Staff editorial:
Republican gubernatorial debate
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Opinion
The primaries for Texas Governor are quickly approaching, and the Courier staff suggests taking a close look at the candidates. Under the microscope this time are the Republican candidates.
The staff watched the most recent debate among the Republican nominees, and all felt more inclined to vote and partake in the election after doing so.
Within his own party, Gov. Rick Perry faces fierce competitors. The most prominent contending Republican is Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and then the lesser-known of the two - Debra Medina.
Perry is up for re-election - again. He's held the position of governor longer than any in Texas history: more than nine years. Maybe it's time for that to change.
During the debate, the governor's condescending tone with some of the panelists shed light on his true colors. It seems Gov. Perry has so much self-confidence he can show his arrogant, snobbish side without concern for how it will impact voters. A big red flag pops up to us when we see an elected official publicly display rudeness and a belittling demeanor.
Brookhaven College is housed in one of the most notorious cities for anti-immigrant sentiment. We thought one of the biggest contradictions in Perry's reign comes from a bill he signed that gives a non-citizen in Texas a cheaper opportunity to attend college than a U.S. citizen from another state.
This contradicts Perry's scrutiny of the federal government for not protecting the borders. We cannot fathom why he would show more favoritism toward the students who don't have citizenship than to the citizens of other states. This duality seems to be very counterproductive.
The staff felt Medina brought a fresh outlook for the state government. She spoke eloquently and best represented the average Texas citizen. The elimination of property tax seems to be the biggest change she suggests, and without knowing how much that would increase taxes elsewhere, we don't really know what to make of it. Some of her comments mentioning the threat of Texas seceding from the union made all of us a little uneasy.
The staff watched the most recent debate among the Republican nominees, and all felt more inclined to vote and partake in the election after doing so.
Within his own party, Gov. Rick Perry faces fierce competitors. The most prominent contending Republican is Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and then the lesser-known of the two - Debra Medina.
Perry is up for re-election - again. He's held the position of governor longer than any in Texas history: more than nine years. Maybe it's time for that to change.
During the debate, the governor's condescending tone with some of the panelists shed light on his true colors. It seems Gov. Perry has so much self-confidence he can show his arrogant, snobbish side without concern for how it will impact voters. A big red flag pops up to us when we see an elected official publicly display rudeness and a belittling demeanor.
Brookhaven College is housed in one of the most notorious cities for anti-immigrant sentiment. We thought one of the biggest contradictions in Perry's reign comes from a bill he signed that gives a non-citizen in Texas a cheaper opportunity to attend college than a U.S. citizen from another state.
This contradicts Perry's scrutiny of the federal government for not protecting the borders. We cannot fathom why he would show more favoritism toward the students who don't have citizenship than to the citizens of other states. This duality seems to be very counterproductive.
The staff felt Medina brought a fresh outlook for the state government. She spoke eloquently and best represented the average Texas citizen. The elimination of property tax seems to be the biggest change she suggests, and without knowing how much that would increase taxes elsewhere, we don't really know what to make of it. Some of her comments mentioning the threat of Texas seceding from the union made all of us a little uneasy.
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