Texas can Lead America out of the Economic Storm

America is going through historically difficult economic times now. Fortunately, Texas is not facing the same degree of economic crisis many other states face. In fact, Texas has produced almost as many jobs in recent months as all the rest of America combined. Texas is teaching Americans a valuable lesson about what must be done to survive the economic downturn. If we have the courage to continue reform in Austin, Texas can lead the country out of these economic problems.

Unlike many other states, Texas entered this difficult economic time with a State budget surplus, not a deficit. That means, unlike other states, we were ready for a rainy day. And of course, now, we have more than a rainy day, we have a hurricane. To weather this storm we will need to continue to keep a tight rein on spending. We must have zero tolerance for corruption and waste.

At the same time, we must invest judiciously such as boosting UTD and in Dallas County Community Colleges. Research and education multiply true economic growth. Instead Democrat candidates around the state and indeed here in Dallas County propose programs that increase spending without sound growth prospects. Let us tighten our belts, but fund our obligations and our future.

Fortunately Texas is in a better position to do it than most.

On the problem of illegal immigration, unfortunately Texas is behind other states. Our state neighbors have passed tough laws fighting illegal immigration. Texas journalists have reported that the discrepancy in legislation has resulted in illegal immigrants streaming toward Texas where enforcement is lax. We must correct that problem right away before the problem gets even more serious.

With a difficult economy, Texas simply cannot afford to carry more than its share of the cost of illegal immigration. Undocumented immigrants put an enormous strain on our hospitals, our schools, our social service net and even our law enforcement agencies.

We can solve the illegal immigration problem here with a few important steps. First, we must shift the burden to employers. Large employers can deploy systems in to electronically verify that their employees are legal residents. This change will do more to solve the problem than any other reform. If there are no jobs to attract illegal immigrants to Texas, the flow of illegal immigrants will end. We must also have tougher border controls and traffic stops but we must understand that ending the attraction of jobs will make enormous strides toward solving the problem.

We are in tough economic times. But by controlling spending, fighting government corruption, and restricting illegal immigration, Texas can show America the way out of the storm.