Democrats stump on public education, closing tax loophole for corporations

Lupe Valdez and Mike Collier, Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor respectively, were the guest speakers during a political rally held Monday at El Alamo Park on South Houston Street.

Standing side by side, the difference in the two candidates physical size and ethnicities were apparent and Collier joked that you couldn’t find two candidates “who are more different.”

Then he said, “Lupe and I are exactly alike when it comes to values. Lupe and I both want change.”

Valdez said she has been doing a 10-day, 50-city bus tour of Texas ahead of the Nov. 6 mid-term election. Collier has traveled with her on part of the tour.

After their stop in Amarillo, the pair traveled to Lubbock and Odessa.

“What we have been seeing all over the state is people caring,” she said. “Other states look at Texas and think we are so intolerant. ‘Show us your papers.’ We’ve gone all over Texas and found the Texas heart.”

Valdez, who is running against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, is the former sheriff of Dallas County, which she said is the seventh largest sheriff’s department in the state. Serving as sheriff for 13 years, Valdez told the Globe-News she is the first Latina to hold the office and oversaw 2,700 employees and a budget of $160 million.

Valdez described her upbringing in the poorest zip code of San Antonio to illustrate her support for public education.

She said one day a teacher pulled her aside and said, “You’re college material.”

However, Valdez said the high school she needed to attend to prepare for college was on the other side of town, so she had to travel to that school by public transportation everyday.

She said because of a good public education, she was able to go on to college and the military, and ultimately serve as the sheriff of Dallas County. Valdez said she holds a master’s degree in criminology.

One of her brothers also attended college and has a doctorate, she said.

Her six oldest siblings, however, did not receive an education because, as the children of migrant workers, they were not allowed to start school mid-year, she said.

She said her mother was a big believer in education and would always say, “Educate to elevate.”

Raising her voice and drawing applause from the crowd of around 50 people, Valdez said, “Please don’t tell me this Latina I can’t handle government management.”

Referring to the growing disparity between the wealthiest Americans and the working class, Valdez said someone shouldn’t have to be a CEO or win the lottery to live the “American dream.”

“We (Texas) are the second largest economy but we are 43rd in education and the most uninsured state,” she said. “We are taking care of the rich and not everyday people.”

 During his speech, Collier agreed that public education is “the great equalizer.”

“I am passionate about public education and not in favor of vouchers,” he said.

He said retired teachers in Texas have taken such a huge hit that many are “going to bed without their medicine and many will die.”

According to an April article from the Texas Tribune, advocates for teachers say Texas teachers are “stuck in 2002.”

The teacher health-insurance program, which is run by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, requires the state to contribute $75 per employee toward monthly health care premiums, the article states.

Nearly 430,000 public school teachers and retirees are covered under the plan, which is used by many of the state’s 1,200-plus school districts. Since the program went into effect, employees’ share of premiums have more than doubled while the state’s contribution to teacher’s health care has remained the same.

“As lieutenant governor I will get these benefits back,” he said.

Collier said he supports reasonable gun control but does not favor of taking away guns.

“I am pro Second Amendment,” he said.

He said he supports “red flag laws,” which generally favor seizure or surrender of guns from someone who is deemed dangerous, often because of mental health concerns or threats of violence.

Before making his speech, Collier, who is running against Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, was interviewed briefly by the Globe-News.

He said property taxes in Texas have gone up faster than the cost of public services, and he blamed those increases on what he called a loophole that allows corporations “to cheat on their taxes.”

He said property taxes in Texas have gone up about 12 to 14 percent in the last two years.

Collier said the loophole has created a $5 billion revenue shortfall that, if filled, could fund public education and lower taxes for working people if it was closed.

The Texas Legislature passed the Equal and Uniform law in 1997, in which property owners can fight against the appraisal district if they can show that the comparable property of theirs is appraised at lower values than their own.

Texas Democrats in the 2018 campaign have stumped that the tax law allows commercial property owners to get around paying their fair share while homeowners are seeing an increase in their taxes. Collier said he has extensively researched the law.

Collier said he is certified public accountant and has worked for PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

“I decided to run because people are not being dealt with honestly with property taxes. That’s step one,” he said.

Several local Democratic candidates spoke at the rally, including Greg Sagan, who is running for against U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R- Clarendon, for U.S. Representative District 31; Claudia Griego, who is opposing Republican Robert Taylor in Potter County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 race, and Mike Purcell, who is challenging State. Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, for the State Representative, District 86 seat.

Kristie Owensby was attending the rally with her brother and one of her friends.

She said she voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 but is now supporting Democrats.

“There is new spunk. There is something to talk about,” she said.

She quipped that her new political stance has caused a bit of divisiveness in her household, because her husband still supports Republicans.

She said she is disenchanted by Trump’s support of Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who is running for re-election, because in the 2016 Republican primaries Trump was calling Cruz “Lyin' Ted.”

She said she supports Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke in the Texas senatorial race partly because of how he held his ground while being grilled by Fox News.

Early voting continues through Nov. 2 and the General Election is Nov. 6.