hutchison gearing up for governor run

It's been rumored for a while now that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison would leave her job at the U.S. Senate in order to run for governor of Texas in 2010.

Apparently, the rumors are true. According to Paul Burka, Hutchison has been meeting with the Texas Republican congressional delegation seeking their private endorsements as she gears up for the gubernatorial campaign.

The R’s aren’t thrilled about being in the middle of a potential Hutchison-Perry primary showdown. They would have sided with Perry in 2006, but he has done too many controversial things that he can’t undo: the Trans-Texas Corridor, the coal plants, the HPV controversy, his hostility to the education community, both public and higher.

And Capitol Annex has some interesting news, as well. Karl Rove is reportedly going to hold a Texas fundraiser for Hutchison's bid. We have a feeling that 2010 is going to be an interesting year for Texas Republicans.

all the news that's fit to print

NTL has fallen victim to a self-imposed semi-hiatus, so we thought we'd give you the rundown of what's been going on in Texas politics over the past week or so.

• Mikal Watts withdrew from the Democratic primary, leaving the field wide open for Rick Noriega to challenge John Cornyn for his Senate seat. Watts cited time away from his family as his reason for leaving the race.
  
  
• Gov. Rick Perry has decided to endorse former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the Republican primary. Some speculate this has to do with Perry's aspirations to become vice president, and Giuliani's need to sway the ultra-conservative Southern voting bloc.
  
  
• Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is planning to resign in 2010 to run for governor of Texas. Maybe she just now remembered her promise of a self-imposed term limit? Preparing for her gubernatorial bid, she seems to be trying to position herself as more of a moderate: she voted in favor of S-CHIP and the Dream Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants.
  
  
• After previously denying vital funding to community colleges, Rick Perry restored the vetoed funds, allowing for performance incentives for two-year institutions.
  
  
• The City of Lewisville is considering regulating uses of personal parking garages. The ordinance, which will be considered at the first November meeting of the city council, would prohibit the use of garages for non-parking purposes.
  
  
• The sheriff of Potter County has been indicted on three felony charges relating to bribery and campaign corruption, but here's the kicker: he hasn't been, and likely won't be, removed from his position as sheriff!

If you've seen any other exciting Texas-centric tidbits, statewide or regionally exclusive to North Texas, then feel free to be our muse! Leave a link in the comments.

Parole Board Votes 6-1 to Spare Kenneth Foster

By a vote of 6-1, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has recommended clemency for Kenneth Foster. Whether they were troubled by the implications in this case or simply yielded to overwhelming pressure, today justice was done.

This is only the third time in its history that the board has recommended commutation on a death row appeal. The final decision is up to Gov. Rick Perry, and although his concurrence seems likely, it's not guaranteed.

In fact, the Board of Paroles has only recommended that a sentence be commuted twice in its history [prior to the Kenneth Foster decision.] In 1998, a recommendation was approved by then-Gov. George W. Bush in the high-profile case of Henry Lee Lucas. And, in 2004, they recommended the execution of paranoid schizophrenic Kelsey Patterson be commuted to life in prison, but Perry refused to grant the commutation.

Take a moment to thank the handful of Democratic legislators who signed letters to Governor Rick Perry urging a halt to the execution of Kenneth Foster, including three from North Texas.

Alma Allen (Houston)
Lon Burnam (Fort Worth)
Harold Dutton (Houston)
Jessica Farrar (Houston)
Helen Giddings (Dallas)
Terri Hodge (Dallas)
Donna Howard (Austin)
Ruth Jones McClendon (San Antonio)
Elliot Naishtat (Austin)
Dora Olivo (Rosenberg)
Eddie Rodriguez (Austin)
Sylvester Turner (Houston)
Mike Villareal (San Antonio)

Update: It's official. Bodicea at Texas Kaos reports that Gov. Perry has commuted Kenneth Foster's sentence to life in prison.

"After carefully considering the facts of this case, along with the recommendations from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, I believe the right and just decision is to commute Foster's sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment," Gov. Perry said. "I am concerned about Texas law that allows capital murder defendants to be tried simultaneously, and it is an issue I think the legislature should examine."

It's time to revisit the "law of parties." And while we're at it, it might be a good time to take a good hard look at the makeup of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Will the Texas State Board of Education Oppose Teaching ID?

Lightseeker at Texas Kaos takes heart in a Houston Chronicle article assessing the views of the Texas State Board of Education members on the teaching of evolution versus intelligent design in the schools. The board is scheduled to revise the science curriculum in the 2007-2008 calendar, and many expect proponents of intelligent design to launch an aggressive campaign to include the teaching of ID in the classroom.

First the good news:

In Interviews with The Dallas Morning News, 10 of the board's 15 members said they wouldn't support requiring the teaching of intelligent design. One board member said she was open to the idea. Four board members didn't respond to the newspaper's phone calls.....

Other board members who said they believe the curriculum should continue to include evolution and not be changed to accommodate intelligent design were: Geraldine "Tincy" Miller, R-Dallas; Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands; Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas; Bob Craig, R-Lubbock; Mavis Knight, D-Dallas; Rick Agosto, D-San Antonio; Lawrence Allen, D-Houston; and Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi.

Note that Gail Lowe, who calls herself a creationist, represents District 14, including Denton County.

And then there is this reassuring quote.

"Creationism and intelligent design don't belong in our science classes," said Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy, who described himself as a creationist. "Anything taught in science has to have consensus in the science community and intelligent design does not."

