RSVP today for meeting with RRISD's superintendent

Thanks to Holly at Williamson County Conservative for the heads-up on this.  Round Rock ISD has been leading the brigade of school districts attempting to hornswaggle taxpayers into believing the state's budget crunch will be the end of civilization as we know it.  There is a meeting with superintendent Dr. Jesús H. Chávez on THIS THURSDAY from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Waterloo Icehouse in Avery Ranch (complete information and RSVP link on the RRISD website)

RRISD is sitting on an unreserved balance fund (or, could it be, a Rainy Day Fund??) nearing $200 million, and this post over at Williamson County Conservative gets into more of RRISD's various financial details.

Some of our local school districts, including RRISD, have been telling their teachers to expect widespread layoffs, and they're laying the blame directly at the feet of the Texas Legislature.  The proposed budget in the Texas House of Representatives, laid out about two weeks ago by Chairman Pitts, does propose cutting funds for ISDs.  But the budget Pitts laid out is just a proposal - it's the first draft of many - and this problem was originally delayed by federal "stimulus" dollars (read: federal taxpayer money) that the state took to stave off a crisis in the last biennium.  Even in a legislature dominated by Republicans, school funding is not going to be cut so drastically that teachers have to live in fear for their jobs - that issue is going to be punted back to school districts, who will blame the Legislature for their woes.

The school districts, like ours here in Round Rock, are telling their teachers horror stories to motivate them to tearfully and angrily telephone, email, and fax their legislators.  Meanwhile, the school districts are getting away without having to scrutinize, cut, or limit their own administrative budget and revenue practices.

I think this is the perfect session to have a serious discussion about what school districts can and must do to live within their means, without scaring teachers and parents with visions of 100-children-2-teacher classes, abacuses, slates with chalk, and dirt-floor classrooms.  Let's start in our own backyard - Round Rock ISD's superintendent wants to dialogue with citizens, so how about we start questioning him about his own salary and benefits package (you can get some of that information at the Texas Education Agency website here - Chávez made $255,911 in 2009-2010).  Let's demand accountability for adminstrator pay, the number of adminstrators per student, the increasing bonded debt, tax increases, spending increases.

HD 48 election challenge hearing on Tuesday

Tuesday, February 1, at 8:00am, there will be a meeting of the Select Committee on Election Contests (formed to hear the arguments in the House District 48 election challenge).  The hearing is open to the public and is scheduled for Room 140 of the John H. Reagan Building in the Capitol Complex (105 W. 15th); you can also watch online at home.

This is the last big thing that has to happen before Rep. Hartnett, who is serving as Master of Discovery, can write his final report, which will be used in the decision-making process for the committee.

How would you spend $80 million?

The city of Austin has been advertising an interactive tool for citizens of our fair city to weigh in on priorities for the Downtown Austin Plan.  Over the next ten years, Austin will invest between $250 and $350 million on a variety of projects.  They'd like to get citizens' input on priorities for the first $80 million.  The place to weigh in can be found at this link.

I can't be the only Austinite who looks at this and balks - I mean, $80 million, in this economy (and the greater number - up to $350 million over ten years?  Don't come asking for bond approval any time soon, then)?  Shouldn't we seriously consider using it to pay down debt - Austin's bonded debt puts small European countries to shame - or put it away in a "rainy day" fund for the city?

A word of caution, too, on spending money to increase existing budgets.  If that's done, like one of the items suggests for parks & rec maintenance, then down the road the city's budget for that item will likely have to be trimmed.  We have to take into consideration long-term and likely revenue.  If the budget grows now without a revenue source likely to bring in that money again over time, you'll hear about cuts.  That's what is happening at the state level with regards to education - the education budget in the state of Texas grew thanks to stimulus funds from the federal government, and the state did not and does not have the incoming revenue necessary to meet the level of spending that caused.  That's another post for another day, but the consideration is the same.

Weigh in now with the city, and help direct this money toward projects that will benefit all.  If they're going to spend it, as it is our money we might as well have a say in how it is spent.

