Williamson County Conservative

Rotten Politics in Round Rock ISD

2012-02-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

Something is rotten in Round Rock ISD. Last week the school board voted to ask the Williamson County Attorney's office to investigate Board Trustee Terri Romere. The Austin-American Statesman happily lapped up the narrative of an elected official engaging in illegal behavior. Of course, few print newspapers engage in investigative journalism anymore, and as expected, the Statesman's story completely missed the big picture.

But there is oh, so much more to this story.

The backdrop for this drama involves an ISD Boundary determination process that has been so riddled with mistakes, misunderstandings, and deliberate mis-characterizations from the beginning, that the community has lost all faith in a fair outcome. But the tale of a boundary process gone wrong will have to wait; to begin with, I would like to address specific aspects of the allegations against Trustee Terri Romere.

The flap regards an email sent by a RRISD parent, Craig Zawadzki, to all RRISD Board members, RRISD Superintendent Jesus Chavez, and RRISD Director of Communications Joy Lynn Occhiuzzi. Mr. Zawadzki had heard some rather fantastic rumors about one of the Boundary proposals under consideration by the board, and he rightly expressed his concerns. Romere then forwarded Zawadzki's email, not to just a 'parent activist,' but the author of the proposal in question, Erik Okerholm, so that Okerholm could address the specific concerns over his plan. Okerholm then sent an email to numerous residents with questions, including Mr. Zawadzki, correcting the mis-characterizations circulating about his plan.

The alleged 'crime' committed by Romere is that she did not redact Zawadzki's email address. However, the communications were not part of an open records request, but part of a chain of communications about the two boundary proposals.

Here things get pretty interesting. On January 10, Zawadzki sent an email complaining about having his email forwarded. He did not file a grievance, nor ask for an investigation. Unfortunately for Mr. Zawadzki, he now finds himself being used as a pawn by the Administration and some trustees.

On January 12, Superintendent Chavez sent a rather curious communication to the Board that never mentions Romere by name, but insinuates that forwarding an email without redacting the sender's email address would be a violation of Section 552.137 of the public information act, and that the offense is a “misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000; confinement in the county jail for not more than six months or both the fine and confinement. In addition, the violation constitutes official misconduct.” Dr. Chavez adds to the January 19 Board meeting agenda a call for a Closed Session to “discuss duties of public officers and employees.”

On January 19, Ross Fischer, attorney for Terri Romere, sent a letter to the RRISD attorney questioning Dr. Chavez's email. (I have obtained copies of Fischer's letters; you can read the full text of this letter here.)

Fischer writes:

“It does not appear that Mr. Zawadzki is alleging a violation of the RRISD's policy on Board Email Communication (which does not appear to prohibit the forwarding of an electronic message), nor does it appear that Mr. Zawadzki is alleging a violation of state law. In fact, it appears that the message is a simple inquiry by a member of the public directed to RRISD officials (and dozens of other members of the public). It appears that Dr. Chavez has taken a simple inquiry and somehow construed it as a complaint against a member of his governing board. “

Fischer sure seems to smell something fishy here, and he also notes that Dr. Chavez has significantly misrepresented the statute in question. He quotes Chavez' message, and follows with this:

This is a misrepresentation of the law, which actually states:

Section 552.137 of the public information act states, “An e-mail address of a member of the public that is provided for the purpose of communicating electronically with a governmental body is confidential and not subject to disclosure under this chapter [emphasis added].

This omission by Dr. Chavez is significant. The statue states that an e-mail address of a member of the public is not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552 of the Government Code. Therefore, had someone sought copies of Mr. Zawadzki's e-mail via the Public Information Act, the RRISD would have had to treat his e-mail address as confidential. However, our client knows of no such request filed pursuant to Chapter 552.

The RRISD attorney, Bill Bingham did not respond until 2 weeks later. His response, dated February 2, states, ”I do not believe that there is a pending “complaint or charge” involving a Board member.”

Even more disturbing are the revelations in Ross Fischer's next letter to the RRISD. (Full text here) Fischer asks for the following:

*First, please confirm whether our client Ms. Romere is the subject of any complaint or investigation that has been commenced by the Round Rock ISD.
*Second, please provide a copy of any complaint alleging misconduct by our client Ms. Romere.
*Third, Please provide a copy of the standard of conduct which our client Ms. Romere has allegedly violated.
*Fourth, please provide the legal authority authorizing the Board of Trustees to sanction, reprimand, or otherwise discipline our client Ms. Romere.
*Fifth, it has come to our attention that certain documents have been provided to the Austin American-Statesman pursuant to a Public Information Act request. On the tenth page of the documents provided, certain private emails are clearly visible. Therefore, we would like to know the name of the Round Rock ISD employee who released these email addresses, those employees or officers that approved the release, and whether the owners of the following email accounts consented to the release of their email addresses: ...

Wait, what? Somebody in the RRISD Administration is determined to convict Romere of a crime she didn't commit, but their own personnel did?

Fischer goes on to note that while the ISD seems to be stonewalling his client, they are sure eager to give the media select documents.

It is unfortunate that the District seems more willing to provide detailed information to the Austin American Statesman, as evidenced by the article in today's newspaper, than to one of its own Trustees. We hope that you will point out to the District's officials that, in its rush to ambush our client, it is subjecting its own Trustees to possible criminal liability.

Yesterday the RRISD sent its request to have Romere investigated by the Williamson County Attorney's office, but they have yet to respond to Ross Fischer's information requests.

All of these factors seem to point to some kind of desperate attempt to either embarrass or punish Romere, with the explicit threat of jail, fine, and removal from office. So what is all this intended to accomplish? Well, for one thing, on December 15, many interpreted the Board's reaction to Chavez's performance review as a prelude to his contract not being renewed and ultimately his dismissal. In fact, the Board could have taken action that evening but for a technicality in the meeting posting that was controlled by Chavez. The official vote has been re-scheduled for February 28^th. Absent Romere, the Board could easily split evenly in a 3-3 tie on Chavez's dismissal or, worse yet, others could be intimidated into submission. The tactics against Romere are clearly designed to intimidate her and others willing to stand up for what they believe is right.

Of even more concern to RRISD parents anguished over the corrupted boundary process, the vote on a boundary plan is scheduled for next Thursday, February 16. Judging by past history (Trustees Colby and Sellers wisely opposed similar boundary alignment changes in 2009; Trustees Romere and Seiferman ran their campaigns on opposition to that plan), a 4-3 vote against the Administration’s proposal is a real possibility unless intimidation and manipulation are allowed to rule the day, and ultimately the District. One has to wonder how the Administration has lost sight of its most important duty – educating the children in RRISD classrooms.

This is local politics at its worst. And, I hope you will not let it stand.

I will be writing more about the RRISD boundary fiasco next week, but residents should be aware that numerous grievances have been filed about the process. It seems that the ISD has violated its own policies regarding the procedure. I strongly encourage RRISD parents to attend the February 16 RRISD meeting to demand a delay until these errors have been remedied. RRISD needs to hear your voices telling them loudly to follow their own procedures, respect the public and parental input, and make the right decision for Round Rock children’s education.

Please email members of the Round Rock School Board:

brian_sellers@roundrockisd.org

diane_cox@roundrockisd.org

catherine_hanna@roundrockisd.org

charles_chadwell@roundrockisd.org

glen_colby@roundrockisd.org

bobby_seiferman@roundrockisd.org

terri_romere@roundrockisd.org

Please attend the February 16th meeting: 6:30 pm at the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall.

Deconstructing the Planned Parenthood Myth

2011-11-11T03:47:00.001-08:00

At a recent Houston gala, numerous well-known Texans gathered to pay tribute to Peter J. Durkin, retiring CEO of Planned Parenthood-Gulf Coast. The City of Houston declared a “Peter J. Durkin Day,” and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee called Durkin a “true American Hero.” What was not mentioned is that Durkin's Planned Parenthood is in very deep trouble.

For starters, PPGC and Peter Durkin himself are under investigation for massive Medicaid fraud. Former employee Karen Reynolds has filed a complaint with the Texas Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice alleging that the organization systematically falsified medical charts for abortion clients to make it appear as if these clients came in for other services. Included in the complaint are memos instructing employees on how to falsify records in order to obtain Medicaid reimbursements.

But this allegation is only the latest in a series of revelations that are shattering the mythology surrounding Planned Parenthood. In addition to Medicaid fraud, the organization is also under investigation for enabling sex trafficking of girls as young as 14. Although Americans have seen the organization as a “friend to women,” they are slowly discovering the ugly truth.

Originally founded as a birth control clinic, Planned Parenthood has been portrayed as an advocate for women's health. The organization proudly touts founder Margaret Sanger's work to legalize birth control, but carefully sidesteps Sanger's documented speaking engagements with the Ku Klux Klan and her many articles promoting eugenics. Her writings indicate that Sanger was an angry and resentful woman who loathed large families and the “human weeds” of the “lesser races.” Sanger would be pleased to know that about half of all African American pregnancies now end in abortion.

Marketing the organization as a 'healthcare' provider has been highly successful; corporations and charities have funneled billions of dollars into Planned Parenthood coffers. In addition to massive taxpayer-funded subsidies from all levels of government, groups such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, United Way, and the March of Dimes have donated millions to Planned Parenthood for 'healthcare,' often under the guise of fighting breast cancer. Never mind that this 'non-profit' reports anywhere from $62 million to $114 million in annual profits.

While Planned Parenthood claims most services are non-abortion health care, former PPGC Employee of the Year Abby Johnson, has described how the organization manipulates reporting data to mislead donors. If a client receives a prescription for birth control pills, PP reports 12 'healthcare' services, one for each month of the year. Abortion services, even those requiring multiple visits, are counted as only one 'service.' Planned Parenthood's health care statistics are largely the result of accounting gimmicks.

Furthermore, despite receiving millions for breast cancer prevention, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, not a single Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas even has equipment or licensing for mammograms. And as for the highly touted doctor-patient relationship, the only occasion in which doctors have any contact with patients at PP clinics is during an abortion procedure. If a client needs a medical doctor for anything else, she is then referred to a real women's health care clinic.

None of this, not even the alleged complicity in sexually exploiting minor girls, should come as any surprise. For both individuals and organizations, foundations matter. Furthermore, one cannot compartmentalize just one 'unethical act' without corrupting the whole. Despite the 'compassionate' arguments for abortion, the bottom line is that a human being is killed in the process, and all the pseudo-ethical and intellectual contortions in the world cannot make it otherwise. The myth is shattered; these are not our 'friends.' Planned Parenthood is and always has been a wolf in sheep's clothing, and it is time to bring Margaret Sanger's twisted legacy to an end.

Note: This is a column I wrote for the Hill Country News. One reader has suggested that I've never been inside a Planned Parenthood Clinic and so I don't have any credibility. Well, I have been inside a Planned Parenthood clinic- as a patient. It was a soulless place I won't forget.

Another aspect I did not mention in my previous column is that Planned Parenthood is not concerned with whether or not patients are being coerced or forced into an abortion.

From Dr. Allen Unruh: "

Unruh, who studied abortion for a state task force in 2005, said that Planned Parenthood maintains willful ignorance about the majority of women who have abortions against their will.
The threats often come from a boyfriend, husband, parent or other party.
“The task force revealed it was 65%,” Unruh told CNA in a May 31 interview. “Planned Parenthood admitted under oath that they don’t have anybody who has any training, of any kind, in counseling to determine when a woman’s being coerced.”

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/planned-parenthood-sues-south-dakota/#ixzz1dOpy0NUl

Early Voting Turnout: Dismal

2011-11-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

The Williamson County Elections office has posted the Early Voting totals through Thursday, November 3. 5,275 people have voted in Wilco, 2.2% of registered voters.

While I would rather the un-informed just stayed home, I find it disturbing that so few of my neighbors care enough to spend about 15 minutes looking over the various ballot initiatives and take the time to vote. It is this lack of civic knowledge and duty that has burdened taxpayers with excessive government spending and debt patterns, not just at the Federal level, but at the local level too. Texans now owe $174.55 billion in local government debt.

Voting is easy, and there are lots of educational resources. You can vote today until 7pm at any open location in the county. Your last chance will be next Tuesday, November 8. Keep in mind that on Tuesday you will only be able to vote at your assigned precinct location. You can look up your location online at the Williamson County Elections Office website.

Texas House District 149: Meet the Candidate

2011-11-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

Tony Dale, Republican candidate for the newly-created Texas House District 149, will hold a "Meet the Candidate" event on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, from 5:30-7:30pm, at the Crystal Falls Golf Club in Leander. Special guests include Williamson County Commissioner Cynthia Long and Leander City Councilman Christopher Fielder. There is no cost to attend (but I'm sure Mr. Dale would appreciate any campaign contributions).

Dale currently serves on the Cedar Park City Council, is a decorated Army veteran, and has a very impressive resume of Republican activism. I cannot imagine a better candidate to represent western Williamson County.

Early Voting for 2011 Elections Begins Monday

2011-10-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

Early Voting for the Texas Constitutional Amendment Election begins MONDAY, October 24, and Election Day is November 8, 2011. All Texans will vote on 10 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. Some of these proposals are controversial, and several entities have put together Free Voters Guides. Again, there is a fantastic round-up of the various guides and analyses at Michele Samuelson's blog, Blue Dot Blues.

There are a variety of proposals on local ballots in Williamson County.

Hutto Independent School District is asking voters to approve a tax increase of $.06 per $100 valuation. This will give HISD residents a school tax rate of $1.60.

The City of Round Rock has 10 of its own propositions on the ballot. Propositions #1-8 are merely 'housekeeping,' and update terms and definitions in the City Charter. Propositions #9 and #10 are more controversial.

*Proposition 9 adds 2% to the local hotel tax to finance an indoor sports venue. The tax is estimated to bring in $630,000 per year, and the sports facility is estimated to cost $12 million, which, according to the city website "does not include land, design and engineering costs or related infrastructure." It is unclear as to whether the venue tax will cover all costs.

*Proposition 10 regards a half-cent sales tax approved by voters back in 1997. The original approval was under the condition that the funds would be used only for major road and transportation projects related to economic development. This tax, called "Type B revenue," is limited by Texas law to economic development programs, and Round Rock originally limited theirs to road and transportation. If voters approve Proposition 10, the city can use the revenues for other economic development projects as defined by State Law. According to literature from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs these uses include:

"Paying for land, buildings, equipment, facilities expenditures, targeted infrastructure and improvements found suitable for the use of...professional and amateur sports and athletic facilities, tourism and entertainment facilities, convention facilities, public park purposes and event facilities (including stadiums, ballparks, concert halls, etc.) * related store, restaurant, concession, parking and transportation facilities * related street, water and sewer facilities * affordable housing."

The City of Round Rock has an informational page regarding these propositions, and the literature from the Texas Comptroller's office is available here.

Highlands at Mayfield Ranch Municipal Utility District, Northwoods Road District No. 1, Williamson County Water, Sewer, Irrigation and Drainage District No. 3, Wilco-Liberty Hill MUD, and others are seeking voter approval for various bond packages, (which amount to approval for a tax increase.) Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 1 (Jollyville) is seeking approval of a 1% local sales and use tax.

Sample ballots are available at the Williamson County Elections Department website.

Remember that during the Early Voting period, you may vote at any location in the county. However, on Election Day you may only vote at the assigned location for your precinct.

FULL TIME LOCATIONS, Open Oct. 24-November 2, 8am to 6pm, No Sunday Voting, and November 3 and 4 7am to 7pm.

Main Location: Williamson County Inner Loop Annex, 301 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown.

Branch Locations:

Anderson Mill Limited District

Cedar Park Public Library

Parks & Recreation Admin. Building, Georgetown

McConico Building, Round Rock

Brushy Creek Community Center, Round Rock

Taylor City Hall

Pat Bryson Municipal Hall, Leander

Cedar Park Randalls, Cypress Creek Road

Round Rock Randalls, Gattis School Road

J.B. and Hallie Jester Annex, Round Rock

MOBILE - TEMPORARY LOCATIONSMonday, October 24 through Wednesday, November 2, 10am to 6pm, No Sunday Voting
Thursday, November 3 and Friday, November 4, 7am to 7pm

Oct 24, Monday:   Seton Medical Center Williamson, 201 Seton Parkway, Round Rock
Oct 25, Tuesday: Granger City Hall, 214 E. Davilla, Granger
Oct 26, Wednesday: RR Higher Education Center, Round Rock
Oct 27, Thursday: Clairmont Retirement Community, 12463 Los Indios Trail, Austin
Oct 28, Friday: Liberty Hill Annex, 3407 RR 1869, Liberty Hill
Oct 29, Saturday: Liberty Hill Annex, 3407 RR 1869, Liberty Hill
Oct 31, Monday: Jarrell Memorial Park, 1651 CR 305, Jarrell
Nov 1, Tuesday: Hutto City Hall, 401 W. Front St., Hutto
Nov 2, Wednesday: Hutto City Hall, 401 W. Front St., Hutto
Nov 3, Thursday: Hutto City Hall, 401 W. Front St., Hutto
Nov 4, Friday: Hutto City Hall, 401 W. Front St., Hutto

REMEMBER, YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

Texas Constitutional Amendment Election 2011

2011-10-20T03:31:00.000-07:00

For those looking for information on the November 8 Constitutional Amendment Election, you just can't go wrong with Michele Samuelson's Blue Dot Blues blogsite. She is maintaining a great round-up of the various Voter Guides and Analyses from both sides of the aisle. Check it out.

Many of our local government entities in Williamson County will have proposals on the ballot as well, including some tax increase proposals for Hutto ISD and Round Rock. Sample ballots are available at the Williamson County Elections website here.

Regretfully, personal family issues are preventing me from conducting my own investigation and analysis at this time.

Williamson County Republican Primary Updates

2011-10-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Updated October 12

Update with my limited knowledge of Republican Primaries effecting Williamson County.
(Just for the record: I am not making any endorsements.)

Texas Senate, District 5: With Steve Ogden's retirement, Representative Charles Schwertner announced his candidacy, and most pundits consider him a shoe-in. There have been some rumors about a possible Bryan/College station candidate, but no announements as of yet.

Texas House District 20: Since Dr. Schwertner seems to be heading to the State Senate, SBOE member Marsha Farney and former TC Republican Party Vice-Chair Jeff Fleece have announced candidacy for HD20. Two other possibilities, Jeff Stockton of Georgetown and Burnet County GOP Chair Linda Rogers have indicated they will not run.

Texas House District 149: After the overwhelming community support shown for Republican Tony Dale, all other candidates have bowed out. Representative Larry Gonzales of HD 52 remains very popular and is unlikely to draw a GOP opponent.

State Board of Education, District 10. With Marsha Farney jumping to the Texas House District 20 race, former SBOE 10 candidate Rebecca Osborne has announced another run.

Justice, Third Court of Appeals: Scott Field has announced he will tackle Democrat Diane Henson for Place 3. Amen to that. Madeleine Connor has filed a treasurer form with the State; Connor ran for District Judge as a Democrat in 2008, but lost in the Primary. In 2010 she ran as a Republican for Justice of the Peace and also lost in the Primary.

425th District Court Judge: Incumbent Republican Mark Silverstone will be challenged by local family law attorney Betsy Lambeth. for the GOP nomination.

Williamson County Attorney: Attorneys Hal Hawes and Rick Kennon have both filed to run against beleagured incumbent Jana Duty.

Williamson County Commissioner, Precinct 3: Incumbent Val Covey will be challenged by sometimes Republican Greg Windham, who ran against Covey as a Democrat in 2008 and briefly served as the Williamson County Democrat Party Chair in 2010.

