What has Dubya Done?

I'm still on my quest to find something Bush accomplished while he was Texas Governor, and I came across another gem written in 1999 by Louis Dubose from the Texas Observer for the Austin Chronicle called "Where Was George?". Apparantly, unbeknownst to those of you who don't live in Texas and don't remember how little we heard or saw of him until he decided to run for president, his lack of planning and/or ability to get something done was a surprise. He started a war, though. No matter how that turns out, his inablilty to properly plan could never have been showcased in a more dangerous way.

I did find a reference to the credit he took for reforming the education system. That reform actually started with Governor Ann Richards and included the introduction of the Texas Lottery to help with funding. After reading several dozen articles written during his first presidential campaign, it seems reporters also had a hard time finding any accomplishments directly attributable to Gov. Bush.

Then press secretary Karen Hughes touted the education angle as well as claiming his record of "setting a positive tone, a constructive tone, that has helped people respect their government. It's in stark contrast to the bitter, partisan divide in Washington, D.C. I think the people of Texas feel their government is responsive, and productive, and I think Governor Bush deserves credit for working with legislators in a spirit of bipartisan cooperation and setting a positive tone."

Okay, so what exactly has he done? Call me crazy, but taking credit for signing a bill constructed, debated and amended by the Legislature isn't really doing anything.

Most of what I've found is a pattern of pandering to corporate interests. Bush's record on the environment is no secret in Texas and it's no surprise to anyone paying attention that the "Clean Skies Initiative" hasn't made the air any cleaner. It does allow corporate interests to continue with business as usual.

That's a pretty good summarization of my current research into Dubya's gubernatorial record: business as usual. Corporations can continue to pollute the environment, hire illegal aliens with no fear of reprisal or penalty, fire Americans in favor of outsourcing to cheap foriegn labor markets AND get a tax credit for doing it.

And, if you're one of the millions of Americans for whom the cost of living has increased while your paycheck hasn't, you must be part of the middle class.

Sources:
Bush's Education Record: Strong Leadership or Just Good Timing? Extra Credit by Kevin Fullerton Austin Chronicle 5-28-99
We Interrupt This Presidential Campaign for the 76th Legislative Session ... Where Was George? by Louis Dubose Austin Chronicle 5-28-99

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