It's reassuring, because McElroy's appointment last month by Governor Rick Perry kicked up a firestorm of protest over concerns that he was an anti-science, religious ideologue. We should take McElroy's quote to mean that evolution will be taught in our public schools according to scientific consensus, right?

Maybe not. Here's another quote from the Houston Chron article by McLeroy.

McLeroy, R-College Station, said he doesn't want to change the existing requirement that evolution be taught in high school biology classes. But he joined several of his colleagues in arguing that biology textbooks should cover the weaknesses of the theory of evolution [emphasis added].

The Texas Freedom Network highlighted a speech McLeroy delivered to the Grace Bible Church in 2005.

McLeroy recounted the controversy over teaching evolution during the State Board of Education’s adoption of new biology textbooks in 2003. McLeroy was one of only four members on the 15-member panel who voted to reject the textbooks. Those four members argued that the textbooks failed to discuss what they called the “weaknesses” of evolutionary theory. They were backed by the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based organization that opposes evolution and promotes “intelligent design” as an alternative. McLeroy said:

“It was only the four really conservative, orthodox Christians on the board [who] were willing to stand up to the textbooks and say they don’t present the weaknesses of evolution. Amazing."

So don't think for one minute that Perry appointed McLeroy to be chairman of the board with the concession that he not advocate his views on creationism. The "weaknesses" argument is code for ID, which in turn is creationism wrapped up in enough jargon to make a claim that it passes scientific muster. It doesn't, but that's for another post.

TFN leaves us with this warning.

In the 2006 elections, religious conservatives increased their numbers on the state board to eight – a majority. The board is currently overhauling all public school curriculum standards. The board is scheduled to take up revisions to science standards – including standards dealing with evolution – in 2007-08.

Even Lightseeker warns us to "pay attention, even while celebrating this , apparent, step forward."

Will There Be Mercy for Kenneth Foster?

If you are following the Kenneth Foster case, Bob Ray Sanders has two op-eds on the subject this week. (See here and here.) If you haven't been following it, the Booman Tribune has a fairly succinct summary.

Kevin Foster, you see, was convicted under the "law of the parties" rule in Texas (in other states commonly referred to as the Felony Murder Rule) which makes a defendant liable for murder, even if the victim was killed by another person, and even if the defendant did not intend for the murder to occur, if anyone dies as the result of the commission of a felony. Foster was alleged to have been party to a robbery by Mauriceo Brown, the man who murdered Sean's friend, Michael LaHood, in the driveway of Mr. LaHood's home. Foster claimed no knowledge of the intended robbery, and never left the car in which he drove Mr. Brown and two other men. One of the other passengers in the car, Julius Steen, testified against Mr. Brown and Kenneth Foster in exchange for a lesser sentence. Brown and Steen had committed two other armed robberies earlier in the evening during the time Foster was with them. It was Mr. Steen's testimony which tied Kenneth Foster to the alleged robbery and subsequent murder of Michael LaHood by Mr. Brown. In essence, Kenneth Foster was sentenced to death for not taking a plea bargain before Mr. Steen did.

Sean-Paul Kelley, blogger for The Agonist, makes a very earnest appeal to spare Foster's life. What's remarkable about this diary is that he makes this plea for mercy even though the deceased, Michael LaHood, was Kelley's best friend.

I still remember eating chicken fried steak with him and D-Day--the third and most successful leg of our triumviral friendship--at Maggies at 3:00am after clubbing, back when the three of us attended the local junior college, were obsessed with the opposite sex but too stupid to realize they were just as obsessed with us as we were with them. God how I'd give anything to have him back. Thinking of him brings a tear to my eyes even now. What makes it worse is that I'd returned from living out of the country a few months before he was killed. A new career kept me busy. We kept postponing getting together. My last words to Mike--two weeks before he was murdered--were a cliché for all clichés: "we'll do it next weekend, buddy, we've got all the time in the world." I couldn't hear the clock ticking. I wish I'd listened closer.

And for that I hated Mauriceo and his gang even more, and for a long time. But the execution of a young man who didn't even kill Mike? That's not justice. It's senseless vengeance, a barbarism cloaked in the black robes of justice.

The Texas Moratorium Network has published Foster's letter to Governor Rick Perry. If one takes it on face value, it is a fairly affecting document.

I’ve discovered (and hopefully others will, too,) that the pain, sorrow and compensation is not taken care of through simply saying I’m sorry or through hundreds of executions, rather giving love everyday, helping someone, speaking truth to power - showing that one man with courage can be a majority.

If you agree with that last statement, Sanders' column ends with the following suggestion:

Contact the governor's office or the Texas Board of Pardons and
Paroles to object to the execution of Kenneth Foster Jr.

Gov. Rick Perry
Mail: State Capitol, P.O. Box 12428,
Austin, TX 78711-2428
Telephone: 512-463-2000
Fax: 512-463-1849
E-mail:

Use the form at www.governor.state.tx.us/contact

Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Mail: P.O. Box 13401, Capitol Station,
Austin, TX 78711

Kenneth Foster is scheduled for execution on August 30th.

Perry Wants Another Decade to Solve Air Quality Crisis

Lightseeker at Texas Kaos spotlights Houston's failure to come up with a plan to meet federal air quality standards. It seems Governor Perry once again has requested a little more time to meet requirements for ozone emissions. He thinks, oh, another decade might do it.

