Perry, Cornyn tour Dallas suburbs
Posted on 08/21/2002 4:42:54 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
Perry, Cornyn tour Dallas suburbs
Republicans team up, focus on seniors
08/21/2002
Senate candidate John Cornyn and Gov. Rick Perry played their message in the Dallas area Tuesday, telling seniors that the GOP ticket would get Texans affordable health care and lower taxes.
"We're part of a team," Mr. Cornyn told a crowd in Southlake. "And I'm glad to be on this team."
Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Perry took a bus tour through Southlake, Plano, Rockwall and Mesquite, speaking at three senior living centers.
Saying the Democratic statewide slate is out of touch with Texans, they often referred to President Bush as the ultimate team leader.
"I want somebody that's up there standing by George Bush," Mr. Perry said. "I don't want somebody up there who's going to be picking up the phone and saying, 'What do you think, Mr. [Tom] Daschle [Senate majority leader]? What should I do?' "
The suburban rings around Dallas are traditional Republican strongholds where voter turnout is usually high. With former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk running for Senate against Mr. Cornyn, Republicans are working to shore up their base in anticipation of a Democratic onslaught.
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Mr. Kirk was in Minneapolis on Tuesday for a campaign fund-raiser. Campaign aides said Tuesday that the Perry/Cornyn bus tour would not hurt the former Dallas mayor in his back yard.
"It's certainly understandable that they would spend a great deal of time in North Texas," Kirk campaign spokesman Justin Lonon said. "But ultimately, given Ron Kirk's accomplishments as Dallas mayor, they won't be successful."
Mr. Perry brought a senior-specific message to North Texas as he unveiled a proposal that would allow local governments to freeze the property-tax rates of homeowners who are 65 and older.
'American dream'
"Home ownership is a big deal. It's part of the American dream," he said. "That dream is becoming more and more expensive."
Implementing the plan would require an amendment to the state constitution, which must be ratified by two-thirds of legislators and a majority of Texas voters.
VERNON BRYANT / DMN Gov. Rick Perry and John Cornyn arrive at Southlake Town Square for a campaign event. Mr. Perry and Mr. Cornyn took a bus tour to various Dallas-area cities Tuesday to talk to seniors. |
The proposal comes at a time when many Texas cities are facing budget shortfalls, and some, including Dallas, are considering raising taxes. Mr. Perry emphasized that the measure would not be mandatory.
"It's called local control," he said. "This would allow local districts to make the decision."
Ray Sullivan, the governor's spokesman, said taxing districts would give up an estimated $190 million a year in taxes if every local government in Texas participated.
The governor found a receptive audience as he discussed his proposal. But a spokeswoman for Mr. Perry's Democratic opponent, Tony Sanchez, questioned whether the governor would follow through with the plan.
"It's a little tough to take these last-minute, election-year proposals seriously," Michelle Kucera said. "We've learned to be wary of Rick Perry's election-year promises."
On Tuesday, Mr. Sanchez was in Texas City, where he continued to criticize the governor for failing to rein in insurance rates.
AP While his opponent stumped to the north, Democratic governor candidate Tony Sanchez talked insurance in Texas City. |
"Rick Perry is the candidate of big insurance," Mr. Sanchez said. "He has turned a blind eye toward the homeowners insurance crisis for more than two years."
The governor made only vague references to his opponent Tuesday, suggesting that the millionaire banker doesn't have sufficient experience to govern Texas.
"We're on the bus, but I didn't just hop on the bus yesterday and decide I want to be governor," Mr. Perry said.
Crackdown planned
The governor said he had made cracking down on fraud by insurance companies a priority, and said he would work to ensure that the Legislature takes decisive action to tighten insurance laws. He said the message to insurance companies would be clear: "You get your act together, or you get out of Texas."
Mr. Cornyn promised seniors he would help develop affordable heath care with a low cost prescription drug program.
"None of our seniors need to split pills to keep up with their prescriptions," Mr. Cornyn said in Plano.
In Mesquite, he said seniors should have a health care plan that had "choice and flexibility."
"We don't need Hillary care," he said, referring to efforts at a health-care plan made by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., shortly after her husband became president in 1993.
But Kirk aides urged seniors not to be taken in by Mr. Cornyn's "empty promises."
Mr. Lonon was critical of Mr. Cornyn's desire to privatize Social Security.
"Even with the recent downtown in the market, John Cornyn is still proposing to invest Social Security funds in the stock market and place retirement security of millions of American workers at risk."
Mr. Cornyn, who has called for a more modern Social Security and Medicare system, dismissed the criticism.
"Where is he today, anyway?" Mr. Cornyn said, referring to Mr. Kirk's frequent out of state fund-raising trips. "What is his plan?"
Mr. Cornyn also told seniors that he would try to end frivolous lawsuits, which drive up the cost of health care insurance.
"Doctors often get caught in the crosshairs of personal injury trial lawyers looking to hit jackpot justice," he said.
E-mail gjeffers@dallasnews.com and cmccain@dallasnews.com
Governor Rick Perry (Left) & Tony Sanchez
Minneapolis? Is that near Houston?
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