Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 150, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 13, 2000 Page: 3 of 14
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CHEROKEEAN/HERALP of Rusk, Texas—Thursday, January 13, 2000—Page 3
Rich economy punctuates 76th Legislature
By Rep. Todd Staples
SPECIAL TO THE CHEROKEEAN/HERALD
As we close out the century,
Texans have much for
which to be thankful. 1999
has been blessed with a rich
economy, a very positive Legisla-
tive Session, and the anticipation
of a new mil-
lennium has
energized the
entire country.
This past
year the Leg-
islature met
for its 76th
Session. With
a plentiful
economy, we
were able to
infuse our edu-
cation system
with an extra $3.8 billion for read-
ingprograms, teacher salaries, and
other education improvements.
The legislature passed important
State Rep.
Todd Staples
legislation including deregulation
of public utilities, lowering the
blood alcohol concentration on
DWIs, parental notification, and
the civil commitment of sexual
predators. All these enhancements
were provided while being frugal
with taxpayer dollars, a principle
to which I am unequivocally com-
mitted.
We enter the 21st Century with
a momentum which must not be
lost. While we have been blessed
with the fruits of a strong economy
and governmental surpluses, there
is still much left to accomplish.
Texas must continue with improv-
ing education and address the
needs of all students, we must look
toward transportation enhance-
ments to support our growing state,
and we must address the future of
our prison system. Both the
TDMHMR and the TDCJ Systems
play a tremendous role in our local
economy. We greatly appreciate
the role our dedicated employees
of these agencies provide in meet-
ing the critical services Texans
requires and want to reward them
for their tireless dedication.
As the citizens of Texas have
cried out for tougher laws and
stronger sentencing, the legisla-
ture has responded. Now we must
address the strains placed on our
correctional system as a result of
those laws. We have more prison-
ers for a longer duration, parole
rates are dwindling, and our pris-
ons are filling up, once again. Our
internal pay scale and compensa-
tion rates are not creating the
stableemploymentitoncedid. The
pay scale for TDCJ and TDMHMR
must move forward with the state's
economy in order to fill these jobs
and maintain quality services.
We must be forward thinking
with tourism and incentives for
business development by enhanc-
ing and protecting attractions like
the Texas State Railroad and pro-
moting our local col leges like Jack-
sonville College and Lon Morris.
We have a lot to offer in Cherokee
County and East Texas, we must
use our assets to enhance our way
of life and ensure a bright feature.
Citizens like James I. Perkins
(TDMHMR Board) and Robert
Nichols (TXDOT Commission) pro-
vide much needed leadership to
Texas as well as locally and we are
grateful for their service.
Lastly, in September 1 an-
nounced my candidacy for the Sen-
ate District 3 seat. It was a diffi-
cult decision, but a necessary one
in order to preserve East Texas
values. I have enjoyed represent-
ing all of House District 11 more
than I can possibly express. I look
forward to working together
throughout my last year as State
Representative and hope to con-
tinue serving you in the Texas
Senate with the same positive re-
lationship we have developed these
past few years. Together, we can
build a better Texas,
Todd Staples is the State Repre-
sentative for District 11.
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The 106th Congress leaves unfinished business
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Congressman
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When the report cards are
sent home for the first
year of the 106th Con-
gress, the American people should
be disappointed to learn that tak-
ing care of the people's interests
unfortunately took a báck seat to
taking care of the special inter-
ests. This is simply wrong and
unacceptable. When I was elected
to Congress three years ago, I came
to Washington with the goal of
bettering the
lives of East
Texans; how-
ever, I am ex-
tremely disap-
pointed by the
on-going parti-
san bickering
and gridlock
which has
paralyzed
progress on
many impor-
tant issues
such as health
care, educa-
tion, protecting Social Security and
strengthening our economy and
our armed services - issues that
are important to us all. I know
that Congress can do better, and
the American people should de-
mand more than the unfinished
business that members left behind
when Congress adjourned for the
year.
Unfortunately, the people's de-
mand for lower prescription drug
prices- fell victim to the pharma-
ceutical manufacturers' efforts to
preserve unfair pricing practices
at the expense of senior citizens.
