7 ms·

Migration of people from SV to Austin will change the political landscape and stop stuff like this from being passed.

twa999 5y ago
counter point, laws like this are necessary to prevent this from happening.
stephenhuey 5y ago
Houston underwent the greatest ethnic transformation of any major U.S. city in my lifetime. 1 out of 4 Houstonians is now foreign-born, and a lot of people have moved to Houston from the northern U.S. in the last decade. Austin has voted differently from a lot of Texas long before any SV influx, and they may help diversify voting in the state but not nearly as much as changes in other parts of Texas.
- wavefunction 5y ago
  I tell people from outside Texas that Houston is the most diverse city in the US and they act like I'm shamelessly lying. With all the stuff there is about Texas government and politics to criticize, it's a very unique part of the country under significant tensions pulling the place and people in multiple contradictory directions.
  - crazy_horse 5y ago
    It used to frustrate me but now it just makes me laugh when I see people talk about Dallas, Houston like they aren't two of the more diverse and largest metros in the country.
    - azinman2 5y ago
      Yet when my Indian friends were getting a housing tour in Dallas, they were told how diverse the area is: they have Protestant, Baptist, and Catholic Churches in this neighborhood! That didn’t impress them much (in fact it did the opposite) and they stayed in SF.
      - crazy_horse 5y ago
        It certainly depends on the area. I'm within about 2 miles of a Buddhist template and multiple mosques. There are another sixty churches in the same area, but it is what it is.
        azinman2 5y ago
        It not about the religion. It’s that a local thought that was indicative of diversity. It spoke to the local mindset.
      - wavefunction 5y ago
        Dallas is very different than Houston and I made no claims about Dallas.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - btmiller 5y ago
    In practice it really isn’t. The city sprawls endlessly with no mass transit, so you end up staying in your corner of the greater Houston area all the time, which is 90% suburbs with no walkability. Urban Houston is more diverse yes, but once you get beyond 610 you lose all city benefits and all the neighborhoods are homogeneous and monocultural. Houston is ok. Greater Houston is a terrible place. Great food though.
    - refurb 5y ago
      Sounds like the Bay Area.
    - lostandbored 5y ago
      Sounds like most American metropolitan areas.
- dctoedt 5y ago
  Scene: Houston, wedding-anniversary dinner in a French restaurant a few years ago. The server looked faintly Asian but sounded faintly French. Me: Are you Vietnamese by any chance? Her: No, I'm from Kazakhstan. Me: That's so interesting; I didn't know we had Kazakhs here in Houston. Her: Yes, there's about 5,000 of us. I was gobsmacked, as our Brit friends might say.
- dctoedt 5y ago
  Now if the blue cities in Texas can just somehow get rid of the conservative-rigged gerrymandering that gives the red rural areas such disproportionate power in state government.
- Robotbeat 5y ago
  I’m not sure ethnic change translates into progressive social policies. Latino immigrants tend to be socially conservative. (This is why Republicans hyperventilating about immigrants changing the political landscape should calm themselves down and Democrats shouldn’t take anything for granted.) SV immigrants probably a lot more socially progressive.
  - stephenhuey 5y ago
    I’ll give you that, but more languages are spoken in Houston than in NYC or LA, so even though the Hispanic population is in the majority, there are a lot of other kinds of people as well. And in the past election, Biden received twice as many votes from Houston as he did from Austin due to the fact that for all its fame Austin is a much smaller city.
smt88 5y ago
Probably not just SV, but it's true Texas is changing. It's a shame it didn't change faster.
- jhayward 5y ago
  All of the demographic change is essentially growth in the Hispanic population. The Hispanic demo votes overwhelmingly conservative.
  - smt88 5y ago
    That is not correct. Depending on the survey you look at, only 30-38% of Latino voters voted for Trump in 2020[1][2]. This was a big shift toward Republicans in 2020, but it still didn't make Latinos majority Republican. There are trends that work for and against both parties right now, too, so 2022 is anyone's guess, but they'll still likely vote majority Democrat. 1. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/racist-latino-vote-accelerates-texas-republicans-seek-restrictions-rcna1546 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/racist-latino-vote-accel... 2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/05/latinos-are-not-lock-democrats-heres-why/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/05/latinos-a...
jhayward 5y ago
No, it won't. Austin is one of the most gerrymandered regions of the country. I live in downtown Austin. My congressman is Chip Roy, an ultra-right-wing MAGA nonsense spewing idiot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas%27s_21st_congressional_district https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas%27s_21st_congressional_d...
slaveryintx 5y ago
You don't have to pay prisoners for work in Texas.
- religionintx 5y ago
  Unfortunately, I find it necessary to help elucidate some moral issues that recent legal developments in one state of the Union have brought to light. Such a God is correctly assessed as hostile to the patrons of Earth. Such a creation myth involving seven (7) days to create Heaven, Hell Lite, and Hell (Heaven, Earth, and Hell) is what we must interpret. At issue is whether the singular, supernatural God in Heaven is Benevolent (Good) and Omnipotent (All-knowing). Why would a loving God create Heaven without suffering on the first day, and then create Earth etc. with suffering on the succeeding days? Why not create Heaven for all? Why send infants into a life of suffering on Earth (Hell Lite) when they could be sent directly to Heaven with no suffering? Ergo, God's plan is to force babies to suffer on Earth for awhile; but if they die sinless, then they go to Heaven where parents aren't needed. Ergo, Heaven is full of parentless dead babies. You've made asses of yourselfs in trying to manipulate others into your golden candlestick tax districts, where the whole congregation does not have healthcare. God created a world in need of healthcare, and isn't getting healthcare to it. Ergo, because God created a world of suffering for us - and babies - god is not Friendly. And if god is not friendly, god is a very poor basis for our morality, and for our legal system. Case in point: did god ask for Mary's (or even Joseph's) consent? A benevolent god would design in required consent. In the Christian bible, furthermore, god tells them to kill even the enemies' women and unborn children. Ergo, god does not value the sanctity of infants' lives over other concerns. For citations of scripture, see e.g. Freedom from Religion Foundation > What Does the Bible Really Say About Abortion? https://ffrf.org/component/k2/item/25602-abortion-rights https://ffrf.org/component/k2/item/25602-abortion-rights A very poor basis for morality and law, indeed. What is "Original Sin" if not a suggestion that we should choose very wisely? And when they rolled that [silver] rock from the tomb, behold what did they find? No dead baby; for the dead baby of god was in heaven, gentlemen. Sinless dead babies all go to heaven, gentlemen. I think we can all agree that preventing unintended pregnancy is a worthwhile objective; though we have very differing views on whether abstinence-based education works. States with higher rates of religiosity (by church attendance) have higher rates of teen pregnancy: there is a somewhat strong positive correlation. A standing prayer request: Pray that we might get healthcare to our congregation.
fmakunbound 5y ago
Better if they migrate to rural Texas. We’re all cracked, packed and stacked here in Austin and other metropolitan areas since Tom de Lay and the rest of the Republicans redistricted back in 2003.
- MandieD 5y ago
  Woke: moving to Bell or Lubbock County to improve Texas politics Bespoke: moving to Milam or Scurry County to improve Texas politics

