THE REPUBLICAN LIBERTY CAUCUS OF TEXAS eNEWSLETTER
February 05, 2004
http://www.rlctexas.org
***********************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
o HOW TO - PREPARE FOR YOUR PRECINCT CONVENTION
o AUSTIN RLC MEETING - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH
o RLC FIELD REPORT - SAN MARCOS VOTES "NO" ON INSPECTION
o RLC FIELD REPORT - SENATE DISTRICT 18 MEETING
o RLC FIELD REPORT - RLC ADDRESSES TEXAS LEGISLATURE
o REPORT - TEXAS GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
***********************************
HOW TO
... PREPARE FOR YOUR PRECINCT
CONVENTION, WE NEED YOU TO
GET INVOLVED:
Please prepare to be a delegate to your County
and State Conventions. But you have to take
your first step towards that process, and we sure
do need Constitutional loving Republicans like
you at the state Republican Convention, in San
Antonio, this June. First thing you MUST do is be
ready for the "precinct convention" on March 9th
just after the polls close. The meeting is the
Precinct Convention and it should take place in
or near the voting poll building... For more
information, read the RLC documentation below:
http://www.rlctexas.org/membership/training
***********************************
AUSTIN RLC MEETING - FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 13TH:
The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) of Austin
(for anyone near Travis County) meets every 2nd
Friday of the Month, in conjunction with other
pro-LIBERTY organizations.
o Location: Threadgill's World Headquarters, 301
West Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas,
(512) 472-9304 (outside if weather is good; inside
at the back, near the stage, if weather is bad)
o Directions: From I-35 Take the Riverside Dr.
exit and go west until you reach Barton Springs
Rd (one block past Congress Ave). We are on the
left hand side at the corner of Barton Springs Rd
and Riverside Dr.
o Time: Show up anytime between 6PM and 8PM
(relaxed atmosphere, come by after work or stop
in when you can!)
o Contact Information: Don Zimmerman -
dzimmerman@rlctexas.net - (512) 577-8842 or
John Reed - jreed@rlctexas.net
o Note: IF THE WEATHER IS NICE, LOOK FOR
THE OUTSIDE TABLE WITH THE AMERICAN
FLAG; IF WEATHER IS BAD, LOOK FOR THE
AMERICAN FLAG ON THE INSIDE TABLE AT
THE BACK, NEAR THE STAGE.
o Map: Click on picture in Austin section:
http://www.rlctexas.net/events
***********************************
RLC FIELD REPORT - SAN
MARCOS CITY COUNCIL VOTES
"NO" ON INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE PROGRAM -
JANUARY 26TH - HAYS COUNTY:
The San Marcos City Council made the good
decision to NOT sign onto an unnecessary
Inspection and Maintenance Program that the
Clean Air Force of Central Texas is pushing
through Texas via their Early Action Compact.
This unnecessary Inspection and Maintenance
Program would have cost Hays County residents
anywhere from $40 for inspection and up to
$600 per vehicle inspection/emission repairs.
An interesting note is that our air is the cleanest
it's ever been in over 30 years, despite having 5
times the number of car miles driven. And it's
still getting cleaner, thanks in part to the
constant turnover of the automotive fleet. This
goes to show that the worse thing to have in
Texas is a team of Bureaucrats with idle time.
We'd like to thank all RLC members and friends
and Libertarian members that wrote letters,
called, and attended the San Marcos City
Council meetings. This is a huge victory since it
will force Round Rock and Williamson County to
reconsider their votes. If Williamson County drops
out then Travis may follow.
***********************************
RLC FIELD REPORT - SENATE
DISTRICT 18 MEETING -
JANUARY 24TH - BRENHAM, TX:
Don Zimmerman and Michael Franks attended
the SD-18 meeting in Brenham with Ron Paul as
the featured guest speaker. An RLC-TX table was
ready for the 80+ Republicans in attendance. We
made some excellent contacts with the help of
Dr. Paul's RLC mention in his speech. Ron Paul
gave his usual excellent liberty appeal - the
solution to problems is Liberty, not more
government - and he was enthusiastically
received. Several candidates also briefly
addressed the SD-18 group, including new
Congressional District 10 candidate and RLC of
Texas favorite John Devine. Mark Cole (who
addressed the RLC of Texas at the August
Convention) also spoke.
