The State of the State Is On Fire: Abbott Won't Admit Texans Are In Crisis

From rising prices to militarized borders, Texans are struggling under GOP rule.

Feb 03, 2025

The world is on fire. USAID security leaders were removed after Elon Musk refused access to security systems. Musk has taken over the United States treasury and refuses payments to US contractors. Trump has also slapped tariffs on our closest allies (as of this morning, the tariffs on Mexico have been paused for one month). Not to mention that airplanes are falling from the sky, and the orange one is purging workers of color and people he wants revenge on from the federal government.

Mexico is Texas’ number one trade partner, and Canada is our second.

Add that to the fact that 8% of Texas’ workforce consists of undocumented migrants, who are now either in hiding or being deported, and we’re about to see the prices for everything skyrocket. Panic buying has already started.

A lot of people are going to suffer because of Trump’s policies very soon. At the same time, because of Elon Musk’s government takeover, the federal social safety net is at risk.

If you missed it over the weekend, massive protests were held around the country, including one in Los Angeles, where thousands of protesters shut down the highway for several hours. Thousands also protested in Houston yesterday. On TikTok, I’ve been seeing protests across the state, in Dallas, in my town of Arlington, and even in smaller cities like Waco and Lubbock. These are protests against Trump and ICE.

I’m glad we still have TikTok because I haven’t seen videos from the border on any other platform. These videos, posted in the last few days, show the scale of the military activity on the Texas/Mexico border. Prepare to be shocked:

Some of it is in Spanish, but it shows hundreds of soldiers, vehicles, and helicopters all performing operations on the border. If you thought that militarization of the border was terrible before, this is ten times worse. One clip shows about a quarter mile of soldiers forming a human wall… standing there, waiting for young mothers in chanclas and babies on their hips to approach them and ask for asylum. It’s ridiculous.

There is no way the federal government has sent all that equipment and manpower down there to stand around. What a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars that would be.

Trump has already threatened to invade Mexico, and a few days ago, our new Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, spoke about military strikes in Mexico.

Mexico is Texas’ biggest trading partner, but also, we’re a border state. Have any of you ever lived in the border state during a war? Me neither.

But if you ask Greg Abbott, everything is hunky dory.

Last night, the Governor gave his “State of the State” address and was insulting Texans before he even opened his mouth. The speech was held at Arnold Oil in Austin, a company deeply tied to the fossil fuel industry. Even though we just had blizzards along the Gulf Coast, Abbott’s choice of venue sends a clear message: Texas is doubling down on its oil-driven economy despite the devastating climate consequences.

Holding the address at an oil company suggests the state’s leadership prioritizes oil profits over sustainable growth, public health, and climate resilience—a slap in the face.

Of course, Governor Abbott started his speech the same way he always does: by celebrating Texas as a pro-business hub and economic metrics such as job growth, innovation, and the creation of the “Texas Stock Exchange.” In the minds of these corporate fascists, economic “success” is measured by how much they can enrich billionaires and corporations, never by how well ordinary Texans are thriving.

Worker’s rights and wages? Why worry about working families when billionaires like Elon Musk need more jet fuel?

Texas is one of the worst states for workers in the United States. One study ranked Texas 48th out of 52 states for worker rights, wages, and the ability to unionize.

Abbott also boasted about his “business courts,” which are a complete scam. Abbott appoints judges to hear cases from his donors so that they can achieve the “business-friendly” outcomes they desire.

Governor Abbott proposes $10 billion in property tax cuts, blaming local taxing authorities (e.g., Harris County) for increasing taxes, which is total bullshit. The state refuses to fund public schools, putting more and more burden on counties, who in turn have to raise taxes to fund the schools. It is a simple problem, but Republicans refuse to fix it. Several red, rural counties increased their taxes last year, some as high as 30%, but Abbott cherry-picked Harris County because it’s blue.

There was no mention of expanding public services or education funding to help working-class families, but he did bring up the voucher scheme. You know the one that a Pennsylvania billionaire gave him $12 million to pass.

Abbott said there would be an increased investment in mental health, rural healthcare, and maternal care. But on the other hand, it refuses to expand Medicaid, despite Texas having one of the highest uninsured rates in the nation. Women and rural communities suffer from his administration’s restrictive abortion laws, which drive healthcare providers out of the state.

Unsurprisingly, Abbott leaned into fearmongering around crime and immigration, scapegoating immigrants while ignoring systemic issues like poverty and police accountability. His aggressive border policies waste taxpayer money, promote xenophobia, and exacerbate humanitarian crises for migrants seeking asylum.

Texas Democrats respond:

The response directly from the Texas Democratic Party was underwhelming. While they spoke about issues that are important to me and probably to you as well, we already know these aren’t issues that move the voting needle.

The abortion ban and failing schools were the TDP’s message in 2022 and 2024, and we lost those elections. I felt like the TDP response could have been a lot stronger, like the response from the Texas Democratic House Caucus.

Mihaela Plesa (D-HD70) gave the House Dem Caucus response, and I thought it was excellent.

Plesa’s response was the sharp, data-driven message that Texas Democrats desperately need to amplify. Unlike the bland, feel-good platitudes in the Texas Democratic Party’s official response, Plesa didn’t shy away from holding Abbott and his administration accountable for their failures with tangible, gut-punch statistics.

Plesa opened by acknowledging most Texans’ reality: soaring grocery bills, the impossibility of home ownership, and financial ruin from a single night in the emergency room. These are not abstract policy issues; they are everyday crises that resonate across working-class and middle-class families. In contrast, Abbott’s economic bragging about “business-friendly policies” rings hollow to people struggling to pay rent or feed their children.

By framing her response around Texans’ lived experiences and wallets, Plesa tapped into what actually motivates voters: survival and opportunity.

Plesa’s response contrasted Abbott’s speech and addressed the issues that resonate most with Texans. By emphasizing data and offering actionable solutions, Plesa made a stronger case for why Texans should look to Democratic leadership for real change.

This week in the Texas Legislature.

The Senate Committee on Finance is continuing its hearings with all state agencies throughout the week, which I plan to watch and report on. Not much else is scheduled on the Senate side for now.

The House is due to gavel back in tomorrow and will be in session for three days this week. We still don’t know the committee assignments, but they will come any day now. Meanwhile, we should expect the Karen Caucus to stir up plenty of drama.

We’re facing a convergence of crises, economic instability, attacks on immigrants, skyrocketing costs of living, a failing healthcare system, and an unrelenting climate emergency. Yet, Greg Abbott and the Republican leadership remain committed to protecting corporate profits and waging culture wars instead of addressing the real needs of Texans.

But as Plesa’s response reminded us, there is hope. Texans are fed up, and the protests this past weekend were a testament to that. Communities across the state, from the Rio Grande Valley to the suburbs of North Texas, are organizing, resisting, and demanding better from their leaders.

Democrats have a chance to build a movement that speaks directly to the struggles of everyday Texans: affordable housing, quality healthcare, good-paying jobs, and fully funded public schools. It’s time to move past weak, watered-down messaging and fight with boldness, backed by the data and stories that make our case impossible to ignore.

Abbott and his billionaire friends may have power, but they don’t have the people. And if this week’s protests and Plesa’s response are any indication, the people are ready to fight for the Texas we deserve. Let’s get to work.

March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.
June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.
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