Thread: TX: Perry Gripes about Inaction

Gov. proposes selling Texas lottery By KELLEY SHANNON, Associated Press Writer
Tue Feb 6, 6:57 PM ET



Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday proposed selling the state lottery for at least $14 billion to create an endowment for Texans without health insurance and a trust fund for cancer research.

That money could be used to form a $2.7 billion endowment for the uninsured and to create a $3 billion fund for the fight against cancer, Perry said in his State of the State address.

Both funds would generate ongoing payments, he said.

"This moment in time is a unique opportunity to address great challenges and build the foundation for a future of unparalleled prosperity," the Republican governor said.

No state has sold or leased its lottery, although several are considering it. Last month, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels proposed leasing the state lottery for 30 years to pay for scholarships aimed at keeping Indiana's top college graduates in-state.

In Texas, the lottery reported more than $3.77 billion in sales in the 2006 fiscal year, the highest amount in its 14-year history. The lottery contributes $1 billion per year to public schools.

Several legislative leaders questioned the idea, with some skeptical the lottery would fetch $14 billion and others wondering what it would mean for gambling overall.

"Basically by privatizing the lottery you legalize private-run gambling operations in Texas," said Sen. Steve Ogden, the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Perry also outlined proposals for increased tax relief, property tax appraisal relief, higher education, state budgeting transparency and hurricane preparedness. He spent some time complaining about what he said were unfair federal actions or inaction on health care funding, border security and environmental regulations, as well.

First, I am trying to figure out why Governor Goodhair and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels keep playing Monkey-see-Monkey-do. I mean, first you have the NAFTA Highway fiasco in both states, now we have this lottery problem.

Second, why does Texas need to wait for the Federal Government to do anything? Arizona didn't wait. Farmers Branch, Pahrump, and Hazleton didn't wait. By delaying, Perry is just sucking up to his friends in Mexico and his ol' buddy Bush in the White House, just like he's sucking up to Merck on the cervical cancer shot garbage.

You forgot sucking up our money TRant.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/16641940.htm


Perry vows to help poor Texans
By JOHN MORITZ
STAR-TELEGRAM AUSTIN BUREAU

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Harry Cabluck

Gov. Rick Perry proposes selling the lottery to fund social programs.
More photosAUSTIN -- In a speech laced with high ideals and ambitious proposals, and an unorthodox method of paying for some of them, Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday urged Texas lawmakers to extend health coverage to low-income adults and to establish endowments that would fund cancer research and help pay for public education.

In his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature, Perry also called for boosting spending on higher education by $1.7 billion, allocating $100 million to better secure Texas' border with Mexico, limiting the increases in local property appraisals and rebating any surplus state money to taxpayers.

Texas, Perry said, enjoys robust health fueled by an expanding economy and a vibrant business climate. But, he said, too many Texans have been unable to share in the bounty.

"For many, times are very good," Perry said. "But left out of the jubilation are nearly 4 million Texans who live in prosperity's shadow rather than in its light."

Perry vowed to spend the nearly four years remaining in his term embracing policies that he hopes will bridge the gap between rich and poor. And he proposed devoting more state resources to encourage private enterprise to assist in that effort.

Legislative leaders and interest groups awarded Perry high marks for charting an ambitious course. But some, including many of Perry's fellow Republicans, tempered their comments with skepticism, questioning whether key components of his agenda for the 80th Legislature are practical or even wise.

Leaders unconvinced

Both House Speaker Tom Craddick and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who presides over the Texas Senate, came away unconvinced that Perry's idea of selling the Texas Lottery to private interests would be in the state's best interests. In his speech, Perry said the state could expect $14 billion or more up front. The state would invest the money and the dividends would fund an array of social programs, including cancer research and money to help the uninsured.

"I'm certainly in favor of cancer research," Craddick said. "I don't know whether selling the lottery is what we need to do or not."

Dewhurst questioned whether the state would come out ahead, considering that the lottery currently helps pay more than $1 billion of the state's tab for operating public schools each year. Under Perry's proposal, the lottery endowment for public education would be $800 million annually.

State Sen. Florence Shapiro, a Plano Republican who heads the Senate Education Committee, was more direct in her criticism.

"The citizens voted for the lottery for the purpose of education funding," she said. "This would be taking that money and diverting it to other areas."

