Burnt Orange Report

And of course Chris Bell has no solution any more than the legislature did. Their solution was to propose raising taxes and then when they realized that wouldn't work because they would all be thrown out of office, if not tarred and feathered and run out of Texas, they blamed Rick Perry. Seems to be a pattern here. When all else fails, just blame Rick Perry. And then go back to tax and spend. And find all sorts of ways to try to make the citizens of Texas believe that tax and spend is the way to go. Even the Democrats are tired of the tax and spend solution to everything. The MAINSTREAM Democrats anyway. Who Chris Bell is obviously out of touch with.

Just WHAT exactly does Chris Bell propose as a solution? How does he propose to PAY FOR whatever solution he has? How would Chris Bell solve the BUDGET problem which IS the problem?

All he seems to be doing is taking the opportunity again to merely slam Rick Perry which quite honestly we don't need him to do. We already KNOW we don't like Rick Perry. So again, what is it that Chris Bell proposes as a solution to the problem beyond telling us that we have a problem? Last I heard, Chris Bell was proposing a commission to study the problem. Which Rick Perry then appointed. Well, he appointed John Sharp anyway. More to follow. In a year or two. Maybe. Which Chris Bell then slammed him for. Make up your mind. Is he merely going to appoint a commission once he becomes governor and then ignore it and then blame the commission? We don't need him to appoint a commission. Perry already has. He will probably blame the commission. So Bell can just blame Perry's commission and then appoint a new one. That's the way most problems are solved in Austin. Which is why most are not solved. But most of us are finally realizing it. And most of us are at the point that quite a few Democrats along with most of the Republicans are going to find themselves being thrown out of office. Read OUR lips, boys and girls. NO MORE TAXES. Got it?

I would point out as someone pointed out to me that any plan at this point might be a waste of time depending on how the courts rule. Something the governor and the legislature should have thought about. But I guess even the legislature isn't above utilizing a golden opportunity to blame the other party. And in this case to just blame the governor. No one likes him. Even his own party. Must be his hairspray.

We don't need another commission. We need a solution. Either Chris Bell has a solution or he doesn't. If he doesn't have a solution, then why on earth do we need another clueless wonder in the governor's mansion?

His entire campaign seems to consist entirely of slamming Tom De Lay and Rick Perry. Why not just use a calendar for the slamming? M-W-F is De Lay. T-T-S is Perry. Sundays we get the luck of the draw. It gets tired. About as tired as my constantly pointing it out. Chris Bell never offers anything but rhetoric about how once governor he will solve the problem. But he doesn't say how. Obviously he has no solutions. So if he has no solutions, why is he running for governor?

Of course the one time he did offer solutions, one of the solutions had already been taken care. Which he didn't know. Or his campaign manager didn't know. But he's an attorney. He should have known. But that was just a little mistake. That quite a few are still laughing about all over Texas. Including quite a few Democrats.

"All he seems to be doing is taking the opportunity again to merely slam Rick Perry which quite honestly we don't need him to do."

Let's change the wording a little here...

"All (Baby Snooks) seems to be doing is taking the opportunity again to merely slam (Chris Bell) which quite honestly we don't need him to do."

When you've proposed a solution, then your rants will become less empty. The fact is, Perry issued another idea that no one in the Legislature -- Republicans, Democrats, or the moderates in between -- agree with. You think we should just sit here and take it? No f***ing way.

And before you and others come out with your "BOR just loves Chris Bell" chorus, I want to point out that I've been critical of their campaign in the past, and I in no way work for him or anyone in his campaign. The one thing I've always been absolutely committed to, though, is public education reform, and Perry hasn't got a clue. He's failed five times, and he's going to continue to serve as an obstruction to progress so long as he's Governor. Any other candidate will listen to the Legislature (the body elected to actually make the laws), and the superintendents and teachers (the people that actually have some experience in education). Perry is going to pass hollow executive orders and dump on any idea that isn't born from his far-right privaitization machine.