counter point, laws like this are necessary to prevent this from happening.

Houston underwent the greatest ethnic transformation of any major U.S. city in my lifetime. 1 out of 4 Houstonians is now foreign-born, and a lot of people have moved to Houston from the northern U.S. in the last decade. Austin has voted differently from a lot of Texas long before any SV influx, and they may help diversify voting in the state but not nearly as much as changes in other parts of Texas.

wavefunction 5y ago
I tell people from outside Texas that Houston is the most diverse city in the US and they act like I'm shamelessly lying. With all the stuff there is about Texas government and politics to criticize, it's a very unique part of the country under significant tensions pulling the place and people in multiple contradictory directions.
- crazy_horse 5y ago
  It used to frustrate me but now it just makes me laugh when I see people talk about Dallas, Houston like they aren't two of the more diverse and largest metros in the country.
  - azinman2 5y ago
    Yet when my Indian friends were getting a housing tour in Dallas, they were told how diverse the area is: they have Protestant, Baptist, and Catholic Churches in this neighborhood! That didn’t impress them much (in fact it did the opposite) and they stayed in SF.
    - crazy_horse 5y ago
      It certainly depends on the area. I'm within about 2 miles of a Buddhist template and multiple mosques. There are another sixty churches in the same area, but it is what it is.
      - azinman2 5y ago
        It not about the religion. It’s that a local thought that was indicative of diversity. It spoke to the local mindset.
    - wavefunction 5y ago
      Dallas is very different than Houston and I made no claims about Dallas.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- btmiller 5y ago
  In practice it really isn’t. The city sprawls endlessly with no mass transit, so you end up staying in your corner of the greater Houston area all the time, which is 90% suburbs with no walkability. Urban Houston is more diverse yes, but once you get beyond 610 you lose all city benefits and all the neighborhoods are homogeneous and monocultural. Houston is ok. Greater Houston is a terrible place. Great food though.
  - refurb 5y ago
    Sounds like the Bay Area.
  - lostandbored 5y ago
    Sounds like most American metropolitan areas.
dctoedt 5y ago
Scene: Houston, wedding-anniversary dinner in a French restaurant a few years ago. The server looked faintly Asian but sounded faintly French. Me: Are you Vietnamese by any chance? Her: No, I'm from Kazakhstan. Me: That's so interesting; I didn't know we had Kazakhs here in Houston. Her: Yes, there's about 5,000 of us. I was gobsmacked, as our Brit friends might say.
dctoedt 5y ago
Now if the blue cities in Texas can just somehow get rid of the conservative-rigged gerrymandering that gives the red rural areas such disproportionate power in state government.
Robotbeat 5y ago
I’m not sure ethnic change translates into progressive social policies. Latino immigrants tend to be socially conservative. (This is why Republicans hyperventilating about immigrants changing the political landscape should calm themselves down and Democrats shouldn’t take anything for granted.) SV immigrants probably a lot more socially progressive.
- stephenhuey 5y ago
  I’ll give you that, but more languages are spoken in Houston than in NYC or LA, so even though the Hispanic population is in the majority, there are a lot of other kinds of people as well. And in the past election, Biden received twice as many votes from Houston as he did from Austin due to the fact that for all its fame Austin is a much smaller city.

