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August 16, 2005The Good, the Bad, and the UglyBy Phillip MartinThe good thing about this special session is that the House and Senate discovered that there is a bipartisan group of legislators that are committed to listening to teachers, parents, and taxpayers about the best ideas and plans for education. Legislators aren't willing to pass any old education bill, and they are willing to make sure they get the job done right. The bad thing about this special session is that nothing got done. Even after Democrats and Republicans joined together to pass an education bill that teachers, parents, and taxpayers supported, the leadership buried it. The Senate spent a couple weeks giving each other cover, but after Craddick and Grusendorf shut down the bipartisan version of the education bill (that a majority of members wanted), everything has been posing for the camera. A lot of frosting without the cake, if you will. The ugly thing about this special session is that Perry, Dewhurst, and Craddick simply refuse to compromise. Can not, will not, do not want to compromise. The House and Senate won't work together, and Perry is too busy running a campaign to put forth an education plan that has any support. I can see the three of them, standing in a dark room next to a broken lamp that fell on the floor, looking out to the voters of Texas as each one of them points at the other and says, "he did it." The thing is, the state of Texas needs that lamp and that light. The people of Texas want that ever-loving light to shine on their children, and give them hope that, with education, anything is possible. With education, race and wealth fall by the wayside. With education, it doesn't matter where or to whom we are born -- so long as we have the opportunity to succeed. With education, we can pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and go out and succeed in the world. The good thing is that a majority of legislators believe that. The bad thing is that they aren't allowed to have their voices heard, because of that very, very ugly thing we call the Republican Leadership. Posted by Phillip Martin at August 16, 2005 01:10 PM | TrackBack
Comments
Well put, Phillip. Hope you enjoyed your road trip. Posted by: jeff at August 16, 2005 02:48 PMI wouldn't call anything Perry, Dewdrop, and Crabapple have done this past legislative session as leadership. Laissez-faire politics is more descriptive of their lack of leadership. There has been some bipartisanship in terms of attempting to address the myriad of problems with public education in this state. And that is laudable. What is not laudable is the abominable manner in which this same bipartisanship has continued to propose how to fund the necessary changes it will take to correct the myraid of problems. Not sure that I would know how to fund it all. I do know, however, that letting some escape taxation and putting the additional taxation on those who can least afford to carry it is not the solution. Even Perry in one of his few lucid, if not almost human, moments proposed that everyone in Texas should be paying their fair share of taxes. Apparently quite a few special interests, the attorneys in particular, disagreed. So who do we tax? The poor of course. I also know that the legislature refuses to address the misuse of public funding by the districts themselves. Until that is addressed there will be no real change. Just more taxes and more "debt retirement bonds" which already allow the districts to exceed the existing caps on property taxes. I didn't hear anyone in Austin talking about those, did you? Posted by: Baby Snooks at August 16, 2005 03:13 PMThis is the beginning and the end. The very, very early beginnings of a rebirth. The rebirth of a new Democratic Party in Texas - and the United States. And it began here. Here in the conservative heartland of America. And it began because of the uncompromising arrogance of a Republican Party that has shifted so far to the right they no longer have a center. It will be a few years yet, but the seeds have been sown. Spread by the very people who crushed the plants that produced them. Sleep well my fellow new Democrats - our rebirth is near. Posted by: gayinmidland at August 16, 2005 10:01 PMWelcome back, Phillip. It's nice to have your insightful commentary to look forward to once again. Won't it be great to sit back and watch the populace who gave birth to Craddick, Dewhurst, Perry and their ilk, gradually look for a tonic that will cure them of that icky hungover feeling one has everyday when dealing with the callous, uncaring bunch who have temporarily inhabited Austin with their false claims of doing the people's business? Posted by: cewdem at August 17, 2005 02:16 AMI think it's kind of great to sit back right now and watch the Three Stooges devour each other. As for the rest of the bunch, I think we need to get a big broom and clean house so to speak. And then clean the Senate as well. Posted by: Baby Snooks at August 17, 2005 11:31 AMWell said indeed. Posted by: Amerloc at August 17, 2005 12:37 PM
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