Rep. Jim Dunnam Slams Dewhurst in Statesman Op-Ed

by: Phillip Martin

Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 10:08 AM CDT

Last week, I took Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst to task for his ridiculous assertions that he, Rick Perry, and Joe Strauss didn't need the stimulus dollars to balance the budget. (David Dewhurst Spinning Lies that Texas Didn't Need Stimulus Dollars to Balance the Budget)

Today, State Representative Jim Dunnam, who is Chair of the House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding, penned a Statesman in the op-ed knocking Dewhurst and Perry for their blatant hypocrisy. From his op-ed, titled, "Texas a fiscal wonderland? Now that's pure fantasy"

The problem with much of the current Republican Party leadership is not that they disagree with Democrats. The real problem is that they disagree with reality.

By shamelessly pretending that in is out and up is down, they have spun themselves into Wonderland.

Whether you like the stimulus or not, this misinformation is getting out of hand.

You should really read the entire op-ed -- Chairman Dunnam does a great job detailing all of Perry's hypocrisy.

Go. Read it now. This post is over. Fine -- here's the link one more time.

David Dewhurst Spinning Lies that Texas Didn't Need Stimulus Dollars to Balance the Budget

by: Phillip Martin

Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 09:32 AM CDT

Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst wrote an op-ed in today's Austin American-Statesman where he attempts to spin a lie that Texas didn't need stimulus dollars to balance the budget.

From his op-ed:

Given recent comments about our state's budget, I feel it is time to separate fact from political fiction. The fact is, in stark contrast to the U. S. Congress, the Texas Constitution requires the Legislature to balance the state budget every two years, and that would have happened with or without any federal stimulus dollars.

In 2007, I led the effort to save $7 billion to balance the revenue shortfall we anticipated this year.

So it's simply political fiction that stimulus dollars were necessary to balance our budget.

OK then Dewhurst -- how would you have balanced the budget without using the $14 billion in federal stimulus dollars?

To balance the budget, he's either got to cut spending or raid the Rainy Day Fund -- but the Rainy Day Fund wouldn't have filled a $14 billion budget hole. So what would Dewhurst have cut?

Kicked more kids off of CHIP?

Further gutted public education spending?

Dewhurst has no answer to this at all.

Meanwhile -- while Dewhurst is out spinning lies to cover his and every other Texas Republican's political hide when Rick Perry is rallying against Washington at the same time he's accepting $14 billion to fill a budget hole that he created -- his Senate Finance Chair, Steve Ogden, is actually telling the truth.

From the Fort Worth Business Press:

"In order to balance the budget this biennium, which is $182 billion, we used $14 billion in federal stimulus money to balance it," said Sen. Steve Ogdenm R-Bryan. "We're not expecting a similar amount of similar money to be available in the next two years because the federal government just doesn't have it. So, assuming that's true, you go into the next session with a $14 billion hole."

According to the State Comptroller's office, Texas requested and was allocated almost $20 billion in federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment ACt, and has so far been awarded about $13 billion. About $3.6 billion has been received, and nearly all of the received funds have been spent.

If David Dewhurst really wants to claim that Texas didn't need the stimulus funds, then he should produce a budget that shows what he would have cut. But he'll never do that, because this isn't about leadership or fiscal responsibility or being honest about how Texas Republicans play a shall game with Texas' taxpayer dollars.

It's about political power, and political wars -- and Dewhurst, Perry, Strauss, and every other Texas Republican is going to rally against Big Bad Washington while silently singing President Obama and the Democratic Congress' praises that they bailed Texas out of a massive $14 billion budget hole.

Don't believe Dewhurst' spin -- and don't believe it when you hear it repeated for the next year in the press, in local elections, in campaign forums, or on the campaign trail. The Republican-led legislature was only able to balance the budget because of federal stimulus dollars.

Remember -- I didn't say it. The Republican Senate Finance Chair did.