Texas officially asked the federal government Friday for an extra nine years to meet health standards for ground-level ozone, to comply with the law by 2010, saying that it would be "practicably impossible" for the eight-county Houston-Galveston region to comply with the law by 2010.

The request marks the latest postponement in the decades-long saga to clean up Houston's smog and seeks more time than both the county and city wanted. If granted, the city would be the last place in the state and one of the last areas in the country to meet health guidelines for the lung-irritating pollutant.

Houston's first federal deadline to meet ozone standards was in 1975. The new deadline would be June 2019 [emphasis added.]

That would be the same governor who showed his commitment to air quality standards by trying to fast track eleven coal burning power plants. Like our former governor turned president, Perry believes in kicking our problems further down the road.

And lest we feel too smug about Houston's status, don't forget who's number eight on the list of worst polluted cities. How many more years do you think Perry is gonna suggest to solve our problems?

See also More Debate on TXU Emissions and An Air Quality Primer.

TXU Receives Go Ahead for Lignite Power Plant

From the Burnt Orange Report, we have learned that the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) has overruled two arbitrators and granted permission for TXU to proceed with the Oak Grove power plant. It is the first plant to receive final approval under Governor Perry's previous "fast track" permitting process.

The Oak Grove plant was green-lighted for construction along with ten other coal-fired facilities, eight of which have now been withdrawn. In originally denying the permit for Oak Grove, the arbitrators had questioned whether TXU could reduce pollution as much as they claimed.

In a statement, TXU praised the decision.

“We welcome today’s TCEQ permit approval. Texas needs new sources of power and, with today’s ruling, the Oak Grove plant could begin providing power by late 2009.

The TCEQ has determined that the Oak Grove air permit will be protective of human health and the environment. This permit contains some of the cleanest emission standards ever set for a lignite power plant, and the plant will help meet Texas’ near-term need for power.”

Notice the "lignite" qualifier in that statement. What they don't tell you is that the Oak Grove facility is still the biggest and diritiest of the eleven originally proposed plants. It's actually two power generation units in one facility. While most of the electricity produced would be used in the DFW area, the city that would most directly feel the effects of its pollution is Austin. Even with all the guarantees from TXU about emissions reductions,

the Oak Grove plant would pollute more than other coal plants proposed for the area, according to the permit application. For example, it would emit 3.5 times the smog-forming nitrogen oxides and nearly 10 times the mercury as the proposed Sandy Creek plant in Riesel.

To put that in perspective, according to the SEED (Sustainable Energy and Economic Development) Coalition

If built, it would be the fourth worst plant in the nation for toxic mercury emissions and would produce the smog equivalent of 350,000 automobiles. TXU's four other lignite-burning plants are responsible for almost one-quarter of the industrial pollution in the state.

And that doesn't even touch on CO2 emissions. Coal-fired plants are among the world's biggest producers of greenhouse gases, and powering plants with lignite produces significantly more emissions than using hard coal, making it the worst of the worst.

At the hearing, several elected officials spoke against permitting. Among those testifying were Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and State Representative Lon Burnam.

Activists vow to continue their fight. They have already asked for a rehearing, a necessary step prior to taking further legal action.

Hearings on Coal Burning Power Plants Delayed

Since Governor Perry announced the fast-tracking of permits for coal burning power plants, opponents of the decision have been looking to the courts to intercede in the permitting process. Now the hearings scheduled to begin this week have been delayed by a Travis County District Judge.

Tuesday's injunction is a win for the anti-coal-pollution groups, which include environmentalists, business leaders, politicians and TXU competitors.

They've been fighting the company's plan to build 11 more coal-fired power plants for the past year and have questioned whether Gov. Rick Perry is a little too close to TXU......

Since he issued the order, the governor has received more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from interests associated with the 16 coal projects proposed by various power companies.

The four environmental coalitions joining in the suit were Citizens for Environmental Cleanup, Citizens Organizing for Resources and Environment, Texans Protecting our Water, Environment and Resources, and East Texas Environmental Concerns.

One concern expressed in the injunction was that the stepped-up timetable for hearings, reduced from one year to six months, would not allow enough time to thoroughly review the permit.

Also at issue is the gubernatorial fiat that fast-tracked the hearings. Questions concerning Governor Perry's executive order might open the door to question other policy debates, including the 65% rule and the mandatory HPV vaccine.

Every delay in the process makes it more likely that any of several legislative measures for moratoriums on coal-fired plants, or mandated reductions in carbon dioxide emissions to curb global warming, will also come into play.

Under its current timeline, TXU expected to obtain the first permit for its 858-MW "reference" plant and begin construction before the end of June. Its goal was to put the first plant into service in the fall of 2009. Any delay in the hearing process will make it less likely that TXU can meet its stated targets.

More at Off the Kuff, BOR and Capitol Annex.

State Senators Weigh in on HPV Vaccine

In the firestorm that erupted since Governor Perry ordered mandatory vaccination of girls with Gardasil, (the human papilloma virus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer), 31 State Senators have requested Perry to rescind his order. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, has taken the lead on this issue.

The letter, originated by Lewisville Republican Jane Nelson, says that Perry should wait until lawmakers have a chance to examine the issue and perhaps enact legislation before the policy is implemented. Nelson and others have said Perry’s action puts the state government in a role that would be better left to parents......

