the government pays directly to the state, there's the salaries the service members and their dependents are spending to live in the state.

And there are other things of a similar nature. I'd expect 'out of state' tuition to go away, for example.

Nah, dismal has already told us Texas won't need to worry about that, because they won't need a military after the leave the US.

The offshore platforms will remain in the US. Texas will of course pay for their upkeep and any environmental cleanup.

 

[Elixir]

Not for you, it isn't, since you are paying them $200 and getting nothing out of it that I can tell. I am only shelling out half that, and getting a return on my investment. Also, those guys will help to protect me from anyone who wants to steal shit from my back yard, so even if I only break even monetarily, it is a net positive for me.

The part I'm not sure about is it seems like those 4 guys would be living somewhere and buying food somewhere if they were being paid to do something useful too. But we'd also have that something useful.

But they won't be doing it in my backyard, so I won't have as good of a chance to profit from it, and they also won't be protecting my backyard from thieves. Nah, I think I will keep the deal you offered in the first place.

Ah, well in the past I have had landscapers come into my backyard to do stuff. I didn't realize that by selling them food and housing I could have turned a profit.

The kids with the lemonade stand down the street figured it out...

What you are missing, though, is that those landscapers aren't being paid solely to maintain your yard. They have hundreds of other clients to care for as well, so they aren't in your backyard 24/7/365. It's going to be a lot harder for you to charge them anything.

What you are really missing, though, is that the backyard is just a metaphor for the State of Texas (one you provided, so I'm surprised you missed it). There are a lot of restaurants, stores, and banks in Texas, and most military personnel stationed there do not have the option to go to another State to make conduct routine business.

Why do you guys keep trying to talk him out of it? All they need is Trump as King Donald, and Texas ("just another way to spell taxes") will be Great Again! Meanwhile here in the US, it will be decades before there's Republitard dominance in Congress again...

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...ris-for-president-…-of-texas/comment-page-32/

(CNN) – Actor Chuck Norris has his eyes on the presidency, but not the White House. Norris wrote that he would be interested in becoming the president of Texas, if the state were ever to secede from the Union.

“I may run for president of Texas,” Norris wrote Monday in a column posted at WorldNetDaily. “That need may be a reality sooner than we think. If not me, someone someday may again be running for president of the Lone Star state, if the state of the union continues to turn into the enemy of the state.”

---

Chuck could battle Putin in hand to hand combat.

 

[bleubird]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Republic_of_Texas
WTF!

 

[Tom Sawyer]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...ris-for-president-…-of-texas/comment-page-32/

(CNN) – Actor Chuck Norris has his eyes on the presidency, but not the White House. Norris wrote that he would be interested in becoming the president of Texas, if the state were ever to secede from the Union.

“I may run for president of Texas,” Norris wrote Monday in a column posted at WorldNetDaily. “That need may be a reality sooner than we think. If not me, someone someday may again be running for president of the Lone Star state, if the state of the union continues to turn into the enemy of the state.”

---

Chuck could battle Putin in hand to hand combat.

It would make for a one sided battle of secession. What could the US army do against Chuck Norris?

 

[Keith&Co.]

It would make for a one sided battle of secession. What could the US army do against Chuck Norris?

Against? Why would the army try to stop them?
They'll be setting up the new customs checkpoints at the border, with the speed lane for Texans repatriating.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

They'd be trying to stop him because Obama's a dictator who's order them to suicide themselves against his unstoppable roundhouse kicks.

 

[bleubird]

Only if they make Austin an enclave.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Only if they make Austin an enclave.

I envision Austin as the 21st century West Berlin.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Only if they make Austin an enclave.

I envision Austin as the 21st century West Berlin.

As long as it's one of those cool 21st century enclaves with robots and flying cars and not one of those crappy ones which are really just 20th century enclaves but people have cell phones.

 

[braces_for_impact]

Tip: if it happens it will be by mutual agreement.

Leaving aside for the moment that the federal government would not simply let Texas or any other state simply walk away from the United States, a "Texit" would crater the Lone Star Republic's economy. The billions in benefits from the military bases would be gone, and also the billions of dollars that pour into defense contractors like Raytheon who would no doubt relocate to America.

Then there's taxes. One of the reasons companies relocate to Texas is because the tax structure is favorable for the business, and there's no personal income tax. The newly minted Republic would have to raise taxes in order to supplant all the federal money that would go bye-bye, and that would mean taxing businesses and individuals. A lot of businesses would pack up and leave simply because they want to be based in the United States, but a lot more would leave because their taxes would go up.

