Was it something we said?

[Pixelated]

Quebec apparently contacted Texas to offer supplies and technicians to get the power up and running again.

The response? No thanks ... but please send prayers.

I swear I am not making this up.

[Greenday]

A lot of people from New Jersey want to give Texas the middle finger right now as far as aide for disaster relief goes. When Hurricane Sandy devastated our state, Texas told us to go F ourselves basically and refused to send any help. Now they want help and people remember.

[Pixelated]

Understood ... and very understandable, believe me ... but this is Texas itself telling Quebec "No thanks, we don't want actual practical help ... just prayers." Are prayers going to get the power back up any faster?

[s_stabeler]

I actually wonder if it's more of a "you shouldn't need outside help" thing- particularly since, by the sound of it, they refuse to give or receive disaster aid. It is arguably somewhat more moral than being willing to receive aid, while not giving any out themselves.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

So here's the thing - I was actually irate when I first read the initial story too. Then I thought about it.

Texas is still in the search and rescue/make things livable stage. I live in Dallas where now there are gas shortages largely because people are acting idiotically. That's not a problem solved by adding more people to Texas right now. The misunderstanding here is that it's not that Texas does not want the help, but they do not need it right this second. It's there in the original quote too, but people focused on the refusal. The official has since clarified his original statement, basically focusing in on the time component. The infrastructure has to be built out to support the rebuilding effort. Once that's there, we'll be capable of taking on a large number of volunteers. This is the build up phase.

Re: New Jersey, the thing to remember is that because Texas is so safely in Republican hands, when the party wants to have symbolic votes, it frequently uses the Texas bloc of lawmakers. That's not because Texas supports it, but because it gives the national platform the ability to say things it doesn't actually want to do but wants to feed its Fox news base.

And for the record, I'll say American liberals voting against relief for Houston are voting against their own. Like Dallas, like Austin, and like San Antonio, those areas skew blue and did in the last election anyway. So feel free to feel sanctamonious as you stick it to your currently homeless allies. You've really struck one for liberalism.

https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/texas?mcubz=3

[Greenday]

Oh, New Jersey isn't voting on it, we're just going to do it. There's just people who enjoy pointing out the sad irony of the situation.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

I guess as someone who volunteers and was in the middle of Sandy and next weekend will be part of the relief effort for Harvey - I guess whatever floats people's boats as long as the help comes in. *shrug*

[protege]

A lot of people from New Jersey want to give Texas the middle finger right now as far as aide for disaster relief goes.

I don't blame them at all. I mean, I know people in NJ who had their homes damaged from Sandy, and I remember the outrage. Texas though, seems to have the attitude of "fuck you all" until they need something. They want to be self-sufficient (remember the threats and "facts" when they wanted to secede during Obama's second term?), and to hell with everyone else. Unfortunately, now that they're having issues, they need the help. Maybe that will get them to wake up.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08...icane-funding/

^ a good article on the whole thing.

Much of this is political crowing and I honestly don't have a problem with it so long as people keep in mind no money was ever blocked originally, and so long as the Northeast isn't completely sanctomonious about it, they come out looking pretty good. The thing about that Texas bloc was, (and I said this before), they were allowed to do this because they were in safe districts and allowed Fox News to have some fuel about "coastal elites." They did party business. I doubt in reality if that funding had been in danger you'd have seen the same behavior. It's just, as the person from Houston who didn't go along with it is correctly aware of, it was stupid because Texas is a coastal state.

I'd also note the person that did support the aid package in 2013 was from Houston. I guess my thing is I don't mind the political grandstanding aspect of this, but as a Texan that was literally in New York helping people rebuild fucking houses, I get really, really pissed off fast getting erased from the conversation.

[Cia]

When my sister, who lives in Houston, mentioned this prayers thing I commented that the guy probably though hydro meant water, instead of electric, and came up with a nice way to say they didn't need anymore water.

[Greenday]

https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08...icane-funding/

^ a good article on the whole thing.

Much of this is political crowing and I honestly don't have a problem with it so long as people keep in mind no money was ever blocked originally, and so long as the Northeast isn't completely sanctomonious about it, they come out looking pretty good. The thing about that Texas bloc was, (and I said this before), they were allowed to do this because they were in safe districts and allowed Fox News to have some fuel about "coastal elites." They did party business. I doubt in reality if that funding had been in danger you'd have seen the same behavior. It's just, as the person from Houston who didn't go along with it is correctly aware of, it was stupid because Texas is a coastal state.

I'd also note the person that did support the aid package in 2013 was from Houston. I guess my thing is I don't mind the political grandstanding aspect of this, but as a Texan that was literally in New York helping people rebuild fucking houses, I get really, really pissed off fast getting erased from the conversation.

We have long memories. And we don't pass up a chance to throw a F*ck You at someone who tried to wrong us. (Actually, excessive cursing is a great way to figure out someone is from NJ/NY) Also, LoBiondo is my homebody. I've been very impressed by him. Republican who votes against the Republican party quite often.