Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

On the evening of Wednesday, June 23rd, Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, was monitoring events on Capitol Hill from his office, which overlooks the ice-skating rink at Rockefeller Center. Volcker, who is eighty-two years old, works at a polished granite desk covered with correspondence, books, and financial reports. Apart from a slight loss of hearing, he is in robust health, and when he rises to greet guests he towers above them. His height (six feet eight inches) is initially intimidating, but that impression is soon mitigated by his wry manner. For a year and a half, Volcker, who serves as an economic adviser to President Barack Obama, had been waging a campaign to curb greed and speculation on Wall Street. This effort was reaching a climax, as the Senate and the House of Representatives worked to reconcile the lengthy financial-reform bills that each had passed.

Below you will find a letter to Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst regarding the recent proposals to swap the property tax and dramatically increase the sales tax:

In America today, the real test of leadership is whether things get done. When people measure public servants, the basic question is the one that Ronald Reagan posed when running against Jimmy Carter—“whether tomorrow will be better than today”.

“Live Strong, Really Care, Let Live”

“Right now, in all Texas, El Paso is the best place to be. One reason is this—each day, we live strong, really care and let live.” Just what does that mean?

Let’s take look at some Texas history. In the 1940’s and 50’s, Texas was the last large Southern state. Across the South, Governors like Ross Barnett blocked black students access to the University of Mississippi, and here in Texas, Governor Shivers ordered Texas Rangers to prevent black students from entering high school. Jim Crow laws systematically discriminated based on race. Here in El Paso, Hispanics were forced to drink from public water fountains that said ‘colored only’.

"Al Armendariz is a polished professional. He knows environmental issues well. He is also committed to upholding federal law. Every Texan can look forward to his great work at EPA."