As Texas Goes... (24 page)

• 4.26 million Texans live in poverty, representing 17.3 percent of the state’s population.
162

• Only 5.5 percent of Texas workers are members of a union.
163

• 47 percent of Texas children live in low-income families.
164

• Starr County led the state with 78.6 percent of the population considered low income.
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• The richest 20 percent of Texas families have average incomes 7.9 times larger than the poorest 20 percent of families, ranking as the 9th highest gap in the nation. This ratio was 7.0 in the late 1980s.
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• The richest 20 percent of Texas families have average incomes 2.8 times larger than the middle 20 percent of families, ranking as the 5th highest gap in the nation. This ratio was 2.3 in the late 1980s.
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• From the late 1980s to the mid-2000s, the average income of the poorest 20 percent of families increased $2,657, from $13,430 to $16,088.
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• From the late 1980s to the mid-2000s, the average income of the middle 20 percent of families increased $4,528, from $40,046 to $44,574.
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• From the late 1980s to the mid-2000s, the average income of the richest 20 percent of families increased $32,813, from $93,846 to $126,658.
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Taxation:

• A 2009 study named Texas’ tax system as one of the ten most regressive states in the nation.
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• A 2009 study found that Texas requires families in the bottom 20 percent of the income scale to pay more than three-and-a-half times as great a share of their earnings in taxes as the top 1 percent.
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• The poor in Texas pay 12.2 percent of their income in taxes, the fifth highest percentage in the country.
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• According to Americans for Prosperity, local government debt in Texas is over $175 billion.
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Transportation:

• Dallas–Ft. Worth and Houston were ranked 5th and 6th respectively among the 15 largest metropolitan cities in the yearly number of hours delayed in traffic.
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• Over the next 25 years, road use in Texas will grow by 214 percent, much of it concentrated in the state’s most congested metropolitan areas.
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• Texas has 50,189 bridges, about 40 percent more than any other state.
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• In 2009, there were 3,071 traffic fatalities.
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Sex Education:

• In 2008, the birth rate for ages 15–19 in Texas was 63.4 per every 1,000 people, compared to 41.5 in the U.S., giving Texas the third highest teen birth rate in the nation.
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• According to a 2009 study of sex education materials from 96 percent of all Texas schools, only 4 percent of schools in Texas teach about pregnancy and STD prevention in schools.
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• 3.7 million Texas students are not taught basic information in public schools about STD prevention and unplanned pregnancies, and 25 percent of Texas school districts have no formal policy regulating sex education.
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• 41 percent of sex education materials used in Texas school districts contains factual errors.
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• 53 percent of Texas students have had sexual intercourse, compared with 48 percent nationwide; 17 percent of Texas students have had sexual intercourse with four or more persons in their life, compared with 15 percent nationwide; and 43.6 percent of Texas students did not use a condom during their last instance of sexual intercourse, compared with 38.5 percent nationwide.
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Index

Abbott, Greg, 143

Afghanistan, 44, 53, 54

Alabama, 19, 31, 174

Alaska, 93

Amira (uninsured Texan), 174–75

Anderson, David, 76–77, 95, 110

Anderson, John, 144

Antarctica, 80

Arizona, 160, 171, 183

Arkansas, 74, 174

Arlington, Tex., 12, 104

Armey, Dick, 6, 51–52, 54, 55, 64, 68, 131, 133, 139, 183

Arredondo, Brenda, 80–81

Austin, Stephen, 18

Austin, Tex., 3, 11, 12, 24, 25, 34, 35, 46, 48, 49, 84, 85, 100, 112, 118, 143, 149, 154, 156, 159, 163, 167, 171, 188, 189

Barone, Charles, 84, 85, 100

Barton, “Smokey Joe,” 132, 138, 141–42

Baylor, Don, 154

Bean, Roy, 16

Beaufort, S.C., 79

Beck, Glenn, 147, 165

Benedict XVI, Pope, 15

Bennet, Michael, 92

Bennett, William, 106

Bernier, Nathan, 112

Black, Bill, 62, 63

Bloomberg, Michael, 89–90

Boehlert, Sherwood, 130, 133–34, 142

Boehner, John, 21, 84

Boston, Mass., 80

Bowie, Jim, 19, 97

Boyle, Carolyn, 103

Brady, Kevin, 21–22

Brandl, Michael, 163, 164

Briscoe, Dolph, 128, 129

Bronstein, Marta, 182

Brown, George, 49

Brown, Jerry, 150

Bryce, Robert, 65

Buchanan, Pat, 83

Buda, Tex., 156

Bullock, Bob, 29, 46, 47, 151–52

Bush, Barbara, 50–51, 92

Bush, George H. W., 5, 46, 50–51, 53, 68, 74, 75–76, 130–31, 137

Bush, George W., 5, 15, 20, 36–37, 46, 47, 51, 52–54, 69, 74, 78–79, 80, 81, 82–85, 87, 88–89, 90, 92, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103–4, 105, 134–38, 139, 140–41, 142, 143, 158, 159, 160, 179, 186

