Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

Since 1836, Texas has stood as an icon of the American dream.

From humble beginnings, we built a state with the firm belief that every Texan might rise as high and as far as their spirit, hard work, and talent might carry them.  For many Texans today, however, the American dream is distant.

On Wednesday, January 31, we released a report called Texas on the Brink: How Texas Ranks Among the 50 States.  Leadership means dealing with the facts today to inspire all of us to make a difference tomorrow.  Texas on the Brink shows the hard facts about where Texas is today.

With a $14.3 billion surplus in the Texas Legislature, Gov. Perry recently said, "…we have taken the Texas economy to one of the best, if not the best, in the country."  But the real question to ask is for whom?  

Through the early 2000s, Texas had the greatest income inequality in the nation between the top fifth and the middle fifth.  During the same period, the gap between the richest 20 percent of families and the poorest 20 percent was second in the entire country, behind only New York.

What that means is the last decade has been very good for the very top, but middle and working class Texans are not keeping up.  Property taxes, health care costs, gasoline, insurance, and college costs are driving a wedge for most families between the family budget and the family dream. 

Let’s take a look at the real Texas. We rank first nationally in the percentage of uninsured children and 49th in the percentage of children with immunizations. We have fewer Texans with post high school degrees than any other state.  In a world where what you earn depends on what you learn, our graduates are 48th in average SAT scores.  Texas is fifth in the rate of women with cervical cancer, first in the percentage of sub-prime, high-interest mortgage loans, and last in the quality of our air.

These are the sober facts after a decade of leadership dedicated to tax cuts, not educating children.

In El Paso, Yolie Garcia, a mother of three, is struggling without insurance for her children.  Her income from a local call center disqualifies her children from Medicaid and CHIP coverage, so she pays out-of-pocket for the cardiologist her second-youngest child visits every month. 

To cover costs, she visits payday lenders for high-interest loans.  "It's digging up one hole to cover another one," she said.  "I just want the best for my kids."

In our government, budgets reflect our values.  Our vision should be broad-based and forward-looking toward our long-term prosperity.  To close the gap in Texas, we must graduate more of our best and brightest.  Without the courage to invest in the minds of our children, and steadfast support for great schools, we face a daunting prospect.  Those who value tax cuts over children and budget cuts over college have put Texas at risk in her ability to compete and succeed.

Let us not forget that the business of Texas is Texans.  If we invest in our greatest resource, our children, Texas will be the state of the future.

So, with a $14.3 billion surplus, where do we invest?  First, let’s honor our commitment to lower property taxes. Too much family income goes to pay a rising tax for which there is no rising paycheck.  Next, let’s put every Texas child who qualifies into the CHIP program. With a few changes to our CHIP funding, we can cover all these Texas children.  In public education, let’s fully fund the growth in Texas and educate the 70,000 new students who will come into our public schools in the next year. And finally, let’s restore funding to Texas colleges and tuition funds, so more of our best and brightest can get a college degree.

The choice is ours.  Let us resolve now to invest in young Texans today to guarantee the prosperity of all Texans tomorrow.