Bum Steers
December 11, 2023
A Conversation With an A&M Mascot After One of the School’s Worst Years Ever
The Aggies’ unofficial mascot has a few things he may or may not like to say about his school’s many recent travails.
Bum Steers
Roundups of Texas’s most ridiculous and idiotic endeavors
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Bum Steers
December 11, 2023
Bum Steers of the Year, 2024
The dopes, villains, and terrible ideas that bedeviled our beloved state over the past twelve months.
Bum Steers
December 11, 2023
From Ken to Angela: An Imagined Dispatch From the Republican Civil War
This found* letter from Texas attorney general Ken Paxton to his wife, state senator Angela Paxton, provides a firsthand account of his impeachment skirmish along with stirring reflections on the nature of freedom and vengeance.
Bum Steers
December 11, 2023
An Accounting of How Elon Musk Changed Texas in 2023
When Elon Musk moved here, Texans rejoiced that he would create lots of jobs. He also created chaos.
Bum Steers
December 11, 2023
2024 Bum Steer of the Year: Dan Patrick
The lieutenant governor has made himself the state’s most commanding politician. But with great power has come great irresponsibility.
Bum Steers
December 12, 2022
The 2023 Bum Steer Awards
The dopes, villains, and terrible ideas that bedeviled our beloved state over the past twelve months. (This time, with slightly less Ted Cruz!)
Bum Steers
December 12, 2022
2023 Bum Steer of the Year: Austin
How a funky little college town became the unbearable-traffic, unaffordable-real-estate, insufferable-tech-bro, inanely-precious-restaurant, expensive-BBQ capital of the world!
Bum Steers
December 12, 2022
2023 Bum Steer of the Year Runner-up: Floperation Lone Star
Greg Abbott’s $4 billion program to deter migration . . . doesn’t seem to be deterring migration.
Bum Steers
December 12, 2022
2023 Bum Steer of the Year Runner-up: Gilberto Hinojosa
Texas Monthly recently acquired the (fake!) résumé of one Gilberto Hinojosa, the seemingly indefatigable chair of the long-suffering Texas Democratic party. We print it here in full.
Bum Steers
December 12, 2022
2023 Bum Steer of the Year Runner-up: Louie Gohmert
An open letter to Louie Gohmert, the Bum Steer Hall of Fame’s newest inductee!
Bum Steers
December 12, 2022
2023 Bum Steer of the Year Runner-up: Herschel Walker
(Fake!) excerpts from the campaign diary of a displaced Texan, summer–fall 2022.
Politics & Policy
December 14, 2021
The 2022 Bum Steer Awards
A year ago, in this very space, we referred to 2020 as “perhaps the craziest, stupidest, Bum Steeriest year in Texas Monthly’s history.” The unspoken assumption—or perhaps it was a desperate wish—was that 2021 would prove to be at least marginally saner than that misbegotten election year. And how
Politics & Policy
December 14, 2021
Bum Steer Awards 2022: 25 Texans Who Invaded Washington, D.C.
An A-to-Z list of 25 Lone Star State residents who disgraced themselves last January 6.
Politics & Policy
December 14, 2021
2022 Bum Steer of the Year: Greg Abbott
Six years after he became governor, we still don’t know what Greg Abbott wants to accomplish—except, as this year made clear, to hold on to office, no matter how many Texans get hurt.
Politics & Policy
December 16, 2020
The 2021 Bum Steer Awards
Let’s face it: this was no one’s favorite year. Here are a few dozen reasons why.
Politics & Policy
December 16, 2020
2021 Bum Steer of the Year: The Texas Democratic Party
Because it grew so overconfident about its ability to win Texas that it didn’t bother to figure out how to win Texas, the state’s Democratic party is our Bum Steer of the Year!
Politics & Policy
December 16, 2020
Bum Steer Awards, 2021: Get Ready for the Amazing Adventures of PAXT-MAN!
Can you help Texas's attorney general escape the long arm of the law?
Politics & Policy
December 16, 2020
Bum Steer Awards 2021: The COVID Nineteen
The not-quite-twenty Texans who spectacularly disgraced themselves during the pandemic.
Best Thing in Texas
December 16, 2020
The Best Things in Texas, 2021: Lina Hidalgo and Chris Hollins
In Harris County, two public officials fought off legal challenges to hold a successful election in the middle of a pandemic.
News
June 5, 2020
The Best and the Bums: Streets of Rage
A little girl responds to unspeakable loss, the governor de-escalates, black trail-riders take Discovery Green, Ted Cruz’s craven response to military force, and a guy with a sword in Deep Ellum.
Politics & Policy
May 7, 2020
The Best and the Bums: Who’s Doing Good and Who’s Not in These Crazy Times
From Mattress Mack to that Austin guy who pushed a park ranger into the lake, the pandemic is bringing out the best and worst in people.
Bum Steers
December 18, 2019
From the Editor, January 2020: Herding Bum Steers
Plus, feeling grateful for our gimlet-eyed deputy editor, Jeff Salamon.
Politics & Policy
December 18, 2019
2020 Bum Steer of the Year: Dennis Bonnen
For breaking new ground in being bad at being bad, Texas Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen has earned one half of our annual booby prize!
