Sen. Eltife Speaks Out on School Reform
By Phillip Martin
State Senator Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler) gave every elected official in Texas an "F" for failing to pass any sort of improvements for our public schools, and called on members of his own party to start using their clear majority to start leading.
From The Paris News:
“We should have cut property taxes, properly funded public education and should have given teachers a pay raise they desperately deserve,” Eltife said.
He noted the average beginning teacher earns $24,000 yearly.
“That’s an embarrassment,” he said.
Eltife said many leaders blame lobbyists for the legislature’s past failures but that the buck stops with elected officials.
“Some will go around blaming the business lobby and some the education lobby,” Eltife said. “If you want to blame somebody, blame every elected official in this state.”
Eltife targeted his own political party.
“I am a Repub-lican,” Eltife said. “Republicans control the House, Republicans control the Senate and Republicans control every statewide elected office. If we are going to control all these offices, we need to provide leadership and it is time we step up to the plate. We asked for these jobs and we need to deliver.”
No matter the political consequences, the District 1 senator says he will continue to vote his conscious and what he believes are the wishes of his district on matters facing the Texas Legislature.
“It doesn’t matter whether the governor is on the other side of the issue or the lieutenant governor, when I am on the Senate floor and I make a vote it is going to be for my district and what is right in my heart no matter who is on the other side of an issue,” Eltife said to a round of applause.
Put into context with the recent targeting the Republican Party of Texas has done to many "moderate" Republicans in the House, this article points to the prominent difference between the Republican leadership (Perry, Dewhurst, Craddick) and everyone else in the Texas Legislature (Republicans and Democrats, alike) on the issue of education.
Posted by Phillip Martin at November 21, 2005 09:35 AM
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Sen. Eltife represents me in District 1, as I'm from Wood County. I worked extremely hard during the campaign for Sadler. While I certainly don't agree with everything he's done, I have appreciated his honesty with me on several issues, as well as his genuine desire to do what he feels is right. That doesn't always line up with my views, but I do at least have respect for the man. He has some moderate views on some key issues. While I'd love to have a progressive, I'll take my "Gang of 14" styled representative for the area I live in now.