And just for good measure, Chris Bell is doing what Rick Perry should be doing -- waiting to see what the courts will rule. I'd imagine if he did propose a solution, you'd call him an idiot for doing something before we heard from the courts. He couldn't win with you -- you're too hell bent on hating him.

Tell me why Perry is right, or why I'm an idiot for being passionate about schools. Tell me why teachers should only get an incentive pay raise, or why we should ignore what a bipartisan majority of legislators want to do for our public schools. Just tell me something that isn't so full of BS that I want to throw up.

The Democrats and Republicans have proposed a solution, and they have addressed ways to pay for it already. Look at the entire HB3 debate. Democrats proposed amendments that would have raised more than enough money for schools, all by cutting out the tax cuts to businesses that didn't need them and making everyone pay their fair share.

What's more, Texans are willing to pay a little more in their taxes IF they know the money will go to public education reform. Every poll in the last ten months has shown that. The Sharp committee will study what needs to be done with the tax situation, but without solutions on education, nothing is going to happen to help our schools.

Well said Phillip.

-Baby Snooks doesn't speak for me.

New Zogby poll: Perry 42, Bell 25, Kinkster 21.

Chip Staniswalis was not included in the survey.

Our hope for real solutions to the school finance problem lies with John Sharp. He proved to be very effective as state comptroller and can apply the same effectiveness to the task force he is chairing. Too bad he's not running for governor next year. This Republican would be crossing over to vote for him (would make it my first Democratic vote ever) over Tricky Rick.

"When you've proposed a solution, then your rants will become less empty."

I wouldn't propose a solution until after the court ruled. I didn't say anyone should have. If anything, I said it was a waste of time to have done so.

"He's failed five times, and he's going to continue to serve as an obstruction to progress so long as he's Governor."

The legislature failed five times. Not Perry. Not Dewhurst. Not Craddick. The legislature. The Democrats and the Republicans.

"Any other candidate will listen to the Legislature (the body elected to actually make the laws), and the superintendents and teachers (the people that actually have some experience in education)"

Actually I think Perry did listen to the legislature. He also listened to the people. You left them out. Why? He said equitable taxation and equitable funding. He didn't see equitable taxation. Neither did we.

"Democrats proposed amendments that would have raised more than enough money for schools, all by cutting out the tax cuts to businesses that didn't need them and making everyone pay their fair share."

I'm sure the law firms and the oil and gas industry and the other special interest groups will find that interesting. They killed each and every proposed bill. Which only infuriated the rest of us.

"What's more, Texans are willing to pay a little more in their taxes IF they know the money will go to public education reform. Every poll in the last ten months has shown that."

I would make bet that any of the proposed bills including Hochberg's amendment would be soundly defeated by the voters. Particularly in Harris County. Time and time and time again they have been told "more taxes will produce better education" and all they have seen for the past 20 years is worse education for their children. Despite the higher taxes. Which polls are you referring to? The ones the individual legislators had custom made to support their positions?

Read my lips. NO MORE TAXES. Texans are fed up with higher taxes while the special interests pay none. And they are particularly fed up with higher taxes which are wasted by the school districts. HISD alone must waste half of every dollar it takes in. Don't believe me? Call Wayne Dolcefino. He's exposed any number of scandals within HISD. And what has been done about it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The administrators shoot the bird at him, then at the taxpayers. They could care less. As long as they have a nice paycheck, that's all they care about.
Go to a trustees meeting and dare to ask a question they don't like, usually about the budget, and see how fast you are ejected. If Tom De Lay is the hammer, HISD trustees are the jackhammers.

And just for good measure, Chris Bell is doing what Rick Perry should be doing -- waiting to see what the courts will rule."

News to me. When did this become his position?

"Our hope for real solutions to the school finance problem lies with John Sharp."

I couldn't agree more. And I bet just as soon as the court has ruled, there will be a full commission at work on the problem. Despite Chris Bell ranting about how Perry hasn't appointed one. I think some have their ranters confused.