Nelson has also asked Attorney General Greg Abbott to examine the legality of Perry’s order and whether it requires the Legislature to appropriate money. The appropriation of state money is a legislative prerogative.

There is some good rationale on each side of this debate, but there is also a great deal of political posturing going on right now. Rather than try to sort it all out, read Off the Kuff's rebuttal and Rep. Jessica Farrar's letter, or catch Farrar's YouTube broadcast on Musings.

Former Democratic candidate for Governor, Chris Bell, has expressed his support of Perry's decision.

If young women don't get this vaccine now, hundreds of them will get cervical cancer and die. HPV causes cervical cancer, and the FDA has approved this vaccine and says it can prevent about 70% of cervical cancers that led to 391 deaths in Texas in 2006 alone. This is why the Center for Disease Control and the American Cancer Society recommend that all young women aged 11-12 get vaccinated, and it's why I called for this same action during the campaign.

It is worth noting that there is no thimerosal or mercury in the HPV vaccine. Mercury was removed from most vaccines after concerns were raised about a possible link between thimerosal and the development of autism.

More Debate on TXU Emissions

If you're at all concerned about the increasingly dire news on global climate change, rest assured. Our Republican leadership in Texas has looked into it, and they don't see much reason to worry.

Gov. Rick Perry: “I am not going to put the state of Texas in a competitive economic disadvantage on some science that may or may not be correct.”

Meanwhile, TXU is launching a charm offensive to reassure the public that they take the issue of air quality seriously.

The Dallas-based energy company is negotiating with state regulators on a binding agreement that would require TXU, over the next four years, to add pollution controls at the four plants to chemically change ozone-forming pollutants into harmless water vapor.

Doing so could cut the amount of ozone-producing emissions at each plant by at least half. The agreement would also mandate pollution controls that would significantly cut emissions of toxic mercury at each plant, state officials say.

Slashing emissions at the four plants -- all within 150 miles of Dallas-Fort Worth -- should aid regional efforts to improve air quality and bring the nine-county region into compliance with federal ground-level ozone standards by a 2010 deadline.

That's the good news. Here's the bad.

TXU has trumpeted its pledge to cut emissions by 20 percent as the answer to many of our air quality questions.....

So the revelation that the Dallas-based utility might uphold its end of this bargain and then sell the emissions credits to other polluters took our breath away.

In a deposition released Tuesday, Mike McCall, the chairman and CEO of TXU Wholesale, acknowledged the possibility of selling the credits – a move that would transfer permission to pollute to another company, essentially nullifying any improvement in air quality.

And if you think any of this means that TXU has thrown in the towel, there's this.

We are hearing that TXU, the power company seeking to build all those conventional coal-burning power plants in Texas, is going door-to-door in the Senate, trying to secure a “grandfather” status for those plants when it comes to global warming emissions. TXU wants to nuke (sorry – wrong word!) any effort in Congress to restrict free credits or allowances for those facilities. As you’ll recall, the legislation introduced last week by Senators Feinstein and Carper would do exactly that, and we expect other proposed legislation will attempt the same.

Start following the money, because you can bet those visits will be followed up with campaign contributions! (According to the Center for Responsive Politics, TXU contributed in the last election cycle to such senators as Inhofe, DeMint, Vitter, Bingaman and Thomas. See http://www.opensecrets.org/ for more. )

Meanwhile, a Waco legislator introduced a resolution Wednesday to halt the fast-tracking of permits.

State Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson, R-Waco, filed a resolution Wednesday urging the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to impose a six-month moratorium on the permitting and construction of any new power plants......

The legislation has a chance for success in the Republican-dominated Legislature because it would only urge, not require, the state to temporarily halt new plant construction, said Harvey Kronberg, an Austin political analyst.

Perry's office declined to say whether the governor would actively oppose the legislation or veto it if it is approved.

Which brings us back to that opening statement. Two guesses as to which way he's leaning, and the first one doesn't count.

TXU Coal-Burning Power Plants Face More Opposition

The debate over Gov. Perry's decision to fasttrack coal-burning power plants went national during the governor's race. This month the Rolling Stone covers the story. From the introduction, you might think that Texas is getting something of a reputation.

Like most stories about energy, corruption and greed, this one is centered in Texas. TXU, an electric-power company based in Dallas, has announced plans to build eleven new coal plants in Texas by 2011 -- a move that a trade publication calls "one of the most ambitious generation capacity expansions in recent power industry history." Texas already dumps more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other state in the nation. TXU's new fleet of coal plants would more than double the company's current pollution, spewing 78 million tons of planet-heating pollution each year -- the equivalent of 11 million SUVs.

Coal is cheap, plentiful and extremely dirty. As the article points out, when the hurricanes of 2005 damaged refineries, TXU's CEO John Wilder decided to switch from emphasizing gas to focusing on coal to generate electricity. The result has been a surge in profits for TXU, and a nice bonus to the big guy. In 2005, Wilder was paid over $55 million -- twice the executive pay of former ExxonMobil boss Lee Raymond.

But coal is only profitable because its pollution-related costs -- blasted mountains, increases in asthma and heart attacks, neurological damage from toxic mercury, environmental chaos caused by global warming -- are all offloaded onto the public. That's why TXU is rushing to build so many new coal plants: In the next five years, Congress is widely expected to crack down on global warming by placing limits on carbon-dioxide emissions, making coal less profitable. If TXU can sneak its plants in under the regulatory wire, it could be exempt from new regulations -- allowing the company to dump massive amounts of carbon for free.