***********************************
RLC FIELD REPORT - RLC
ADDRESSES TEXAS
LEGISLATURE ON EDUCATION:
Don Zimmerman - Executive Director and Bill
Zimmerman - Communications
Director for the
Texas RLC joined other advocacy groups,
concerned about rising education costs and
declining education results, to address the Texas
Legislature.
At a press conference concurrent with the event,
Don and Bill presented data
taken from the TEA
(Texas Education Agency) web site (among others).
In addition a personal, individual presentation was
made to Florence Shapiro (State Senator and chair
of the Senate Public Ed
committee), Rep. Kent
Grusendorf (State Representative and Chairman of
the
House Public Ed committee), Rep Vicki Truitt,
and to the Dallas
Morning News.
Further, our material was featured on channel 8
news in Austin and appeared in the Houston
Chronicle.
For the full report, scroll down to the next article.
***********************************
IN TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
IT'S A
BUREAUCRACY,
NOT A MONEY, PROBLEM:
Report Author:
Bill Zimmerman
RLC of Texas Communications Director
(817) 421-1314
Over the past 10 years, ending in 2002, Texas
Public Schools have received
extra funding of
over 45% (inflation adjusted), while enrollment
growth was
less than 20%, spending more on
a per student than at any time in Texas
history.
However, the excess funds spent over the past
10 years have not made a
material difference in
academic measures such as graduation rates,
remedial
math and science needs for college
bound high school graduates, college
entrance
test scores, or the NAEP “Nation’s Report Card”
scores (see attached
data).
Though thousands of well meaning parents,
educators and students give their
best everyday
to improve our schools, their results, like talented
players on
a dysfunctional sports team, continue
to disappoint. (Pick your favorite
sports team
analogy!) The reason: schools are publicly
funded bureaucracies
that receive funding
whether students learn or not.
Paying a high price for this arrangement are:
o Students
o Parents
o Quality Teachers
o Capable Administrators
o Community needs shorted by funds diverted
to wasteful,
mismanaged public schools
Taxes are paid to teach students, not to build a
school bureaucracy. Schools
that fail to teach
should lose pro rata funding with each student
that leaves
for a better school. Schools with
nothing to offer students, as shown by
attendance levels, should be closed.
If Texas schools have a bureaucracy problem,
added funding will only make
it worse.
Texans can no longer afford make-believe school
reform, as generations of our
young people are
being left unskilled and ignorant in an increasingly
demanding global economy, and community
resources fund an ever more wasteful,
self-serving,
unaffordable bureaucracy.
The market based solution: tax dollars follow the
student to his or her school
of choice.
Remember 20 years ago, when AT&T was the only
long distance provider, and
calls were $1 per
minute. Without monopoly protection for its
bureaucracy,
AT&T now offers a much better deal,
as do hundreds of other phone companies.
Students could similarly benefit from a breakup
of the public school
bureaucracy, and education
costs would move lower.
Texas Public Schools Summary
Results,
1992 to 2002
(all amounts inflation adjusted)
SPENDING
o Increased Spending over 45% while enrollment
grew less than 20%
o Increased teacher positions by 33% while
non-teaching positions
increased 46%
o Increased central administration pay by an
average 10.54%, while
teacher pay grew less
than 8% and inflation averaged 2.8%
o Increased average per student school debt by
88% (inflation
adjusted, through school year 2000)
on an enrollment growth of about 15%
ACADEMIC RESULTS
o Half of all Texas high school graduates entering
college need
remedial courses in math, science
and reading to achieve college level
proficiency.
o College entrance test scores (ACT or SAT)
were virtually
unchanged to slightly improved.
o Three fourth’s of Texas 8th graders scored
‘basic’ or
‘below basic’ on the National
Assessment of Education Progress math
assessment
for 2003.
o Drop out rates remained high, up to 30-50%
in inner city
schools, while widely known to be
fraudulently reported at 1-2%.
