Hometown Glory?

Seriously? Texas ranked as the 13th best run state in America, far behind . . .North Dakota

Texas ranks. No. 13 on a list of the best run states in the nation.
Texas Legislature Online
Governor Rick Perry has been congratulated for Texas' low-tax, business-friendlyclimate.
Photo by Gabino Iglesias

While I'm proud as hell to call the Lone Star State home, the news that a recent analysis by 24/7 Wall Street puts Texas as the No. 13 best run state in the United States seems comical — and, frankly, terrifying.

Perhaps they overlooked who's living in the Governor's Mansion for the study, wherein analysts "reviewed hundreds of data sets from dozens of sources," looking at each states' fiscal management, resource administration and relative resident prosperity to determine the ranking.

That data doesn't lie: The economy grew by 3.3 percent in 2011, an increase larger than all but three other states; the state's debt per capita is just $1,679, the sixth lowest nationally; its unemployment rate is 7.9 percent, tied for the 23rd lowest; and the median household income is $49,392, the 25th highest.

Meanwhile, according to the data, Texas' budget deficit is 20.9 percent (the 16th largest in the nation) and residents living below the poverty line account for 18.5 percent of the population (the 11th highest).

"The high-ranking states all have well-managed budgets," says the site, which maybe didn't take into account Texas' Great Budget Shortfall of 2011.

North Dakota took the No. 1 spot in the ranking, followed by Wyoming, Nebraska, Utah and Iowa. Predictably, California took the title of the "Worst Run State" for the second year in a row.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”