Senator: Shame on budget writers if pensions, roads aren’t funded

[TexasTowelie]

AUSTIN — Senate budget writers must fix public employee pension funds and cough up more money for roads or hang their heads in shame, a maverick Republican senator said Thursday.

Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, said a Senate panel’s nearly completed version of a two-year state budget would leave between $15 billion and $20 billion of state money unspent.

Tapping those funds would require votes to draw down rainy-day dollars or bust a state spending cap. In both chambers, Republicans are reluctant to take such votes.

At a Senate Finance Committee mark-up session, Eltife said the full Senate shouldn’t have passed $4.6 billion in tax cuts, as it did Wednesday. Senators still haven’t advanced “a permanent solution to transportation” problems, much less stopped a snowballing $7.5 billion of unfunded liability in the Employees Retirement System, he said.

“My gosh, you can’t leave here with that money in the bank and not fix pensions — irresponsible,” he said.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20150326-senator-shame-on-budget-writers-if-pensions-roads-arent-funded.ece

[Downwinder]

1. Child's excuse:

Everybody else is doing it.

[TexasTowelie]

2. One of the children is my recently elected senator and former representative

Lousy Lois Kolkhorst.

[Downwinder]

3. Brenham should be able to do better.

Aren't there any Ds at Blue Bell?


I was really thinking of Jane Nelson.

[TexasTowelie]

4. To be honest,

I thought that I got away from her when I moved to Irving. And even though I had to comb back to Wharton I still thought I didn't have to be represented by her. However, Hegar moved up the ladder which meant Lois moved up the ladder. The last time I voted in Washington County there weren't any Ds on the ballot.

[Downwinder]

5. Have any plans for next year?

Do you have Germania insurance?

[TexasTowelie]

6. Hopefully getting the hell out of here.

If some personal matters get resolved favorably then I want to move to Georgetown.

[Downwinder]

7. It only takes 50 signatures to run.

Blue Bell is represented on the Germania Board.
Germania is a mutual so all policy holders are stockholders.

[TexasTowelie]

8. My father had his auto and homeowners insurance with Germania.

He died in 2012 and we sold his home in 2013 so there aren't any more ties to the area other than one aunt and my brother visits the former neighbor. I don't really have the desire to run for political office either because I don't want to be a public figure.

[Downwinder]

9. Fair enough.

don't know how you get anybody to run in this State. If we don't have candidates, we are not likely to win any elections.