Farmers Branch is a Warning to Texas
William McKenzie, in The Dallas Morning News Opinion blog, notices that Farmers Branch is becoming poorer, elderly, and ironically, Hispanic. Farmers Branch, in an attempt to arrest civic decline, passed some of the most anti-immigrant measures in the country recently. What the good citizens don't realize is that their efforts are counter-productive.
McKenzie gazes into his crystal ball for a glimpse of Texas Future, telling us it looks a lot like Texas Past, way past. He says that demographically, the future Texas is going to look more like the Texas of 1824 than the Texas of 1954. That is, it will be a majority Latino state, due to birth rates alone, even if immigration were shut down entirely, which is unlikely. Aging Baby Boomers will make Texas more elderly. Hispanics and the elderly are both lower income demographics, making Texas Future poorer as well.
Doctor McKenzie's prescription for Texas is different than the doomed approach taken by Farmers Branch. Instead of trying to hold back the demographic tide, McKenzie recognizes that "the way to prosper [is] to link the Anglo and Mexican societies." Redouble efforts to improve education and health care. Increase outreach efforts to involve Spanish-speaking parents and students into our schools and communities. Address the problem of financing Medicaid before it soaks up the state budget. In other words, deal with the changing demographics, don't deny the change or futilely try to reverse the change. The doctor is offering good advice. The chances the patient will listen are doubtful.
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