EDITORIAL COMMENT
In addition to our endorsement last week of the candidacy of Bill White for governor, we offer some additional recommendations for statewide and district offices.
As early voting begins Monday, and culminates in Election Day Nov. 2, we want to offer these observations on some of the other state and multi-county races on the ballot.
For Congress: Let’s re-elect our nearby neighbor Lloyd Doggett, who has gone to bat for this county since his days as our state senator many years ago.
He has continued a deep involvement in Hays County affairs, large and small, that were the backbone of his predecessor, Jake Pickle.
His close relationship with our local governments – county and cities – has paid big dividends in funding projects like the additional overpass on IH-35 in our end of the county.
Doggett is an independent minded Democrat who has a strong backbone and lots of smarts. He is on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and will continue to serve on it, regardless of which party controls the U.S. House. That is the kind of seniority that pays dividends for those of us back home.
Doggett voted against the stimulus bill, but he still managed to get a considerable amount of funds for Hays County projects.
Now is not the time to send a novice to Congress, whose only involvement with Hays County has been the erection of say-nothing campaign signs in much of the countryside.
Let’s keep what we already have – steady hands and a lifetime of community service.
Railroad Commissioner: Jeff Weems
His Republican opponent’s claim to fame is that he slipped ahead of incumbent Commission Chairman Victor Carrillo, a fellow Republican, in his party’s primary because of anti-Hispanic feeling in parts of the state Even many Republican leaning newspapers are endorsing Weems, who actually has much more experience in the oil and gas field.
Supreme Court Justice, Place 3, 5 & 9: Jim Sharp, Democrat; Bill Moody, Democrat; and Eva Guzman, Republican
There was a long period of time in the late 20th Century when Democrats dominated the highest non-criminal court in the state. For the last 20 years it has been totaled dominated by Republicans. Absolute control by either political party is unhealthy and unwise. The election of Sharp and Moody, both experienced state judges, to this court will retain a strong 7-2 Republican majority. Judge Guzman is the cream of the existing court and deserves election.
Court of Criminal Appeals, Places 2, 5 & 6:
The Court of Criminal Appeals is now 100 percent Republican and the pendulum has swung too far, much like the Supreme Court. We need some dissenting views. We recommend Republican Larry Meyers for Place 2, Libertarian Dave Howard for Place 5 and Democrat Keith Hampton for Place 6. We need a court that is not monolithic and not beholden to the big money interests of either the Democrats and Republicans.
State Board of Education, Dist. 5: Rebecca Bell-Metereau
This highly respected member of the Texas State University faculty offers us a good chance of ending the laughing stock reputation of the current board. A rising number of education minded folk, both Democratic and Republican, have almost recaptured a majority on this board that has engaged in outrageous and embarrassing political grandstanding that has made us the laughing stock of the state, and the butt of comedians far and wide.
Let’s finish the job by electing an educator instead of a ideologue.
State Rep., Place 45: Patrick Rose
Rose is well financed and a centrist Democrat who, along with most members of his party and a majority of Republican legislators, elected moderate Republican Joe Straus Speaker of the House two years ago, Rose is chair of the Human Services Committee that provides vital services for hundreds of thousands of Texans. Texas will have an enormous shortfall in income that must be addressed in January’s legislative session. Having an experienced and influential incumbent is crucial to the citizens of this district, regardless of party preference.
Now is not the time for us to experiment with even talented beginners. Rose is the best choice on November 2.
Third Court of Appeals: Kurt Kuhn
A selection for this judicial position, which hears appeals from lower courts in about 40 mid-Texas counties, is easy. Kurt Kuhn, a Democrat, has amassed support from an overwhelming number of area lawyers, including many Republicans, and is head and shoulders above Melissa Goodwin, who briefly served as a district judge in Austin. A large number of Buda and Kyle area business owners are also lending him bi-partisan support.
A reminder
Our policy of not printing letters the last edition before election day means that we will print final letters to the editor regarding elections Nov. 2 in next week’s edition.
And, to you letter writers who insist on dropping off and mailing us unsigned letters and “challenging” us to print them – try again. We challenge you to have the guts to print your name. In addition, give us your phone number. We don’t print any letters unless we have spoken to and/or verified that the person is indeed the letter writer.
It’s our challenge to you. Write those letters, sign your name, and give us your daytime phone number, which we promise NOT to print in the newspaper!