We're told that the need for new plants is so pressing because demand for energy may exceed supply in the near future. But a story last year that didn't get nearly as much attention as it deserved suggested that TXU may have been manipulating supplies at the very time it was making those claims.

TXU Corp. may have manipulated wholesale electricity supplies and prices last year, according to an annual review of the Texas market. An outside company hired by the state's Public Utility Commission found evidence that a power producer shut down some of its generating capacity on certain days in 2005 in order to squeeze supply and boost prices.

The report doesn't specifically name TXU, but it states that the company in question had about 13,000 megawatts of available capacity. The only company in Texas with that much juice is TXU.

The company's plans are running into hurdles at every turn. In addition to several lawsuits, and a pending Supreme Court decision, we learn per McBlogger [warning: not for the easily offended] that a bipartisan bill was introduced earlier this month by the Senate.

"The Climate tewardship and Innovation Act of 2007" would cap greenhouse-gas emissions of the electric power, industrial, transportation, and commercial sectors at 2004 levels by 2012 and reduce them to one-third that level by 2050.

One of the bill's co-sponsors is Sen. Barack Obama, so look for this legislation to get a lot of attention this year.

And now comes news that even Wall Street is preparing to push for legislation to curb greenhouse emissions.

The coalition of industries and environmental groups -- called the United States Climate Action Partnership -- says Congress needs to establish a cap on carbon dioxide emissions, the chief man-made contributor to climate change, and mandate deadlines for power companies to install carbon emission controls on new and existing power plants.

What makes this announcement big news is its corporate members: Alcoa, BP America, Caterpillar Inc., Duke Energy, DuPont, FPL Group, General Electric, Lehman Brothers, PG&E Corp., and PNM Resources. This eye-popping list of names tells you everything you need to know about the current political climate regarding global warming. The tide has clearly turned.

And now, just in time for the president's state of the union speech, Rep. Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth) is filing a bill to establish a global warming task force in Texas.

“The state is like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. We need a plan to deal with this challenge. At the same time, the reality of global warming provides excellent opportunities for businesses that innovate and create solutions to these problems. My bill directs the global warming task force to investigate and prepare for the worst while seeking opportunities for businesses that do the rightthing,” Burnam said.

"I do hope, as it has been reported, that the President addresses global warming tonight. And I hope that the state of Texas will take the necessary steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for a carbon-constrained economy.”

If you want to know where TXU is proposing to build, Environmental Defense has a map showing the proposed location of some of the new plants.

media endorsements: governor's race

It's that time again: major news outlets are offering up their endorsements in the Texas gubernatorial election. Some are not surprising... after all, The Dallas Morning News is infamous for its ultra-conservative editorial board. The Austin American-Statesman apparently has more of a moderate editorial board that wanted to endorse Chris Bell, but was overridden by a conservative publisher.

Many were surprised when The Houston Chronicle came out in favor of independent candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn. Another surprise came with national men's magazine Esquire taking a sudden interest in Texas politics and endorsing Chris Bell for governor.

Here is a list of news outlets that have endorsed the race. If you know of a newspaper not on the list that has offered an endorsement in this race, please say as much in the comments section and we'll add it to the list.

Gov. Rick Perry - (Republican)
Austin American-Statesman
Dallas Morning News
San Antonio Express-News
Beaumont Enterprise
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Tyler Morning Telegraph
El Paso Times
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Chris Bell - (Democrat)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Austin Chronicle
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Abilene Reporter-News
Esquire

Carole Keeton Strayhorn - (Independent)
Houston Chronicle
Waco Tribune-Herald
Abilene Reporter-News
Victoria Advocate
Wichita Falls Times Record News

Kinky Friedman - (Independent)
Galveston County Daily News
Round Top Register
Amarillo Independent

Note: The Abilene Reporter-News recommended that readers vote for either Strayhorn or Bell.

watch the gubernatorial debate tonight

Tonight, Republican Governor Rick Perry will face three of his challengers in a debate. State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Democrat Chris Bell, and comedian Kinky Friedman will all take on the Governor of Texas tonight at the live forum. Libertarian James Werner was not asked to participate because he has consistently polled with less than 6%.

The debate will be broadcast live from the WFAA television studios in Dallas. North Texas viewers can tune in to WFAA (Channel 8) to see the action as it takes place. The debate will also be shown on TXCN and other networks around the state. The forum will take place tonight (Oct. 6) at 7 p.m and is expected to last for approximately one hour.

democrats, independents oppose toll road SH 121

Letter from Amy Manuel, Democrat for Denton County Commissioner [Precinct 2]. Hwy 121 stretches across Collin and Denton Counties.

The west bound lanes of Hwy 121 were dedicated Tuesday with Republican Gov. Rick Perry, all four Republican county commissioners and my opponent, Republican Justice of the Peace, Ron Marchant.

Toll roads burden our family finances even further. With rising gas prices and declining wages, why put more financial drain on our families. The tolls will be 14.5 cents a mile, one of the most expensive toll roads in America with increases planned every two years. We already pay city, county, state and federal taxes for our roads. Why do the Republicans feel we need to be charged again?

As the Democratic candidate for County Commissioner, I tried to attend this event, which was held at a public middle school and was announced as a public event. I was barred at the door. Apparently citizens with different views are not welcome, especially those who stand up and challenge our leadership when it comes to their anti-family policies.

