Sam Houston is the publisher of the Hood County News. He is also an actor, author, playwright, performer and entertainment producer/promoter. [email protected] | 817-573-7066, ext. 260
The Texas legislature is back in session. Heaven save us from the political rigmarole they seem to have planned for us citizens. The Texas legislature only meets every other year. No telling what havoc they could create if they met annually. Every other year is bad enough.
This past week I went to see my friend Waldo Beenthinkingaboutit.
Waldo lives up on the Red River in the tiny hamlet of Marysville. A hundred years ago, Marysville was a thriving community of a couple of hundred people, but now it is just a wide spot in the road with less than 15 residents and no businesses. My friend seems to like it that way. He doesn’t have a bunch of neighbors to distract or disturb him and there is no cable tv or internet. His news comes from the newspaper, which gets delivered once a week by mail, and from the radio; Waldo likes listening to the radio when he is in the barn working.
My friend lives the simple life, hunting and fishing, raising his cattle, and minding his own business. Maybe it is his isolation from the rest of
By Sam Houston
the populace which allows him to have his unique perspective of the world.
We brought along a few libations and headed to the riverbank of the mighty Red, looking forward to fishing and congenial conversation.
Enjoying our beverages, we waited for the fish to bite. It was in those minutes of quiet respite that Waldo made quite a revelation. “Sam,” he said, “I think I am going to be able to stop working and running my cattle. Life is going to be easy from now on.” My attention was immediately captured. Had my friend decided to retire, or had he hit the lottery? This is when he began to explain.
“I have been listening to all the plans the governor and legislature have for these vouchers. I think they really have a good idea, letting folks make their own choice about where their tax dollars should go. After all, we are living in a democracy, and we taxpayers should decide what happens to the money. I understand if legislation gets passed, and it surely looks like it will, a family can get up to $11,500 per student to send their kid to private school.”
I nodded my head as my friend spoke and then asked, “What does this all have to do with you and your thinking you are going to stop raising cattle and working?”
This is when Waldo began to espouse his interpretation of the legislative goings on and what it would mean to him.
“I have been thinking. I live on 320 acres and have for a whole lot of years. After hearing the governor and his followers explain about this voucher thing, it got me to thinking how right he is.
We folks ought to have a say in where our tax dollars go.
So, I did a little investigating and learned what Texas spends on highways, roads and bridges. It is a right tidy sum. Then I realized I do most of my traveling on horseback going from pasture to pasture. I never travel further than Gainesville to get my groceries and when I do travel it is on a county road. I pay my county taxes which pays for the county road, and I have no problem with that at all, but I never use the Interstate or the state highways. Since I won’t be using those roads, it should be my choice to spend my portion of the money which gets spent on them and have it sent to me to do as I choose.
I may use it to fix the roads on the ranch, or I might not. I stand with the governor: my portion of the expenditure should come to me to do with it as I wish.”
“Similarly, Texas spends a lot of money on universities and higher education. Heck I never went to college and never will go. I will take my share of that expenditure and put it in the bank. Then there is public safety. I live out in the middle of nowhere. All the protection I need is my Colt pistol. I should be able to recapture my portion of that expenditure, too. Heck, I have made a list of things the state does, that I either don’t use, or would rather not use, and I figure my portion to be right at $39,000 a year! It adds up pretty quick! With my social security I can retire on that amount! I am sending a letter to the governor and asking him to send me my check as soon as possible.”
I looked at my friend and asked him if he really thought the governor would be sending him a check simply because he unilaterally decided he would like to have the money rather than having it spent in furtherance of the public good. He looked at me and smiled and said, “No, that wouldn’t make any sense at all. That is not how the system works or how it has worked since our country started. But what I am saying makes about as much sense as giving people $11,500 because they don’t want their kids in public schools. I can’t tell you for sure the motivation for this even being a consideration, but it makes about as much sense as sending me a check for $39,000 a year. Heck if we have $11,500 to spend on anyone who wants their kids to go to private school, why don’t we put that money into the public schools and make them better? The governor and his supporters all say this voucher thing is a big issue in the eyes of the voters. It looks to me like it is only a big issue in the eyes of a few wealthy people, and their money and political contributions are what have made the topic an “issue.”
Later that day, as I waved good-bye, Waldo looked at me, smiled and winked and told me he would let me know if he started receiving his check from Gov. Abbott.
Waldo didn’t go to private school. Despite that, it seems to me like he got a pretty darn good education and has a solid head on his shoulders. Guess that is why I call him my friend.
Thought for the day: Common sense is something everyone needs, few have, and none think they lack.
Until next time: I will keep ridin’ the storm out ...
