Texas Got It Right!. Sam Wyly

      

      To Laurie, Lisa, Kelly, and Christiana,

      our daughters and sisters

      and the mothers of

      our grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

      —Sam & Andrew

      Copyright © 2012 Sam Wyly and Andrew Wyly

      All rights reserved.

      Page 175 constitutes an extension of the copyright page.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Wyly, Sam.

      Texas got it right! / by Sam and Andrew Wyly; foreword by

      Walter Isaacson. — 1st ed.

      p. cm.

      Includes index.

      ISBN 978-1-59591-076-9 — ISBN 1-59591-076-X

      1. Economic development—Texas. 2. Entrepreneurship—

      Texas. 3. Texas—Economic policy. 4. Texas—Economic

      conditions—21st century. 5. Texas—Social conditions—21st

      century. I. Wyly, Andrew. II. Title.

      HC107.T4W95 2012

      330.9764–dc23

      2012027769

      First edition, 2012

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

      Every effort has been made to contact the original copyright

      holders of all materials reproduced in the book.

      Any errors brought to the producer’s attention will

      be corrected in future editions.

      Printed and bound in the United States of America

      Produced by Melcher Media, Inc. for WYLYBOOKS

      SAM WYLY & ANDREW WYLY

      FOREWORD BY WALTER ISAACSON

      THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      6

      FOREWORD BY WALTER ISAACSON . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      9

      PREFACE BY ANDREW WYLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      10

      INTRODUCTION BY SAM WYLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      13

      THE CLOUT IS MOVING SOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      19

      WE WERE BORN FIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      20

      …AND WE’VE NEVER STOPPED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      21

      WE RALLY AROUND THE FALLEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      22

      IN TEXAS, LAND AND

      LIVELIHOOD ARE SACRED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      23

      THE PERKS OF NATIONHOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      24

      TEXAS GAME-CHANGER:

      SAM HOUSTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      26

      LONE STAR, MANY NATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      28

      WE’RE A BONA FIDE MELTING POT . . . . . . . . . . . .

      29

      OUR FRIENDS IN NEED ARE FRIENDS INDEED . . . . . .

      30

      OUR BOOTS ALWAYS FIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      32

      WE’RE BORN DEAL MAKERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      34

      WE CAN BRING DOWN EMPIRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      35

      WE PRIZE THE ART OF PERSUASION . . . . . . . . . . . .

      36

      ...AND WE’RE NOT AFRAID

      TO SPEAK OUR MINDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      37

      OUR POLITICIANS

      HAVE GOT CHARACTER TO SPARE . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      38

      LAWMAKERS WHO

      REALLY KNOW MAIN STREET . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      40

      LEADING THE RIGHT-TO-WORK

      REVOLUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      42

      THE CONVENIENCE STORE WAS BORN HERE . .

      44

      …AND SO WAS THE WORLD’S BEST BURGER . .

      45

      HELL AND HIGH WATER DON’T STOP US . . . . .

      46

      TEXANS AIM HIGH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      47

      OUR BIG SNAGS GET BIG SOLUTIONS . . . . . . .

      48

      TEXANS ARE TRUE TRAILBLAZERS . . . . . . . . . . . .

      50

      AMERICA’S TRADE NEXUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      52

      THE WORLD’S PORT OF CALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      54

      TEXAS IS STILL COWBOY COUNTRY . . . . . . . . .

      56

      TEXAS GAME-CHANGER:

      SAMUEL MAVERICK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      58

      THE NEW GREAT MIGRATION LEADS HERE . . . .

      60

      A POPULATION MAGNET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      62

      POWERHOUSE METROS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      64

      OUR POLITICIANS

      PUT PEOPLE BEFORE PARTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      66

      ODDFELLOWS AND

      ICONOCLASTS WELCOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      68

      WE’VE GOT THE SPIRIT OF A WILDCATTER . . . .

      70

      …PLUS THE GRIT AND GUTS

      OF A ROUGHNECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      71

      FOR OUR MONEY,

      THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      72

      TEXAS