Texas Public Schools - For the
Period 1992 to 2002
These data derived from these TEA web sites
unless noted. *
Enrollment Growth 1992 to 2002
1992 enrollment 3,460,378
2002 enrollment 4,146,653
% growth 19.83%
Spending Growth 1992 to 2002
1992 Total Expenditures $15,406,212,375
2002 Total Expenditures $28,667,838,747
nominal increase 86.08%
inflation adjusted increase 45.37%
(Enrollment grew less than
20%) *
Teacher Employment Growth
1992 to 2002
1992 level 212,578
2002 level 282,583
% increase 32.93%
(Enrollment grew less than 20%)
Non-Teaching Employment
Growth 1992 to 2002
1992 level 189,969
2002 level 277,480
% change 46.07%
(Enrollment grew less than 20%)
Teacher Pay Growth
1992 Ave Total Salary $29,041
2002 Ave Total Salary $40,049
% Inflation adjusted increase 7.74%
Central Administration
Pay Growth
1992 Ave Total Salary $49,688
2002 Ave Total Salary $70,305
% inflation adjusted increase 10.54%
Public School Debt 1992 to 2000
Average per student debt increased 88% percent
(inflation
adjusted)
While enrollment increased only about 15% *
Texas Permanent School Fund
1990 to 2000
Texas Permanent School Fund Bond Guarantees
increased 303% (inflation
adjusted), while student
enrollment increased less than 20% *
Academic Achievement –
Drop out Rates
“Dallas Superintendent Mike Moses estimates
that by the time a Dallas high
school freshman
class graduates, close to 30 percent of the
students will not
march at commencement.” *
Academic Achievement –
College Entrance Scores
1992
ACT 19.9 SAT
(I) 873
2002 ACT 20.2 SAT (I) 987
Academic Achievement –
College Bound Texas High
School Grads
About half the graduates of Texas public high
schools who are bound for public
higher
education in the state must take remedial
classes, according to the
coordinating board.
"It's atrocious," said Rep. Kent Grusendorf,
R-Arlington, a
member of the House Committee
on Public Education. "We've got an
embarrassingly high number of kids that
enter college and have to be remediated. ...
It's an area we need attention in." *
Academic Achievement –
Nation’s Report Card –
8th
Grade Math 2003
2003 NAEP Nation’s Report Card Mathematics
Assessment for Texas (8th Grade):
Advanced 4%
Proficient 21% Total - 25%
_____________________________
Basic 44%
Below Basic 31% Total - 75% *
Academic Achievement –
What does ‘Basic’ mean?
“...denoting partial mastery of prerequisite
knowledge and skills that
are fundamental for
proficient work at each grade assessed.”
75% of Texas 8th Grade Math Students are
“Basic” or “Below Basic”
[73%
is national average] *
Academic Achievement –
International Peers
COMPARISON OF 8TH GRADE MATHEMATICS
ACHIEVEMENT 1999 TIMSS-R (Third
International Math and Science Study) RESULTS
FOR THE US... *
In the “Not Significantly Different” category:
o Czech Republic
o Latvia
o Bulgaria
o State of Texas
So Where does the money go –
Total Teacher Pay less than
40% of
all Expenditures
Total 2002 spending $28,667,838,747
Divided by…
Number of Teachers 282,583
Total Spending per teacher $101,449
Ave Total Teacher pay $40,049
Where does the other $61,400 go?
Note: Less than 40% of all Texas public
school expenditures go to the
teachers in the
classroom, delivering instruction to students.
Does Texas have a bureaucracy problem? If yes,
the solution is less money,
not more!
NFL DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN
AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITY…
It was hard to even stand up straight in the
40-mph winds, but the Carroll
Dragons were
running a crisp football practice. But their
weathered
practice fields were barren. Instead,
the team was working out on the
district's
$1.2 million indoor practice field, which the Dallas
Cowboys
occasionally used before theirs was
built in Irving.
Carroll has facilities so modern that professional
and college teams use them.
The Cowboys have
practiced at the indoor facility and at Dragon
Stadium, which
was home to Major League
Soccer's Dallas Burn last season. Last year,
TCU used
the district's Olympic-size swimming
pool to host Notre Dame and Centenary.
The property-wealthy Northwest school district in
the Alliance area is
building a $19.5 million football
stadium in hopes of spurring the athletic
program.
"I think our parents, citizens and taxpayers
realized
it's important that our kids have
quality facilities," Superintendent
Keith Sockwell
said. "I think they will compare with anyone we
compete with."
Mansfield voters recently approved a $226.1
million bond package that includes
$32.8 million
for a new football stadium and swimming pool.
The project will
cost the owner of a $150,000
home $120 over the next three years.
Martin believes he can build a program like those
at Carroll, Austin Westlake
and Katy, three
schools known statewide for their tradition,
commitment and
championships. He has taken
the Eagles to three consecutive playoff berths,
including the Class 5A Division II state semifinals
this season, where they
lost to Carroll. Allen's
training ground for success is a $6 million,
72,000-square-foot athletic center that features
an expansive weight room
overlooking a 60-yard
indoor football field. *
MISMANAGEMENT
Ft Worth School Superintendent Thomas Tocco
says he expects to leave his
position at the end
of next year… Allegations of financial
mismanagement and
problems with construction
expenses, including an FBI audit, have plagued
Dr. Tocco….