This November, you have a choice. You have a choice to put a citizen in office who believes we should not be taxed yet again to drive on our roads. You have a choice to put a citizen in office who will not allow our hard earned dollars to be spent on more toll roads built by Perry donors and their overseas subcontractors. You have a choice to just say no to abuse of power. That choice in November is me, Democrat Amy Manuel.

Amy Manuel, Democratic candidate for Denton County Commissioner pct 2.

Thanks to John McClelland at Burnt Orange Report for making us aware of Amy's press release.

Supporters of independent candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn say that their gubernatorial nominee is also opposed to the toll road (and all new toll roads statewide, for that matter). Strayhorn, currently the State Comptroller, will host a press conference tomorrow (August 31) at 2 p.m. in Lewisville opposing the toll road SH 121. The event will be held in front of the Vista Point Business park at 405 SH 121 (aka SH 121 Bypass, SH 121 Toll) in Lewisville. The business park is just west of MacArthur Blvd on the 'south' bound service road of SH 121.

Democratic candidate Chris Bell has vowed to fight the Trans Texas Corridor, a Perry-backed plan to create a Texas super highway funded by tolls. Independent candidate Kinky Friedman is also opposed to the construction of new toll roads.

The North Texas Tollway Authority will begin tolling SH 121 drivers on Friday, September 1.

Our Natural Heritage at Risk in North Texas

The fate of the Texas state park system is now firmly entrenched as an issue in the gubernatorial race this fall. Democratic candidate Chris Bell is making it a centerpiece in his campaign, along with education. The issue cuts across party and demographic lines, and judging by the editorial pages of local newspapers, the outrage is palpable. So what now?

First, don't assume that just because the issue is generating so much negative publicity for Governor Perry that the idea of selling public land is off the table. At the local, state and national level, the battle continues.

Here are some of the public lands most at risk in North Texas and what you can do.

Eagle Mountain Lake
As FWST columnist Jack Smith reports, there is good news and bad news on the effort to stop the sale of this land.

After a potent public outcry, it appears likely that a public park will be established on at least part of a 400-acre site bordering Eagle Mountain Lake in northwest Tarrant County.

But it would be a shame if the entire 400 acres were not turned into a park. That's what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) intended when it bought the land in the early 1980s.

But the state has other ideas.

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, in a telephone talk Wednesday, said he feels the best outcome would be to turn part of the 400 acres into a local park and part into a "very low-density, high-dollar" residential development. The portion sold for development presumably would fetch more money than if it were sold for parkland.

Patterson said money from the sale could be used by TPWD to help buy acreage for a much larger state park of perhaps several thousand acres located within a 90-minute drive of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. TPWD officials have, for example, eyed a site in Palo Pinto County.

Patterson isn't saying how much land will be set aside. Write Perry and Patterson and let them know what you think of their plan. The advocacy group, Save Eagle Mountain Lake has all the info you'll need to fire off those letters.

Fort Worth Prairie Park
Another local treasure at risk of the developer's bulldozer is a lesser publicized piece of land known as the Fort Worth Prairie Park.

The State of Texas’ Permanent School Fund is trying to quietly sell off development rights to nearly 2,000 acres of Texas public land in southwest Fort Worth that has enormous ecological, multicultural, educational, and historical values, including for Native Americans and African-Americans, as well as being one of the best remaining examples of virgin Fort Worth Prairie. Citizen and advocacy groups are clamoring to protect this 1,983 acre jewel as the cornerstone of the new Fort Worth Prairie Park Initiative, which is being spear-headed by the Great Plains Restoration Council on behalf of protecting the endangered tallgrass/mixed grass Fort Worth Prairie for future generations and struggling native wildlife.....

The State of Texas, working with a private developer, wants to bulldoze the prairie at 10700 Old Granbury Rd to “maximize income.” Due to the topography, and the huge cost of bringing a sewer to the property, they’d have to cut it into thousands of 50 foot lots to make a profit. This pristine prairie is also the last unspoiled land before the watershed empties into Benbrook Lake, a major source of Fort Worth drinking water.

If you want to help preserve this amazing piece of history, sign the petition.

Caddo-LBJ Grasslands
The National Wildlife Federation tells us that as much as 800,000 acres of public land will be up for auction in President's Bush 2007 budget. The Texas tally is listed here. To stop this outrage, click here.

Among the possible treasures up for grabs are the lesser-known Caddo and LBJ Grasslands. You can view a map of the LBJ Grasslands, named for a president who knew the true worth of America's natural resources could never be measured by the sum on a developer's check.

It's hundreds of cattle ponds create habitat for an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. Among the varmints of special interest to outdoor enthusiasts are ducks, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians, including, yep, the Texas Toad. (Do you think this picture makes me look fat?)

If you know of other areas in North Texas at risk, leave a comment and a link, if you've got one.

Bell Challenges Perry on Support for Coal-Fired Plants

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell has been criticizing Perry for some time now on the state of our parks. Now he's taking Perry on on another issue of concern to North Texans -- the fast-tracking of permits for coal-fired power plants.

Mr. Bell said that there should be more studies of how new plants would affect air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and that neighborhoods should get a chance to voice concerns.

"Obviously there's some big challenges in the Dallas area," Mr. Bell said at a news conference in front of Kimball High School. "Rick Perry has fast-tracked that process. ... The deck is completely stacked on the side of the polluters."

