Texas governor candidates in Democratic primary March 1
Beto O’Rourke
Occupation: 2020-2021 school year, taught courses at Texas State and University of Texas. Also a partner in a commercial property business in El Paso.
Age: 49
Campaign Website: https://betoorourke.com/
Best way for voters to reach you: info@betofortexas.com
Have you run for or held elected office before?
Held: El Paso City Council - 2005-2011
Held: US Congress (TX-16) - 2013-2019
Sought: US Senate - 2018 Election
Sought - US President - 2020 Election
Please list highlights of your civic involvement (for example, service on boards/commissions or leadership positions held):
Most recently, I founded and led Powered by People, a Texas-based organization that — among other accomplishments — used its tens of thousands volunteers to register over 250,000 Texans to vote and raise $1.4 million dollars to distribute water and supplies to Texans who lost power during Winter Storm Uri.
From 2013-2019, I served in Congress where I worked on the Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and Armed Services committees and carried several legislative initiatives to expand access to mental health care for veterans.
From 2005-2011, I served on the El Paso City Council where I focused on economic development. We took our mass transit system from one of the worst in the country to the most improved in America and rewrote the subdivision code to encourage more sustainable development.
Prior to serving on the City Council, I founded and ran a small business in my community and was a member of the El Paso Rotary Club, served on the Center Against Family Violence capital campaign, and was a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board member.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain. I was arrested for attempted forcible entry in 1995 and for a DWI in 1998. Both charges were dismissed.
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: No.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? (Did not respond)
Why are you seeking this office? I’m running for governor because I want to make sure the best jobs in America are being created right here in Texas, that we become a national leader in education, and that we remain a global energy leader. I want us to move forward on common-sense solutions like expanding Medicaid to help ensure every Texan can see a doctor and be well enough to live up to their full potential.
If we are going to overcome the deep divisions in our state and country, we need a governor willing to work with anyone, regardless of party affiliation. That has always been my focus: I spent my entire career in Congress in the minority, but I didn’t let that stop me from finding common ground with my Republican colleagues. I’m proud that I was able to pass legislation to expand mental health care for veterans and get it signed into law by a Republican president.
Our current governor is too focused on dividing people, not on reaching across the aisle to achieve big things for this state.
What are the biggest challenges facing the area you’re seeking to represent? Our biggest challenge is that we have a governor who is hurting us at every turn.
You see it in last February’s deadly power grid failure, the over 80,000 Texans who have died of Covid, the fact that our schools are underfunded by an average of $4,000 per student, and the fact that we lead the nation in the number of Texans who can’t afford to see a doctor or fill their prescriptions.
As governor, everything I do will be focused on helping Texans.
I’ll fix the power grid so it prioritizes the lives and livelihoods of Texans, not energy executives — and I’ll hold accountable the gas companies that took advantage of Texans during last February’s power grid failure. I’ll take Covid seriously and get Texans back to work and back in school. I’ll invest more resources into our classrooms and increase teacher pay. And I’ll expand Medicaid to help ensure every Texan is well enough to pursue an education and fulfilling career.
What would your top 3 policy priorities be?
1) Fixing the power grid so that Texans never have to experience another deadly grid failure like they did last February.
2) Fully funding our public schools so that every child in Texas gets a world-class education and graduates prepared for the best jobs in America.
3) Expanding health care access to ensure that every Texan can afford to see a doctor and be well enough to live up to their full potential.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? My primary focus has always been on the people of Texas. When I worked in Congress and the El Paso City Council, I kept a constant line of communication with my constituents, holding weekly town halls to listen to their ideas about everything from economic development, health care, education, and beyond.
Even when not in office, I’ve focused on service, from delivering water and supplies to Texans during the grid failure and leading an organization that registered 250,000 voters during a time of massive voter suppression. I’ve done this work by putting in the effort to meet Texans where they are and visiting each of this state’s 254 counties.
This is in contrast to my opponent, who has stopped listening to and focusing on the people of this state. He is most focused on serving his donors and the most extreme voices in his party — evidenced by the power grid failure and his extreme policies on reproductive rights, Covid, permitless carry, defunding public education, and voter suppression that are out of touch with most Texans.
