New Leadership for Texas (oops)- Will Take 21st Century skills

It will take 21st Century skills for America and my home state of Texas to compete in this inescapable high-tech, global space age, 21st century economy. Do we have the leaders who have the skills to guide us to success in this challenging world environment?

Reliable sources say that Gov. Perry is seriously considering running for Governor of Texas AGAIN in 2014 - after being in office over 10 years, more than a decade. In that time, Texas ranking in education, graduation rates, etc. have fallen. Simply put, we have fallen behind most of the other states in America in more ways than one during his term. Education in Texas was better when George W. Bush was Governor!

At the same time Governor Perry who calls himself "conservative" is double dipping -- drawing a pension and a Governor's salary at the same time. Yet he is rarely in his office and refused to reimburse the taxpayers for over $1 million dollars that he billed Texans for his "security" costs while running for President, despite his "oops" and having leftover campaign funds.

Education funding was cut over $4 billion in the last Texas legislative session when tax receipts fell short, and the federal stimulus money Governor Perry had previously used to cover the shortfall was no longer available (while he criticized the feds for giving him the money.) It was a sad first in Texas history that education did not get what it needed. From the beginning of Texas, its founding fathers have committed themselves to giving schools educating future Texas workers what they needed, not the scraps leftover.

Gov. Perry and the GOP legislature broke that promise. Schools only got a fraction of what they needed for our kids to compete in a global economy that will require our kids have high tech skills, not the highest high school drop out rate that we have.

Today Texas trails nationally in education, to name only one. How does shorting education help us win the 21st century, when hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs remain unfilled because Americans/Texans do not have the high tech skills needed to fill them? If our kids can't do those jobs, they will go to the workers in China and India who DO have those skills! I have been in those countries, I know.

News reports are that the Governor is rarely in his office office even today, after withdrawing from his Presidential campaign - at a time when Texas faces enormous problems. In 2011 Texas had a record drought and faces critical water shortages in the future; yet its aging water plan remains unfunded and neglected by our leaders.

Sadly, the embarrassment to Texas of Gov. Perry's Presidential campaign performance (oops!) did not reflect well on Texas' image. Frankly, he made us all look like a bunch of ignorant hicks.

Isn't it time to consider what kind of experience America and Texas needs in this high tech, global, space age 21st century economy? Should we not pick our next Governor someone with the global, high tech expertise and commitment to educate for us to lead America in the 21st Century?

For these reasons, if a major Democrat doesn't get into the 2014 Texas Governors race, I am seriously considering doing it.

Based on what credentials? How about someone who does know Pakistan from Afghanistan. Someone with the global high-tech experience and strategic plan to move Texas from last in education and jobs skills to leading America in the 21st century.

New Leadership is needed for Texas. Our future depends on it. We have fallen behind. If you want facts of how we got into this mess and how we get out of it, read my story at "Better Times Ahead: April Fool?" at

http://www.BetterTimesAheadAprilFool.com

Then compare that experience to Governor Perry's...