Bush, Jeb, 105

Cahoon, Frank, 18, 43–44

Cain, Herman, 186

California, 6, 29, 62, 64, 70, 71, 87, 111, 122, 137–38, 148–50, 153, 157, 163, 166, 167, 168

Cargill, Barbara, 115

Caro, Robert, 32, 48, 49

Carpinteria, Calif., 149

Carter, Jimmy, 45, 128–29, 130

Carter, Terry, 161

Casey, Rick, 184

Castro, Joaquín, 42, 180–81, 182, 184, 187

Castro, Julián, 180, 181–82, 188

Castro, Rosie, 179–81, 182

Cheney, Dick, 74, 137–38, 140

Cisneros, Henry, 187, 191–92

Clauss, Richard, 157

Clements, Bill, 13, 45, 129

Clinton, Bill, 6, 65, 68, 69, 74, 84, 85, 131, 187

Clinton, Hillary, 80

Coke, Richard, 42

Collins, Sara, 160

Colorado, 87, 92, 95, 100–101

Columbus, Ohio, 100

Condino, Shella, 190

Connally, John, 43, 47, 49, 50

Connecticut, 50

Corn, David, 69

Cornyn, John, 171

Craymer, Dale, 153

Crockett, Davy, 12, 16, 19, 20, 39, 97

Crossley, David, 35, 36

Culberson, John, 33

Curtiss, Glenn, 114

Dalhart, Tex., 157

Dallas, Tex., 34, 61, 104, 130, 135, 147, 185

Darrow, Clarence, 114

Davis, E. J., 42

DeLay, Tom, 6, 43, 51–52, 54, 64, 131, 132, 133–34, 139, 141,
194

Deuell, Bob, 124

Disney, Walt, 16

Dixon, Don, 62–63

Dole, Sanford B., 114

Driscoll, Clara, 17

Dunbar, Cynthia, 115

Duncan, Arne, 90

Dunlap, Tom, 27

Eberly, Angelina, 25

Eckhardt, Bob, 129–30

Edgewood, Tex., 180

Egypt, 122

Eisenhower, Dwight, 59, 95, 165

Ellis, Rodney, 44–45, 186

El Paso, Tex., 80–81, 163, 164

England, 76

Erekson, Keith, 111

Evans, David, 171, 172

Ferguson, James “Pa,” 14

Ferguson, Miriam “Ma,” 14, 24

Fields, Jack, 129–30

Finland, 74

Fisher, Richard, 158

Fleischer, Ari, 138

Florida, 83, 105, 133, 166

Ford, Gerald, 128

Ford, Henry, 114

Fort Bliss, Tex., 164

Fort Hood, Tex., 164

Fort Worth, Tex., 28, 34, 156, 191

France, 12, 61

Gabler, Mel, 109, 110

Gabler, Norma, 109, 110

Galbraith, Kate, 38

Galveston Bay, 144

Garner, John Nance, 47

Gawande, Atul, 159–60

Georgia, 90

Gerstner, Louis V., 82

Gingrich, Newt, 51, 64, 131, 179

Goldwater, Barry, 43

Gonzalez, Henry, 49

Gore, Al, 79, 80, 131, 136–37

Gramm, Phil, 5, 47, 52, 59–61, 65–68, 69–70, 71, 72, 194

Gramm, Wendy, 68–69, 102

Grant, Ulysses S., 42

Greenberger, Michael, 69–70

Griles, J. Steven, 137

Grissmer, David, 78, 79, 91–92

Hagerty, Fran, 123, 124

Halbouty, Michel, 130

Haley, James, 19–20, 127

Hall, Ralph, 142

Hammond, Bill, 82

Harrigan, Stephen, 19

Harris County, Tex., 175, 189

Harrison, William Henry, 13, 14

Hart, Patricia Kilday, 171–72

Hawaii, 182

Heflin, Talmadge, 152

Helmcamp, Leslie, 164

Henry, Patrick, 21

Hicks, Nolan, 150

Hightower, Jim, 52

Hill, John, 45

Hobby, Bill, 36, 77, 152, 183

Hochberg, Scott, 73, 78, 100, 104

Hogg, Ima, 14

Hogg, Jim, 14

Houston, Sam, 3, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22–23, 25, 165

