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24. Texas
- Median household income: $50,740
- Population: 26,059,203 (2nd highest)
- Unemployment rate: 6.8% (tied-17th lowest)
- Pct. below poverty line: 17.9% (tied-11th lowest)
- Population: 26,059,203 (2nd highest)
- Unemployment rate: 6.8% (tied-17th lowest)
- Pct. below poverty line: 17.9% (tied-11th lowest)
"While Texas’ median income is actually very close to the national level, the state has one of the worst poverty rates in the country. Last year, 17.9% of Texans lived below the poverty line*, higher than the majority of states, and well above the U.S. rate of 15.9% for all Americans. By some measures, the state’s economy is improving. The unemployment rate of 6.8% in 2012 was lower than the year before. Additionally, a large number of the major metro areas across the country that had the strongest economic growth last year were located in Texas. Despite all the improvements, the state still has by far the worst rate of health insurance coverage in the country, with 22.5% of residents uninsured *."
Read more: America’s Richest (and Poorest) States
* (over four and a half million people)
* (nearly six million people)
Read more: America’s Richest (and Poorest) States
* (over four and a half million people)
* (nearly six million people)
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2010-2011 - Texas Freedom Network
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Texas ranks Number 3 in the nation with the highest teen pregnancy birth rates:
3. Texas – 61/1,000
"Star state high teen pregnancy birth rate. According to the Pregnancy Resource Center, 30 pregnant teens come in per month."
Read more at American Live Wire
Not only is our Republican-dominated state legislature made up of 80% men, many of whom are extremely misogynistic, treating the women who work in the state Capitol in a demeaning and harassing manner, but we have been "blessed" with a Republican Governor who continues to play to the extreme right. He refused to participate in the Medicaid expansion program, which is part of the Affordable Care Act. Turning down an estimated $100 billion dollars, he has denied one and a half million Texans health care coverage. The poor, elderly, and disabled are among those affected. Texas hospitals stand to lose $7 billion, after already having $700 million a year cut from Medicaid payments due to a budget shortfall. NPR
Governor Perry professes to be a staunch Christian, but he continues to back legislation that hurts the poor and needy in Texas. He has yet to come up with alternatives for dealing with the problems of the four and a half million people living in poverty in our once great state, nor for those uninsured who would be helped with the additional Medicaid funds. He has callously suggested that Texas should secede from the Union. What would happen to these poor folks then?
Read more at American Live Wire
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Texas gained national attention - again - in June when State Senator Wendy Davis conducted an 11-hour filibuster in the Texas legislature against one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, temporarily blocking the bill. Earlier this month, Planned Parenthood, after failing to get relief in the lower courts, petitioned the Supreme Court to place the new restrictions, which went into effect October 29th, on hold. As currently allowed, the bill will cause nearly a third of the clinics in Texas to close down. Many have already closed, affecting mostly poor and rural women.
As I wrote in my blog post October 4th, the mandates in the Texas bill are so strict it has forced the closures. These clinics not only perform constitutionally allowed abortions (Roe v Wade), but they provide many other forms of reproductive health care to women, teens, and even men. When one looks at the statistics for poverty, uninsured residents, teen pregnancies, and the lack of sufficient sex education in Texas schools, it makes you wonder what is going on "Deep in the Heart of Texas".
Not only is our Republican-dominated state legislature made up of 80% men, many of whom are extremely misogynistic, treating the women who work in the state Capitol in a demeaning and harassing manner, but we have been "blessed" with a Republican Governor who continues to play to the extreme right. He refused to participate in the Medicaid expansion program, which is part of the Affordable Care Act. Turning down an estimated $100 billion dollars, he has denied one and a half million Texans health care coverage. The poor, elderly, and disabled are among those affected. Texas hospitals stand to lose $7 billion, after already having $700 million a year cut from Medicaid payments due to a budget shortfall. NPRGovernor Perry professes to be a staunch Christian, but he continues to back legislation that hurts the poor and needy in Texas. He has yet to come up with alternatives for dealing with the problems of the four and a half million people living in poverty in our once great state, nor for those uninsured who would be helped with the additional Medicaid funds. He has callously suggested that Texas should secede from the Union. What would happen to these poor folks then?
Mark 10:21-22 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said,
"You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he
heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Love, peace, and sadness for our once great state,
Marilyn