Supreme Court Justice, Place 2. Steven Wayne Smith has filed a treasurer form to run against Republican Don Willett. Smith lost in 1998, won in 2002, and lost again in 2004. Smith previously challenged Willett in 2006.

All of the known candidates for the Republican Primaries are listed at the Williamson County Republican Party website.

Williamson County Attorney Wars Updated

2011-10-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

Update: Repaired broken link to the Court of Appeals dismissal.
Updated October 12

Until now, I have refrained from writing much about the trials and tribulations of the Williamson County Attorney's office. Republican Jana Duty was first elected to the office in 2004 and re-elected in 2008, but has developed increasingly antagonistic interactions with the County Judge, all four members of the Commissioners Court, all of the County Court at Law Judges, the Williamson County District Attorney, and pretty much any other judge handing an down unfavorable ruling. The broken attorney-client relationship led to the Commissioners' hiring of local attorney Hal Hawes to provide legal advice to the court. In response, Duty has attempted to sue the County Judge and Commissioners, but her lawsuits have been dismissed. The Commissioners Court filed grievances against Duty, and the State Bar of Texas has filed a lawsuit against her alleging multiple violations of the ethics code. Hawes, the former Assistant County Attorney under Jana Duty, is now running against her in the 2012 Republican Primary. (As is Rick Kennon of Round Rock.)

A local, 'anonymous' blogger, has been serving as something of a Jana Duty apologist, and has recently claimed that Hal Hawes was “admonished by the Texas Attorney General's Office.” Unfortunately, in his zeal to aid Ms. Duty, it seems the blogger mis-read the documents from the AG's office. Noted local activist Darlene Plyter (of the Georgetown-Area Tea Party Patriots) queried Hal Hawes about the alleged 'admonishment,' and Mr. Hawes provided her with the relevant documents from the AG's office, as well as his own summary. Rather than attempt to 're-summarize', I have included the communications and documents below so that readers can judge for themselves.

This is likely to be a particularly nasty primary race, and I have been warned that I shouldn't write about it since some of the persons involved are 'powerful' and tend to be 'retaliatory.'

Seriously?

I have no intention of endorsing any candidate in any Primary race this year, but I am not afraid to share important information with the voters, so here 'ya go.

Update: Supporters of Jana Duty have pointed out a very legitimate concern; It seems after moving the Assistant County Attorney position out of Duty's office, Hawes was given a 15.96% raise. I'm guessing the premise is that he has more work on his own, but 15.96%? Seriously? Why does it seem only government employees and attorneys are thriving in this economy?

Ironically, while some of the folks embroiled in the Wilco attorney wars seem to be acting out of personal dislike for certain county commissioners, the vote for Hawes' raise was 3-2. Commissioners Lisa Birkman and Val Covey voted nay. This is pretty consistent for Birkman and Covey, who are the more fiscally conservative members of the Commissioners Court.

Not sure this information helps Jana Duty much, but it is problematic for the county.

Email exchange between Darlene Plyter and Hal Hawes. (I have obtained permission from Darlene Plyter to post this, but have redacted personal contact information.)

From: Darlene Plyter
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2011 12:35 PM
To: wilcoTparty@gmail.com
Subject: From Hal Hawes: Answer to my QUESTION
Importance: High

PLEASE CIRCULATE TO ALL WHO SAW THAT POSTING IN 'WILCO WATCHDOG' AND NEED INFO REGARDING THIS MATTER.

Thanks, -dp

-------Original Message-------

From: Hal Hawes

Date: 9/30/2011 5:43:10 PM

To: 'Darlene

Subject: RE: QUESTION

Ms. Plyter:

Thanks for your email and inquiry. I would like to provide you with a response so the record reflects an accurate accounting of the facts. Besides, as someone that pays a portion of my salary, you deserve a response.

First and foremost, I WAS NOT ADMONISHED BY THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL.

In order to provide you with an adequate response, I have enclosed the following documents:

1. Attorney General’s Letter Ruling dated September 23, 2011, which was referred to in the blog set forth below;

2. Letter of Clarification from me to the Texas Attorney General dated September 29, 2011.

The two attachments will help you fully understand what actually happened. However, I would like to summarize the facts since both of the attachments are somewhat long. My summary is as follows:

1. *No employee of Williamson County, including myself, ever received the initial request for information, which was dated April 26, 2011. The request was sent to an independent contractor of the county who was no longer providing services to the county.

2. *The initial request was not a valid request since it was not sent to our public information officer or any other employee of the county.

3. *Since Williamson County did not have any knowledge of the initial request, Williamson County could not respond to the request or seek a ruling from the Attorney General. In other words, we couldn’t respond to something we did not receive or know about.

4. *A second request for the same information was made by the requestor and it was received by me on August 1, 2011.

5. *Once the second request was received by me, I sent a request for a ruling to the Attorney General within ten business days, as required by law.

6. *At that point, it became the obligation of a third party to send arguments to the Attorney General if such third party wished to prevent the disclosure of the information. Williamson County did not take a position on whether or not such documents should be released.

7. *The third party did, in fact, send its arguments to the Attorney General. The Attorney General considered the third party’s arguments and ruled that the requested information must be released.

*As you will note, nowhere in the Attorney General’s Letter Ruling is there any mention of anyone or any entity being “admonished.”

*The Attorney General Letter Ruling does not state that any of the requested information must be released due to any alleged failure to respond to the first request or due to an “inadequate response” by Williamson County. Rather, the ruling clearly states the Attorney General considered the third party’s arguments and made the ruling based on the third party’s arguments.

The accusations relating to a “non-disclosure agreement” and the compromising of material do not make any sense at all either. The non-disclosure agreement that was discussed in commissioners court on June 15, 2010 prohibits SunGard from disclosing information owned or created by Tyler Technologies. The non-disclosure agreement did not require the county to pledge not to release SunGard’s information.

I again want to thank you for giving me an opportunity to respond to these accusations rather than taking them as being correct and accurate. If you should have any questions or comments after reading this email or the attachments, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Hal C. Hawes
Legal Advisor
Office of Williamson County Judge
710 Main Street, Suite 200
Georgetown, Texas 78626
Email: hhawes@wilco.org

This e-mail transmission and any attachments contain information which is legally privileged and intended solely for use of the party to whom it is addressed. I request notification by telephone or e-mail of misrouted transmissions. If you received this e-mail in error, you are hereby notified that the disclosure, copying, distribution, or taking of any action in reliance upon the contents of this transmission is strictly prohibited. PERMISSION TO FORWARD WAS GIVEN by H.C.H.

From: Darlene Plyter
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 3:31 PM
To: Hal Hawes
Subject: QUESTION

Hello Hal Hawes,

This week we read on a blog Wilco Watchdog that you were "admonished by the Attorney General's Office".

Since you are Legal Advisor for Commissioners' Court, 'We the People of Williamson County' would like to know if this story is true or false, could you please advise?

I have been quite dismayed about the taxpayer dollars that are being spent on personal legal matters pertaining to the County Attorney, and feel an explanation is in order to the voters about it. We trust you are not involved in all that; hopefully this is just a malicious bit of unrelated gossip....

Kindly awaiting your response,

Thanks so much,

Darlene Plyter & Friends -

Attorney General Letter Ruling Sept 23 2011 Letter of Clarification to AG 9.29.11

Obama's Bridge Problem

2011-09-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

Standing beside a 'functionally obsolete' bridge last week, President Obama insisted Congress must pass his $447 billion jobs bill so that aging bridges across the nation can be repaired and Americans can get back to work. While a few remaining Obama enthusiasts support the plan, most Americans and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are skeptical, and understandably so.

The claim we lack funds for bridge repairs is an obvious red herring. Federal law requires states to use 10% of transportation funds for 'enhancements,' including the establishment of transportation museums, scenic areas, and pedestrian education programs. The set-aside has been used to build a 'twin dragons' gateway to Chinatown in Los Angeles, a Corvette simulator in Kentucky, and a squirrel observation area in Tennessee. Entertaining as these enhancements may be, they hardly seem prudent when America's bridges are supposedly on the brink of collapse.

Of course the idea that we cannot repair our transportation infrastructure unless we raise taxes and/or sink the country further into debt is absurd. The number of federal spending programs that most Americans would consider dispensable are too numerous to list here, and the GAO recently reported that duplication in government costs taxpayers over $100 billion per annum. Surely amongst all this waste there are ample funds for bridge repair.

There is, however, a more fundamental problem with the American 'Jobs' bill: it is based on the false premise that government spending programs will create lasting jobs and strengthen the economy. While infrastructure repairs might create temporary jobs, raising taxes above sustainable levels will result in reduced economic activity, increased unemployment, and declining tax revenues over the long-term.

Proponents of higher taxes as a solution to our economic woes ignore the reality of human behavior. We acknowledge, and even hope for, potential behavior changes when advocating for 'sin taxes' like those on cigarettes and alcohol, but Leftists assume there will be no resulting change in behavior due to taxes on economic activity.

In practice, excessive taxes remove incentive and the very ability of private citizens to invest in economic activity, and they transfer capital into the hands of government bureaucrats. According to economic analysts James Sherk and Rea Hederman, each $1 increase in government spending reduces private-sector investment by as much as $.97. Historically, taxes above Laffer Curve levels have reduced economic activity and income levels, and resulted in declining tax revenues.

But the economic problems created by high taxes and excessive government spending and debt are not limited to the federal government. Texas has fared relatively well in this recession due to (relatively) conservative state fiscal policies, but analysts are sounding the alarm on local government activity. In our own community, the Leander school district's $1.2 billion in bond debt has led to one of the highest ISD property tax rates in the area and a 'negative outlook' designation from the Fitch Group. These problems are beginning to impact the local economy, which is seeing reduced growth and falling property values.

While the Left argues that deficit spending creates needed jobs, government programs are notorious for waste and inefficiency. Analysts note that recent 'stimulus' bills cost taxpayers a minimum of $228,055 for each job created or “saved.” Although government spending has increased 4.8% since 2008, national unemployment and poverty rates continue to grow at alarming rates.

If our elected leaders are serious about 'stimulating' economy, they should look at factors that inhibit business. The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, and according to Senator Susan Collins, federal agencies are working on another 4,200 new regulations that will further handcuff American businesses. A better solution would be to reduce corporate taxes and burdensome regulation. Add to this picture some $14.7 trillion in debt, and the outlook is dismal indeed.

It is past time to get serious about our economic problems, and we must address these issues at all levels of government. Tax, Borrow, and Spend policies are destroying this country, and raising taxes to repair bridges or construct school buildings that stand empty for years is not the answer. Yes, Mr. President, let's repair those bridges, but not in a way that further injures our ailing economy.

The 'Not a Tax Increase' Tax Increase

2011-09-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

Last week, the Round Rock City Council unanimously voted to increase the property tax rate for the second year in a row. Prior to the vote I had expressed my concerns about raising taxes in the current economy, but was stunned when one proponent replied, "Now Holly, you know it isn't actually a tax increase, it's just adopting the effective rate."

What he meant by "adopting the effective rate," (or sometimes "balancing at the effective rate,") is that the city is adjusting the property tax rate so that they will have the same amount of revenue as the previous year. According to the city, overall property values are down slightly, so if the rate remains the same, they would have less tax revenue. Therefore they are raising the rate from 41.728 to 42.321.

This is obviously a war of semantics. Yes, if a resident's property value falls, he/she would have a lower tax bill. But what about all of those residents whose property value increased? Many of us saw our property values jump dramatically this year, and both the County and the Round Rock School District have reported
overall property value increases. It would be interesting to know in which price range Round Rock home valuations dropped and why. But the bottom line is that the city readily admits that the tax bill for the average-valued home will increase in 2012.

Although my aforementioned friend assures me that my higher Round Rock property tax bill is not really a tax increase, I find it interesting that this 'adopting the effective rate' will result in more revenue for the city and allow them to increase spending. The FY2011 budget was $134.7 million, but the FY2012 budget is $137 million. The city's website says the increase is for street maintenance, but are less forthcoming about the raises they are giving city employees.

Despite the condescending assurances that 'adopting the effective rate' is not a tax increase, here is what the city was required to post on its official website:

CITY OF ROUND ROCK ADOPTED A TAX RATE THAT WILL RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE.

"But Holly, but Holly, it's not really a tax increase."

Right. "These aren't the droids you're looking for."

In the course of my aforementioned discussion the 'adopt the effective rate' proponent said to me, "I know this is all very confusing."

Seriously? I may look like a dumb blond, but I assure you I am not the least bit confused about the increase on my tax bill, nor am I confused about the fact that the city will have more revenue than last year and will increase city spending. They can call it what they want, but the fact is that the City of Round Rock is increasing taxes to cover an increase in spending. They can hope that the focus will remain on federal issues, but this local taxpayer is paying attention.

The Ups and Downs of School District Taxes

2011-09-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

With the new fiscal year beginning in October, Texas' 1,265 school districts typically adopt a budget and set tax rates in September. Here is information on a few of Williamson County's 15 school districts.

Round Rock ISD
Despite the sky-is-falling claims made earlier this year by the superintendent, Round Rock Independent School District has fared relatively well, financially speaking. In fact, many residents were surprised to learn that RRISD had amassed nearly $200 million in reserve funds, at least $31 million more than the district's goal. In a surprise move at last week's meeting, right-leaning board members noted that property values had risen, and proposed reducing the RRISD property tax rate from $1.38 to $1.335. The three Left-leaning members, Chadwell, Cox, and Hannah, had come under fire last month for voting to give Superintendent Jesus Chavez yet another raise (they were defeated 4-3). This time they sided with the fiscal conservatives.

Not exactly a conservative himself, Superintendent Chavez was on KLBJ radio yesterday spinning the tax rate reduction as only a true liberal can. According to Chavez, the district was only able to reduce the rate because of the federal stimulus dollars, and the reduction will only be temporary. Despite the spin, voters can be pleased that the majority of the board has taken a balanced approach to budget and tax rates.

Leander ISD

Property owners in the Leander School District were not so fortunate. The LISD Board has been struggling to cope with some very poor past decisions; they face $1.2 billion in bond debt and Fitch has not only reduced their bond rating, but now lists the LISD outlook as 'negative'. Administration had identified prudent cuts in the ISD budget earlier this year, but backed down once they realized state cuts were not as dire as scare-mongers on the Left had predicted. Despite a barrage of feedback from the community, the LISD Board voted unanimously to increase the tax rate by $.0459 cents to $1.499 per $100 of valuation.

Residents are hoping the current board will steer a more fiscally prudent course, but have been mystified by recent decisions. Especially troubling is the LISD plan to spend $6 million on land for yet another new school. The district already has two brand-new schools that will stand empty for the second year in a row. Furthermore, the land in question is prime commercial land near Highway 183 and Cypress Creek Road. Co-opting such land for a school will deprive the district of furture commercial tax revenue.

Hutto ISD

The HISD Board is asking voters to approve a $.06 increase on the November ballot. The current total HISD rate is $1.60.

Georgetown ISD

The total tax rate was increased from $1.29 to $1.358 for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Taylor ISD
Taylor ISD will reduce the property tax rate from $1.47 to $1.45, and carry a surplus of about $54,000.

Williamson County and Senate District 5

2011-09-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

Williamson County is a part of Texas Senate District 5, which has been represented by Steve Ogden since 1997. Today, Senator Ogden announced that he will serve out his term, but will not run for re-election.

Both of Williamson County's State Representatives have been considered strong potential candidates, but this afternoon Rep Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock) released a statement saying he will be running for re-election to House District 52.

Dr. Charles Schwertner, who won a 4-way Primary to replace former Rep Dan Gattis, announced that he will seek the GOP nomination for the Senate seat. Schwertner has already amassed $300,000 for his Senate run.

Senate District 5 encompasses 10 counties, and many observers are speculating about additional candidates from the Bryan/Brazos County area.

Tony Dale Launches Campaign With Community Support

2011-09-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday evening Cedar Park City Councilman Tony Dale kicked-off his campaign for Texas House District 149. The event at El Patron's in Cedar Park was attended by approximately 200 members of the local community. By the time Dale addressed the group, the crowd was overflowing out into the dining area, where attendees were straining to hear the speeches from Dale and other community leaders.

What is particularly remarkable about this event, was that the campaign effort had only been in existence for 6 days. In fact, campaign signs were not delivered until after the event began, and many supporters had brought their own hand-made signs expressing support for Dale's candidacy. The crowd was pretty animated and responsive to Tony Dale's rousing campaign speech, and one attendee remarked to me that he had not heard such a great "conservative speech since Ronald Reagan."

Those in attendance included County Commissioners Cynthia Long and Lisa Birkman, both of whom spoke on Tony Dale's behalf. Texas HD 149 includes portions of both Long and Birkman's respective County precincts, and support from these two leaders is essential. Others present included State Representative Larry Gonzales, Williamson County Attorney Jana Duty, Cedar Park City Councilmen Matt Powell, Don Tracy, and Mitch Fuller, elected leaders from the City of Leander and Brushy Creek MUD, County Constable Robert Chody, members of both the Leander and Round Rock School Boards, and many, many others. In fact, just about everyone previously mentioned as a potential candidate for the HD 149 seat, was on hand to help launch the campaign.

Councilman Tony Dale is well-known in the community, having resided in Williamson County for over a decade. Prior to serving on the Cedar Park City Council, Dale had served on several local boards regarding planning & zoning and transportation, and last year was appointed by State Senator Florence Shapiro to a task force to ban 'designer' drugs K-2 and 'spice.' In 2009 the Railroad Commission of Texas appointed Tony to the board of the Alternative Fuels Research Education Division. He was a delegate on the VI Texas Trade Mission to Mexico sponsored by the Office of the Texas Governor in 2005. In 2004 he was a member of the State Textbook Review Panel for the Texas Education Agency.

Along with his wife Mary and their two daughters, Dale's parents were on hand. Like his father and grandfather, Tony Dale is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. (and a decorated former Army Captain.) Mary Lopez Dale was also a former Army Captain.

In the 2012 Republican Primary, Tony Dale will face Corbin Van Arsdale, a lobbyist who has been leasing a house in Cedar Park since last Spring and who first registered to vote in Williamson County June 30 of 2011. Van Arsdale announced his campaign with a press release and had listed a few local supporters, but when Tony Dale announced, Williamson County Constable Rick Coffman immediately removed his name from the Van Arsdale campaign.

Update: Corbin Van Arsdale sent his supporters an email last Friday, September 16, saying he would withdraw. He made the official announcment Monday, September 19.

Round Rock ISD's Fairness Doctrine

2011-09-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Some of those who adhere to socialism do so out of a sincere, if somewhat naive desire to make life 'fair.' Despite the good intentions, however, socialism as practically applied rarely results in Utopia. In the broader scheme, socialism concentrates an inordinate amount of power in the hands of bureaucrats and degrades standards of living for most citizens. In the daily details, socialist policy often results in logical absurdity.

Take the case of an ongoing controversy in the Round Rock Independent School District. Back in 2008, the ISD approved a plan to construct new athletic buildings on the Round Rock High School campus. The buildings were completed and opened this year, and students have been enjoying them since the school year began. With a growing student population, RRHS faculty were enthusiastic about the additional space and planned accordingly. The RRHS Booster club even raised private money to update the older facilities and improve the media room for the school's use. However in August, RRISD Superintendent Jesus Chavez informed school administrators that they could not use the old buildings, including the media room.

Why did Superintendent Chavez prohibit use of the old buildings? Were they unsafe? No, and actually the district plans to rent them out on the weekends. Did budget cuts affect the school's ability to maintain them? No. Allegedly, what Chavez told administrators is that Round Rock High School could not use the buildings because the other High Schools in the District each have only two buildings to use and it wouldn't be fair.