Marie Antoinette Dewhurst and Joe Scrooge Straus to the Poor: Eat Dirt

by: Libby Shaw

Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 04:51 PM CDT

Meanwhile, Texas isn't coming close to meeting federal requirements to process food stamp applications within a month. Last month, about 38,000 new applicants were left awaiting approval even though the federal deadline had passed. About one in six applications is processed incorrectly.

Food Stamps are 100% funded by the Federal Government. All Texas has to do is distribute the funds. Unfortunately due to either incompetence, stinginess or cold-hearted contempt for the state's struggling jobless, Texas is not doing its job.

Does our state legislature care?  

No it does not.

Austin Restaurant Owner Marc Katz to Run for Lt. Governor

by: David Mauro

Tue Sep 08, 2009 at 03:31 PM CDT

Marc Katz, the Katz's Deli owner who lost a 2003 bid to be Austin's mayor, announced yesterday he would run for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor.

Katz, a New York City native who has lived in Texas since the mid-1970s, becomes the first Democrat to enter the race. The Republican field is not entirely set either, as incumbent David Dewhurst continues to weigh a Senate bid (or await an appointment). If Dewhurst does not run for reelection, Attorney General Greg Abbott is widely expected to run for Lt. Gov.

From the Austin American-Statesman:

“I know that I can make a huge difference for Texas,” Katz said. “Being the Pastrami King and lieutenant governor is similar. Decisions should be made on the basis of what’s best for this state. As a small business owner I understand that.

“There’s been enough decisions, and that’s all there’s been. There’s been no action.”

In his campaign, Katz said he intends to stress health care reform, increased teacher pay and lower taxes for smaller businesses.

“This state needs to run like a business” Katz said. “Teachers should be the most elite profession, but they’re not. There are counties in this state without a doctor.

Let’s show a bottom line. If you could show me where you’re making the state better, we could afford you. Otherwise, we can’t.”

Katz also told the Statesman he expected to raise as much as $10 million for the race and would focus primarily on "$50 and $100 donations."

Democrats finally have a candidate for Lt. Governor. Whether it is the one the party will ultimately nominate, however, remains to be seen.

Analysis: Hutchison Says She Will Resign in October or November

by: David Mauro

Wed Jul 29, 2009 at 00:35 PM CDT

While appearing on a Dallas talk radio show this morning, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison told host Mark Davis that she expected to resign her seat in the Senate in October or November.

Rick vs Kay has the transcript:

Davis: So you’ll be coming out at some point. When do you think its decision time for you? When would you like when might we know?

Hutchison: I’m going to announce in August. Formal announcement I am in. Then the actual leaving of the Senate will be sometime – October/November – that-- in that time frame.

While it first should be said that Hutchison has said plenty of things over the years and many skeptics will not be convinced until she actually resigns, this is the closest Hutchison herself has come to setting a real timetable for an exit from the Senate.

Once Hutchison resigns, the non-existent U.S. Senate race we have been reporting about for months will suddenly have an election date and a new incumbent, as Gov. Rick Perry will be able appoint someone to fill the term between the resignation and the special election.

Who would Perry pick? Many Republicans aeem to be waiting to see who Perry picks before they decide to back a candidate. If Perry picks someone like Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who would be able to self-finance his campaign with millions of dollars, it is hard to imagine Republican candidates who have so far been fundraising failures, like Railroad Commissioners Michael Williams and Elizabeth Ames Jones, being very competitive.

The campaign spokesman for former Secretary of State Roger Williams, who was a Perry apointee, recently speculated that Williams' relatively strong fundraising quarter could put him in a good position to receive the appointment. Clearly, Perry will be looking to back a winning horse and given his options, he may decide Dewhurst, for all the Lieutenant Governor's flaws, is his best bet.

Gardner Selby wrote last week that Perry was considering calling a special election much earlier than many had assumed, potentially calling for an election before the end of the year.

