Texas should be cautious with development

Texas has a lot to celebrate when it comes to growth and prosperity, and we can now add to that celebration the number two, as in two additional congressional seats that the state picked up in the 2020 census.

Texas is entitled to the seats because we continue to add new residents to our state, either through birth or through their decision to come to their senses and get here as fast as they could.

It’s a testament to reality that people and businesses want to be here. But as we perused the national press, we found more than one story that couldn’t seem to put two-and-two together on why states like California, New York and Illinois are losing population and representation even as Texas is gaining it.

To us, the answer stands out like a single white star on a deep blue background. It’s just easier to do business and make a living in Texas than it is in the places people are leaving.

A state that lets workers keep more of their paychecks by refusing to add an income tax is a state that is going to be attractive to people who need the money they have earned to support their families.

And a state that has an environment where entrepreneurs and executives don’t have to hop through the hoops of every sort of regulation is a place where businesses are going to want to set up shop.

California’s income tax rate on people earning between $59,000 and $300,000 is approaching 10%. In New York state, if you earn between $21,000 and $80,000, you’ll hand over 6% of every dollar you earn. (That’s to say nothing of New York City, which takes a chunk all its own.)

Meanwhile, there is the cost of living to consider.

Housing affordability is complex, but the struggle to build new housing in California is legend, and as supply dropped and demand rose, the dream of homeownership became harder to achieve.

Texas has avoided these traps by permitting development to keep home prices relatively low and avoiding the temptation of tapping into paychecks after the federal government took a share.

But we shouldn’t get cocky. We see local politicians in Texas from both the left and right fighting against new housing, whether in the name of preventing gentrification on the left or on the pretense that denser multifamily development will lower property values on the right.

Development needs to be smart, no doubt. Being sensitive to existing populations and letting change happen gradually is important. Density should come with a plan for infrastructure and other supporting development, including retail. But consistently saying no to new housing will cost Texas its competitive edge on affordability.

Meanwhile, voters must remain vigilant about the size and scope of government. Every program added or expanded is a new cost that must be sustained on the backs of residents.

Wise government leaders are spare and cautious with expenditures, knowing that the people know best how to spend what they earn.

— The Dallas Morning News