This post has an update HERE.
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On Friday I blogged about our dismay with the Texas Prepaid Higher Education Board’s decision to nullify their written contract with us and make our daughter’s college fund worth substantially less than it was.
We wrote to our state senator, Dan Patrick, and also to our state representative, Patricia Harless.
Ms. Harless responded with a dismay that matched our own. “This isn’t right,” she basically said. “do you still have a copy of your original contract that we may use as a basis to help fight this?”
Thanks, Patricia! You just earned my vote in the upcoming election. Here is my contribution: as much publicity as my little blog and my big mouth can get me around my neighborhood. I talk to a lot of people.
Mr. Patrick, however, blew us off. “I voted to keep down tuition costs, but my bill died. Yawn. I’ve done my best. I don’t care about your petty little problems. God Bless!”
Okay, only that first sentence (and the “God Bless!”) is mostly verbatim. The rest is my summing up of his condescending little letter to us, half of which was spent explaining the tuition plan to us. As if we didn’t know what it was.
Alrighty then, Dan. You apparently think I wrote you a letter about something I know nothing about, can’t be bothered to do anything more than have your staff send me a form letter, and you don’t care about my problems. Guess what! I’m not interested in voting for you for 2010. And my big mouth will be working overtime again.
This is the funny thing about state elections. Most people who actually do bother to vote in non-presidential elections know almost nothing about the people they’re voting for. Many times all they know is what they’ve heard here and there. Yawn. I’ll do my best to let people know about you and how much you care about your constituents, Dan.
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Sadly, most politicians are the same the world over. Atleast in the USA, the Senator bothers to reply. In India, they could not be bothered. They are so busy cutting deals to stay in office.
It’s kind of the same here. They just have some lackey send you a form letter that roughly corresponds to the issue you wrote to them about. They largely don’t care.
Every single thing they do must follow one of these rules:
1) it will get me re-elected
2) it will increase my personal power
If not, they aren’t interested.
Here’s the thing, though. Just because Harless answered your letter politely doesn’t mean she can squeeze blood out of a turnip. Politicians are masters at making it SEEM as though they can do something.
Maybe Patrick was just being honest?
(No political agenda on this one, just saying.)
The Mother´s last blog ..The Apparatus for Facilitating Childbirth by Centrifugal Force
Harless’ aide has called us on the phone multiple times, and gave us an update on their conversation with the comptroller (Susan Combs). They may not be able to do anything – but they didn’t just blow us off with a letter.
I’ll be interested to see what comes of it after I send them a copy of our original contract (which they requested). The legislature isn’t in session until 2011 – so the tuition board picked an interesting time to do this, eh? My husband says this doesn’t require legislation to fix – just enough outcry.
I’ll keep you posted. It’s like an experiment. Are they willing to do anything? Are they just blowing smoke up my butt? Hmmm. I’ll let you know.
For anyone who searches this issue & finds these posts… contact your state senator & representative. Write them a letter. Nothing is going to happen until enough people say “enough”.
I think I have some information about Dan Patrick. I will have to look through my research. A letter means nothing. I got stacks of them from Chet Edwards, he would ramble on and still vote the way I didn’t want him to.
Dan Patrick seems to ring a bell with me.
brazosconservative´s last blog ..Sunset Commission
Found it! Dan was the one that “tried” to make Perry sound better after the Houston Chamber of Commerce meeting, when Perry said “Is there one(recession)?” and laughed. Then it came out he is thinking he may be selected by Perry for Kay’s Senate seat.
Patrick was so “upset”, that @ 3AM he writes a response. Look at 9/20/09 comment posted at 9:09 AM
If only Patrick were so upset by his voting public! Very few running are even public about being near Perry, telling he is working overtime for Perry.
brazosconservative´s last blog ..Sunset Commission
Where is the reply & comment? On your site? I can’t find it on b-conservative. I’ll look on cowgirl.
I figured this out in the midst of my fever from the stomach flu. Let me give you a link it
http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=4719
Look at 9/20 9:09 AM. It is significant because other than Patrick very few elected officials are saying anything either for or against him.
Sorry about that Wendy, when I am sick I am a goo goo brain!
brazosconservative´s last blog ..Open Government
This video I thought you would find interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QP0429Ghxk&feature=player_embedded
brazosconservative´s last blog ..Two Texases?