With the influx of people from California and other states known for the color blue, a cry of indignation has risen from those of us already here who like Texas the way it is, “Don’t California my Texas!” That’s not exactly the welcome a newcomer would hope to receive, so allow me to explain. Another way to put it might be, “You are welcome, but your politics aren’t.” That’s not very helpful either, since our political views, however strongly felt, are part of our identity. If you’re inclined to accept the pop culture portrayal of conservatives as bigoted rednecks, statements like that only seem to confirm the slander.

So I would like to take a less hostile approach and try to help you see what’s behind the chilly reception you may feel you’re getting. I’ll start with a question. Why did you come here? For many of you the answer will be that your company pulled up roots from wherever it was before and moved here. You had to choose between looking for another job or moving with it. So the next obvious question may be, why did your company move here? There must have been some advantage to doing so, and significant enough to incur the cost and disruption such a move will involve.

Businesses exist to make money. The harder government makes it for them to do that, the more likely they are to look for somewhere they can more easily thrive. High taxes, mismanagement, onerous regulations, and attitudes hostile to their very existence have forced many to look for greener pastures. Texas has been more than happy to provide a place for them to come, but we run a risk that the owners and employees who come with those corporations have failed to make the connection between the people and ideas they voted into office and the outcome that has been produced.

So I ask you to consider, before you next visit the voting booth, whether you really want to recreate what you just left, or if maybe you’d like to continue upholding the policies that drew your business here in the first place. You’ve already seen how much further your money goes here. I promise you this. Keep choosing the same things you did where you came from, and you’ll soon reap the same result. Texas is a great place to live. I’m a transplant myself. All we ask is that you help us keep it that way.