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Governor

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    Kathie Glass (L)

    Lawyer
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    Rick Perry (R)

    Governor of Texas
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    Deb Shafto (G)

    retired pre-k teacher
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    Bill White (D)

    Former Houston Mayor
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Comparison
  1. Biographical Information
  2. Length of residency in Texas:
  3. Occupation/main source of income:
  4. Current civic involvement/accomplishment highlights:
  5. Previous civic involvement/accomplishment highlights:
  6. Previous public offices sought/held:
  7. How much funding have you raised for your campaign?
  8. Who are your top three contributors?
  9. Have you ever been arrested? If so, explain:
  10. What are the greatest financial challenges that Texas will face in 2011, and how would you address them as governor?
  11. The governor has limited authority under the Constitution and must work cooperatively with legislative leaders to advance an agenda. What will you do to make that happen?
  12. What changes, if any, should be made in the governor’s authority in granting clemency or pardons? Should the governor have more than one 30-day reprieve at his disposal for executions?
  13. Does the state’s system of rating schools do a good job of measuring achievement? What changes would you make?
  14. What changes are needed in the school-funding system, if any?
  15. Half of the state’s public school students are Latino, and Hispanics make up the largest share of students under 5. What policies should the state pursue to ensure they have the best education?
  16. What new initiatives would you propose to reduce the state’s dropout rate? How would they be funded?
  17. How will you judge whether the state’s new tuition policies for universities are working? Any changes needed now?
  18. What are the greatest needs for higher education that you would champion as governor?
  19. How would you characterize the financial needs and condition of Texas’ roadway system?
  20. What ways of generating new transportation revenue would you support — taxes, tolls, borrowing, fees, other? Please be specific.
  21. Do you favor a proposal to allow counties to call elections on local taxes and fees that could be used for transportation projects?
  22. What steps should the state take to adequately fund its water plan?
  23. What should the state do to address the quality of North Texas’ air?
  24. The Environmental Protection Agency says that one of Texas’ air permitting programs falls short of federal standards. How should the state respond to the EPA’s call for more stringent pollution standards in Texas?
  25. Has deregulation of electricity worked? What changes, if any, should state leaders pursue?
  26. What changes are needed in Texas’ system of administering the death penalty?
  27. In light of flaws highlighted by DNA exonerations, what changes do you advocate in the justice system?
  28. Texas homeowner insurance rates are among the highest in the nation. What changes are needed in the state’s system of regulating the insurance industry?
Kathie Glass: 33 years -- since 7/7/77.
Kathie Glass: Practice of law, a once noble profession.
Kathie Glass: Running for governor in an effort to save our country by restoring Texas sovereignty.
Kathie Glass: Libertarian Party state executive committee 1980-84. Delegate to Republican Party state covention 2008.
Kathie Glass: Attorney general 1982.
Kathie Glass: Approximately $20,000.
Kathie Glass: Kathie Glass, Tom Glass, Michael Figaro.
Kathie Glass: No.
Kathie Glass: Our biggest financial threats are ruinously high property taxes and an out-of-control $180,000,000,000 budget (that's billion with a "b") that has doubled in the last ten years. We should slash our budget by 50% which would put us back to levels seen just ten years ago. Just two items -- education and Medicaid -- make up about 60% of our bloated budget.

We should eliminate property taxes which would reduce education funding by about 40%. We should at the same time increase local control over education including (with voter approval) the ability to provide additional funding from local taxpayers. This would result in a better educational product at lower cost.

Medicaid was about 28% of our budget before the federal healthcare nightmare known as "Obamacare" was passed. Now, Obamacare has, among other things, required that adults be covered, increasing our liability by 75%. There is no way can we afford that.

We have no choice but to opt out of Medicaid and use the resulting savings to fund the health care services that we want for Texans, with the result being better health services at lower cost.
Kathie Glass: I reject the premise of this question. The governor of Texas has great powers if she knows how to use them.

Unlike our current governor, I will make frequent use of the power to veto legislation. Also unlike the incumbent, I will enthusiastically use the line item veto granted to the governor by our Texas constitution to eliminate wasteful spending from the budget.

I will appoint qualified people to state commissions and boards who are not "cronies" and have nothing to gain from their service.

I will call special session after special session to require our legislature to act to nullify a whole host of unconstitutional federal acts.

I will secure our border using our Texas State Guard which is under the sole control of the governor, an action which the governor can take without co-operation or permission from either the federal government or our state legislature.

I will use the bully pulpit to unite Texans behind our common goals and force the legislature to act responsibly or face the wrath of the voters.
Kathie Glass: Execution of a human being is an extremely serious matter. I can think of no more weighty responsibility as governor than to decide whether to exercise the power to save a person from execution.

As a civil trial lawyer, I know that transcripts of legal proceedings can be thousands of pages long. A governor should be able to suspend execution for as long as she needs to review the record and make an informed decision about clemency or pardon.

All human processes are fallible. If our legal system makes a mistake, we usually have the chance to make it right. But if we kill someone based on less than solid evidence, that can never be remedied. We must take the time to get it right.
Kathie Glass: No. The current rating system of testing is a joke and a waste of time and money. Student and teachers alike are abused by this farce. State mandated tests are only deemed necessary because our state government is grossly overpaying for education and would like to be able to show Texas voters that the money is not being wasted, but that cannot be done, as the money is being wasted.

We should return public education to local control. This includes the ability and responsibility of local school boards and voters to decide what extras they desire in addition to the basic funding from the state, and how they are going to pay for them.