Under the law, if the governor determines that an emergency warrants holding a special election before the uniform election date, then it can be on a nonuniform date as long as the governor identifies the nature of the emergency.

Translation: The election can happen any day the governor pleases.

And should Hutchison step down, Perry would consider setting an election shortly. Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle told me, "If a vacancy were to occur, the governor would be inclined to call an election soon to ensure Texans are fully represented" in Washington.

While it is fun (and exhausting) to speculate about the many scenarios that could play out following Hutchison's resignation, we have learned over the years that with Hutchison there is often a disconnect between words and actions.

TX-Sen: Florence Shapiro Has Support of 14 GOP State Senators

by: David Mauro

Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 09:45 AM CDT

When State Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) first announced her U.S. Senate exploratory committee in July 2008, she had the support of twelve other Republican state senators.

At the time, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst had made no public comment on whether he would consider entering the possible special election to fill Kay Bailey Hutchison's senate seat.

Fast forward almost a year and a couple things have changed. First, Dewhurst recently finally did make a statement leaving the door open to a run for the U.S. Senate, in an interview with the Austin American-Statesman.

"If the Senate job came open, I would probably give it a hard look," [Dewhurst] said. "I think that seat needs to stay in Republican hands."

As Dewhurst, the presiding officer of the Texas State Senate and a two term Republican statewide office holder with deep pockets, made his possible interest in the Senate seat known, you might have expected some of the Republican state senators to begin to waffle on their early committments to Shapiro.

Instead, the opposite happened.  Shapiro picked up the endorsements of Sens. Kip Averitt and Mike Jackson, leaving Steve Ogden, Dan Patrick, Jeff Wentworth and Tommy Williams as the only Republican senators not publicly backing Shapiro's candidacy.

Given that Wentworth has been telling that newspapers that Dewhurst should not "abuse that power we give him," it is probably safe to say the San Antonio Republican is not eagerly awaiting a Dewhurst Senate candidacy, either.

So either (1) David Dewhurst has so little respect among the members of the legislative body he has presided over for two terms that nearly none of them want to support him for higher office or (2) he is not running for the U.S. Senate.

Of course, if not the former, it certainly could be both.

Statesman Allows David Dewhurst to Write 1/3 of a Front Page Story

by: Phillip Martin

Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 06:00 AM CDT

Key Question: Just two days after publishing an accurately critical quote by Republican Senator Jeff Wentworth about Republican Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, why did the Statesman publish an entire fluff piece on Dewhurst on the front page of its paper that not only ignored the original story, but was co-written by Dewhurst himself?

Is this what a wink and a nod between failed elected officials and yellow newspaper editors looks like in the 21st century?

• Monday, June 29: The Statesman reports that Republican Senator Jeff Wentworth says that the Senate is "not going to put up with" Dewhurst trampling the will of the Senate for his own partisan favors for Governor Rick Perry any longer.
  
  
• Wednesday, July 1: David Dewhurst co-writes 1/3 of a front page story for the Austin American-Statesman, where he is the only one quoted and the original Monday story is completely ignored

Don't believe me? Let's look at some facts:

• 804 words are in the story, total
  
• 270 words are direct quotes of David Dewhurst
• 0 words are quotes from anyone other than Dewhurst
• 0 words challenge anything Dewhurst says

Dewhurst claims the session was a huge success -- and there is not a single word to challenge that. Not one.

Really, Statesman?

No one who works for the Statesman thought that it might be responsible journalism to follow up with Dewhurst about the fact that a leading Republican State Senator from Central Texas, -- the area the Statesman covers -- declared, "We're not going to put up with this any longer" about Dewhurst? Dewhurst was the sole subject of the entire article -- and you couldn't ask him one question about the remarks you'd reported only two days before?

Really?

