We're a self-confident lot in the Lone Star State. We don't need people telling us how wonderful Texas and Texans are. On the other hand, we don't mind the praise.
And we're getting lots of kind words lately -- so we'll just have live with it and try to not let it go to our heads.
Last month, ChiefExecutive.net released a survey showing that Texas, for the seventh year in a row, is considered the best state in America for doing business.
According to the website's editors, "What CEOs often seek are areas with consistent policies and regulations that allow them to plan, as well as intangible factors such as a state's overall attitude toward business and the work ethic of its population.
"This is one reason Texas has consistently held the No. 1 position since 2005," the editors explain. "It gets strong marks in all areas important for business creation, and has the second-lowest taxes in the nation. The state has created more jobs than any other --about 250,000 last year. Not surprisingly, it also enjoys the highest inward net migration rate of any state."
In a recent appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box program, Dallas Federal Reserve Chairman Richard Fisher talked up Texas.
"Since the recovery began, 38 percent of all the jobs created in America have been created in the state of Texas," Fisher boasted. "My district has more employment now than it had before the crisis began."
What's our secret?
The lack of a state income tax is a key factor, but to Fisher, "the most important thing that's happened to us is tort reform."
The Dallas Fed chairman says that the relocation of companies like John Deere to Texas is "largely driven" by tort reforms that made businesses more willing to expand and relocate here.
That's a strong affirmation for the trail we've blazed together. We've known all along that we were going in the right direction and we see no reason to change.