Radnofsky: Corruption must end
BY JAMES GALLAGHER - AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Government corruption and incompetence needs to stop.
That's the message Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky hoped to spread during her campaign stop in Lubbock on Wednesday. She is trying to unseat Kay Bailey Hutchison in November.
Radnofsky says the federal government is wasting tax dollars and failing to protect citizens.
"This state, more so than others, is suffering because of corruption and incompetence in our leadership," she said, adding that she is not just referring to Republicans.
Radnofsky said health care reform is going to cost the nation's elderly more than they can afford and that federal regulations regarding prescription drug prices will force the state to spend billions of dollars assisting the uninsured.
She blames lobbyists for compelling legislators to approve those health care reforms, despite the costs to taxpayers.
And the No Child Left Behind program is destroying the nation's education system by forcing children to spend an inordinate amount of time taking federally mandated tests rather than learning.
"We are testing our children to failure," she said.
Radnofsky said local, regional and state governments should set educational standards, not the federal government.
She is also critical of her competitor, saying Hutchison votes the party line regardless of the impact on Texas.
One particular failure, she says, was Hutchison's vote approving the recent federal transportation bill, which provided more funding per capita to Alaska than any other state.
"Alaska ranks No. 1 in transportation dollars and Texas ranks 49th," she said.
Radnofsky said she had hoped to coordinate this trip so that she would be able to attend the Cattle Baron's Ball again, but her schedule wouldn't allow it.