The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 57, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Page: 4 of 26
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PAGE 4A
The BOERNE Star
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
VIEWPOINTS
Star Editorial
Governor Perry touts survey showing
Texas best state for doing business
Doing away with confusing
election process good for
city and voters
For many newcomers to Boerne, city elections are just
confusing.
Using an election method that is somewhat unique to about 40
Texas cities and school districts, voters in the city participate in
a cumulative voting system. Voters get to cast a ballot for each
of the city council seats up for election, and the top vote-getters
win.
Winners don’t have to have a majority, and voters can cast all
of their ballots, which could be as many as three, for a single
candidate.
For most Americans, growing up on the idea of One Man, One
Vote, this just doesn’t seem right.
Cumulative voting came about in Boerne, Kerrville and other
places as the result of a lawsuit filed by the League of United
Latin American Citizens in the 1990s. LULAC’s complaint
was that minorities were not being represented on city councils
across the state and that it was the method of electing officials
that was preventing it.
Before the cumulative system, candidates were elected at-large
by a majority of voters. Many minority voters felt their voices
were not being heard in that system.
But, no one can really say that they are being heard now either.
And the cumulative voting system is difficult for many voters to
understand.
Now, city officials, are poised to reconsider another way of
electing councilmembers, which would mimic how many cities
do it and how most statewide and national offices are filled.
The city would create some sort of districts or wards and
voters would cast their ballot in only that district or ward for
a councilmember who would represent them. That would also
mean that when a voter had a problem they would take it to that
councilmember who represents their district.
Of course, this type of system isn’t perfect either. It only works
when the people who draw the district lines do so in a fair and
equitable way.
But, if the city can come up with a less confusing way to elect
councilmembers and can do it without burdening taxpayers with
much unnecessary expense, then that option should be explored.
Not only would it make more sense to voters, it might help get
more people to the polls.
AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry,
on his Web site July 9, pub-
lished that “Texas Is America’s
Top State for Business,” citing
results of the CNBC “Top States
for Business 2008” survey.
The survey scored each state
on 40 different measures of
competitiveness, using publicly
available data.
Among measures used in the
survey: cost of doing business,
workforce, economy, education,
quality of life, technology and
innovation, transportation, cost
of living, business friendliness
and access to capital.
Texas’ strongest showings
were in economy, technology
and innovation, transportation
and cost of living.
Meanwhile, state Comptroller
Susan Combs, had this to say
in her “Comptroller’s Economic
Outlook” dated July 10: “So
far, the Texas economy contin-
ues to be in better shape than
most other states. While we
see a cooling in the economy,
there are aspects like good job
growth and revenue growth that
show the state is faring better
than what’s happening on the
national front.
“Employment in Texas con-
tinues to expand. From May
2007 to May 2008, Texas gained
about 238,700 jobs, which is
more than the next seven top job
growth states combined. Texas
CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
Ed Sterling
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
accounted for 53.4 percent of
the jobs gained in the nation
during that time period.
“Sales tax revenue is the state’s
largest source of general rev-
enue. So far this year, sales tax
revenue is 5.8 percent higher
than the same period last year.”
TAPE OF ARSON
REMAINS SECRET
A security camera videotaped
the June 8 arson fire that gutted
the Governor’s Mansion.
The Texas Department of
Public Safety sought a ruling
from the Texas Attorney Gen-
eral’s Office to prevent release
of the tape, or copies of it, to
the public.
If the fire had been ruled an
act of terrorism, the tape would
have been deemed confidential
under federal and state home-
land security laws. But there has
been no such ruling.
However, the contents of the
tape may be kept confidential
under the Texas public informa-
tion law, because it is part of an
ongoing criminal investigation,
the Attorney General’s Office
ruled.
AG LOOKS AT RELI-
GIOUS LIT COURSES
The Attorney General’s Office
completed its required review
of proposed rules by the State
Board of Education regarding
“religious literature” courses
that Texas public high schools
can offer under a law passed by
the Legislature in 2007.
Deputy Attorney General
Andrew Weber, in a July 9 let-
ter to SBOE Chairman Don
McLeroy, wrote that it could
not be concluded whether Bible
courses would comply with the
First Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution and that the attor-
ney general’s office is unable to
“preclear” courses.
Constitutional challenges may
arise over the way these courses
are taught.
