Perry Top Aide Phil Wilson to SecState

Pssssst. Hey. Hey. Yeah you. Perry’s gonna name Phil Wilson to replace Roger Williams. Yeah. No. I didn’t say that. No. Hey . . . how’s the Mahi Mahi?

They’re not saying it’s definite, but when they want to find out what people think about what will be the reaction to an appointment, the best thing to do is for someone to drop a line in the ear of news hounds.

This is going to take some work.

Phil Wilson? Probably not the guy on my high school swim team. Nope.

State Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin), who says that Wilson lives in his district, says he hasn’t a problem with Wilson. From the Austin American-Statesman:

“The senator called Wilson iextremely competent. He works hard; he knows hisbusiness; he's a real straight shooter. As far as I am concerned, the governor can go forward.’”

So Perry has the Watson seal of approval.

What about the SOS nominee litmus test that I have been hearing so much about? What will this Secretary of State do about voter suppression? The voter ID movement whose roots are in a Karl Rovian scheme to deprive Democrats of their constitutional right to vote?

Watson assures us:

“…as secretary, he won't take a position on the Republican-favored idea of asking voters to present photo identification or other proof of identity before voting; Wilson believes that it would not be his role as secretary”.

Well, the jury’s still out on this guy as far as I am concerned. One thing for sure, if he does go all out to promote photo IDs for voter registration or at polling locations, I can take great comfort in the fact that the last time he was point man to promote a bad idea, the Governor’s bad, bad idea to sell the Texas Lottery for $14 billion, he fell flat on his face.

Cancer Research Goes To Texas Voters

On the November ballot this year will be a $3 billion bond issue. This is the cancer research bill that will provide $300 million per year in funding for cancer research in Texas. It was either that or sell the Texas Lottery.

No joke. Recall way back when Governor Perry had an idea, a really bad idea, to sell the Texas Lottery for $14 billion in order to finance cancer research and maintain its annual $1 billion contribution to fund education in Texas?

He proposed it in his February 6 State of the State address.

“I am also proposing a source of funding that does not dry up with time or cost the state general revenue, unlike a bond proposal.”

“Conservative estimates tell us that the state lottery could be sold to the private sector for $14 billion. Using these resources, we could create a $2.7 billion endowment for the uninsured that generates close to a quarter billion dollars in interest payments every year. We could also create a $3 billion cancer research trust fund that would annually generate more than a quarter billion dollars each year to the fight against cancer. And the rest of the money - more than $8 billion - could be dedicated to a public education endowment that would provide about $800 million a year for public education.”

But Texas lawmakers howled on both sides of the aisle. Democrats doubted that the $14 billion, split up into 3 pieces, would be enough to fund these three undertakings as he was using an unreasonable 9% rate of return.

9% is possible only in the best of all possible years.

The other side protested that they didn’t want private industry to take on the Texas Lottery as they might be too over zealous in trying to turn a profit. State Senator Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) was afraid that slot machines would appear in 7-11s statewide.

So HB 2973, authored by Bonnen, crashed and burned in committee.

Leaving us of course, HB 14, a bill with bipartisan support. But the kind of bill that, according to Perry, is bad because it would “cost the state general revenue”.

But now Perry is effusive in his regard for this bill.

“The pain and suffering caused for so many for so long is what makes this a historic day, as I sign legislation that gives us great hope we will one day find a cure for cancer. With my signature, and voter approval of cancer research bonds this November, we can put an additional $3 billion into the fight against cancer to fund promising projects, ensure institutional collaboration, and develop promising therapies."

That’s what it’s all about Gov. It’s about good government. It’s about funding research to help people. It’s not about selling off bits and pieces of Texas, whether it’s a giant cash cow or a piece of state park land, to moneyed interests gathered outside the Governor’s Mansion.

Oh, and by the way, I think I am going to vote FOR this bond issue. Particularly because in looking at the bill’s text, there is nothing in it that prevents the state-sponsored cancer research teams from using any method or means at their disposal to find a cure for various cancers. Including embryonic stem cells

. . . yet.

Our Kids Lose, Too!

A lot has been discussed on the sale of the Texas Lottery to a private firm. I wanted to chime in on this for awhile and was waiting for the right time.

It’s the right time.

This article which appeared in The Chron really gets me. Senators aren’t worried about the fact that sale of the Lottery, and use of the proceeds to invest in publicly traded stocks, bonds, and whatever, toachieve a highly questionable 9% rate of return is risky business.

Having been in the stock market for awhile now, I can personally attest that long-term profits in any given portfolio do not come close to 9%. If they did the banks would be out of business. Rick Perry makes the claim that a private company will be able to be smarter than the folks currently running the lottery, who, apparently, are of only mediocre intelligence. But in tandem with having mediocre lottery commission employees, evidently the state employs brilliant capitol investment bankers who can pull off what people at Shearson-Lehman, E.F Hutton and Smith-Barney cannot do.

What are Texas State Senators worried about? That the private lottery firm will expand its business into other venues like video slots.

Says State Senator Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay):

"My concern is is that this is opening the door to the mentality of slots in 7-Elevens. I don't want slot machines in 7-Elevens."

And why not? This isn’t a communist state is it? Isn’t a company entitled to maximize its profits? It’s called free enterprise. Here we have it again. We don’t want to expand gambling because it’s the work of Satan (and Indians).

Do I want slot machines in 7-Elevens? Of course not. I just wanted to point out the hypocrisy of the senator's viewpoint.

Selling the state lottery is a bad, bad, bad idea. It’s an idea akin to privatizing Social Security. But instead of putting millions of peoples retirement accounts at risk, we are risking the education of our children. Putting public education funding at the mercy of a toss of the dice – because there are no sure things in the world of investments – is ludicrous in every aspect.

So ludicrous that you have to wonder what is really behind this.

I was not living in Texas when the constitution was amended to establish the lottery commission, but I bet I know how voters were swayed into approving this. I’ll bet there was an ad campaign that used the words “Hey! Our kids win, too!”

Well you can add something else to that if Perry gets his way and the lottery is sold for his paltry $14 billion. After the next stock market “correction” we can all shout out loud and proud “Hey! Our kids lose, too!”