When the important decisions are made locally, the decision makers know how well their money is being spent and will feel no need to inflict endless testing on the students. They can return to imparting true knowledge instead of "teaching the test."
Kathie Glass: We grossly overpay for our government schools which, largely due to lack of local consumer control, produce an inferior product. I call for elimination of the school property tax, which would reduce school funding by about 40%. Continued funding from the state should be distributed to local school districts on a per capita basis for citizens -- free public education should not be provided to non-citizens. We must provide for the ability of local school boards -- with voter approval -- to steer their own course free of mandates from Austin or Washington by adding to this basic package from the state, to be able to supplement programs and services that the local community desires and is willing to pay for, and to determine how those extras will be funded.

With local elected officials and voters making the hard choices about what they want and can afford, better decisions will be made. Texas will have a better educational product at lower cost and with greater customer satisfaction.
Kathie Glass: Children under the age of five should not be in government schools, they should be at home, in day care, or with babysitters, as their parents choose. Studies have shown that Head Start and similar programs have no lasting effect and are a waste of money.

Texas laws should neither favor nor disfavor any racial or ethnic group. The changes I set forth in the question above would benefit all classes of our citizenry. However, one of the best things that we could do for students who do not speak English is to reject the concept of bilingual education.
Kathie Glass: Repeal truancy laws. Repealing a bad law does not require any funding. In fact, it will save money as we reduce class sizes and are not forced to waste precious classroom time on students who for whatever reason do not want to be there and are apt to be very disruptive.

Our dropout rate means that we are turning out an educational product so bad that we can't give it away. The solution is not to put the intended consumer and his parents in jail, but to improve the product so that it does not have to be forced on unwilling participants.

Teachers can return to teaching in a calmer environment to students ready, willing, and able to learn, and can cease being misused as babysitters or wardens.
Kathie Glass: As the parent of a student in one of our state's premier universities, the insane skyrocketing of tuition tells me that our tuition policies are not working. As long as the state provides as much assistance to our universities as we do, we should insist on more rational (lower) tuition rates. We must allow in-state tuition only to Texas citizens.
Kathie Glass: We must refuse in-state tuition to non-citizens, eliminate the 10% rule, get rid of remedial classes for students who clearly are not ready for college and may never be, require professors to teach full time, and eliminate wasteful and unnecessary research that adds nothing to education. Finally, we should recognize that not everyone needs to or wants to go to a four year college and provide more access to two year community or junior colleges, and better and earlier vocational training.
Kathie Glass: Having driven all over Texas during this campaign, I can attest that our roads are in overall good quality and shape. We must continue to defeat land grabs like the Trans Texas Corridor and other toll road boondoggles for which there is no real need or market demand. The two main problems that I have seen (other than isolated congestion problems in a few of our major cities) are 1) road repairs that take far too long and appear to be poorly managed, and 2) red lights that are not synchronized and other traffic controls not well used to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
Kathie Glass: NONE -- no new taxes, tolls, fees, or borrowing. I call for a moratorium on all new toll roads and large scale road projects. Existing projects should be wrapped up and no new ones started until an assessment can be done to be certain that a true need exists, that this project will satisfy it, that no less expensive alternative will do so, and that the interests of the local community is compatible with the project.
Kathie Glass: No. We are TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY.
Kathie Glass: How we fund our current plan is not as important as what the plan should be. Our current state water plan is unsatisfactory.

Water rights is a critical issue, especially in rural Texas. We have an inadequate and ill defined system of property rights as applied to ground water. The ability to use and benefit from the water underneath your property is an essential part of your property rights that must be recognized and enforced. Anything else is a taking which does not even afford you the insufficient protections that accompany the abusive use of eminent domain,such as was an integral part of the attempted Trans Texas Corridor land grab.

Too much power is given to regional water boards, local water districts, and water supply companies with the result being that arbitrary decisions favoring some people and companies are being made -- yet another example of cronyism at work in Texas. We have seen well-connected companies pump enormous amounts of ground water from rural areas to fast growing urban areas where commercial developers have failed to plan for the water necessary to support such growth. We have seen water supply companies sell YOUR water back to YOU at a high price and YOU get nothing from it.

We must establish uniform rules regarding the amount and conditions under which water can be removed from our aquifers and sold and transported for commercial purposes to developers hundreds of miles away. We must estabish rules for the protection of water rights that are fair to all, not just the politcally well-connected.
Kathie Glass: Persons harmed by pollution of the air by a business or individual should file a lawsuit for violation of their rights, for example, under the common law of nuisance, or file a complaint with the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality. Established rules for ensuring scientific reliability of evidence are essential to avoid fraudulent claims such as bogus arguments about manmade global warming.
Kathie Glass: Texas must resist this unconstitutional attack on our state sovereignty by all available means. The EPA's bogus complaint about Texas air permitting is a thinly veiled attempt to shut down Texas plants and refineries and destroy the Texas economy, and has nothing to do with air quality. A combination of lawsuits, nullification of unconstitutional federal acts, and support of our businesses being attacked by our federal government is necessary to resist this assault.
Kathie Glass: Deregulation of electricity worked well in Lubbock when a city utility competed with a private utility company in all areas including transmission of electricity. In other parts of Texas, what is falsely referred to as "deregulation" is actually a government-created monopoly of the means for transmission of electricity and most definitely NOT the free market. Consumer choices are limited, and there is almost no price competition, resulting in ever-escalating costs. Texas should privatize the generation and transmission of electricity, let the free market work, and allow consumer choices to proliferate and prices to plummet.
Kathie Glass: Actual innocence or wrongful conviction should always be a paramount consideration and never be deemed waived or untimely.
Kathie Glass: There can be no greater injustice than the execution of an innocent person. We must have regional -- not local -- crime labs that are truly independent of the prosecution.

