Catching up on something from before last week’s runoffs, there’s a new PAC in town with some big ideas for the future.
State Reps. Trey Martinez Fischer and Ana Hernandez Luna unveiled the One Texas PAC, with Martinez Fisher pledging to match the first $50,000 in donations.
The PAC will concentrate on supporting Hispanic candidates for the Texas Legislature, engaging Hispanic voters and mobilizing them in districts where they can make a difference in an election’s outcome, Martinez Fischer told The Associated Press. The group’s strategy of directly engaging voters sets it apart from other advocacy groups, he added.
“I want to talk to people because I believe if they understand what we stand for, they will realize there are people fighting for them,” said Martinez Fischer, chairman of the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus in the Texas Legislature.
Non-Hispanic whites make up less than half of the state’s population, and Hispanics are the fastest growing group in Texas. Both Democrats and Republicans are trying to recruit more Hispanics into their ranks, but Hispanic voters here go to the polls in small numbers compared to their population’s size and compared to other states. For example, eligible Hispanic voters in Texas turnout at half the rate of Hispanics in California.
Martinez Fisher said the new PAC hopes to get out the Hispanic vote by pointing out the stake they hold in Texas’ future. