Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas -- Given all of the false starts missteps and court cases that have gone into deciding whether well ever get to vote for our legislators and congressional reps again its easy to forget that theres an election coming up.
But there is. And folks are starting to tune in to the issues and choices thatll be represented on the primary ballot in six weeks and in the General Election in six and a half months.
If youre one of those folks I hope youll come out and see me when Im out and about this week. On Thursday Ill be in Fort Worth (not far from where I grew up) for a Tarrant County Democratic Party event.
And on Saturday Ill be at the Travis and Bastrop county Democratic conventions.
At all of those places and frankly throughout this years campaign and next years legislative session Ill be talking about the legacy-defining decisions well have to make over the next year or so to determine where we want to go as a state.
Texas can do better
These decisions took on a whole new urgency this week with the Governors announcement of a plan that purports to respond to the states budget problems but doesnt actually address the priorities of middle-class Texans. Furthermore taxpayers will have to hope that yesterdays words actually lead to budget honesty transparency and accountability not just more headlines and broken promises. You can read my statement on the proposal here and coverage of it here.
Look Texas is a great place. Theres nowhere in the world Id rather live and raise a family. But the truth is that Texas can do better.
Texas can do better by reforming state government to be more transparent in how it spends taxpayer money and more honest in how it accounts for it. Ive been pushing an Honesty Agenda for some time now. Ive been fighting for it. Why has something so basic proven to be such a battle? Because those in control of the Capitol have refused to reform the system they control. And yes that includes the Governor.
Texas can do better by finding a permanent solution to funding public education and creating the great schools that our kids and teachers and ultimately our employers deserve.
And Texas can do better by implementing an agenda for the middle-class that restores necessities to seniors and children invests in early childhood education controls the costs of college establishes Texas as the national leader in new energy in addition to fossil fuels and helps small businesses along with big corporations.
Texas became a great state because the folks who came before us never neglected the opportunities that guaranteed our long-term success. Weve got to honor and extend that legacy not put short-term special interests over the needs of this great state that our kids will eventually inherit.
Good Chemistry
Speaking of the next generation ...
Cooper Kyle Watson is our youngest son. Hes 16 and a junior at Austin High School. Hes one of those lucky kids whos discovered what he loves (besides his dear old dad). He loves science. Hes good at it.
And he has skills beyond being able to recite the periodic table (which is to say beyond mine). Cooper recently organized and created a chemistry club at AHS. Hes the inaugural president.
Best of all he got word last week that hes going to spend four weeks this summer in a science research program at Baylor University. Its designed to give high school kids some hands-on experience in research. Hell live on campus work with college professors and get college credit while working in chemistry and biochemistry.
This is a tremendous program and were very proud of him.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas -- Given all of the false starts missteps and court cases that have gone into deciding whether well ever get to vote for our legislators and congressional reps again its easy to forget that theres an election coming up.
But there is. And folks are starting to tune in to the issues and choices thatll be represented on the primary ballot in six weeks and in the General Election in six and a half months.
If youre one of those folks I hope youll come out and see me when Im out and about this week. On Thursday Ill be in Fort Worth (not far from where I grew up) for a Tarrant County Democratic Party event.
And on Saturday Ill be at the Travis and Bastrop county Democratic conventions.
At all of those places and frankly throughout this years campaign and next years legislative session Ill be talking about the legacy-defining decisions well have to make over the next year or so to determine where we want to go as a state.
Texas can do better
These decisions took on a whole new urgency this week with the Governors announcement of a plan that purports to respond to the states budget problems but doesnt actually address the priorities of middle-class Texans. Furthermore taxpayers will have to hope that yesterdays words actually lead to budget honesty transparency and accountability not just more headlines and broken promises. You can read my statement on the proposal here and coverage of it here.
Look Texas is a great place. Theres nowhere in the world Id rather live and raise a family. But the truth is that Texas can do better.
Texas can do better by reforming state government to be more transparent in how it spends taxpayer money and more honest in how it accounts for it. Ive been pushing an Honesty Agenda for some time now. Ive been fighting for it. Why has something so basic proven to be such a battle? Because those in control of the Capitol have refused to reform the system they control. And yes that includes the Governor.
Texas can do better by finding a permanent solution to funding public education and creating the great schools that our kids and teachers and ultimately our employers deserve.
And Texas can do better by implementing an agenda for the middle-class that restores necessities to seniors and children invests in early childhood education controls the costs of college establishes Texas as the national leader in new energy in addition to fossil fuels and helps small businesses along with big corporations.
Texas became a great state because the folks who came before us never neglected the opportunities that guaranteed our long-term success. Weve got to honor and extend that legacy not put short-term special interests over the needs of this great state that our kids will eventually inherit.
Good Chemistry
Speaking of the next generation ...
Cooper Kyle Watson is our youngest son. Hes 16 and a junior at Austin High School. Hes one of those lucky kids whos discovered what he loves (besides his dear old dad). He loves science. Hes good at it.
And he has skills beyond being able to recite the periodic table (which is to say beyond mine). Cooper recently organized and created a chemistry club at AHS. Hes the inaugural president.
Best of all he got word last week that hes going to spend four weeks this summer in a science research program at Baylor University. Its designed to give high school kids some hands-on experience in research. Hell live on campus work with college professors and get college credit while working in chemistry and biochemistry.
This is a tremendous program and were very proud of him.