What should the state do to reduce local property taxes? The primary culprit of our rising property taxes is the fact that the state no longer pays its fair share of school funding. The state pays just 40% of what it costs to fund our schools, leaving local taxpayers to carry the majority of the burden. As governor, I will increase the state’s share, meaning lower property taxes for all of us.
I will expand Medicaid to reduce the property taxes we pay to hospital districts. Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation, meaning when uninsured residents go to the ER, hospitals and local taxpayers are forced to pick up the tab on all that uncompensated care. Expanding Medicaid will bring down those costs and lower property taxes as a result.
I will also close the “Equal and Uniform” loophole that allows commercial property owners to cheat the system and place an unfair burden on homeowners. Getting rid of this loophole will level the playing field, ensure large corporations pay their fair share, and lower property taxes for the rest of us.
Is the Texas power grid prepared for another winter storm? What further measures should the state take to address electricity generation, weatherization and the long-term energy needs of the state? Governor Abbott hasn’t done enough to ensure we don’t face another grid failure. The CEO of our own grid operator, ERCOT, has said that if Texas were to experience another storm like Winter Storm Uri, we would face a significant shortfall in power supply and suffer more deadly blackouts.
To keep the lights on in Texas, I will: 1) Weatherize all elements of the grid, including the natural gas supply; 2) Connect Texas to the national grid so that we can draw down power from other states during emergencies; and 3) Invest in energy efficiency programs to both reduce demand on the grid and lower Texans’ utility bills.
I’ll also pursue justice for Texans who were ripped off during the grid failure. I’ll establish an independent market monitor to prevent gas suppliers and traders from jacking up the price of fuel during emergencies. Under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, I will sue the companies that made $11 billion in profit while Texans froze and return that money back to Texas ratepayers.
Should Texas be building a border wall? Should more or fewer state resources be dedicated to the border? Texas should be THE leader on addressing immigration. No state has more to gain or lose. But to lead on this, every dollar we spend should be focused on solutions that benefit the Texas economy, encourage job creation, and guarantee the legal, orderly system of immigration that we should expect at our border.
Instead of focusing on solutions, Greg Abbott’s $3 billion political stunt on the border is constructing new border wall where it isn’t needed, and it has taken 10,000 Texas Guard troops away from their families and careers — while delaying their pay and cutting their benefits — even though troops themselves say their presence on the border has had little to no impact on immigration.
In a state that leads the nation in the number of people who can’t afford to see a doctor, and that underfunds public schools by $4,000 compared to the national average, we can’t afford to waste billions of dollars on political grandstanding.
Texas’ urban areas continue to grow rapidly, what can the state do to reduce the time Texans spend in traffic and address infrastructure needs that come with a booming population? Roadway congestion in Texas causes billions in lost economic opportunity while increasing urban pollution and stress on our infrastructure. Local communities and their leaders know the solutions; they just need a partner in a governor who takes this issue seriously.
Texas just received over $30 billion from President Biden’s infrastructure package to update our roads, highways, and bridges while improving public transportation options across the state.
But after spending years blocking other federal investments from reaching our Texas communities, Governor Abbott responded to these new infrastructure dollars by instructing state agencies to hesitate before taking the funding that we all paid into. As Governor, I will work with local partners to identify infrastructure needs across this state — and then I’ll work with state and federal agencies to bring necessary funding home to our communities.
How can state government help ensure Texas has enough affordable housing to accommodate its growth? Texas has long been known as an affordable place to raise a family and start a business. But we may lose this competitive edge as housing prices increase.
Skyrocketing property taxes are pricing people out of their homes and disincentivizing growth. To address this, we can increase the state’s share of school funding to lower the burden on property taxpayers, expand Medicaid to reduce the taxes we pay to local hospital districts, and close loopholes that allow corporate property owners to cheat the appraisal process and get out of paying their fair share of property taxes.
We can also expand housing access by repealing state laws that stifle affordable housing. Texas is one of just three states that prohibit cities from requiring developers to provide housing for low-income residents when they request zoning changes, and we’re one of just two states that prohibit cities from making it illegal for landowners to discriminate against renters who use federal housing vouchers.
What should the state do to improve access to healthcare and make it more affordable? With 1 in 5 Texans uninsured, Texas leads the nation in the number of people who can’t afford to see a doctor or fill a prescription. We also rank 41st in the nation for doctors per capita: one-fourth of Texas counties have only one doctor or no doctor at all, and half lack a medical specialist of any kind.
