COMBS: I will not be seeking elective office in 2014

by: JimCardle
2013-05-29
Source: texasinsider
01/08/2020

Full announcement can be found below From Comptroller Susan Combs Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas It is with a deep sense of gratitude for the past coupled with excitement for the future that I announced earlier today that I will not be seeking elective office in 2014. Thank you again for your support for so many years said Texas Comptroller Susan Combs letting Texans know of her much anticipated plans. And as a result speculation of potential succeeding candidates began literally surfacing immediately.

I love being a Texan and am so proud of the enormous success of our state. This didnt happen by chance. You and your dreams of a brighter future made them come true. During the next 18 months as your Comptroller as I continue to fulfill the duties of this office I will also focus on providing accessible and transparent information to all Texans about all levels of government spending and accountability. After all its your money! Please do stay in touch and I plan to do the same. There is more work for us to do together to make our state and our country stronger.

In late March Combs announced Texas Spending Transparency was rated Best in the Nation according to an annual TexPIRG Education Fund Study which gave the Texas Comptroller the nations only A" Grade for Online Disclosure. Texas received an A" as a result of Combs work and bested all other states when it comes to government spending transparency according to Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data" the 4th Annual Report of its kind by the TexPIRG Education Fund. I have led the transparency initiative in Texas since taking office in 2007 because taxpayers expect and deserve to know how government is spending their money" said Combs at the time. Said Gov. Rick Perry today following Combs announcement:

Susan Combs has played a key role in cultivating the strength of the Texas economy and has been a trusted and capable steward of the public accounts for many years. A major proponent of openness in government she leaves behind a legacy of transparency and a state thats more responsive more accessible and more accountable to the public. Anita joins me in wishing Susan the best in the future."

The full Combs announcement also below can be found by clicking here: http://www.susancombs.com/Future-Plans.

Dear Fellow Texans It is with a deep sense of gratitude for the past coupled with excitement for the future that I announce today I will not be seeking elective office in 2014. I want to make my intentions clear as soon as possible for prospective statewide candidates. We are all so privileged to live in the great state of Texas and the rest of the country has much to learn from our successes. I have been very fortunate to have served the citizens of this state in elected office for what will be 20 years when my present term as Comptroller ends. I want to thank each and every one of my friends colleagues supporters and fellow Texans for the generosity of spirit and the warmth and affection you have shown me and my family over the years. I also want to thank the talented and dedicated public employees who serve the citizens of Texas and work hard every day to make our state better. I am grateful for your service and it has been an honor and a privilege to work by your side throughout these years. For nearly 20 years my husband and I raised our three wonderful (and tall) sons while I also ran my familys ranching operation in the Big Bend area of Texas. Then for the next 20 years I served in elective officefirst as a state legislator then as the first woman Agriculture Commissioner and finally as your Comptroller. Over the past few months my husband and I sat down at our dinner table on numerous occasions and we talked about what we wanted to accomplish in the next few decades. This past weekend we settled on our future path.

First we decided we want to spend more time on the ranch once my current term as Comptroller ends. My great grandfather came to Texas in 1854 and set up his ranching operation in the Big Bend over 130 years ago. This heritage is important to both of us. With the arrival of our first grandchild we wanted to be sure that when we turn our ranch over to our descendants it will be in even better shape than when we got it. Just as my own father did when he entrusted me with the reins of managing this land. Second I plan to stay actively engaged in the policy work I have focused on for the past two decades. This includes the protection of private property rights and fighting federal overreach finding ways to combat the effects of obesity and ensuring governments are transparent to make our economy stronger. For the next 18 months as your Comptroller I will work in these areas and others maintaining a sharp focus on the duties of this office while also sharing the story of Texas across the nation. I would be remiss if I did not mention how proud I am of the work the Comptrollers office has done over the past 6 ½ years with many successes that are continuing today. Together with an incredible group of state employees we have many accomplishments to share across the US. We have crafted reasonable solutions that work. Starting in 2007 we focused on providing exemplary services to the citizens of Texas. To that end we opened the checkbook of the state so average Texans could see how and where we spent their money thereby becoming a national model.

We now provide a statewide toolbox for Texans to know more about how government spends their money through an award-winning Web site: www.TexasTransparency.org. We have worked to provide a single set of books across all state agencies with the goal of giving you legislators and policy-makers information for decisions in real time. This obviously provides greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Additionally through our state purchasing program we have saved the state of Texas more than $123 million by driving sweeping reforms in purchasing and contracting and nearly $44 million through centralizing procurement

activities for Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education. Thats more money that can be used for other priorities in our state and its good commonsense practices. Because it is our belief that its always your money we put sweeping new reforms in place in our unclaimed property process. To date we have returned more than $967 million of their own money to Texans. And although paying taxes is never an enjoyable situation we have always worked to ensure that taxpayers receive the best customer service possible. We streamlined our audit and collections processes and made it easier for taxpayers to pay their obligations electronically. Our state-of-the-art Treasury system deposits money quickly and ensures payments are made accurately and timely. I am also proud of the work our agency has done with local communities landowners and businesses through the Interagency Task Force on Economic Growth and Endangered Species. Through collaborative efforts we were able to protect the Permian Basin from a listing of the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard under the federal Endangered Species Act. This region of the state accounts for 57 of Texass total crude oil production and is a vital engine in our economyand a listing would have had a huge negative economic impact. Over the last year we have seen the rise of citizens all across this great land who expect government to tell the truth about spending about debt about pension obligations and about what we the people owe. Since 2007 our agency has focused on transparency providing Web site access to open up state level spending and revenue to the public. Because there is no comparable local level resource we supported legislation this session to make this happen; but the bill failed on a technicality. I believe honesty in government is vitally important so we are moving ahead full speed to provide a broader reach and depth of information about local debt and spending practices for the taxpayers in our state. As part of this project we launched a Web site just yesterday: www.TelltheTruthTexas.org. I hope you will stay tuned and join this important effort. I look forward to working together as we continue to make our stateand our countrystronger. In the summer of 1994 I marched up Congress Avenue with hundreds of Texans in support of private property rightsand Im not done marching!