Officials said the superintendent, whose contract
calls for a 2003 salary of
$299, 250 and a 2004
salary of $314,212 is one of the highest paid
superintendents in the country.
The [auditor’s] study found that the Ft Worth
School District used oral
agreements and
avoided competitive bidding on construction work
by using a
series of smaller purchase orders –
each valued at less than $25,000 – to
perform
millions of dollars of work at a single site.
District policy states
that construction projects
totaling $25,000 or more should use a competitive
bid process.
Missing Cash
Molina High School had problems managing
student activity funds even before
the Dallas
school district began a recent investigation into
thousands of
dollars missing from the school.
Molina High School is missing at least $50,000 –
and possibly more than
$100,000 – in cash
raised in part through student fund-raisers.
“Obviously we recognized there was a
problem,” Mr. Claxton (DISD
spokesman) said.
“We have such a vast system and we are trying
to put limited controls on it.”
STATISTICS AND
REPORTING FRAUD
A [Texas] state audit found 5,500 students had
left Houston Public Schools
during the
2000-2001 school year and that more than half
of those students
should have been listed as
dropouts but weren’t. As a result, Houston
reported an unrealistically low 1.5% dropout rate
and won accolades.
Misleading dropout statistics aren’t a new
problem, however. The Dallas
Morning News…
has noted that the reporting procedure
understates the crisis
and encourages
administrators to fudge dropout numbers to
bolster performances
on State accountability
ratings. In the late 1990’s the Austin school
district was briefly targeted in a criminal fraud
investigation over its
dropout records.
Do educators really want to end this charade when
higher drop out rates will
generate greater public
scrutiny and lower accountability scores? We’ll
see.
IN SPITE OF THE WASTE,
MISMANAGEMENT AND FRAUD
IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, POWERFUL
INTERESTS LOBBY FOR MORE
MONEY…
"You've got to have more money. That's the
bottom line," said
Wayne Pierce, executive
director of the Equity Center, which represents
property-poor school districts. *
“TASB
urgently requests the Legislature to provide
additional state resources to
local school districts
to increase the fiscal capacity of the school
finance
system and to provide districts the
resources needed to meet rising
expectations.”
Surely no added amount of
public school funding will
improve results when…
o A
full-length movie is shown frequently in
class for reward or entertainment
goals.
o
A student
resists learning because it is not
culturally ‘cool’ to be skilled.
o An
ineffective teacher is paid the same as a
highly knowledgeable, effective one.
o
Disruptive
students are assigned to the best
teachers, spoiling interested students’
opportunity to learn.
o
Schools
fabricate accountability data.
o
Accounting and
auditing processes leave
millions of dollars wasted or missing.
o
Education fads
substitute for the effort
required by real curricula and quality teaching.
The extra money given to schools over the past
10 years confirms this reality.
Schools will only
change when their funding decreases
incrementally for each
failing student who leaves
for a better school.
Real
reform means failing schools don’t get
funded, and failing students can leave.
* Sources:
Texas Public Schools - For the Period 1992
to 2002:
TEA web sites:
For the 1991-92 school year:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/pocked/92/index.html
For the 2001-2002 school year:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/pocked/2002/pocked0102.pdf
Spending Growth 1992 to
2002:
(CPI deflater of 1.28 from the ‘Inflation
Calculator’ at:
http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm)
Public School Debt 1992 to 2000:
http://www.bls.gov/cpi/#data
http://www.brb.state.tx.us/brbpages/lgs/00/isd/isdsum.html
Texas Permanent School
Fund 1990 to 2000:
http://www.bls.gov/cpi/#data
http://www.brb.state.tx.us/brbpages/lgs/00/isd/isdsum.html
Academic
Achievement – Drop out Rates:
Dallas Morning News 7/26/03 Editorial
Academic Achievement – College Bound Texas
High School Grads:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/4795078.htm
Academic
Achievement – Nation’s Report Card –
8th Grade Math 2003:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/mathematics/results2003/stateachieve-g8.asp
Academic Achievement –
What does ‘Basic’
mean?:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/mathematics/results2003/statachieve-g8.asp
Academic Achievement – International Peers:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/mathematics/results2003/stateachieve-g8.asp
NFL
DALLAS COWBOWS TRAIN AT A PUBLIC
SCHOOL FACILITY:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/7580271.htm
MISMANAGEMENT:
Dallas Morning News November 8, 2003,
by Laurie Fox
STATISTICS AND REPORTING FRAUD:
“Undercounted Dropouts: Schools Should
Provide Honest Figures”
Dallas Morning News Editorial, July 26, 2003
IN SPITE OF THE WASTE, MISMANAGEMENT
AND FRAUD IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, POWERFUL
INTERESTS LOBBY FOR MORE MONEY:
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/
editions/saturday/metro_state_f33e4f50a55a201f0014.html
From: Texas Association of School Boards:
http://www.tasb.org/advocacy/advocacy_priorities.shtml
***********************************
JOIN US!
