IN OUR KSAT Q AND A WE’RE GOING TO TALK TO A MAN WHO IS BEING TARGETED BY A REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR.
>> EVEN THOUGH HE’S A
REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT AND HE’S
NOT THE ONLY ONE. STEVE ALLISON
IS OUR GUEST FROM.
DISTRICT ONE. 21 IN THE ALAMO
HEIGHTS AREA. MISTER ALLISON,
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
HOW YOU HAVE BEEN TARGETED BY
THE GOVERNOR AND I’M TRYING
TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE FACT
THAT ITS REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR
TARGETING A REPUBLICAN
INCUMBENT. WHY I’M TRYING TO
WRAP MY HANDS AROUND IT AS WELL
BECAUSE I’VE.
>> I’VE BEEN WITH THE GOVERNOR
ON EVERY SINGLE ISSUE, EVERY
SINGLE REQUEST HE’S MADE SINCE
I’VE BEEN IN THE 100% OF THE
TIME, WHETHER IT’S BEEN THE ON
APPROPRIATIONS ARE PROVED EVERY
REQUEST MADE OF VOTED FOR HIM
REQUEST. HE’S A SUBMITTED TO
THE LEGISLATURE I VOTED FOR AND
SUPPORTED HIM EXCEPT THIS ONE
ISSUE.
I THINK CONCEIVED AS A PRIVATE
SCHOOL VOUCHER, A PORTION OF
THE BILL. I JUST CAN’T GET
THERE. SO THIS ONE IS OVER THAT
ONE ISSUE. YEAH. AND HE SAID
THE GOVERNOR SAID THOSE THAT
VOTE AGAINST THIS. HE WOULD
TARGET IN THE ELECTIONS.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE HE’S HE’S
MAKING GOOD ON THAT.
>> WHAT WHAT DO YOU DO? NOT
SUPPORT SCHOOL VOUCHERS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT REACH ITS
COWS IN THE TERM TO OF PARENTAL
CHOICE. YOUR SCHOOL CHOICE.
>> AND I THINK THAT’S VERY
MISLEADING BECAUSE WE HAVE
AMPLE CHOICE OPPORTUNITIES
WITHIN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
HERE IN PARTICULAR. WE’VE GOT A
CHARTER SCHOOL THAT A CHARTER
SYSTEM IS PART OF THE PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE HAVE A MAGNET
MAGNET PROGRAM IS JUST
EXCEPTIONAL AND IN OUR SCHOOLS,
WHICH STEM PROGRAMS WE HAVE THE
NOT DISCIPLINARY ALTERNATIVE
PROGRAMS THAT ARE MORE
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO
DEVELOP A TRADE OR SCALE AND
THE IS JUST PHENOMENAL FOR THIS
SHORT NUMBER OF STUDENTS, THEIR
BASES SERVED 500 MILLION IN THE
FIRST A YEAR TO INCREASE
QUICKLY TO 2 BILLION DOLLARS IN
THE END. PROJECTIONS ARE BY
YOUR 5. BE 45 BILLION DOLLARS.
THAT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER SPENT
IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. WE KNOW WE
HAVE SOME NEEDS WERE NUMBER 43
IN THE NATION ON SCHOOL
FUNDING. THAT MONEY WOULD BE
MUCH BETTER SPENT IN OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT SERVES SO
MANY SO MANY KIDS. YOU WE’VE
GOT
5.5 MILLION IN THE PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE AN
OBLIGATION TO PLUS A IMMIGRANTS
THAT ARE COMING THAT WE HAVE AN
OBLIGATION UNDER THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT
WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THEM AS
WELL. RIGHT? THAT’S HOW THE
CHOICES ABOUT A CHOICE IN THEIR
CHORES WHATSOEVER. I’M SURE
YOU’RE IN THE ALAMO HEIGHTS
AREA. THE ALAMO HEIGHTS SCHOOL
DISTRICT.