AG FILES MEDICAID
FRAUD LAWSUIT
Texas Attorney General Greg
Abbott on July 9 filed a lawsuit
in a Travis County state district
court charging a list of generic
drug manufacturers with report-
ing false, inflated drug prices to
the Texas Medicaid program.
The lawsuit alleges that the
manufacturers falsely reported
prices, and as a result, Medicaid
reimbursed pharmacies at vastly
inflated rates. The
false reporting of drug prices is
a violation of the Texas Medic-
aid Fraud Prevention Act.
The lawsuit names Watson/
Schein Pharmaceuticals Inc. of
California; Alpharma Inc. of New
Jersey; Par Pharmaceutical Inc.
of New Jersey; and Barr Pharma-
ceuticals Inc. of New York.
CENSUS RANKS FAST
GROWING CITIES
The U.S. Census on July 10
released data showing that in
2007, McKinney, Killeen and
Denton ranked in the top 10 fast-
est growing cities in the nation.
In another category, numerical
population increase, data showed
Houston added 38,932 residents
between July 1, 2006, and July
1, 2007, to lead the nation. Join-
ing Houston in the top 10 on that
list were: San Antonio, third;
Fort Worth, fourth; and Austin,
eighth.
NEW WAY TO TRACK
‘YOUR MONEY’
For Texans interested in how
their tax dollars are being spent,
there is a new Web site: Texas
BudgetSource.com.
The site is a project of the
Austin-based conservative
think tank, Texas Public Policy
Foundation. Talmadge Heflin, a
former state lawmaker, is direc-
tor of the foundation’s Center
for Fiscal Policy.
He said the purpose of the Web
site is to bring greater transpar-
ency to government spending.
>
SHORT LEASH
The BOERNE Star
Online Poll
Have gas prices changed your summer plans?
Yes.
■ No.
73.3%
44.4%
Results of 30 votes cast as of Monday noon.
Visit www.boernestar.com and cast
your vote today
Worth Quoting
"Laughter is the shortest
distance between two people."
- Victor Borge
Bible Verse___
€26 1 Ted,
"Jesus said unto him, If thou ■
canst believe, all things are
possible to him that believeth."
- Mark 9:23
Budget surplus? Not so fast.
News Editor
Sports Editor
Copy Editor
Typesetter
Staff Writers
The BOERNE Star
www.boernestar.com
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
Brian Cartwright
EDITORIAL
Mark J. Armstrong
Kerry Barboza
Kit Brenner
Molly Meckel
Dave Pasley
Elena Tucker
PRODUCTION
BOOKKEEPING
Office Manager
Sandra Pfeiffer
CIRCULATION
Subscriptions Dana Smith
ADVERTISING
Graphic Design
Rebecca Kirsch
Kristyn Bergmann
Marketing Director
Sales
Sales
Sales
Sales
Frank Shubert
Kolleen Roe
Karen Morris
JT Maroney
John Newton
DISTRIBUTION
Circulation Manager
Driver
Stephen Bartell
Tyler Foreman
Our Texas Constitution requires
that state spending each year not
exceed revenues or income.
Ensuring that Texas govern-
ment lives within its means is
not always easy, particularly in
lean financial years when doing
so requires necessary, and often
painful, budget cuts.
During the 2007 Legislative
Session, we legislators were for-
tunate in that we were able to
balance the budget and begin
implementating $14.2 billion
in tax cuts for the 2008-09
biennium.
These cuts to Texans’ taxes
were partially funded by the new
margins tax and the cigarette
tax, which together generated
approximately $7 billion.
In order to guarantee a $7 bil-
lion tax cut through at least 2010
and 2011, we left $7 billion
unspent. Of that amount, $3 bil-
IN THE TEXAS SENATE
/ Jeff Wentworth
- STATE SENATOR
R-SAN ANTONIO
lion is in the Property Tax Relief
Fund while $4 billion is in the
Rainy Day Fund.
Add to this some $2 billion in
General Revenue and an unex-
pected growth in sales tax and
higher oil and gas prices, and it
looks as though Texas will begin
the 2010-2011 biennium with a
cushion of between $10.7 and
$15 billion.
That is a cushion that any of
us would feel very comfortable
sitting on, if it were real. Unfor-
tunately, in budgets, as in life,
things are not always what they
seem. ricane Katrina or the fires in
The $10 to $15 billion repre- California were to occur, the
sent only one side of the financial extra money needed to rebuild
equation - the revenue side. It our state’s infrastructure would
does not take into account the be gone.