Following the Texas Legislature from home

Those of us who live in central Texas, primarily in the greater Austin area and surrounding suburbs, are a pretty spoiled lot.  If we wish to follow what's happening at the Legislature, we live close enough to participate in the process, our schedules allowing.  But even we have to maintain busy lives, and may not always get down to the Capitol to witness it all first-hand.  How can we follow along at home?

Like anyone with an internet connection, we can watch online.  The Texas House of Representatives can be viewed by following the appropriate links at http://www.house.state.tx.us.  You can even watch committee hearings, and view archived hearings and floor sessions.  The Texas Senate is available in the same fashion at http://www.senate.state.tx.us.

As has been true for the last few sessions, you can also view floor sessions in both chambers if you have Time Warner, Grande, or AT&T U-Verse at home.  The City of Austin put out the press release below with more information if you are interested:

City to broadcast Texas House of Representatives on Channel 6
For immediate release
January 10, 2011

Beginning noon Jan. 11, City of Austin Channel 6 will broadcast the Texas House of Representatives sessions live on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Travis County TV (channel 17) will broadcast the sessions on Thursdays and Fridays.

City of Austin Channel 6 is available on Time Warner Cable (channel 6), Grande Communications (channel 6), AT&T U-Verse (channel 99) and is streamed live at www.austintexas.gov/channel6.

The House sessions will be shown in their entirety which will conflict with some regularly scheduled City of Austin meeting coverage. If City meetings are not shown live, they will be replayed before or after House coverage or on Thursdays through Sundays.

Meetings shown on tape-delay that are normally available on video-on-demand will be posted after they are replayed in their entirety.

The best way to check the most updated Channel 6 playback schedule is at www.austintexas.gov/channel6 under the schedule tab.

The Texas Senate sessions will be aired on AISD-TV (channel 22.)

Coverage of the Texas House during the 82nd Legislative session continues the City’s longstanding broadcast service to the State of Texas for its biennial proceedings.

Contact: Communications and Public Information Office, (512) 974-2220

Michael Williams officially announces for Senate; first video ad online

Michael Williams resigning effective April 2

More news concerning the impending U.S. Senate in Texas.  Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams has just formally announced that he will resign from the Railroad Commission effective April 2.

Ted Cruz makes it official

Former Texas solicitor general Ted Cruz announced this morning via conference call that he is a candidate for United States Senate in 2012.

Website:  http://www.tedcruz.org

Excellent strategy, going first to the bloggers and answering questions.  Cruz knows his audience, that's for sure (he made a point toward the end that he has the most Facebook fans of any Texas statewide elected official - and he's not even elected to anything).

The burning question on everyone's mind, that did get asked on the call, is why this race, and why 2012.  Cruz had generally been considered a shoo-in for 2014's attorney general race, allowing for more dominoes to fall.  Cruz talked a lot about the U.S. Senate being the place where we need leadership, we need it now, Obama is a threat if he wins re-election and Republican complacency is a threat if he doesn't.

Which is great rhetoric, and I don't doubt him in the least.  Cruz is a born leader, and those of us who have been fortunate to watch him closely in the last several years know that.  Attorney general has the aura of being a stepping stone for Cruz, likely on the way to an eventual place on the U.S. Supreme Court.  This morning, it sounded like Cruz and his supporters are tired of waiting for the dominoes to fall, and tired of being pigeon-holed.  The question probably shouldn't be "why run for Senate?" so much as "why not run for Senate?"

As to what the race will look like with Cruz and Michael Williams, conservative stalwarts both - I doubt very much that lines will be drawn in the sand over this, but conservatives will definitely have an "eenie-meenie-minie-moe" experience over the next year.  And it really is just between those two gentlemen - with Cruz' announcement official and Williams' announcement pending, there's enough conservative firepower between them to make every other candidate in the race look lukewarm at best.

Michael Williams, by the way, will officially announce today that he is resigning from the Texas Railroad Commission.  There's a domino fallen, in case you're keeping track.

TPPF: Border Security and the Texas Economy

I had the option between this and a panel on the elimination of Medicaid.  I'll be honest - I'm interested in the Medicaid issue, but I've had a longer interest in border security issues, and I couldn't pass this one up.  Plus, it is a great panel of speakers, all of whom bring a very fascinating perspective to the issue - primarily because they live on the border.

