Although not as dramatic as a hurricane or as sudden as wildfires - Texas - more particularly the southern half of our beautiful state - is enduring a climate catastrophe. We are sweltering under an onslaught of triple digit temperatures combined with an almost total cessation of rain. Lakes are drying, rivers reduced to trickles, public pools closed and most acutely farmers are watching the bounty of the land wither to nothingness. A look at this drought index reveals just how stark things have become:
http://www.txwin.net/...
The state official in charge of agriculture, Mr. Todd Staple, is singing a much different tune than the irresponsible figurehead Governor Perry and his bizarre talk of secession: "we hope God will bless us with moisture to relieve some of the pressure facing our producers,” he said. “While we wait, state and federal agencies are working together to offer assistance and I urge producers to take advantage of these critical resources."
I understand that many see us down heah in cattle country as - well given that we have as our most well recognized political figures Tom Delay, George W. and Rick Perry - we can be seen as kind of buffoonish and bit of clownish.
I have lived here long enough to understand that much of that is the kind of empty boastfulness that goes hat in hand with politics. We like to talk big and then beg alot.
But, some of you may think that there are those that are serious - that Texans really want to secede. Please don't take us seriously. How bad is it? Well this is pretty grim:
It's the hottest, driest summer on record over a large portion of the state, and locally we are more than 20 inches below normal since September of last year. In visiting with local farmers, this could be one of the worst droughts ever, as they have had years when crops emerged and then burned up, but not one in which they never got a crop to emerge. http://southwestfarmpress.com/...
Our esteemed leaders have - errrrr - reassured us with such sound public policy pronouncements as "maybe El Nino will help with a wetter than normal autumn" or "we are praying for a good hurricane...."
So - if you hear one of our chuckleheads - sorry - Republican politicians prattle on about secession understand it for what it is - but when we come begging for help - well how is it phrased - "to forgive is divine"