Letter: Gov. Abbott doesn't tell the whole story

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Governor Abbott touts his number one ranking in business in Texas. That does not tell the whole story about Texas.

We always think we are the biggest and the best. Texas is one of the most uneducated states in America. We rank 43rd in education attainment. In Wichita Falls, we spend $4K less per student that the national average of $12K. Texas median income is $31K annual pay. Texas is in the bottom half of health care ranking! We are 31st. We have all the fancy med schools and fine hospitals and we are only 31st!

While Abbott promised to prevent rape, crime is rising along with rape. Texas had the most reported rape cases in the nation in 2020. Texas is 39th in ranking in crime prevention. Imagine, the law-and-order party letting this happen. We are 40th in environmental rankings. Thank you, oil and gas industry! You could clean up your act.

Abbott continues to waste money building a wall when all we need is better processing of immigrants and better, high-tech ways of controlling the border. Why don’t we concentrate on finding and deporting criminals and utilizing the skilled workers who come across the border? Notice that we do not have workers for construction, service industries such as restaurants, farm workers, food processing, cleaning companies and other services where no one seems to want those jobs.

The Austin area has a many high-tech companies coming in, but it is also bringing workers from other states to fill those jobs. Low education has harmed Texans having a chance at those jobs. We need to demand that the funds designated for education be spent on education! This is not happening. Those new businesses and the workers they are bringing with them are getting the benefits of tax breaks when that tax money could be bringing up some of our standings in America.

What happened to the Great State of Texas?

Terry A Gilleland, Wichita Falls

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This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Letter: Gov. Abbott doesn't tell the whole story