Well, that didn’t take long. As I noted earlier, I held out high hopes for the Tea Party Caucus Advisory Committee because I know a few of the members that Sen. Patrick handpicked to be on the committee and they are reasonable, smart people. And after their first meeting, I thought that perhaps they would have the willpower to overcome Dannie’s habit of putting style over substance. Oh well, so much for that thought.
In a lengthy press release, the TPCAC attacks one of the more thoughtful conservatives in the House, Rep. Jim Pitts, and at the same time reinforces the idea that Tea Party folks are full of hot air and no substance. But I’m guessing that Gov. Perry is happy because they completely ignored his lack of leadership in identifying areas to cut, instead heaping praise on him for his bloviating style of non-leadership. Oh, sure, the TPCAC press release is good at highlighting the problems but when it comes to solutions, they offer not a single dollar of savings in their fourteen points of rhetoric. Let’s review.
- The TPCAC doesn’t identify a single spending program that is not legal according to the Texas Constitution. HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Zero based budgeting is great – but the TPCAC doesn’t identify a single dollar to be saved. HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Again, not a single dollar identified for cuts. But if you are from Oklahoma, I guess they are saying that you cannot stop at a Texas rest stop to take a leak. HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- They came close on this one. Surely they have calculators available for their use. HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- The old standby – competition. Great. HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- LOL – let’s defer purchases until later. Sound familiar? BTW, HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Some of this is doable, some is nonsense but again: HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- This one is priceless. Cut pay for state employees – but be careful!!! Don’t cut their pay so much that we add them to the social service rolls! Too freaking funny – I can almost see them kicking back adding a dollar to a Texas Ranger’s salary so that they are over the minimum. BTW, HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Shifting fund balances doesn’t save a penny. Don’t believe me? Think lottery proceeds. HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Review and match funding with mission – isn’t that what the legislature does every two years? BTW, HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Ah, another bullet point for review. HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Sure, no more state parks. That’ll play with the voters. BTW, HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Another review but this time we’ll curtail as well. HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE?
- Reassert State Sovereignty? HOW MUCH WILL THAT SAVE?
Fourteen bullet points, fourteen whiffs.
Yo, TPCAC, where’s the beef? It is time to put away the rhetoric and come forward with real, substantial cuts. You want to play, do the work necessary to get on the field. And tell Gov. Perry to do the same. You ridicule Rep. Pitts but at least he is in the game and working hard. People are tired of this nonsense; it is time to put up or shut up.
Think you can do that? Heck, I’ll donate a calculator if that is the problem. Just let me know. Seriously guys, this is embarrassing. I know some of you and I know you are smarter than this. Don’t let Dannie’s style ruin your opportunity to make a real difference.
Simple Simon says
It is always tougher to make actual cuts in spending. Someone is likely to get mad.
I have a few ideas that will not save a dime today, but just might in the future.
1. Move all municipal, school board, and county elections to the same cycle as national elections.
2. Mandate that all bond elections happen during November national elections.
3. Learn to speak in terms of what we need, what we want, and what would be nice to have.
Good piece David. I am glad to see you return to the old stomping grounds.
Simple
Texpat says
David, the Tea Party Advisory Caucus Committee document is a disaster. Is there no one in that group qualified to write something that can be taken seriously in Austin or anywhere, for that matter ?
Who is advising them ? Anyone ? They look like children playing at the game of politics.
I am very, very disappointed. If this group’s members are proteges under the wing of Dan Patrick, where is his staff in the deal ? They should know better than to let this go out unless DP has decided to move on to his next project.
EricPWJohnson says
Simon,
I second your motion and further want bond issues broken down into 3 parts
Schools
Stuff
other buildings
each to be voted on seperately
Gritsforbreakfast says
I gotta tell you, very few realistic cuts are being proposed in Austin by anybody, at least not that will get the state remotely close to closing the gap.
The four big spending areas are schools, healthcare, roads and corrections. Cut schools then local property taxes rise and Tea Party Rs get primaried by school-board members. Cut healthcare and we lose $2 federal dollars for every state dollar cut. We’re already paying for roads with debt instead of taxes. And there’s money to be saved in prisons and public safety, but even if they cut everything I want them to it’d only get you to a billion or so (and even so, they’ll end up cutting less). Everything else is chump change as it relates to the tax burden, mere symbolism. All real budget solutions must come from those areas.
They haven’t even STARTED talking seriously (at least in public) about real solutions, and we’re almost halfway through session. I think that’s partly because the conversations should have begun last year but during election season everybody pretended the economy was in great shape and we had no problems. I predict summer special sessions on the budget because I don’t see how they pull a rabbit out of the hat, particularly with redistricting in the mix this year.
Simple Simon says
Grits,
Too true. We no longer elect leaders.
Simple