The Texas economy is booming, but that’s not because of Gov. Greg Abbott — it’s despite him, Beto O’Rourke said Monday.
“She’s not doing well because of any politician — Democrat, independent or otherwise,” the Democratic nominee for governor said of the Texas economy during a meeting with the Dallas Morning News editors. “It’s doing well because of entrepreneurs and risk-takers, the workers who create value every day.
“Today, in Greg Abbott, we have someone who is undermining so much of that strength and success in our economy.”
By most standards, the Texas economy is a long-running success story, but O’Rourke has sought to erode one of Abbott’s greatest strengths. He says Texans pay too much in taxes and inflation-related costs, and if he were elected governor, he would improve their standard of living by expanding Medicaid and forcing corporations to pay their fair share of property taxes.
Abbott has countered that O’Rourke would ruin the Texas economy, particularly because he supports an energy policy that the governor says would weigh on oil producers. Abbott was invited but did not agree to an interview with the editor.
The former El Paso congressman told The News that utility bills rose by an average of $45 a month after the Texas power grid stalled during the 2021 winter storm, leaving millions without power.
O’Rourke later noted that Toyota’s San Antonio plant had to cancel its third shift this year because it was drawing too much electricity from the grid.
He also said Texans are now paying $20 billion more in property taxes.
“The average Texan now pays more in taxes than the average Californian,” O’Rourke said.
O’Rourke said Texas could recoup between $4 billion and $6 billion in additional tax revenue by filling gaps that businesses enjoy. He also said expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would bring in $10 billion annually in federal tax dollars paid by Texans.
That money, he said, could not only give homeowners a property tax break, but also improve access to health care by reopening closed rural hospitals and relieving local governments of the responsibility of funding those in need.
Last weekend, O’Rourke’s campaign began running a national television ad about the need to expand Medicaid in Texas.
The Democrat also said he will increase state funding for public education, which would provide relief for local taxpayers who don’t have the powerful resources to protest increases in the appraised value of their property.
“You and I, as homeowners and renters, don’t have the lawyers or lobbyists to do this,” O’Rourke said. “Companies are doing this uniquely in the state of Texas, and they’re not paying their fair share. We don’t begrudge them their success. There’s nothing punitive about that. That is fairness and equal treatment under the law.”
O’Rourke said Abbott’s divisive policies — including the state’s ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest and its direction to investigate reports of transgender children receiving gender-affirming care — could derail business investments in the state or lead to boycotts.
“It’s taking a really extraordinary track record, again thanks to entrepreneurs and workers and the people of Texas from both parties, and turning it into something we could very well lose,” he said. “And that’s why I want to make sure that … we end these culture wars, that we find common ground, that we work on a bipartisan basis and make this the best state in the country to start a business, raise a family or go to work.” .”
Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks during a meeting with the Dallas Morning News editorial board Monday, October 10, 2022 in Dallas. (Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)
In the hour-long meeting, O’Rourke addressed a number of issues, including border security and gun control.
The Democrat said that as governor he would implement a Texas guest worker program for immigrants, although the federal government is responsible for implementing such a policy.
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“I will be working with local, state and federal partners to begin a Texas-based … guest worker program,” O’Rourke said. “If we can’t implement that, we could use government funds to help farmers and construction company owners and people with industries where jobs are in demand but are unfilled today to guide or even pay for that process.”
See also: Debate between Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke in Texas governor race
O’Rourke also said he would remove visa caps for countries like Mexico, where he said the waiting time to join a family member in the United States is 20 years. He also said he supports putting more resources into speeding up the decision on asylum applications, which now have to wait six years.
“I don’t condone anyone who skips the line and goes back and forth between ports of entry,” O’Rourke said. “But if I was in a refugee camp in Ciudad Juarez with my 5-year-old and my number didn’t show up for six years, maybe I would do the same.”
The Democrat has blasted Abbott for bringing migrants from the border to northern cities like New York, Chicago and Washington.
“We’re playing really badly under Greg Abbott right now,” he said. “It’s headlines about migrant buses when it should be headlines about a governor who can bring Democrats and Republicans together to find common solutions.”
O’Rourke reiterated his position that no average American should own an assault weapon. He has felt offended by gun owners for saying at a 2019 presidential debate in Houston that he would confiscate such semi-automatic rifles.
But he said he knows it’s more practical to advance gun control efforts that have a bipartisan agreement, like expanded background checks, “red flag” laws and raising the age for purchasing an assault weapon from 18 to 21. A recent Dallas Morning News-University of Texas in a Tyler poll found that half of respondents “strongly support” legislation that would raise the age limit. If one includes those who said they prefer age increases “a moderate amount” or “a little,” the percentage rose to 73%, including 69% of Republicans.
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O’Rourke also said he will repeal a 2021 Texas law allowing people to carry guns without a permit.
He said most of these gun control proposals are viable because Texans wanted to take action after the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, which killed 19 students and two teachers.
“I see no reason or need for AR-15s and AK-47s in civilian life. Ultimately, a ban on the sale of these guns makes sense,” O’Rourke said. “It’s going to be a function of what we can do in Texas and with the Legislature, but I hope as more of these stories are shared by these families in El Paso and Uvalde and others across the state, we can help with something like this.” Come to your senses and do something that will protect and save more lives in the future.”
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