Representative Aaron Peña (R-Edinburgh) is the first presenter.  He reminds us that El Paso is one of the safest cities in the United States; on the other side of the border, Juárez is the most dangerous city in the world (Peña's words).  Peña brings up the point that the reason drug cartels came to Mexico is that the biggest customer for drugs is the United States - Mexico is closer than the South American countries, simple as that.  If the United States stopped consuming drugs, maybe the violence would stop.

The violence in Mexico has driven wealthier Mexicans into the United States, especially to Texas.  Mexico's economic strength is draining into the United States, and the upper middle class in Mexico is almost completely gone.  The middle class is being drained away - the men in the country are leaving in droves, and have left nothing but cities of women, children, and the elderly.  Peña mentions that he daily receives photos of beheaded individuals, victims of border violence; American gangs are increasingly affiliated with Mexican drug cartels.  Peña does not want to simply preach about the sadder parts, which are myriad, because he believes there is a solution.  Get Mexico to help itself - there is no excuse for a country with so many natural resources, so many talented, hard-working people, to be in the situation it is in. The rule of law must be applied in Mexico. Texas is uniquely situated to help Mexico turn around, by proximity and history.

Next up:  Texas Dept. of Public Safety director Steven McCraw.  He speaks very quickly and is showing dynamic maps of Mexico with information on specific cartels and where they are located.  "This isn't a border problem, it's a statewide problem" (echoing Peña).  DPS is tracking trends with cartel/gang-related incidents, and reminds the crowd that nothing moves in Mexico that the cartels don't control or make money off of.  Laredo, TX is one of the hottest spots for cartel violence in the state, and it happens on both sides of the river.  There are networks for the cartels in every major city in Texas, and it is getting worse.

Meanwhile - the economic impact is fascinating - the border region leads the state in sales tax receipts.  McCraw thinks that the reason Texas doesn't have the problems that Arizona has because our law enforcement has been proactive.  DPS "isn't giving up a square inch of Texas to anybody, especially thugs."

Next up:  Raul Salinas, mayor of Laredo.  "I'm the mayor of the great city of Laredo, where we are building bridges."  Salinas talks about Mexico nine and ten years ago, how the biggest challenges were being mugged, the kidnappings in Mexico City.  Salinas was with the Bureau before deciding to run for mayor of Laredo.  He is defensive about his city and the border - talks about how the border is not broken, how Laredo and other border cities are thriving parts of the American economy.  "We do not need a divided America."  Salinas says that the governmental entities need to work together to reduce violent crime.  Laredo has seen a reduction of 20% in the crime rate since 2006.  One of the problems that we have failed to address is drug use - "if we don't have the hunger and demand for drugs, there won't be a marketplace for them."  "We need to get serious [about the drug problem in the United States]."  Salinas is passionate about America coming together and uniting.  Talks a lot about solving problems.  12,000 trucks per day go through Laredo.  "We cannot afford for Mexico to go down, and we cannot allow [the cartels] to dictate the future of our children."

Salinas skirts the issue of immigration, but talks more about families coming together, parents protecting their children, and Americans working together to keep the violence at bay.

Next up:  Martin Cuellar, sheriff of Webb County.  "Truly, Laredo is a very safe city."  Cuellar talks about how intel gathering is very important.  Warns that he's going to "jump back and forth" in his talk, because all the issues are intertwined.  Talking about Webb County's border - what happens in Mexico is important to the economy there.  Mentions Falcon Lake, how the violence affected the economy (Falcon Lake is a popular fishing lake).  Talking about how law enforcement have to work together with Mexican law enforcement.  State and federal grants help with curbing violence - equipment important for enforcement and intel.  Cuellar used to work for DPS and cultivated his relationships with Mexican and American sources over time.  Back to Falcon Lake - Cuellar talked to Mexican officials to work on the investigation and share resources.  In Mexico, what you need is protection because of the cartels that threaten everything.  Mexican law enforcement is also asking for help - they are under a lot of pressure and have some incredible work ahead of them to diffuse the violence.  Cuellar says that Laredo is much safer than the bigger cities like San Antonio.  Webb County wants to build and train a group of deputies whose sole job is focusing on border issues - they want to get grants from the federal government to make this happen.

