They don’t have our backs
During the past year Texas legislators have been involved in pursuits that have garnered them national recognition. Unfortunately, none of their efforts have benefited Texas voters. Legislators have spent countless hours distributing half-truths and lies about the legitimacy of the 2020 elections and climate change. If that was not enough evidence of the contempt in Austin for Texas voters, their other priority has been to restrict the voting rights of millions of eligible citizens. The response of legislative and executive branches to the most devastating winter storm in thirty years was just as underwhelming.
Last week a cold front sweep through the great State of Texas, dropped up to eight inches of snow, and caused temperatures to fall in to the single dights. Texas Junior Senator Ted Cruz decided to vacation in Cancun when the harsh weather hit while the rest of us dealt with rolling blackouts and empty store shelves. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans are seeking to deflect blame, misleadingly pointing to “The Green New Deal” and renewable energy sources including wind and solar power as the culprits of the state’s massive power outages. Millions of the state’s residents faced below-freezing temperatures without power or running water.
The Texas power grid, unlike the other 47 contiguous states is separated from the rest of the country and is not under federal regulatory oversight. That prevents Texas from being able to borrow power from other states. The crisis has turned into a political flashpoint in Texas. The oil and gas industry are core to its economy, with some of the world’s largest energy companies headquartered here. Republican leaders in Texas insist they do not want to follow the lead of Democratic-led California and other states that have more broadly embraced renewable energy sources. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry even had the audacity to suggest that going days without power is a sacrifice Texans should be willing to make if it means keeping federal regulators out of the state’s power grid. Governor Abbott needs a convenient scapegoat that lets him announce “investigations” that have no intention of making substantive change. Texas elected officials could care less about its citizens or their dilemmas.
The last twelve months in Texas has been a case study in governmental ineptitude. Instead of following the advice of medical experts, Abbott forbid local municipalities from issuing stay at home or mask orders. That decision resulted in the death of thousands of Texans. When companies began laying off thousands, Abbott refused to open the medical exchanges so that affected Texans could shop for affordable healthcare. That decision was good for the healthcare industry but bad for those who lost their coverage.
Officials have reacted just as dismally to the recent winter storms as they did to the COVID pandemic. A study by The Washington Post makes clear that natural gas is by far the largest contributor to the current power shortfall in Texas. The reason is simple lack of preparation that has nothing to do with engineering. The system of incentives put in place by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and how Texas created a “Wild West market design based only on short-run prices” shoulder the entirety of the blame.
The Republican led executive branch and legislature continues to prosper at the expense of the disadvantaged and underserved. Electric bills will skyrocket as a result of this episode just as our legislative leaders designed. This is the system that is keeping Texas in the dark.