We can do no less than follow the same (or even more) rigorous rules in criminal cases as we follow in civil trials. All test and lab results should be disclosed to both prosecution and defense ASAP. Experts hired by the prosecution should be accessible to the defense. Defense counsel or experts should be allowed to be present to witness the lab testing, and tests should be videotaped. Relevant tests should be done without charge to the defense, just as counsel is provided. All evidence and tests results should be maintained.

Anyone -- counsel, experts, lab personnel, judges -- who creates, promotes, allows, or condones fraudulent evidence should be subject to civil lawsuits, criminal action, and disbarment or other professional sanctions.
Kathie Glass: Greater consumer choices should be allowed including the ability to purchase insurance across state lines and to join groups (in addition to employment-related groups) to create a larger pool of insured risks and thereby bring down costs.

Many insureds have had claims wrongly denied but are unable to seek legal recourse because the amounts involved simply do not justify hiring a lawyer. We should create a special category of courts, perhaps in our Justice of the Peace courts, with a special set of streamlined rules tailored to the resolution of insurance claims and with greater ability to recover attorney's fees and related costs.
Name: Kathie Glass
Street Address: 9337B Katy Freeway #188
City/Town: Houston
State: Texas
Date of Birth: 10/16/53
Work or Campaign Office Phone Number: 512-308-6936
Home Phone Number: 713-467-2991
E-mail Address: info@kathie4guv.com
Campaign Web Site Address: kathie4guv.com
Rick Perry: 60 years
Rick Perry: Governor of Texas
Rick Perry: As governor of Texas, I make decisions everyday that impact the lives of millions of people throughout Texas. Whether it's creating jobs, improving our education system or working to keep taxes low, I'm working to improve the quality of life for every Texan in every community throughout our state. While I will continue working to ensure every Texan who wants a job has a job, I'm proud of the fact that Texas is in a better position economically than almost every other state in the country and has become a beacon for other states to follow.

I travel across the state offering support to organizations and causes that are not only important to Texans and local communities, but very important to me personally: Boy Scouts, Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, pro-life issues, adoption advocacy, health and fitness and public safety, just to name a few.
Rick Perry: The following list is a selection of awards and recognitions I am honored to have received:

American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award – for accomplishments in advancing the fundamental Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty (August 2010)

National Child Care Coalition Champion of Texas Children Award – for work on behalf of children in 2009 (March 2010)

Defender of Jerusalem Award – for demonstrated support and commitment to the state of Israel and Jerusalem (August 2009)

American Medical Association, Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service – for leadership in reforming Texas' tort system (March 2009)

Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (December 2008)

San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Pathfinder Award - for efforts to grow the Texas economy and create jobs (July 2008)

FBI Director’s Award for Child Safety - for his efforts to ensure the safety of Texas children by supporting the distribution of I.D. kits (March 2008)

Global Leadership Council, Friends of Zion Award – for leadership in homeland defense, border security and economic development (June 2007)

East Texas Area Council Distinguished Citizen Award (December 2005)

Woodrow Wilson Award (June 2002)

Texas A&M Distinguished Alumni Award (March 2002)

Texas Water Foundation Leadership Award (October 2001)
Rick Perry: Texas State Representative Texas Agriculture Commissioner Texas Lieutenant Governor Texas Governor
Rick Perry: $20,039,006
Rick Perry: Bob Perry Mica Mosbacher Curtis Mewbourne
Rick Perry: No.
Rick Perry: The greatest challenge before us is the need to continue leading America in job creation and fiscal responsibility. Like we did in 2003, when Texas faced a $10 billion budget shortfall and balanced our budget without raising taxes, in 2011 we will make the tough choices necessary to balance our budget. Unlike Washington, we can’t spend money we don’t have, and given our current strength compared to the rest of the nation, I would say Texas is better off for it. Just as Texas families do every day, we have to live within our means and prioritize spending. We’ve also resisted the temptation to spend all the money, establishing an $8 billion Rainy Day fund that, if needed, will help us tackle any future fiscal challenges. We’ve overcome financial challenges before and by sticking to fiscally conservative principles, we’ll do it again. Texas deserves experienced, executive leadership to ensure we maintain our strong economy and that is what I will bring to the table.

Rick Perry: I have had the privilege of working with our legislative leaders over the last ten years to create the strong economic climate Texas has today compared to other states and the federal government. I look forward to continuing that relationship to effectively address the challenges our state faces and maintain the successes we’ve already achieved.
Rick Perry: Like most Texans, I believe in capital punishment for the most heinous crimes. I do not believe the governor should have the authority to grant more than one 30-day reprieve for executions. The convicted are given the opportunity for several appeals and I believe that one person should not have the power to overturn indefinitely what a jury of the people have decided and the court of criminal appeals has affirmed as a just punishment.
Rick Perry: Texas has continuously seen progress in student achievement statewide, as our students continue to rise to the challenge. It is important that we continue to raise the bar so that our students are the best equipped to compete in the global market. There is no bigger priority for Texas’ future, so moving forward, we are phasing in the STAAR assessment tests, a new assessment tool for elementary and middle school students, and high school students will be required to perform on their end of course exams. These end-of-course exams will not only measure mastery of content but they will include a college and career readiness standard as well. Texas has been recognized as a national leader in adopting college and career ready standards.