Houston, Tex., 20, 22, 25, 33, 34–36, 39, 49, 51, 88–89, 104, 129, 134, 137, 149, 155, 175, 182, 188–89

Hughes, Bryan, 123

Hunt, Hunter, 137

Hunt, Ray, 137

Illinois, 166, 195

India, 107

Iowa, 65–66, 123

Iran, 76

Iraq, 53

Ireland, 97

Israel, 113, 114, 115

Italy, 139, 140

Ivins, Molly, 24, 76, 78

Jackson, Jesse, 52

Jackson, Lisa, 142–43

Jeffords, Jim, 84

Johnson, Lady Bird, 19

Johnson, Lyndon, 19, 23, 32, 43,
47–49, 50, 53, 59, 127, 131, 133, 141

Jones, Alex, 97

Jones, Anson, 14

Jordan, Barbara, 24

Juarez, Mexico, 163

Kansas, 59

Kelly, Ray, 30

Kennebunkport, Maine, 50

Kennedy, John F., 45, 47, 50, 59

Kennedy, Ted, 84, 85

King, Christopher, 31, 162–63, 166

Klein, Stephen P., 79–80

Klineberg, Stephen, 35–36

Knight, Mavis, 113

Kolkhorst, Lois, 28, 34

Kotkin, Joel, 149

Kress, Sandy, 85, 100

Krueger, Robert, 185

Kuykendall, Marshall, 127

Lake Austin, 166

Langtry, Tex., 16

Lanier, Bob, 35

Laredo, Tex., 187

Las Vegas, Nev., 40

Lay, Ken, 67–68, 137–38

Lazio, Rick, 80

Leininger, James, 101–2, 103, 111

Leonard, Justin, 20

Levy, Rick, 161–62

Lincoln, Abraham, 12

Lindbergh, Charles, 114

Logue, Dan, 150

Lopez, David, 175

Los Angeles, Calif., 148

Louisiana, 12, 33, 98, 174

MacGillis, Alec, 155

Maine, 7, 50, 83, 89

Malachy, Saint, 15

Mandela, Nelson, 21

Mann, Pamela, 22–23

Marfa, Tex., 38–39, 191

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, 60

Marquez, Ralph, 136

Marston, James, 50, 130

Martin, Bill, 113

Martin, Bill, Jr., 113

Massachusetts, 143

Mattox, Jim, 45–46, 130

Maynardsville, Tenn., 107

McAllen, Tex., 160

McCain, John, 21, 71, 74

McCarthy, Joseph, 113

McClure, Jessica (“Baby Jessica”),
33

McCormick, Peggy, 23

McEntire, Dennis, 190

McGee, Julie, 109–10, 115

McKinnon, Mark, 54

McLeroy, Don, 112, 114–15

Melosi, Martin, 27, 127

Mexico, 12, 13, 18, 29, 30, 39, 163, 165, 180, 181

Miami, Fla., 40, 160

Michael, Tom, 39

Michener, James, 13

Michigan, 163

Micronesia, 122

Middle East, 128, 194

Midland, Tex., 36–38, 43, 50–51, 93

Midlothian, Tex., 132

Milken, Mike, 106

Miller, George, 84, 85, 88, 89, 100, 104

Minnesota, 16, 170, 174, 176

Mississippi, 160, 162, 166

Missouri, 174

Mixon, John, 35

Morales, Dan, 186–87

Murdock, Steve, 181, 182, 183, 188, 189

Murray, Richard, 188

Napoleon I, Emperor of France, 19

Netherlands, 122

Nevada, 150, 171

New Jersey, 65, 139

Newsom, Gavin, 150

New York, 6, 29, 30, 80, 130, 133, 148, 152, 163, 195

New York, N.Y., 87, 89–90

Nixon, Richard, 24, 47, 128

Norquist, Grover, 102

North Carolina, 18, 89

Obama, Barack, 3, 6, 54, 55, 91, 92, 101, 104, 115, 132, 141, 171, 176, 182

O’Daniel, W. Lee “Pappy,” 14–15

Ohio, 13–14, 95, 133, 164

Oklahoma, 12, 42, 43, 89, 96, 170

Oliphant, Pat, 25

O’Neill, Paul, 140

Orbison, Roy, 63

Ornstein, Norman, 51

Orr, Robert, 155