Am I, as a reader of your publication, supposed to somehow forget this other piece of news you published, titled: ‘We’re not going to put up with this any longer,’ Wentworth says

[Republican State Senator Jeff Wentworth] added, “We’re not going to put up with this any longer. There are a number of senators that I’ve already spoken to that agree with me. It only takes 16 senators to adopt rules.”

Wentworth said Dewhurst told him that Gov. Rick Perry talked to him 20 times about stopping the legislation. And he said former Sen. Ken Armbrister, who works for Perry, “cajoled and threatened” six senators into opposing the measure, giving Dewhurst the cover he needed to not bring up the bill. (Asked about all this, Dewhurst spokesman Rich Parsons said only that the bill did not have the votes necessary to be called up).

Wentworth said there is an unwritten understanding between senators and the lieutenant governor that if 21 senators are willing to debate a bill, Dewhurst will recognize the appropriate senator to bring it up.

“The lieutenant governor should not abuse that power that we give him,” Wentworth said. “He should not have given his word to Perry that he would kill that bill.”

Pretty heavy accusations from one of Central Texas' State Senators. But was there any follow-up about that in the front page story on Wednesday? Nope. Instead, David Dewhurst got an 804-word direct mail piece sent to the door of thousands upon thousands of Texans, bought and paid for by the Austin American-Statesman.

And it's not like Senator Wentworth's critiques of Dewhurst were without company. A few weeks before, Harvey Kronberg -- owner of Quorum Report and writing a piece of political commentary for News 8 Austin -- took Dewhurst to task:

His denials notwithstanding, most in the Capitol now believe that Dewhurst conspired with Sen. Tommy Williams to trick the other senators on the first day of the session. Williams surprised his colleagues by proposing a new rule mandating the Senate take up voter ID, a bill that Democrats otherwise had the votes to block.

The Williams play ultimately led to a session-killing filibuster in the House, by a handful of Democrats. But if Dewhurst was blindsided by Williams as he said, why did he reward him with one of the most important chairmanships at his disposal – Senate Administration?

Perhaps it was because of his upcoming wedding in June and the preparations were distracting. But Dewhurst's erraticism, lack of concentration and inability to keep a schedule were the talk of almost every senator. He was rarely in the chair. By most reports, he was inconsistent and dismissive in his dealings with Speaker Joe Straus.

Rick Casey of the Houston Chronicle had noted some of Dewhursts' failures, as well, in a piece that ran at the end of session correctly identifying Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst as failing a test of character in playing his part in letting CHIP legislation die:

Dewhurst told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he was “looking for a vehicle” for CHIP expansion, he received some help.

Journalist Harvey Kronberg, whose online “Quorum Report” is must reading in the capital, quickly posted an item pointing out, as he had earlier in the day, that Coleman’s bill was available in the Finance Committee.

Thursday afternoon Dewhurst said Coleman’s criticism was “premature.” Dewhurst said Thursday evening the bill could be revived, but he was exaggerating.

Was it a deliberate charade or callous stupidity?

Does it matter, since Gov. Rick Perry appeared ready to veto the bill anyway?

Yes, it matters. It was a test of either character or competence. Dewhurst and Ogden flunked.

Sounds like a lot of controversy surrounding Dewhurst's role in the last session, doesn't it?

Yet does Mike Ward or the editors at the Statesman bring any of that into context? Not even a little. Instead, this talking point from Dewhurst is published unchallenged on the front page of the Austin American-Statesman:

As for the regular session, Dewhurst insisted that despite a last-minute partisan fight in the House that killed hundreds of bills and left the legislative process in chaos at the end, it was successful for the upper chamber.

"For the Senate and myself, this was almost a textbook perfect session," he said. "We addressed all of our important legislation early, got it passed — even though some Democrats filibustered and killed 200-plus of our Senate bills."

• 804 words are in the story, total
  
• 270 words are direct quotes of David Dewhurst
• 0 words are quotes from anyone other than Dewhurst
• 0 words challenge anything Dewhurst says

Oh, and by the way -- this just puts the icing on the cake.