Rick Perry: We’ve created a system that is designed to provide equitable funding for education across the state, and we will continue to fund that system to ensure every student has access to the best education available. I’ve twice signed budgets that cut overall general revenue spending and education has always remained a priority. From 2000 to 2009, the state’s share of public education spending alone increased from $11 billion per year to $20 billion, an 82 percent increase.

We also need more appraisal reforms to help control the cost of rising local property taxes. This last session we successfully passed and Texas voters approved constitutional amendments that provide further protection to homeowners by mandating uniform appraisal standards and prohibiting residential property from being assessed at its potential commercial use. I also support a 5 percent cap on property tax appraisals.

Rick Perry: Texas must continue to take the right steps to guarantee a quality education for all students. Our state spends more on Pre-K than any other state, and is one of the top 5 states in the nation in the percentage of its students served in Pre-K. In Texas, every economically disadvantaged, military, bilingual and foster child is eligible to attend half-day Pre-K. Further, in 2009, more than $7.9 million in grants provided intensive instruction for “Limited English Proficiency” students and training to teachers. For the 2010-11 biennium more than 9.7 million each year has been appropriated for the intensive “LEP” instruction.
Rick Perry: In Texas we have created an extensive toolbox to address this challenge. Some of Texas’ programs have been nationally recognized in this endeavor including our Dropout Recovery Program, our T-STEM Academies and Early College High Schools. Texas also has a flexible school day program, which allows districts to provide classes at nontraditional hours, after work or night classes, which accommodate students with unique sets of needs.

Moving forward, I have proposed expanding the virtual school network, which will expand online classes so that students who have dropped out can achieve a high school diploma without being having to take class in a traditional brick and mortar school. Further, I believe that driving in this state is a privilege and if you are under the age of 18, to keep your license you must remain in school working towards your diploma. I’ve also proposed a tax incentive for employers who provide their employees an opportunity to complete their high school degree or get a GED while employed. One dropout will always be one too many and we will continue pursuing innovative policies until this challenge is an issue of the past.

Rick Perry: Statewide enrollment in our institutions of higher education is at an all time high, with 2009 enrollment increasing by more than 102,000 students, the largest one year increase ever in Texas higher education. Total enrollment for 2009 is more than 1.4 million students. As more and more Texans enter our institutions of higher education, I remain committed to finding ways to keep it affordable so that all Texans are free to pursue their dreams.

Under my leadership, financial aid has been increased by more than 900 percent. I will continue to push for a four year tuition freeze as I did last session, so that the amount of tuition and fees Texans are required to pay their freshman year is locked in for a full four years. Freezing tuition for four years provides needed financial certainty for students and parents, and encourages students to complete their degrees in a timely manner. The University of Texas at Dallas already has such a program, and I believe it should be implemented statewide.
Rick Perry: Texas will continue building upon its successes to ensure our higher education system remains strong and that Texans are prepared and equipped to compete in the 21st century economy.

I was proud to support Proposition 4 which was passed by Texas voters this November and will increase funding to get more Texas public universities on the path to Tier One certification, enabling more Texas students the opportunity to study in the most premier research facilities in the nation.

It is increasingly important during these challenging economic times that we hold our universities accountable to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars which is why, in September, I directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to work with Texas higher education institutions to find opportunities for achieving cost efficiencies. Texas was also recently one of only ten states that received an overall “Best Practices” rating for its higher education accountability system. We need to uphold our commitment to strong accountability standards moving forward.

We will continue to provide financial aid, both need- and merit-based, to help offset the cost of college tuition. In 2009, the Legislature increased financial aid for college students by $186.4 million, a 44 percent increase, through the Texas Grant program. Merit-based programs like the Texas B-On-Time Student Loan Program, College Work Study Program and the Top 10 Percent Scholarship program have also been successful, and will collectively provide more than $180 million to hard-working college students over the next biennium.

Rick Perry: For years, Washington has short-changed Texas taxpayers, sending back around 70 cents for road construction for every dollar in motor fuels taxes that Texans send to Washington. We have the lowest rates of return on our dollar compared to any other state. This is due to Washington’s failure to uphold a system that is fair, not driven by pork and earmarks for powerful congressional members. Texas also currently diverts a large portion of dollars intended for transportation to other state programs. These diversions must end. Despite these challenges, Texas has found innovative ways to build the roads we need, building more roadway miles than any other state in the last 10 years.
Rick Perry: First of all, we need to get more of our money back from Washington D.C. for road construction. Texas has for years been short-changed by Washington, receiving only 70 cents back for road construction for every dollar in motor fuels taxes. Secondly, we need to end diversions of state money and put dollars collected from gas taxes into building roads. Last session, we had some success with ending diversions, sending more than $300 million back to TxDOT, but next session we need to do more – we need to end all diversions from our state transportation fund.
Rick Perry: I do not favor a plan that would include raising local taxes. Texans already pay a lot of money on a state, local and federal level on taxes that do not go to road construction as they are intended to. Before any other options are considered, we need to end diversions and get more of our money back from Washington D.C.
Rick Perry: I am committed to continue utilizing my experience to help provide the additional transportation, electricity and water infrastructure and resources Texas needs to grow and prosper. In the 80th and 81st legislative session, we appropriated funds to issue more than $1 billion dollars in bond proceeds to fund our water plan. $600 million has already been committed through the Texas Water Development Board. This is for loans or grants to fund new infrastructure projects that would provide new water supplies. But funding any project always comes to priorities. The state, just like families all across Texas, has to make the tough choices to determine what projects get funded.
Rick Perry: Texas is a national leader in reducing emissions and known pollutants while at the same time advancing renewable energy sources to become a leader in efforts to harness wind, solar, biofuel, nuclear and clean coal sources. Texas has effectively balanced the need for environmental improvements with fostering economic growth, new investment and job creation.

