Turner Telegram: Time to start thinking big.

We all know that Texas is big.   As Texans, we’re taught at an early age (I think it’s in the state curriculum for first grade) that everything is bigger in Texas. I know I have bragged on more than one occasion that our Capitol building in Austin features the tallest dome in the country – taller, even, than that one in the District of Columbia. As Texans, we are rightfully proud of our size – and other – advantages we have over other states.

It seems though that sometimes the vision of our state’s leadership doesn’t measure up to the size and heritage of our state. When we look at the decisions made in Austin, it’s not evident that our state’s leadership is thinking big. Texas’ failure to take advantage of a huge federal investment in high speed rail is the latest example.

Last week, the federal government announced $8 billion in high-speed rail funding to various states. Texas got $11 million. If my math is right, that represents about one-tenth of one percent of the available funds. That’s pitiful.

As the Dallas Morning News editorialized on Sunday, “If top Texas leaders had wanted serious high-speed rail money from Washington, they needed to show they were serious about it first. Pity, but neither appeared to be the case. The big federal prizes to develop bullet trains went to Florida, California and Illinois last week. Texas got the scraps, and deservedly so.”

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a federal Railroad Commission official recently said, “There has been no central vision, no common vision for rail in Texas…that kind of vision, that kind of support from the political leadership, is critical to success…”

And in case anyone tries to pretend that Texas was left out due to some partisan ploy, consider that Florida – a state with a Republican Governor and Republican-controlled Legislature – are taking high-speed rail seriously and managed to snare over $1 billion.

There’s no reason the second most populous state in the country shouldn’t be a player when it comes to developing high-speed rail to connect our population centers. We should not leave this unique opportunity to grow our economy and create jobs on the table. But our leadership needs to get a vision, and fast. It’s time to start thinking big.

Town Hall Time

Next week, I’ll be holding four town hall meetings in District 96. This is an opportunity for me to hear from constituents what’s on their minds – and how they think we can make Texas government work better for them and their families. I always learn a lot when we do these meetings and I know next week will be no exception. District 96 residents are encouraged to attend one of the meetings – click here to find complete details.

Speech to Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars

Last Friday, I was honored to have been invited to speak to the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary mid-winter conference in Austin. I got to update those in attendance on the success of the veterans lottery scratch-off game that we worked so hard to pass and a few other things. Click here if you’d like to read my remarks. But the most important thing I said to that crowd was “thank you” – it’s something we can’t ever say enough to our nation’s veterans and their family members.