While expanding Medicaid in Texas is our best shot at keeping rural hospitals open and getting people the care they need, Greg Abbott has refused to take action, blocking $100 billion of our own federal tax dollars from coming to Texas to expand health coverage.
As governor, I will expand Medicaid. This will not only keep rural hospitals open and ensure more Texans can see a doctor, but it will lower premiums for those who are already insured, as expanding Medicaid has lowered marketplace premiums by 7 percent in the states that have expanded. I will also create incentives like loan forgiveness programs to encourage physicians to practice in underserved rural communities.
If the Supreme Court opens the door to new abortion restrictions, what should Texas’ policy be? Should abortions be allowed, and under what circumstances? By what level of fetal development, if any, should abortion be permitted? This state’s persistent attack on reproductive health care has contributed to the fact that Texas has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation and the rest of the developed world. We’ve already lost half of our women’s health clinics in the past decade, making it harder and harder for low-income women to access cervical cancer screenings, family planning help, and maternal health support.
The extreme anti-choice measure that Governor Abbott signed into law last year is making it even harder for women to receive the care they need. The law bans nearly all abortions in the state of Texas and makes no exception in cases of rape or incest. Its vague language around medical emergencies is also tying the hands of physicians, who now say they fear repercussions for ending a pregnancy even in cases where that is the only way to save the mother’s life. And it places a $10,000 bounty on the head of anyone who supports a woman who exercises her right to control her own health and decide her own future.
I will do everything in my power as governor to repeal this law and uphold the right to choose as guaranteed under Roe v. Wade.
What further changes, if any, in Texas election law do you support? Every citizen in this state should be able to vote. But under Greg Abbott’s leadership, Texas is the hardest state in which to register to vote and cast a ballot — and the voter suppression measure that the governor signed into law last year is only going to make it harder.
Texas has closed more polling places than any other state in the past decade. For over a century, extreme gerrymandering has diluted the voting power of communities of color and low-income voters. We’re one of just a handful of states that does not offer online voter registration, and new, confusing mail-in ballot laws have complicated the process for elderly and disabled Texans.
As governor, I will ensure every eligible voter can have a say in our future. I will support online and same-day voter registration, reduce obstacles to voting by mail, expand access to polling sites, and establish nonpartisan redistricting commissions to ensure that Texas voters have the power to pick their leaders, not the other way around.
Should Texas legalize marijuana? Why or why not and to what extent should the state’s marijuana laws be changed, if at all? We shouldn’t be punishing and locking Texans up for the possession of a substance that is legal in much of the rest of the country. It’s time for Texas to legalize marijuana through a system of taxation, licensing, and regulation, and to expunge the records of all Texans who have been arrested for marijuana possession.
Legalizing marijuana will bring in nearly $1 billion in new state revenue and reduced criminal justice costs that we can invest in public schools and teacher pay raises. It will also reduce the vast racial disparities that exist in our criminal justice system and allow law enforcement officers to focus their time and attention on violent crime. It’s the right thing to do.
What steps should Texas take to continue to address COVID-19 in Texas, including North Texas? If state leaders would have taken Covid seriously from the beginning, we wouldn’t have lost 80,000 Texans and we could have kept kids in school and gotten Texans back to work much sooner.
To address Covid in Texas, we have to follow the science and ensure that public health decisions are based on the best advice from public health experts, not politics.
The governor should ensure that we have testing available to every Texan, promote educational campaigns that encourage Texans to get vaccinated, and hire additional health care workers to fill critical staffing shortages in our hospitals.
And instead of tying the hands of local leaders, the governor should give power back to school boards, mayors, county judges, and local health authorities to implement the public health measures they deem best for their communities.
Michael Cooper
Did not respond.
Joy Diaz
Occupation: Former reporter, former school teacher
Age: 45
Campaign website: www.joydiaz.com or www.texasneedsjoy.com
Best way for voters to reach you: Texasneedsjoy@gmail.com
Education: BA in Journalism and equivalency BA in Education
Have you run for or held elected office before? No
Please list highlights of your civic involvement (for example, service on boards/commissions or leadership positions held): I was a reporter until recently. As a reporter, I was prevented from serving in anything that may - make me look biased. I’ve never served in a commission or a board.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain. No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain. NO
Who are your top three campaign contributors? My doctor, a friend from VA and women in my life (friends)
Why are you seeking this office? I am running for Governor because - our current governor is failing at his job. He forgot that the position demands public service and not self-service. I can serve Texans and I am ready to do it.