I do not know what prompted the construction of the two new buildings. If the older buildings are perfectly acceptable, one might question the wisdom in constructing new buildings, however, at some point the decision was made to add two new buildings. Documents from the original master plan, make no mention of closing or demolishing the older buildings, and it seems obvious the new construction was considered by faculty to be an addition.

Now, RRHS has two buildings on campus that are closed to their usage because it wouldn't be fair to students at say, Westwood High School? This seems a rather odd policy and the implications are disturbing. Cedar Ridge High School has it's own coffee bar (yes, for the students.) Round Rock HS does not. Shouldn't we close the coffee bar? Is the plan to make each campus identical to every other campus?

This order from the Superintendent defies logic and the implications are deeply troubling. Should we adress injustice in our society? Absolutely. However, the theology of 'fairness,' often interpreted to mean 'sameness,' is unworkable and illogical. Understandably, parents of RRHS students are very upset and have asked the School Board to address this issue. The topic will be on the agenda for tomorrow night's board meeting, and those concerned are encouraged to attend.

Texas House District 149 Update: Updated Update

2011-09-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

While a handful of Williamson County residents are already publicly endorsing candidates, I think this is a good time to point out that the filing period for the 2012 Primary Election is a few months away, and we still don't know which candidates will actually file to run.

In the newly created Texas House District 149, former State Representative Corbin Van Arsdale, who recently moved to Williamson County, is the only candidate who has announced. However, according to long-time residents of Western Williamson County, there are at least three strong candidates with deep roots in the community who may file to run for the new Texas House District 149 seat. One of these in particular has been described as a 'game changer.'

Despite his 2008 Primary loss to Republican Allen Fletcher, Van Arsdale has indicated he would very much like to return to the State Legislature. He has been meeting with many local leaders and trying to learn about the community. Prior to purchasing his home in Cedar Park last April, Van Arsdale resided in West Austin, and has remained involved in government issues as a lobbyist. He seems capable enough, but residents are still learning about him, and many are waiting to see if one of their own will enter this race.

At this point, I would say any endorsements are premature.

Update: The cat is out of the bag as they say: Cedar Park City Councilman Tony Dale is announcing this Tuesday. Details here.

Update: Corbin Van Arsdale sent an email to his supporters last Friday, September 16, and Monday, September 19, he announced he is withdrawing from the race.

Help Victims of Central Texas Wildfires

2011-09-07T05:09:00.000-07:00

Michele Samuelson at Blue Dot Blues has been compiling a list of the various relief efforts. Many families have lost everything this week, and our professional and volunteer firefighters need your support. Please check Michele's list to see if you can help, and please continue to pray for all those involved.

Sadly Obligatory Post on Anonymous Activism

2011-09-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

As distasteful as it is, I find myself obligated to write about an anonymous package I received in the mail on August 27. The packet contained negative political stories about Ted Pataki, who was considering running for the new Texas House District 149 seat, and about Governor George Pataki, who, to my knowledge, was never considering running for the Texas House District 149 seat.

Just to clarify, the package was anonymous. 'Anonymous' in this grammatical construct means the author/sender did not identify himself or herself. In other words, the package had no return address, no signature, and no other identifying details other than the postmark (mailed from Austin.) No one has confessed, and I do not know who sent it.

Naturally, I have shared the above details with my fellow activists in Williamson County, and, in accordance with human nature, these folks have 1) expressed shock and disgust at such Byzantine tactics, and 2) speculated as to who would have motivation to do such a thing.

It seems some supporters of another candidate are very upset with me for discussing the anonymous packet with others, since it has led to much speculation. I had no intention of writing about this matter, but now I am being harassed for discussing the anonymous packet and have even received thinly veiled threats about legal action. Therefore I am posting the facts of the matter here and stating once again that I do not know who sent the packet.

Central Texas Fires: Updated

2011-09-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

This post has been updated to include revised numbers for the Texas wildfire response budget.

For those looking for information on the Central Texas fires, Lisa Birkman at the Williamson County Conservative Examiner just posted information on fire damage in Wilco, and Michele Samuelson at Blue Dot Blues has great information on the widespread impact, as well as important resources for assistance.

If you have not already done so, consider registering your cell phone with the Capital Area Council of Governments so that you will receive phone notification if your area is threatened. Unfortunately, the registration won't take effect immediately, but it could save your life in a future crisis.

Finally, while some are claiming eeeevillll Republicans cut the Texas wildfire response budget, Lawrence Person has the facts at his BattleSwarm Blog. Apparently, Governor Perry and the state legislature actually increased the allocation by about 80%, from $109 million in 2010-11 to $196.2 million in 2012-13.

Please be safe and keep praying for those in danger.

Race and Politics

2011-09-02T05:16:00.000-07:00

Does race continue to be a factor in politics? I don't think anyone can deny race played a part in the 2008 Presidential Election, and many believe it was a factor in certain Primary contests in Texas. I know several Republicans who voted for Barack Obama simply because they wanted to cast an historic vote for the 'first black president,' (and now regret it,) and on the other side of the coin, I suspect race perceptions may have played a part in Railroad Commissioner Victor Carillo's loss.

While the Republican Party has suffered from a negative perception regarding race, historically the GOP has been one of equal opportunity. Of course Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president, and many 'first' black officeholders ran on the GOP ticket. As a Republican, Teddy Roosevelt assisted former slave John Lynch in winning a race to become chair of the Republican National Convention in 1884. Even in recent decades, black Republicans have been largely ignored by the media and the Democrat party's narrative.

So, what impact will racial politics have on the 2012 election cycle? Award-winning journalist Tara Wall will tackle this issue at an upcoming luncheon in Round Rock next week. Ms. Wall received two awards from the National Association of Black Journalists for producing documentaries on race and America. Incidentally, she was also the last reporter to interview President George W. Bush before he left the White House. Wall has also served as the Deputy Editorial Page Editor, columnist, and Political Analyst for the Washington Times.

Here is the release from the Williamson County Republican Women.
(Disclosure: I serve as the Legislative Committee Chair for the WCRW)

Political commentator Tara Wall will be speaking on 'Race and Politics' on Wednesday September 7, 2011, at the Williamson Conference Center in Round Rock, Texas. Meet and Greet begins at 11:00 AM, Luncheon and Program at 11:30AM. Hosted by the Williamson County Republican Women, cost is $15 per person; please rsvp online at http://wcrw201109.eventbrite.com/, via email to williamsoncountyrw@yahoo.com, or by calling Donna Parker at (512) 388-8823.
Qualified media are welcome to attend.

Tara Wall has served as the Deputy Editorial Page Editor, columnist, and Political Analyst for the Washington Times. An award-winning journalist, she has received two awards from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for her documentaries on race in America. Ms. Wall has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, ABC and Fox News, and is the founder Princess Tara Productions.

Founded in 1977, the Williamson County Republican Women's Organization consists of Conservative-minded women and men, and works to promote an informed electorate, elect Republican candidates, and "impact Local, State, and National Politics." In addition, the club provides scholarships to young women of the county, and through an active Literacy Project, donates dictionaries to area third-graders and books to local libraries.
www.williamsoncountyrepublicanwomen.com.

Leander ISD's Negative Outlook

2011-08-30T04:41:00.000-07:00

While Americans have become much more cognizant of government debt at the national level, they are less aware of government debt problems at the local level. In some areas these debt loads are beginning to inflict further pain on communities already struggling in the 'Obama' economy.

Earlier this year I wrote about what I referred to as a looming crisis for the Leander Independent School District, and more recently Owen Stroud published an excellent analysis, "Leander ISD: In the Shadow of Debt." The bottom line is that district leadership and the paltry few who vote in ISD elections took on over $1.2 billion in bond debt, resulting in debt service costs of $56,828,366 last year and one of the highest ISD property tax rates in the area.

While our concerns about LISD finances have been dismissed by some board members and district apologists, conservative journalists are not the only ones alarmed by these trends. As reported by Business Wire earlier this summer, the Fitch Bond Rating service downgraded LISD's Rating Outlook to 'Negative.'

Fitch considers the district's debt levels very high. Overall debt levels approximate 13% of market value and $15,600 per capita, which are well above average for the current rating category. In addition, amortization is slow, reflecting in part the use of capital appreciation bonds (CABs) to minimize tax rate impacts and shift the debt burden to future taxpayers. Approximately 38% of the district's direct debt is retired in 10 years on a non-accreted basis. Annual debt service represented almost 21% of general government spending in fiscal 2010, and annual payments as currently scheduled increase by 18% by fiscal 2013 and by 37% by fiscal 2015

The current LISD Board seems to be struggling to cope with the financial mess, and tax hikes are definitely in the works. New board member Aaron Johnson has proposed some plans to restructure debt, which may help slightly, but as Stroud notes in his article, the "previous reckless decisions will continue to haunt" for years to come.

One possible action on the part of LISD Board is cause for concern. It seems the LISD is considering purchasing additional property to build another middle school. This is not likely to go down well with taxpayers, since the district already has two brand-new school buildings sitting empty for a second year. There will be a Special/Joint meeting with the City of Cedar Park on August 30. (Such meetings are relatively routine, as there must be cooperation between the two entities regarding new construction.) It will be interesting to see whether the ISD really has purchase plans in the works.

The district will rebuff criticism of any new purchases since the funds likely come from previously issued bonds, and they will say they are planning ahead for future growth. However, in light of the current challenges faced by LISD, spending millions on new land and construction hardly seems prudent. And while districts separate budgets for M&O (Maintenance and Operation) and I&S (Interest and Sinking funds,) at the end of the day all of these funds, including debt service, will come from taxpayer pocketbooks.

Hopefully the elected LISD leadership has realized they simply cannot continue 'business as usual.' If they do not change these patterns, the outlook will be worse than 'negative.' It could be disastrous for residents and the local economy.

.

Major Donor to Wilco Democrat Arrested

2011-08-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

It seems one of the major donors to Williamson County Democrats was arrested this week. Marc Rosenthal is an Austin attorney who took a keen interest in promoting Democrat candidates, especially one in Williamson County. According to the Texas Ethics Commission, Rosenthal gave former State Representative Diana Maldonado (HD52) $51,000 in contributions, as well as another $7,000 in "Air Travel" donations. Back in 2008, local observers had noticed that Maldonado seemed to spend an unusual amount of time traveling around the state on Rosenthal's private jet.

According to news reports, Rosenthal was arrested on "federal racketeering charges alleging bribery of an already-convicted judge as well as witnesses in state and federal cases." Rosenthal seems to be tied to the scandal with former state district Judge Abel C. Limas, who pled guilty to racketeering charges last March.

Representative Maldonado was certainly not the only recipient of Rosenthal's money. He gave to various other Democrat candidates, County Democrat parties, and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, but those donations run between only $150 and $5,000. Clearly, at $58,000, Ms. Maldonado was his hands-down favorite.

Two New GOP Candidates to Run for Williamson County Attorney

2011-08-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Two Williamson County men have announced their intention to run for County Attorney in the Republican Primary next year. They will face incumbent Jana Duty, who has been much in the news locally. Duty's former Assistant CA, Hal Hawes, who is now legal advisor to the County Commissioners Court, sent out a press release last week. Rick Kennon, a Family Law attorney and former Assistant Travis County Attorney and Assistant Attorney General, has announced at various GOP meetings that he plans to file as well.

In light of all the difficulties between incumbent Duty and the other elected officials in the county, this is likely to be a very unpleasant Primary battle.

Below is the release from the Hal Hawes campaign.

Hawes Announces

The Truth About Texas

2011-08-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

Whew, since the Governor of the economically strongest state in the nation (that's Texas, folks,) announced his candidacy for President, the big government guys have been trying to deconstruct the Lone Star success story. Happily, Kevin Williamson of National Review has a great rebuttal to Paul Krugman's false claims about employment and wages in Texas.

Houston, like Brooklyn and Boston, is a mixed bag: wealthy enclaves, immigrant communities rich and poor, students, government workers — your usual big urban confluence. In Harris County, the median household income is $50,577. In Brooklyn, it is $42,932, and in Suffolk County (which includes Boston and some nearby communities) it was $53,751. So, Boston has a median household income about 6 percent higher than Houston’s, while Brooklyn’s is about 15 percent lower than Houston’s.

Brooklyn is not the poorest part of New York, by a long shot (the Bronx is), and, looking at those income numbers above, you may think of something Professor Krugman mentions but does not really take properly into account: New York and Boston have a significantly higher cost of living than does Houston, or the rest of Texas. Even though Houston has a higher median income than does Brooklyn, and nearly equals that of Boston, comparing money wages does not tell us anything like the whole story: $50,000 a year in Houston is a very different thing from $50,000 a year in Boston or Brooklyn.

Read the rest of Williamson's article here. (Link should work now-sorry 'bout that.)

Taxpayers Beware: Local Budget Season is in Full Swing

2011-08-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

Don't kick me when I'm down...

Ah, the Dog Days of Summer, when Texans must not only cope with excessive temperatures, but also the trials and tribulations of local government budgeting season. In Williamson County our various school boards and cities, as well as the county government, are making budget plans for the next fiscal year. Unfortunately, some of these budget proposals include tax increases for local families already struggling for survival in this difficult economy.

Leander ISD: Upon discovering that state budget cuts were not so drastic after all, some board members have chosen to back away from planned cost-savings measures for the district. Instead, possible tax increases for LISD residents are on the table. Although last year's 3.2 cent increase (per $100 of valuation) put LISD amongst the highest in the area, the Board is considering another increase of 4.6 cents; putting them at a whopping rate of $1.49. The Board will allow public comments at the August 18th Board Meeting, scheduled for 7PM at the Cedar Park Middle School Cafeteria.

Round Rock: The City of Round Rock is planning to increase its property tax rate again this year, from 41.728 to 42.321. By a 5-2 vote in 2010, the Council increased the rate from 39.661. Of course, this is called 'balancing at the effective rate.' The city says that property valuations are down, so if they don't increase the rate, they will collect less property tax revenue next year.  Interestingly enough, the Williamson County Appraisal District has indicated that property values are actually up this year. Most of the Round Rock homeowners I know are very upset about the significant increase in their home valuations this year.

The City website tells us that there will be "no proposed increases to retail water and wastewater rates," but every Round Rock homeowner knows his/her water bill has increased this year. In my own household, although we used 2,000 fewer gallons of water in May 2011 than 2010, our water bill increased by 25% due to new fees and charges.

Overall, the general fund budget is slated to increase by 2.4%; the increased funds will go to street maintenance and employee raises. Round Rock City Council members will discuss the budget at their retreat August 16-17, and plan to vote on the tax rate and budget at the September 8 and September 22 meetings.  Contact information for Council Members is available here.   Council Meeting information here.

And of course there is Williamson County. Last year, despite intense lobbying from the Wilco Employees union, the Commissioners unanimously voted to keep the tax rate steady, a decision for which they have endured relentless and very personal attacks. The 2011-12 budget as presented by the County Budget Officer calls for an additional $5.19 million in spending over last year and includes new voting machines, new hires, and employee raises.  As the Austin American-Statesman reported, "Commissioners don't yet know how they will pay for all of it." Commissioners will discuss the tax rate at the August 9 meeting, and vote on the budget August 30.

Spending increase proponents will all claim that these increases are necessary and essential, and some of them are. The problem is that taxpayers in the private sector have a lot less to contribute. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, personal income has steadily decreased since 2008, and while private wages decreased by $2.2 billion in June of this year, personal taxes increased by $2.3 billion during the same period. Now with the U.S. debt-rating downgrade, widespread unemployment, and market losses in recent days, there are no signs of relief in sight. Sounds like us private sector folks are going to get kicked while we're down.

One particularly bright spot in Williamson County is the City of Cedar Park; for the second year in a row, the Cedar Park City Council has crafted a truly conservative budget with no proposed tax increases. Kudos to these guys on the CP Council, perhaps they should conduct seminars for some of the other muncipalities. Round Rock ISD will keep taxes at the same rate, but Hutto ISD, which has been struggling financially, is considering a 5-6 cent increase to be approved by voters.

If you are concerned about the proposed tax increases for your family, I strongly encourage you to contact these elected officials and attend meetings to provide testimony. You do not need to be an attorney, we're not running around suing people here, our leaders just need to hear from the community. And please be courteous and polite; Williamson County is in strong need of a return to civil discourse.

School Accountability Ratings Are Misleading

2011-08-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

Each morning, wanting to believe in our schools,

we take a leap of faith.

-Davis Guggenheim, Waiting for Superman

The TEA release of school and district Accountability Ratings for 2011 last week led to much hand-wringing in Texas.  The number of school districts rated 'academically unacceptable' jumped from 37 districts in 2010, to 88 in 2011; those rated 'exemplary' dropped from 241 to 61. These drastic changes caused many to wonder what had happened.

The short answer is "nothing."

Many parents and community leaders were completely unaware that for the past two years districts had been masking performance results with something known as the Texas Projection Measure. The TPM allowed schools and districts to interpret TAKS results in some rather creative ways. While there is a formula one must follow to apply the TPM, essentially it permitted schools to deem students as 'passing' when they had actually failed the test, if the school 'projected' the student would pass in the future. I have heard several contorted arguments in support of the measure, but the bottom line is that the TPM was used to hide actual results of student testing.

Of course for those who have been paying attention, even higher test results are not necessarily encouraging, since it is no secret that many schools are 'teaching to the test.' A friend of mine, who formerly taught in Leander ISD, described to me how her school paid for an expensive TAKS 'coach' to guide teachers in an attempt to boost results. Teachers in that school spent as much as six weeks teaching nothing other than TAKS strategy. The school did indeed boost results, but when the administration praised the staff and announced a celebration party, my friend quietly refused to participate. "We did not teach those kids anything," she says. "We failed to educate them."  Not surprisingly this former teacher has chosen not to place her own children in public schools.

Standardized testing is an attempt to provide a measure of accountability for our schools, and accountability is essential. These tests, however, do not address the fundamental problems with our current system.

While it is certainly a worthy goal to provide educational opportunity for every American child, somewhere along the way we decided that there is a 'one-size-fits-all' model of education.   The problem is that children do not come in only one 'size.' We know there are a variety of learning styles, different rates of physical, intellectual, and social maturation, and a multitude of background cultural references.   Even the very best of schools cannot possibly meet the needs of every child. Assigning children to schools based on zip code is a recipe for mediocrity, if not disaster.

There are numerous other problems in the current public school system, not the least of which is the burden of the 'bad teacher.' These 'bad' teachers are known to both school administration and co-workers, but because of the power of teacher unions, it is nearly impossible to fire them. Instead, as described in the excellent documentary Waiting for Superman, districts simply engage in the 'Lemon Dance,' and continuously move these 'lemons' from school to school.

We need serious reform in the way we structure education, and obviously the answer is not 'more money.' Per pupil funding, adjusted for inflation, has increased by over 50% since 1970, but academic achievement has remained statistically unchanged. And while some educators plead for more parental involvement, our current system tells parents that they are not responsible for their own children's education and do not allow parents to make determinations about schools.   The elitist attitude of many educrats is "We know what is best for your children," and even elected school boards routinely reject measures to give parents more choices and control.

Documentaries like Waiting for Superman, The Lottery, and The Cartel, (also excellent,) are helping America become more aware of the inherent problems in the public education status quo. These films show that the difficulties are not limited to urban schools. In Waiting for Superman, which profiles children desperate to escape their assigned public school, one child is from a suburban, white, middle class district in northern California. Her assigned public school was Woodside High, a highly ranked school with a large, modern Performing Arts Center, and new library and athletic facilities.

