07.19.06
It Just Looks Bad
In light of all the budget problems that are happening all over the state. Tip to Capitol Annex for the link to the HChron story, Speaker Tom to get a new $1,000 john.
In the past few years, the Texas Legislature has kicked thousands of children in low-income families off health insurance.
It has squeezed higher education funding in such a way that tuition at state universities has skyrocketed.
It has starved Texas state parks to the point where the entire system is able to buy one new vehicle a year, and can’t maintain its restrooms.
And the governor has asked all departments to submit a budget 10 percent below current funding.
As the late U.S. Sen. Norris Cotton of New Hampshire once said, “The boys are in such a mood that if someone introduced the Ten Commandments, they’d cut them down to eight.”
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And don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against nice digs for the speaker.If only he’d find enough money to keep restrooms at the state parks open and functioning, even with hundred-dollar toilets.
Must be getting hot, the Speaker had to release an FAQ on his lobbyist paid upgrade, via QR.
Eye on Williamson » The Speaker’s Apartment said,
July 23, 2006 at 10:44 am
[…] Today the AAS has an editorial on the stark contrast between the fundraising for the Speaker’s apartment and the financial situation surrounding our state Parks, Enjoying $1,000 toilets as our state parks system gets flushed. If you’re not aware of this, basically several corporations and lobbyists have put up the $1 million for the renovations of Speaker Craddick’s apartment. In a time when state agencies are being asked to tighten their belts and you know, healthcare costs are going through the roof, and school finance issues aren’t going away, well, it just looks bad. Here’s how the editorial concludes: Now the parks division, like other state agencies, has been told to find ways to cut spending by another 10 percent in the next budget year. That kind of cut, a top department official said, could require closing 18 parks and losing 44 more park employees — at a time when, according to incumbents running for re-election to state offices, Texas is doing great economically. […]