Politics & Policy
December 18, 2019
2020 Bum Steer of the Year: Beto O’Rourke
For abandoning the state that had lifted him up from obscurity, Beto O’Rourke is the winner of one half of our annual booby prize!
Politics & Policy
December 18, 2019
The 2020 Bum Steer Awards
Beto O'Rourke, Dennis Bonnen, and the Houston Astros make our annual dishonor roll, along with assorted lesser-known idiots and evildoers.
Bum Steers
December 16, 2019
2020 Bum Steer Awards: The Houston Astros
An open letter to a team that made us all proud—and then started whiffing.
Bum Steers
January 3, 2019
2019 Bum Steer Awards: Steve Stockman, Who Proved a Particularly Greedy and Especially Busy Criminal
The disgraced former congressman is our third runner-up for his eagerness to enrich himself—or at least pay his kennel bills—in a transparently illegal manner.
Bum Steers
January 3, 2019
The 2019 Bum Steer Awards: Lupe Valdez, Who Was Woefully Unprepared to Run Against Governor Greg Abbott
The former Dallas County sheriff, our second runner-up, ran the worst gubernatorial campaign in Texas since the last time a Democrat went up against Greg Abbott.
Bum Steers
January 3, 2019
2019 Bum Steer Awards: Blake Farenthold, Who Refused to Suffer Consequences for His Actions
The former congressman’s troublesome professional ethics, alleged caddish behavior, and questionable taste in adult-size onesie pajamas made him our first runner-up.
Bum Steers
January 3, 2019
2019 Bum Steer Awards: Alex Jones, Who Helped Create a World Where Facts Don’t Matter
Our Bum Steer of the Year, the radio host dragged our democracy into the same sewer he crawled out of so many years ago.
Bum Steers
January 3, 2019
The 2019 Bum Steer Awards Are Here!
Welcome back to our annual roundup of Texas's most ridiculous and idiotic endeavors, featuring political personalities, flashy figures, and plenty of nameless ne'er-do-wells.
The National Podcast of Texas
January 16, 2018
The ‘National Podcast of Texas,’ Episode Two
Cruz 2.0, West Texas umbrellas, and our Bum Steer of the Year.
The National Podcast of Texas
January 5, 2018
Introducing the ‘National Podcast of Texas’
Episode one: Behind the scenes of the 2018 Bum Steer Awards.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 6: Bob McNair
The Houston Texans owner nabs sixth place, for saying of his players’ decision to kneel during the National Anthem: “We can’t have the inmates running the prison.”
Politics & Policy
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018
This year, virtually everyone embarrassed themselves—and the rest of us.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Texans of the Year
Selecting the Bum Steers can be a bit of a drag. That's why this year we're supplementing our list with something a bit more upbeat.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 3: The Travis County DA’s Office
The Austin-based office captured third place for the botched investigation of state representative Dawnna Dukes.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 8: Lamar Smith
The outgoing congressman takes eighth place for his refusal to face the truth about climate change.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 7: Louie Gohmert
The East Texas congressman takes seventh place for his wack-job debut as an infographic creator.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 1: Dan Patrick
Our lieutenant governor, for his eagerness to squander his power, waste our time, and drag Texas politics into the bathroom, is our Bum Steer of the Year.
Humor
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 2: Mother Nature
The Mistress of the Elements occupies second place—for being really, really mean to Texas.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018: The Rest of the List
The eight infamous Steers celebrated elsewhere in this package had a lot of company this year in our hall of shame. Here are another fifty or so Texans deserving of some ignominy.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 4: The Texas Democratic Party
Landing in fourth place, the state government’s also-ran loyal opposition, for going missing in action, year after year.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2017
Bum Steer Awards 2018 No. 5: Alex Jones
In fifth place: the excitable radio host, for saying so many crazy things that his unsuccessful and very public child custody battle wasn’t the most embarrassing thing that happened to him this year.
Politics & Policy
December 4, 2017
Texas Monthly 2017 Bum Steer Bracket—Round Two
Help us choose 2017’s Bum Steer. Vote in round two of our poll.
Bum Steers
October 23, 2017
Texas Monthly 2017 Bum Steer Bracket
Help us choose 2017's Bum Steer.
Bum Steers
October 16, 2017
The South Texas Fajita Bandit Has Finally Been Caught
It took nine years for him to meat his match.
Bum Steers
January 3, 2017
The 2017 Bum Steer Awards
Proceed with caution: steers ahead.
Bum Steers
December 21, 2016
Bum Steer Awards 2017
It was a year of amateurish attorneys, buck-naked burglars, credulous coal-walkers, doughnut detractors, empty-headed educators, fund-raising fabulists, grumbling graduates, hacked highway signs, ill-timed imitators, judgment-justifying Jerry Joneses, kavalier Katrinas, lime-laden locoweed, misguided mattress merchants, naive notes, outré outfits, pitmaster poseurs, questionable quarterbacks, reactive racists, slipshod spellers, taco tiffs, unwise users,
Bum Steers
August 24, 2016
No, Ladies, You Don’t Press Clothes or Make Waffles With It—It’s a Gridiron
A twist on the Aggie War Hymn.