80,000 new students each year It is understandable that Tex-
who will enroll in our public ans faced with higher college
schools, nor does it allow for the tuition costs and the possibility
growth in federally mandated of toll roads want to use the
programs, such as Medicaid. money the Legislature has put
When we factor in a population aside for tax relief and a rainy
growth that is greatly increasing day to lower tuition costs and
the demand for services, as well build new highways. 1 wish it
as the hike in gas prices and util- were possible to do both, but the
ities costs that are impacting the money simply is not there.
state as well as individuals, the And just like a family needs to
cushion isn’t nearly so plump. set something aside in case the
In addition, no one knows what breadwinner is hurt and unable
the future will bring to Texas, to work, legislators would be
Currently, we are in much better poor stewards of taxpayer dol-
shape than most other states, but lars if we did not ensure that,
that could change. in case of a disaster or a severe
If we use the money we have downturn in the state’s economy,
set aside for the future, and a there was a financial cushion to
crisis of the magnitude of Hur- fall back on.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chris Woerner, Chris Tilton, Anya Maltsberger
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS
Mary Alice Yelverton, Dr. John Kelly, Natalie Morgan, Jan Wrede, Ed Davis, Anita
Porterfield, Vera D’Spain, Sharon Benedict, Paula White, Mary Alice Dell
Ken Nietenhoefer, Dr. James Dobson, Ellen Damstra,
Tom Harris, Tom Lanier, Lynn Pendley, Kathy Senkbeil, Ron Warden,
Krysta McDaniel, Bill Ward, Peary Perry and Oscar Garcia.
MEMBER OF Texas Press Association, National Newspaper Association,
South Texas Press Association, Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
941 N. School Street* Boerne,TX (UPS 059-740)
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W RITE EM!
KENDALL COUNTY
JUDGE GAYLAN SCHROEDER
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343
Commissioners
ANN REISSIG
GENE MIERTSCHIN
DARRELL LUX
KENNETH RUSCH
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343
The Boerne Star welcomes letters on any public issue. Letters may be mailed, faxed,
e-mailed or hand-delivered but must contain the writer’s name, address and phone number.
Letters should not exceed 300 words. Addresses and telephone numbers are for verification
purposes only and will not be published. Names and city of residence will be published.
We reserve the right to edit all letters for style and content.
CITY OF BOERNE
DAN HECKLER
402 E. Blanco
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-951
BOERNE ISD
Superintendent
JOHN KELLY
123 W. Johns Rd.
Boerne, Texas 78006
830-357-2000
COMFORT ISD
Superintendent
JOHN ROUSE
232 High
Comfort, Texas 78013
995-3664
STATE LEVEL
GOVERNOR
RICK PERRY
State Capital, Room 200
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 463-2000
STATE BOARD
OF EDUCATION
District 5
205 W. Travis
Fredericksburg, TX, 78624 • 830-
997-9759
STATE REP.
NATHAN MACIAS
District 73
P.O. Box 2910, Austin, T
X 78768-2910
Office51 2-463-0325
Fax: 512-463-5899
STATE SENATOR
JEFF WENTWORTH
District 25
1250 NE Loop 410 St. 925
San Antonio, Tx 78209
(210) 826-7800
FEDERAL LEVEL
PRESIDENT
GEORGE W. BUSH
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20000
REP. LAMAR SMITH
Congressman Lamar Smith |
2409 Rayburn House Office Bldg.
| Washington, D.C. 20515-4321
202-225-4236
San Antonio Office
Guaranty Bank Building
1100 NE Loop 410
Suite 640
San Antonio, TX 78209
210-821-5024
210-821-5947 fax
lamarsmith.house.gov
U.S. SENATOR
JOHN CORNYN
Russell Bldg. Rm. 179
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2934
KAY BAILEY
HUTCHISON
703 Hart Senate
Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5922
San Antonio Office
145 Duncan Dr.,
Suite 120
San Antonio, TX 78226
210-340-2885
210-349-6753 (FAX)
MEETING TIMES
BOERNE
CITY COUNCIL
7:30 p.m. second and fourth
Tuesday of the month, City Hall,
402 E. Blanco
KENDALL COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
9 a.m. second and fourth
Monday of the month, Kendall
County Courthouse,
204 E. San Antonio
BOERNEISD
Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
third Monday of the month, BISD
boardroom
COMFORT ISD
7 p.m. second Monday in the
board offices
1
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Cartwright, Brian. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 57, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 15, 2008, newspaper, July 15, 2008; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1667319/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.