Posted on 04/15/2005 2:15:48 PM PDT by Cat loving Texan
Texas House Speaker goes to school
04/15/2005
By BRANDI GRISSOM / Associated Press
Maybe Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick should have taken a civics refresher course before visiting a seventh-grade history class Friday.
Craddick, R-Midland, told Mendez Middle Schoolers about his job and answered their questions about state government. But he stumbled a bit when it came to the federal government.
"Up there they have 400 and some on the House side, 454, and they have fewer on the Senate side, 60," Craddick told the class of about 25, comparing the Texas Legislature to U.S. Congress.
There are 435 U.S. representatives and 100 senators. In Texas, there are 150 representatives and 31 senators.
His spokeswoman, Heather Tindall, said that Craddick of course understands how many people are in Congress, but that the flub just comes with the territory of public speaking.
The students didn't seem to mind either, saying they thought Craddick's visit was cool.
"It was cool because I never met the speaker before," said Carlos Cornelio, 12, who thought the neatest thing about the speaker was that he likes to hunt and fish. "At first, I didn't know who he was, and now I do."
Craddick was one of six lawmakers asked to give teachers a 30-minute break during this busy month. Suzann Vera, Mendez's instructional specialist, asked all state legislators to relieve a teacher for a half-hour because the school's 75 teachers are so busy.
"I think it gives me a chance to kind of see y'all and you to ask me a question and that opportunity doesn't arise on either side very often," he said.
Reps. Eddie Rodriguez, an Austin Democrat whose district includes the school; Bob Griggs, R-North Richland Hills, a former teacher; Abel Herrero, D-Robstown; and Allen Ritter, D-Nederland, will visit classrooms this month. So will Austin Democrat Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos.
ROFL!
--I suspect if the average state representative was given a test on the Constitution the results would be shameful--
More and more I am doubting the seriousness of the Reps to cut government. They are bigger spenders than the Demorats. I can't believe there isn't a watchdog at the National level that would put on Reps on notice, that if they advocate increases taxes, they are kicked out of the party...... oh, I forgot, There isn't a dime's difference between the spending habits of the two parties. I feel sorry for Texas if this guy is really trying to raise taxes. It has to end sometime.
Give the guy a break. It was simply a little Freudian slip, of sorts.
The missing 40 Senators are all Democrats.
In the house, he imagined all those freshly remapped districts sending a swarm of newly elected Republicans to Congress. Why not send along a few extra just to help em out?
//I know. I know. Fantasy doesn't work too well down here.//
Don't bother. The Democrats wouldn't show up for the exam. Let's see, they've scooted off to Oklahoma and New Mexico. Maybe next time Arkansas or Louisiana. Shreveport's got casinos, right?
I may have to rethink my support of repealing the 17th amendment on this one...:)
The average legislator of any sort, local, state or federal. Most of the Executive branch types as well. The Constitutionality of their actions is at most an afterthought, usually not a thought at all.
The problem actually lies mostly in the courts. The courts recently declared the current scheme for funding schools to be unconstitutional under the Texas Constitution. (It's not, but that's rarely stopped the courts from legislating). Thus the state has to come up with a new plan, and clearly one which "soaks the rich" since the courts objection to the old plan was that it didn't soak the rich enough.
That rules a sales tax increase, and it would be pitchforks, torches, tar and feather time if they openly put in an income tax. So they are trying to call it something else, a payroll tax based on the amount that businesses pay their employees (Sounds an awful lot like an income tax doesn't it, except you don't get taxed on non wage income...yet)
Heaven forbid they should cut spending somewhere else, like Medicaid, AFDC, or other welfare programs. But the basic problem is the courts telling the legislature how much they must spend on schools.
The bill has already passed the Texas House, IIRC.
And a few years ago the redoubtable Harry Reid had to have the difference between a "democracy" and a "republic"explained by a Las Vegas talk show host--
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