What are the biggest challenges facing the area you’re seeking to represent? Texas faces many challenges. While our economy is booming, our education system is imploding. It is not sustainable. Our economy will collapse as well if we don’t have an emergency intervention in our education system. Healthcare is a HUGE concern. Expanding Medicaid is a priority. We can’t politicize healthcare particularly in the middle of a global pandemic. And there are real needs in Texas. The current governor has made up stories about the border that have nothing to do with the reality on the ground AND YET - there are real needs at the border. We need to restore order at the border instead of the “man-made” chaos that Greg Abbott has created. He’s been our leader for 8 years. Whatever failures, they are his. From voter right restrictions to women’s health
What would your top 3 policy priorities be? Expansion of Medicaid on day one. Heavy investments in Education as quickly as we can. Negotiations with federal governments of Mexico and the US to figure out roles and responsibilities at the US/MX border.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? Because my opponents are very similar to the status quo. I am the only woman running on the Democratic ticket. My parents were missionaries who worked in garbage dumps building schools and clinics. They reared me for service. I am a former school teacher. And a former reporter. Both are service-oriented professions. But, reporting, gave me a unique opportunity to learn about policy and the implementation of policy from the perspective of the people of Texas. If elected, I would be the first bicultural and bilingual governor - something that will be very useful in negotiating with Mexico and the US about border and water issues.
What should the state do to reduce local property taxes? The state needs to find other sources of revenue. While I could sit here and tell you that my administration will reduce local property taxes - I can’t do so with a clear conscience. We have tied the hands of Texas. We don’t have a state income tax (per Constitutional amendment) and we pay for everything with property taxes and sales taxes. How are roads to be paid, then? How are schools supposed to survive or dare to thrive? We CAN reduce property taxes BUT something’s gotta give. Let’s amend the Constitution again to find a source of revenue.
Is the Texas power grid prepared for another winter storm? What further measures should the state take to address electricity generation, weatherization and the long-term energy needs of the state? The grid is not prepared and everyone knows that. And we know what we need to do. We have ONE study from after the 2011 freeze and we have many reviews that came out of the 2021 freeze. We KNOW what we need to do. We need a governor who - in the wise words of Nike - will “JUST DO IT”
Should Texas be building a border wall? Should more or fewer state resources be dedicated to the border? What Texas needs to do - is to have a sit down with local border leaders and it needs to ask (as your governor I will do this, BTW) - I will ask - what do you need to better secure the border? What does your community see as a priority? Does a wall serve you well? As a candidate, I’ve been asking those questions. Only once did I hear - I need a wall around my property - and that answer came from a rancher. Most everyone else says - we need more technology and less “militarization” at the border. We need more trade. We need more visitors. When the border was closed for COVID our businesses died. We need money to fix our bridges (they are used by millions of people every month). Infrastructure needs a big infusion of cash. No, we don’t need more dollars for walls. Yes, we need more strategic and smart investments at the border.
What should the state do to improve access to healthcare and make it more affordable? Our state needs to expand Medicaid on day one of my new administration. The decade long fight with the federal government about Obamacare needs to stop. It is immoral to prevent Texans from accessing healthcare - it was immoral before COVID and more so DURING COVID. We also need to audit state agencies that have money for healthcare and have not been using it for that purpose. We need to gather all of those money sources and start allocating them properly. We are an Uber wealthy state. Our people can not die because they lack healthcare. Not here. Not now.
Texas’ urban areas continue to grow rapidly, what can the state do to reduce the time Texans spend in traffic and address infrastructure needs that come with a booming population? We know the answer to all these questions but the state is not addressing our needs. How do you reduce traffic? With meaningful solutions. Public transportation that is reliable, environmentally friendly and affordable is one meaningful solution. Routes that connect communities is another meaningful solution. But are we willing to do what we know is right? Are we?