Here in Williamson County, some of the community might have been surprised to discover their school is no longer 'exemplary,' or even 'acceptable.'   The deception perpetrated by the Texas Projection Measure was unjust and parents are rightly disappointed.  Parents should also know that half of Texas High School graduates who attend college will need remedial courses. Perhaps these revelations will lead to more parents investigating public education and demanding the right to choose the school best for their own child.

As policy analyst Jennifer Marshall notes: "Public education should describe a goal (an educated citizenry), not prescribe a means (a government monopoly school system dominated by unions.)"

Indeed.
###

Looking for some solutions? Check out Jennifer Marshall's commentary, Texas Education Reform, and Florida's Success Story.

Why I Can't Quit

2011-07-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Politics is a brutal, nasty business.

I confess I have been feeling rather cynical about it all lately, primarily due to folks supposedly on my own 'team.' Regarding the Left, my expectations are pretty low, so I'm rarely disappointed and even sometimes pleasantly surprised. As for the Right, we have our share of those motivated by greed, hatred, personal grudges, and desire for power. I sometimes wonder why I bother with the whole mess.

And then I see a picture like this one.

Baby Esther, victim of a late-term abortion, lies in her coffin.

This reminds me in the starkest terms that there is true evil in this world. We are not gods, but mere humans; those around us will disappoint us, and our own personal failings may be the most demoralizing of all. But if we allow the frailty of humanity to steal our resolve, then evil will prevail.

As we enter a new political campaign season, I am resolved that I cannot and will not be silent. I will speak out on behalf of what I know to be right and best for my community. Even though members of my own party call me names (for opposing tax increases on struggling families no less!) I will not be cowed.

After all, if I fear God, whom then shall I fear?

Who's Who in Texas House District 149? Updated, 9/15

2011-07-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Although redistricting maps are not quite finalized, Williamson County residents are slated to have a new Texas House district in 2012. District 149 is situated in the Southwestern portion of the county and includes parts of Austin, Leander, and Georgetown, and most of Cedar Park. This will be a relatively conservative district, and the winner of any Republican Primary is likely to hold the seat.

So who's running? Here are the names I've heard tossed around, in no particular order, of course...

Cynthia Long, Williamson County Commissioner, Precinct 2, re-elected in 2008. Locally popular.
Matt Powell, Cedar Park City Councilman.
Tony Dale, Cedar Park City Councilman, former Army Captain.
Stephen Thomas, former Cedar Park City Council, former HD 20 candidate.
Ted Pataki, staffer for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and yes, son of that Pataki, NY Governor George. Ted is also a Marine Officer combat vet who spent time in Iraq.
James Bernsen, staffer for Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, combat vet, and U.S. Navy Reserve Officer.
Bob Lemon, Cedar Park Mayor.
Don Tracy, Cedar Park City Council.
Paul Tish, former President of Brushy Creek MUD.
Bob Tesch, developer, former Perry appointee to Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority.
Mary Dale, Cedar Park Attorney.
Chris Fielder, Leander City Council.
Eric Stratton, conservative GOP activist.
Stacy Rudd, Chairman of the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce.
Maria Acosta, Central Texas 9-12 Leader.

Corbin Van Arsdale is a registered lobbyist and former State Rep who recently relocated from Spring to Cedar Park; his name has been mentioned by a few activists, but he doesn't seem inclined to run.

Some good Republicans here, but I think by the filing period we'll be down to just a few of the best.

Stay tuned...

Update: My apologies to all those whose names start with "T" and end with "H." Hopefully I got it right this time...

Update, August 31, 2011. Since County Commissioner Cynthia Long signaled she is not running, both Ted Pataki and Corbin Van Arsdale have announced their respective candidacies. Also, there are still some Cedar Park officials considering a run. Stay tuned...

Update, September 15, 2011. With a new baby, new job, and working on his MBA, Ted Pataki has decided not to run. Like pretty much everyone on the above list, Pataki is supporting Cedar Park City Councilman Tony Dale, who announced on Tuesday.

Summer Sabbatical

2011-06-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

While our leviathan government never seems to relent, we humans need rest now and then. Since I only answer to God, I've decided to take a Summer Sabbatical. My 'pay' of course will remain the same while I relax and enjoy my beloved husband and precious children. I may post occasionally over the next two months, but won't return 'full-time' until Fall.

I hope readers are all watching for results from the Texas Legislative Special Session, and the continued machinations of the Round Rock Independent School District. The latter recently remembered they received oh, $6 million in stimulus money, but the Super Super still plans to fire teachers. Never mind that the budget adjustments are significantly less than what Liberals insisted they would be, and of course you must pay no attention to that $198 million in rainy day funds the RRISD has amassed with your tax dollars.

But hey, have a great Summer!

Governor Perry on the 2011 Special Session

2011-05-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Texas Governor Rick Perry took time to speak with media and bloggers in a conference call where he discussed the accomplishments of the 82nd Legislature, and outlined what still needs to be done, especially since Democrats attempted a 2009 redux in killing legislation with delay tactics and filibuster.

Among accomplishments, the Governor listed passing a budget that cuts spending and keeps Texas' status as a "low-tax haven," and still keeps $6 billion in the 'rainy-day-fund' for inevitable future challenges. In addition, he noted the legislature had strengthened eminent domain policy, required abortionists to show women an ultrasound, and passed an important 'Loser Pays' bill.

Regarding the issue of Health Care Compacts, Perry said he did expect those proposals, which create alternatives to Obamacare, to be taken up in the special session.

In answering a question about the redistricting legislation for the State Board of Education, the Governor stated, "I was not particularly happy with that piece of legislation." Noting that there seemed to have been some gerrymandering against some of the more Conservative members of the SBOE, he preferred to allow the legislature handle the issue. Perry did not sign, but did not veto the SBOE map.

Although he did not mention Congressional re-districting in his special session proclamation, the Governor noted that he had the prerogative to add issues to a call. He said the legislature should and will take it up. "Stay tuned" he said.

When asked about failed Texas legislation to prevent TSA 'groping-without-cause,' Perry said that some alternate proposals were being studied, but were not yet ready for official consideration. The federal government has threatened to prohibit air travel to Texas destinations if such legislation is enforced, yet another example of what seems to be a Federal war against the Lone Star State.

Perry indicated that while he is glad the Texas Constitution limited the length of the legislative session, there are still some things that must be addressed. Conservatives are optimistic about the special session, and hope to revive several items including a ban on so-called Sanctuary Cities. There are also indications that the June session won't be the end either; some are predicting a second special session in July.

Sounds like a politically interesting summer after all.

PEC Candidates' Pledge

2011-05-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Previously I wrote about the election for the Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board and the importance of restoring common-sense governance to this nation's largest electric co-op. Two of the candidates in the Williamson County portion of the District, Alan Yore and Stephen Thomas, have released a "Pledge to PEC Members."

Dear Fellow PEC Member,

For nearly 75 years, the Pedernales Electric Co-op has served the families, residents, and businesses of the Texas Hill Country. Our co-op has provided the power to light our homes and driven our economic development. When PEC first started, no private company was willing to build and maintain the electric lines to our area. Our co-op is an ongoing symbol of our ability to do for ourselves when others would not.

Today, you have an important opportunity to reclaim the PEC Board for the "can do" families of the Hill Country. If you honor Stephen Thomas and Alan Yore with your vote for PEC board, we pledge to uphold the highest traditions of the co-op by:

*Restoring PEC’s Reputation. We are tired of seeing PEC in the headlines, and pledge to conduct ourselves in a manner befitting such a great organization.

*Getting Back to Basics. Focus on reducing rates and delivering reliable electricity at the lowest possible cost.

*Governing, Not Micro-Managing. Board members should set the goals for the co-op, and make sure that the new CEO and great employees have the tools to meet those goals.

*Staying True to the Cooperative Model. PEC should continue to play a visible and supportive role in the communities that it serves.

If you believe it is time to once again have a co-op focused on your needs and the needs of most of the families in the Hill Country, then we would appreciate you voting today for Alan Yore and Stephen Thomas. We appreciate your consideration.

Sincerely,

Alan Yore
Stephen Thomas

PEC members may vote via mail-in ballot or on the PEC website by June 10, or may vote in-person at the annual meeting on June 18 in Johnson City.

Financial Transparency Measure for Higher Education

2011-05-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

From the office of Representative Bill Zedler:

ZEDLER CALLS FOR FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

AUSTIN – The Texas House of Representatives adopted an amendment by Rep. Bill Zedler (Arlington) requiring institutions of higher education to place certain financial information online, or to place a direct link on their Internet homepage to the state's financial transparency website, Window on State Government (www.window.state.tx.us).

The Zedler Amendment was attached without opposition to Senate Bill 5 by Zaffirini, which is being sponsored in the House by Rep. Dan Branch (Dallas), Chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education. Based on discussions with university officials, there should be minimal or no cost to implement this initiative.

"There has been an intense debate, discussion, and criticism of financial practices at our state's colleges and universities. To a large extent, this criticism is likely rooted in the perceived lack of transparency. Taxpayers and students should be able to know where their money is being spent," said Zedler.

Upon final passage of Senate Bill 5 in the House, it will return to the Senate where the changes made by the House of Representatives will be considered. "I appreciate the overwhelming support for this transparency measure, and anticipate that it will be in the final bill that heads to the Governor's desk," said Zedler.

In a similar vein, Speaker Joe Straus (San Antonio) and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst established the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence, and Transparency on May 6th. Members of the joint oversight committee include: Sens. Judith Zaffirini (Laredo), John Carona (Dallas), Robert Duncan (Lubbock), Kel Seliger (Amarillo), Rodney Ellis (Houston), Kirk Watson (Austin); and Reps. Dan Branch (Dallas), Dennis Bonnen (Angleton), Joaquin Castro (San Antonio), Eric Johnson (Dallas), Lois Kolkhorst (Brenham), and Jim Pitts (Waxahachie).
Discussing the recently formed committee, Rep. Zedler said, "The legislative leadership has decided to prioritize this investigation for a reason. I hope the committee is able to dig in and exert greater accountability for the taxpayer dollars we invest in higher education."

Texas Taxpayer Savings Grants

2011-05-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

In light of our current challenges, many policy analysts are looking at innovative ways to balance the budget without raising taxes. We have seen some great proposals this year regarding Medicare and Medicaid spending and higher education reforms, and now Texans for Voluntary Taxpayer Savings has proposed Taxpayer Savings Grants, which could possible save the state $2 billion in the next biennium.

The Taxpayer Savings Grant proposal is a voluntary program that allows parents to transfer a child from a public school to a private school, with a TS grant to help pay tuition. For each student who voluntarily takes a grant, the state saves an average of $3,429. Furthermore, the public school would not have expenditures for that child (think smaller classes,) but the school would keep a portion of funding.

Currently, the average total cost per student in Texas public schools is $11,567. The proposed grants would be calculated on maintenance and operations expenditures alone ($8,572 per student) and therefore each grant is equal to only 60% of the M&O expense, which is $5,143 per student. The state saves the other 40% of the M&O expense, which is $3,429 per student. Additionally, the difference between operation and total expenditures is about $3000 per student. So even though the student is no longer attending, the difference of $3000 remains in the Texas public school system and actually results in an increase in per pupil funding.

Not only would the Taxpayer Savings Grants save money for the State of Texas while increasing per pupil funding for public schools, the grants would allow parents to choose the school best suited to their child's needs. I have long been a critic of the one-size-fits all paradigm that dominates our nation's approach to education. Different children have different educational needs and it is madness to think there is only one way to educate a child. I often hear teachers complain about a lack of parental involvement, so let's get parents involved by allowing them a voice in their own child's education.

The analysts who created this program are hoping the Texas House will be able to attach the measure to legislation before the session ends. With savings projected for the State, the Texas public school system, and taxpayers, this seems like a win-win-win deal. It is unfortunate that the proposal comes so late in the session and I do not predict passage, but it is an idea that deserves consideration.

Who is Exploiting Women's Health for Political Purposes? Updated

2011-05-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

If you listened to Cecile Richards and the Planned Parenthood apologists last week, you might think that the State Legislature is planning to end funding for the Women's Health Program portion of Medicaid. According to Cecile, et. al., poor women will die if Planned Parenthood doesn't get money from the state.

The truth is that lawmakers are not cutting the Women's Health Program, but are trying to make sure the funds go to clinics that provide comprehensive health care. Planned Parenthood customers only see a doctor for abortions, and then only at the procedure itself. If a woman needs a doctor for anything other than an abortion, Planned Parenthood must refer her out to another facility. But guess what? If she does want an abortion, PP gets to sell one to her at a profit. If we are serious about providing health care for poor women, we should not be sending them to clinics whose primary business is selling abortions, but to clinics that provide for all of a woman's potential health care needs.

Sensing the tide turning against them, the pro-Planned Parenthood gang trotted out a woman who claimed Planned Parenthood saved her life with a screening test. The test confirmed she had a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer later in life. Of course, the other clinics funded by the Woman's Health Program also provide screenings for STD's, and if the woman needed a doctor for her complications, Planned Parenthood would not be able to provide one for her.

In light of these facts, it is apparent that if anyone is exploiting women's health issues for both political and financial gain, it is Planned Parenthood and Cecile Richards. At stake are millions of taxpayer dollars that are funneled to Planned Parenthood each year despite the fact that the organization reports a tidy profit from abortion sales.

Cecile Richards ought to be ashamed.

Update: The Women's Health Program will expire if the Senate does not reauthorize by the upcoming deadline. The only bill left standing to re-authorize is SB 1854 (Duell) which requires funds go to facilities that provide comprehensive health care for women. Cecile Richards and Planned Parenthood are opposing SB 1854, and thus would rather see the Women's Health Program expire rather than lose their funds. So much for putting women's needs above politics.

Travis County Liberals Still Control Round Rock School Board

2011-05-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

While I was quite pleased to see Conservative Aaron Johnson win his race for the Leander School Board, other results for Williamson County districts were disappointing.

While Conservative David Dziadziola won the Williamson County portion of the Round Rock School District with a healthy 56% of the vote, Travis County voters gaave Liberal Diane Cox 70% and effectively shut out the Wilco voice. Dziadziola had an uphill battle in that he did not have pre-election name recognition and faced an entrenched incumbent who successfully downplayed her party affiliation and controversial stances. Another factor of course was higher levels of voter enthusiasm in the Austin portion of the district since they were also voting on which City Council candidate would keep Austin the weirdest.

All things considered, Dziadziola made a very good showing, but once again, the Austin/Travis County Liberals dominated the Round Rock School Board election.

Higher Education: Another Sacred Cow?

2011-05-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Another sacred cow?

One positive result of our nation's economic difficulties is the renewed impetus to hold taxpayer-funded- entities accountable, and to implement reforms where applicable. Unfortunately, when Governor Perry attempted to apply those standards to Texas Institutions of Higher Learning, we discovered a whole new herd of sacred cows.

Governor Perry has been a proponent of State Higher Education reforms for quite some time, but he renewed his push this session in light of our current economic difficulties. In his inaugural address, Perry challenged universities to establish a $10,000 four-year degree. Most university personnel ridiculed the proposal and claimed it was impossible. But is it?

According to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, per-student operating costs at universities in Texas have grown dramatically; in 1991 statewide average per-student was $10,665, but by 2008 it had increased to $18,571, a 74.1% increase. This explosion in costs is largely due to administration and faculty trends. Administration costs have increased by 52% over the last decade, and nationally non-teaching staff now make up for 79% of personnel. (Sound familiar? Like our tax-payer funded public school system on steroids?)

Not only has higher ed seen an unhealthy growth in non-instructional personnel, it seems universities are not making the most of the instructional staff they have. According to a Texas Performance Review, faculty at research universities only teach 1.9 courses each semester, and nationally nearly 22% do not teach at all. Many of these tenured professors enjoy six-figure salaries, and while certainly a few are contributing valuable research, most are publishing obscure articles in obscure journals read only by an obscure few.

These factors, along with a general lack of accountability, are driving up the cost of a college degree in Texas. But instead of facing economic realities, many folks in Texas' higher education bureaucracy prefer to blame the State, blame the Governor, blame the Republicans; blame anyone rather than enact common sense reforms. They have sought not only to demonize Governor Perry, but to 'kill' messengers who dare to suggest reforms like having professors actually teach classes; hence the outcry against University of Texas advisor Rick O'Donnell. Such has been the hue and cry that Lt. Governor Dewhurst and TX House Speaker Joe Straus have been pressured to create a new Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency. It appears that the committee's purpose is not to seek efficiencies and reforms for higher ed, but to police the reformers.

As with the debate over reforms for public education, we again seem to be up against educrats who insist there is not one iota of waste anywhere in the system, and threaten that any reform attempts will destroy higher education forever and ever, amen. Never mind that Texas' higher education system is always demanding more funds from taxpayers at the same time tuition rates are skyrocketing and students are graduating with ever more debt. Unfortunately for both taxpayers and students, Higher Ed is looking like yet another sacred cow.

Congressman John Carter's "Picnic in the Park"

2011-05-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Congressman John Carter, who represents all of Williamson County, is a great voice for conservative policies and values. Last week he worked to help pass the "Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act," and he has been very vocal in offering alternatives to President Obama's failed energy policies.

Carter will be in Williamson County next week, and invites his supporters to a "Picnic in the Park" on Sunday, May 15, from 1:00-3:00 pm, at the San Gabriel Park in Georgetown. An RSVP is required by May 10. Call 512-341-2220 or email pat@johncarterforcongress.com. Tickets are $10 for individuals, $15 for Couples, $25 for families, and $250 for the Host Committee.

Please consider supporting one of the most conservative voices in the U.S. House of Representatives. Hope to see you there!

Your Tax Increase is 'Just a Cup of Coffee'

2011-05-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

Both Aaron Johnson and James Spires, candidates for the Leander School Board, attended the Williamson County Republican Women's luncheon today, and afterwards I had an interesting conversation with James Spires.

Mr. Spires expressed disappointment that I had endorsed his opponent, so I proceeded to explain why. I pointed out that we are known by the company we keep and that some of Spires' endorsements are quite troubling. His campaign mailer includes as his most prominent supporters two very liberal Democrats: Vic Villarreal, and Alan Kaplan. Villarreal and Kaplan were elected to the Austin Community College Board by the heavily liberal voters of Austin. Villarreal is supported by the South Austin Democrats, Tejano Democrats, Capital City Young Democrats, Progressive Citizens for ACC, and the Austin Central Labor Council. Kaplan typically only supports very, very liberal Democrats.

Secondly, despite Leander ISD's budgetary woes and $1.2 billion in debt, Spires has stated publicly that if elected he would "not change a thing" about the way LISD has operated. In my humble opinion, this is a shocking stance when the district has constructed a $117 million dollar high school, and has two brand-spanking new schools that will stand empty due to a lack of financial foresight on the part of the Board and administration. When I pointed out these problems to Mr. Spires, he defended the actions saying there was no other alternative. He also said that the last tax increase was "only the cost of a cup of Starbucks a month."

Blogger, (while trying to keep head from exploding): "You did not just say that."

James Spires: "Yes, I did just say that."

I endorsed Aaron Johnson last month due to Johnson's qualifications and commitment to fiscal conservatism. I also saw that with four children in the LISD schools, he would balance fiscal realities with real educational needs.

James Spires told me he was a Republican, and he may well be, but apparently he is also a proponent of 'Happy Meal Economics,' an approach our country cannot afford to continue. I do want to say that Mr. Spires was a very nice man and I can see why folks like him, but we must examine the important policy differences that these candidates will represent if elected.