>> USUALLY ONE OF THE BEST IN
THE STATE DOES THAT FACTOR INTO
IT AS WELL? DO YOU THINK SCHOOL
VOUCHERS WOULD HURT THE ALAMO
HEIGHTS? ABSOLUTELY. IT’S GOING
HURT. EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN
THE STATE, RURAL THE DISTRICTS
ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED MORE
SEVERELY. BUT I THINK EVERY
SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE STATE
ALAMO HEIGHTS AND PROJECTED
IF THEY LOST JUST ONE PERCENT,
THEY LOSE $400,000 A YEAR AND
THAT EVEN ALAMO HEIGHTS IS
ALREADY IN A DEFICIT BECAUSE WE
DIDN’T DO ANYTHING THIS SESSION
FOR SCHOOLS. SO ABSOLUTELY
EVERY SCHOOL THIS IS GOING TO
BE IMPACTED. AND JUST THE YOU
KNOW, THERE’S AN ACCOUNTABILITY
AND TRANSPARENCY ISSUE
PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO
HAVE CERTIFIED TEACHERS.
THEY DON’T HAVE THE TESTING
REQUIREMENTS. THEY CHOOSING
THEIR STUDENTS ARE SO IT THE
STUDENT SHORES ARE PRO-CHOICE.
A LITTLE BIT OF A MISNOMER
BECAUSE WHAT WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO
PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO MAKE A
DECISION WHO THEY ACCEPT UNLIKE
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BUT WE TAKE
EVERY HAVE TAKE EVERYBODY.
YEAH.
>> ALAMO HEIGHTS ISD IS WHAT’S
CALLED A RECAPTURE DISTRICT.
A LOT OF THE PROPERTY TAXES
THAT GO INTO THAT DISTRICT END
UP GOING BACK TO THE STATE TO
BE REDISTRIBUTED. SO ON THE
ISSUE OF PROPERTY TAXES, ALAMO
HEIGHTS, NOT THE ONLY ONE
DEALING WITH REALLY HIGH RATES,
BUT CERTAINLY AN AREA KNOWN FOR
THAT. YES. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO
DO TO TO TRY TO COMBAT THAT
WHERE WE QUITE A BIT? THIS LAST
SESSION WE FINALLY PASSED A
PROPERTY TAX BILL THAT INCLUDED
SOME SCHOOL DISTRICT
COMPRESSION.
>> THE HOUSE WANTED TO DO A
LITTLE MORE COMPRESSION.
THAT WOULD BE BROADER BASED
DO MORE FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
AND OUR SCHOOL PATRONS BRING
DOWN THE RATE AND THE TAX
BURDEN BUT ALSO PROVIDE MORE
RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES. WE
DIDN’T DO THAT. I THINK WE NEED
TO LOOK AT THAT WHEN WE GO
BACK. BUT THAT HELP THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT IS QUITE A BIT.
THERE’S A HOLD HARMLESS
PROVISION THAT THE SCHOOL
DIVISION BUT STILL BE PAID BY
THE STATE FOR THE MONEY THAT
THEY WOULD HAVE LOST OR DID
THROUGH THAT COMPRESSION, WHICH
IS IMPORTANT. AND I THINK
AGAIN, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE’RE
NUMBER 43 IN THE NATION.
THAT’S ONE THING WE NEED TO
SHORE UP IN MY OPINION THAT WE
NEED TO PUT MORE STATE MONEY
INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION, LESS
BURDEN ON LOCAL TAXPAYERS.
WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST?
>> DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
GOVERNOR HAS ENDORSED MARK
LAHOOD. HE’S CONSIDERED YOUR
MOST FORMIDABLE OPPONENT.
WE’VE SEEN HIM ON THE AIRWAVES
WITH THE HELP OF THE GOVERNOR.
YES, WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST
DIFFERENCE WITH HIM? LIKE WHAT
SETS YOU APART? IT’S HUGE.
A BACKGROUND QUALIFICATIONS
EXPERIENCE AND A DEMONSTRATED
RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT. HE HAS
NONE OF THAT
>> THAT’S YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T
JUST JUMP INTO THE FROM THEM.
GROUND 0. YOU’VE GOT TO DO
SOMETHING IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU BETTER DO SOME SERVICE AND
SHOW SOME QUALIFICATIONS DEAL
WITH THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, USING THAT USE ARE
VOUCHERS AS A AS AN EXAMPLE.
