EDUCATION: Making Sure Our Kids Are Job Market Ready
San Antonio schools are facing overcrowded classrooms and the loss of experienced teachers at the very time the job market requires more education than ever. That’s because politicians in Austin failed to meet the minimum funding requirements for public schools for the first time since 1950!
Here are 5 principles that will go a long way to ensuring our kids are prepared to compete in today’s job market:
1. No More Teacher Layoffs
We need to keep the most experienced teachers in the classroom.
2. Keep Class Sizes Small
Children need individual attention — especially in the early years.
3. Stop Teaching to the Test
Kids need critical thinking skills to succeed in college and the job market.
4. Get Parents More Involved
Parental involvement is key to a child’s success.
5. Make College Affordable Again
Restore financial aid cuts to keep college within reach of working families.
Political Leadership and Tough Choices
Offering ideas is easy; saying how you’re going to pay for them is hard. But I think our leaders are elected to make those tough choices, and the longer they avoid it, the more we pay the price. That’s why I’m putting my ideas on the table and telling you how I would close the funding gap to ensure we provide the education and basic services working families deserve.
1. End the Natural Gas Tax Loophole
Former Speaker of the House Tom Craddick defended a loophole that has given more than $7.4 billion in tax breaks to big natural gas companies since 2004 while pushing a budget that took health care away from over 200,000 kids. This year, the state legislature renewed the loophole – while cutting $4 billion from public education. It’s time to get our priorities straight.
2. Tap the so-called “Rainy Day Fund”
The “Rainy Day Fund” isn’t a bag of cash we’ve stashed away for darker days. Its real name is the Economic Stabilization Fund, and it’s a multi-billion dollar revenue stream the state receives when the price of oil is high. Economists predict that this fund will replenish itself and then some for years to come. We’ve put an average of $1.6 billion a year into the fund for the last 5 years, and it has $8.1 billion in it now – just a fraction of that would have avoided teacher layoffs and school closures. There’s no reason to make our kids pay the price for a lack of political will in Austin.
HEALTHCARE: Protecting Our Families Health and Choices
As more families are struggling month-to-month, rising health care costs are literally eating our lunch. This past legislative session, the Republican majority only made matters worse — knocking more kids off CHIP, slashing Medicaid, and practically wiping out women’s health care and family planning. On the campaign trail and in the legislature, I’ll fight for common sense steps to expand health care coverage while lowering costs:
1. CHIP is not welfare - it’s health care
CHIP is affordable health insurance for working families – especially children. Families have to pay a monthly premium. In the end, CHIP avoids the threat of bankruptcy posed by unexpected health care costs for families without insurance and the reduces the burden of high cost of emergency room care for the uninsured that local taxpayers are forced to pay.
2. When to have children, and how many, is for families to decide, not government
The Republican majority waged an all-out attack on women’s health care and Planned Parenthood. What they won’t admit is that by cutting funding for contraception and family planning, they are creating an environment in which we will see more abortions, not less. Let’s let families plan, and get government out of our personal decisions.
3. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Family physicians are at the core of controlling health care costs, but the combination of financial incentives that pay more to specialists and insurance companies that limit doctors’ decision-making authority have left us without enough family physicians. At the state level, we need to adjust financial incentives to emphasize preventative care.
OPPORTUNITY: Building the Foundation for San Antonio’s Economic Future
While foreign countries compete for low wage jobs, it’s time to position San Antonio to compete for the high-wage jobs that can support a family and a future. Education is at the center of this opportunity — from strengthening our public schools and increasing graduation rates, to partnering with our community colleges, universities and the UT Health Science Center. The average family in Austin makes $7,000 more per year than the average family in San Antonio. Growing our local economy with skilled manufacturing, health care research and technology jobs will make San Antonio a player in innovation and job creation.
