Perry, Strayhorn and Kinky on State Parks: All Bark and No Bite

Perhaps one positive outcome of this year’s Texas gubernatorial campaign is that the long-acknowledged deteriorating condition of Texas State Parks is finally newsworthy. The four candidates for governor (in alpha order), Chris Bell, Kinky Friedman, Richard Perry and Carole Keaton Strayhorn, have now all weighed in on the condition of the parks.

They all love them and want to preserve them.

Or so they all say.

Of the four candidates, we have a pretty good idea of what three of the four of them really believe. Actions, it seems, speak louder than words.

First, let’s take a look at what Governor Rick Perry really thinks about the Texas State Parks.

Rick Perry's Words

What he says as lifted from an article in today’s “Chron”:

"The governor does have a deep concern about the adequacy of funding for parks," spokeswoman Kathy Walt said.

And last week, from the same source:

A sporting goods tax that Texas voters approved in the early 1990s should fund state parks as originally intended.

“A deep concern”. “Originally Intended”.

State funding of Texas state parks is made through state sales taxes levied on the sales of sporting goods. Every time you buy a camouflage colored chair at Gander Mountain the sales tax goes to the state parks. Well, some of it anyway. Not only is there a $32 million cap on the funding, but some of it goes toward local parks, and the law that enacted this designation of tax dollars doesn’t say that the money must go to the state parks, only that it can go there. So, naturally it doesn’t. Only about $20.5 million of this funding source actually go to parks, both state and local.

So what he is saying, essentially, is status quo. Maybe you could interpret the words to mean that he is for increasing the “$32 million cap” as has been tried in the legislature several times through the efforts of Rep. Harvey Hilderbran (R-Kerrville) (never got out of committee). But that’s not what I see.

Perry is on record as saying that he wants an across the board 10% budget slash in all departments, including the state parks budget. Maybe his “concern” about the “adequacy of funding for parks” was that he was concerned that this funding was getting in the way of his throwing more funding at his pet agenda.

Rick Perry's Actions

Last fall, Perry’s Parks and Wildlife Commission was considering selling off 46,000 acres of Big Bend State Park to make up for shortfalls. As it were, selling off the family heirlooms to pay for restroom maintenance issues. It wouldn’t surprise me that like school vouchers and privatization of social security, Perry is also in favor of the sale and privatization of our state parks.

Now let’s look at Carole Keaton Strayhorn.

Grandma's Words

From the Dallas Star-Telegram:

“Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, also running as an independent, said there should be no further land divestures and called for the lifting of a tax cap that has limited parks funding. Her spokesman also touted earlier recommendations by the comptroller's office that he said would increase funding for parks.”

More on the “earlier recommendations” below. Again, nothing about how much of the funds actually goes to the state parks, just that the cap should be lifted. That’s like saying that I am going to increase the maximum amount of money that I can put in my savings account every year, without actually doing it.

Grandma's Actions

Well, to her credit, she opposed Governor Perry’s attempt to sell off Big Bend State Park. She even authorized another $4.8 million for state parks last month. But I have to be a little cynical here: where were those funds last year before you stood for office Carole? And wasn’t the source these funds actually generated by the state parks, and were unanticipated overages? So you let the state parks keep the money they earned. How nice.

Richard “Kinky” Freeman’s words and actions?

Kinky's Words

Well if he is good at anything, Kinky is good at words. Here are three quotes of his in regard to funding for state parks:

"In Texas, the parks are broke but the lobbyists are rich".

"Where has Texas gone? One example of that is the kind of person that would try to sell 46,000 acres."

"I don't understand how we have an $8 billion surplus -- we're overtaxing Texans -- and how ... we're still cutting back on our state parks."

It’s almost like the one-liners that were the specialty of stand-up comedian Henny “Take my wife, please” Youngman. Those quotes and a call for a “shake-up of top leadership in the parks agency”. is about it. Oh, and this one, that parks are not only part of the state's heritage, but also a catalyst for economic development.

Wha . . . ?

Heck, why not. We could put a McDonalds and a Burger King on the forward gun deck of the USS Texas. Maybe even a Luther’s . . .

Kinky's Actions

Smoking his cigars in state parks and everywhere else. We can't see a track record on what Kinky has done for state parks, other than visit them to show his concern.

Now my candidate, Chris Bell. Does Chris Bell's words mesh with his actions?

Chris Bell's Words

Quoted yesterday in the Palestine Herald-Press:

“Rick Perry and Carole Strayhorn brag about a balanced budget but it’s all just a shell game to them,” Bell said. “Texans pay a tax on sporting goods that was specifically created to fund parks but instead the money gets raided for other projects while entrance fees to the parks gets jacked up to make up the difference. I’d like to hear them explain how that’s any different than a tax hike.”

“Now that state parks are a big issue, Rick Perry is promising to end the parks tax raid,” Bell said, comparing Perry’s promise to trusting an arsonist to put out a fire he started.

At a recent visit to the Texas State Railroad depot in Palestine, Chris Bell said this of Rick Perry’s dedication to state parks:

"Perry loves to tell us how proud he is of Texas. I just wish that every once in a while, he'd act that way."

So do I.

Chris Bell's Actions

Chris Bell hasn’t been in a position to do much of anything about funding for state parks. What we can do is look at his congressional voting record in environmental issues. That should give us an idea of what he really thinks about preserving our environment, and our state parks.

While a member of US Congress, Chris Bell voted against opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) to oil drilling, and voted no to limiting court hearings on environmental protection rules.

His words and actions mesh. Chris Bell says that he wants to stop all the shenanigans that prevent state parks from getting the funding that they need, and that Texans deserve. Chris Bell is environment-friendly, and has demonstrated that in Congress.

If Texans want to bring their state parks back from the brink of extinction, there is only one clear choice. They must vote for Chris Bell for Governor.