I at least know what I'm ranting about.

Baby Snooks:

Go back and watch the tape. When the Democrats and Republicans defeated vouchers, Craddick shut down the debate by (finally) ruling on a point of order made well before the vote.

When the Hochberg amendment passed, what did they do? Pulled the plug by taking all the amendments and then refusing to do anything with the passed bill. Craddick personally told Joe Nixon and other republicans to quit trying to find any common ground on school finance during the last special.

Just two examples. There are many more. Please check your facts...oh, wait a minute, you're a Perry apologist, you don't need facts.

"...oh, wait a minute, you're a Perry apologist, you don't need facts."

Last time I checked, I was supporting Kinky Friedman. Rather hard to be a Kinky Friedman supporter and a Perry apologist at the same time.

My impression of Craddick and Dewhurst is that both placed their personal political agendas above all else. As in screw it up and point the finger. At Perry. Sounds like they succeeded.

They did put their political agendas above everyone else. And Perry didn't talk to anyone about school finance or tax issues until the first special session, when he sent out a "plan" after a press release. Rather than presenting his plan to the House and Senate, he sent a couple of staffers to the Capitol and went on a tour around the state, campaigning on his plan. His "plan" got laughed out of the committee by both the Republicans and Democrats because it was so far from anything they had worked on all year.

You've got to distinguish between the leadership and the rest of the R's and D's. You've got to acknowledge that a majority of members passed a plan, and Craddick flat out shut it down. It's not that D's and R's failed to get anything done or come up with any solutions -- it's that Perry, Craddick, Dewhurst and Co. absolutely, flat-out, no questions asked REFUSED to hear compromise. Craddick and Rep. Keel even tried to stop debate, a move that a vast majority of D's and R's didn't allow.

Not acknowledging what actually happened in the Capitol is simply ignorant. It's been reported countless times in every single paper in Texas, as well as right here on BOR. There's two primary explanations that either side has offered for why nothing happened:

1) The Republican leadership refused to accept any ideas but their own, even ideas that gained the support of a bipartisan majority of lawmakers.

2) Teachers became obstructions and shut down the process with their lies and their greed.

If you think some folks that take their cues from California-based, pro-privatizationm business think tanks are more qualified to make decisions and recommendations on Texas public school reforms than people who have spent 30 years and more in the education profession...

That's your opinion. But you're in the minority, not only among folks that actually pass the laws, but also among the people of Texas.

"If you think some folks that take their cues from California-based, pro-privatizationm business think tanks are more qualified to make decisions and recommendations on Texas public school reforms than people who have spent 30 years and more in the education profession..."

I don't think any such things. And I don't believe teachers opposed anything. I think they would have approved anything that put more money into their pockets instead of the pockets of the administrators. The administrators, not the teachers, opposed the various plans. Along with the law firms and the other special interest groups.

I do not like Perry. But I would point out that his plan and his position had a goal of equitable taxation and equitable funding. Not one plan put forth by legislature met that goal. So of course he opposed them all.

He also called for more accountability on the part of the districts themselves. All of us are being forced to live within tight budgets. The school districts should be forced to do the same. That is really the problem with education funding in this state. There is little if any real accountability on the part of the school districts. And until that accountability is there, there will never be enough money for education. Because the administrators will find ways to waste it. Usually by finding ways to put much of it in their back pockets. Instead of in the paychecks of the teachers and teachers are who teach our children. Not the administrators, not the legislature and certainly not the governor.

