| 2:19 It's started! Introducing Chris Bell and Bob Gammage. Sadly Mr. Jafer is not there. I'd like to know what he looks like at least.
2:21 Bell get's his Thank God for Mississippi zinger in within the first 30 seconds. Speaking of releasing the greatness.
Gammage references the Dirty 30 within the first 5 seconds of his round.
2:23 Next question on Education. I'm willing to bet Gammage mentions he ruled on the adequacy part when he was on the Texas Supreme Court.
2:24 And he does! Now they are asking him how. Bob: "Take the wealth of the state of a whole. Duty of state to provide the funding for education. Fund an excellent, not an adequate system. Put it all on the table. Robin Hood not an option.
2:26 Bell takes on education. Will he mention a moonshot for education? "Advocates for moving away from high stakes testing. Put a price tag on existing things. There's a Bell way and a Perry way. Expand franchise tax / gross receipts tax (Bell way). Things that reak (Perry way).
2:29 Questioning Bell on what exactly should be on there. Bell talking about things being on or off the table. Thinks state income tax should not be on the table. (ed note: Sen. Shapleigh has a great presentation on why we should have a state income tax which I agree with. I wish people would start talking about it rather than keep re-enforcing the 'never have an income tax idea'.)
To Gammage, anyone who makes a profit should pay business tax. Not in favor of increasing any tax on middle income earners in Texas until all loopholes for high end closed to people can pay as fairly and evenly as possible. All pay taxes, people vote to tax themselves as happens with every bond issue. Should convince voters how new tax structure will benefit average voters.
2:23 Question to Gammage: What about new money?
Committment to Education Excellence Act. Need to stop talking about adequate, and go for excellent. To Bell.
Not a Democratic Issue or Republican Issue. People agree we should support more funding for education. Reduce class size, increase teacher pay, technology. Calls for Bold Leadership (theme now).
Gammage: Don't think we need a statewide property tax.
2:35 Testing Question for Graduation: Should there be a final test?
Bell: Move away from High Stakes Testing. Moved beyond teaching to the test, now teaching the test itself. Wants to place accountability in hands of teachers and principals. No, shouldn't be dependant on one final test.
Bob: Agrees, brings in cultural issues of South Texas. (Apparently in school teachers wanted to double promote Gammage).
2:40 Ahhh, gay marraige and abortion!
Public Funding for Abortion issue to Gammage:
Gammage: Pro-choice 2 years before women had a choice. Am Pro-Choice and always have been, there's no question on that.
Bell: Gets in FWST endorsement. What can we do? Reduce teen pregnancy rate, abstinance plus programs.
Gammage: Agrees on programs such as above. Kids are bright, have moral values, should still encourage abstinance, but should be teaching abstinance plus.
2:45
Opportunity to attach each other.
Bell: There will be a lot of information put out there to allow voters to see difference in records... Minumum wage is an area of difference. Wants to have it indexed.
Gammage: Mentions Bell campaigned against minimum wage increase while running for city council. "I'm not running against Chris Bell or Jafar, I'm running against Rick Perry, DeLay, Bush, Cheney... it's a culture of corruption from DC to Austin... run to wake up the base, elect democrats down ballots, to be a messenger."
2:48 Question: Toll Roads
Bell: Change highway department.
Increase Gasoline Tax?
Bell: no direct answer, back to tolls in limited instances.
Gammage: Not opposed to toll roads as a tool, some areas like Dallas have integrated it appropriatly. Should look at rail like has been effectivly developed in other cities.
Don't favor increase in gasoline tax: "Not at this time".
2:52 The HMS PERRY GETS MENTIONED! Taxing Bottled drinking water! No taxes on beer! Gammage shocks the crowd with highlighting Republican corruption.
Bell: There is the same cash and carry system in Austin. Ok, totally killed the buzz Gammage had going. NOOOOOOOO... mentions website www.ChrisBell.com Wait, did he just say Trans-sexist corridor? "Oh come on, there can be some very effective lobbyists." (Ray Allen and Todd Baxter are sitting there going: "me! me!")
2:55Highest Home Insurance Rates Question
Gammage: After some 'excitable Bob' moments, boils it down to accountability. We are privitizing everything, and we are getting gouged.
Bell: Appoint an insurance commisioner! (No, not another Commission related idea! j/k) Perry appointed a pawn of the industry.
2:57
Gammage gets second mention of Dirty 30 in, in saying we need to throw the rascals out to make change in the rates.
Q: How do you get more children on CHIP?
Bell: Budgets are moral documents...I might have missed his solution.
Gammage: We're #1 in nation with kids without healthcare. It's a national issue, I'm still an advocate of getting a national plan, but, there are things to do locally. Need to ensure, make sacrifices, to get every child coverage so they don't have to go to emergency.
3:01
Q: What about Carol's extra $4.3 billion?
Bell: Well that could just about solve the education gap. State isn't meeting it's obligations in any programs. Thank God for Mississippi committee gets second mention. (someone want to make a website, could be like a counter to the Proud of Texas theme, maybe Team Bell could have a Proud of Mississippi ad)
3:04 Q: Illegal immigration issue, should law be repealed that allows illigal immigrants who graduate from Texas high school, are counted as in state tuition.
Bell: I think they should qualify for the program.
Gammage: They are residents of the state, they graduated from our high schoools. "If Rick Perry slipped up and did something decent, I don't want to over turn it." Haha, one of the better lines so far that's actually original
Gammage's tuition when he went to the UT school of law his tuition was $75 a semester??? What the hell, I feel so ripped off....
"We ought to be lowing the barriers to opportunity rather than erecting walls to accesss."
Bell: We ought to have more Tier One Universities.
HOURSE RACE QUESTION:
Bell: Get Democrats to vote for Democratic candidate. Baseline D vote of 38-42 percent. Carol is trying to be all things to all people. Ok, we know this already, heck, we're a blog.
Gammage: Perry will take right wing of Party, Carol will get those that don't believe in that. They are ashamed and embarassed about what happened to party. Now controlled by right wing ideolouges.
Q: Kinky, (never held public office, but many a cigar). What about his money?
Bell: People get excited about candidates when they know they can when.
(ed. note: Those flowers on the table are really distracting. I keep thinking Bell's leg is in them.)
What about values voters, you call them right wing ideologues Gammage?
Gammage: Yeah, they are, they control the Republican party by the throat.
A touching story from Bell coming up...watch the debate when it's archived to get it.
3:15
Do you belong to churches?
Gammage grabs it: I was raised a Southern Baptist.
Bell: Didn't catch it, I don't want to get it wrong by guessing, there was cross chatter.
Message for Democrats?
Gammage: Wake up, wake up. You can win. Let's get energized and we can win.
Bell: I'll talk about the New Mainstream like I've been talking about for a year. Rick Perry couldn't lead a silent prayer.
Q: If the other wins the nomination, say a nice thing about them.
Bell says, "Bob Gammage is a nice guy and he has a lot of positions similar to Chris Bell."
Gammage says, "Chris Bell has a good message, and it needs to be delivered dynamically."
Oooo, snap. And that's a wrap.
What's with that purple tie one of the moderators is wearing? Oh, he's not Blue or Red, he's in the middle. Oh, and our analysis and reporting is waaay more interesting than this analysis guy. Plus my glasses are cooler. Who wears round glasses like that anymore? |
