The Houston Chronicle acknowledged this strong Wendy Davis debate
The Houston Chronicle has endorsed Wendy Davis for Governor of Texas. This was a surprise that should not have been surprising. After-all, the entire Democratic ticket is competent and strong. The entire Republican lineup reeks of cronyism and an offensive display of entitlement.
The subtitle in the Houston Chronicle’s endorsement says it all, “Texas needs a leader who’s willing to tackle tough issues too long ignored.” If that isn’t a slap on the deficiency in leadership in Austin, what is? They continue near the end with this reality.
That distinction is a dismal reminder that this big, booming state falls far short in too many categories. We have the highest percentage of uninsured children in the nation, the fourth-highest percentage of people living below the poverty level, the second-highest percentage of people going hungry. We are last in the percentage of residents with a high school diploma. We have the nation’s dirtiest air. The list could go on.
If we can’t find leaders willing to engage the hard issues, willing to invest in the state’s future, we’re likely to fall farther behind. Given this prosperous moment in our state’s history, what better time than now to begin living up to our potential? Davis, we believe, will give it a shot.
The Houston Chronicle endorsement points out the reality Wendy Davis and the slew of competent Democrats running have been pointing out.
with a new slate of elected officials coming into office for the first time in several years, it’s time to address a number of difficult issues that, left unaddressed, will have a profound effect in the coming decades on the lives of every Texan. They’re issues of poverty, health care, education, the environment, water and basic infrastructure needs – matters that require the investment of resources to fulfill the promise of a large, wealthy state that’s in the midst of sweeping change.
The election in November should not be about abortion or gay marriage or any of the other hot-button issues that campaigns use to ignite the base. It should be about finding a leader with vision and foresight, one who’s willing to tackle tough issues too long ignored. We believe that person is Wendy Davis.
The Republican candidate, Attorney General Greg Abbott, 56, has run a strong campaign, but our fear is that, essentially, he will perpetuate the Perry era, with its fealty to the hard-right social conservative wing of his party.
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A Gov. Davis, we believe, will attempt to invest in the future of this state. That investment would take a variety of forms, from universal pre-kindergarten to adequately funded public schools and public universities that aspire to be the best in the country; from addressing the economic effects of climate change, particularly diminishing water supplies, to protecting an environment increasingly stressed by a rapidly growing population.
Her appointments, we believe, would reflect not only the rich diversity of this state but also would include watchdogs, not lap dogs, over such vital state agencies as the Department of Insurance, whose current commissioner has regularly taken industry’s side over the consumer. And, in the same way she twice resorted to a filibuster in an effort to block bad legislation, she would use the governor’s veto pen to protect the interests of her fellow Texans.
We would expect a Gov. Davis to push for a higher minimum wage and a reformed tax system that brings a greater degree of fairness to individuals and small businesses. (Texas, by the way, is a low-tax state only for those at the top.) In a state where grinding poverty is far too pervasive, we believe she would develop policies designed to forge a viable middle class out of a society that’s becoming majority Hispanic. She’ll work with the Obama administration to expand Medicaid, so that Texas doesn’t continue to lead the nation in the number of uninsured.
The Houston Chronicle went on to excoriate Greg Abbott for his unfamiliarity with issues and frivolous lawsuits against the federal government.
Abbott, on the other hand, was elected a dozen years ago to run the state’s top law office, which at least partially explains what seems to be an unfamiliarity with the issues. It was not his job to craft a more reasonable tax structure for the state or work on the knotty issues of public education and health care, among a number of concerns that will become increasingly urgent as Texas becomes more populous, more urban, more diverse. Unfortunately, he has wasted time and Texas tax dollars filing ill-considered lawsuits against the federal government, ignoring the fact that Texas prospers when we make the federal government a partner, not an enemy.
Wendy Davis in Action
- Wendy Davis delivers speech on Austin’s culture of corruption
- Wendy Davis interviewed on HuffPost Live (VIDEO)
- Wendy Davis interviewed on The Rachel Maddow Show
- Wendy Davis gets enthusiastic reception at largest Black church in Humble
- Texas Wendy Davis written off way too early by many
- Wendy Davis Tells Her Uplifting Story. She Will Be Texas Governor (VIDEO)
- Krystal Ball: Greg Abbott Antics Make Wendy Davis TX Governor? (VIDEO)
- This Is The Speech That Will Make Wendy Davis Texas Governor (VIDEO)
- Electrified Crowds Greet Wendy Davis & Company Tour In Houston (VIDEO)
- Wendy Davis Speech At Stand With Texas Women Rally (VIDEO)
- Senator Wendy Davis Speaks To Battleground Texas Activists At TSU (VIDEO)