Democrats, meanwhile, sounded encouraged by Perry's call for expanded health coverage for low-income Texans. But they were also quick to point out that Perry led the charge to cut social programs when the state had fallen on hard times during the 2003 legislative session.

"I hope that Gov. Perry will deliver on the promises he made today, and if he does he will find me willing to work with him on many issues," said state Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth. "However, the pledges in his State of the State address stand in contrast to his administration's track record."

The governor called his plan to extend health coverage to struggling residents "Healthier Texas." He said the plan would redirect hundreds of million of federal dollars now being spent on uncompensated care into a pool to purchase insurance for adults who make less than 200 percent of the poverty level, or about $37,000 annually for a family of four.

The plan would cost the state about $200 million for every 500,000 Texans who enroll. That expenditure would draw $300 million in matching funds from Washington.

"The financial cost would be modest, the social benefit extraordinary," he said.

Perry came into the House chamber for the fourth State of the State of his governorship under criticism from his fellow conservatives over his decision last week to order state health officials to prepare to vaccinate all girls entering the sixth grade against the sexually transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer.

The move has sparked outrage from many who say it usurps parents' rights, forcing them to make the decision to opt out if they object, rather than choosing to have their daughters vaccinated.

Perry addressed their concerns head-on, disputing arguments that the move might lead to increased teenage sexual activity. He said that he understands the concerns, but that women's health trumps them.

"I refuse to look a young woman in the eye 10 years from now who suffers from this form of cancer and tell her we could have stopped it, but we didn't," Perry said. "Others may focus on the cause of this cancer. I will stay focused on the cure. And if I err, I will err on the side of protecting life."

Perry chastised the Bush administration for shuffling much of the cost of illegal immigration onto the states. Perry also said the feds are shortchanging Texas and other states on such programs as Medicaid.

While waiting for Washington to act, Perry said, the Legislature should allocate $100 million for border security by emphasizing law-enforcement tactics such as attacking drug trafficking and human smuggling.

He also said his plan for a guest worker program would not mean a free ticket to Texas for illegal immigrants.

"Those who come here illegally should not be rewarded with amnesty," Perry said. "And...those who hire illegal aliens should face tough penalties."

Perry called for allocating $50 million to turn out more nursing school graduates and for a $360 million increase in college financial aid.

"Ultimately, higher education is not about the buildings we fund, but the lives we improve," he said.

ONLINE: www.governor.state.tx.us

PERRY'S PROPOSALS

Key points of Gov. Rick Perry's State of the State address included:

Devote all of the revenues generated by the sales tax on sporting goods to developing and maintaining state parks, which would increase park funding by about $90 million annually.

Increase funding for higher education by $1.7 billion, including $360 million for financial aid programs, $40 million to boost the number of graduates in engineering and technology fields and $50 million to turn out more nursing school graduates.

Develop fitness programs for schoolchildren to combat childhood obesity.

Control property appraisals to make sure the tax cuts enacted last year are realized.

Develop programs aimed at rehabilitating prison inmates to reduce recidivism and alleviate crowding.

Promote clean air through a greater investment in a program that cleans up dirty engines.

Increased investment in Texas for wind energy and bio-fuel development and new investments in nuclear power.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Moritz, 512-476-4294 jmoritz@star-telegram.com

All I see is benefits for illegal aliens. What's the deal with hiking the funds for higher education?

Take back the instate-tuition for illegal aliens and/or their children and you wont have to squeak any money out of another part of the budget.

The money is all ready there Hair Spray Perry, you just have to undo what you signed in 2004 and take the tuition away form the illegal aliens.

Oh, I forgot a few weeks ago, you said you wouldn't do that and it's a bad idea.

Reduce the funding that is going to ESL classes. The most over funded school program. I bet it gets more money than the athletic programs.

Elected by the minority, suffering by the majority.

Dixie

The state lotto is a joke! The lotto must go! It won't, though. Greedy money-peddlers like Perry wouldn't do something responsible like that. As was stated by others, you can improve the education program by cutting some of the wasteful junk, like bilingual ed and ESL.

Besides, we need that money to build more luxury boxes in our high school football stadiums!

If I understand it correctly, Michigan did sell their lottery.

jp,

That's what I understood too!

Dixie