Then with Texas being a foreign country and all, there would have to be trade agreements and tariffs for allowing these foreign goods into the USA. Not good for business.

Then we'll have a border problem with Texans trying to sneak into the U.S. We'll have to build a big, beautiful wall.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

This is a case of history impairment. This question was brought up once before and definitively settled. It Texas wants to try again, they'll find out just how many black helicopters the government actually has.

Military force doesn't settle who is right, it merely settles who has the better military.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Tip: if it happens it will be by mutual agreement.

Leaving aside for the moment that the federal government would not simply let Texas or any other state simply walk away from the United States, a "Texit" would crater the Lone Star Republic's economy. The billions in benefits from the military bases would be gone, and also the billions of dollars that pour into defense contractors like Raytheon who would no doubt relocate to America.

Then there's taxes. One of the reasons companies relocate to Texas is because the tax structure is favorable for the business, and there's no personal income tax. The newly minted Republic would have to raise taxes in order to supplant all the federal money that would go bye-bye, and that would mean taxing businesses and individuals. A lot of businesses would pack up and leave simply because they want to be based in the United States, but a lot more would leave because their taxes would go up.

Then with Texas being a foreign country and all, there would have to be trade agreements and tariffs for allowing these foreign goods into the USA. Not good for business.

Yes, Texas would have to raise taxes BUT.....

The federal taxes would be zero.

The final question is if that is a net loss or a net gain for taxpayers.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Leaving aside for the moment that the federal government would not simply let Texas or any other state simply walk away from the United States, a "Texit" would crater the Lone Star Republic's economy. The billions in benefits from the military bases would be gone, and also the billions of dollars that pour into defense contractors like Raytheon who would no doubt relocate to America.

Then there's taxes. One of the reasons companies relocate to Texas is because the tax structure is favorable for the business, and there's no personal income tax. The newly minted Republic would have to raise taxes in order to supplant all the federal money that would go bye-bye, and that would mean taxing businesses and individuals. A lot of businesses would pack up and leave simply because they want to be based in the United States, but a lot more would leave because their taxes would go up.

Then with Texas being a foreign country and all, there would have to be trade agreements and tariffs for allowing these foreign goods into the USA. Not good for business.

Yes, Texas would have to raise taxes BUT.....

The federal taxes would be zero.

Wouldn't ALL the taxes be federal, then?

 

[Ford]

Leaving aside for the moment that the federal government would not simply let Texas or any other state simply walk away from the United States, a "Texit" would crater the Lone Star Republic's economy. The billions in benefits from the military bases would be gone, and also the billions of dollars that pour into defense contractors like Raytheon who would no doubt relocate to America.

Then there's taxes. One of the reasons companies relocate to Texas is because the tax structure is favorable for the business, and there's no personal income tax. The newly minted Republic would have to raise taxes in order to supplant all the federal money that would go bye-bye, and that would mean taxing businesses and individuals. A lot of businesses would pack up and leave simply because they want to be based in the United States, but a lot more would leave because their taxes would go up.

Then with Texas being a foreign country and all, there would have to be trade agreements and tariffs for allowing these foreign goods into the USA. Not good for business.

Yes, Texas would have to raise taxes BUT.....

The federal taxes would be zero.

The final question is if that is a net loss or a net gain for taxpayers.

My guess would be net loss. Texas would have a much smaller tax base to draw from in order to cover the costs borne by the federal government (defense, infrastructure, etc.) that states generally take for granted. The gas tax (for example) would go away, but then Texas would have to raise revenue from other sources in order to cover the cost of maintaining the newly non-interstate highways. Texas taxpayers would be on the hook for the cost of hiring thousands of law enforcement officers to patrol their 1200 mile border with Mexico.

Then of course they'd have to hire a bunch of people (and buy some rather expensive boats) to patrol 367 miles of coastline. Can Texas Rangers swim?

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Ah yes, but they wouldn't need to make their military proportionally as large as the US military. They could emulate Canada and Mexico instead.

 

[Ford]

Ah yes, but they wouldn't need to make their military proportionally as large as the US military. They could emulate Canada and Mexico instead.

Of course they wouldn't need a world-spanning military, but they'd need a coast guard almost exactly the same size as the one they're being provided with now. Their border patrol and immigration/customs forces would have to be much larger than the current federal border patrol and ICE, because in addition to Mexico they'd have to police the borders with New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Then there's the cost of the border crossings themselves.

On a lighter note, The State Line in El Paso would probably have to shut down. It is a BBQ place I used to frequent where the line between Texas and New Mexico runs right through the restaurant. Good brisket. Hate to see it go.