I point you to this:

"We have TAKS tests, SDAA I and II tests, Performance Based Monitoring, Transportation and Food Service audits, TPRI results, LPAC's, ARD's, LEP's, IEP's, AEP's, PEIMS reporting and many more state and federal programs that we must account for on a daily basis. In addition, we receive the Financial Integrity ratings and our yearly financial audit. And some in the legislature say all we want is more money with NO ACCOUNTABILITY? That is a ludicrous statement made by people who obviously do not know or care what we do on a daily basis."

https://burntorangereport.com/mt/archives/2005/08/rural_superinte.html

That's from a rural superintendent in East Texas, someone who is actually there. I know HISD has serious problems with accountability. Many times, they seem to suffer from the same sort of cronyism that has filtered through a lot of our state and national leaders. But that doesn't make it true throughout the rest of the state. It's not that simple. As Dr. Largent says, there's plenty of accountability measures they go through on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Laying every problem at the foot of superintendents is short-sighted and unfair.

What is the budget of HISD versus the budget of this district in East Texas? More importantly, how much of the budget that is wasted by HISD could be put to better use by this district in East Texas? Just a thought.

Even under Robin Hood, the larger districts still manage to keep, and waste, far more than what the smaller districts get in terms of per student and per teacher and per classroom. Those who disagree with that probably can find statistics to the contrary. Statistics, like polls, can be twisted any way you want them to be. If there were equitable funding in Texas, we would never had needed Robin Hood. Those three things should be the basis of funding. Sadly in most cases they are not.

When private endeavors such as the Annenberg Challenge have to supplement funding just to provide basic elements of education in the largest school district in Texas, and the seventh largest in the country, there is something very, very, very wrong with our funding system. It has to do with accountabilty.

And that is not being addressed. By anyone. Not that I can see. Of course, I'm the minority. Because I'm opposed to more taxes? You're damn right I'm opposed to more taxes. I have to live within my budget. Time for HISD to live within theirs. The state should audit HISD and every dollar they've wasted in one year should be given the following year to another district whose priority is education. The priority in HISD is not education. I suspect the same holds true for most of the larger districts in Texas.

It would seem, then, that Perry might do better by issuing an executive order to commission a task force to study accountability in HISD and other large school districts, since that is where most of the money is getting wasted -- instead of proposing teacher incentive pays that are only going to give marginal salary raises to a small minority of teachers.

Of course, that wouldn't really help him politically, so I guess we know exactly how likely something productive like that would be.

Actually it might be something the legislature itself should look at. Keeping in mind the old saying about throwing good money after bad?

I seem to recall that the Texas Administrators group, whatever they're called, endorsed the Hochberg plan. I remember visiting their website and seeing a press release about it.

Additionally, I also recall that the overall effect of the Hochberg plan would have been a net tax DECREASE for a majority of Texans (as opposed to the Republican plan which was a net tax increase for 90%). It was mostly about a smarter way to approach property tax relief along with reorienting the school finance system to be more equitable and more effective, not a straight tax and funding increase.

Moreover, any attempt at major school district oriented reform or overhaul has to recognize the substantial limits to local discretion imposed by No Child Left Behind. As the current mandates are structured, it would be highly difficult for even a zealous, committed superintendent to alter spending in any significant way when districts are already missing federal targets for spending on NCLB. That's not meant to be an excuse for corruption or incompetence, just a sense that perhaps there are certain first order priorities that need to be addressed.

Well at least we know one solid position of Chris Bell who seems to be all over the map with the others. He apparently is opposed to abortion.

"He also tackles the issue of abortion. While pro-choice, Bell said he is against abortion and wants to see the practice curbed in Texas.“We need to have an honest discussion about abortion,” said Bell. “I don’t know anybody who is for abortion. I do know people who are pro-choice, but not anyone who is for abortions."

"“We can stop unwanted pregnancies in Texas and do something about the abortion rate.”"

Wait a minute. He is all over the map again. How can someone be pro-choice but opposed to abortion?

http://www.chrisbell.com/node/704

Maybe he's just opposed to abortion and wants to "curb it" while he's running for governor so he can get some Republican votes? And then go "ah, fooled you" once elected? If so, what else will he have "fooled you" about?

Is he all the Democrats in this state have to offer?

Sex education is fine. Reality however is that boys tend to talk girls into things they know not to do. And then tell the girls "it must be someone else's" when they end up pregnant.