Posted on 08/30/2007 9:25:09 AM PDT by Dubya
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry's campaign Web site touts public education as a long-standing "top priority" of his, but the school year began this week with teachers and administrators still wondering who will be the next commissioner of education.
That question mark is one among many with nearly 400 expired gubernatorial appointments this year alone to state boards, commissions and universities.
Senators — worried that Perry is dodging their constitutional role of confirming most gubernatorial appointments — are crying foul.
By Friday, 388 of Perry's appointments will have already expired so far this year, but only one in eight have resulted in new appointees or reappointments. Most of the expired terms this year are filled with holdovers from six months ago, two years ago or — at last public count of the governor's office — as long as eight years ago.
Senators also complain that Perry waited until the Legislature left town before filling key posts overseeing the rebuilding of Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, the gambling activities of the Texas Racing Commission and the tuition-setting boards of regents for such universities as Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Stephen F. Austin.
The bottom line is that senators won't be able to vet the delayed appointments until the Legislature reconvenes in January 2009.
And, to the extent holdovers stay in office indefinitely, senatorial confirmation power simply disappears.
Noting that controversial Transportation Commissioner Ric Williamson, whose term expired in February, stands out among the holdovers, senators of both parties say they'll support new laws when they next meet to prevent future gubernatorial appointments from evading timely Senate approval.
Last spring efforts to force the governor's hand by ending appointments as soon as they expire or within 30 days died.
'It smacks of arrogance'
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Perry is getting many Texans upset. Mr. 36%.
Rick Perry and Mitt Romney - separated at birth?
I have the same voters remorse, but when it came down to it I just couldn’t vote Kinky.
Hmm. You'd hope they would be more concerned with the education of children rather than who the "next commissioner of education" might be. Of course, in the government schools the children are the last thing on the minds of union teachers. Hey, they have boat payments to worry about.
Are the Senators of both parties upset or is this mostly cheese and whine from the Chicken-Ds?
I’m no Perry fan and DID vote Kinky. Rick lied about a number of policies to get re-elected and did an about face after the election.
Chuck Rosenthal doesn’t get my vote these days and Judge Eckels lost my support terms ago too (his last laugh was getting re-elected and then retiring to work as a lobbyist).
How dare this guy go to a foreign country and bad mouth America!!!
It was the people of America that screamed bloody murder in regards to that horrific immigration plan Senior Bush, Kennedy and McCain put together.
Ranchers and farmers from the Rio Grande to the Red River are vowing to fight the Trans Texas corridor Perry pushed through.
What in sam hell is going on with our state and federal leaders. Is there NO protections allowed for American citizens?
The average Joe raises his voice in opposition to globalism, illegal immigration, poison Chinese product and so forth and he is labeled by his own government as Protectionist, conspiracy nut and or vigilante
Somethings definitely wrong in America.
I think ole Rick has been too busy with his “wetback highway” and its’ resulting retirement fund rather than the other business of the state.
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