How can state government help ensure Texas has enough affordable housing to accommodate its growth? One way is by enacting ordinances that are upheld. For years Austin - for example - has had the right intention but not the best implementation to affordable housing. There have been ordinances that demand builders have a certain amount of affordable units in their projects. But how affordable is it to designate a couple of housing units that are 15% below market rate in a construction project where everything is in the million dollar range. Those units are cheaper but not affordable. Affordability demands an effort on all involved parties. And we need better promotion to some existing programs. The problems and solutions we are talking about - are problems and solutions people in Texas have been discussing for years. There are existing programs that promote home-ownership among people of lower incomes. But we are not promoting those programs. They exist at the local and at the state levels. In order to promote affordable home ownership, people need to know that those programs exist.
If the Supreme Court opens the door to new abortion restrictions, what should Texas’ policy be? Should abortions be allowed, and under what circumstances? By what level of fetal development, if any, should abortion be permitted? Texas needs to start investing heavily in women’s health and in better outcomes to our health. Women are THE MAJORITY of the population. With more than 50 percent of people being women, it’s time our needs are met. Women - sometimes - need to end a pregnancy. That is a need. Not a want. That is a medical condition. We need to ensure women have access to be best in medical procedures. Texans also need to start learning about the biology of the human species. We teach children about the biology of other species but we don’t have - age appropriate - biology conversations about the human body. How does a pregnancy happen? How can you prevent a pregnancy? That is biology. We also need free and widely available state-sponsored birth control for both men and women. Vasectomies need to be free. Birth control via pills, IUD or other need to be free.
What further changes, if any, in Texas election law do you support? Open carry needs to go. Access to the voting booth needs to be expanded. Restrictive and discriminatory voting laws need to go. We need healthcare and we need it now. We need to fund education appropriately. Funding laws need to change. The constitution needs to be amended to allow for a statewide funding mechanism for school funding rather than the local tax collection for schools. It’s about equity. Our water is at risk - we need to renegotiate our water agreements with Mexico. Our environment is at risk. We need to make sure we can protect our species and promote economic development. Experts can guide us.
Should Texas legalize marijuana? Why or why not and to what extent should the state’s marijuana laws be changed, if at all? Yes - because we now know more than we did 30 years ago. We know of it’s health benefits and we know of its economic benefits. We also know that we did wrong incarcerating people for decades on end for personal drug use. We now understand addiction and marijuana to be two different things. Addiction being an illness and marijuana use being something that can benefit a person’s health and quality of life.
What steps should Texas take to continue to address COVID-19 in Texas, including North Texas? The challenge of inheriting a pandemic 2+ years into it - is that the lack of wise, science based guidance - has taken hold of our communities. Nevertheless - we need to take control based on the best available science. We will not close businesses as we now know that social distancing and masking help prevent the spread of the virus. BUT we do need to have options for schools experiencing outbreaks to have children learning virtually. We do need to have a separate set of teachers handling online classes and we do need to have masking policies in place. While there are some people whose doctor’s wouldn’t recommend they get the vaccine due to suppressed immune systems - most people can and should get vaccinated.
Inocencio (Inno) Barrientez
Occupation: Retired
Age: 72
Campaign website: na
Best way for voters to reach you: iwcul1@yahoo.com
Education: 15 SH graduate program
Have you run for or held elected office before? no
Please list highlights of your civic involvement (for example, service on boards/commissions or leadership positions held): Military, and Business owner
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain. not in the last 40 years
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain. no
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Family
Why are you seeking this office? Texas is in trouble and need to be re- booted, Change the systemic racist system
What are the biggest challenges facing the area you’re seeking to represent? Opening voters eyes as to the state of affairs
What would your top 3 policy priorities be? Reform, laws, taxes on Seniors, and Prisons
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? Because I a one of them.
What should the state do to reduce local property taxes? Eliminate some positions that are duplicating functions
Is the Texas power grid prepared for another winter storm? What further measures should the state take to address electricity generation, weatherization and the long-term energy needs of the state? Take over the power grids for better control
Should Texas be building a border wall? Should more or fewer state resources be dedicated to the border? We do not need a border wall, we need to redirect money to helping eliminate border problems. We have never in the history to Texas needed a border wall. If land owners want to put up a fence that should be at their expense.
What should the state do to improve access to healthcare and make it more affordable? Make forms short and simple so common individuals can apply.
Texas’ urban areas continue to grow rapidly, what can the state do to reduce the time Texans spend in traffic and address infrastructure needs that come with a booming population? We need to address the issue of people from other states moving to Texas, plus put in more bypass roads so that travelers can eliminate going thru the cities.