Questions:

1 - Texas budget.  Salinas points out that a safer border means more business and economic improvement statewide.  Their major concern is having the personnel and equipment to keep their city safe.  "We understand there will be cuts, but let's be careful not to cut what we keep us safe."  Salinas has an axe to grind against Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs, who "have never been to the border."  He has very little patient for those who talk about border problems and who haven't been there to see it firsthand.  Cuellar says "how do you put a price on safety?" and makes the point that education and the economy are affected when safety is sacrificed.  Peña points out that the federal government is not doing its job and that it falls on Texas to step up if they won't.  "It's [safety] their number one duty and they aren't doing it."

2 - What can Texas do to help?  Salinas talks about how Mexico's mayors face huge challenges, and how we have to cooperate and work with Mexico to solve the problem - keeping the violence out of the United States is a priority, but we have to help Mexico.  The essence of the problem is hunger for drugs.  "Tourism has been affected" and the economy has been affected as a result.  Laredo is accused of being home to terrorist training, Salinas really hates that his city has been slandered and believes this is part of the problem.  Peña talks about how shipments of goods are horribly impacted, that things are stolen and shipments come up from Mexico half-full.  He talks about the demand for growth in Mexico but how people are holding back because of the unstable situation.  There has been some success with breaking apart the cartels (La Familia for example) and Peña says there is hope for South American model that lessens the impact of cartels to make them more of a law enforcement problem instead of a military problem.  Peña and Salinas both talk about the need for better and more education in Mexico, and along the border, to curtail the problems long-term.

3 - Question about internal border checkpoints - Peña chooses to answer.  Talks about how he's always had to go through a checkpoint, near his home.  Says it's always been disconcerting to be asked if he's an American citizen.  But there are legal reasons for checkpoints he says, and that internal checkpoints are important because of the sheer volume of traffic coming from Mexico, and that it's very important from that standpoint.  Echoed by other panelists (McCraw, Cuellar).

Battery....dying.....must....post....

Once again my battery is about to die and I'm not near an outlet.  I'll post on budget balancing later on....

TPPF: High Expectations for Higher Education

(this post is largely notes from the higher session - I'll post later about "what it all means")

Rep. Dan Branch is about to address a packed room on the issue of higher education - as higher education committee chairman in the House, this should be interesting.

Highlights:

38 public 4-year universities in Texas
50 community college systems with 80-something community colleges

Transparency --> accountability --> efficiency --> productivity

Big challenges in higher education in Texas, but not unique to Texas.  California has had double-digit tuition increases.

$22.7 billion in all-funds appropriations, including $13.7 billion in Gen Rev Approps for the biennium.  Approx 12.5% of all funds, 17% of GR

Interesting to note that flagship universities are not noted for their efficiencies - those honors go to smaller system schools.

Proposal:  10% of state funding on completion-oriented criteria (total degrees, total degrees by at-risk students, total degrees in critical fields, etc), portion of funding for "momentum" criteria (student achievement), require more off-campus instruction, reduce reporting burdens on institutions, require students to file a degree plan after earning 30 credit hours, improve transfer pathways.

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Phil Regier - Arizona State (online dean) - will discuss online education

Talks about growth not for growth's sake (which seems to be the goal of most universities, IMHO), but growth with excellence and quality.

Online education - 55,000 seat enrollments taking a course online three years ago (basically one class per ASU student), up to 95,000 last year (with 70,000 classroom-attending students)

Student outcomes in terms of online are better than brick-and-mortar

18-30 year olds have no hesitation in taking online class, but professors hesitate to teach online until they've done it.  Profs who have done it overwhelmingly endorse online classes.

Students vote with their feet and have gone to online classes in droves.  Masters and bachelors degrees are more frequently available to earn in their entirety now in response to student preference and outcome rates.

