Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN TEXAS - By the time the results were coming in Tuesday night by the time we knew what a momentous night it had become well I was expecting a lot of questions.
But you know its interesting: after all these years in politics some of them as a Mayor and now a Texas Senator Im proud to say I can still be surprised by how some folks can just miss the point.
There I was on Tuesday night at a post-election gathering here in Austin. I was talking with folks and watching election returns from my reelection race all of the Travis County contests and the other legislative campaigns across Texas. Plus there was a little race for Governor here in Texas. And as has happened oh a million times before at that sort of event up walked a reporter who wanted to know if Id talk a minute.
Ego (and maybe common sense) being what it is I jumped to the conclusion that this reporter (from Austin Texas) would certainly be asking about my re-election. I have a really deep appreciation and gratitude to the people of Senate District 14 who re-elected me with more than 60 percent of the vote in spite of the electoral dynamics that turned so many elections the opposite direction.
But she promptly dispatched that silly notion saying Im not going to ask about your race. A little surprised I said What do you want to talk about?
Perhaps the tidal wave thats about to produce another round of change in our nations capitol?
Or the massive re-making of the Texas House of Representatives and what it will mean for the very difficult budget decisions the Texas legislature faces in a little over two months.
Nope. Instead the reporter said I want to talk about Prop 19.
My first thought was exactly what youd expect: Huh?
I clarified her question by deftly asking her Proposition 19? I also started panicking and thinking maybe Id just missed something in all of the election activity. Had there been 19 or more ballot propositions that I was somehow totally ignorant of and then just didnt see on my ballot?
In a tone that revealed her disdain for my I.Q. she said Yeah. Prop 19. In California.
Oh sure. California.
Wait a minute. California?
Well of course. Proposition 19 was one of those ballot items that had nothing to do with Texas that no Texan could vote for and that lets be honest makes it a whole lot easier for Texans to make fun of California.
Suffice it to say I didnt answer the question.
Because among other things theres real work to do. And that work is getting clearer and clearer.
The morning after
Some folks might have raised their eyebrows at the fact that the states Business Tax Advisory Committee didnt meet until literally the morning after an election in which the states finances were an issue.
Those eyebrows might have risen higher when it turned out that the only discussion item was a report showing the new franchise tax revised in 2006 and known by many as the Margins Tax has utterly failed to live up to the promises that were made about it.
All Ill say about Wednesdays meeting is that if nothing else its a crystal-clear indication that the days of politics and name-calling are over and the hard work and hard decisions that Texans face can no longer be ignored. And it was more proof that Texas needs budget reform which will help prevent the structural deficits that have been unmasked by the fiscal crisis that Texas faces.
Those in control of the budget have mismanaged the peoples money and created big problems for all of us. Then theyve worked hard to cover them up. We need budget reform badly.
You can read a wrap-up of the meeting and the problems it highlighted here. As for what I plan to do about those problems ...
Stay tuned
On Monday morning Ill speak at a Legislative Session Preview event at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum.
My speech will begin at 10 a.m. Ill focus on the massive challenges we face as a result both of a recession that Texas wasnt prepared to face and of poor financial decisions that created structural problems throughout the budget.
Ill also highlight my own agenda for the 82nd Legislative Session including budget reform. And Ill discuss some other big issues that for better or worse will preoccupy the legislature over the next seven months and shape Texas future far beyond the session.
If you want to attend in person you can RSVP to Yvonne.Reynolds@senate.state.tx.us or call (512) 463-0114.
And well broadcast my speech via my UStream page (which you can also see through a tab on my Facebook page).
So tune in on Monday morning at 10 and start getting ready for session.
And I promise there will be nothing about Prop 19. You dont even have to ask.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN TEXAS - By the time the results were coming in Tuesday night by the time we knew what a momentous night it had become well I was expecting a lot of questions.
But you know its interesting: after all these years in politics some of them as a Mayor and now a Texas Senator Im proud to say I can still be surprised by how some folks can just miss the point.
There I was on Tuesday night at a post-election gathering here in Austin. I was talking with folks and watching election returns from my reelection race all of the Travis County contests and the other legislative campaigns across Texas. Plus there was a little race for Governor here in Texas. And as has happened oh a million times before at that sort of event up walked a reporter who wanted to know if Id talk a minute.
Ego (and maybe common sense) being what it is I jumped to the conclusion that this reporter (from Austin Texas) would certainly be asking about my re-election. I have a really deep appreciation and gratitude to the people of Senate District 14 who re-elected me with more than 60 percent of the vote in spite of the electoral dynamics that turned so many elections the opposite direction.
But she promptly dispatched that silly notion saying Im not going to ask about your race. A little surprised I said What do you want to talk about?
Perhaps the tidal wave thats about to produce another round of change in our nations capitol?
Or the massive re-making of the Texas House of Representatives and what it will mean for the very difficult budget decisions the Texas legislature faces in a little over two months.
Nope. Instead the reporter said I want to talk about Prop 19.
My first thought was exactly what youd expect: Huh?
I clarified her question by deftly asking her Proposition 19? I also started panicking and thinking maybe Id just missed something in all of the election activity. Had there been 19 or more ballot propositions that I was somehow totally ignorant of and then just didnt see on my ballot?
In a tone that revealed her disdain for my I.Q. she said Yeah. Prop 19. In California.
Oh sure. California.
Wait a minute. California?
Well of course. Proposition 19 was one of those ballot items that had nothing to do with Texas that no Texan could vote for and that lets be honest makes it a whole lot easier for Texans to make fun of California.
Suffice it to say I didnt answer the question.
Because among other things theres real work to do. And that work is getting clearer and clearer.
The morning after
Some folks might have raised their eyebrows at the fact that the states Business Tax Advisory Committee didnt meet until literally the morning after an election in which the states finances were an issue.
Those eyebrows might have risen higher when it turned out that the only discussion item was a report showing the new franchise tax revised in 2006 and known by many as the Margins Tax has utterly failed to live up to the promises that were made about it.
All Ill say about Wednesdays meeting is that if nothing else its a crystal-clear indication that the days of politics and name-calling are over and the hard work and hard decisions that Texans face can no longer be ignored. And it was more proof that Texas needs budget reform which will help prevent the structural deficits that have been unmasked by the fiscal crisis that Texas faces.
Those in control of the budget have mismanaged the peoples money and created big problems for all of us. Then theyve worked hard to cover them up. We need budget reform badly.
You can read a wrap-up of the meeting and the problems it highlighted here. As for what I plan to do about those problems ...
Stay tuned
On Monday morning Ill speak at a Legislative Session Preview event at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum.
My speech will begin at 10 a.m. Ill focus on the massive challenges we face as a result both of a recession that Texas wasnt prepared to face and of poor financial decisions that created structural problems throughout the budget.
Ill also highlight my own agenda for the 82nd Legislative Session including budget reform. And Ill discuss some other big issues that for better or worse will preoccupy the legislature over the next seven months and shape Texas future far beyond the session.
If you want to attend in person you can RSVP to Yvonne.Reynolds@senate.state.tx.us or call (512) 463-0114.
And well broadcast my speech via my UStream page (which you can also see through a tab on my Facebook page).
So tune in on Monday morning at 10 and start getting ready for session.
And I promise there will be nothing about Prop 19. You dont even have to ask.