Bell's concerns join Dallas Mayor Laura Miller's call to fifty mayors to help her intervene in the permitting process.

Texas power companies are considering construction of up to sixteen new power plants over the next few years. They have enlisted Governor Perry's help in fast-tracking the review process to green light construction.

So why the rush? Proponents argue Texas is growing and construction now will prevent a California-style shortage in the near future.

There have been volleys from both sides arguing whether the pollution levels will increase or decrease as a result of the construction. North Texas municipalities are facing potentially severe sanctions if pollution, such as ozone, isn't brought down to conform to federal guidelines by 2010. Coal is a particularly dirty if inexpensive source of energy, contributing to a range of pollutants, including mercury. As a result, many power companies are trying to eliminate reliance on it. But here in Texas, TXU leads the way in proposals to build coal-fired plants.

TXU's strategy stands in stark contrast to many of its industry peers. Sempra Energy recently dropped plans to build two coal-fired power plants in Nevada and Idaho because of impending state regulations to curb global warming pollutants. PG&E has avoided coal altogether, opting instead to spend billions of dollars on energy efficiency so that it will delay needing new power sources. And even though American Electric Power is relying on coal, it is pushing to build "clean coal" power plants in the Midwest that will be able to capture carbon dioxide, the main pollutant causing global warming.

The global warming issue has even investors concerned. Coal-burning power plants are the number one source of carbon dioxide emissions. Critics charge the decision to invest in more coal-burning plants now may have less to do with demand than the growing realization that carbon dioxide may soon be regulated as a pollutant. The Supreme Court is set to begin considerations in October regarding this issue. And retiring Senator Jeffords (I-VT) is preparing to introduce a bill regulating carbon dioxide emissions as his swan song in the Senate. The question is whether TXU can build its plants soon enough that they would be grandfathered under any new regulations.

TXU is already the nation's 10th-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the electric sector, emitting 55 million tons in 2004 alone. And those numbers will jump dramatically if it builds 8,600 megawatts of new coal plant capacity -- all without any controls for capturing greenhouse gases

Chris Bell thinks caution is in order.

"I would definitely do away with the fast-tracking," Mr. Bell said. "Under Rick Perry's reign of error, polluters actually get rewarded for violating environmental laws."

In outlining his own plan, Mr. Bell said the state would have to consider using more renewable energy and rethink transportation policy. He also called for the preservation and planting of more trees.

With record temperatures scorching the country and ozone levels creeping up, the detrimental effects of our current energy policy are becoming more concrete in the public's mind. Sooner or later stricter regulations are inevitable. The question is whether critics can stall construction long enough to garner the widespread support necessary for change, or whether business concerns will once again trump public health.

Perry Blasted on Cuts for State Parks

Jobsanger has a post up about the latest turn in the funding crisis for state parks. Governor Perry is pushing for another ten percent across the board cut in agency budgets for the coming year. Officials in the Dept. of Texas Parks and Wildlife have stated that that can only be achieved with additional layoffs and closure of as many as 18 parks. Now his gubernatorial challengers are firing back.

Kinky, Bell, and Grandma have all called for the $35 million cap to be removed, and an extra $50 million be given to the parks from the fund.

Of course, Strayhorn has been a little inconsistent on this issue, as one of our readers pointed out.

And kudos to the journalist R.A. Dyer and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's coverage of this issue. Barely a day goes by without another article or editorial in the paper highlighting the disgraceful state of our state parks. It appears that this issue has finally gotten the public's attention. But promises are cheap. Let's hope the pressure doesn't let up until a resolution is in place.

are republicans feeling threatened by strayhorn?

Secretary of State Roger Williams, a Perry-appointed Republican, has ruled that Richard "Kinky" Friedman can use his nickname on the November ballot, but "One Tough Grandma" Carole Strayhorn must be called "Carole Keeton Strayhorn." Williams insisted that "Grandma" is a slogan, while "Kinky" is a nickname. As reported at Capitol Annex, Strayhorn is going to challenge this decision in court. In the process, the Republicans will say that she is wasting time and money on a petty issue. She's probably worried about voter recognition because she was previously elected as "Carole Keeton Rylander." Vince hypothesizes that she will lose support over this move.

This is yet another attempt by the Republicans in power to undermine Carole Keeton Strayhorn. I think it's telling that the Republicans are against any real competition and debate among conservatives.

Governor Perry won the March primary with about 85% of the vote. Strayhorn, currently the State Comptroller, left the Republican Party to challenge Perry as an independent candidate. In early May, Secretary Williams tried to keep Strayhorn off of the ballot (or at least delay her candidacy) by refusing to use a statistical sample of her petition signatures and insisting on counting each of the required 45,540 one at a time.

Are the Republicans perhaps scared that Strayhorn will be a serious threat to Perry's re-election effort? With Kinky Friedman gaining popularity among teachers and college-age voters and Chris Bell likely taking the general 40% of voters that choose Democrats for statewide offices, Team Perry is probably starting to look at November without the rose-colored glasses. They sense that it's time to step up the offense and they aren't afraid to use and abuse their positions in the government to help Perry get re-elected. What's sad is that they find Carole Keeton Strayhorn more of a threat than Chris Bell.

More on the Texas Park System

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a front page article and a multi-page spread highlighting the state of the Texas Park system in Sunday's paper. R. A. Dyer's three articles cover an overview of the park system, a summary of the damage from Hurricane Rita, and a highlight of the problems facing Garner State Park, the most popular park in Texas.

