| Perspectives on Texas

The November election is about far more than choosing between the personalities of individual candidates. Ideas, principles, values and the future of our state and nation are at stake. Will we turn back to the politics of old, where government bureaucrats from Washington, DC, told us how to live our lives through innumerable government rules, higher taxes and with open hostility to traditional values? Or will we continue on the path of smaller government, lower taxes, more jobs and higher pay?

In Texas, the choice is clear. We are blessed with a strong economy and record job growth because of our fair and predictable regulatory environment, no state income tax, plentiful natural resources and millions of hard-working citizens.

In July, CNBC once again ranked Texas as the top state to do business. Wages and high school graduation rates are at an all-time high and we have seen 26 straight months of job growth. Under Gov. Greg Abbott's leadership, Texas has added more than 800,000 jobs; it is no wonder why we have the 10th largest economy in the world.

Last year, Texas grew by roughly a thousand people a day. So many people are fleeing over-regulated states like California, that the average cost to rent a U-Haul from the Bay Area to Austin is $4,320, while demand going the other direction is so low that you can make the trip for a fourth of the cost.

Republican leadership in Austin and Washington has increased GDP growth and created the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years. Unemployment rates for Hispanics and African Americans are at all-time lows, and the number of businesses owned by women is at an all-time high. Corporations are bringing jobs back to the United States, and companies, big and small, have the confidence necessary to grow and hire new employees. As a result, the stock market is soaring, lifting the pension and 401k balances Americans will depend on to spend time with family during retirement.

Thanks to Republicans’ historic tax-reform last year, more than a trillion dollars went directly into the pockets of hard-working American families and small businesses. Because Republicans believe in people, not government, the average Texas family has roughly $2,000 to spend on vacations, groceries, and their kids. By voting against these tax cuts, U.S. Rep. Robert "Beto" O'Rourke has shown he is out of touch with middle-class Texas families and small businesses. He places his faith in government while Republicans place their faith in you. This underscores how critically important it is to keep Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate. 

Thanks to President Trump's regulatory reform and overhaul of the EPA, we have seen record growth in our energy sector. For the first time since 1972, America produced more than 10 million barrels of oil per day, surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the top producer of energy in the world. This new-found "energy security" means we no longer have to rely on oil from hostile foreign nations, giving us a new sense of national security. This could all be undermined if Chairman Christi Craddick is replaced by a Democrat as head of the energy-regulating Texas Railroad Commission. 

At the state level, Republicans were able to balance the budget while cutting our taxes by more than a billion dollars and slashing the business tax by 25 percent.While budget growth was limited to the rate of population plus inflation, Texas was able to fully fund its public schools, adding billions of new dollars to help teachers in the classroom.If Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is replaced by a Democrat, you can bet both our tax burden and state spending will increase.

Houston is one of the largest hubs for human trafficking — modern-day slavery — in the nation. Attorney General Ken Paxton created a task force to investigate and prosecute these horrendous crimes against women and children. He has also fought to protect Texas from federal overreach, winning six times at the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Democrats have moved so far left and down the road of big government, extreme political correctness and hostility towards free-market capitalism that their agenda should be completely rejected by Texas voters this November. If you want jobs instead of government handouts, tax cuts instead of frivolous government spending and domestic energy production instead of taxpayer funded subsidies, be sure to vote Republican in November.