My endorsement of Aaron Johnson stands confirmed.

Another Important Election: Pedernales Electric Cooperative

2011-05-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Beginning on May 4, members of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) should receive ballots for Board elections. District 2 and District 3 include portions of Williamson County, and two very good local candidates have filed for these positions: Alan Yore and Stephen Thomas.

Why do we care?

Well, it's no secret that Texas is at odds with environmental extremists. Although the State's Clean Air Program successfully reduced ozone emissions by 22% and NOX emissions by a whopping 53%, last year the EPA refused to reauthorize the program. Al Almendariz, President Obama's EPA Czar for Texas, has been in the news for trying to ban bullets and fishing tackle, and attempting to halt oil and gas production for the sake of lizards. What Texans may not realize, however, is that Greenies are also working through local boards like the PEC to implement an 'environmental' agenda.

The PEC provides power to a 24-county area, including portions of Williamson County. It is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors, who are elected by all members of the service area via mail-in ballots, through the PEC website, or in person at the annual meeting.

Unfortunately, a small group of activists have been working to manipulate PEC elections via PEC4U, an organization with close ties to lefty environmentalist groups. PEC4U's influence has become so insidious, that State Senator Troy Fraser has called for reforms that would make the co-op more transparent and require single-member district elections. Last week Senator Fraser publicized a letter sent by PEC4U to 5 board members, in which PEC4U reminds them to dance with 'the one what brung ya' and calls for more aggressive and costly 'green' initiatives. (The sixth Board member, Ross Fischer, is not a PEC4U cabal candidate.) The letter also states:

"You are all directors whom we endorsed and helped get elected. We feel that our close relationship with the press, as well as with Clean Water Action and Public Citizen, played a key role in those elections. As you know, Clean Water Action used their canvassing crews to go door to door for the candidates we endorsed (they chose to endorse the same candidates but it was not a coincidence),"

Although the intent in creating such a large electrical cooperative, (the largest in the nation,) was to keep consumer costs down, PEC rates are high compared to other providers and smaller cooperatives. PEC4U and friends want to force the co-op to adopt a 30% 'renewable energy' policy, which will only drive costs higher.

Currently, Williamson County is not represented on the Board, and we need members who will bring a balanced view to the PEC and not owe allegiance to lefty-environmental groups.

Stephen Thomas is former three-time Cedar Park City Council member and worked for the State for 25 years. He was also a Republican candidate for the Texas House recently. Read his press release and bio here.

Alan Yore owned an architectural and engineering firm for 27 years, and is now a Leander business owner. Read his press release here. He is committed to getting costs and member rates under control.

Also on the ballot will be the option to change the way the Board of Directors is elected. The three options are: (A) status quo (nominated by district, elected at-large); (B) single-member districts (elected on staggered 3-year terms); or (C) hybrid system (some directors elected by district, some at-large). Option B, single-member districts, will give members the best chance to stop any special interest monopolies from controlling the board.

If a resident of the PEC, be sure to either mail in your ballot or vote on-line by June 10. Otherwise, attend the annual meeting on June 18 in Johnson City to cast your ballot in person for Alan Yore and Stephen Thomas.

Early Voting Begins May 2

2011-05-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

Early Voting for the May 14, 2011 Uniform Election Day for local political subdivisions begins Monday, May 2, and continues through Tuesday, May 10. (No Sunday voting.) I have written about the contests for the Round Rock School Board (I recommend David Dziadziola and Brian Sellers,) and the Leander School Board (Aaron Johnson is the standout,) but there are additional races on the ballot for Austin, Georgetown, Hutto, Taylor, and other Williamson County political districts.

Early Voting Schedule:
Monday, May 2 through Saturday, May 7: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Monday, May 9 and Tuesday, May 10: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Standard Locations:
Williamson County Inner Loop Annex, 301 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown
Sun City Social Center, 2 Texas Dr., Georgetown
Georgetown ISD Administration Bldg, 603 Lakeway Dr. Georgetown
McConico Building, 301 W. Bagdad St. Round Rock
Round Rock Randalls, 2051 Gattis School Road, Round Rock
Cedar Park Public Library, 550 Discovery Blvd, Cedar Park
Taylor City Hall, 400 Porter St. Taylor

Mobile Locations are also available on a limited basis. For a list of dates, times and locations, please see the Williamson County Elections Department website.

Sample Ballots may be viewed here.

Will The Real Diane Cox Please Stand Up?

2011-04-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

At one of last week's forums for the Round Rock Independent School District Board, candidates were asked about raising district property taxes without voter approval. According to the Round Rock Leader, Diane Cox replied, "If we do raise taxes even by that small of an amount we need to get voter approval."

What the Leader story did not deign to mention is the fact that Diane Cox serves as President of the Central Texas School Board Association, and that CTSBA is actively lobbying to change State law to allow school districts to raise property taxes without voter approval. Not only is Ms. Cox the President of this organization, but on August 19 of 2010, she presented to the RRISD Board an agenda item* that includes the following:

Additional Golden Pennies: The current finance system requires school districts to seek voter approval in setting the maintenance and operation tax rate above $1.04. Legislation is needed which grants school boards the discretion of two additional golden pennies without voter approval."

Interestingly enough, the CTSBA brochure outlining their 2011 legislative agenda (which includes the above item,) states "Publication design by RRISD." Sounds like the RRISD and the CTSBA have been working very, very closely.

While the Round Rock Leader has chosen to ignore this information, the Community Impact Newspaper's report includes the following:

In previous years, the Central Texas School Board Association, which Cox is president of, has lobbied at the Texas Capitol for a measure that would allow school boards to raise taxes without voters' consent. Cox said that she is not lobbying for such a measure this year, but noted, “There is a fundamental issue with the whole [education finance] system."

Of course, Diane Cox' desire for the power to raise taxes without voter approval is no secret to political activists in Williamson County. Last Fall at a candidate forum for Texas House District 52 candidates, Ms. Cox asked Larry Gonzales and Diana Maldonado if they would support raising the tax cap without voter approval. According to witnesses, Cox became so upset with the resulting conversation that she stomped out of the building.

Challenger David Dziadziola has been adamant about keeping voters involved in the process of setting tax rates. Matt Stillwell, who is challenging Brian Sellers, gave an interesting answer when asked if he favored allowing tax increases without voter approval, "In extreme circumstances, it would be a good thing to have in the toolbox, but as a general rule, it should be put to a vote." Well, alrighty then.

Perhaps Diane Cox has had a change of heart about this important policy issue. If so, she should resign as CTSBA President and repudiate its legislative agenda. If not, it doesn't seem she is being entirely genuine about her stance on the issue.

*See pages 43-44

Round Rock ISD's Curious Priorities

2011-04-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

"Curiouser and curiouser..."

Last week the Round Rock Independent School District posted budget recommendations listed in order of priority.   Some parents have expressed concern over the listed priorities and have contacted elected school board members.  Unfortunately, it seems that most of RRISD Board members were caught off guard by the queries since they only became aware of the list when contacted by concerned parents, and apparently had no input in setting the priorities.

Some of the priorities for reinstatement are rather curious. Reinstatement of hall monitors at various levels are ranked #6 and #17, and of cafeteria monitors at #23, but Dyslexia Teachers are #36 and Talented and Gifted (TAG) Teachers are #47.  Both sets of teachers rank below stipends for PE Coaches, but at least they rank higher than the Superintendent's Leadership Retreat.    Parents of TAG students are noting the district will now barely service these mandated programs, while funding other areas far beyond mandated guidelines. Alternative programs are mandated for at least four hours each day, but RRISD will fund nearly 12 hours of such programs.   The concerned parents were unsure if there were cuts to the on-site day care provided at the High Schools or the special school for students who are failing.

I do not know how the decision-making process works at Round Rock ISD, but it does seem odd that our elected board members were not a part of setting the priorities.   From my vantage point, it seems the voters hired (via the electoral process) board members to govern the school district. That Board then hires an administrator to run the district. Certainly the board cannot micro-manage day-to-day operations, but something as significant as setting spending priorities should have had board involvement.

Dziadziola, Sellers for Round Rock Independent School Board

2011-04-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

There are two contested races for Round Rock School Board this year, Place 1 and Place 3. The Place 1 incumbent is Brian Sellers, a Republican voter who supported Larry Gonzales for the Texas House of Representatives last year. His opponent is newcomer Matt Stillwell, who proclaims to be a political Independent, but has only voted in the Democrat Primary in Williamson County.

I am endorsing Brian Sellers for Place 1, and David Dziadziola for Place 3.
David Dziadziola is challenging incumbent Diane Cox for Place 3. I have met Mr. Dziadziola on several occasions, and found him to be quite knowledgeable about the district and its challenges. A life insurance agent, he has also been involved with the financial organization of several successful start-up companies, and has extensive knowledge and experience with financial management. (On a side note, Dziadziola has been granted numerous U.S. Government patents for computer protection programs.) Comforting to those who fear a 'numbers cruncher,' his two children are students at Round Rock schools, so he has a vested interest in making sure the district offers a quality education. Mr. Dziadziola is not content to look only at short-term fixes, but anxious to make sure RRISD has plans for long-term fiscal solvency. Intelligent, knowledgeable, and conservative, he's also just one of those down-to-earth-non-politicians one can't help but like.

Diane Cox is pretty familiar to voters since she was the only person from Williamson County willing to appear in liberal-Democrat Diana Maldonado's television commercials in 2010. (Maldonado was soundly defeated by Republican Larry Gonzales.) Ms. Cox is also the President of Central Texas School Board Association. Round Rock Independent School District and other area districts pay annual dues to the Central Texas School Board Association. The association engages in lobbying efforts, and according to CTSBA literature, supports allowing school districts to raise property taxes without voter approval. (I have not yet discovered the amounts RRISD pays to the association.) Allegedly, Ms. Cox initiated the illegal bonus paid to the RRISD Superintendent last year, as well as the Superintendent's contract extension with salary and benefits totaling more than $300,000.

There are several upcoming opportunities to meet the school board candidates; here are the candidate forums of which I am aware:

Tuesday, April 19, at 7pm, at Grace Lutheran Church
Wednesday, April 20, at 7 pm at Round Rock High School Lecture Hall
Tuesday, April 26, at 7 pm at Westwood High School Library

There is a great deal of momentum behind David Dziadziola, but with the dismal turnout typical of school board elections, every bit of help and every vote will make a difference. Two Round Rock women, Donna Parker and Maria Garza Brown are holding a fundraising reception for Mr. Dziadziola on Thursday April 21. For more information and to RSVP, please visit http://williamsoncountyrepublicanwomen.com/2011/04/reception-for-david-dziadziola/

Early Voting is May 2-May 10, and Election Day is Saturday May 14.

Rep Gonzales Working on House Districts for Williamson County

2011-04-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

As KXAN news reported last night, State Representative Larry Gonzales has been working "feverishly" to create a redistricting plan that would best represent the communities of Williamson County.

Many of us have been concerned since the unveiling of the initial plan from the House Committee on Redistricting last week. Williamson County would include three House Districts, but those districts would split up communities with common interests. In some map proposals, the City of Round Rock would be separated from the Round Rock Higher Education Center, the Dell Computers Campus, and the Dell Baseball stadium, all projects initiated by Round Rock residents.

In addition to Rep. Gonzales, many others expressed concern about the maps involving Wilco. Milam County Judge Dave Barkemeyer testified that his county would like to continue to be a part of House District 20, which includes Georgetown. He indicated that the interests of Milam are better aligned with north Williamson County. Rep. Hildebran indicated that Burnet County residents prefer to be grouped with other Hill Country counties rather than the more urban southern Williamson County.

You can help Representative Gonzales by sending him an email of support at larry@larrygonzales.com . The more letters he has from the community, the stronger his case will be.

Texas House to Hold Hearings on Redistricting

2011-04-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

The Williamson County Republican Women sent out the following notice:

The Texas House Redistricting Committee will hold hearings regarding proposed districts on Friday, April 15, at noon, and Sunday April 17, at 2pm. Hearings will be in room E1.030 at the Capitol, and Chairman Solomons has said anyone may testify and this will be the only opportunity for the public to weigh in.

While the Williamson County Republican Women are NOT taking a stance on the proposed maps, we believe it important for the community to be aware of the possible changes and the limited opportunity to provide feedback to state lawmakers.

The redistricting proposal will have great impact on Williamson County; Texas House districts 20 and 52 will be entirely contained within the county, but a new district, HD 149 will include parts of Burnet, Travis, Williamson and Milam Counties. Forest Creek will be split between HD 20 and HD 149 along Forest Ridge Drive. Stony Point High School in Round Rock will be in HD 20, and Georgetown High School will be in HD 52. All of Wilco's cities and towns seem to be slated to be split up.

The Proposed maps may be viewed here. : http://gis1.tlc.state.tx.us/

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Fun With Redistricting: Updated

2011-04-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

The Texas House Redistricting Committee has posted proposed new maps on-line for all to view, and there are many raised eyebrows on both sides of the aisle.

Not surprisingly, Williamson County is drawn to include three districts: District 20, District 52, and a new District 149. While 20 and 52, represented by Republicans Charles Schwertner and Larry Gonzales respectively, are entirely contained within Wilco, the new district 149 is, well, interesting, to say the least. Looking like the two-headed creature from Lake LBJ, the proposed HD 149 would include parts of Burnet, Travis, and Williamson counties, and all of Milam County. About 60% of the District 149 population would be in Wilco.

These districts look very 'Republican,' for now. Some Republicans are concerned about what the future would hold some of these, including HD 149. Stay tuned; I have no doubt there will be fun times ahead.

Here is the link to view the proposed maps: http://gis1.tlc.state.tx.us/

Update: More 'Fun' Notes on the proposed map: Forest Creek development will be split between House District 52 and the new House District 149 along Forest Creek Drive and Hilton Head Drive. Georgetown High School will land in District 52, while Round Rock's Stony Point High School will land in District 20. District 20 will dip down further into Round Rock to Highway 79 in places, and will claim the Round Rock higher education area and Terra Vista. It's looking like most of the towns and cities in Wilco will be split in various ways.

Also, I am being told the Democrats are positively thrilled with the Travis County map since it kills all chances of ever beating Democrats Donna Howard or Mark Strama. It seems the strongest GOP precincts were moved to HD 47, represented by Republican Paul Workman, and HD 26, represented by Democrat Dawnna Dukes.

Aaron Johnson For Leander ISD Board Place 6: Updated

2011-04-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a chance to visit with Aaron Johnson, one of the five candidates for Leander Independent School District Board. My fellow Conservatives in West Wilco had recommended him, and after our meeting, I can see why.

A businessman (in sales and marketing) and father of four, Johnson is very familiar with the significant challenges the district faces. In fact, this isn't his first rodeo; he ran for a seat on the board previously. It's too bad he wasn't successful in 2006, since I think his input would have helped prevent LISD from digging the financial hole in which it currently sits.

As a parent, Johnson is very concerned about academic standards. His own children are enrolled in LISD schools, and he is interested in making sure they and their peers receive a quality education. Not satisfied with the term 'college ready,' Johnson wants to ensure graduating seniors are not just prepared, but encouraged to attend college, and does not think it the purview of the administration to decide which students are college bound. He recognizes that to some extent school board control is limited by State and Federal requirements, but has a very good working knowledge of what can be done at the local level.

Although adamant about high academic standards, Johnson is fiscally conservative and recognizes that merely throwing money at our education problems is not the answer. He is concerned about spending and borrowing levels as well as resident tax burdens, and wants to focus more spending on the classroom. The ISD will need much wisdom and financial guidance going forward; with $1.2 billion in district bond debt and two brand new school buildings that must stand empty next year, Johnson's background in economics and law should come in handy.

Originally, six candidates had filed for Leander ISD Place 6, but Clarence Ramsey Brown dropped out and endorsed Aaron Johnson. Both Brown and Johnson are known Republicans. The current Place 6 Board member, Jim Sneeringer, has also endorsed Johnson.

The other candidates include Nacole Thompson, whom I met the last time she ran for the LISD board; very nice lady, but definitely a Democrat. Gene Fruge lives in Austin, and in a previous run for LISD Board mystified voters with his campaign platform that seemed to consist entirely of a plan to build a theater in his area of the district. Kyle Ward is the Texas PTA representative who wrote an op-ed claiming education is on life support, and seems to agree with left-leaning school associations asserting there is no waste anywhere in school districts and therefore if budgets are reduced, they can do none other than fire teachers. (Please pay no attention to those new football stadiums and empty buildings). There has also been some noise about Ward's wife having been hired by the district just this year, which would violate rules for candidate eligibility. James Spires' platform is vague on budget issues, and he does not have any children in LISD schools. Spires' website indicates that he is among the 'spare-no-expense-for-the-children' mantra.

I found Aaron Johnson to be a very knowledgeable Republican, with both a vested interest in the success of the school district and concern for keeping residents' tax burden low. Interestingly, Round Rock ISD Board candidate David Dziadziola also has a background in economics, children in the district, and very similar stances on the issues. Happily for David, he has only one opponent, known liberal-Democrat Diane Cox. Both men are ideal additions to these respective boards, and I heartily endorse them.

Update: I have received numerous emails and comments regarding James Spires, one of which defends him and states he does oppose tax increases. To be fair, school board candidates are notoriously vague with campaign language, and this race doesn't look much different. Therefore we have to dig deeper to find out where these candidates stand. While one person has been willing to defend Spires, all other emails have been very critical of Mr. Spires. According to attendees of an area Young Republicans meeting last month, Mr. Spires stated that the district was doing a great job and he "would not change a thing." When asked for clarification, he repeated that there was "nothing" he would change. Other Republican activists reported to me that on questioning, Mr. Spires would only say he wants to "Make Education a Priority," and was unwilling to state his position on tax increases.

Also of note: A document distributed at an LISD Budget workshop on January 26, 2011, (pages 9 & 10) indicated that the district has been floating a tax rate increase trial balloon. According to this document, the original thought was to hold a tax-increase election in June. The document predicts revenue collections based on 1 cent, 6 cent, and 13 cent increases. Educrats love to refer to these as "Copper Pennies" or "Golden Pennies," depending on how they approve them (sounds really cute, doesn't it?) but these are tax increases on Leander ISD families.

Pages From LISD Jan 2011 Budget Workshop 0001

Congressman John Carter Rejects Paycheck

2011-04-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

In the midst of last week's Federal budget fight, Republicans attempted to pass a measure that would have banned all Members of Congress and the President from being paid during any government shutdown. H.R. 1255 passed the House but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) blocked a vote on the bill in the Senate. Congressman John Carter, who represents all of Williamson County, voted for the measure and requested his own paycheck be withheld for the duration of any shutdown. The shutdown was averted, of course, but kudos to Congressman Carter for his stance.

It's too bad that some other government employees, such as our Round Rock School Superintendent who earned $129,000 more than members of Congress last year, aren't willing to make any sacrifices in this troubled economy.

Carter should also be commended for fighting for the Ensuring Pay of our Military Act of 2011, which would continue pay for members of our military in the event of any shutdown.

Media Matters Doesn't Like Christians or Something

2011-04-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

It seems that I have annoyed Media Matters with my posts about Planned Parenthood and the fact that none of their Texas clinics have mammogram machines. So last week they decided to reveal a secret about me. Are you ready? I am "a self-proclaimed Christian, Conservative, Republican Grassroots Activist." I know my readers will be shocked to learn this, but I do hope some of them will stick around.

