'Don't move to Texas': California billboards tell citizens to not move to Texas
AUSTIN, Texas - Billboards have been popping up around California, urging citizens not to move to Texas. These billboards go on to say the Texas miracle died following the Uvalde school shooting.
Katie Narajo, the chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, and Matt Mackowiak, chair of the Travis County Republican Party, join FOX 7 Austin's Mike Warren to discuss.
Mike Warren: Katie, what do you make of these signs going up?
Katie Narajo: I think it's a sad truth. The signs questionable. Right. But the reality of what they're representing and the quality of life in Texas is what's offensive. And the Government's response, particularly Abbott's response to the mass shootings as well as the continued gun violence in Texas, is literally costing people their lives.
Mike Warren: Matt Mackowiak, what do you think? Are these signs correct? What's your take on it?
Matt Mackowiak: Well, people are voting with their feet across the country, and that's why Texas and Florida are gaining population faster than any other state. California is losing population. That's why they've lost congressional seats. This is an opportunistic use of a tragedy. It's really quite shameful of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who's apparently trying to use a tragedy and Uvalde as a basis for him running for president United States. In the end, people are moving from California to Texas because of what Texas offers. Texas offers no state income tax. It offers economic opportunity. It offers safety across our state, particularly in suburban and rural areas. And so if you look, it costs something like a quarter as much to move to California as it does to move to Texas. And the reason for that is it's supply and demand. People are voting with their feet. They're coming to Texas because of what Texas offers.
Mike Warren: Katie, as a political question. Do more Californians moving to Texas? Is that beneficial for Democrats in Texas?
Katie Narajo: Regardless of where people are moving from, the reality is Texas is not here to serve the people of Texas. And it's not just folks who wrote your recent flight. It's interesting, Matt, that you mentioned a border because a quarter of Texas women are more times women are 25%, a quarter more likely to be a victim of gun violence in the state of Texas. We also now do not have any rights or support when it comes to abortion rights. And Republicans are trying to take away our right to have contraceptive birth control to determine our economic freedom. In addition to that, we have the foster care system that continues not to serve the children of Texas. And we are not funding health care for children when it comes to CHIP. So when we talk about the Texas economy, we also have to talk about the lives of Texans and the quality of their life in Texas.
Mike Warren: Right. Matt Mackowiak, I'll ask you the same question. Do more Californians moving into Texas, does that help Republicans in Texas politically?
Matt Mackowiak: Well, you know, it depends on why they're leaving, right. And so many Californians that are coming to places like Austin and Dallas are doing it because they're leaving failed cities. They're leaving filled cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, which are among the most dangerous cities in the country. And they have the worst affordability crises. So you hope that they're coming here not trying to turn Austin or Dallas into the flaming dumpster fires that Los Angeles and San Francisco have become, and instead trying to learn, why is Texas working? Why are people moving here? Why do we have such low unemployment? Why is this one of the best places to get a job in the country? Those questions answer themselves. Once you come here, you start to see how well Texas works. And that's why the population increases in Texas, both in urban and suburban areas, has been as high as anywhere else in the country.
Mike Warren: Katy, these billboards in California, do you think they'll be effective as far as stopping Californians from moving to Texas?
Katie Narajo: Again, these billboards are simply a sign to folks. It's interesting. We don't know who is paying for them. We don't know where they're coming from. But the truth of the billboard is what I think is most controversial. And when we talk about what's working in Texas, it's Texas workers who are working in Texas, but the Texas economy is not working for them. And so I think that we really have to reflect on those failed cities that you point out, Matt, and the policies that got there, because what I see is as bad as well as many economists see is that those same failed policies are what's going to make Texas cities fail. We have to invest in our workers, invest in our education and health care infrastructure to make sure we can support the Texans and Texas families that need government that works for them.
Mike Warren: Okay, Matt, a quick response then. We got to wrap it up.
Matt Mackowiak: Yeah. I mean, Los Angeles and San Francisco are failing because taxes are high. Regulation is totally out of control. Crime is out of control. We saw San Francisco voters, which are more progressive than almost any place in the country, recalled their district attorney because of these policies. So, again, Texas is succeeding. California is failing. Texas is not going to become California. And the voters need to keep in mind which policies are working, which policies are failing.
Mike Warren: All right. Well, it's an ongoing question. We have to wrap it up for now. Katy, Matt, thank you both very much.