Statesman writer Mike Ward, following the fluff piece that ran Wednesday morning, followed it up with not one, but two blog posts about Dewhurst's wedding the previous weekend. Even Ward, thinking it was cute and recognizing his fan-boy obsession with Dewhurst, closes his final love letter to The Dew with the following:

You asked Statesman.com for more details. We asked Dewhurst.

“What are you, TMZ?” quipped a staffer standing nearby.

Don't flatter yourself, Mike. TMZ would be a welcome change of professionalism.

Lack of Leadership Costs Texas Taxpayers

by: Matt Glazer

Mon Jun 15, 2009 at 10:05 AM CDT

Answer: $30,000 per day.

When Perry calls the anticipated special session to extend the life of the five agencies, it will cost taxpayers another $30,408 a day for lawmakers to finish their incomplete business.

Ratcliffe writes a detailed story about the real costs of operations at the capitol.  While the 140 day regular session only costs $9.1 million dollars, a special session could cost tax payers an additional $900,000 if the session runs 30 days.

Simply put, Lt Gov. David Dewhurst, Speaker Joe Straus, and Governor Rick Perry's failure to lead is literally costing tax payers.

Rick Perry has been the Governor of Texas since George W. Bush became President in 2000.  He officially assumed the top spot December 21, 2000. Since becoming Governor, there have been 7 special sessions-- 3 in 2005 to deal with education financing, 3 in 2003 to deal with redistricting and 1 more in 2004 to finish off the job.

Now we are looking at an 8th special session in Perry's long tenure as Governor. That is nearly 2 specials called for every regular session.  This time we are going to spend $30,000+ a day because of a failure to pass necessary language to keep the Texas Department of Transportation, Department of Insurance, Office of Public Insurance Counsel, the Texas Racing Commission or the State Affordable Housing Corporation alive.

Now taxpayers are required to pay for a lack of leadership from the Republican Party... again.

Legislature Adjourns Sine Die, Refuses to Pass Top Perry Priority

by: Matt Glazer

Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 09:31 PM CDT

Here is the long story.

The Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Insurance are under threat of sunseting before the next regular legislative session.

The next session won't start for a little under 2 years, but both agencies begin the sunset process in a little over a year and a half.  The gap required legislators to discuss a Sunset safety net to fix the gap.

The House put a quick and dirty solution together and voted out HCR 291.  HCR 291 was the proposed solution to keep TDI and TxDOT operating until next session since HB 1959 didn't get through the deadlines.

When the Republican led Senate couldn't figure out what to do in response to the Republican led House, Republican Troy Fraser made the motion to simply adjourn the Texas Senate Sine Die without fixing the problem.

According to Quorum Report, Leticia Van De Putte opposed the idea and told her colleagues in the Senate exactly what she thought.

San Antonio Democrat Leticia van de Putte was not satisfied with the response.  She pointed out that the Department of Insurance is also in danger of being sunsetted.

"What happens to consumers should be leave here with out authorizing the continuance of the Texas Department of Insurance (and TxDOT)?" Van de Putte asked.

[...]

"I'm afraid that we are shirking our responsibility. Just because the House has acted irresponsibly, does that mean they have to drag the Senate into it, too?" Van de Putte said.  "We are possibly facing legislative suicide with those two agencies."

Needless to say, the nearly 2/3rd Republican chamber voted to adjourn without fixing the problem.

Now, Rick Perry has to decide whether addressing the agencies before the sunset really is a top priority of his or not.  If it is a priority, his only solution is to call a special session. If it was all political pandering and posturing, then say goodbye to TxDOT and TDI.

Regardless, this is what failed leadership looks like on every level.  This a failure of the House, Senate, and the Governor.  There wasn't a leader at any level and because of it, Republicans decided to go home instead of working through the problem.

