Texas No. 1 for business, No. 34 in welfare of children

[George Gervin's Afro]

AUSTIN — Texas brags about being the No. 1 rated state for business, but the drop-off is considerable when assessing the well-being of children.
Texas ranks No. 34 in the overall well-being for children, according to a state-by-state study released today by the 2010 Kids Count Data Book.

Texas has the third highest teen birth rate in the country and ranks 43rd in child poverty. The number of Texas children living in poverty grew by nearly a quarter million between 2000-2008.

“What is the point of being the best place in the country to do business if the wealth that we are attracting and generating in this state is not accruing to the benefit of the children?” asked state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, chairman of the House Technology, Economic Development and Workforce Committee.

Strama and Texas KIDS COUNT Director Frances Deviney discussed the new report which requires more attention and investment, they said, to ensure the state's ongoing vitality.

An estimated budget shortfall as high as $18 billion will likely require steep cuts in programs and services next year because state leaders have ruled out tax increases.

“Kids can't afford the kinds of cuts that they are talking about. We can't get a return on investments that we don't make,” Deviney said.

The annual survey is sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Findings of the study focus on 2008 and do not reflect the recession that has caused unemployment to increase significantly since then.

Nice job Rick

[Blake]

Nice job Rick

so Texan kids are getting rickrolled

[boutons_deux]

White kids do OK, it's probably browns and blacks that are worst off.

[George Gervin's Afro]

White kids do OK, it's probably browns and blacks that are worst off.

They are mostly illegals so they deserve to suffer..

[Galileo]

Nice job Rick

Are you saying parents in Texas don't give a shit about their own children?

[DarrinS]

I'm no fan of Rick Perry, but this thread is full of fail.

[Stringer_Bell]

So, what I'm picking up from the article is...Rick Perry is good for business, Texas parents are bad for kids. OKAY YOUZ GUYS!

[elbamba]

I guess I don't see the correlation between business and welfare of children.

[coyotes_geek]

Nice job Rick

Here are the indicators used to develop the rankings. Which of these are Rick Perry responsible for?

Child Death Rate (deaths per 100,000 children ages 1–14)
Infant Mortality Rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)
Percent Low–Birthweight Babies
Percent of Children in Poverty (income below $21,834 for a family of two adults and two children in 2008)
Percent of Children in Single-Parent Families
Percent of Children Living in Families Where No Parent Has Full–Time, Year–Round Employment
Percent of Teens Not Attending School and Not Working (ages 16–19)
Percent of Teens Not in School and Not High School Graduates (ages 16–19)
Teen Birth Rate (births per 1,000 females ages 15–19)
Teen Death Rate (deaths per 100,000 teens ages 15–19)

[ALWAYS bet on BLACK]

no one likes mexicans. they are the worst.

[LnGrrrR]

Well, I did hear from someone once that Rick Perry eats babies, so that might be it.

[SnakeBoy]

So the programs are failing to help Texas children, therefore we cannot afford to cut funding to the programs that are failing to help the children?

[Nbadan]

There are few problems that more money for children in Texas wouldn't fix..including childhood poverty, education, health and nutrition...etc...etc...but Texas would rather give the richers more tax breaks than care for future Texans...

[Stringer_Bell]

So the programs are failing to help Texas children, therefore we cannot afford to cut funding to the programs that are failing to help the children?

:lmao:lmao:lmao

stop it, just stop it before someone hurts themselves laughing.

[CosmicCowboy]

White kids do OK, it's probably browns and blacks that are worst off.

It's hardly Texas state Government's fault that they keep sticking dicks in pussies unprotected and making babies.

And yes, we DO have a cultural mix that tends to make us not do well in that category.

[Nbadan]

..blame the children...nice...

[coyotes_geek]

So the programs are failing to help Texas children, therefore we cannot afford to cut funding to the programs that are failing to help the children?

Exactly. Nothing cures ineffective government spending better than more government spending.

[Stringer_Bell]

It's hardly Texas state Government's fault that they keep sticking dicks in pussies unprotected and making babies.