Texas has installed more wind power than any other state, and more than all but four other countries. The air Texans breath today is cleaner than it was in 2000, even though our population has grown by nearly 3.5 million people. Statewide, nitrogen oxide levels decreased by 53% and ozone levels decreased by 22% between 2000 and 2008. The Environmental Protection Agency also has data showing Texas’ CO2 emissions from fossil fuel usage have fallen by more than almost any other state and every country except Germany since 2000. Texas is clearly on the right track to improve its air while maintaining a climate that invites job creation and economic investment.
Rick Perry: The air permitting programs that the EPA has suddenly decided to oppose have been in place since 1994 and have proven to be effective. Adopted in Texas under Ann Richards’ leadership and recognized as good permits under the Clinton administration, Texas has seen significant improvements in air quality that I believe would not have been achieved without significant economic harm under the process the EPA is now trying to force Texas to implement.

Texas is a national leader in reducing emissions and known pollutants (nitrogen oxide levels have decreased by 53% and ozone levels decreased by 22% since 2000), and advancing renewable energy sources all while remaining a leader in the nation’s energy production. We have successfully balanced the need for environmental improvements with fostering economic growth, new investment, and job creation. Texas continues to advance new, clean energy technology by using market incentives and stable regulation, and not costly mandates and taxes.

This move is yet another step in the Obama Administration’s campaign to harm our state’s economy and impose federal control over Texas. The increasingly activist EPA is ignoring the progress Texas has made to clean its air over the last decade, and should instead look to our state’s successful approach to issues concerning energy and the environment.

I fully support Attorney General Abbott’s lawsuit against the EPA’s action, which defends the right of the State of Texas to protect the health of our citizens and will protect our state from further federal overreach.
Rick Perry: Yes, electricity is cleaner, more available, more reliable and, in many cases, more affordable than before we allowed robust electric competition in Texas. In the parts of Texas that have been opened to electricity competition, Texans currently have multiple options of rates that are lower than what they paid prior to competition, and have the ability to lock those prices in for more than a year to protect themselves from an increase in gas prices. Further, we have been successfully diversifying our energy sources to make Texas more resistant to the dramatic swings in natural gas prices. For example, Texas has installed more wind power than any other state, and all but four countries. Texas has also built more energy-efficient Energy Star homes than any other state.
Rick Perry: Like most Texans, I believe in capital punishment for the most heinous crimes. Last session, I signed legislation that will provide more experienced lawyers on death penalty cases for their post conviction appeals. I also supported a change in the law that prevents defendants being tried together in capital cases. If a defendant is to be punished with the death penalty he should have his own trial. I commuted a case due to two defendants being tried together, which led to the change in the law. Many, including prosecutors, supported the change. The convicted are given the opportunity to a fair trial and several appeals, and I see no reason to change it.
Rick Perry: I was one of the initial supporters of using DNA evidence post-conviction, and I have since supported using other forensic evidence. I am pleased that I have had the opportunity to grant pardons for innocence based on DNA evidence.
Rick Perry: Texas has implemented protections that have saved ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars in excessive homeowners’ insurance rates, and protected ratepayers by eliminating past abusive practices of insurance companies charging Texans for catastrophic damage that occurred in other states. Further, the state has aggressively defended ratepayers, including legal and regulatory action against insurance companies, when those companies have tried to impose excessive rates.

Name: James Richard Perry
Street Address: Texans for Rick Perry 807 Brazos Avenue Austin, Texas 78701
City/Town: Austin
State: Texas
Date of Birth: March
Work or Campaign Office Phone Number: (512) 478-3276
E-mail Address: (512)478-4734
Campaign Web Site Address: www.RickPerry.org
Deb Shafto: 28 years
Deb Shafto: retired
Deb Shafto: Green Party activist, Pacifica Radio activist, Anti-death penalty supporter, Clean Air Texassupporter
Deb Shafto: Pacifica National Board, Local Station Board
Deb Shafto: Harris County Judge, City Council
Deb Shafto: $700.00
Deb Shafto: G. Reiter, C. Lee Taylor
Deb Shafto: No
Deb Shafto: We must overhaul our revenue system. We are dogging small business with fees and taxes and we are unfairly levying taxes on the poor. The state needs a graduated income tax that will allow those who have reaped the benefits of society to pay their fair share.

