brooklyn13: Over the years I have lived all over Texas, if not lived there I work all over. Yes, IMO you would love Austin. I lived there in the 80's. Yes, it is as weird as they say. It is not a republican hole. Houston, Dallas and San Antonio are like Austin. Good places to live.
Now the border situation. I will tell you story about a well I worked down in Freer TX. That's in the Rio Grand Valley area. I always tried to work night tower. That's 6:00 at night to 6:000 in the morning. I had gotten of tower, got my coffee went up to the top of the tower to get a good look at the Valley. There was a old mex ranch hand cutting ceder trees by hand. That night when back on I was on the drill floor looked out and the old mex was still there chopping ceders. Remember thinking he made about 35$ a day. Could not stop thinking if he had a son, who could balm the son for taking a grand or two for taking a load of weed to Houston.
I now live about 70 miles north of Austin. Like you say you would not know the town. But I live 10 miles west of Fort Hood. Sure you know Fort Hood.
"we do all the work we pay all the taxes" the 1% banks offshore.