COST SAVING - online courses save money! $10/student to deliver one course at ASU (that teaches 3000 students per year)

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John Katzman (formerly Princeton Review, now with 2tor, online services)

US universities have lost about half their profit share to schools in Asia and South America in addition to for-profit universities

Online has so far been mostly the domain of the for-profits, even though it isn't clear if they are successful in terms of quality of education.  Online for-profits are also better at recruiting, more aggressive.

Lower marginal costs for online, but larger upfront costs, and colleges don't use it well.

Real reason universities are behind online?  It's a leap of faith to go online.  Should not just be about lowering costs but also improving product.

2tor builds online programs for universities.  Funding, online curriculum development, tech platform, recruiting, 24-hour support, revenue share.  Schools handle admissions, financial aid, and faculty.

Online MBA at UNC Chapel Hill, nursing programs at Georgetown just examples of 2tor's work.

Social networking is largely missing from online learning, which is being corrected.

Everything the internet interrupts, consolidates - bookstores, travel agents, etc - and universities will do the same thing.  There is an existential threat to universities that refuse to engage online.

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Matt Gamble, Research Assistant with Baselice & Associates

Opinion research on higher education in Texas, conducted November 7-9, 2010

53% of voters think tuition is too high in Texas public universities.  60% of those with children in college right now think tuition is too high vs 51% among average voters without kids in school.

If TX public unis have less revenue, which do you want them to do?
33% Reduce admin overhead (most preferred choice), 20% (second choice)
18% Delay new facilities
14% Profs teach more
9% Increase class size

"be run more efficiently or manage money more wisely" - 80% though yes

88% think universities should be subject to performance reviews and audits
87% think college profs should be required to teach in the classroom at least 6 hours per week
73% think college profs should be paid according to work they do and # of students taught
87% think educating students for a fruitful career is the purpose of the university
81% think tuition should be used to teach students and not to conduct research
65% think tax dollars should be put into scholarships that allow students to choose schools

A majority of Texans say tuition is too high and prefer cost-saving to tax or tuition increases
A large majority of respondents believe educating students is the most important purpose of universities

TPPF: Governor Perry

Governor Perry thinks he should give a copy of his new book, Fed Up!: Our Fight to Save America from Washington, to CPPP's Scott McCown so that he can get a better idea of what conservatives are talking about.

"Best thing we have ever done in Texas is never implement a state income tax."

Perry transitioned into discussing tort reform, calling for early dismissal of frivolous lawsuits (round of applause from audience).  Wants to "ratchet up the fairness" of Texas' legal system.
.
Ah, but then he lost me a little bit, calling for the state to continue "investing in research" - y'all know, I'm not for a blank check to universities.

Back again to growing Texas' economy by balancing the budget with existing revenue streams and no new taxes (YES YES YES - existing revenue streams, not creating new ones)

Big issue this week in legislative discussion has been eminent domain reform.  Big part of Gov Perry's agenda.  Starting to talk about the need to end sanctuary city policies in Texas.  Discussion buzzed at the blogger table about Austin's claim that it isn't a sanctuary city.

After his speech, Governor Perry congregated with a handful of reporters to answer questions, and of course was hit almost immediately with questions about Chairman Pitts' announcement that he's filing the appropriations bill next week, and that state jobs will definitely be cut (his responses to those questions were appropriately vague - "138 days left in session" and "too early to comment on the budget").  Governor Perry also took the opportunity to fire back at Congressman Lloyd Doggett, saying that Doggett is wreaking havoc with the state budget and playing politics with children's education.

Whew!

I had intended to sit in on a panel on spending in corrections - TPPF's Center for Effective Justice is led by Marc Levin, someone I have a lot of respect for and whose ideas on the issue are very compelling.  Unfortunately, the crowded room was a little much for me, so I opted to catch up on some things outside the panel discussions.  Will be back later - the next concurrent panel sessions include one on water policy I really want to catch.

TPPF: Tenth Amendment Debate

I got here late thanks to the wilds of Austin traffic, but I did arrive just in time for the Center for Public Policy Priority's Scott McCown's strident defense of ObamaCare.  And boy, if there was ever something that could awaken your senses to danger, it's a strident defense of ObamaCare.

