Free Republic

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a bipartisan delegation of legislative leaders flew around the state yesterday to promote the $37.3 billion public works bond package approved last week for the November ballot. “When I ran for governor, people always said it would be impossible to bring Democrats and Republicans together,” the Republican governor told an airport news conference in San Diego. “But we've proven again that we can come together.” Schwarzenegger highlighted school construction money that would go to San Diego if the education component of the package is approved in the November election. “For San Diego, this means that for...

Last year, I and many others on this floor believed it was a bad idea to borrow $13 billion to paper over the state’s deficit. And today, I believe it is still a bad idea to borrow $15 billion to paper over that same deficit. I am not going to get into the debate over whether it is better to borrow that money over 13-years or 30-years. The only distinction in that debate is between bad public policy and really bad public policy. There are only three ways to remedy a deficit. You can raise taxes – in a state...

The defeat of a Fort Bend school district bond issue was so unforeseen that even the measure's main opponent expressed surprise Monday. The proposal was one of three bond issues Saturday for Houston suburban voters. Residents in Mont Belvieu rejected a water and sewer measure while those in Friendswood approved bonds for street and park improvements. The largest proposal was a $399.4 million measure to build new schools and do renovations for the Fort Bend school district. The measure had strong support from civic leaders. And since no school bond had been defeated since 1969, there were few clues this...