Even though we fared better than other states, lawmakers face a budget shortfall of $10 billion or more when they return to Austin in 2011. Ben Philpott — who covers politics and public policy for KUT News and the Tribune — looks at the shortfall and proposed solutions.
The Ditch: How We Got Into It
Posted in
Health care
Rick Perry: The TT Interview
A Newsweek/Texas Tribune exclusive: The governor talks about the Tea Party, his beef with the federal government, health care reform, the state budget, redistricting, and whether he plans to run for the White House himself.
Posted in
Higher Education
Borrow and Mend
New federal student loan reforms, passed along with controversial health care reform legislation, will shore up Pell Grants for tens of thousands of college students in Texas — and save the feds a projected $68 billion by cutting private banks out of financial aid.
Posted inState Government
A Conversation with Karen Hughes
For the sixth event in our TribLive series, I interviewed George W. Bush’s longtime communications director and counselor about the difference between advising CEOs and pols, what happened to Kay Bailey Hutchison’s gubernatorial campaign, the “myth” of Obama Derangement Syndrome, and more.
Posted inState Government
Voting with their Middle Fingers
It’s embodied in the Tea Party movement, in this week’s runoff election results from Lubbock and Plano, in last month’s primaries, in Gov. Rick Perry’s embrace of state’s rights and the 10th Amendment, even in Barack Obama’s campaign against the status quo in 2008. Voters aren’t happy, and politicians are doing their best to get in line, to accommodate the movement, or to get out of the way.
Posted in
Health care
A Conversation with Rick Perry
A Newsweek/Texas Tribune exclusive: The Governor of Texas talks about the Tea Party, his beef with the federal government, health care reform, Mexico, the state budget, redistricting, whether he’s an insider or an outsider, what he thinks about the presidency of George W. Bush, and — while we’re on the topic — whether he plans to run for the White House himself … and his answer could not be more definitive.
Posted inState Government
Rick Perry on Whether He’ll Run for President
“I don’t care about going to Washington, D.C.”
Posted inState Government
Rick Perry on George W. Bush
“I think George W. Bush will go down as a very, very good president. Approaching great? I don’t know yet…”
Posted in
Demographics
Rick Perry on Mexico
“The fact is, we shouldn’t have to be doing anything. The federal government’s responsibility has always been to operate the security mechanism along the border.”
Posted inState Government
Rick Perry on the States vs. the Federal Government
“The federal government was created to be an agent of the states, not the other way around. I think that is a very, very good thing.”