Ted Cruz, on the other side of this debate, is speaking as I type.  He mentions that if insurance falls under the definition of commerce, then anything could be labeled commerce, creating a situation where the federal government could regulate anything.  He then goes on to remind us that when the Constitution was written, the objection from the states was a lack of a Bill of Rights.  Congress does not have the power, or the right, to ignore the Bill of Rights.  They are a part of the Constitution, and the 10th Amendment is part of that.  The federal government is limited in what it can do - and

McCown says that ObamaCare is a "nation's attempt to address a serious problem."  The problem being the lack of health care for some citizens.  He says that the United States "pays more and gets less" for health care than other democratized nations.  Over and over, McCown says that the individual states cannot address this issue because they can't afford it - begs a question, I think - where does McCown think the money comes from to pay for government programs at any level?  Trees?

Cruz believes that the Supreme Court will find that the individual mandate exceeds the powers enumerated to Congress and does not fall under the protection of the Necessary and Proper Clause.  Cruz does not think, though, that the rest of ObamaCare will be struck down, and the only way to fully abolish ObamaCare is to fight it politically.  He has ideas for what the State Legislature can do to help immediately address this.  Cruz thinks states should call for a new constitutional amendment that would limit the taxing and spending authority of Congress (he does not endorse a specific idea, leaving that to the imagination of those who would seek to do this, and does mention a balanced budget amendment as one kind of idea).

Cruz ends with:  "Fight back with all your might to constrain the power of government, and protect the liberty of the people."

McCown:  "[ObamaCare] was not rammed down the throats of the American people."  "Once the people learn about it, they are not going to go back."  "The Supreme Court will find it constitutional, including the individual mandate, but if they don't, we still have the problem."  Keeps claiming that state legislatures cannot address the issue.  "States can have balanced budgets because the federal government can run a deficit."   Then he invokes race, and the number of "young minorities" in the United States, and says we can't limit the power of future governments to tax and spend.

Brooke Rollins (TPPF president) gets on stage and starts off with "Wasn't that fun?"

Yes, it was.  Listening to Ted Cruz OWN McCown was definitely worth the traffic this morning.

Hiatus over.....

This Thursday and Friday, I will be live-blogging the Texas Public Policy Foundation Policy Orientation, a day and a half of policy panels on a variety of issues facing the Legislature.  I think that's a good way to bring back Blue Dot Blues, which has been largely dormant over the last couple of months.

It isn't secret and never was, but I spent the last two months as media coordinator for Rep. Paxton's speaker campaign.  It was a privilege I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.  As of today, that position has ended, and I look forward to a session as an engaged citizen and taxpayer.

I have kept this blog about state issues, for the most part, because I believe that the state legislature is poorly covered in the blogosphere, at least by conservatives.  And once upon a time, when "speaker's race" meant the Anybody But Craddick crowd, Rick Noriega charging the dais, Anna Mowery protecting the back mic, and the "band of brothers" speech from Henry V, I kept blogging in hopes that it wouldn't only be the liberal Democrats covering the action in the legislature.  Four years later, there are dozens of conservative Texas bloggers, and I watched today as hundreds of grassroots activists came from all over the state to watch the proceedings of opening day and keep their legislators accountable for every vote.  It was amazing to witness, and only the most cynical could think that this new level of citizen involvement and awareness isn't a great thing.  After all, how American!  How very American of us, to get to be present, to get to walk into our representatives' offices and talk to them and their staffs.  There is a flag-waver hiding in my heart that gets positively giddy over watching this happen.

I am not sure what the mission will be for Blue Dot Blues going forward.  I still think there needs to be conservative blogging about the Legislature, because someone needs to talk about things, even if it's just to a handful of loyal readers.  And I do have things to say, which is the real point of any blog - punditry for the sake of punditry!

Either way, if you'd like to know what gets said at TPPF's Policy Orientation this week (and you know you do!!), I'll be here.

139 days of session to go, by the way.  Not counting the inevitable specials.  Woohoo!

So long, Madame Speaker

Courtesy of FreedomWorks, via Facebook:

Of course, she didn't go without a fight.