Lawmakers Should Be Dealing With California’s Budget Crisis, Not Taking a Junket to Texas 

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski

“It’s absurd that with our state budget in crisis Republican politicians are leading a self-serving junket to Texas.

“California is on the brink of having to make disastrous cuts to schools, public safety and programs for seniors, children and those with disabilities because Republicans refuse to allow a vote of the people on the budget. They should be focused on working with the governor to prevent those cuts from being inflicted upon our communities. Instead, they’re taking a “fact-finding” trip to Texas, a state that has an equally serious budget crisis, one of the highest poverty rates in America and has seen its unemployment rate double in recent years.

“It’s this kind of nonsense that Californians are so sick of seeing from our elected officials. Republicans need to get to work on solving our own state’s budget mess. Instead of taking a junket to Texas, Republicans should be meeting with their constituents to explain why they’ve blocked the people’s will to have a vote on our future.

“If Dan Logue, Connie Conway and their colleagues insist on going to Texas to hobnob with officials there rather than working to solve California’s problems, perhaps they should book their tickets one-way. We’d be better off with elected representatives who actually care more about our communities than furthering their own narrow political agendas.”

Facts about Texas budget and economy:

• Since April 2008, the Texas unemployment rate has nearly doubled. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• Budget cuts are estimated to cost Texas 600,000 jobs, including 263,000 in private sector. This is a model the California GOP wants to emulate? (CNN, March 25, 2011)

• Texas has the 8th highest poverty rate in US (California is 21st). Poverty in Texas jumped 11% from 2009 to 2010. One in four children in Texas lives in poverty, and 26% of Texans lack health insurance. (2010 US Census, as reported in Dallas Morning News, September 17, 2010)

• Texas ranks 49th in the nation in teen births (California is 22nd). In providing prenatal care to expectant mothers, Texas is dead last (California is eighth). Texas ranks 34th in median family income, with $47,143 (California is 13th, at $56,852). (Michael Hitzlik, LA Times, Feb. 9, 2011)

• Texas is currently 37th in per pupil spending (before cuts), and the state is looking to cut an additional $5 billion from education. Texas spends about $1000 less per pupil than California. (National Education Association and Thomas Elias, Ventura County Star, February 23, 2011)

• The two-year Texas budget deficit could run as high as $25 billion. (Paul Krugman, NY Times, January 6, 2011)

• A recent UCLA study found “Texas isn't stealing California's jobs, workers or prosperity.” (LA Times, March 10, 2011)

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