Following weekend meetings with Mayor Bill White and Farouk Shami, Kinky Friedman announced today that he is abandoning his campaign for Texas Governor and entering the race to become the Democratic nominee for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture.
“This has never been about me; this has always been about what is best for the people of Texas and the Democratic Party,” Friedman stated. “After my visit with Bill my mind was made up. There is a clear alternative for the people of Texas, and today I’m changing courses with a happy heart. I’ve determined that the best way that I can help the ticket and serve Texas families is by switching to the Ag Commissioner’s race. Former Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Jim Hightower explained how much the office does and how much potential there is to do more.”
Friedman’s announcement came on the heels of Mayor White’s entry into the race for Governor. The frontrunner in the race for Governor, Friedman spent the week re-evaluating his role on the ticket, culminating with a meeting with Mayor White. Friedman will file on Tuesday with the Texas Democratic Party.
“Mayor White, Farouk and I share the same desire for changing the leadership in Austin, up and down the ballot,” Friedman continued. “I’m confident that the torch for many of my issues will be carried forward in November, and now, we’ll do our part by campaigning hard to represent our party and the people of Texas starting with protecting our farmlands, not give them away to Spain.”
Friedman plans to focus on revamping the position of Agriculture Commissioner to increase the number of farmer co-ops, improve production of biofuels and bioenergy, expand the market for Texas agriculture products, and solidify the future of Texas agriculture through numerous programs, including a doubling of the cap for the Young Farmer Loan Program and defending farmers against eminent domain.
“I’ve got a pretty detailed plan of action that we’ll be rolling out later in the week,” Friedman concluded. “From forming a statewide public defenders office and setting a goal of at least one animal rescue facility in each county, to restoring our depleted woodlands and promoting a greater role for local producers in school cafeterias, we’re going to shake things up and show folks what the office can be if you have someone there who actually cares about the job.”
Bill White seeks to serve Texans as Governor
On December 4, 2010, after listening to thousands of Texans from all backgrounds, Bill White filed to run for Governor, pledging to fight for Texas’ future.
“I am proud of the people of Texas, and as Governor I will move us forward as America’s great state of opportunity,” White said. “I’ll be a Governor who challenges Texans to lead, not leave, the United States.”
White highlighted ways of creating new jobs with businesses small and large across the state. He emphasized that Texas could not be its best with skyrocketing insurance and electric rates and college tuition that increases faster than the incomes of Texans.
The son of San Antonio school teachers, White vowed to focus on improving educational achievement in K-12 grade levels, improving high school graduation rates, and reducing the costs of college.
White, a successful businessman, was first elected as Houston Mayor in 2003 and was twice re-elected with margins averaging 88%. He has been hailed as a strong leader and a problem-solver, with the Houston Chronicle noting that he’s “deftly steered Houston through fiscal and tropical storms.”
During White’s administration, Houston led the nation’s cities in job growth, adding more jobs than 16 states combined. At the same time, he cut property tax rates five years in a row. After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike, Bill White mobilized an effective disaster response including first responders, businesses and churches.
“I don’t have the polish of career politicians. But as a businessman and Mayor I know how to be accountable for results, not just rhetoric. I have a track record of bringing people together to get things done,” White said. “That’s what Texas needs now.”
White will face off against a crowded Republican field that includes after listening to thousands of Texans from all backgrounds, Bill White filed to run for Governor, pledging to fight for Texas’ future.
“I am proud of the people of Texas, and as Governor I will move us forward as America’s great state of opportunity,” White said. “I’ll be a Governor who challenges Texans to lead, not leave, the United States.”
White highlighted ways of creating new jobs with businesses small and large across the state. He emphasized that Texas could not be its best with skyrocketing insurance and electric rates and college tuition that increases faster than the incomes of Texans.
The son of San Antonio school teachers, White vowed to focus on improving educational achievement in K-12 grade levels, improving high school graduation rates, and reducing the costs of college.
