It’s Halloween week. While we at Texas 2036 are quite optimistic about the future of Texas, this may be one time when it’s appropriate to focus on some of the spooky data lurking out there about where we are and where we could be headed.
If your neighborhood vampire isn’t scary enough, spend some time with the Red Flags section of Texas2036.org. It’s a veritable haunted house of information that shows just how high the stakes are as the Texas population grows by 10 million people by our 2036 bicentennial. The page highlights the gap between the education of our workforce and the demands of the economy, the rising cost of health care, our shortage of water and the alarming fact that millions of Texans lack broadband access.
Scary stuff, right?
We don’t make a habit of dwelling on the negative. We believe that Texans are capable of overcoming any challenge and making the most of any opportunity. After all, our economy is already the envy of much of this country and has been for some time.
But we also don’t believe in turning a blind eye to legitimate, factual concerns about this state’s future. That’s what makes Texas 2036 different: We don’t hide from politically inconvenient data in order to inch by in the next election. We aren’t talking about the next election. We are talking about our longer-term future — a future that is full of opportunity and success, provided that we embrace data, engage strategic thinking and build consensus around the right solutions.
The red flags are scary, but they don’t have to be. Instead, let’s confront them, think about ways to solve them and ensure there are many treats in our future than tricks.
What can you do now?
We encourage all registered Texas voter to read up on the 10 proposed constitutional amendments and then go to the polls. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5th, but the the last day for early voting ends this Friday, Nov. 1. These constitutional amendments allow voters to weigh in on some of the topics that show up in our spooky stats and some more immediate needs, ranging from education, water, flooding, taxes, parks, health, and government performance issues.
To learn more, check out these resources: https://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/Constitutional_Amendments/amendments86_HRO_2019-11-05.pdf
https://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/Constitutional_Amendments/amendments86_tlc_2019-11-05.pdf