How can state government help ensure Texas has enough affordable housing to accommodate its growth? We already have enough affordable housing, we only have to cap the cost of homes at the initial price for tax purposes.
If the Supreme Court opens the door to new abortion restrictions, what should Texas’ policy be? Should abortions be allowed, and under what circumstances? By what level of fetal development, if any, should abortion be permitted? It is not a mans choice to make, Women need to be mature enough to make a decision
What further changes, if any, in Texas election law do you support? Do not restrict election places or voter drop boxes
Should Texas legalize marijuana? Why or why not and to what extent should the state’s marijuana laws be changed, if at all? Yes, for adult home use, and not distributed by cartels, but run and inspected by the State
What steps should Texas take to continue to address COVID-19 in Texas, including North Texas? Mandate vaccines
Rich Wakeland
Occupation: Licensed Engineer and Attorney in Texas
Age: 64
Campaign website: www.wakelandfortexas.com
Best way for voters to reach you:
Go to campaign website, www.wakelandfortexas.com go to contact us, fill out email and submit your questions
Education:
BS Nuclear Engineering – Texas A&M UniversityMS Mechanical Engineering – The University of Texas at AustinJ.D. – The University of Texas School of Law
Have you run for or held elected office before? No
Please list highlights of your civic involvement (for example, service on boards/commissions or leadership positions held). Board of Directors and President 1400 Hermann Homeowners Association
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain. Yes, failure to stop and provide information. Dismissed because I left information with the valet (the other vehicle was parked). The arresting officer said it had to be left on the vehicle.
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain.
Many. I was a practicing trial attorney for 13 years. During that time, individuals who had sued my clients also decided to sue me. Early in my career I was sued by a criminal defendant. Once I was sued by the Trustee in Bankruptcy because they thought I might be able to claim funds from an entity in bankruptcy. In all instances the suits were non-suited with no settlement by the parties who filed suit. I’ve never filed bankruptcy, nor been a principle in a bankruptcy proceeding. Only joined by the Trustee to include all parties who might have claims or assets.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Bill Waters, Hannah Turner, Kevin Myers
Why are you seeking this office? I want to restore competence and confidence in government. I believe sober reforms are the basis of coherent government which inspires public trust. I can bridge the gap and restore this faith by focusing on the middle class, both blue and white collar.I have the expertise necessary to ensure the electric grid is made reliable and the foresight to ensure the risk to Texas agriculture from drought is minimized. I will restore voting rights, abortion rights and protections under Title VII to 2016 status. I will veto any legislation contrary to the original meaning of the 2nd amendment. I will defend the oil and gas industry, ensuring abundant energy and gainful employment for Texans. I will secure our border with an economic wall, not a physical wall. I will support legislation to legalize recreational cannabis, and through its taxation produce revenue to improve funding of public education. I am a conservative Texas Democrat, and I hope to live up to LBJ’s legacy.
What are the biggest challenges facing the area you’re seeking to represent? Ensuring a reliable electric grid in Texas. The reduction in the total amount legacy thermal fired generation since 2015 will be very difficult to make up in a short period of time. We’ve lost over 3,000 MW since Abbott took office, and he was warned by myself in March 2015 that we needed to add natural gas combined cycle generation to maintain a reliable grid. Drought. We must get enough water to Texas farmers and ranchers. We need to move at least 300,000 acre-ft per year across the state via pipeline from Louisiana to the Ogallala aquifer. It provides water for 68% of the agriculture in the state and has dropped by over 200 feet in some locations.Undocumented aliens entering the state. We need to stem the tide with an economic wall, not a physical wall. Undocumented aliens place a financial burden on state taxpayers. They use valuable resources that would otherwise be used to help disadvantaged Texans. We should focus on disadvantaged Texans before them.
