I wouldn't want to live or do business in Texas...

[Michchamp]

...unless my business was extremely hazardous, I wanted to run it with a complete lack of any safety expenses, and enjoy all the profits while avoiding any and all criminal and civil liability no matter how negligent I was in the operation, or how much damage it did. >

The Dallas Morning News just issued a report about how in the aftermath of that fertilizer plant explosion earlier this year (15 dead, over 160 injured, and destroyed a significant part of the town of West, Texas) the Texas legislature did nothing. No more money for code enforcement, no laws requiring such businesses to carry more liability insurance, no higher penalties and fines for violations... nada. nothing.

The state of Texas couldn't even issue a cause for the disaster after their "investigation"... which coincidentally helps the factory owners to avoid any liability from civil suits.

more on the aftermath (link):

On June 13, 2013, FEMA declined additional aid to the town, based in large part on the ability of the State of Texas to provide the necessary funds to rebuild. However, on August 2, 2013, FEMA reversed its original decision and approved a major disaster declaration for West.
​

So Texas business owners get to run their business on the cheap, keep all the profits, and taxpayers from the rest of the country will bail them out.

I'm curious what the Feds did. the wiki reports that initially DHS was going to send a team, since the facility violated fed regulations as well, but apparently nothing came of it. Texas probably threatened to just shoot any feds that showed up to investigate things.

 

[Michchamp]

...unless my business was extremely hazardous, I wanted to run it with a complete lack of any safety expenses, and enjoy all the profits while avoiding any and all criminal and civil liability no matter how negligent I was in the operation, or how much damage it did. >

...

Oh, and also, maybe it goes without saying, but if I operated a business there, I would make sure to live far, far away from my business or anyone else's business. Yikes!

 

[tinselwolverine]

Back when it happened and it was being reported on, I didn't realize the town's name was literally West.

And it's actually more in the eastern part of the state.

Pretty wacky stuff.

 

[Michchamp]

Back when it happened and it was being reported on, I didn't realize the town's name was literally West.

And it's actually more in the eastern part of the state.

Pretty wacky stuff.

They probably avoided clarifying that, because it would just add absurdity to an already obscene story, about an oft-cited plant stockpiling massive amounts of highly explosive minerals... exploding.

"Live from West, Texas in the eastern part of the State..."

though, I guess that's Texas for ya: as long as you don't end up dead, killed in the crossfire or a chemical plant or oil refinery explosion, you just have to laugh.

 

[Michchamp]

Speaking of Texas... Texas TeaParty Congressman Steve Stockman (who we've laughed at before for his "If Babies Had Guns they Wouldn't Be Aborted" bumper stickers) is running a primary challenge the relatively moderate (for Texas) Senator John Cornyn.

His campaign has hit a bump in the road though as his campaign headquarters was just shut down for health violations. His campaign headquarters was a former motorcycle shop. The best pic is the one of the bathroom they were using. ick.

EDIT: added a link to our prior Steve Stockman thread. he's one to keep an eye on for comedy value. also, not all of us laughed at him... Byco and Mitch indirectly defended his comment by attacking our criticism of it. derp.