Over the last couple of years, Texas has hit the national and international headlines for all the wrong reasons. The state that has always been famed as the home of cowboys and the most expansive ranches that attracted so much international admiration has lost all its glory and in its place poverty is quickly becoming the story. Poverty has hit Texas with such a blow that it now lists among the poorest of states in the U.S and its counties and metropolitans tell a different tale from that of a few years ago. Several factors have contributed to this situation and as figures suggest, Texas needs a quick solution to these troubles else it will become a forgotten city (Texas Politics- Poverty in Texas).
One of the greatest contributors to this poverty is a general low or lack of education among the larger part of the population. Being a border state, Texas has faced the greatest immigration problem since thousands of immigrants move into Texas each year with the hope of living the American dream. The immigrants are drawn from Mexico and other Latin America countries such as Cuba. The challenge that these immigrants pose to America is that they come in with no education and as such cannot seek meaningful employment. Many of them cannot even speak in English. Texas has thus turned from a town of a well-educated and elite people to a town of uneducated and poverty stricken residents who will do anything they can to afford the next meal (Texas Education Agency).
This situation has escalated to some undesirable form since out of their abject poverty; many residents cannot afford descent housing and reside in shanties and shacks. This has led to the springing of informal settlements that some critics say are worse than those found in underdeveloped third world countries. In these settlements are diseases and all forms troubles including crime. Crime has since extended to other metropolitan parts of Texas due to the widening gap between the rich and the poor that has seen the cost of living rise each day.
Texas has also been criticized for lacking the basic infrastructure such as roads, water, proper sewer systems and electricity. This has turned away many prospective investors and others willing to build their homes in Texas. This has had a negative impact on the economy of Texas which has been rated as the worst in the entire U.S. counties such as McAllen, Hidalgo, Lubbock and El Paso are rated as the poorest in the entire country and are all in Texas. Texas has generally performed poorly on the poverty index since on a number of surveys conducted; it had a higher average poverty rate than the entire country. For example, a recent survey revealed that while the national average poverty index stood at 15%, that of Texas which was at 16.7%. This implies that Texas was a major contributor to the number of people that live below the poverty level in America (Texas Technology & Infrastructure Fund LLC).
Resolutions to Problems in Texas
The government of Texas has made several attempts to reverse the trend that is currently prevailing in the state. One major boost to these efforts was a recent revamp of funds into major sectors that are expected to revive the fortunes of Texas. To begin, it was considered necessary to provide quality education that would help many people and especially the youth lift themselves out of poverty. Vocational centers were established to provide technical education to the many youths who end up working in low paying and poor conditioned industries just to make a living. It is expected that with the right skills, they will be in a position to work as full time employees in better paying establishments. As a result, they can be able to provide for themselves and improve on their health since many were found to lack access to proper medical care due to inadequate money. A health insurance policy was also adopted by the state government in conjunction with a nationwide health promotion organization (K-12 Education- Issues and Solutions).
In a bid to woo investors and visitors, millions of dollars have been set aside to improve on the general infrastructure of several metropolitans around Texas. McAllen and Lubbock counties are some of the biggest beneficiaries of this initiative that will see the face-lifting of several counties in order to improve the living conditions of residents. Amenities such as electricity, water, sewer systems and roads were given a top priority as issues needing urgent action. There were proposals to add at least one public health facility and public school in every county although this plan was to wait for investors and donors to intervene. Plans were also laid to establish a multi-million dollar ICT center in Texas and this was anticipated to help in hastening trade between Texas and the rest of America and the world (Texas Technology & Infrastructure Fund LLC).
Security has also received a major boost with the establishment of several police stations within the counties and a rapid response unit that received vehicles to help patrol the counties around the clock. This is expected to improve security and thus enhance trade and foreign investment.
Support and Oppositions to Resolutions
As much as most of the resolutions are concerned, I am fully confident that Texas will improve going by the plans that have been established. Most of the projects are aimed at economic recovery and have already been rolled out. Several counties and metropolitans have seen the commencement of works that are aimed at improving the socioeconomic aspects of the counties. A tour around several counties reveals that there are at least two government led initiatives that are geared towards the improvement of the state of affairs within the counties. In particular, it is worth noting that all counties have a project to refurbish or construct roads and these projects are being carried out to international standards complete with street lighting and drainage systems. Roads are an important determinant when it comes to making of investment choices especially by foreign investors (Infrastructure Transportation- Texas in Focus).
Education and health have also received major boosts from locals as well as investors. Although I am in much support of this, it is also important to invest in wealth creation ventures so as to give those leaving school a means of providing for themselves. Once children are through with their education, it is easy for them to get poached by other states or countries that are in a better position hire them and pay them handsomely. Texas must therefore adopt a policy that will see the creation of enough opportunities that will employ the youths completing their education. This I believe will have a long term effect on other issues of social concern such as health and security (Health and Safety Code Chapter 182).
A point of concern however regards security and more specifically the influx of immigrants from Latin America countries. Texas is an easy entry point for these immigrants since it borders Mexico. In the last couple of years, cases of drugs and arms smuggling have been rampant and this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The setting up of police stations and providing police with 24 hour patrol cars may not solve the problem since there are already well known businessmen and residents of Texas and other states who engage in these illegal trades. Action must therefore be taken to keep in check such businesses that might scare investors and derail the transformation agenda of Texas (Income and Poverty in Texas Still Not Recovered).
Works Cited
"HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE CHAPTER 182. TEXAS HEALTH SERVICES AUTHORITY." Texas Constitution and Statutes - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
"Income & Poverty In Texas Still Not Recovered « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth." CBS Dallas / Fort Worth. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
"Infrastructure: Transportation - Texas In Focus." Susan Combs - Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
"K-12 Education > Issues and Solutions > State Budget Solutions." State Budget Solutions. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
"Texas Education Agency - Texas students show strong gains on AP exams." Texas Education Agency - Welcome. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
"Texas Politics - Poverty in Texas - BETA." Welcome to Texas Politics. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
"Texas Technology & Infrastructure Fund LLC « ORIX." ORIX. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