WE’RE GOING TO RESOLVE IT ONE
WAY OR THE OTHER.
BUT THEN WE’VE GOT A MYRIAD OF
OTHER ISSUES TO DEAL
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS PROPERTY
NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THE
BORDER CONTINUES TO BE AN
ISSUE. TRANSPORTATION IS AN
ISSUE. HEALTH CARE IS AN ISSUE.
NEED SOMEONE WITH THE BROAD
BASED BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
IN THOSE AREAS TO DO WITH THEM
AS A STRIKING DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN ME AND MY OPPONENT.
>> AND THE BORDER IS AN ISSUE
IN THE ADS AGAINST YOU THAT
YOUR OPPONENTS BEEN AND YOU
TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU VOTED WITH
THE GOVERNOR ON THAT ISSUE IN
THE PAST. WHAT DO YOU THINK
NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW TO
DEAL WITH THE CURRENT CRISIS?
I THINK I THINK WE’RE HEADING
THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND OUT.
>> THAT’S WHY SET UP SUPPORTED
THE GOVERNOR AND HIS REQUESTS.
I’VE BEEN DOWN TO THE BORDER
3 TIMES MOST RECENTLY, A MONTH
AND A HALF 2 MONTHS AGO.
AND I MADE A POINT OF TALKING
TO THE GUARDSMAN THAT ARE ON
THE GROUND TO GET THEIR INPUT
INPUT THAT AND REACTION TO WHAT
WE’RE DOING OR NOT DOING.
I ASKED HIM SPECIFICALLY ABOUT
THE WALL THAT WE DO IN THAT
THE RIGHT APPROACH, THE MONEY
WE’RE
PUTTING INTO BORDER SECURITY,
THE THE WIRING AND ALL AND THEY
SAID THE MORE YOU CAN DO THE
BETTER ANYTHING TO DISCOURAGE
DETAIN
IT’S GOING TO BE VERY HELP ON
THEIR FULLER SUPPORTIVE.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO
CONTINUE TO BE DOING PUT IT ON
THE ILLEGAL ENTRY. YOU KNOW,
THERE’S IN THE PAST, FOR
EXAMPLE, 2 BRIDGES KNOWS THAT
THE LEGAL ENTRY POINTS WORK.
PEOPLE COME IN. THEY’RE GOING
TO BE PROCESSED. JUST LIKE, YOU
KNOW, ALL OF OUR RELATIVES WERE
ALL IMMIGRANTS. BUT I THINK WE
DID IT THE RIGHT WAY. AND THE
TROUBLING PART IS THE ONES THAT
DON’T DO THAT AND COME ACROSS
THE RIVER LEGALLY. AND A LOT OF
THAT’S CARTEL ACTIVITY IN
CARTEL DRIVEN. BUT FOR THEIR
OWN SAFETY PLUS, TO PROTECT
OUR BORDER AND OUR SECURITY, WE
NEED TO STOP THAT ILLEGAL
ENTRY. THIS IS YOUR 4TH TERM.
YOU’RE RUNNING FOR YOUR
FORECAST. HOW DO YOU FEEL GOING
INTO MARCH 5TH? I FEEL GOOD IF
YOU’RE BACKGROUND.
>> AND MYSELF IN THE
LEGISLATURE BEEN FORTUNATE TO
BRING A LOT OF THINGS BACK INTO
THE BACK TO SAN ANTONIO.
BUT I THINK PEOPLE RECOGNIZE
AND I THINK THEY RECOGNIZE MY
BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION AND THE
WHAT’S SERVICE I’VE DONE IN
THE COMMUNITY FOR 30, 40 YEARS
AND THAT THAT’S BUT BY THE
IMPORTANT. SO IF YOU WIN MARCH
FOR IT, THEN YOU GET TO TAKE ON
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND START
ALL OVER AGAIN. SO YEAH, I
THINK WE CAN SAFELY SAY THE
GOVERNOR WITHOUT BE ENDORSING
ONE OF THE DEMOCRATS IN THIS
>> I PRESENTED. ALLISON, ALWAYS
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TO
REMIND PEOPLE EARLY VOTING IS
UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW. IT RUNS