Setting the Agenda
Dear friend,
One of the great debates of our time is over the scope and role of government. While there are those who believe there is little or no role for government, most of us are somewhere in the middle. We believe in effective government that serves all our people.
I chose a life of public service because I believe in government of the people, by the people. I do not believe in treating essential services as commodities, where the choicest pieces go to the chosen few. I believe in great public works that benefit all, and I especially believe in one of the greatest of all public works, our public education system, which unfortunately is under constant assault. As John F. Kennedy said, “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.”
Good government must be accountable. We are always looking for ways to improve our performance and meet our goals, to do what needs doing and that otherwise would not get done. One of my priorities when elected was to bring the community into the process of finding solutions.
I set up a series of public meetings - Citizens Legislative Town Halls - across District 29. And I created District Advisory Committees, groups of policy experts, stakeholders and other volunteers committed to creating and promoting policy solutions and legislative proposals. Both the series of public meetings and the advisory committees have since January helped District 29 identify and tackle questions in the following areas:
Education
- How do we fund education fully and fairly, and make sure class sizes are small and instructional materials are available
- How do we make sure students are learning, while at the same time not letting testing replaceteaching
- What can we do to make college more affordable, accessible, and, in the case of two-year colleges, equitable
- What can we do to support successful programs in such areas as early childhood education and distance learning
Green Jobs and Energy Efficiency
- Is there an industry that has the potential for creating thousands of new jobs
- What can be done about unmitigated and wasteful energy consumption, and can wasted energy be transformed into economic development opportunities
Renewable Energy
- How do we ensure that electric company customers, both institutional and residential, receive fair value for onsite generation
- What can be done to reduce peak demand andbalance load demand and use
Environment
- What can be done to allow people who want to donate their water rights for preservation, and how do we protect the precious Rio Bosque Wetlands, one of the last vestige of El Paso’s past as a verdant river valley
- Can we find a way to stop illegal tire dumping while at the same time making productive use of the tires and supporting a win-win economic activity
- How do we help manage and modernize the system of “alcaldes,” who distribute water from the El Paso County Water District#1, and who often serve under duress from demanding homeowners
- What can be done to increase transparency at the El Paso County Water District#1
Health Care
- Is there a way to make sure that public projects account for the health impacts of construction
- Can we allow our seniors who need part- or full-time care a dignified alternative to nursing homes, while also cutting the cost of care
- How do we take fuller advantage of the skill, expertise and involvement of nurses, who are on thefront lines of health care
Veterans and Women Veterans
- How do we improve care for veterans with acute problems such as homelessness and mental illness
- How do we support veterans with professional military experience to receive licensure in such areas as counseling and health care
Government is about finding common solutions to common challenges, large and small. Building transportation networks is important, but so is fixing potholes.
Questions of transportation, health, economic development, and education are ahead of us. We must fund education, build our Medical Center of the Americas, enhance commuter and commercial mobility, and support the University of Texas at El Paso in growing toward Tier One, among other priorities.
In future newsletters I’ll be going into more detail about the issues and solutions brought to the table by El Pasoans. Please feel free to contact my office with your thoughts, and stay tuned as we unwrap these questions and begin to develop legislative and administrative proposals to answer them.