Public money must be used to jump start the economy. Investment in education has been shown as the best way to the funds where they are needed. Rather than lay off teacher, we should be decreasing class sizes, especially for the very young and for those with developmental delays. The climate change crisis demands an immediate change in the way we produce energy, and the manner in which we conserve our resources. The further development of solar and wind power and the construction of a power grid to get the electricity to where it is needed will create jobs and help to clean up the air we breathe. Acquisition must be accompanied by conservation. We can make Texas a leader in doing what is right and responsible. The state can create jobs by overhauling and upgrading infrastructure, which is aging and inadequate. Drainage systems and flood control are also essential considering the probability of increasing incidence and strength of hurricanes. We should be retro-fitting public buildings and private homes to be energy efficient. The creation of jobs while undertaking these necessities will help the economy as a whole.
Deb Shafto: The governor’s power is based on the appointments she makes. I expect to consult with legislators that have always acted with integrity and appoint people who are interested in public service not self service. Many capable people are eager to use their skills to create a better world, but are unable/unwilling to make the large political contributions necessary to get consideration. I believe that starting with such a core will call to the best in others and promote a truly responsible governing body.
Deb Shafto: The most important issue is that justice be done. Cases where the innocent have been executed undermine the fabric of our society and shame our democracy in the eyes of the world. The governor should have the power to see that every effort has been taken, every investigation has been completed with integrity, and the law must both give her the authority and demand that she fulfill her obligations.
Deb Shafto: The rating system currently used to measure achievement is deeply flawed and has recently been shown to be of negative value. Where high stakes testing is required, there will be cheating at all levels. If projecting passage in the future and using that projection as a statistic in assessing current achievement is not cheating at the highest levels, I do not know what cheating is. I believe the problem is that the authorities do not know what real achievement is, nor how to measure it, nor how to promote it. We need to re-think our entire educational system. We also need to return our principals to the schools, full time, and let them be the principal educators, in the classrooms, promoting growth of teachers' abilities, and helping with difficult children. This would allow them to really supervise and grow. We can hire a business manager to do the rest.
Deb Shafto: The way we currently tax is regressive and is an unfair burden on the poor. We need a graduated state income tax in lieu of sales, franchise and other taxes and the schools need to be funded by the state with the greater wealth distributed to the schools where parents have the lowest income, and the needs are the greatest.
Deb Shafto: Language is learned more easily and more profoundly in early childhood. Three years is not too early to begin for a few hours a day. Free early childhood education is therefore essential for students to be ready for our standard classrooms, and it must be state funded. Bilingual education must honor and preserve a child’s native culture and language, while immersing the student in the new.