Apparently in the George-Soros-Media-Matters alternate universe, these attributes automatically disqualify me as a pundit and credible source. What MM does not acknowledge is that according to open records from the Department of State Health Services, Planned Parenthood is not able to provide important screenings for breast cancer because they do not own the necessary equipment. Furthermore, while the government and charities are providing funds for 'women's health care,' to Planned Parenthood, women who need a doctor for anything other than an abortion will have to be sent elsewhere.

But since I am a "Christian, Conservative, Republican Grassroots Activist," pay no mind.

Obamacare, Texas, and Lessons From 2003

2011-04-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, April 6, the Honorable Arlene Wohlgemuth will speak at a luncheon in Round Rock. Executive Director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and director of the Foundation's Center for Health Care Policy, she served 10 years as a state representative for district 58, and in 2003 helped navigate Texas through a $10 billion budget shortfall.

As an astute policy analyst, Wohlgemuth has been closely monitoring the federal take-over of our healthcare system and advising Texas lawmakers on how the State will be impacted by Obamacare. She notes that even without the new federal laws, state spending on Medicaid will double every decade. With Obamacare, Texas would have to spend nearly half of its budget on Medicaid. While she supports efforts to repeal, Wohlgemuth has also outlined plans for the state to cope with Obamacare, and recently joined Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and State Representative Lois Kolkhorst in a call for Medicaid reforms.

Sponsored by the Williamson County Republican Women, the event is open to the general public, cost is $15 and includes a catered lunch. Meet and Greet begins at 11:15am, and the program begins at 11:30am. RSVP to williamsoncountyrw@yahoo.com.

RRISD Super Super Won't Take Pay Cut

2011-03-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

Most of us in the private sector have been making adjustments to withstand the national economic downturn. Actual unemployment is over 16%, and many of those employed have seen incomes reduced significantly. Now taxpayers who have been tightening the budget belt are expecting government to do the same, and Texas legislators are working to cut excess.

One person who won't be feeling any financial pain however, is Round Rock Independent School District Superintendent Jesus Chavez. Last week the RRISD board voted to extend the Super Super's contract by one year at the exact same salary as last year, $252,875. It seems his benefits, which totaled about $303,375 in 2010, will remain the same as well. While we had hoped Jesus Chavez would follow Leander Superintendent Bret Champion's noble example in taking a $20,000 pay cut and reduced benefits, it seems Chavez prefers to keep his salary at $102,000 more than the Governor's.

Sadly, many of our RRISD Board members voted for this status quo contract extension because they were told a 'no' vote would be a vote of 'no confidence' in the Superintendent. One member, however, refused to play the game. Trustee Terri Romere cast the only nay vote, saying that while she approved of the Superintendent's performance, she did not think the compensation package fiscally responsible in light of coming budget cuts.

This blog is probably one of the few places you will read about the Superintendent's new contract; it seems Jesus Chavez prefers to keep the hostages front and center, as demonstrated when he notified 234 first-year teachers they would not have jobs next year. Never mind that Round Rock Independent School District has $198 MILLION in its own rainy day fund, never mind that the District only spends 36.8% of revenue on instruction, never mind that only 53.8% of District staff are teachers.

Even though our local newspaper omits relevant information about the District's reserve funds, it is my hope that these teachers slated for lay-offs will push back against the Administration. (The fact that Teacher Union politics is forcing Districts to keep terrible teachers while firing new and enthusiastic teachers is a whoooole 'nother blog post.) It's really too bad the Superintendent prefers to manipulate the situation for maximum emotional and political impact, while his own household economy continues to enjoy prosperity on the backs of taxpayers and teachers.

Planned Parenthood Does Not Provide Comprehensive Healthcare

2011-03-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

Knowing that most Americans are not excited about contributing funds for abortions, Planned Parenthood and other abortion 'clinics' prefer to hide behind an alleged concern for 'women's health.' These groups would have us believe they are on the forefront of providing health care for poor women, however, this is a vile deception and conceals the true nature of the industry.

Abortionists have found one of the most successful avenues for channeling both charity and tax dollars to already profitable abortion businesses, is via funds for breast cancer. Many of us have mothers, sisters, and friends who have faced breast cancer, and on an emotional basis we willingly fund anything that claims to fight the disease. By claiming to help in this and other women's health issues, Planned Parenthood Texas receives approximately $5 million from the state Medicaid Women's Health Program. (Planned Parenthood receives another $12 million from the state in 'family planning' funds.) Komen for the Cure, which purportedly exists to help prevent and cure breast cancer, gave Planned Parenthood more than $730k in donations in 2009, and provided approximately $3.3 million between 2004 and 2009.

So how many mammograms does Planned Parenthood Texas provide for poor women each year? Apparently none. While mammograms are considered an essential tool for early detection, clinics must be licensed to own the necessary equipment and perform the tests. Of the 14 Planned Parenthood abortion clinics in Texas, not a single one has either license or equipment.

Furthermore, while Planned Parenthood claims to provide women's health services other than abortion, the only time patients see an actual doctor is during the abortion procedure. There is no doctor-patient interaction or consultation, and few if any of these 'doctors' even have privileges at nearby hospitals. For the most part the abortion doctors are circuit riders who travel between the 43 licensed Texas abortion clinics performing these essential women's health 'operations,' or more accurately, destroying their unwanted unborn children.

At the end of this week, the Texas House will begin debating the budget bill (HB 1). The bill includes funds for both the Medicaid Women's Health Program and 'family planning' services. Planned Parenthood is slated to receive anywhere from $12-17 million of these women's health dollars (abortion alternatives will receive zero funding,) but abortion makes up 98% of their services. Rather than continue to allow funds to flow to profitable abortion businesses, lawmakers ought to send those funds to facilities that provide a more comprehensive women's health plan, and actually allow a woman to see a doctor.

Proposed Changes to Williamson County SBOE District

2011-03-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Will Lutz has a new post at the Lone Star Report Blog regarding the new maps proposed by House Redistricting Committee Chair Rep. Burt Solomons. For the most part, the proposal retains the status quo, however it does include changes for SBOE District 10, which includes all of Williamson County.

According to Lutz:

District 10 (incumbent Marsha Farney, R-Georgetown): The Solomons map redraws this district as a Central Texas district, and that likely favors the incumbent who is well known in Williamson County. Added to the district are McLennan, Bell, Burnet, and Blanco Counties. Taken out of the district were Fort Bend County and a series of counties between Austin and Houston. The prior incumbent, Cynthia Dunbar, was from Fort Bend County, but she declined to seek re-election in 2010, and the district went back to its initial Central Texas orientation.

As expected, certain Democrats are already gearing up to opposed the map. Rep. Alberto Alonzo (D-Dallas) has called for re-drawing the 15 districts so as to include more "Latino representation." Considering all the new Republican Latinos, I think what he really means is that he wants more liberal Democrat Latino representation.

Redistricting and Williamson County

2011-03-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

State lawmakers have been grappling with the budget and Governor Perry's emergency items so far this year, but soon Spring will turn our fancy to redistricting. The Texas Legislative Council has been busy examining new census data, and there seems to be some very interesting developments for Williamson County.

The ideal size for Texas House districts is 167,637 and both Williamson County districts far exceed that number. District 20, represented by Republican Charles Schwertner, is over by 60,454. District 52, represented by Larry Gonzales, also Republican, is over by 51,708. The combined overages in Williamson County alone are nearly enough for a whole new district. House District 54, which includes parts of Bell, Burnet, and Lampasas counties and represented by Republican Don Aycock, is over the ideal size by 28,815. So if we combine the surplus of all three, we come to a near perfect 169,792.

The likely result is that we will see three districts; one going West to capture the District 54 surplus, one pushing out to the East and including parts of Districts 20 and 52, and one centered in Round Rock. While the final district maps will likely retain districts for both Gonzales and Schwertner, the third Wilco-based district will present some interesting opportunities. I have no doubt that there are potential candidates on both sides of the aisle watching redistricting developments very closely.

Reduced Pay for School District Superintendents

2011-03-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

While many districts are under heavy criticism for giving their already highly-compensated superintendents raises while laying-off teachers, Leander ISD has proposed reducing Super Brett Champion's pay/benefits by $20,000. This is only one of many proposals to cut LISD spending; combined with other proposals, the cuts would come to more than $20 million. Champion has pointed out that this is a "worst-case scenario based on the information we currently have from the state."

As part of the proposed cuts more than 200 employees would lose their jobs; news reports are saying the lost jobs are teachers, but to be accurate many are actually teacher 'support' staff. It really is too bad that so much of precious education dollars went to state-of-the art sports stadiums and the $117 million new High School. Yes, yes, I know, we're not supposed to consider those things; they are completely separate. At the end of the day, however, I think parents and taxpayers would much rather see the teachers funded.

Hopefully some of our surrounding districts will follow suit and reduce astronomical administrative salaries. One measure the Lone Star Foundation has called for in their new report Bridging the Budget Gap, is to prohibit districts from paying superintendents more than the Governor. Round Rock Independent School District Super Jesus Chavez's base salary is $252,875, but with benefits/bonuses he received over $303,000 in 2010. (Not including the illegal bonus from last Fall, which reputedly he will pay back to the district.) Like many superintendents in Texas, he is more highly paid than any governor in the United States.

I guess the question is, "What will Jesus do?"

Community Forum on Leander ISD Finances

2011-03-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

In response to the fiscal challenges facing troubled Leander Independent School District, several local residents and community leaders have organized a special discussion forum. While all of the community meetings/discussions regarding LISD til now have been orchestrated by either the school board or left-leaning pro-tax groups, this forum will approach the issues from a fiscally conservative point of view. The group plans to discuss the Superintendent's budget recommendations and developments in the State Legislature, and Representative Charles Schwertner (R-TX House District 20) will address the group.

The Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, March 23, at 7 pm, at the Northview Community Church (1204 W. Whitestone Blvd.) in Cedar Park. Leander ISD residents are invited to attend.

From Agenda Wise: The Texas Manifestation of Wisconsin

2011-03-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Agenda Wise Reports has a great video up today that was taken at the Save Texas Schools rally in Austin last Saturday. In addition AWR has analyzed the mainstream media coverage of the event, and found it lacking.

Hutto Independent School District Reports

2011-03-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hutto ISD Snapshot0001 Hutto ISD Staff Salary Summary 0001

Hutto ISD Staff Salary Summary 0001

Education Reporting: Obscurity Security?

2011-03-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

As expected, I have thoroughly riled some folks with my reports on education spending. The name-calling is amusing and I'm thinking of starting a new blog called, "Ugly & Mother Dresses Me Funny." Amusement aside, I do want to point out the sources of information I have used to compile these reports.

One important resource is an in-depth report compiled by the non-profit,non-partisan Texas Public Policy Foundation entitled Examining Decades of Growth in K-12 Education: A Close Look at Spending and Achievement Trends. The report was compiled by three education policy analysts and published in June of 2010, so the numbers are very current. There are two-and-half pages of endnotes with resources.

The second source of information is the Texas Education Agency website. Supposedly in an effort to make education spending and results more accountable, the TEA puts reports for each district and school on-line. I'll be the first to admit that there are conflicting numbers for the exact same reporting period in some cases, but supposedly this is where we are supposed to look for transparency on our school districts. How convenient for districts to turn around and refer to statistics taken verbatim from those reports as lies.

Perhaps we should refer to the education system's public reporting system as 'obscurity security.' Make the reports varied and obscure, and keep them slightly out of date. Throw in bizarre accounting measures for finance and test results (eg., The Texas Projection Measure) and presto! No-one will know what's really going on; if anyone starts to figure it out, just call them 'registered nut jobs' and/or liars.

Perhaps we ought to rename the Texas Education Agency "The Office of Circumlocution." Dickens would have loved it.

Six Candidates File For Leander ISD Board-Place 6

2011-03-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Since Trustee Jim Sneeringer is not running for re-election, the Leander ISD Board Place 6 seat has generated quite a bit of interest. It seems there are six official candidates:

Gene Fruge
Aaron Johnson
Clarence Ramsey Brown
James Spires
Nacole Thompson
Kyle Ward

As the Executive Director of the Texas Parent Teacher Association, TXPTA, Kyle Ward recently wrote an Op-Ed claiming that Public Education is on "life support." Like most candidates for school boards, Mr. Ward is a bit vague on specifics, but seems to employ the sky is falling mantra and asserts that cuts in state funding will "jeopardize public education." He does not address any areas of waste in the system. Considering some of the legislative stances of the TXPTA and its affiliation with the left-leaning Texas Association of School Boards, I am not impressed with Mr. Ward's candidacy thus far.

~~Chances for a run-off? I'd say "high."~~

Update: Not sure if Leander ISD qualifies for a run-off. Researching...
Update: Leander ISD does not hold run-offs.

For All The Wrong Reasons

2011-03-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

While it is always good to see more people get involved in the political process, I am sometimes floored by the lack of focus, purpose, and even basic knowledge of some of those who file for office. Apparently yesterday a gentlemen by the name of Matt Stillwell filed for Round Rock Independent School District Board of Trustees, Place 1. In trying to find out more about Mr. Stillwell, I stumbled across his statement on his Facebook page:

I've got two kids in the RR school system, got my teaching certification, pay taxes, I'm invested in this school system, plan on living in it for a long time, want to do my part to make it as good as it can be. Fig...ure I'm more informed than most, and I'm not to far left or right to get in my own way. RRISD has actually done a fairly good job from what I can tell, so it's not like I'm trying to fix it, just contribute. Got a lot to learn though and quickly, not sure how much campaigning I'll need to do. I think it's just me vs. the incumbant for Place 1.

Umm, do you have a plan? A vision for the district? Do you know who the incumbent is? You're not sure how much campaigning you'll need to do? I'm wondering how much Mr. Stillwell has thought about this.

Someone should probably introduce Mr. Stillwell to the incumbent, Brian Sellers. Sellers and I have not always agreed on every issue, but he's a pretty good guy, and could do a lot more to make our district more efficient and more classroom focused if he had more help on the elected board.

As it is, the RRISD board is dominated by Diane Cox, a known Democrat. Happily, Ms. Cox has drawn an opponent too; David Dziadziola. We'll be hearing more about Mr. Dziadziola in the coming weeks, but here's a snapshot: While Diane Cox was the only person from Round Rock willing to appear in lib-Dem Diana Maldonado's television commercials, David Dziadziola was volunteering with the Larry Gonzales campaign. Pretty good indicator of where these folks stand politically.

Update: Primary Voting History indicates Mr. Stillwell prefers the Democrat Party.

School Board Filing Deadline Today

2011-03-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

The filing deadline for local elections will end today, March 14, at 5PM. Election Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, and Early Voting will begin on May 2.

On May 14, there will be numerous elections in Williamson County, and some of the most important will be for our various school boards. In the coming months, I will be researching and writing about these candidates. Hopefully, there will be individuals among them who know how separate educational need from administrative luxury and bloat, and who will work to "Keep the Teachers, Cut the Fat."

By the way, if you want to see just what percent of revenue your school district spends on instruction, check out the Red Apple Project. Leander and Round Rock reports are there this morning, and I would expect to see some of our other districts soon.

Save Our Teachers? Or Something Else?

2011-03-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

Here's one of the first photos I've received from today's Save Our Schools rally...no comment necessary.

Thanks to D. Greer for this photo.

"Keep The Teachers, Cut the Fat"

2011-03-12T06:07:00.000-08:00

While liberal-progressive groups in Texas have been stirring up mass hysteria about budget cuts, more level-headed Texans have been exposing the truth about education spending in our state. The recently launched Protect the Classroom website lists important truths about Texas education spending, and now Americans for Prosperity has launched Red Apple Project to show district-by-district, how much of our 'education' dollars are spent outside the classroom.

AFP has also revealed how the supposedly non-partisan 'Save Texas Schools' group is nothing more than a front group for some very left-leaning folks. Save Texas Schools is holding a rally in Austin today, supposedly to save the children from those eeeevilll Republicans, but the group's ties to arch liberal George Soros are indicative of a much more sophisticated agenda. From yesterday's Americans For Prosperity Release:

"None other than the George Soros crony, Fred Lewis, serves on the steering committee and is co-chair of strategic partnerships for Save Texas Schools. Lewis is the founder of Texans Together Education Fund, which received $80,000 from Soros’ Open Society Institute in 2009. Texans Together spawned the notorious Houston Votes organization that came under fire for submitting thousands of fraudulent voter registration cards in Harris County in 2010.”

“Lewis served as president of the left-wing organization Campaigns for People, which worked to keep large private donations out of campaigns. Brian Donovan was an associate of Lewis’ at Campaigns for People. Donovan, who also worked for the Travis County Democratic Party, is the fundraising co-chair for Save Texas Schools.”

“Clearly the ideologies of these men have been to promote the big-bureaucracy, big spending status quo in which we have one non-teacher for every teacher and fail to focus education spending on the classroom. We believe that throwing more money at a problem does not create solutions. We’ve been increasing the amount of tax dollars going to schools in Texas for decades, only to see a decline in test scores and college-readiness, and an increase in the dropout rate.”

A perusal of the Save Texas Schools website indicates that they believe there is not one iota of waste anywhere in the education budget, and that any perceived deficiencies in public education can be solved by, wait for it.... more money.

It will be interesting to see just how many parents and teachers have been duped by this group, for indeed the education bureaucracy has hostages and they aren't afraid to use them. Hopefully, now that left-leaning media no longer hold a monopoly on the news, more Texans are better informed about education spending. Rather than continue to throw money at anything labeled 'education spending,' we need to listen to retired school teacher Collen Vera's call to "keep the teachers, cut the fat."

Illegal Lobbying by UT-Arlington?

2011-03-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

While crafting laws and creating a budget for Texas, the State Legislature hears from vast numbers of constituents, both funded and unfunded, and this is indeed good for the process. Lawmakers should hear from folks as to how state actions will effect lives. There is an ethical problem, however, when entities use tax dollars for lobby efforts.

Apparently President James D. Spaniolo of the University of Texas at Arlington is using the tax-payer funded resources to lobby against concealed handgun legislation on campus. Certainly Mr. Spaniolo is entitled to his opinion and should share his concerns with State lawmakers. Unfortunately, it seems he put his lobby efforts on the UTA website and sent emails via the UTA Employee and Student listservs. Such actions are not only unethical in a general sense, but may violate Texas laws against political lobby activities paid for by state resources.

Although I disagree with Mr. Spaniolo in this debate (great factual information on the concealed handguns on campus issue here,) I fully support his right to lobby as a private citizen. I take issue, however, with his use of tax-payer funded resources to promote his position. Unfortunately, taxpayer funded lobbying is rampant and for other entities such as school districts and cities it is perfectly legal. Hopefully the law will be enforced in the UTA case; as for the other examples, we have much work to do.

28 Psychologists And Other Fun Facts About Wilco School District Employees

2011-03-09T05:14:00.000-08:00

In light of the recent revelations that only about 52% of Texas' public education employees are teachers, I decided to look at the staff reports for some of our Williamson County School Districts. (These reports are open records, and available at the Texas Education Agency website.) Here are some of the 'fun facts' I learned about district employees.

The Round Rock Independent School District employs a Music Therapist, an Art Therapist, and 28 Psychologists. In addition, they report 93 counselors. For the 47 Schools, the district has 44 Principals and 82 assistant principals. Although the Superintendent is paid $252, 832 annually ($300,669 in 2010 if you include all benefits and bonuses,) he still seems to require five assistant/associate superintendents, each purportedly with a base pay of $137,085. There are 100 "teacher facilitators," and another 24 "teacher supervisors." There are a total of 179 employees in administration, another 555 "paraprofessional staff" and 1,200 auxiliary staff.  I cannot say how essential all these positions are, but considering the staffing, shouldn't teaching positions be the last to be eliminated?