smt88 5y ago

Probably not just SV, but it's true Texas is changing. It's a shame it didn't change faster.

jhayward 5y ago
All of the demographic change is essentially growth in the Hispanic population. The Hispanic demo votes overwhelmingly conservative.
- smt88 5y ago
  That is not correct. Depending on the survey you look at, only 30-38% of Latino voters voted for Trump in 2020[1][2]. This was a big shift toward Republicans in 2020, but it still didn't make Latinos majority Republican. There are trends that work for and against both parties right now, too, so 2022 is anyone's guess, but they'll still likely vote majority Democrat. 1. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/racist-latino-vote-accelerates-texas-republicans-seek-restrictions-rcna1546 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/racist-latino-vote-accel... 2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/05/latinos-are-not-lock-democrats-heres-why/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/05/latinos-a...

jhayward 5y ago

No, it won't. Austin is one of the most gerrymandered regions of the country. I live in downtown Austin. My congressman is Chip Roy, an ultra-right-wing MAGA nonsense spewing idiot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas%27s_21st_congressional_district https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas%27s_21st_congressional_d...

slaveryintx 5y ago

You don't have to pay prisoners for work in Texas.

religionintx 5y ago
Unfortunately, I find it necessary to help elucidate some moral issues that recent legal developments in one state of the Union have brought to light. Such a God is correctly assessed as hostile to the patrons of Earth. Such a creation myth involving seven (7) days to create Heaven, Hell Lite, and Hell (Heaven, Earth, and Hell) is what we must interpret. At issue is whether the singular, supernatural God in Heaven is Benevolent (Good) and Omnipotent (All-knowing). Why would a loving God create Heaven without suffering on the first day, and then create Earth etc. with suffering on the succeeding days? Why not create Heaven for all? Why send infants into a life of suffering on Earth (Hell Lite) when they could be sent directly to Heaven with no suffering? Ergo, God's plan is to force babies to suffer on Earth for awhile; but if they die sinless, then they go to Heaven where parents aren't needed. Ergo, Heaven is full of parentless dead babies. You've made asses of yourselfs in trying to manipulate others into your golden candlestick tax districts, where the whole congregation does not have healthcare. God created a world in need of healthcare, and isn't getting healthcare to it. Ergo, because God created a world of suffering for us - and babies - god is not Friendly. And if god is not friendly, god is a very poor basis for our morality, and for our legal system. Case in point: did god ask for Mary's (or even Joseph's) consent? A benevolent god would design in required consent. In the Christian bible, furthermore, god tells them to kill even the enemies' women and unborn children. Ergo, god does not value the sanctity of infants' lives over other concerns. For citations of scripture, see e.g. Freedom from Religion Foundation > What Does the Bible Really Say About Abortion? https://ffrf.org/component/k2/item/25602-abortion-rights https://ffrf.org/component/k2/item/25602-abortion-rights A very poor basis for morality and law, indeed. What is "Original Sin" if not a suggestion that we should choose very wisely? And when they rolled that [silver] rock from the tomb, behold what did they find? No dead baby; for the dead baby of god was in heaven, gentlemen. Sinless dead babies all go to heaven, gentlemen. I think we can all agree that preventing unintended pregnancy is a worthwhile objective; though we have very differing views on whether abstinence-based education works. States with higher rates of religiosity (by church attendance) have higher rates of teen pregnancy: there is a somewhat strong positive correlation. A standing prayer request: Pray that we might get healthcare to our congregation.

fmakunbound 5y ago

Better if they migrate to rural Texas. We’re all cracked, packed and stacked here in Austin and other metropolitan areas since Tom de Lay and the rest of the Republicans redistricted back in 2003.

MandieD 5y ago
Woke: moving to Bell or Lubbock County to improve Texas politics Bespoke: moving to Milam or Scurry County to improve Texas politics