Deb Shafto: We must eliminate high stakes testing in which language learners are at such a disadvantage, I propose that we honor both the culture and the financial need of the student’s family by promoting a system of paid apprenticeships in which a student can continue with academics while working under supervision. Local businesses should be the main source of employment and the school, itself can train children in a trade necessary for the building, maintenance, and food service of the school. This would also include clerical, library, tutoring and other primarily intellectual tasks. Of the greatest importance, however, is that we cease testing that degrades by ranking.
Deb Shafto: An educated person is a boon to our society. It is most unfortunate that the lift of tuition bar came just before the economic collapse. I believe the total cost, tuition and fees, should not be such a heavy burden, particularly when lucrative employment is hard to find. Rising costs are exacerbating the division of class in this country. We must tax those who have benefitted the most from the system in order to allow others entry.
Deb Shafto: We need to educate people for themselves, to be thinkers, analyzers and problem solvers. We cannot and should not be job trainers. We need to be sure that every person who wants higher education has access to the means and the opportunity. Additionally, in Texas, too much is spent on athletics and athletic scholarships, a non-intellectual activity. Freeing up the millions spent would allow more scholarships based on academic merit. Millionaire/billionaire sports team owners should fund their own farm teams and not use college funding to do their scout work.
Deb Shafto: Current city and highway roads need better technology to provide longer and better service. Maintenance is critical. While there may be a need for additional roads in rural Texas, the metropolitan areas need to provide public transportation and decrease dependence on the private car. High speed rail between major cities must be a priority. The need to make profit cannot be allowed to overshadow our need to use our resources wisely
Deb Shafto: Once there is adequate public transportation, I would support use fees such as tolls and highway use taxes to more accurately reflect the actual cost to society of transport. This would help promote local industry, encourage mass transit, reduce pollution and serve the public's mobility needs.
Deb Shafto: I generally support bottom up government, however, allowing major funding at the local level opens the door to public works that may be extremely profitable to particular interests but inimitable to public interests. I believe there needs to be a capacity for the state to supervise such taxing enterprise.
Deb Shafto: As I understand it, the funding is not the problem, rather it is that we have overcommitted the supplies we have and the water tables are falling. As I understand it, a county by county survey of the available water and the demands of industry and agriculture is well underway. What remains to be done is the making of the hard decisions about limiting access to maintain acceptable water table levels. We cannot continue drilling deeper to support unwise use. There will, undoubtedly be legal expense involved, but I do not understand the cal for major funding.
Deb Shafto: It is my understanding that there is an organization, Air North Texas, taking steps to involve citizens and industry to clean up the air. I would look into tighter auto emission standards and supporting the programs already created.
Deb Shafto: Texas should respond immediately and cooperatively setting meaningful standards and should enforce these standards with more than a slap on the wrist where violators choose non-compliance for economic reasons. Where companies engage in amoral behavior, we must make the fines sufficient to encourage other choices.
Deb Shafto: The deregulation of electricity has not worked. Rates have risen, service and reliability have not. We should return to governmental oversight of rates, service and safety. We need people who are knowledgable but who have not been employed by any utilities. Individuals should not be allowed to leave a regulatory job for one in the industry. The current policies that allow that have set up the situation now facing us, where the regulators are too often acting as agents for the utilities on the state payroll.
Deb Shafto: The death penalty should be abolished immediately. It does not deter crime, it is enormously costly to the taxpayers, and it has been proven to be unjustly administered. Better to decree life imprisonment without parole for those judged to be beyond redemption. The death penalty is the international shame of the nation and Texas leads the way.
Deb Shafto: While we probably could not afford to allow all inmates innumerable retrials, we absolutely must examine all evidence closely, and be willing to review in cases of new evidence. Ambitious prosecutors who hide, fail to produce or destroy evidence to compile impressive conviction statistics should be replaced by those with integrity who want justice, not convictions. Attention and resources must be given to set up and maintain independent, quality laboratory work and to control evidence so that it is available should conditions warrant a re-examination.
Deb Shafto: Two things need to be looked at and regulated. Being in hurricane alley, we need to control building in fragile areas. We cannot expect even a government plan to cover building on beachfront property where storm damage is certain and the beaches are eroding. Additionally, regulation is needed to be sure the rates are commensurate with the actual risk. As with all regulation, the regulators must be prevented from taking jobs or other favors from those in the industry being regulated.
Name: Deborah Shafto
Street Address: 7260 Santa Fe Drive
City/Town: Houston
State: TX, 77061
Date of Birth: 10-31-38
Work or Campaign Office Phone Number: 713-743-3527
Home Phone Number: 713-641-2815
E-mail Address: Debshafto@gmail.com
Campaign Web Site Address: Electdebshafto.org
Bill White: Life, with some years away for college and for public service as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy
Bill White: Immediate past occupation: Houston mayor
Bill White: For decades, Bill White and his wife Andrea have helped lead numerous charitable and civic organizations. Together they helped start Expectation Graduation and Reach Out to Dropouts to reduce dropout rates. Thousands of volunteers go to the homes of high school students who have not returned to school. Approximately 8,800 students have returned to school in the Houston area as a result, and this initiative has been replicated in communities across Texas. Andrea is an author of books for young readers and helped start a nationally-recognized foundation to improve public schools. The Whites are parents of three children and attend St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston, where Bill taught Sunday school for many years.
Bill White: Bill White governed Houston with balanced budgets and surpluses, cutting tax rates five straight years while making services more efficient and responsive. Under Bill White's leadership, the Houston area added more jobs than 37 states combined. In six years of votes by a diverse city council, not one broke down on party lines. That's why he was re-elected with 91% and 86% of the vote.
Bill White: Mayor of Houston; Served three (2 year) terms and was re-elected twice with margins of 86% and 91%.
Bill White: The campaign has raised more than $16.6 million since December 4.
Bill White: Michael Zilkha Lester H. Smith Robert Patton
Bill White: No.
Bill White: Today Texas faces a budget shortfall of $18 billion, and the governor should have begun preparing for this likelihood almost a year ago. We will most likely need to use a portion of the Rainy Day Fund to cover part of this shortfall. We will also need the kind of executive leadership found in well-run businesses that face economic downturns. As the chief executive of the state, the governor is responsible for identifying efficiencies and productivity improvements that would allow a reduction in spending without a compromise in service delivery or decimation of the state’s most essential business. This is precisely what I did in the City of Houston when we were faced with declining revenues. Any well-run organization can find these kinds of opportunities, but it takes attention to detail and strong management skills to implement. For example, state agencies can reassign the work of employees who leave their jobs to others within the agency so that the level of service does not decline and expenses are cut. Consolidation of functions to reduce overhead can also yield cost savings. The state should renegotiate some vendor contracts, as we did in the City of Houston, yielding significant reductions in state obligations. I have the skills and experience as a businessman and hands-on executive to do this at the state level.
Bill White: I will work closely with House and Senate leadership, and the leadership of both parties, to ensure that the interests of Texas are advanced. I have had the experience as Houston’s mayor to work in a nonpartisan, collegial and respectful manner with a 14-member city council comprised of people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. In addition, I have worked with representatives from both parties at the state and federal level on matters important to all the people I represented. By working on issues that unite Texans, rather than fringe or wedge issues that divide, we will build consensus on important matters to move the state forward.
Bill White: I would use my power based on the recommendations of a broad group of experts and citizens with good judgment, and would defer to an expert recommendation.  I would respect the workings of the criminal justice system but would take these authorities seriously and never allow politics to affect these decisions.
