A pilot program for guaranteed income in Harris County is put on hold by the Texas Supreme Court.
Could residents of Corpus Christi become the first in the state to drink treated seawater from the tap? Some say a desalination plan’s needed to meet growing water demand, but many locals say the downsides are too serious to swallow.
The northern Panhandle is recovering from the devastation brought by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, caused by a downed electric pole belonging to Xcel Energy. Now, Xcel is the target of multiple lawsuits from people who lost assets during the blaze.
Also, efforts to get people living in flood zones out of harm’s way – could Harris County’s approach teach the federal government a thing or two?
Rancher
Farmer Logic
If you’ve spent any time around farmers — you may have noticed a similar, pragmatic approach to life many share. Texas Standard Commentator WF Strong says it’s something he’s long observed.
The Pessimistic Farmer
One in 7 working Texans has an agriculture-related job. That’s a lot of people who depend at least in part on unpredictable markets and mother nature to make a living. So it’s no surprise some of those folks might look towards the future with a bit of uncertainty. At least that’s the sentiment behind the latest contribution from Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong.
Texas Standard: December 2, 2019
21 dead in a shootout south of the border involving Mexican forces and drug cartels. Drug related violence or terrorism at the Texas border? What’s in a name? Although president Trump has threatened to designate Mexico’s drug cartels terrorist organizations, people in Mexico view the violence through a more complicated lens, according to a new survey…We’ll have the latest. Also, the outline of the AR-15: a form factor in the debate over gun control, now facing another test before the supreme court. And the Texas ranch sisterhood. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: April 24, 2019
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex. But what about sexual orientation? We’ll take a closer look at the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a trio of cases with the potential of expanding gay lesbian and transgender rights. Also, 3 scientists being fired amid espionage fears at Houston’s prestigious M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. And we’ve been hearing about Central American migrants at the border: a surprising number waiting in Ciudad Juárez are coming in from Cuba. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Things Shaped Like Texas
Texans tend to love the shape of Texas — and to buy items, including food, in that shape. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: June 28, 2017
Is it okay for Texas colleges and universities to use race as a factor in deciding who gets in and who doesn’t? We’ll explore a new legal challenge. Also, the opioid crisis is bigger than an addiction problem. In Houston, city officials warn of the arrival of an opioid variant so toxic, incidental contact could be lethal. We’ll have the latest. Plus Texas and other states offer incentives to boost the space business. Caliornia, meanwhile,is taking quite the reverse approach. We’ll hear what’s up. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 17, 2016
He calls it a big beautiful wall, running along the 2 thousand mile length of the US southern border. But could it really be built? We’ll explore. Plus thanks President Obama, but no thanks: we’ll hear why a federal inmate in Texas is turning down a white house commutation of his sentence. Also, naming rights, and some say wrongs. As a public school in Houston accepts a multimillion dollar grant and a new name: that of the donor. And a 25 million dollar homecoming for Texas Monthly: what the sale of an iconic magazine says about the state of the industry , and the state of Texas itself. All those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:
The Mysterious Texan and the Ranchers’ Convention
The story goes that there was a convention of landowners – mega farmers and big ranchers – up in Denver. There were four men sittin’ around in the bar there in the fancy resort, enjoying happy hour. Three of them were swappin’ stories about their farms and ranches and generally braggin’ about their land holdings. A fourth man, a Texan, was off to the side a bit. You knew he was from Texas because of the Lone Star hatband on his Stetson. He was not much involved in the conversation, just readin’ the paper and half-listenin’ to the others.
One of the talkers said, “I have about 8,122 acres of land along the Western Slopes of the Rockies here in Colorado. Have over 1,000 horses, I bet, if I could ever manage to count ‘em all. Probably the highest ranch in the Western U.S. – we call it El Cielo Ranch because it’s so close to Heaven.”
Next man said, “Sounds real nice. I have kind of the opposite. I own El Diablo Farms in Southern California’s Imperial Valley. Always hotter then the Devil down there. But we have over 9,500 irrigated acres. It is a desert, but just add water and watch the miracles happen. We grow produce faster than you can harvest it. Like a license to print money!” he said, laughing loudly.
Third guy said, “I don’t have nearly that much land. I have about 6,000 acres in the fertile Willamette Valley. Have the largest dairy operation in Oregon. Over 3,000 registered Holstein cows. Scottish Dairies it’s called. Supply milk to half of Portland. Only problem is the Willamette River runs right down the middle of my farms and makes navigating my own property difficult. It’s a beautiful problem to have, though.”