If you like what we're doing and you'd like to be a
part of our
organization, consider contacting us at
HQ@rlctexas.net . If you
are still sitting on the
fence, undecided about joining other like
minded
Republican friends in the Republican Liberty
Caucus of
Texas, please consider it. We look
forward to your commitment to
joining us in our
fight for LIBERTY.
Our main focus is to encourage
fellow Republicans
to get involved in pro-LIBERTY Republican
campaigns, to win. In order to accomplish this goal
we need to
continue to grow our network of
pro-Liberty Republicans. There is
strength in numbers.
We want to work with you. Join us today, or if you
would just like to volunteer your time in an
upcoming
campaign, please contact us: HQ@rlctexas.net or
call us at
(512) 577-8842. In addition, please forward
our eNewsletters to
those that might enjoy our reports
or want to learn about us.
o Option A:
Join online via our Secure
PayPal© Connection:
Secure Online Membership Section
http://www.rlctexas.net/membership
o Option B:
Write check out to:
The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas
Mail to:
Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas
201 W. Stassney Lane 181-B
Austin, TX 78745
Membership Options (Receive RLC License Plate
Frame and One
Ounce Silver "Liberty" Dollar):
[ ] $30 Regular Membership
[ ] $50 Premium Membership
[ ] $100 Sustaining Membership
[ ] $250 Patron Membership
Special Membership Options. (Receive RLC License
Plate Frame):
[ ] $20 Military Membership
[ ] $20 Student Membership
[ ] $15 Emeritus Membership (Age 65 and above)
***********************************
OUR PURPOSE:
After decades of New Deal and Great Society social
activism ...
combined with the rapid decline in civics
and American history
education in our government-run
public schools ... mixed with a
growing population
of ill-informed and apathetic voters ...
government at
every level in this country continues to be too big,
too intrusive and too expensive.
Founded in 1990, the Republican Liberty Caucus
of Texas works to
advance the principles of limited
government, individual liberty and
free markets
within the Republican Party and throughout Texas.
Our focus is on a broad range of issues, including
education, taxation,
property rights, gun rights,
free speech, federalism and the proper
role of
government.
In addition to giving disenfranchised
smaller-government Republicans
a home by
creating incentive to stay in our party, the
Republican
Liberty Caucus of Texas helps avoid a
potential exodus to Libertarian,
Constitutional, and
other third parties, which would end up weakening
our thin margin over the Democrats, thus opening
the door to
big-government victories from leftist
candidates. The Republican
Liberty Caucus of
Texas is proud to promote the GOP's
smaller-
government message. Our limited government,
individual
liberty and free market ideas will win by
inclusion. There is
strength in numbers.
While rolling back decades of government
"nannyism" will require a
great deal of public
education and grassroots lobbying, the most
important means of changing public policy is to
change public officials.
Therefore, the Republican
Liberty Caucus of Texas works to elect
pro-liberty
Republicans to offices at all levels, partisan and
non-partisan, in both primary and general elections.
The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas is
committed not to just
electing more Republicans ...
but better ones, as well.
***********************************
COMMITTEE:
Executive Director:
Mr. Don Zimmerman
Austin, TX
(512) 577-8842
dzimmerman@rlctexas.net
Chairman:
Mr. Jerry Patterson
Austin, TX
jpatterson@rlctexas.net
Vice Chairman:
Penny Langford
Angleton, TX
plangford@rlctexas.net
Secretary:
Mr. John Reed
Buda, TX
jreed@rlctexas.net
Treasurer:
Mr. Richard Relph
Austin, TX
rrelph@rlctexas.net
At-Large:
Mr. Trey Summitt
Dallas, TX
gsummitt@rlctexas.net
***********************************
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