bizarre love triangle

When I participated in the latest conference call with Chris Bell, one of the bloggers (not me) asked about military base closings. I didn't address Bell's response in my posting at the time because I didn't fully understand it and I wasn't sure what to say about it.

I still don't know what to say about Bell's response, but I think there's a specific issue we need to consider.

I hate to admit to fuzzy-mindedednes and lack of attention and focus, but I called in to the conference from the S.O.'s house and her beagle Clyde was freaking out during the back-and-forth about military bases. But to unfairly paraphrase something I didn't fully catch, I definitely got the impression that Chris was focusing on Texas base closings in his answer to the question. As well he should. He’s running—sorry, exploring—for Texas governor, after all.

But, Houston, we have a problem.

I also know from previous calls when I was more focused that Bell doesn’t want to write off this part of the state. He’s already visited the Panhandle, did so very early on, and has worked up here. He refers to this area as his “old stomping grounds.” So it may not be news to him that folx up here couldn’t, for the most part, care less about Texas base closings.

They’re worried about the closing of Clovis, New Mexico’s base. A recent study by a Texas Tech professor (no link yet; the study was reported by Kelly James on KXGL-FM, but I’ll keep looking for the specific data) suggested that Potter and Randall counties could lose 600-700 jobs from the closing. That's what panhandlians are freaked out about.

This isn't a critique so much as a grappling for a light switch in a darkened, unfamiliar room. The Panhandle has always been at the center of a perverse ménage-à-trois: married to Austin, but hopping into bed with eastern New Mexico at every opportunity. How does Bell— or any gubernatorial candidate, but preferably one we could support as progressives— address the concerns of this area while remaining Texan? Is there a way to make the urban centers down state happy while keeping the interest of the desert people with the wandering eyes? Or does it matter? Do we matter?

SPACEDARK