Bill White: The state’s accountability system is overly reliant on high stakes testing, which hurts students, educators and schools. In the past year, the TEA has reduced the passing score on most parts of the TAKS test, while even counting some students who failed as passing for the purposes of school rankings. The system is broken. Accountability systems should be used to provide incentives for improved performance and identify trends, both good and bad.  The accountability system should avoid perverse incentives for "teaching to the test" and should promote education that creates lifetime learners and cultivates skills necessary for young people to obtain economic independence. 
Bill White: The quality of children’s education should not depend on where in the state they live. The state should reduce the number of mandates that increase the costs to school districts without adding value to the student’s education. See other questions for more details about my approach to the budget.
Bill White: We must ensure that our Latino population, and all Texans, gets an outstanding education so that they can compete for good jobs and Texas can compete in the global economy.  I support increasing access to voluntary Pre-K programs.  There is considerable evidence to show that Pre-K programs improve student performance well beyond the elementary years.  One study of Oklahoma’s comprehensive Pre–K program found that Latino children, especially those whose families did not speak English as their primary language at home, received the greatest benefit from the Pre-K program.  In the last session, Governor Perry vetoed HB 130 which was passed with bipartisan support by the Legislature. This bill would have expanded access to Pre-K and established standards to enhance the quality of Pre-K programs.  Education is the most important function of state government and accounts for most of the state’s budget. We must begin educating young Texans as early as possible.  I will work hard to increase educational opportunities for our children.
Bill White: There are many dropout prevention programs throughout the state that are effective and can be implemented within the current funding structure. For students who must work to support their families, we need to provide more flexible school hours and more paths to graduation. For students who do not return to school in the fall, my wife Andrea and I helped start Reach Out to Dropouts in Houston. Thousands of volunteers are mobilized to work with community organizations, faith leaders, and schools to go door to door and bring back students who don’t return to school. It’s been successful in bringing back over 8000 in our area and is now done in other parts of the state. However, it’s also critical that we keep students from falling behind in elementary and middle school. Summer Opportunity Sessions, which we provided in Houston, prevents summer learning loss for students who may not have the option to attend camps, use computers, or read books available at home. We should identify existing programs that are successful and cost-effective and implement those programs in other schools.
Bill White: The new tuition policies are not working. Tuition has skyrocketed, increasing by over 93% since 2003. Neither family income nor financial aid has kept pace. This means that college is becoming increasingly unaffordable for Texas students, especially those from middle class families. I support the creation of programs that provide scholarships in exchange for a commitment to public service employment upon graduation.
Bill White: The first need is making sure that higher education, at both two and four-year colleges, is within reach for Texas families. I would work to remove barriers, including cost barriers, to higher education. We also need to send our students to college better prepared so that fewer require developmental courses and more can graduate on time.  Finally, we need to support the attainment of “tier one” status for more of our universities as a way to increase educational opportunities for students and economic opportunities for the state.
Bill White: Texas’ transportation system is broken, as a massive recent audit confirmed. Texas must have a long-term transportation plan in which local communities have a voice.  Priorities should be set from the bottom up and not the top down.  Planning should be multi-modal.  The Perry Administration was diverted from effective long-term planning because of its preoccupation with the Trans Texas Corridor.  Lack of planning has caused enormous bottlenecks and traffic congestion, which hurts Texas families and the state’s ability to attract new businesses. 
Bill White: I do not support tolling existing roadways but support allowing local entities, with voter approval, various options to fund local transportation and mobility projects.  Before any new funding plan is enacted, careful effort and study must be made to look for efficiencies within TXDOT and its budget.
Bill White: I support giving local governments the opportunity, with the consent of their voters, to raise funds for transportation projects.
Bill White: Water planning is and should be largely a regional issue, determined with stakeholders within each region, taking into account the needs and uses in that water basin.  For projects for which there is local support and funding to meet water needs in the region, the state should work with local and regional governments to increase access to capital markets or to decrease borrowing costs.  The State of Texas of should not impose statewide taxes to fund regional water plans. 
Bill White: Coming from Houston, I am very familiar with the air quality challenges in a large metropolitan region, including ozone, particulate matter and air toxics. No entity has the right to dump cancer-causing chemicals into the air that all Texans breathe. I believe the state environmental agency, whose commissioners are appointed by the governor, can do a better job of protecting public health by prioritizing its work based on risk assessments, changing its approach to issuing permits and increasing its enforcement activities.  Clean air and a strong economy go hand in hand; we must have clean air and water in Texas to attract and maintain businesses.
Bill White: Texas should comply with the same standards as all other states. The federal government warned TCEQ for many years, including during the Bush Administration, that the state’s ability to issue federal permits depended on the TCEQ issuing permits that met the federal standards. Governor Perry ignored warnings, failed to make the TCEQ accountable and decided to play chicken with the EPA to score political points. Now permits of more than 100 Texas facilities and businesses are in jeopardy, and this kind of uncertainty is bad for business. As governor, I will bring back decision-making control to Texas where it belongs and make the TCEQ accountable.
Bill White: Texas deregulated prices of electricity in 1999 with support from then Lt. Governor Perry. Since 2007, there has been no limit on consumer prices. Over the last decade, Texas went from having utility bills lower than the national average to bills now higher than the national average. The Public Utility Commission should be given the authority to avoid both blackouts and price spikes by providing incentives for reserve margins, energy efficiency, and cleaner fuels, including natural gas. I have been urging the state to take action on these issues for years.
Bill White: We must be certain that all capital cases are handled with the utmost fairness and accuracy because of the irreversible nature of the sentence.
Bill White: There needs to be a larger file of DNA evidence and a means by which the suspects’ DNA can be reliably and efficiently tested against DNA records.  Improvements in DNA labs should strive for certification by national standards.  There are multiple avenues for post conviction relief for miscarriages of justice, and those are largely administered through the judicial branch of government. 
Bill White: Texans pay the second highest rates in the US for homeowners insurance. Although Governor Perry recognized this problem in 2002, he has not fixed it. The same three large companies dominate the market, and the insurance industry remains a large contributor to the governor’s campaign accounts. It is important for the Texas Department of Insurance to protect Texans by ensuring that those companies offering policies are solvent and that there are choices for consumers. At the same time, the agency must also protect consumers from unreasonable price increases. I will make appointments to the Department of Insurance based on the contributions a person will make to our state, not the contributions made to a political campaign.
Name: Bill White
Street Address: 2100 West Loop South, Suite 700
City/Town: Houston
State: Texas
Date of Birth: June 16, 1954
Work or Campaign Office Phone Number: 713.659.9000
Fax Number: 713-659-9004
E-mail Address: contact@billwhitefortexas.com
Campaign Web Site Address: www.billwhitefortexas.com
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About this Voter Guide

Nov. 2 general election: Our Voter Guide allows you to compare candidates in contested races and their responses to issues side-by-side and to create your own ballot, which you can print or e-mail.

The guide was put together by the editorial board of The Dallas Morning News, whose members crafted the questionnaires for key offices up for election. The guide focuses on issues that board members believe are of greatest significance to voters.

Elections 2010: Stories and commentary

Trail Blazers blog: The Dallas Morning News politics team covers elections with a Texas twist

Opinion blog: The Dallas Morning News editorial board weighs in on Texas politics

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Elections information:
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