Yesterday I posted Texas House District 52 runoff candidate Larry Gonzales’ answers to questions about the race. Today we post answers from the other candidate, John Gordon. My questions are in italics below, followed by his answers.
1. Do you think you’re a more conservative candidate than Larry Gonzales, and if so how?
Yes, I (John Gordon) am the person with a true record of conservative actions in Williamson County.
Larry is just talk – like Obama.
When the RRISD was putting forth a wasteful $350,000,000 bond election in 2005, I led the opposition against the “city and school district elite” who wanted the excessive spending and defeated the bond proposal by 62% to 38%. Larry supported the excessive spending.
When Round Rock city leaders tried to extend late night drinking on school nights to 2:00 AM, I organized and led the petition drive that forced reconsideration and repeal. San Marcos did not have my leadership and they extended the hours resulting in a doubling of DUI’s and a tripling of PI. Larry did nothing but support city leaders on extending late night drinking.
When TxDOT tried to ram SH 130 through central Round Rock, supported by big developers on the north side of Round Rock, I led the four year effort of 6 neighborhoods that forced TX DOT to reroute SH 130 east between Round Rock and Hutto creating a better economic engine for the area and stopping the damage to neighborhoods that would have been caused by a badly designed highway. Larry did nothing.
As Republican County Chairman, I directed placement of the Right to Life plank in the Williamson County Republican Platform for the first time. I help fund the Hope Pregnancy Crisis Center in Williamson County.
I helped lead the public effort in 1996 that voted down by 68% to 32% a $0.06 property tax increase to fund a baseball stadium in Round Rock. Larry supports public subsidizes of sports facilities.
2. On which three issues you think do you think the policies differences between yourself and Gonzales are most clear? How?
See the numerous examples above – my conservative philosophy and commitment to benefitting people is proven by my deeds and actions. Larry just goes along with the insiders.
3. Who are some of the thinkers and books that have influenced your political philosophy?
Bible, US Constitution, my grandfather and father – good conservative common sense – a good engineering background.
4. What tax and budget policies would you pursue going forward in the Texas legislature?
No increase in taxes.
Get rid of the corporate income tax (franchise tax) which is a productivity tax. It makes Texas businesses less competitive nationally and internationally.
The “Fair Tax” plan nationally is a direct example of what Texas should do versus income (productivity) taxes. Larry was helping the Legislature when they went the wrong direction in tax policy.
Spend only what we take in.
5. How should Texas build and maintain its road infrastructure going forward? Do you approve of building new toll roads? If so, should they be built the state, or by private entities under some sort of toll-sharing agreement?
Better “cost” engineering to take out the extravagance in highway design.
Capture all the highway funding instead of allowing funds to be diverted to non-road building purposes.
Streamline the design/licensing/EIS process and challenge wasteful Endangered Species regulations.
Promote early purchase of right-of-ways with minimized EIS licensing requirements.
Private construction/maintenance contracts but with state ownership to reduce costs.
Tolls used to pay off the projects which generate the tolls, then reduce the tolls to low nominal level just to support maintenance activities.
6. Do you believe that Proposition 2, Proposition 3 and Proposition 11, passed as part of the 2009 Constitutional Amendments, provide adequate protections against post-Kelo eminent domain abuses? If not, what more should the legislature do to address this issue?
Give the new propositions time to take effect and then observe the results.
7. Do you consider yourself a member of the Tea Party movement, and/or do you seek their support?
I was a Tea Party force all by myself before anyone started going around saying Taxed Enough Already. Look at my answer to question #1. I have organized and led voter revolts over the last 30 years that have probably reduced or saved property owners up to $0.35/ hundred in property taxes.
a. Blocked Cap Metro sales tax in 1983 which allowed Round Rock and Georgetown to use 0.5% sales tax to reduce property taxes.
b. Fought off Austin Community College taxes of $0.10/ hundred for 25 years.
c. Blocked the $0.06/ hundred property tax to fund a baseball stadium.
d. Defeated a wasteful $350,000,000 bond election in 2005 and then showed the ISD how to cut out $83,000,000 and get an extra elementary school out of the reduced spending – effect = $0.05/ hundred property tax savings. (The second wasteful RRISD bond election I helped defeat)
8. Your recent mailings have made much of the Gonzalez campaign receiving the majority of contributions from Houston-area developer Bob Perry. Why do you think this is a significant issue?
— and you don’t think one “special interest” individual giving Larry Gonzales $90,000 which funded his entire $81,000 of primary spending isn’t a big deal? How about the appearance of being “bought and paid for”. I am sure that the average citizen in Taylor or Hutto might question where Larry’s loyalties lie. How about common sense – is being funded by one guy out of Houston using common sense?
Go talk to the farmer in Thrall and ask if the funding smells fishy.
9. The Williamson County Sun has evidently reported that you failed to turn in your campaign finance report on time, and have refused to pay the associated late fine. Is this true, and if so, why are your refusing to pay the fine?
I have a problem with regulatory/administrative agencies not doing a good job or not using common sense – TxDot, PUC, Ethics Commission.
To prove a point, last January 16, 2009, at the end of the previous (2008) campaign season, I filed a zero-income, zero-expenditure candidate statement 8 hours after the deadline. They want to fine me $500.00
Yet, their campaign computer report form is so defective that they have no totals or accumulation nor do they check to see if candidates are showing properly accounted report totals. One campaign that I manually computed the totals on was off by nearly $250,000 in accounting for income and loans minus expenditures equaling cash on hand. The Ethics Commission campaign reporting form needs to be seriously upgraded.
So if they want to press me to get the $500, they are going to have to answer quite a few questions. What I hope they do is realize the defects in their computerized campaign I & E reporting software and fix it and set up standard levels for their fines.
Oh by the way, the Ethics Commission has the ability any time they desire to waive the fine as trivial – I just have to say that I fell asleep or submit some other lame excuse that I made a mistake.
How about the Ethics Commission, in a burst of common sense, going ahead and deciding on their own that a zero-income, zero-expenditure report filed 8 hours late is a trivial matter and not damaging the public interest in any way?
10. Any other thoughts on the race or politics in general you’d care to share with readers?
For thirty years I have stood firm for conservative values over insider relationships and special interest deals. My conservative stances have generated insiders who do not want me to be elected because they know that I can use the word “NO” when conservative values and the public interest are being threatened. Larry Gonzales is the consummate insider. The Republican Party has lost favor with conservatives because the “insiders” have talked a great line but have worked to support each others’ special interests.
The April 13 question is – who will Republican voters from District 52 select as their nominee, the experienced, tough, conservative warhorse John Gordon or the young, slick-talking, back-slapping insider Larry Gonzales?
Thanks to John Gordon for taking the time to answer my questions. I expect to post more information on the Texas House District 52 race early next week.
Previous posts on the Texas House District 52 Race can be found here and here.
