Something’s gone wrong in the way we structure governance; so wrong that it’s now normalized for elected leaders to turn to govern through coercion rather than consensus
So wrong that the people who actually build and sustain the economy (workers, founders, educators, families) are often the last ones consulted about how that economy is governed.
And that’s why I want to explore something with you, as you might be thinking, “what does this have to do with startups?” When policymakers refuse to work together, we all suffer. Entrepreneurs, you, perhaps, can help bring about change.
If you’re watching the events unfold in Texas, you’re watching the canary in the coal mine of American regional governance.
In July and August 2025, Austin’s city council (where I live) unveiled what’s being called a “nuclear option” to force passage of a tax rate increase: a plan to cut every general fund department equally if voters say no in November. Police, fire, EMS (critical services) threatened not for budgetary necessity, but to create pressure. Meanwhile, Texas state legislators, faced with a redistricting proposal likely to entrench one-party control for the next decade, once again fled the Capitol stalling the legislative session and igniting the same constitutional chaos we’ve seen before.
You’ll notice, please, I’m not picking on a party in name, and I won’t have that discussion with you; if you know what’s going on, appreciate that my goal here is for us to consider the implications of the actions of policy makers, and collectively encourage solutions.
That’s not just dysfunction. That’s evidence that the structures we’ve inherited no longer serve the ecosystems in which we’re operating. And
