Publisher’s Letter
The Great “Wild West” s a Texan, I enjoy the “Wild West” mentality that leaves us devoid of so many rules and regulations that can stifle business growth. However, that “can do, will do” entrepreneurial business-friendly climate has its drawbacks. Most of us found out the hard way (with the exception of a few supposed leaders) while shivering in the cold and thirsty. Many were not that fortunate. The low and no state income taxes have fueled growth and prosperity in Texas as we see from our record real estate sales year after year. People and companies have been relocating to Houston and the Lone Star State in record numbers for decades due to the job opportunities, relatively low cost of living, and no state income tax. Texas’s most recent prize catch was attracting the forward-thinking entrepreneur, Elon Musk of Tesla fame. As Chinese culture taught us, with the “yin” goes the “yang”, as the world watched the steep price of a laissez-faire attitude toward regulation. It appears some things need regulation and independent accountability. Not agencies handpicked by a Governor but truly independent regulatory oversight. That is not what we have with our PUC (Public Utility Commission ) or ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council Of Texas). Many of the people running those groups have resigned as the fall guys. However, the blame is squarely on our state government for not winterizing our power plants. There was plenty of notice that this could happen and being on our own separate grid backfired as El Paso who is on a national power grid had zero power outages. Some 500,000 Texans, still weeks later as of this writing, are without drinkable water. Some 30 were left dead here and over 80 in our state capitol. This lack of regulation, low taxes, and no-zoning laws has served us well in most instances, with some notable exceptions. While the “wild west” mentality has spurred our growth it has also created communities with strip clubs, churches, and schools in the same neighborhood. Now we see the problems of short-sightedness and budget shortfalls that affect many key areas including police, fire, and schools. Oh and the power grid.
6 | Intown | March + April 2021
