I'm Voting For Kay

In tomorrow’s Gubernatorial Election, I will cast my vote for Kay Bailey Hutchison. Over the coming years, Hutchison is the best person to lead the Texas Government to face such issues as education, immigration, and the budget. Additionally, I will support Hutchison because of the record Perry has amassed over the last 10 years as Governor. We have never had a Governor serve as long as he has (10 years), and now he wants four more. What exactly has Perry accomplished?

1. Perry overstepped his authority and mandated the HPV vaccine for 12 year old girls. Why? Because he received money from the pharmaceutical company that produces the vaccine and because he believes that he should have more power as Governor than the Texas Constitution gives him. Without consent of the legislature and with limited testing of the vaccine, Perry decided he knew better than parents and elected members of the Legislature in issuing his proclamation. Thankfully, the Legislature acted to stop his abuse of power.

2. He tried to pressure the Comptroller to certify a budget that wasn’t manageable and threatened to overstep the Constitution again by stripping the Comptroller’s power away from her. Again, while he campaigns as a small government guy, he has acted differently as Governor.

3. He said that Texas could secede from the Union. That kind of irresponsible comment should not be tolerated from an elected official who is the figurehead of the state.

4. He believes in using eminent domain to take land away from private landowners to build a roadway no one wants.

5. He received 39% of the vote in 2006, showing how few people actually supported the job he is doing as Governor. While the Republican nominee is likely to win in November, 39% should give Republicans pause.

The Texas Government has traditionally been a friendly government that steers clear of party ideology. Since Perry became Governor, partisanship in Austin has increased. While I think Perry will win the nomination tomorrow, I believe Hutchison would make the better leader for Texas. Unfortunately, the Governor who wants more control and power has somehow been able to convince others that he is for small government. He has run a successful campaign, but I feel that once 2011 is here, Perry will revert back to his controlling style. Meanwhile, I believe the last office Hutchison will seek is Texas Governor. She has no ambitions for higher office, which means she will be more interested in meeting the needs of Texans rather than trying to impress a national committee. So, I'm voting for Kay.