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Originally Posted by Shawn
I understand all of this. But we are talking about hypothetically doubling Dallas and Houston’s current metro size and scale. All of Texas’ to-date low-regulation, high-growth, low-tax policies have worked well at getting the Texas Triangle to where it is now. My line of thinking is that these policies’ positive results will hit a ceiling sooner than later, and in order for the Triangle to reach that next level, state budgets will have to be allocated a lot differently than they are now. Otherwise you’ll end up with an American version of KL or Jakarta; the congestion is so bad in Jakarta that the Indonesian government is just up and leaving, building a new capital ala Brasilia.
The question is, will the Triangle’s current growth be enough to flip Texas blue, thus allowing for the region to transform to its fullest potential?
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Why would they hit some theoretical ceiling though?
Jakarta also has a sinking problem much worse than any city in America so it's more than just the crowds. Texas does need to increase its social services and I can see the property tax issue getting out of hand for residents who aren't able to afford their gentrified area. But it won't be an Illinois situation as Texas as a whole is pretty prosperous so it'll balance out over time. It could also increase its minimum wage, because areas like Austin and Dallas have had high jumps in rent/housing costs.
Turning blue does not mean an area will reach its potential. Texas is fine being almost a 50/50 state, with the Texas Triangle leading the balance. I do not want it to become a California where it's an echo chamber of the same ideas. Too much redtape for residential construction, gasoline prices double that of neighboring states, poor primary schools aside from the most costly residential areas, a small middle class, and an out of control homeless population. I also don't want it to be a Mississippi with little social services and not much economic opportunity.
Right now Texas is in a sweet spot. It's conservative and progressive ideas together are making it an absolute powerhouse. It has a strong middle class, relatively low-cost of entry into good school districts due to lower housing costs, increasing transit infrastructure, new corporate relocations on an almost monthly basis, recreational space growing due to philanthropy and other donations, and an overall increase in quality of life because of all these things coming together.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JManc
Austin's traffic is pretty bad. Even compared to Houston and Dallas. Was over there just last weekend and 35 was a total parking lot on a Sunday afternoon.
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Yeah I took the MoPac Tollway during rush-hour a couple weeks ago and was amazed at the traffic not moving on the freeway portion. Then the street traffic downtown was pretty bad. On the flipside, Austin's rush hour lasts like 90 minutes so by the time we finished our meals, the freeways were clear by 6:30p. That's still heavy traffic time for Houston and DFW, and most larger metro areas.