White, a successful businessman, was first elected as Houston Mayor in 2003 and was twice re-elected with margins averaging 88%. He has been hailed as a strong leader and a problem-solver, with the Houston Chronicle noting that he’s “deftly steered Houston through fiscal and tropical storms.”
During White’s administration, Houston led the nation’s cities in job growth, adding more jobs than 16 states combined. At the same time, he cut property tax rates five years in a row. After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike, Bill White mobilized an effective disaster response including first responders, businesses and churches.
“I don’t have the polish of career politicians. But as a businessman and Mayor I know how to be accountable for results, not just rhetoric. I have a track record of bringing people together to get things done,” White said. “That’s what Texas needs now.”
White will face off against a crowded Republican field seeking to unseat Governor “Slick” Rick Perry. The Republican hopefuls include Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and longshot Debra Medina.
Pandering to the extremist right, Hutchison unveils border security plan
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Tuesday her plan for security along the Texas-Mexico border includes expanding state participation in Homeland Security programs that let local law enforcement carry out some federal immigration laws and that verify whether a person can legally work in the country.
While unveiling her plan, Hutchison also criticized Gov. Rick Perry’s efforts to promote border security. Hutchison is battling Perry for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the March 2 primary.
“We have a governor who talks a lot about border security but hasn’t really done anything effective,” Hutchison said.
If elected, Hutchison plans to expand participation by Texas law enforcement agencies in the federal 287(g) program, which trains state and local officers in immigration law enforcement and enables them to identify and detain illegal immigrants. Critics have argued the program can lead to racial profiling.
The senator also said she would push to change state policy to require the eligibility of new state employees be checked through E-Verify, a federal government program that checks a person’s work eligibility in the country.
Hutchison said she also would work with the Legislature to end so-called “sanctuary cities” in the state — cities with policies restricting police officers’ ability to inquire about people’s immigration status until they have arrested a suspect on criminal charges.
Her plan also calls for the creation of a volunteer border force made up of retired police and military officers to assist in border security efforts.
Perry’s campaign criticized Hutchison’s plan, saying she has not upheld the federal government’s responsibility to secure the border.
“Because of Governor Perry’s leadership and his work with the law enforcement community and state lawmakers, our border is safer now than it has ever been,” said Perry campaign spokesman Mark Miner. “Senator Hutchison has spent 17 years in Washington and has not done one thing to effectively secure our border with Mexico.”
Miner cited Perry’s plan that sent special teams of Texas Rangers to the border to deal with security and deter a spillover of the drug war violence plaguing Mexico as an example of the governor’s success in securing the border.
Perry’s campaign also praised a program that has placed cameras along the border and cited the more than $220 million the Legislature has allocated since 2007 to boost border security efforts.
But many ranchers, sheriffs and politicians along Texas’ 1,200-mile border with Mexico say talk of spillover violence is overblown, and they have questioned the use of the Texas Rangers.
The border camera program also has fallen short of its goals in arrests, reports of illegal crossings and the number of cameras installed.
Earlier Tuesday, Debra Medina, the third GOP gubernatorial candidate, unveiled her border security plan. It includes deploying Texas National Guard troops to the border and seeking legislation to stop the use of state funds for the benefit of illegal immigrants.
OUR ENDORSEMENT
Our endorsement stays with our longtime friend Kinky Friedman in his quest for the powerful post of Texas Ag Commissioner. Likewise, to Mayor Bill White in his quest for the Governors seat in Austin.
The GOP candidates are using the same tired fear mongering tactics to force 287(g) down our throats, a program that has been irreparably tarnished by the antics of Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Maricopa County Arizona. Sheriff Arpaio is currently under investigation by the DOJ and a Federal Grand Jury for his racial profiling antics against Hispanics in his county. Law enforcement from around the country are beginning to call for his resignation. We don’t need nor want this in Texas.
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- Tiffany Hartley to return to Texas to offer her expertise on “Border Security”
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