Paige, Rod, 88, 89

Paint Creek, Tex., 27

Patrick, Dan, 21

Paul, Ron, 6, 46, 54

Pecos, Tex., 16

Pena, Richard, 161

Pennsylvania, 12, 90, 107, 164

Perot, Ross, 75–77, 92, 191, 192

Perry, Rick, 3–4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 27, 28, 31–32, 46, 47, 50, 52, 92–93, 96, 97, 102–3, 123–24, 125, 126, 142–44, 147–49, 150–51, 154, 155, 156, 157, 165, 168, 174, 182, 183, 184, 186, 191, 194

Perry, Wes, 37–38

“Peter the Roman,” 15

Phelps, Paige, 169

Plano, Tex., 126

Potter, Robert, 18, 22, 43

Presidio, Tex., 39, 169, 190–91

Puzder, Andrew, 149

Quincy, Mass., 80

Quinn, Dan, 110, 111

Ratliff, Bill, 44, 77, 81, 83, 85, 86, 103, 153

Ravitch, Diane, 87–88, 91, 106

Rawls, John, 167–68

Rayburn, Sam, 47

Reagan, Ronald, 61, 63, 66, 73–74, 75, 106, 113, 129, 130, 179, 185

Reaser, Vernon, 99

Richards, Ann, 15, 24–25, 45–46, 53, 77, 110, 151, 158, 187, 189

Richards, Cecile, 110

Riddle, Debbie, 22, 183–84

Rio Grande Valley, 96, 189–90

River Oaks, Tex., 35

Roosevelt, Franklin D., 47, 48

Roosevelt, Theodore, 114

Rose, Louis “Moses,” 19

Rove, Karl, 52–53, 83

Russell, Jan Jarboe, 19, 48

Russia, 19, 22

Rwanda, 122

Sacramento, Calif., 148

Sadler, Paul, 81, 82, 85, 91

San Antonio, Tex., 16, 28, 34, 49, 96, 99, 101, 103, 111, 121, 149, 172, 174–75, 179, 180, 181, 182, 186, 187

Sanborn, Robert, 182, 189

Sanchez, Tony, 187

San Jacinto, Tex., 22–23, 42

Sawyer, Diane, 79

Scarsdale, N.Y., 80

Schlafly, Phyllis, 114

Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 157

Seattle, Wash., 97–98

Senterfitt, Reuben, 73

Shafter, Tex., 39

Sharp, John, 102

Shorto, Russell, 116

Smith, Evan, 125

Smith, Lamar, 30

Smith, Tom, 38, 127, 136

Sosa, Lionel, 179, 181, 185–86, 187

South Carolina, 82

Soviet Union, 54

Soward, Larry, 143–44

Spain, 12, 96

Steinbach, Chris, 34

Stern, Jeremy, 116

Stern, Sheldon, 116

Stewart, Jimmy, 61

Strama, Mark, 159, 167–68

Sugar Land, Tex., 51, 64, 126, 155

Swartz, Mimi, 158–59

Swinnea, Teloa, 191

Taos, N.Mex., 191

Tennessee, 16, 95, 98, 107

Thompson, Karen, 17, 20–21

Tortolero, Susan, 120, 122

Tower, John, 185

Travis, William B., 17, 18–21, 49

Trump, Donald, 13

Utah, 124

Vermont, 11, 84, 152

Vernon, Calif., 148

Vernon, Tex., 63

Villarreal, Michael, 99, 121, 125

Virginia, 115

Vonnegut, Kurt, 166

Warren, Jack, 129

Wartzman, Rick, 147, 158

Weddington, Susan, 98

Weiss, Daniel, 135

Welch, Ronald, 36

West, Emily, 42

White, Bill, 33

White, Mark, 75

Whitman, Christie Todd, 139–40, 143

Wichita Falls, Tex., 63

Wiley, David, 119, 121

Williams, Carrie, 119

Williamson, Ric, 96

Wilson, Barbara, 80

Wilson, Charlie, 44, 54

Wilson, Kelly, 119, 121

Winslow, Alex, 159

Wisconsin, 164

Wohlgemuth, Arlene, 102, 169

Wood, George, 14

Wood, Pat, 135

Wright, Jim, 47, 63–64

Wyoming, 89, 137

Yücel, Mine, 163