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For context, I live in San Saba and Lampasas, TX. San Saba is located two hours northwest of Austin where the population density is three people per square mile

For context, I live in San Saba and Lampasas, TX. San Saba is located two hours northwest of Austin where the population density is three people per square mile. While there is truth to the story about inflation hitting rural, poorer areas the hardest, this gentleman's quotes are a but of a stretch. > Brisket went from one sixty-nine a pound to seven Brisket has not been $1.69 for years, unless this gentleman has some sort of sweetheart deal. Also, I show that HEB's market price for brisket today is between $3.05/lb and $5.14/lb. [0] > “In Texas, in all two hundred and fifty-four counties, you can go get barbecue—that’s what we could lose,” she said. It seems that this person is saying we could lose BBQ in all 254 counties in Texas? That's unmitigated hyperbole and balderdash. > “We’ve had a handful of customers that have been here from Day One, every morning. Drinking coffee, a lot of times ordering the same taco.” When the restaurant opened back up at 7 A.M. on Thursday, only two of the seven morning regulars showed up. “It brought a tear to my eyes,” Rodriguez said. “Like, man, am I losing it? I’ve put too much work in here. I’ve worked so hard to want people to come in here. And now I have it, and I’m having to shut the doors.” This is a great example of a writer trying to prove a point without stopping for a moment to make sure that they were being truthful in their accounting so as to avoid being disingenuous. This is a very teachable moment for this writer, and others. Absolutely, inflation hurts. For example, I know that small town governments who provide the critical infrastructure for their communities drive the equivalent of an F150 and the increase in gas prices strains city budgets, which may only be $1M per annum. Will they get by? Absolutely, because self-reliance is baked into their existence, the community rallies and supports its own, or they couldn't continue to live and survive in such remote environs. To address the author's original question, will the local county BBQ joins in Texas survive inflation? It will hurt, but of course they will survive. Texas BBQ will never go away. [0] https://www.heb.com/category/brisket/338579 https://www.heb.com/category/brisket/338579

gnicholas 4y ago
> It seems that this person is saying we could lose BBQ in all 254 counties in Texas? That's unmitigated hyperbole and balderdash. I interpreted this to mean that BBQ is available in all of the counties in TX, and that may no longer be true in the future, since some rural counties may lose their last BBQ joint.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- jason-phillips 4y ago
  I would like to know which they are. I just don't see that as a thing that can happen. If you think a Texas county may lose their BBQ producing capacity, please let me know as this would be most newsworthy and also deserving of every Texans' help.
  - leereeves 4y ago
    That's a quote from Emily Williams Knight, the president of the Texas Restaurant Association, previously published in the Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/story/dreams-of-inexpensive-texas-barbecue-go-up-in-smoke-a500a744 https://www.wsj.com/story/dreams-of-inexpensive-texas-barbec... Of course, authority doesn't necessarily make something true, but it deserves a better counterargument than: "I just don't see that as a thing that can happen." It is certainly hard to imagine losing something so central to a culture, but the financial plight of small town America is quite dire. Sometimes people have to give up things they love when they just can't afford them anymore.
- MandieD 4y ago
  Additional context: there are many big, nearly-empty counties in West Texas that, frankly, should be completely empty, and I say that as someone whose maternal grandparents were born and grew up in Swisher County (Tulia and Happy), and whose dad now lives in Kent County - where a grand jury summons meant the prospect of 160 mile daily round trips because the county seat is on the north side of the county but he lives in the southwest corner, and the Panhandle's one lake of note being in the way means he has to drive a long ways around it. Kent County has about 1000 residents, and there are several other sub-1000 resident counties. This also leads to fun effects like laws that each county can only have one ballot drop-off spot: sensible for those counties with fewer residents than many of the University of Texas dorms; a ridiculous nightmare for Dallas, Travis and Harris Counties (but that was kind of the point).
  - 4y ago
spywaregorilla 4y ago
> Absolutely, inflation hurts. For example, I know that small town governments who provide the critical infrastructure for their communities drive the equivalent of an F150 and the increase in gas prices strains city budgets, which may only be $1M per annum. Will they get by? Absolutely, because self-reliance is baked into their existence, the community rallies and supports its own, or they couldn't continue to live and survive in such remote environs. A ridiculous tautology. They will continue to exist because if they couldn't they wouldn't? Self reliance is baked into their existence? Please. Let's do a check: https://reportingtexas.com/amid-population-decline-rural-texas-towns-look-to-future/ https://reportingtexas.com/amid-population-decline-rural-tex... > Despite Texas gaining more people than any other state in the past decade, more than half of its counties lost population, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. > During the past few decades, changes in agriculture and the boom-or-bust oil and gas industry have led to dwindling employment opportunities in rural Texas. Many young people leave rural communities after high school in search of economic and social opportunity, often never returning. These towns are hurting badly. They're not going to survive by gritting their teeth.
- amanaplanacanal 4y ago
  People have been migrating from rural to urban areas for hundreds of years. That has little to do with inflation.
  - spywaregorilla 4y ago
    It has to do with economic pressures which make rural living harder and urban living easier. Inflation is one of those pressures.
BowBun 4y ago
Statements with the word 'never' should immediately be dismissed, especially when you're being as pedantic as you are in your above argument. If I dissect your points with the same gusto as you dissect the article's: > It seems that this person is saying we could lose BBQ in all 254 counties in Texas? Not what they're saying, they're saying some could be lost which would mean BBQ would not be available in every county. > Brisket has not been $1.69 for years, unless this gentleman has some sort of sweetheart deal. Comparing wholesale prices to HEB makes no sense. I also can't get 150 eggs for that price. > Texas BBQ will never go away. The hubris in this statement is unbelievable! Why do you think BBQ of all things is immune from societal changes? Countless foods and other cultural activities have been lost over generations due to even more reasons. I find it funny how your wording makes BBQ sound like the last bastion of civilization that should be defended! I get the skepticism, but the response is a bit over the top for what's being talked about. It's just BBQ, they're having a rough time, we might lose some businesses.
andsoitis 4y ago
> > “In Texas, in all two hundred and fifty-four counties, you can go get barbecue—that’s what we could lose,” she said. >It seems that this person is saying we could lose BBQ in all 254 counties in Texas? That's unmitigated hyperbole and balderdash. No, he's saying that today you can go to any of the 254 counties in Texas and get BBQ, but in the future you may only be to do so in some.

