Hi, my name is Karen Felthauser
and I am running as a write-in candidate for State Representative in District
52 against Mike Krusee. It is thrilling to see so many people out to
listen to all the really fine democratic candidates we have running for public
office this year. I am really excited
to be here today to speak to you.
My decision to run for office is due in large part to my
belief in the importance of education.
As the mother of 5 children and a teacher, I am dismayed by the Texas
Legislature’s decision to cut 2.3 billion dollars from the state’s education
budget last legislative session. This has created a situation where the state
is now funding education at the lowest levels in history. In our very own school district we have faced
serious cuts to our own children’s education.
We are now asking elementary teachers to teach 2 grade levels at the
same time. In our middle schools and our
high schools we are cutting electives and increasing class sizes. We are pushing sports programs outside the
school day and asking our coaches to teach more academic classes. We are charging large fees for our children
to be able to participate in extra curricular activities.
The state has also been cutting funding levels for higher
education. Last session, rather than
invest in our colleges, the legislators decided to deregulate tuition. Due to
that decision, we have seen skyrocketing tuitions, 32% at UT and a full 65% at
TT. The cost of education is increasing
faster than the amount of grants or funds available. It is getting harder and harder to afford to
send your kids to college. This is just unacceptable in these times of foreign
competition for U.S.
jobs.
Not only did the legislators slash funding for education but
they did the same for the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs or
CHIPs. Considering the federal matching funds our state lost a total of over
2.25 billion dollars. Williamson
Counties share of that cut- 15,786,000.
These heartless cuts affected children, pregnant women, nursing home
residents and community care for the aged and disabled. Recently due to
mounting public pressure they have been forced to reinstate some of these cuts
but still leave us 300 million short of projected needs. Over 147,000 children have been pushed off
the chips program and are left out in the cold. The same house bill that slashed health care
money for our communities also implements a plan to put many local people out
of work by closing down over 200 convenient, local walk in centers where needy
people can apply for services. My
opponent voted in favor of the nearly final version of this bill and was absent
from duty in June when the final ax was swung!
Now we come to my opponent’s favorite pet project: TOLL ROADS.
First my opponent sponsored HB 3588, which took away our right to vote
on any proposed toll road plan. Then he
rushed through a toll road plan of gargantuan proportions. Under this overblown
plan the Austin area will have 113
toll road miles per million people verses 17 for Houston
and13 for Dallas. We will be taking the unprecedented step of
toll networking our daily commute highways.
Toll Roads are simply a COMMUTER TAX.
Not only is this plan
overblown but it is also inefficient, as it costs about 40 cents to collect 1
dollar of tolls. I think this money
could be better spent! Not only is this
plan overblown and wasteful but it is also Dangerous as accidents are 4 to 5
times more likely with toll roads. Also
in other cities the investors pay 80% of the cost of the toll roads , not so
with this plan , in this plan, We, the taxpayer, pays most to in some cases all
of the cost. Toll roads constitute A DOUBLE TAX.
Our current representatives stand in front of us boasting
that they have not raised taxes but what they have really done is shortchange
us and push through a bunch of regressive back door taxes in the form of
increased property taxes, skyrocketing college tuitions and outrageous toll road
schemes. Money spent on education,
healthcare and an improved transportation system for our citizens is an
investment in our future.
I ask you, on
Election Day, please write in Felthauser. When elected I will stand up for us
and demand that Texas invest in
Texans!