Windstorm insurance was a huge priority for Rick Perry.  The hard work and push doesn't mean much without the Department of Insurance.

Clearly, more on this story as it develops.

Governor Rick Perry, Senate Republicans Oppose CHIP Expansion

by: Phillip Martin

Fri May 29, 2009 at 07:41 AM CDT

Key Point: The Senate already "supported" CHIP legislation 29-2, on the amendment to Rep. Pierson's bill. It only takes 4/5 of the Senate to pull Rep. Coleman's bill out of Senator Ogden's committee and bring it to the House floor. 29/31 > 4/5. It's entirely up to Senate Republicans -- are they willing to put children's health care first, or are they going to stand by Rick Perry and kill expansion of CHIP?

Yesterday, Texas Governor Rick Perry spoke out against CHIP expansion legislation -- possibly even threatening a veto -- at the same time that Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and Senate Republicans attempted to dishonestly derail any hopes of CHIP expansion legislation passing this session.

The AP story that ran in the Houston Chroncile ("Perry opposes CHIP expansion plan") has the quote (emphasis added):

"No. I would probably not be in favor of that expansion even if it came to my desk. I think the members know that," Perry said. "That is not what I consider to be a piece of legislation that has the vast support of the people of the state of Texas."

The "vast support of the people of Texas" don't support the plan? CHIP has been one of the winningest issues for Texas Democrats over the past six years. Moreover, a poll last November by a Republican research firm, Hill Research Consultants, had the following information:

• Helping "children access quality healthcare" is the top priority of 18% of registered voters in TX, 2nd highest of any issue.
• In a re-elect question on Republican elected officials, 54% of registered voters said they would "give Democrats a chance."
  
• Children's healthcare is the top priority of 85% of those regustered voters who would "give Democrats a chance."

Moreover, the House and Senate have already passed versions of the legislation. The Senate passed legislation by Senator Averitt, while the House passed legislation by State Rep. Garnet Coleman. The Senate, in an attempt to be cute, attached Sen. Averitt's version of the legislation to a House bill that had was not about CHIP -- therefore, it would have been struck down on a point of order.

The House, not surprisingly, said, "um, no, we can't do that" -- and Rick Casey, in his column in today's Houston Chronicle titled, "CHIP charade also failed test of character" calls out the Senate Republicans for their nonsense:

But Dewhurst and Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, the powerful Finance chairman who declined to call a committee meeting to report out Coleman’s bill, didn’t need to take a chance, and they knew it. Both are veterans familiar with the House rules.

What’s more, when Dewhurst told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he was “looking for a vehicle” for CHIP expansion, he received some help.

Journalist Harvey Kronberg, whose online “Quorum Report” is must reading in the capital, quickly posted an item pointing out, as he had earlier in the day, that Coleman’s bill was available in the Finance Committee. [...]

Was it a deliberate charade or callous stupidity?

Does it matter, since Gov. Rick Perry appeared ready to veto the bill anyway?

Yes, it matters. It was a test of either character or competence. Dewhurst and Ogden flunked.

The Senate already "supported" putting the CHIP legislation on the dead legislation 29-2. It only takes 4/5 of the Senate to pull Rep. Coleman's bill out of Senator Ogden's committee and bring it to the House floor. 29/31 > 4/5. 

The Senate Republicans have already shown that they want the CHIP legislation. There is already a 4/5 majority that have voted for it. There's absolutely no reason, whatsoever, for Senate Republicans not to pull Rep. Coleman's bill out of committee, amend Sen. Averitt's bill to it, and send it back to the House.

If there is no CHIP expansion bill, Governor Perry's veto threat and the complete "charade [of] callous stupiditiy" exercised by Senate Republicans are squarely to blame. Dewhurst was the one that wanted to kill CHIP in 2007; he's trying to do it again.

Will the Senate Republicans block the CHIP expansion bill? That may be the biggest issue of today. Stay tuned.