gnicholas 4y ago

> It seems that this person is saying we could lose BBQ in all 254 counties in Texas? That's unmitigated hyperbole and balderdash. I interpreted this to mean that BBQ is available in all of the counties in TX, and that may no longer be true in the future, since some rural counties may lose their last BBQ joint.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
jason-phillips 4y ago
I would like to know which they are. I just don't see that as a thing that can happen. If you think a Texas county may lose their BBQ producing capacity, please let me know as this would be most newsworthy and also deserving of every Texans' help.
- leereeves 4y ago
  That's a quote from Emily Williams Knight, the president of the Texas Restaurant Association, previously published in the Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/story/dreams-of-inexpensive-texas-barbecue-go-up-in-smoke-a500a744 https://www.wsj.com/story/dreams-of-inexpensive-texas-barbec... Of course, authority doesn't necessarily make something true, but it deserves a better counterargument than: "I just don't see that as a thing that can happen." It is certainly hard to imagine losing something so central to a culture, but the financial plight of small town America is quite dire. Sometimes people have to give up things they love when they just can't afford them anymore.
MandieD 4y ago
Additional context: there are many big, nearly-empty counties in West Texas that, frankly, should be completely empty, and I say that as someone whose maternal grandparents were born and grew up in Swisher County (Tulia and Happy), and whose dad now lives in Kent County - where a grand jury summons meant the prospect of 160 mile daily round trips because the county seat is on the north side of the county but he lives in the southwest corner, and the Panhandle's one lake of note being in the way means he has to drive a long ways around it. Kent County has about 1000 residents, and there are several other sub-1000 resident counties. This also leads to fun effects like laws that each county can only have one ballot drop-off spot: sensible for those counties with fewer residents than many of the University of Texas dorms; a ridiculous nightmare for Dallas, Travis and Harris Counties (but that was kind of the point).
- 4y ago

spywaregorilla 4y ago

> Absolutely, inflation hurts. For example, I know that small town governments who provide the critical infrastructure for their communities drive the equivalent of an F150 and the increase in gas prices strains city budgets, which may only be $1M per annum. Will they get by? Absolutely, because self-reliance is baked into their existence, the community rallies and supports its own, or they couldn't continue to live and survive in such remote environs. A ridiculous tautology. They will continue to exist because if they couldn't they wouldn't? Self reliance is baked into their existence? Please. Let's do a check: https://reportingtexas.com/amid-population-decline-rural-texas-towns-look-to-future/ https://reportingtexas.com/amid-population-decline-rural-tex... > Despite Texas gaining more people than any other state in the past decade, more than half of its counties lost population, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. > During the past few decades, changes in agriculture and the boom-or-bust oil and gas industry have led to dwindling employment opportunities in rural Texas. Many young people leave rural communities after high school in search of economic and social opportunity, often never returning. These towns are hurting badly. They're not going to survive by gritting their teeth.

amanaplanacanal 4y ago
People have been migrating from rural to urban areas for hundreds of years. That has little to do with inflation.
- spywaregorilla 4y ago
  It has to do with economic pressures which make rural living harder and urban living easier. Inflation is one of those pressures.

BowBun 4y ago

Statements with the word 'never' should immediately be dismissed, especially when you're being as pedantic as you are in your above argument. If I dissect your points with the same gusto as you dissect the article's: > It seems that this person is saying we could lose BBQ in all 254 counties in Texas? Not what they're saying, they're saying some could be lost which would mean BBQ would not be available in every county. > Brisket has not been $1.69 for years, unless this gentleman has some sort of sweetheart deal. Comparing wholesale prices to HEB makes no sense. I also can't get 150 eggs for that price. > Texas BBQ will never go away. The hubris in this statement is unbelievable! Why do you think BBQ of all things is immune from societal changes? Countless foods and other cultural activities have been lost over generations due to even more reasons. I find it funny how your wording makes BBQ sound like the last bastion of civilization that should be defended! I get the skepticism, but the response is a bit over the top for what's being talked about. It's just BBQ, they're having a rough time, we might lose some businesses.

andsoitis 4y ago

> > “In Texas, in all two hundred and fifty-four counties, you can go get barbecue—that’s what we could lose,” she said. >It seems that this person is saying we could lose BBQ in all 254 counties in Texas? That's unmitigated hyperbole and balderdash. No, he's saying that today you can go to any of the 254 counties in Texas and get BBQ, but in the future you may only be to do so in some.