The main article, "Texas parks in a state of neglect," documents many specific unmet needs in the parks, including the deplorable state of the transportation system, where decade old vehicles are being cannibalized to keep the remaining fleet running.

According to state parks Director Walt Dabney, the biggest challenge to park management is the escalating fixed costs, i.e., utilities and fuel. With a stagnant budget, the only way to manage increases in costs is to cut personnel.

The article details the funding issues, including sources of revenues.

So now the system is mostly dependant on its own revenue -- about 61 percent of its overall budget comes from operating fees, oil and gas royalties, and the sale of cattle. By contrast, about 35 percent of the overall parks budgets nationwide come from self-generating sources, according to a Texas A&M University researcher.

It is worth noting that although the Big Bend sale of 46,000 acres was blocked, the article lists ten other parks that are being transferred to other agencies, including local municipalities. The Matagorda Island State Park is being downgraded to a state wildlife management area, without staff or park programs.

Gov. Perry's recent ads targeted the good he's done for economic development in Texas. Yet in a state where tourism is among the top five industries, this is how Perry is responding to the park's funding crisis.

"Although funding for Texas parks slowly began to evaporate more than a decade ago, much of the slide occurred the watch of Gov. Rick Perry, who took office in 2000.

While the state budget has grown 42 percent under his tenure, the budget for parks has gone down. Perry also recently called upon all state agencies to submit spending plans for the upcoming two-year budget cycle that include additional cuts of 10 percent -- meaning the parks division is likely to face more reductions.

"The parks department, like other agencies, has had to tighten its belt," said Kathy Walt, a spokeswoman for Perry.

She said the agency may want to consider divesting itself of additional parkland as a way to save money [emphasis mine], although the department has already made reductions that far outstrip the state average.

It's visionary thinking like this that's earned him four challengers in the upcoming election. The article is a long one, but mandatory reading for anyone who fishes, hunts, boats, or camps in Texas.

Starve the Beasts - The Dire Straits of the Texas Parks System

An editorial in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Sunday highlighted the chronic underfunding of the Department of Texas Parks and Wildlife.

There's nothing to celebrate about a parks system that is so pathetically underfunded and neglected.....

The system, part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, has eliminated dozens of positions from an already skeletal staff. It has shut down portions of parks and scaled back programs for children.....

How does Texas rate nationally in support of its parks?

Texas ranks 49th among the 50 states in funding for state parks. With Texas' population pushing 23 million, the state parks annual operating budget is a puny $54.4 million, or roughly $2.37 per Texan - about what you might pay for a small cheeseburger.

At a time when the Texas state government enjoys a surplus of eight billion dollars, support for the park system has gone from bad to worse.

Dabney, the parks director, said operations at 50 parks had to be cut in December and 73 staff positions were eliminated. "We came close to closing one-third of the system," he said.

Now, in addition to its other problems, the park system may have to eat the costs of repairs due to Hurricane Rita.

The reason? According to [Director of the Infrastructure Division] Whiston, FEMA officials cite the state agency's lack of flood insurance, which FEMA requires as a condition for reimbursement.

"We are trying to work with them to see if we could be exempted from that," Whiston said. "We are -- as is typical for a state agency -- self-insured in most cases. And flood insurance on coastal properties is impossible. We're unable to get it."

Since the 1990s, Texas state parks have been funded by a portion of the sporting goods sales tax. But the portion dedicated to the park system was capped, and for the last several years the parks' operating budget has been stagnant. Amid the current funding debate are renewed rumors of privatization.

Last summer, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department commissioners contemplated selling off 46,000 acres of Big Bend Ranch State Park, the largest state park in Texas, to John Poindexter, the Houston businessman who owns the nearby Cibolo Creek Ranch luxury resort. The proposed sale, endorsed by TPWD staff, was pretty
such business as usual for the department, where selling parkland, transferring state parks to counties and cities, and downgrading state parks to “wildlife management areas” are all in a day’s work. But when news leaked out that a chunk of the 299,000-acre state ranch on the Rio Grande was up for grabs, a sudden public outcry led the parks commissioners to reject the proposal–unanimously.

Gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn blasted Governor Perry over the proposal to sell Big Bend, but her record on this issue isn't stellar, either.

Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn recently proposed to privatize the Texas State Railroad in her e-Texas publication. Senate Bill 1260, which was filed today in the Senate, would require that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to contract with a private company. The section of the bill states "the department may not operate the Texas State Railroad."

The proposal was ultimately shelved, but funding for the railroad was never resolved, and talks of retiring the train are back on the agenda.

A Texas State Parks Advisory Committee is set to look into the funding issue. A likely recommendation is to raise or eliminate the cap on the amount of money parks can get from the sporting goods tax. The advisory committee has vowed to take their fight to the 2007 legislature, and perhaps they'll find a sympathetic ear. As the FWST editorial noted:

The anorexic parks budget should be greatly increased by the Legislature in its regular biennial session in 2007. This would enable the parks system to add employees, pay for desperately needed capital and maintenance projects, reinstate curtailed programs and buy additional parkland that would prove to be a vital asset in coming decades as Texas' population increases by 50 percent or more.

The problem is straight forward, and the cure is fairly simple, but does this mean we're likely to see a solution next year? To paraphrase the FWST editorial board, we'll believe it when we see it.