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State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, would reorient Texas’ focus on education and pocketbook issues. \u201cWe need to show people that government can do something to make our lives a little easier,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Sara Diggins\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
By some measures, Texas is the economic envy of the nation.<\/p>\n
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Texas boasts the eighth-largest economy<\/a> in the world, leads the nation in job growth and is home to more Fortune 500 company headquarters<\/a> than any other state. A trophy case full of Governor\u2019s Cups<\/a> attests to Texas\u2019 success courting new and expanding businesses.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Yet too many Texans are not sharing in the prosperity. The Lone Star State has the highest number of people who lack health insurance. While\u00a0Gov. Greg Abbott touts Texas as the \u201cenergy capital of the world,\u201d<\/a> we lead the nation in the number of people whose utilities get shut off<\/a> because they can\u2019t afford to keep the lights on.<\/p>\n And even as the state sits on a massive rainy-day fund and can find $1 billion for private school vouchers,\u00a0Texas ranks in the bottom 10 states<\/a> in per-student funding for public schools, a glaring failure to invest in tomorrow\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n Abbott, who is seeking a historic fourth term, has spent tens of millions of dollars<\/a>\u00a0on TV and digital ads telling voters Texas is on the right track.<\/p>\n But Texans heading to the polls Nov. 3 should ask a more basic question: Is this Texas working for them?<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The governor\u2019s race pits Abbott against Democratic state Rep. Gina\u00a0Hinojosa and Libertarian Pat Dixon. Austinites know Hinojosa<\/a> as a fierce advocate for public education, at first on the Austin school board and then for a decade in the statehouse. We strongly recommend\u00a0Hinojosa as the fresh leadership needed to ensure state government works for the benefit of Texans.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter 30 years of one-party control, and 12 years of Greg Abbott, there’s just been no accountability, and we need to bring that back to government,\u201d\u00a0Hinojosa told our Editorial Board.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: How we reach our endorsements \u2014 and why your vote is yours<\/a><\/p>\n Abbott, who did not meet with us, has repeatedly used the power of his office to advance political priorities while neglecting Texans\u2019 basic needs.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The governor vetoed funding to feed hungry kids<\/a>. He shut down access to abortion, which left some women with high-risk pregnancies to suffer<\/a> or even die<\/a> without the emergency care they needed. He engaged in cheap theatrics done at real expense to Muslims<\/a>, migrants<\/a> and members of the LGBTQ+ community<\/a>.<\/p>\n At President Donald Trump\u2019s direction, Abbott set in motion last year\u2019s redistricting gambit<\/a> to shore up Republican seats in Congress by diminishing the fair representation of Texans.<\/p>\n And the governor dangled incentives<\/a> and proclaimed \u201cTexas is the epicenter for AI development<\/a>\u201d \u2014 music to the ears of Big Tech developers. Only after people raised concerns about water use, energy use and the compatibility of data centers in their communities did Abbott order a pause<\/a> on new permits for these digital behemoths.<\/p>\n Arguably the most damage has come from the attacks on public education on Abbott\u2019s watch. Since 2023, more than 170 schools<\/a> across the state have closed or are in the process of closing, while per-student funding, when adjusted for inflation, remains lower than it was a decade ago<\/a>. Struggling schools trigger punitive district-wide takeovers by the Texas Education Agency, creating even more disruption for families and teachers.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Abbott could have pushed to strengthen the public schools that serve 5.5 million students. Instead, he used his bully pulpit to secure $1 billion in private school vouchers<\/a> for only about 100,000 students.<\/p>\n Abbott focused on helping the few, not the many.<\/p>\n Hinojosa recognizes that opportunity for everyone begins with education, and so would her focus. If elected, she said, she would fire Education Commissioner Mike Morath and launch an efficiency review of contracts at TEA, where a recent audit found stunning administrative bloat that drove up managerial spending 64%<\/a> in just four years.<\/p>\n Hinojosa would also pause the A-F school accountability system that has become a cudgel against struggling schools. She would reorient the TEA to partner with local school districts that need help, not upend them through state takeovers.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n SIGN UP FOR THE AUSTIN ANGLE<\/a> and get Statesman commentaries in your inbox<\/p>\n On affordability and cost of living \u2014 the top concerns for half of Texas voters<\/a> \u2014 Abbott and\u00a0Hinojosa both talk about increasing the state\u2019s contribution to public education so local school property taxes can be lowered and ultimately eliminated. That\u2019s an appealing pitch, although neither one has a realistic plan to fully pay for it. Abbott has suggested\u00a0the state can tap reserves that will be replenished<\/a> as the Texas economy keeps growing, while\u00a0Hinojosa expects to find savings<\/a> by\u00a0ending corporate subsidies and cutting unnecessary contracts. Either approach could provide some relief but not enough money to fully cover the cost of running Texas schools \u2014 which cannot absorb any more funding cuts.<\/p>\n Abbott has also pitched the disastrous idea<\/a> of dismantling the service territories for Austin Energy and other municipally owned utilities \u2014 a boon to investor-owned utilities at the expense of public utility customers who, on average, pay some of the lowest bills in the state.<\/p>\n At the same time, we urge caution with\u00a0Hinojosa\u2019s idea to declare a \u201ccost of living emergency\u201d and freeze utility rates. Texans need relief, but emergency powers should be deployed temporarily, as a last resort. Abbott\u2019s years-long emergency declarations<\/a> at the border stand as a reminder such powers need firm limits.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n With families struggling and Texas\u2019 rainy-day fund topping $27 billion,\u00a0Hinojosa would also ask the Legislature to fund a one-time $1,500 payment to each Texas household. It\u2019s hard not to wonder why Abbott didn\u2019t think of this downright conservative idea: returning surplus revenue to the taxpayers who provided it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to rebuild trust,\u201d\u00a0Hinojosa told us. \u201cWe need to show people that government can do something to make our lives a little easier.\u201d<\/p>\n That will take more than campaign promises or even a $1,500 check. But a change in the governor\u2019s mansion would be a good start.<\/p>\n