By: John Cobarruvias

This week Texas' Republican Governor Rick Perry announced a number of measures as a way to reform public school financing, currently titled, "Robin Hood." Unfortunately, Governor Perry has a horrible track record for reform in the areas of homeowners insurance, tort reform and medical malpractice. With such a record, how can homeowners, parents and educators trust Perry with reforming our children's education and the adequate funding of Texas public schools?

Two years ago Texas homeowners had the highest insurance rates in the nation. After Perry passed insurance reform in 2003, insurance rates doubled and provided less coverage and are 25% higher than any other state. Homeowners were left with higher rates and without important coverage such as foundation, water, mold, and sewer damage.

Perry also supported and passed a massive tort reform bill which reformed our legal system and provided yet another plum with limited liability for insurance companies and businesses in Texas. In return, the citizens of Texas were rewarded with fewer rights to a fair trial in a civil matter. The loss of services and protection with this reform will never be fully understood by a consumer until the consumer needs the services.

Perry supported limiting the liability of medical malpractice suits. He promised reductions in medical malpractice rates thereby providing affordable medical care to Texas citizens. After passage of Proposition 12, the promises of lower medical malpractice rates and affordable care were DOA. The rate reductions, if any, were minimal at best leaving the doctors with broken promises just like homeowners with home insurance.

And now Perry wants parents, homeowners, and educators to trust him with the funding of our children¹s education, as he calls a special session, loaded with special intersts. He calls for reductions in homeowners property taxes and tax cuts for business, yet has no plan on how to replace the lost revenue to adequately fund our schools. Given his horrible record of promises in Texas, it should come as no surprise when the joy of less property taxes is followed by a decrease in services and increases in other taxes and fees to offset the tax breaks for his business buddies.

The writing on the chalkboard should be very clear to all: Perry's plan will reward his campaign donors with less taxes. Homeowners will be lulled by substantial property tax cuts. Then he will pick our pockets with other taxes and fees. The folk hero, Robin Hood, stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Perry will steal from the many and give to the few who donated to his campaign. With his broken promises on insurance reform, Proposition 12, and tort reform, and his private meetings in the Bahamas with his campaign donors, it will be hard to trust the governor with our children's education.


John Cobarruvias is President of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, Texas and a long time consumer activist in new home construction, insurance and tort reform. He has testified in many hearings during legislative sessions with an emphasis on the Texas Residential Construction Commission.