The Texan was still sittin’ quietly and then one of ‘em says, “Hey, Tex, how about you? How much land do you have?”
He said, “Well, down in Texas it’s considered unseemly to ask a man how much land he owns or how many head of cattle he runs. We talk about land in terms of sections, not acres, but, since you gentlemen revealed your cards, I guess I can oblige your curiosity. I suppose, all told,” he said, looking up at the ceiling, as though mentally counting, “I have 200 acres.”
The three men burst out laughing. The Californian said, “200 acres! What the hell you doin’ here at this gathering of big ranchers and farmers? What do you call your little ranchito, Tex?”
And the guys laughed some more.
“Well,” drawled the Texan, “I don’t have a name for it myself, but people all round Texas like to call it – Downtown Dallas.”
Things got mighty quiet. You could hear minds bein’ blown. You could hear jaws droppin’ – hittin’ the metaphorical floor.
The Texan drank the last bit of his Shiner Bock, got up and said, “Any you boys want to sell your land, let me know. I’ll dip into my petty cash account and buy you out.”
With that he tipped his Stetson politely and said, “Y’all have a nice evenin’, now.”
W.F. Strong is a Fulbright Scholar and professor of Culture and Communication at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. At Public Radio 88 FM in Harlingen, Texas, he’s the resident expert on Texas literature, Texas legends, Blue Bell ice cream, Whataburger (with cheese) and mesquite smoked brisket.
The Texas Rancher and the New York Banker
This story comes under the heading of “folklore,” a story that rises up out of the people and migrates and mutates. There is a New York version, a Jewish version, an Italian version, a Southern version and a Texas version, where I believe it originated, but that is likely because I am a Texan. It goes like this:
A Texas rancher walks into a bank in New York City and asks for a $5000 loan for the period of a month.
The banker hesitates. He is uncertain about it because he thinks the Texan looks a bit like a redneck, and truth be told, rather poor. So he decides to blow him off quickly. He says, “Do you have any collateral to put up for the loan?”
The rancher replies, “Yep, got that 2015 Ford F-250 sittin’ across the street there. Worth $70,000 all decked out that way.”
The banker rolls his eyes and says, “How much do you owe on that truck?”
The rancher says, “Not a dime. All paid for.”
The banker leans forward and changes his tune. “Well sir, I don’t see why we couldn’t loan you $5000. We could go up to $40,000 if you’d like, over a longer period, of course.”
“Nope,” said the rancher, “$5000 will do. A month is all I need.”
“You mind if I ask why you need the loan?” asked the banker.
The rancher said, “I drove up from my little ranch in Abilene to do some business here and suddenly have an emergency opportunity. A bucket list item, to fly over to España to maybe purchase an Andalusian horse, if I can afford it. Little cash poor just now – need some walkin’ around money.”
The banker says, “Well this will be no problem. We can certainly help you out.”
“Just one thing,” said the rancher. “Can we skip puttin’ a lien on the title? Clearing a New York lien from Texas, I imagine, is like herdin’ cats.”
“I tell you what,” said the banker, “Just leave the truck with us as hard collateral and pick it up when you come back. You’re not going to need it anyway.”
The rancher thought a moment and said, “Well, it’s a bit unusal, but I guess it will be alright.” He slid the keys across the desk to the banker.
In a few minutes, all the formalitites were settled and the banker gave the rancher $5000 in cash and off he went to Spain.
One month later the rancher returned and paid the banker $5000 – plus $28.22 for one month’s interest.
The banker walked the rancher out to the front of the bank. As they waited for the truck to be brought down from the garage. The banker said, “Sir, while you were gone I ran a full credit check on you, just for the hell of it. And turns out you are quite wealthy. You have a 1200 acre ranch, 500 head of cattle, and oil and gas interests; you didn’t really need this loan did you?”
Rancher said, “No sir, I didn’t, not really.”
Banker said, “Mind if I ask why you got the loan?”
Just at that moment, truck arrived from the bank’s garage. The rancher hopped in and powered the window down. He leaned out toward the banker and said, “Where else was I gonna park a big ol’ F-250 in New York City for a whole month for just $28?”
With that he tipped his hat and said, “Much obliged to you.”
W.F. Strong is a Fulbright Scholar and professor of Culture and Communication at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. At Public Radio 88 FM in Harlingen, Texas, he’s the resident expert on Texas literature, Texas legends, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Whataburger (with cheese) and mesquite smoked brisket.