There's a lot of us down here in the one-star state that would never fall for that SaaS bullshit. We're not all idiots though there apparently are a lot who can't truthfully make that claim.
Cars and trucks aren't limited to Texas editions. Some automakers also offer other state-specific packages. Like the Texas editions they are mostly plastic badges, cheap-ass trim "upgrades", block heaters for northern states, or lift kits and offroad tires for more rural states. Basically the same package you can get anywhere in the country for less because it doesn't mention a specific state.
I read on a thread from our favorite LLM training dataset that Alaska ha(s/d) a special edition with block heater, lift kit, tires, and badging. There was also an Arkansas edition supposedly. I think it probably had all the knobs and buttons in primary colors with flash cards for their illiterati's. (I have kin in Arkansas so maybe just joking, but probably not really). I'm pretty sure I have seen a Wyoming edition RAM or something taking advantage of their incorrect state nickname as the "Cowboy State". Having spent a good bit of time in Wyoming I can assure you there are probably more sheep than in any other state though, being from Texas, I did have to listen to the steers and queers quip way back then until I reminded the teller that he was a sheepherder and not a real cowboy.
I have no reasonable defense against the logical truth.
Just want to point out that the first paragraph does offer the likelihood that there are exceptions to the conclusion one could reach by reading the second paragraph.
The third point you make is very sad though it has not always been true. We are certainly in the dumb part of the cycle. With the right leadership and structural changes in state programs we will retake the high ground. I think this is a deep hole that they have dug but luckily there are only 7 more places to fall before our embarrassing situation takes us even lower than the lowest US territory scores.
Maybe we're already there. I'm just hoping for future generations of Texans that there will not be a dead cat bounce at the bottom.
Of course I was mostly having a laugh, but yeah, Texas is in something of a unique cult of bad cultural and urban development ideals.
This whole topic and your comment made me think of the phenomenon of rural identity. Basically, a lot of Americans identify as rural even though they are not. It sounds innocent enough but it leads to a lot of anti patterns related to individualistic city planning, where people think that things like public transit aren’t compatible with their rural and individualistic values.
I saw the humor in your comment and took it as an opportunity to take another dig at the condition of the state.
Your whole remark about rural identity makes sense since for at least 40 years new subdivisions and new construction in suburbia has focused on giving residents the idea that they are living in a rural setting even though they easily chunk a rock and hit their neighbor's car. They do this by naming subdivisions as "Blah-blah Ranch Acres", or "Blah-blah Valley" or similar to evoke a feeling of isolation that you wouldn't experience when you step out of your vehicle in the driveway of your "ranchette" and go into your "ranch style" home on your 2 acre lot that had a great scenic view of the community lake until someone bought the lot across the road between you and the lake so that now all you see their two-story monstrosity when you look out the front window.
And like you describe, it does erode support for things like public transit since those in the subdivisions will likely never ride a bus anywhere because the developer was not only not required to include the infrastructure for bus service but they weren't on the hook for any of the infrastructure improvements that the residents needed. As a result, the residents find themselves wasting time sitting in long lines waiting to clear multiple stop signs to get on a service road with a poorly timed traffic signal that will allow them to finally merge into a stream of vehicles on the main highway. You can always leave earlier to beat the crowd as long as you're almost the only one with that idea.
I have spent lots of time laughing at the absurdity.
Cars and trucks aren't limited to Texas editions. Some automakers also offer other state-specific packages. Like the Texas editions they are mostly plastic badges, cheap-ass trim "upgrades", block heaters for northern states, or lift kits and offroad tires for more rural states. Basically the same package you can get anywhere in the country for less because it doesn't mention a specific state.