| Yesterday, the U.S. House approved legislation that will reduce the budget shortfall in Texas by $850 million. Now, granted, that's a fraction of the $18 Billion dollar deficit created by Rick Perry's decade of failed leadership. Specifically, Texas will receive $850 million for its Medicaid program. An additional $813 million will go directly to Texas school districts for teachers and education staff support. But it's a great start, especially since the Texas funds are allocated towards education and Medicaid, where they can do the most good for those who need the help most.
Seems like a no-brainer, right? Who doesn't like lowering deficits? Who's against investing the money in education and public health, where it will pay dividends in human capital for generations? Who would deny our schools and teachers the funding needed to educate the next generation of Texas leaders?
Texas Republicans, that's who.
That's why they all voted against it. Every single one of them. They voted against every teacher in their district, every hospital worker. They voted against putting more cops on the streets and more firemen in the firehouse all across America. Texas Republicans are so against helping average Americans, they voted against closing corporate tax loopholes for folks who ship jobs overseas, voted against helping to fund education for all Texas children.
(By the by, two Republicans did vote for the package--Rep. Cao of Louisiana, the sole Republican vote for health reform, and Mike Castle of Delaware, stuck in a tight race for Senate in a traditionally Blue State.)
It's disgusting and callous to see Republican partisanship rear up and oppose such basic good government measures such as this. Thankfully the Democratic Congress was able to pass the package, and make sure that states have the funding they need to keep the lights on.
State Representative Garnet Coleman released a statement in support of the state aid package:
I'm thankful to the Democratic congressional delegation from Texas for securing these funds for our state. It's sad that not a single Republican from our state's congressional delegation was concerned about the budget shortfall in Texas.
Governor Perry, who last year accepted $12 billion in federal stimulus dollars to help balance our state budget, did not lift a finger to help Texas get these funds.
In case you're following along at home, Rick Perry didn't try to get these funds because Rick Perry's only in it for himself. He doesn't give a damn about the schoolchildren of Texas. And neither, apparently, does any Texas Republican in Congress.
I guess the Republican Party has expanded their platform on this one to include no support for our schools and teachers, no funding for cops and firemen, and no common sense that reducing the deficit in Texas might actually be a good thing. But from the Party of No, that's no surprise. |
