September 21, 2005
Kelly Fero Statement on Sharp's Decision
By Andrew Dobbs
Kelly Fero is a longtime Sharp consultant and confidant, and a friend and mentor of mine. He had this to say about today's decision by Sharp:
"Gov. Perry and Mr. Sharp have both chosen to do the right thing today by putting Texas first. Those who rush to put a political spin on this run the risk of looking awfully small."
Indeed. Texas needed John Sharp, and he stood up to serve us all. Remember that the most successful reforms in Texas education over the last 30 years or so came about because outsiders put forth the ideas that elected officials can't. This is a significant moment for Texas, let's hope that the GOP simply listens to John Sharp, as his advice will be exactly what Texas needs.
Posted by Andrew Dobbs at September 21, 2005 05:18 PM
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Sharp's going to do a great job. No question.
And I honestly agree. Like I mentioned in my post, everyone needs a commission to suggest the ideas they are either unwilling to or incapable of coming up with themselves. It's a shame in some senses but kudos to him.
paul hobby for governor! ... or charles stenholm, or jim turner, or a purple people eater. anyone but bell, please.
Fully aware and without care that some may call me small, I feel the need to point out that today's announcement is the latest progress in a slow yet successful battle Democrats have fought against the Republican leadership for three years.
Democrats have created a true model for meaningful education reform (the Hochberg plan), built a bipartisan majority that votes for that plan, and gained public attention and support for their plan. Pressure from editorial boards from across the state and thousands of phone calls from teachers, administrators, and parents over the last eight months kept the Legislature from accepting the Republican's horrendous education plan.
I agree with K-T that it kind of sucks that it had to come to this. But it's better it came to this than to have seen Democrats lie down and accept a Republican plan that only would have hurt Texas schools. It is my hope that the finance reforms Sharp proposes, coupled with the Hochberg plan, can finally bring real reforms to our public schools.
"HOPE springs eternal in a young man's heart,
With a dream of a better life to come,
Without that dream, you are nothing, nothing, nothing:
You have to find out for yourself that dream is dead,
la la, la la"
"Look Over Your Shoulder" a/k/a
"Trust Goodhair and the Other Republicans"
By Alan Price
from the theatrical motion picture entitled
"O Lucky Man!" (1973)
Some of ya'll young Texans must be feelin'
mighty Lucky! (and I won't say which ones!)
This is an opportunity for Democrats to have real input into a real plan, to support it in the Lege, and to take meaningful credit for passing it. Some Democrats may even recognize this fact sooner or later and move forward with confidence and common sense. Naaahhh.
A Texan ought to be able to recognize bullshit when he sees it. This manure... er, maneuver... benefits no one but Rick Perry.
