Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

"Worth The Fight"

How do we get out of Grover’s Tub? Now that we know how we got in—the critical question is how do we get out?

Once, good government meant just that. Government worked for people, where dedicated professionals delivered valuable services for valuable tax dollars.

Government by and for people has been an American value ever since 1776. Abraham Lincoln embraced it as a cornerstone of the America’s democracy in his address at the battlefield in Gettysburg.  He framed the Civil War as a fight to guarantee "government of the people, by the people and for the people."

Right up through Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, a solid majority of Americans believed that government was a force for good.  As Thomas Jefferson once stated, "The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government."

From free public schools, to Social Security; from CHIP to the GI Plan, Americans have long believed that government serves them—and that with hard work and a good education, every American might succeed.  Then came Ronald Reagan.

After his conversion from a Roosevelt Democrat to Goldwater Republican, Ronald Reagan ran against government. "Government," he said, "does not solve problems; it subsidizes them."  More recently, George W. Bush, Karl Rove and his college Republican friend Grover Norquist put Reagan’s ideas on steroids. Together, they made tax cuts the only real domestic policy of George Bush's administration.

And in Texas, where Bush, Rove, Cheney and Perry have made our great state the living laboratory of the radical right—tax cuts are now king, and the consequences of government by Grover are now very clear.

"In 2007, Rick Perry appointed some of his staunchest supporters to travel the state to tell us how to make Texas more competitive. Chaired by Woody Hunt, with Dr. John Baldwin, President of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Texas Tech University System, and businessman Bernie Francis, chair of the Texas State University System Board of Regents, as members, the Governor’s Commission on Competitiveness in the 21^st Century held hearings from Austin to Lubbock and recently issued their Report.

Here are the findings of Perry’s Commission:

Texas is not globally competitive. The state faces a downward spiral in both quality of life and economic competitiveness if it fails to educate more of its growing population (both youth and adults) to higher levels of attainment, knowledge and skills. The rate at which educational capital is currently being developed is woefully inadequate. Texas also needs an innovation-based economy in all the state’s regions that can fully employ a more capable workforce. It must generate more external research funding, and commercialize ideas and intellectual property at a volume substantially greater than currently taking place.

Is this the Texas we want for our children? Isn’t it time to put Texas back on track?

What do we do?  First, let’s honor the values that made America great. Let’s restore to our democracy the central idea of government of, by and for people. Government is not the enemy—it is us. And those who seek to starve government are starving us.

Second, honor those who serve. Teachers, soldiers, health workers—are all working for us. Each deserves honest pay for honest wages, and respect for the work that keeps democracy alive.

Third—engage today in making democracy better. When politicians run on a ‘no new taxes’ pledge, ask the hard questions—how will you pay for better schools, and recruit qualified teachers? Good schools are an investment in better jobs. Quality teachers are who will teach our children how to compete. Write a letter to the editor—explain why educating more kids makes much more sense than one more tax cut.

Finally—go vote. After a quarter century of government by Grover, too few have faith that together we can make a difference. When you cast a ballot, your simple act sends a ripple of hope all across Texas. That decision and that choice is an investment in a better tomorrow. When you vote—we win

Let’s all remember this---our children and our future are worth the fight!