Legislative money: Health, education must be priorities
January 14, 2009
El Paso's all-Democrat delegation has listed several key items it will push -- in the House by our five state representatives and in the Senate by Eliot Shapleigh. It's good to see six items champion the causes of health care and education.
Written by Editorial, The El Paso Times
Anticipated reduction in state revenue means legislators must narrow their focus on what taxpayers fund for the next two years. No pork allowed, not after Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said she expects some $9 billion will not come to the coffers, as previously anticipated. That means lawmakers will likely have to sacrifice items on their wish lists.
But high on all lists should be the best possible funding for health care and education. Texas trails many states in both categories.
Legislators should not do special-interest favors for the more powerful representatives and senators, and most certainly must not OK luxury items by using some of the $6.7 billion in what's termed the state's Rainy Day Fund.
El Paso's all-Democrat delegation has listed several key items it will push -- in the House by our five state representatives and in the Senate by Eliot Shapleigh. It's good to see six items champion the causes of health care and education.
Another pushes new revenue funding for Texas by restoring Tigua gaming in El Paso; casinos pay a lot of money in taxes. And another seeks to reform the structure, governance and transparency regarding how persons are taxed based on the value of their properties.
El Paso health-related priorities include:
- Funding $48 million for the base budget of our new medical school.
- Funding $17 million for a new clinical facility at the medical school.
- Recruiting and retaining new health professionals;
- 67,000 new troops and dependents are arriving in El Paso due to welcome Fort Bliss expansion.
- Increase funding for mental health; support El Paso state center.
- And, increase funding for the CHIP program.
Education priorities are:
- Improve public-education funding formulas statewide.
- And our delegation also pledges to work hard to strengthen the University of Texas at El Paso. A goal is attaining tier-one status for UTEP, joining the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M as top public schools in research fields.
El Paso's delegation gets it. Let's hope power politics doesn't rear its head, whereby needed life-blood programs are underfunded at the expense of luxury items -- pork gifts -- to legislators in powerful districts.
Health. Education. Make those top priorities this session.
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