I take it you don't empathize with those of us who raw-dog it?

[coyotes_geek]

..blame the children...nice...

Not the children, the adults.

[CosmicCowboy]

..blame the children...nice...

The CHILDREN? I'm blaming the little maschismo mother fuckers that refuse to wear a rubber and the dumb bitches that fuck them anyway.

Thats what the teen pregnancy numbers boil down to in Texas.

[Nbadan]

....stfu.... until you can prove you know diddly about the cycle of poverty you should stop sounding like a wing-nut over-reactionary...

[CosmicCowboy]

....stfu.... until you can prove you know diddly about the cycle of poverty you should stop sounding like a wing-nut over-reactionary...

prove me wrong wing-nut.

Babies don't come from the fucking stork.

Bareback fucking=baby=little machismo man splitting=mamacita getting Federal $$$$ and LoneStar card for making babies= bareback fucking= more babies=cycle of poverty

[Nbadan]

:rolleyes

Chronic Poverty = PTSD/Chronic Stress syndrome/ADHD/ADD = Drug Addiction/Alcoholism/Learned helplessness = feeling of inadequacy in girls/emotional or physical negligence or abuse at home/teen status = teen pregenancy = Circle of Poverty.

/thread.

[The Reckoning]

just pull out. problem solved.

[EmptyMan]

Don't produce offspring unless you can afford them.

Problem solved.


If Rick can afford his kids, nice job Rick.

[Mr. Peabody]

And yes, we DO have a cultural mix that tends to make us not do well in that category.

California is 19th with roughly the same percentage of minorities.

[DarrinS]

California is 19th with roughly the same percentage of minorities.

How's that workin for CA?


A: Broke

[Marcus Bryant]

Cali's also going bankrupt.

[Mr. Peabody]

I thought that in Texas the position of governor was a relatively powerless one compared to executive positions in other states/levels of government.

[Mr. Peabody]

How's that workin for CA?


A: Broke

Is there a demonstrated correlation between the two facts?

It seems that some are arguing that throwing more money at the situation won't change the metrics in the study, while some are arguing that the only reason California is ranked higher is because they threw more money at the situation and went bankrupt solely because of that.

Can both be true?

[DarrinS]

Is there a demonstrated correlation between the two facts?

It seems that some are arguing that throwing more money at the situation won't change the metrics in the study, while some are arguing that the only reason California is ranked higher is because they threw more money at the situation and went bankrupt solely because of that.

Can both be true?



I've never believed that welfare helped the poor. At least not in the long term.

[Mr. Peabody]

I've never believed that welfare helped the poor. At least not in the long term.

Well, you must think it helps in some fashion because when I posted California's higher ranking you seemed to indicate that it was the result of state welfare.

I mean, you could have just as easily said, "Well, they have good wine there, that's why kids are better off," or "The weather's better there." But if we're tying California's higher ranking to some type of state expenditure then is that proof that more money can be a solution to some of these issues?

[CosmicCowboy]

California is 19th with roughly the same percentage of minorities.

Last I heard gay's ass fucking doesn't make babies.

That explains your statistical 15 place difference. They are both middle of the pack.

[jack sommerset]

I love Texas!!!!! Congrats on being number 1!!!!!!!!

[CosmicCowboy]

:rolleyes

Chronic Poverty = PTSD/Chronic Stress syndrome/ADHD/ADD = Drug Addiction/Alcoholism/Learned helplessness = feeling of inadequacy in girls/emotional or physical negligence or abuse at home/teen status = teen pregenancy = Circle of Poverty.

/thread.

OK.

So why didn't we have these crazy teen pregnancy numbers back when pregnant girls went to "homes for unwed mothers" where they could get counseling and support instead of taking the societal attitude "There's nothing wrong with getting pregnant it's society's fault" and mainstreaming them?

Funny how that psycho-babble bullshit comes back to bite you.

[bigzak25]

And how many of us are spending too much time at work trying to make money to keep up with the Jones's and too much time on the internet posting, instead of spending time with our children?

I think I will log off now...