While these big drug companies
are bringing in record profits, our
seniors are having an increasingly
difficult time affording their medi-
cine. I have been working on this
issue for several years and intro-
duced the Prescription Drug Fair-
ness for Seniors Act; however, even
with the support of 137 members
of the House, no hearings have
been held on this legislation, no
debate has occurred on the floor of
the House, and seniors are still
paying the highest prices for medi-
cations of anyone in the world.
Again, Congress must do better.
The average voter, who is in-
creasingly turned off from partici-
pating in the political process, also
took second place to the special
interests whose unlimited and
undisclosed campaign donations
were protected by a Congress that
refused to pass the Bipartisan
Campaign Finance Reform bill. I
proudly cosponsored this legisla-
tion and led the fight for passage;
however, the Senate defeated the
bill following passage by the House.
Americans need campaign finance
reform and this year's inability to
reform our campaign system is
unacceptable.
Members of a typical American
family depending on an HMO for
their health care understandably
want their doctor to make the de-
cisions regarding their health care
- not some insurance bureaucrat.
In 1995 as a member of the Texas
State Senate, I authored patient
protection legislation on behalf of
all Texans which finally passed in
1997. This year I cosponsored the
Patients' Bill of Rights to give ev-
ery American the same protections
now enjoyed by Texans. Unfortu-
nately, Congress said no to pa-
tients and yes to the powerful in-
surance companies by failing to
make the Patients' Bill of Rights
the law of the land.
East Texas school children, who
depend on proceeds from the sale
of timber from our National For-
ests to finance their schools, took
second place in the debate with
envi ronmen tal ists over forest man -
agement policy when the County
Schools Funding Revitalization
Act, which I cosponsored, failed to
pass the Senate before the end of
the year. Our children should not
be hold hostage by this debate or
by Congress. Our children repre-
sent our nation's future and it is
our responsibility to prepare them
for the 21st Century.
The opportunity to save Social
Security for the baby boom gen-
eration and to finally halt the raid
of the Social Security trust fund to
pay for other government pro-
grams was only given lip service
this year. The use of accounting
gimmicks, emergency funding des-
ignations and other midnight-hour
budgeting tactics hid the actual
raid on the trust fund in a shell
game that any fifth grader could
expose. We must put a lockbox on
the Social Security trust fund and
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we must pay down our $5.7 trillion
national debt. Again, Congress
must do better if we are going to
strengthen Social Security and
ensure the solvency of this pro-
gram for future generations.
The partisan infighting during
the budget debate also tarnished
our time-honored tradition of unit-
ing as Americans in the area of
foreign policy. The United States
must be seen by the world as a
consistent and reliable world
leader. Our children's opportunity
to live in peace depends upon our
willingness today to pursue en-
gagement and cooperation with
other nations rather than isola-
tion and confrontation. We must
also be willing to accept the re-
sponsibility of being the only re-
maining superpower. While the
United States cannot be the po-
liceman of the world, it cannot
ignore the impact of foreign con-
flicts on our own national security.
As a veteran and a member of the
Armed Services Committee, I am
proud of every man and woman
who woars the uniform of our
i . . .
ill II Vuw.
armed services. They serve as war
fighters and peacekeepers in a com-
plex and ever-changing world.
Clearly we can do better both here
and abroad.
It is no wonder the American
people are turned off by politics
and politicians who seem more
interested in the next election than
the next decade. The American
people understand the difference
between honest disagreements on
policy and partisan bickering and
gridlock. Partisan politics are fail-
ing Americans and this is wrong. I
came to Washington to represent
the peopleofEast Texas, and I will
not rest until we are able to accom-
plish our goals of improving health
care, lowering the price of pre-
scription drugs, strengtheningour
armed forces, protecting Social
Security and Medicare, and pay-
ing down our national debt.
While we as lawmakers have
our work cut out for us when Con-
gress reconvenes in January, 1 re-
main hopeful that inore progress
will be made as we begin the new
millennium.
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 150, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 13, 2000, newspaper, January 13, 2000; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth168626/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.