Texas Toons

I’ve got a few Texas cartoons to share. I haven’t posted these In awhile, as two of them were very local and perhaps not of much interest to most of my readers. However, the one published today is on a topic that has generated national news.

Texas Republicans, under the initiative of Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, are now studying whether to annex part of New Mexico, because if their Dear Leader can threaten to invade Greenland and make Canada the 51st state, Texas can take territory from neighboring states.

The idea, quickly nicknamed “New MeX-it,” would involve adding conservative, oil-rich counties in southeastern New Mexico to Texas. Supporters say the region shares Texas values. I say it shares Texas delusions.

Burrows framed the idea as giving southeastern New Mexico a “voice in its own future.” Michelle Lujan Grisham called it “ridiculous,” while Javier Martinez offered the more concise rebuttal: “Over my dead body.”

The proposal would require approval from Congress and is about as likely to happen as Texas annexing the moon. But in a state where conservatives still fantasize about secession, apparently grabbing a piece of New Mexico seemed like the next logical hobby.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Wings—the city’s WNBA team—will now take over construction of their own practice facility after the city of Dallas failed to deliver on its promise to build it as part of the team’s move from Arlington.

The city originally approved $55 million for the facility, but delays pushed the projected cost to $81 million. Last week, the City Council capped the city’s contribution at $57 million, leaving the Wings responsible for managing construction and covering the remaining costs.

The broader concern is that Dallas promised the team both a new practice facility and a renovated arena by the 2026 season, but with the season starting on May 8, the Wings have neither. The practice facility has fallen behind schedule, and the planned renovation of Memorial Auditorium is now delayed until 2028.

Dallas created a problem it could not solve, and that the city’s inability to manage a relatively modest training facility raises serious questions about whether it can successfully oversee a planned much larger convention center and arena redevelopment project.

Lastly, a sinkhole near Dallas’ White Rock Lake recently closed part of the trail along Garland Road after city crews discovered a 14-foot-deep hole caused by an abandoned wastewater pipe. Dallas Water Utilities quickly repaired the damage and is considering filling the rest of the unused pipeline with grout to prevent future sinkholes.

Although the sinkhole was not directly caused by the lake’s long-running erosion problems, both issues threaten the safety of the trail system. A Dallas Morning News editorial argues that the incident highlights the need for better coordination among city agencies, including Dallas Water Utilities, the Park and Recreation Department and Texas Department of Transportation.

Officials are already planning a shoreline protection project along Garland Road to slow erosion, but the broader point is that White Rock Lake’s infrastructure problems are interconnected. Without better collaboration—and funding—small issues like erosion and aging pipes can turn into much larger and more expensive failures.