What would your top 3 policy priorities be? Invest in Texas infrastructure including the electric grid, and focus on the needs of Texas agriculture and industry, specifically the oil and gas and high tech.Focus on the blue and white collar middle class economic needs. A strong healthy economy. Excellent education for our children with support for educators pay combined with lower property taxes through creative revenue sources like taxes on legalized cannabis. A reduction in undocumented immigrants through the use of an economic wall, not a physical wall. Keep my feet planted squarely in the middle of the political spectrum. Emulate conservative Democratic principles championed by Lyndon Baines Johnson to mend the divide that now exists in Texas politics and society. This means protecting all constitutional rights, not just some. A woman’s right of choice, voting rights, LBGTQ+ rights under Title VII and the 2nd amendment.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? The middle of the political spectrum needs a voice. I represent the middle of the political spectrum. I will listen to all, even the extremists on the right and left, but I will focus on the middle, the voices of reason. I can bridge the gap that now exists between the right and left. I have the expertise necessary to ensure the electric grid is made reliable and the focus to ensure the risk to Texas agriculture from drought is minimized. I will prevent the left from taking away 2nd amendment rights, I will protect the oil and gas industry and I will secure our border with an economic wall, not a physical wall. I will restore voting rights, abortion rights and protections for individuals under Title VII to 2016 status. I will legalize recreational cannabis and through its taxation produce revenue to reduce Robin Hood funding of our schools.I am a conservative Texas Democrat trying to become worthy of following in the footsteps of Lyndon Baines Johnson.
What should the state do to reduce local property taxes? To reduce property taxes we must increase tax revenue without increasing taxes on Texans.Legalize cannabis use. Tax it. Use the tax dollars to offset Robin Hood payments made by school districts. With increased revenue into our school financing, the property tax burden associated with ad valorem taxes will decrease.Build an economic wall to reduce undocumented aliens. The economic wall will be a tax structure like a visitor tax. Some ideas are: Visitors to the state who spend more than 2 weeks annually in the state are subject to a higher sales tax. Visitors to the state, who are undocumented, pay an energy or infrastructure tax on their energy bills. The revenue from the visitor tax is used to offset Robin Hood funding, resulting in a decrease in ad valorem taxes.The economic wall will also reduce the number of undocumented aliens, reducing the number of undocumented alien children in the state, reducing the burden on our schools and consequently reducing ad valorem taxes.
Is the Texas power grid prepared for another winter storm? What further measures should the state take to address electricity generation, weatherization and the long-term energy needs of the state? We are not ready. We no longer have a balanced portfolio of thermal and renewable generation. Since 2015 ERCOT has lost over 3,000 megawatts of thermal generation. We need additional thermal capacity to mitigate risks from extreme weather events. Texas should build new natural gas combined cycle plants and conduct annual testing and inspection of power sources and the grid.This can be done and Texas would still meet the EPA’s goals under its proposed Clean Power Plan of 2014. When I worked for the Public Utility Commission as Policy Advisor to Commissioner Ken Anderson, I determined that additional natural gas capacity was required to ensure ERCOT grid reliability. Abbott ignored the science and catastrophic grid failure occurred.To see my full stance and policy proposals on energy, please visit my website at: (https://wakelandfortexas.com/reliable-electric-power)
Should Texas be building a border wall? Should more or fewer state resources be dedicated to the border? We should not because a border wall is both expensive and ineffective. Undocumented immigrants come here for economic opportunity. We need to construct an economic barrier, not a physical one. We can accomplish this by making it more expensive for undocumented aliens to reside in Texas. To support this objective, I would support legislation that taxes visitors who spend more than two (or three or four) weeks in Texas. Another tax method that could be created would target cash transactions. Yet another would be to target common purchases. One such common purchase is energy. All energy purchases in the state are made through a regulated utility. An energy tax is applied if you are undocumented. Fewer resources should be devoted to the border. It costs extra money, produces very little benefit and is demoralizing for our guardsmen.
What should the state do to improve access to healthcare and make it more affordable? Never refuse money the federal government is offering to Texas.We should expand Medicaid coverage consistent with the allowable federal guidelines currently in place.In 2020 Texas A&M determined that if Texas accepts Medicaid expansion, we will collect an additional $5.4 billion in annual funding, producing a net $4.8 billion benefit for Texas each year. Governor Abbott’s refusal to accept this Medicaid expansion needlessly reduces Texans’ access to healthcare to no benefit. It is a foolish and self-destructive policy.
