Don't Wreck Texas

I had the opportunity to attend the "Don't Wreck Texas" Prayer Vigil and Protest described in the above press release on April 1, 2011. Most striking was the mock funeral that was held to depict the death of social services, public education, and hundreds of thousands of jobs. The atmosphere varied from somber to outraged as the eulogies for the above mentioned programs, institutions, and individuals were delivered.

Two consistent themes of the rally were: 1) the need to raise revenue rather than cut services; 2) the detriment of cutting services for populations already at-risk.

The revenue crisis in the State of Texas is temporary, but the legislature is taking drastic measures that will set into action far-reaching and permanent effects. In a country that already falls behind other developed countries in the quality of public education provided, cutting financial contribution to these services will only create a greater deficit our children need to overcome.

HB 1 ended up passing on April 1st. What does this mean? Decreased funding for pre-kindergarten and early childhood intervention programs, decreased funding for grants for certain school districts, decreased funding for qualified teachers, their retirements, and benefits, and decreased funding for textbooks, instructional materials, and other educational needs. This means that the "hypothetical" results of its passage are soon to be set into motion...

  

Press Release: April 1, 2011 “Don’t Wreck Texas”: Vigil and Protest for Texas’ Future

AUSTIN -- As the Texas House of Representatives debates the state budget today, Texans affected by proposed deep cuts to public schools, health care, nursing homes, and other key state services are holding a vigil and protest on the steps of the Capitol building. With props including mock coffins and battery-powered candles, testimonials from providers and consumers of state services, and music provided by local Austin musicians, activists say they hope to melt House members’ hearts and start the real debate about how Texas can raise revenue to fix its estimated $27 billion shortfall.

The afternoon will feature a speech by Chau Tran, 2011 Teacher of the Year in Austin Independent School District, who recently found out her contract will not be renewed for the 2012 school year because of state education budget cuts.

“It was devastating to lose my job as an educator, but the real loss is that children across Texas will lose all of these outstanding teachers. This will jeopardize their quality of education. No child left behind will quickly become every child left behind. Out state’s future is at stake, so let’s make the right decision for our children, future, and state by funding public education, “ Tran says.

Faith communities are holding a prayer vigil in the House Chapel throughout the House budget debate. Volunteers are praying in 20-minute “shifts” in the small upstairs room until the House votes on the budget bill.

“Texas is facing a temporary revenue shortfall but this budget will do permanent damage to our state. In the area of health care alone, hospitals will close, doctors will stop serving low-income patients and the entire infrastructure that we all depend on will falter. We are praying for our legislators who are facing heart-wrenching choices, for the millions of Texans who will suffer and in some cases die because of the choices legislators make, and for all Texans -- we are all one community, and we all will own this budget and its consequences together,” says the Reverend Timothy Tutt, a leader on the board of the statewide interfaith network Texas Impact.

Dennis Borel of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities says nursing homes and community-based services are crucial services that must be preserved. “HB1 would leave 45,000 senior citizens homeless, devastate community-based services for people with disabilities, and ultimately leave 335,000 Texans jobless. Eventually, this will lead to a reversal of our state’s economic recovery, “ said Borel.

Activists are using coffins to represent programs that are slated for particularly deep cuts that will impact individual Texans’ lives. The evening will feature readings from The Nightlight Report, a compilation of positive ideas and actions about children with disabilities (http://nightlightreport.blogspot.com).

Groups collaborating on the event include Texas Impact, Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, ADAPT, Austin Voices for Youth, Texas American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, Texas Forward, Allilance for a Clean Texas, Texas State Teachers Association, Save Texas Schools, and Community NOW!

For more information contact Bee Moorhead, 512-636-3135 or bee@texasimpact.org