Newsroom

With campaign over, it’s time to focus on Texas

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Texas Senator Kirk Watson, Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, released the following statement Thursday regarding Governor Rick Perry’s announcement that he will suspend his Presidential campaign:

The unfortunate truth is that this campaign began early last year with the failed policies that were imposed by those in control of the Texas Legislature. Now that the campaign is over and Governor Perry is returning to Texas, we hope he will focus on the real challenges facing Texans that the state has created on his watch.

• Texas needs Governor Perry to focus on reforming a broken budget that for years has been balanced with a toxic mix of debt, diversions and deception – and that has resulted in lawsuits over the failed Margins Tax.
• He must start to address a neglected education system that last year failed to fund the growth in our schools for the first time in memory, and that’s prompted hundreds of school districts to take the state to court.
• He must repudiate the cynical "emergency" agenda he pushed last year that had a disproportionate impact on Texas’ most vulnerable citizens and on Hispanics.
• And he must take action on Texas’ looming water shortage that threatens our economy and our way of life.

The next legislative session is less than a year away – not much time given the work that’s before us.

We need to get to work. And we offer our help in finding solutions and charting a new course that will correct past mistakes, avoid political expediency, build a strong future, and ensure that our children, grandchildren and future generations will continue to be proud of Texas.