Texans are mad. Madder than a bunch of hornets who got their nest knocked over. After 13 years of republican rule, we have:
-the highest number of uninsured children
-the highest number of uninsured people period
-the highest childhood death by asthma
-highest number of high school drop outs
-highest level of pollution
-highest insurance rates
I could go on, but you can see where I am going. The republicans have literally been destroying our state. The national party has been using Texas as a laboratory for bad government, as Molly Ivins would say. They have been looting the state. In essence doing a reverse Robin Hood. Taking from the poor and middle class, and giving to the rich and corporations. Texans have been simmering for a long time, and the dam is starting to burst. For the last two elections we democrats have actually begun to increase seats in the state house(7). You saw what happened in Dallas. We stemmed the "red tide" in Galveston, and yes Harris county looks ready to go democratic.
More after the jump.
MKC
We still have Rick Perry(thanks Kinky) whom we call Governor 39%. He is a mini-me Dubya, who likes to govern by decree. Since 2001, he has had a free ride. He has gotten people riled with his HPV mandate, talk of selling the lottery, fast-tracking coal plants, and the Trans Texas Corridor. All the repubs are running scared. They know that they have bull's eyes on their backs.
What got me to doing this diary is a segment on Lou Dobbs on the Trans Texas Corridor. The lege had open hearings on the TTC today. There was a big demonstration outside the capital building. At least 400 people. Republican, democrat, independent, apolitical, you name it. People were march with signs and riding tractors, and they were MAD! If you had asked me in 2003 if this would happen, I would say know way.
Now, I think that there is a good chance that the TTC will be killed, or at least significantly modified. There were open hearings this summer all up and down where the TTC is going to be built. A lot of these hearings had at least 1000 angry people.
Governor 39% had been keeping parts of the TTC contract secret. A group sued and got the documents. The State Auditor reviewed it and pointed out that the costs would be more than what were sold. Also, Cintra would be guaranteed a 12% profit, which the taxpayers would pick up the tab on if the revenues weren't there.
http://www.statesman.com/...
Representative Ogden said:
Ogden said he is concerned about the Transportation Department's plans to allow private contractors, for a large upfront fee, to build roads and charge tolls -- perhaps forever. He said the department has as many as 21 projects under consideration, including one announced by Perry on Tuesday in the Dallas-Fort Worth area .
http://www.mcblogger.com/
Republican Rep Koklhorst has filed two bills that basically axes the TTC.
http://salon.glenrose.net/...
Everything culminated today with the open hearing on the TTC at the Lege.
http://www.dallasnews.com/...
I am going to make a prediction. We are going to pick up more seats for the state legislature in both the House and the Senate in 2008. We will pick up at least one statewide position in 2010(attorney general, I hope).
For my part, I am going to volunteer to help Joe Jaworski in his run for state senate in district 11. He is running against a do nothing named Mike Jackson. He will be a great candidate. People loved him as a city councilman. Remember hurricaine Rita? Lyda Thomas, our mayor, and Joe were the faces of that on national tv. He was great! He is a true progressive, who cares about people. Check him out at:
http://www.jaworski.com/...
MKC