[DMX7]

I'm no fan of Rick Perry, but this thread is full of fail.

Yeah, you are. You love Rick Perry.

[ElNono]

Another politician appealing to the 'protect the children' mantra for political gain.

Obvious politician is obvious.

[DMX7]

Is Rick Perry still talking secession or did he finally realize no one in their right fucking mind is going to go to fight a war essentially for him.

[RoddyBukkake]

Good for Texas not giving as many incentives for people to shit out talentless mud children.

[Winehole23]

I thought that in Texas the position of governor was a relatively powerless one compared to executive positions in other states/levels of government.By my lights you are about correct.

The Lieutenant Governor (and Speaker of the TX Senate), the Speaker of the TX House and the TX State Comptroller are all constitutionally more powerful than the Texas Governor.

I've not heard much argument about that but I could be wrong. Someone could jump in to contradict me.

[Winehole23]

I guess I don't see the correlation between business and welfare of children.There is none. But if you frame it that way people will address it as such.

If you construe it as a zero sum game I suppose you could say because business gets the consideration some other comparably deserving interest doesn't.

[Winehole23]

(But that sword cuts both ways...

[Winehole23]

...in principle it cuts omni-directionally.)

[ploto]

Good for Texas not giving as many incentives for people to shit out talentless mud children.
I often wonder about the reading comprehension level in here. The article is not talking about child welfare- as in government pay outs- but child welfare, as in health and well-being.

[Def Rowe]

How's that workin for CA?


A: Broke

And our Republican governor can't do a damn thing to fix it.

[Mr. Peabody]

Last I heard gay's ass fucking doesn't make babies.

That explains your statistical 15 place difference. They are both middle of the pack.

So your argument is that more homosexuals in a community equates with a better quality of life for the children in that community. Interesting.

[Mr. Peabody]

I often wonder about the reading comprehension level in here. The article is not talking about child welfare- as in government pay outs- but child welfare, as in health and well-being.

Right, but some in here (oddly enough, the conservatives) are arguing that increased health and well-being are the result of higher government pay outs.

[RandomGuy]

Here are the indicators used to develop the rankings. Which of these are Rick Perry responsible for?

Child Death Rate (deaths per 100,000 children ages 1–14)
Infant Mortality Rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)
Percent Low–Birthweight Babies
Percent of Children in Poverty (income below $21,834 for a family of two adults and two children in 2008)
Percent of Children in Single-Parent Families
Percent of Children Living in Families Where No Parent Has Full–Time, Year–Round Employment
Percent of Teens Not Attending School and Not Working (ages 16–19)
Percent of Teens Not in School and Not High School Graduates (ages 16–19)
Teen Birth Rate (births per 1,000 females ages 15–19)
Teen Death Rate (deaths per 100,000 teens ages 15–19)

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/images/buckstopsherefrontsmall.jpg

All of them.

Texas government policies directly or indirectly affect every single one of those measures. Perry is the governor, and head of one of the branches of that government.

If such measures of child wellness were a priority of his, surely he could do *something* to improve them, could he not?

[coyotes_geek]

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/images/buckstopsherefrontsmall.jpg

All of them.

Texas government policies directly or indirectly affect every single one of those measures. Perry is the governor, and head of one of the branches of that government.

If such measures of child wellness were a priority of his, surely he could do *something* to improve them, could he not?

Frankly I think the notion that politicians are somehow responsible for things like how many teenagers get pregnant and how many deadbeat parents there are is ludicrous, but I'll play along. How do you know those policies that are directly or indirectly affecting every single one of those measures are affecting them for the better or for the worse? How do you know whether or not Texas would be higher or lower on that list if not for Perry?

Couldn't one look at those factors, identify a correlation to economic status and logically conclude that the comparatively low unemployment rate of Texas actually helps Texas in terms of child wellness? If you've got a job then you're children are going to be better off. If Perry is responsible when teenagers decide to have unprotected sex then certainly he's responsible for the job you have.

[Blake]

So your argument is that more homosexuals in a community equates with a better quality of life for the children in that community. Interesting.

:lol