Texas’ urban areas continue to grow rapidly, what can the state do to reduce the time Texans spend in traffic and address infrastructure needs that come with a booming population? Expansion of existing highways in the urban environment is difficult because space is limited. Our cities grew up after the invention of the automobile so our mass transportation system and city layout is built around the car as the method of mass transportation. Prior to the automobile, large cities relied on rail to move workers from population centers to industrial work sites. Our cities are not configured for such an accommodation. Federal funding for highway construction through redistribution of gasoline taxes paid makes it difficult to restrict access to funded highways. If we can find a way to prevent 18-wheeler access to the major highway arteries in our urban centers during morning and evening rush hours, then congestion will be greatly reduced. Slowdowns in traffic are amplified by 18-wheeler’s inability to accelerate quickly and hills and overpasses compound the problem. Programs like SafeClear/Tow and Go reduce traffic congestion by quickly clearing stalled vehicles.
How can state government help ensure Texas has enough affordable housing to accommodate its growth? The key to affordable housing is building more housing. Texas has led the nation in new housing construction for the last 15 years. I will support policies that will continue and advance this distinction. I support upzoning legislation that will increase the amount of units that can be built on the same land. The results of lax zoning regulations are most clear in Houston, the nation’s most affordable major metro area. This will advance the interests of affordable housing, equity, and reduce infrastructure congestion. I will not let Houston turn into San Francisco. Additionally, The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) is scheduled for sunset review in 2023. I would encourage the Legislature to extend its charter at that time. Doing so will enable TSAHC to expand its activities and increase its abilities to help local developers build more affordable housing.
If the Supreme Court opens the door to new abortion restrictions, what should Texas’ policy be? Should abortions be allowed, and under what circumstances? By what level of fetal development, if any, should abortion be permitted? S.B. 8 is an overt attempt to subvert the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. That law is a direct attack on the balance of power created under our Constitution and is therefore a direct attack on the Constitution itself. Any person that supports the Constitution can see that this same attack can be used against other constitutionally protected rights. Any supporter of the 2nd Amendment must be concerned by this attack; just look at California’s use of citizens to enforce gun control legislation. This type of aggressive manipulation of Supreme Court decisions fractures the populace and turns Texans against their fellow Texans. It is a political activism harmful to our state. We should all take a deep breath and back away to our laws that were in effect in 2016.
What further changes, if any, in Texas election law do you support? The current Texas election law should be rolled back to 2016. The Texas Secretary of State phase 1 electoral forensic audit detected only minor (less than 1 in 100,000) discrepancies. It was a fair election. The Secretary of State’s office should be commended for an outstanding job of conducting the election during this pandemic. The new election law put in place by the Legislature and Abbott is an attempt to restrict voting access to the elderly and disadvantaged individuals, primarily Black and Latino Texans. It was specifically put in place to further the agenda of Trump, the only president in the 232 year history of our constitution to attempt to overthrow an election. This aggressive activism, designed to consolidate power in the hands of extremists on the right needs to be called what it is, an attempt at voter suppression. Distrust unchecked power. We want voters to choose the politicians, not the politicians choose the voters.
Should Texas legalize marijuana? Why or why not and to what extent should the state’s marijuana laws be changed, if at all? Yes. The recreational use of marijuana should be legalized and taxed. Legalization accomplishes several things.
-It will produce many millions of dollars in tax revenue. For reference, California generated $800 million in revenue in marijuana taxes last year.
-It will eliminate the criminal element from the marketplace. The State and people, rather than cartels, will prosper.
-It creates a powerful cash crop for Texas farmers.
-The money raised will be able to reduce property taxes by being used to fund school districts while allowing for higher teacher pay. This will reduce the need for Robin Hood funding.
-Restrictions on the purchase of marijuana should be similar to those placed on alcohol (age, location, licensing, etc.)
-Penalties for driving or being in public while under the influence should remain in effect
What steps should Texas take to continue to address COVID-19 in Texas, including North Texas? There is no substitute for immunization. We need to encourage immunization of all people in Texas, including the undocumented. We need to require vaccinations for young people, aged 16 and older attending public schools by FDA approved vaccines. If the FDA were to grant full approval for children younger than 16, I would require children of that lower age and older to be vaccinated if they attend public schools. Utilize all the resources made available to us by the Federal government. Money, vaccines, test kits, masks, laboratory equipment, medical supplies such as needles and gloves, technical resources, software, and money. I said money twice for a reason. Decisions made by local authorities should not be overruled by the state government unless the health, safety or welfare of the public is put at risk by the local authority. A mask requirement by a school district does not put the health or safety of the public at risk, therefore the state should not block the mask requirement.
This story was originally published February 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
