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During the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association conference in San Antonio, both aspiring independent candidates, Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn, presented their gubernatorial platform. They both have to compile 45,540 signatures to be placed on the ballot for the November elections.
“You know, folks, we are changing the world one governor at a time,” Friedman said.
The singer and author said that he wants to inspire the people of Texas with the issues of the moment. He added that education is one of the most important themes for the state and that it is an opportunity, not a responsibility.
Friedman said that too much focus has been placed on the TAKS and the youth do not know much about subjects that are not on the exam.
Just like there is the program of “No Child Left Behind,” according to Friedman, there should also be an effort for “No Teacher Left Behind,” because many teachers have left the profession.
Friedman indicates that his solution to improving education programs is to legalize casino gambling in Texas, which would bring millions of dollars into the state.
“The money would flow back into Texas,” Friedman said.
In light of the recent immigration protests, Friedman explained that he was in favor of a temporal workers program and those legislative programs that would help immigrants enter the country legally.
“I don’t mind Texas taking care of another nation’s children,” Friedman said.
He also added that communication would be in place with the governors of states like New Mexico and Nevada to organize a plan to control the border.
“Sometimes you have to pay the people who are causing the problem to fix the problem,” Friedman said, referring to a program that would divide the border into sectors and money would be deducted for every illegal immigrant who enters the country through each sector.
Friedman continued by saying that what Texas needs is an official who is not afraid to offend people.
“I think people want the truth more than anything else,” Friedman said. “Jewish cowboys speak the truth.”
Friedman also spoke about his personal heroes, who are Mark Twain and Will Rogers.
“They sailed as close to the ship as they could without sinking the ship,” he said.
Carole Keeton Strayhorn also spoke at the conference during the Hall of Fame luncheon.
At the beginning of her talk, she shared a little about her family and mentioned that her true life heroes were her mother and father.
“My father taught the law, my mother was the law,” Strayhorn said. “It was at the home front that I learned that it was not the money that you make, it is the difference that you make that is important.”
Strayhorn went on to say that the “challenges that this state faces are incredible but not insurmountable.” She later said, “We need a strong leader who puts Texas above politics.”
She said that the current governor has not united us but divided us and it is not the “Texas way and it cannot continue.”
Concerning jobs, she said that the state government should give contracts to the private sector. That even though nine out of ten economic indexes are up, Texas can do better.
Strayhorn mentioned that she would push for tax free textbooks, which would save Texas students $40 million a year. She continued with the topic of education by adding that one of the strikes of Governor Perry was to cut the Robin Hood program, which gave money to low-budget school. “Our Texas teachers are underpaid and under-appreciated,” Strayhorn said, adding that teachers would be the highest-paying job, if it were up to her.
She also mentioned her Texas Next Step plan.
“I want every high school graduate to go to a community college with the state picking up the tab and the books,” Strayhorn said.
She also mentioned that her goal was to have an educated workforce. Another of her goals was to have no child living in poverty, mentioning that since Sept. 2003 low-income children were dropped from health insurance. Her plan is to increase the taxes on cigarettes by $1, which would have brought during the year of 2004-2005 $1.5 billion to restore children’s benefits.
She continued by stating that she “would make an emergency priority on criminals who sexually assault our children,” explaining that for a first-time criminal they only get two years of jail time.
“I am going to put those sexual predators in prison and throw away the keys.”
“We can fix our schools, cut property taxes, reign in government spending, and crack down on criminals who abuse our children,” Strayhorn said during an announcement speech. “Ignoring state challenges in creating local crisis.” | 