While some of RRISD's staffing might raise a few eyebrows, once again the Leander School District wins the prize for excess. Leander only employs 25 psychologists to Round Rock's 28, but Leander has about 12,000 fewer students. Check out comparisons on some of the other staffing positions:

                                              Round Rock ISD                   Leander ISD

Students, approximate                  43,000                               31,000

Educational Diagnosticians               19                                    22
Occupational Therapists                      9                                    11
Physical Therapists                            3                                      5
Athletic Directors                                  5                                      7
Department Heads                               .25                                44.54

I know some of you will insist that art therapists and such are essential to the well-being of our children, but if there aren't enough funds to pay for everything, the last folks we ought to lay off are our teachers. Furthermore, while the Leander district lacks funds to open two newly constructed schools, they sure do seem to have a lot of administrative/support staff positions.   Just how necessary are they?

Some other districts in Williamson County are significantly smaller and do not have such flashy titles for non-teaching staff, but have issues as well. Percentage of staff that are teachers:

Georgetown ISD: 50%
Hutto ISD: 52%
Taylor ISD: 42%

Now, I am not naive enough to think merely correcting some of these staffing issues will make up for budget cuts. There are many other areas that districts can cut, and I will continue to highlight them over the next few weeks. This is just one fragment of a bigger picture, and folks, that bigger picture is screaming for reform in the way we allocate and spend education funds. To continue to write a blank check to anything labeled 'education spending' is insanity. Maybe we need more psychologists after all.

Sonograms and Red Herrings

2011-03-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we saw the first bill of the 2011 Texas Legislative Session come to the House Floor, and what a spectacle it was. HB 15, authored by Representative Sid Miller, would require abortionists to provide women with sonogram results prior to purchasing an abortion. Many women who have had abortions testified last week in favor of the measure, saying that without the scientific/medical information provided by a sonogram, a woman is not fully informed before choosing an abortion.

Opponents have argued this requirement would increase costs, but the truth is that abortionists routinely perform sonograms before the abortion so that they will know the exact location and size of the fetus (baby with a heartbeat). The difference is that under a sonogram law, the abortionists would have to turn on the sonogram sound, show the woman the images (she can refuse to view them,) and describe the stage of fetal development.

The most ridiculous red herring on the House Floor yesterday was presented by Representative Carol Alvarado (D-Houston). Alvarado brought in a trans-vaginal sonogram probe to wave in front of legislators as an attempt to prove sonograms are inappropriately invasive. Of course the trans-vaginal sonogram is rarely used in pre-natal sonograms, and I wonder how many abortion clinics even have them. Most pregnancies are confirmed through external sonogram devices. (I was able to see my first child at 7 weeks gestation via external sonogram.)

Even if a trans-vaginal sonogram is performed, it is absurd to suggest that the probe is somehow more invasive than the actual abortion. As many proponents of the bill have pointed out, the abortion device itself is far more repulsively invasive. See for yourself here.

The truth is that the abortion lobby does not want women to know what they are aborting. These red herrings are designed to distract us from the facts. Women will still have the right to choose abortion under this proposed law, but unlike the approximately 44 Texas women who will purchase an abortion today, they will have all the information essential to making such a potentially life-changing decision.

Hutto Independent School District: Update

2011-03-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Update: All of the below information came from open records available at the Texas Education Agency website, and may be verified there. Information is from the Hutto ISD's latest reporting schedule, 2009-2010. HISD reports 10 schools in district, but there are actually 8 campuses run exclusively by HISD, 5 of which are elementary schools.

I have not done the same kind of in-depth research on Hutto as for Leander and Round Rock ISDs, but here are just a few notes on the Hutto Independent School District that were included in my letter to the Round Rock Leader Newspaper.

The Hutto Independent School District is small, with just 5,110 students, but has 10 schools, 5 of which are elementary schools.

There are 645 district employees for a 1 to 8 staff to student ratio. Like most districts, only 52% of staff are teachers. The average teacher salary is $45,165; the average central administrator salary is $80,903.

Total district per pupil expenditures are $13,775. (School districts always tout a lower number, but the total includes all costs: pensions, debt service, building and remodeling.)

There are certainly smaller districts, but I wonder how many small districts across the state are contributing to the fact that while California has 1.6 million more students, Texas has 1,225 more schools and 52,090 more public education employees.

The Hutto ISD Board has prudently voted to close one elementary school, Veteran's Hill, which is not at capacity. I am sure this is heart-breaking for the teachers, students, and families associated with the school. However, the district has not grown as expected, the economy is down, and the district will still have 9 schools for its 5,110 students.

To place blame for Hutto ISD's financial problems entirely on the Texas Legislature is dishonest. Education spending in Texas (and the nation for that matter) cries out for reform. The problem is not just funding sources, but the way said funds are allocated. Until we evaluate our districts based on all the facts, we will fail to create viable solutions.

Storm on the Horizon: Leander ISD

2011-02-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

Priorities...

Previously I have focused my research on Round Rock ISD since that is where the bulk of my property tax dollars go, but it seems a major storm is brewing for another Williamson County school district: Leander ISD.

The Leander district has fewer students than Round Rock (30,321 compared to Round Rock's 43,008,) but according to Texas Education Agency reports, the LISD property tax rate is among the highest in the state at $1.4548. Superintendent Brett Champion, enjoys a salary of $194,399, along with other benefits, including a $1,000 per month car allowance and extra paid vacation time (beyond the usual paid breaks in the school year).

Like most Texas districts, teachers make up only 52% of LISD employees, although there are quite a few other non-teacher instructional staff members. Curiously, although 13.4% of students are considered 'Gifted/Talented' and only 4.9% are 'Bilingual/ESL," the district employs 59 Bilingual/ESL teachers, but only 36 Gifted/Talented teachers.

The most disturbing data from LISD's reports, however, are that total district expenditures are a whopping $17,084 per student. Unfortunately for Leander ISD, voters (probably the usual 4-6% that bother to vote in these elections,) have allowed the district to accumulate a shocking $1.2 Billion in bond debt.   (You won't find much of this information at the District's website, and the TEA reports are ridiculously difficult to obtain, but I've tried to make them more available at the above links.)

It seems back in 2007, the LISD School Board got a bit giddy, and even though they had just passed a $286 million bond the previous year, they convinced residents to approve a whopping $559 million bond- the largest ever in Central Texas. The bond was purportedly to construct numerous schools, including a new regional sports stadium with a $22.5 million price tag. A second stadium, A.C. Bible, was completely demolished and re-built for about $12 million. While LISD did open the new state-of-the-art Vandegrift High School last year (for $117.6 million) and the John Gupton Stadium , two additional schools will be completed, but will not actually open. The district does not have funds to hire the appropriate staff, which begs the question, why were sports stadiums a higher priority than supposedly much needed schools?

As if such massive borrowing were not disturbing enough, it seems the district has also made an annual habit of tapping their own rainy day funds to balance the budget. In 2008 they used $4 million, in 2009 $5 million, and in 2010 took $5.9 million out of reserve funds to cover expenses. This, in addition to as much as $8 million in stimulus funds, a one-time bump designed to 'save' jobs. And yet, instead of cutting expenses, the board approved an across the board employee raise of 1.5% in 2009 and a 6% increase for the Superintendent in 2010.

Defenders of LISD are anxious to point out how very, very wonderful their schools are; after all, the district is 'recognized' according to the Texas Education Agency. But the painful truth is that 16 of LISD's 37 schools inflated ratings by applying the TPM, or Texas Projection Measure. The controversial provision allows schools to 'deem' students as passing standardized tests if the school predicts they will pass within the next few years. In other words, students who failed are counted as passing. Furthermore, the district has been criticized in recent years for watering down standards for high school students.

The problems facing Leander Independent School District are a cautionary tale for all of us.  Focus on federal spending and borrowing isn't going to be enough to save our country from insolvency. We simply cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the way local entities, including school districts, are handling finances.  Unfortunately, many residents seem to think, "I entrust my children to them, therefore they must be trustworthy."  Sadly, our school districts have failed to manage finances prudently.

As expected LISD is considering all options, including significant tax increases. What taxpayers and elected officials should be doing however, is demanding accountability and reforms to the way education funds are spent.   If allowed to maintain this dangerous course of tax-borrow-and-spend without real accountability, our education industry will slowly crush local economies and saddle our children with impossible debt.

Update: LISD is holding two community meetings: one tonight, February 28, at 6:15 at Vista Ridge High School, and one tomorrow, March 1, at 6:15 at Vandegrift High School.

Update: Leander ISD's 2010 tax rate is $1.4548. (Thanks Matt!)

Millions in Stimulus Funds for Williamson County School Districts

2011-02-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

Today Dustin Matocha pointed out that billions of dollars in stimulus funds were made available to Texas schools for the express purpose of giving school districts "the resources to avert cuts and retain teachers." The funds were part of the 2009 stimulus bill, and districts had to apply by August of 2010 to receive money for the 2011 fiscal year.

Dustin has discussed a few of the largest districts in the state, but here is a list of Williamson County districts and the amounts available to them according the Texas Education Agency.

Georgetown: $2,799,487
Hutto: $1,698,706
Leander: $8,237,018
Round Rock: $11,447,966
Taylor: $1,511,796

While I am sure the districts are very happy to have these extra funds, it is important to remember that these are one-time disbursements. Unfortunately, it seems districts quickly become addicted to these extra funds and expect continued bailouts without scrutiny of the way they spend precious education dollars overall. A better approach would be to encourage school districts to reform spending with a focus on educating children.

The Sacred Cattle Are Lowing: State Medicaid

2011-02-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the analysts at the Texas Public Policy Foundation released findings and recommendations regarding the crisis in State Medicaid Spending. As expected, the liberal-progressive herd began denouncing the proposals as 'cold-hearted, mean, eeevil' attempts to trod upon the poor. However, even without the implementation of Obamacare, the State Medicaid program has been growing far beyond a program for 'the poor,' and without reforms is on course to devastate the Texas economy.

The TPPF analysis found that the federal program forces Texas to spend about 28% of the state budget on Medicaid, but that figure will rise to 46% in 2014. Program costs are increasing at a rate of about 9% each year, but federal funds for our state have decreased significantly- by about $1.25 billion for the 2012-2013 budget cycle. Under Obamacare, state Medicaid costs will increase by 177%; If Texas is to survive, we must look for reforms and alternatives to Medicaid.

Lawmakers are looking at a proposal to transition the state from inefficient and costly Medicaid to a new TexHealth program that would provide better health care for the poor at a lower cost to taxpayers. Using free-market principles, the plan would create an interstate compact and health insurance exchange; a measure fiscal Conservatives have long advocated as a means to lowering costs. Unlike Medicaid, Texhealth would not permit Texans outside of poverty definitions to manipulate and hide personal assets as a means to qualify for full tax-payer funded health benefits.

Particularly distasteful to Liberal-Progressives is the proposal to make the state contribution to coverage subject to participant income. Under the current system Medicaid pays in full for all of the participants' health-related expenses and co-pays for care are not permitted; TexHealth would require some participants to contribute to their own health costs on a sliding scale according to income. In so doing, only the truly poor would receive a 100% subsidy, other participants would contribute to costs, and even middle class families could participate in the cost-lowering exchanges.

With or without Obamacare, state Medicaid spending is growing at an unsustainable rate, and does not allow sufficient cost-saving measures. Lawmakers have an opportunity this session to reform our healthcare spending to improve options for both poor and middle class families, and in a way that will insure the long-term fiscal health of the program and Texas in general. Despite the bovine rhetoric, when it comes to entitlement programs, Liberal-Progressives hate 'change,' unless it involves expansion and increased spending. If we are to survive, we must reform healthcare spending. It is the truly compassionate thing to do.

Protect A Woman's Right to Know

2011-02-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

Last week the Texas Senate passed a measure amending the Informed Consent law to require abortion providers to make sonogram results available to pregnant women. The bill provides exceptions for special cases and medical emergencies, and is Constitutionally sound. This week, the State Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on both HB 201, a companion bill to the Senate version, as well as HB 16, which proposes a new law regarding sonograms, along with new prescribed penalties for violators.

Both House proposals would help make sure women have all the information necessary before making such a monumental, life-changing decision, and with a Republican majority in the House we shouldn't have any trouble passing one of these bills. I am somewhat concerned, however, with one of the compromises made in the Senate version regarding doctor-patient interaction.

According to the Senate version, the sonogram information, as well as any other consultation need only take place 2 hours prior to the abortion, and then not necessarily with the doctor. As recent defectors from the industry have testified, loopholes in the current informed consent law allow abortion doctors to bypass contact with patients almost entirely. As a result, the patients never meet with the doctor until they are under sedation in the 'operating' room, and any purported doctor-patient relationship is non-existent.

With any other medical procedure, doctors are required to make sure patients are fully informed, and said patients must sign multiple documents indicating they have read and understood the process. Due to the political radioactivity of abortion however, women are routinely deprived of scientific, medical information that could radically change their perspective. Claiming to care about 'women's health issues' while denying women their rights as patients is a tragic hypocrisy, and it is time to make sure women have all the facts.

Education Spending: Texas vs. California

2011-02-16T06:51:00.000-08:00

We Texans love to compare ourselves with California; we have created more private sector jobs, have a lower tax burden and lower unemployment rate, and folks are leaving the formerly 'Golden' State in droves to seek Lone Star prosperity. Without a doubt, there is much to cheer. There is one area, however, where indeed Texas is bigger, but it is nothing to celebrate.

Both states love to tout their per pupil spending, and on the surface Texas looks pretty good at $6,746 to California's $7,511. As I've pointed out previously, these per pupil statistics do not include the cost of pensions, debt service, or building/construction costs, and are seriously deceptive. When all expenditures are included Texas per pupil spending rises to $11,024, and California's to $11,800.

Not too bad, right?

Unfortunately, a comparison of certain other aspects of education spending in the two states paints a whole new picture. As it turns out Texas has more public school employees than any state in the nation. California has 1.6 million more students than Texas, but has 1,225 fewer schools, and a jaw-dropping 52,090 fewer total education personnel. While we would hope that most of our public school employees would consist of those folks who actually teach, only 51% of Texas public education employees are teachers.

In the face of potential budget cuts, Texas education bureaucrats are demanding more spending rather than cuts. However, as Governor Perry pointed out in his State of the State address last week, State spending on education has increased 82% over the last decade. Even more astounding is the fact that total Texas public school expenditures have increased 335% since 1987. While we would hope that such vast increases in spending would improve student performance, an examination of the NAEP (National Assessment for Educational Progress) results reveal that Texas student test scores have remained stagnant or have actually decreased during this period.

Many Texas school districts are claiming they will have to close schools due to budget cuts, and yes, some probably will. However, many of these districts, and the state education industry as a whole, have not applied their respective budgets appropriately. Cutting amounts of state spending on education will force closer examination of how those 'education' dollars are spent. In so doing, we need to remember that our public education system does not exist to provide jobs and pensions for all comers, but was established to provide educational opportunities to all children. Texas has done a great job of applying small but smart government standards to other areas, and this has led to our economic strength. Now it's time to get serious about education spending too.

RRISD 'Budget Reduction' Community Meeting Feb. 15

2011-02-11T06:03:00.000-08:00

The Round Rock Independent School District will be holding a Budget Reduction community meeting on February 15, 6:30 pm, at the Round Rock High School cafeteria. (map)

The amount of expected cuts in the State's contribution to the ISD range rather widely; anywhere from $17 million on up, with Superintendent Jesus Chavez claiming it could be $73 million. RRISD will have to enact cuts to their $336 million budget.

Over the past few weeks we've learned:
-The ISD has $198 million in its own rainy day fund.
-The ISD has an additional $92 million in the debt reserve fund.
-Total district expenditures per student is $11,420. (TEA AEIS Reports)
-RRISD is heavy on administration and administrator salaries:

Of the 5,423 Employees:
-179 are administrative staff members
-555 are 'paraprofessional' staff members
-1,200 are 'auxiliary' staff members
-53.8% of the total staff are teachers

-The average salary at Central Administration is $88,794.
-The Superintendent's salary is $252, 875 (plus generous benefits, although reportedly the superintendent is repaying the illegal bonus he received in 2010 ).
-There are 4 Assistant/Associate/Deputy Superintendents, adding $548,338 to the budget.

While it is never pleasant to cut budgets, this is a very good opportunity for parents and taxpayers to closely examine the way the district is spending education dollars, and make suggestions for change. The non-profit, non-partisan Texas Public Policy Foundation has some in-depth analysis and suggestions here.

Surely it is possible to educate children for less than $11,420 each.

RRISD Gave Superintendent Improper Bonus

2011-02-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

KXAN Investigates has a great story tonight on School District Superintendent salaries. Some of the district stories are pretty shocking; for example, despite learning of the budget shortfall, Bastrop ISD gave Superintendent Steve Murray an immediate $20,000 raise, and approved another $10,000 to be paid in March.

In Williamson County, the Leander ISD Superintendent's contract guarantees an annual 6% raise, and, along with Round Rock's Super Super, he gets extra weeks of paid vaction time. However, RRISD superintendent Jesus Chavez may accrue unused vacation time to cash out a later time, presumably at a higher salary.

Also, RRISD pays an extra $6,000 per year for premiums on his private life insurance policy, but here's the real scandal:

And in Round Rock ISD, superintendent Jesus Chavez’s contract allows the Board of Trustees to award him no more than $10,000 for reaching certain performance levels.

However, last September, the board awarded him an extra $5,000 as a one-time bonus. In addition, Chavez was also awarded a $6,750 bonus in the form of an annuity.

After a call from KXAN, the district responded that he wasn't supposed to get that $5,000 bonus, and that he's paying it back to the district with interest - and then the district thanked KXAN for bringing it to their attention.

Dude. And we wonder why the district is spending over 11,000 for each student.

And hey, look whose signature is on the contract...

RoundRockISD2010SuptContract

Governor Perry: No Sacred Cows

2011-02-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

In today's State of the State Address, Governor Rick Perry told Texans “The state of the State is strong.” Perry noted that Texas added more jobs in 2010 than any other state, has six of the nation's 20 strongest metro areas, and that sales tax revenues have grown for 10 consecutive months. However, he pointed out that while our unemployment rate at 7.9% is lower than the national average, there are still many Texas families who need jobs, and we need to take steps to maintain our competitive edge.

Among the Governor's proposals were calls to continue to remove “senseless obstacles to economic growth,” and to maintain a predictable regulatory environment. In reference to recent disputes with President Obama and the EPA, Perry pointed out that under Texas' Flexible Permitting Program, the state reduced ozone levels by 27% and Nox levels by 53%, and still created more private sector jobs than any other large state in the nation.

One especially controversial area Governor Perry addressed, is that of the State's $9 million 'rainy day fund'. While there are many voices calling for using those funds to offset revenue shortfalls, the Governor says that using the account to pay for “recurring expenses” is a bad idea. “That approach would not only postpone tough, necessary decisions, but also leave us ill-equipped to handle bigger emergencies in the future.” I think I am inclined to agree with the Texas Senate that some rainy day funds should be used to pay for the deficit in the current biennium, but the 2012-13 budget should not rely on rainy day funds in any way.

Lefty pundits on the Twitter feed immediately began referring to potential school closings as a qualified emergency, but I think they have missed the point. Keeping a school open is a recurring expense, and it would be better for the state AND the school districts to re-work budgets with more efficient spending. While our school districts are bragging about low per-pupil operating expenditures, the truth is that Texas actually spends over $11,000 per student on 'education.' Furthermore, there is nearly one non-teaching staff member for every teaching staff member across the state. I'm sure the left-of-center crowd will scream (or moo?) about layoffs, but the purpose of our education system should be to educate children, not to provide more jobs.

