[Smokin' Joe]

The town is a veteran of the boom/bust cycle. There was an oil boom there in the late 70s and early 80s. When it went bust some people lost their butts.

The popular bumper sticker read "Please, God, give us another oil boom. We promise not to piss it away this time."

The greatest concern is the spending at the State level of oil tax revenue. Seven counties are the main producers in the current boom, but that doesn't stop counties across the state from trying to dig out a share of the money. It is the government expenditures which will have to be paid off or supported in the long run which concern me most, because other sources of revenue will be found to support that--and that means more taxes.

Gov Ed Schafer did a bang-up job of reducing size and cost of government after that first boom went bust, but the current bunch have been spending like sailors on liberty.

[catfish1957]

It seems to be happening everywhere, like a collective loss of any sense of right and wrong.

LOL... Exact analogy I was thinking of. The thing is though, drunken sailors on leave use their own money. Congrescritters, use someone else's.

[DH]

I have a small sign hanging on my wall in my office...it says:

“I’m an 82 survivor”

It refers to the financial oilfield disaster that happened in 1982 here in Texas and the gulf coast.