On another *thread, someone questioned the reasons behind my 'blind hatred' for President Bush. I tried to explain (*comment #14) that my opinion went beyond politics and his actions as President; that, as a Texan and journalist for a local weekly 'alternative' newspaper, I was well aware of Bush's privileged past, his results as Governor, and his many suspicious business dealings prior to becoming President.

During the 2000 election, most of the major national media shamefully chose to ignore his record as Governor of Texas, so I thought you might be interested in knowing just what he accomplished during his tenure in my home state.

The following data were valid as of the end of his first term, and are taken from the Census Bureau, National Center for Health Statistics, the EPA, and the Congressional Quarterly. They rank Texas in relation to the other 49 states.

To be fair, Texas was at the top of some ratings:

* 1st in pollution released by manufacturing plants;
* 1st in pollution by industrial plants in violation of the federal Clean Air Act;
* 1st in greenhouse gas emissions;
* 1st in number of working parents without health insurance;
* 1st in percentage of children without health insurance.

* 2nd in number of children living in poverty;
* 2nd in percentage of population without health insurance;
* 2nd in number of children without health insurance (1st in percentage)

* 3rd in percent of non-elderly population without health insurance

* 5th in poverty rate;
* 5th in teen birth rate.

Here's a listing of where Texas is at or near the bottom relative to other states:

* 50th in teacher salaries plus benefits ("No Child Left Behind"? you've got to be kidding!)
* 50th in per-capita spending on government administration;
* 50th in per-capita interest paid on state's general debt;

* 49th in per capita general revenue;
* 49th in spending for the environment;
* 49th in per-capita spending on natural resources;
* 49th in percent of adults voting in November 1996

* 48th in per-capita spending for public health;
* 48th in per-capita spending for public parks and recreation;
* 48th in per-capita spending for public arts programs;
* 48th in per-capita tax revenue;

* 47th in delivery of social services;
* 47th in per-capita spending on highways;

* 46th in welfare benefits as a percentage of poverty-level income;

* 42nd in state and local government welfare spending;
* 42nd in per capita high school completion rate (from the "Education President"?)
* 42nd in per-capita revenue from current charges (tuition, fees for products/services, highway tolls, etc.)
* 42nd in spending for public libraries (the First Lady is a librarian!)

* 39th in physicians per capita

* 38th in immunization rates;

* 35th in per-capita education spending for K12 and higher;

* 32nd in average life-expectancy;

* 31st in infant mortality rates.