Along those lines, Perry also called out Congressman Lloyd Doggett for his infamous Doggett Amendment, an attachment to last year's so-called 'Education Jobs Bill' that withholds from Texas $830 million in federal education funding unless the Governor somehow manages to circumvent the state constitution and the legislature to fund education at unsustainable levels. The truth is that the state has increase education funding by 82% over the last decade, but districts continue to outspend revenue with dangerous levels of borrowing.

As Governor Perry stated, "there should be no sacred cows in this business." He has led the way by cutting his own portion of the state budget by $34.6 million, and is supporting consolidation of agencies at the state level. Funding education is, and will continue to be a priority for the state, however, a blank check to anything labeled 'education spending' is neither sustainable nor desirable. Bureaucrats in education must also tighten the belt and make sure resources are spent wisely and appropriately.

State of The State

2011-02-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

Governor Rick Perry will deliver his State of the State Address to a joint session of the House and Senate today at 11:00am, and a live webcast is available here.

While lots of our liberal-progressive friends are trying to say Texas is just as bad as California, the truth is that while we too are feeling the effects of the national recession, Texas remains an economic stand-out in the nation. Unemployment in Texas is 7.9%, while the national average is 9.8. California, on the other hand, is bearing an unemployment rate of over 12%. As far as the state budget goes, while revenue projections are down due to a struggling economy, Texas lawmakers are planning a budget that only spends what we have, and no more. Crazy, right?

The real problem for Texas isn't so much with the state government, but with local governments who are borrowing and spending at dangerous levels. Our school districts are spending over $11,000 per student on average, and local bond debt service amounts are staggering. Unfunded mandates from the state play a small role, but many local governments, especially education bureaucrats, really do want the mandates (e.g. classroom size limits,) they just want the state to pay for them via increased taxes. It really is time for everyone to tighten the belt.

Video chat rooms at Ustream

Some Inconvenient Truths About Per-Pupil Expenditures At Round Rock ISD

2011-02-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

Many Texas School Districts are claiming they will have to lay off teachers and increase classroom-size in the face of budget cuts from the state. A closer scrutiny of some of these districts however, reveals that there are areas other than teaching staff that would be logical to cut. The Round Rock District has an astounding $200 million in its rainy day fund that would more than cover state cuts, and examination of district expenses reveal that there are many other opportunities for savings.

One area that seems especially prime is non-teaching staff salaries. According to policy analysts, growth in administrator and support staff salaries has far outpaced that for teachers. In the Round Rock district, first-year teacher salaries stand at about $42k, but average central administration salary is more than twice that: $88,794. Ten of those central administration employees make well over $120,000, but of course the most eye-popping salary goes to the Superintendent at $252,875.

In contrast with most RRISD employees, Superintendent Jesus Chavez has enjoyed annual raises for a total 23.5% in increases since his original hire contract in 2006. (This while private sector wages have been steadily decreasing, and unemployment has roared to 10%.) Teacher salaries, on the other hand have grown at a much slower rate with increases of 1-4% each year. Not only does Dr. Chavez enjoy a hefty annual salary, but also receives many other benefits, including bonus pay of up to $10,000 a year, an annual contribution of $10,000 to his retirement account, and a $5,800 expense account for which he does not have to submit receipts. (Thanks to former ISD Board President Diana Maldonado.)

Taxpayers also pay for Superintendent Chavez' membership in various professional 'associations.' One of those 'associations' is the Texas Association of School Administrators, where Chavez is a member of the Legislative Committee. The TASA legislative priorities are very much in line with left-of-center education policies in demanding more funding with little or no reform. For example, TASA is asking the State to build automatic increases into the education budget, to give districts the power to raise property taxes without voter approval, and opposes caps on the amount of tax that can be levied on property. Furthermore, the group opposes any financial assistance for families who cannot use their assigned public school, since that might take funds away from the district. (In other words, if parents cannot afford to seek alternatives for special needs education, too bad.)

While the Round Rock Independent School District likes to advertise that their operating expenditures per student is only $7,505, if we include all costs for the district, (such as debt service, teacher pensions, and building and remodeling,) the total expenditure per student is $11,196. (State average is $11,024). Furthermore, when we calculate per classroom spending (multiplying per pupil spending by average classroom size) claims that Texas schools are spending 65% on classroom instruction crumble. (for example, teacher salaries are only 18-20% of classroom spending.)

RRISD receives 17% of its revenue from the state, and is properly preparing for cuts. However, claiming that the only way to survive is to eliminate teaching positions is disingenuous at best, and there are many non-teaching expenses that may be cut. Perhaps a good starting point for RRISD would be to stop funding membership in left-leaning 'associations,' cut the superintendent's salary back to the rate on his original contract, and cut all administrator salaries by 20%. I realize this would pose quite a hardship on poor Dr. Chavez, but we in the private sector have been making those adjustments for several years now, and I assure him, it can be done. After all, no state governor in the U.S. makes anywhere near Dr. Chavez' salary, and they all seem to do just fine.

The districts' response to such suggestions have been a snippy statement that it wouldn't be enough to make up the cuts. No, but it is a start, and as the adage goes, you eat an elephant 'one bite at a time.'

Did Round Rock ISD Overcharge Taxpayers by $31 Million?

2011-01-31T07:45:00.000-08:00

While RRISD Superintendent Jesus Chavez was drumming up hysteria over teacher layoffs should the state dare to cut the education budget, he revealed something rather surprising: his ISD has a Rainy Day Fund of nearly $200 million, $35 million of which is immediately available. (Since the original interview on KVUE, Dr. Chavez has revised the 'immediately available' figure down to $31 million.) The 'fluidity' of all these numbers prompted me to do some investigating into these mysterious funds.

According to documents available on the RRISD website, the 'Rainy Day Fund' (unreserved balance fund,) is set up to cover the cost of operating the district for 2 full months, (about $57.9 million), and to cover any possible delays in revenue collection (another $117.6 million!). According to what ISD claims it needs to hold, this totals $169.5 million.* Since there is actually $198,000,798 in the RDF, $31.5 million more in than what they think they need for a 'rainy day,' that is what Superintendent Chavez considers 'available.'

While it does seem wise to have some reserve funds, the ISD formula leading to $169 million seems overly generous. Between 2003 and 2007, the reserve fund grew from $68.6 million to $115 million, but seems to have made a huge jump since then. Even if the district can justify amassing such an astronomical amount, one would assume the fund was established to be spent at some point. Furthermore, if we accept the premise that the district needs to sit on $169 million, why are they collecting $31.5 million more than 'needed'? Since the Round Rock ISD property tax rate, at $1.38, is significantly higher than the state average of $1.22, perhaps we the taxpayers are being drastically over-charged.

In investigating the RRISD finances, I found some other disturbing trends. The current bond debt stands at $739,213,931, (including an increase of over $53 million dollars between June 2009 and June 2010). Interest on district bond debts is $44 million for 2011, but will climb to a whopping $108 million in 2016. (In the meantime, the ISD has another $91.3 million in a debt service fund reserve.) Perhaps part of the justification for such hefty reserves is that, like many other government entities, the ISD has a looming debt crisis of its own.
I suspect that much of the scaremongering by our school districts is an attempt to direct attention toward the state budget and away from any scrutiny of district spending and borrowing. Ironically, these districts are demanding use of the State's Rainy Day Fund, but seem completely unwilling to make any cuts or tap into their own, sometimes extensive, backup funds. It is disingenuous (and frankly disgusting) for these districts to use children and teachers as 'hostages' when there are other ways to manage the economic recession. Parents and taxpayers should not be deceived, but should demand an accurate picture of the ISD finances.

*RRISD Annual Financial Report, pg. 69

RRISD Needs a Coming to Jesus Moment

2011-01-26T14:51:00.000-08:00

While Texas remains on top as the strongest economy nationwide, the state is feeling the effects of the recession. The Comptroller's forecast indicates tax revenue will drop significantly in the next biennium, and most Republican state lawmakers are planning budget cuts rather than tax increases, saying there are "no sacred cows."

Well, the cattle are lowing. Some of the loudest howls of protest are coming from the public education sector, our own Round Rock ISD superintendent Jesus Chavez among them. Chavez is claiming that the cuts to the district may total as much as $73 million, and the only thing they can possibly do is lay off teachers.

Right.

Okay, first of all, no-one is really sure where Jesus Chavez is getting this $73 million figure; even if the 'starting point' budget proposal unveiled last week became the final budget, (it won't) the cut to RRISD would be approximately $46 million. Now, to be sure, that is a lot of money. However, in a KVUE interview last night, Jesus said RRISD has its own rainy day fund of $200 million.

What?

So, Jesus Chavez claims that if the State cuts his budget he'll have to lay off teachers, but he has $200 MILLION in a RAINY DAY FUND? I don't know what kind of new math they're teaching in Round Rock Schools, but it looks to me like $200 MILLION is about $154 MILLION MORE THAN $46 MILLION.

It is very troubling that the ISD and Dr. Chavez are demanding use of the State's Rainy Day Fund, and claiming that cuts will force them to lay-off teachers, (because, apparently, there is not one ounce of waste anywhere else in the ISD budget). Furthermore, Dr. Chavez and Board of Trustee Member Diane Cox, (running for re-election in 2011) are among those lobbying the legislature for the right to raise property taxes without voter approval. All the while, they are sitting on $200 million.

This leads us to ask, what kind of game are these folks playing? Isn't it time that they stop using scare tactics and started taking the economic recession seriously? How about the district does what most American families are having to do, cut any and all waste out of the budget at every level. And for goodness' sake, tap into that rainy day fund. It's raining.

Uncommon Sense

2011-01-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

Uncommon Sense: A Common Citizen's Guide to Rebuilding America

While my plans to attend the annual pro-life rally Saturday were thwarted by a hopelessly sprained ankle, my temporary immobility was much cheered when I picked up a copy of Uncommon Sense: A Common Citizen's Guide to Rebuilding America. A friend had been nagging me to read the book for several weeks, but my list of 'MUST READ BOOKS' had become so overwhelming that I decided the list should be ignored in favor of randomness. That day, however, all of the other 'MUST READ' books were upstairs, while I, my ankle, and Uncommon Sense remained down.

Although fascinated by politics, I confess that most current events/political affairs books bore me. Whether left-wing or right, they tend to be redundant and simplistic, and written as one long, horrific SHOUT at the reader. I expected this book to more or less another angry Tea Party rant. Now don't get me wrong, I am a believer in the Tea Party movement and have spoken at Tea Party events. It's just that the books are so very dreadful. However, I found Uncommon Sense to be delightfully, er, uncommon.

While author Stephen D. Palmer does reflect Tea Party values such as limited government, he rejects the idea that our current crisis is of a purely political nature, requiring purely political solutions. Rather, he peels back the layers of modern American culture to get to the core causes of an over-reaching yet ineffective government and decaying society. In so doing, Palmer reveals that the problem isn't those guys in Washington, it's us: We the People.

According to Palmer, We the People have become Those Who Have Forgotten. Through a neglect of the classics and truly liberal education, we have forgotten who we are and how we got here. Even among those newly enamored of our Constitution, few have actually read it, and even less have studied it. Palmer states that education should not be merely job or technical training about what or when to think, but “it is grappling with the core issues of our existence...which teaches you how to think.” Like his mentor Oliver DeMille (A Thomas Jefferson Education,) one of the solutions Palmer advocates is a liberal education with an emphasis on reading the classics, so that we can draw from “history, literature, poetry, economics and political science to find innovative solutions to new problems.”

A reworking of education is only one aspect of Palmer's solution. At the core, he is advocating that change begins with each one of us on an individual basis. We are merely noisy hypocrites if we complain about the federal budget deficit and national debt, but incur massive credit card debt in support of conspicuous consumption within our home economies. The blame for our problems falls on those of us who complain about taxes while accepting government benefits, complain about immorality amongst our leaders while viewing pornography in private, and complain about illegal immigration while violating the rule of law ourselves on a daily basis. Most of all, we can blame “the millions of common citizens who aren't educated enough to elect virtuous, courageous, and wise leaders. “

In an especially compelling chapter, Palmer argues that there are three areas into which you can put your 'faith:' government, corporations, or God. I have long thought that those who are willing to surrender liberty and capital to government are worshiping at the altar of a false god; one that can never live up to their expectations. Palmer confirms the fallibility of government, (and in a delightful metaphor compares it to a snake,) but also warns against trusting the 'corporate Daddy' as an equally dangerous venture, especially when our economic system is not truly equal, but one that favors select businesses over all others. If our faith is placed in the one and only reliable entity, we can order our government and business in a way that allows us the freedom to live out the role of good citizens.

In the twenty-one essays that comprise Uncommon Sense, Stephen Palmer presents a highly thoughtful perspective on the current state of affairs, and touches on topics ranging from abortion to economics. He employs frequent use of analogy to make his point, and although his analysis is inherently cerebral he effectively translates difficult concepts into easily understandable terms for the layperson. Not content to merely complain about the status quo, Palmer urges us to educate ourselves and, with our faith appropriately placed in God, engage in our community. But in the final chapter/essay, he leaves us with this warning: “Debating political philosophy is far less important than cherishing and serving all people as children of God.” Ultimately, the solution lies neither in government nor debate about government, but in our voluntarily living the role of proper citizens. Uncommon, but good sense.

Breaking News: Judge Dismisses Wilco Attorney's Lawsuit

2011-01-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

Just in: Apparently Bell County Judge Rick Morris has dismissed Williamson County Attorney Jana Duty's lawsuit demanding removal of County Judge Dan Gattis. Austin American-Statesman story here.

Republicans Get Serious

2011-01-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

Among the Texas Public Policy Foundation's legislative agenda items for this year is a call to "Eliminate programs and agencies that are outside the Constitutional vision of limited government." The TPPF statement is reflective of the mood of American voters who are demanding cuts to government spending and reduction of the national debt. Happily, it seems elected Republicans are heeding the call and taking action accordingly, and some of the programs they want to cut aren't just outside of the Constitutional vision, they're just plain crazy.

At the Federal level, House Republicans are now taking up the Spending Reduction Act of 2011, which calls for $2.5 trillion in spending cuts over ten years. In addition to holding non-security spending to 2008 levels in 2011 and to 2006 levels thereafter, the proposal includes over 100 other cuts, many to programs that fall outside the role of limited government.

Take a look at some of the cuts: Cutting PBS (government television) would save $445 million annually, and elimination of the Amtrak subsidies would save a whopping $1.565 billion annually. Other proposals include the elimination of "duplicative education programs" for a savings of $1.3 billion annually, and, get this, requiring collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees for a savings of $1 billion. (Self, don't us non-gubmit folks go to jail for tax evasion?)

No doubt the Liberal-Progressives will scream that these cuts will eliminate jobs, (yesterday State Rep. Donna Howard was already wailing about that on the state level), but these are government jobs that contribute little to the economy and often end up as employment entitlements that long outlive their original purpose.

Texas lawmakers are also taking a scalpel to spending, and state Republicans from the top down are promising to balance the budget without raising taxes. The first draft, released this week, starts off with $31.1 billion in cuts, and while the first draft is never fully adopted, it is a very good starting point for limiting government.

Now the question is, will local government entities do the same? Most of our federal and state lawmakers have gotten the message that voters want government to do what every American family has to do: cut spending in the face of decreased revenue. Local governments, county, city, MUDs and school districts should stop trying to squeeze more money out of the taxpayers, and start looking for their own ways to cut the budget. Voters are better informed than ever before, and you better believe they are watching.

Dr. King and His Enemies

2011-01-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

As the nation pauses to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we should also mourn the success of one of the most powerful enemies of black Americans. King taught that our nation was built on the "promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and to a great extent he helped attain those goals for all minorities. However, our still predominantly pro-abortion culture continues to exact a heavy price on black America.

The nation's most ardent and profitable purveyor of abortion, Planned Parenthood, continues to assault the black population.  It was founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger, who considered blacks "unfit" members of society. Sanger and early managers of Planned Parenthood specifically targeted blacks in their birth control and abortion efforts, with the goal being that "minority groups who constantly outbreed the majority will no longer persist in doing so..." Former president of Planned Parenthood Alan Guttmacher worked to encourage outside groups to speak out as a means of 'mainstreaming' birth control and abortion, especially amongst the African-American community.

Sanger's vision is alive and well today. Sadly, the overwhelming majority of abortions are perpetrated on black babies. According to the Guttmacher Institute, (the research arm of Planned Parenthood, and yes, named after the above-mentioned eugenicist,) while blacks make up about 12% of the population, they account for about 1/3 of all abortions. In fact, since the full legalization of abortion in 1973, it is estimated that approximately 30 % of the black population has been eliminated via abortion.

The abortion legacy, however, is not the whole story of Sanger's assault on minorities. Sanger was not only a proponent of abortion and birth control, but was hostile to traditional sexual morality and marriage. She advocated libertine sexual attitudes, which not only increases the demand for abortions, but also breaks down the family unit. As many notable black Americans have pointed out, one of the root causes of poverty and violence in their culture, is the absence of a father and stable family unit in African-American homes.

Dr. King's niece Dr. Alveda King has been working to remind America that her uncle was a social Conservative who opposed abortion and favored abstinence before marriage.  In recognition of the terrible consequences of abortion on black Americans, Alveda has written extensively and traveled the nation urging blacks to rethink their tolerance of the assault on their people via abortion.

Ironically, our celebration of Dr. King, falls only days before the 38th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, which opened the gates for America to develop the most liberal abortion laws in the world.

This Saturday, January 22, thousands of Texans will gather in Austin to march and rally in protest of the slaughter of some 3,700 babies each day. Participants will meet at the southeast corner of 17th Street and Congress at 1 pm, and march to the capitol for the Rally For Life at 2 pm. Following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s example, we will gather to peacefully demonstrate and work to end a terrible injustice.  All are welcome.

I think Dr. King would approve.

Good News: More Elections Coming

2011-01-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

Now that the noise from the partisan elections has died down, we are gearing up for a whole new set of campaigns this Spring. There will be numerous municipal and school board elections in May, and candidates are already in preparation. Late last year Craig Morgan announced his candidacy for Round Rock City Council Place 5 (Councilman Rufus Honeycutt is not seeking re-election,) and today Cedar Park Councilman Tony Dale announced his re-election bid.

Although these races are 'technically non-partisan,' both Morgan and Dale are known Republicans. Morgan has volunteered in GOP campaigns for years, and has served on the city's Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Dale was appointed to the Cedar Park Council in 2009, was unopposed in his special election in 2010, and now must run for a full term in 2011. During his tenure, Dale has tackled city issues with a commitment to balancing the budget and keeping taxes low while still providing core services.

Less encouraging for area residents was the announcement that Diane Cox would seek a third term on the Round Rock ISD School Board. A staunch Democrat, Cox was a die-hard supporter of former Representative Diana Maldonado, and appeared in her television commercial in 2010. Allegedly, Maldonado will serve as Cox's campaign manager.

The filing period for these races begins February 1, and ends on March 1, so we do not yet know who the candidates will be. However, rumors are swirling about the RRISD race, since many parents and residents have expressed deep dissatisfaction with Diane Cox and her approach to the Board. I predict there will be a strong challenger and Cox could very well be unseated this year. If so, hopefully she will not follow her purported campaign manager's example in giving one of the most classless concession speeches of 2010.