Production in the oil patch is back up to where it was in 1985, “putting [Texas] in the ranks of OPEC heavy hitters like Venezuela, Kuwait and Nigeria.”
Texas alone produced more than a third of April’s U.S. production of 221 million barrels of crude oil.
Now, I suppose, all we have to do is wait for the EPA’s new jobs-squelching regs on CO2 emissions—fighting the myth of climate change, don’t you know—to depress it again.
UPDATE: And the Port of Houston surpasses NYC in exports, specifically petroleum, coal and chemicals.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
This also goes along with the story that the reason for Rick Perry’s success as a governor is that he was lucky enough to be born in Texas.
I’m not sure how to take that. Sounds like it means that he’d be a joke somewhere else. He’s a joke to Democrats and Yankees, for sure, but that’s more their problem than his. Down here most people like him, which is why he kept getting re-elected.
I imagine you remember from your time here that most natives couldn’t care less what outsiders think about much of anything about Texas.
Just don’t turn to Islam as a result of that oil boom.
That’s the general response from critics who would otherwise sputter. ‘Nothing succeeds like success.’ It shows a sense of desperation on their part, & of course the press just passes it along.
Perry, like W, has no sense of the narcissism that Obama has. They’re just themselves & their voters appreciate them for that. The Sophisticati can’t abide by it.
Example: when Rick announced his run for the presidency, his transcripts from A&M were ‘leaked’ within a day, showing that he was a ‘C’ student. He laughed & said that he often admitted that & had nothing to hide. Obama’s are still tightly locked away.
The press, of course, aren’t from Texas, except such collaborators as the insufferable Dan Rather & Bill Moyers. To them, Texas is the high ground of flyover territory.
Indeed, Rick and George W, are genuine folks, whether you agree with them or not. I’m sure they can lie in service to whatever they think is necessary. But they don’t have Obama’s habit of it.
“Just don’t turn to Islam as a result of that oil boom.”
Heh. We do have a number of sometimes alarming immigrant Muslims. I saw a young couple the other day. He was walking ahead and she, head but not face covered, was the requisite five (or is it ten?) paces behind him. The Haredi hereabouts some do that as well, but they are smiling and friendly. The young Muslim male had an arrogant manner which made me wonder where he thought he was. He’ll find out if he pushes too hard.