It has been widely reported that Afghanistan is the United States' longest running war, and that is true when talking about armed conflict.
But a war the country has been fighting for nearly 50 years -- the one declared by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 -- is by far the nation's most prolonged battle, and there is no end in sight.Johnson, a Texan, recognized when he proposed the "War on Poverty" that the major components needed to win it would be better education, healthcare and social services, with the government playing a major role in each.If he were alive today, the 36th president probably wouldn't be surprised that poverty in his home state rose for the third consecutive year in 2011, to 18.5 percent -- 3 percentage points higher than the national average, according to U.S. Census figures cited in an Associated Press story Monday.Two of Texas' fastest growing metro areas have the nation's highest and third-highest percentage of people living in poverty: McAllen-Edinburgh at 37.7 percent and El Paso at 24.7 percent, AP writer Chris Tomlinson reported.With 4.6 million Texans living below the poverty line, state leaders ought to be escalating the fight against the conditions (such as poor education, inadequate healthcare and joblessness) that entrap people in a constant state of neediness. But instead of focusing on improving all those areas, Texas' governor, lieutenant governor and legislators have severely cut public education and healthcare funding.The prevailing philosophy among the state's Republican leaders is that creating a better business environment will lead to more jobs, which then will help reduce the poverty rate. The governor also has proposed drug testing for those receiving unemployment insurance and food stamps as an incentive to move more people into the workforce.But Texans can't depend on a "tickle down" theory to end poverty in this state. The issue must be tackled at the root causes -- beginning with education and healthcare, two of the major issues that will be on the agenda again when the Legislature convenes next week.Texans should expect more than lip service and budget cuts this session.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
