GENERAL PHILOSOPHY ON ISSUES

How can you know how a person will vote on issues at the Legislature in the heat of the moment?  Can you trust what a candidate says – can you trust what I say?

What would cause me to vote a specific way?  What has been my guide to my public leadership these past 30 years?

My approach to deciding issues is defined by my Christian values, by my dedication to accurately analyzing and sorting through data (the consequences of an Engineering education), my belief in the values expressed in our Constitution, and the old-time, conservative values that I learned from my father and grandfather who are natives of Williamson County.

1. My understanding of Christian principles in relationship to service in government is encapsulated in a few phrases:
• Innocent life is sacred.
• A helping hand is better than a hand-out.
• Be fair – do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
• We will be judged by how we treat the least fortunate.
• We must be a moral nation to be a prosperous nation.
• Jesus never asks the Romans to tax one group of people to benefit others.

2. My Engineering & Financial background ingrained in me the following principles in approaching issues:
• The devil is in the detail, so is the salvation (the answer).
• Separate the relevant data from the non-relevant data.
• Look for the biases and inconsistencies – numbers can be used to lie.
• Determine what data is missing and go find it.
• Data seldom overrules common sense analysis.
• Is it efficient and effective for the amount of expenditures?

3. The US Constitution (Texas Constitution) and writings of our Founders provides me great guidance in how our Founders felt our nation (state) could prosper:
• Our freedoms come from God, not granted by government.
• 2nd Amendment – A well armed citizenry is a free, safe citizenry.
• Government should be LIMITED to a set of necessary functions.
• Fair, equal treatment – but not a guarantee of equal results.
• “I’m from the government, I’m here to help you” is a cautionary, deceitful phrase.
• Government taking from some to benefit others is just a legal form of theft.

4. My father and grandfather, both born in Williamson County, in word and deed, taught me these lessons:

• Service to your country and community is a responsibility of citizenship – my grandfather was a corporal in WW I and my father was a B-17 pilot in WW II.
• You can have a wonderful life living a modest life.
• Frugality – “If you save your nickels and some of your rocks, you will always have tobacco in your old tobacco box.” (from my grandfather)
• To look for the source of your problems, first look in the mirror. (from my father)
• The desire to work hard at any task and learn how satisfying work can be.
• You are never really poor unless you are poor in spirit.

These thoughts are the basis for how I will judge and vote on issues at the Legislature.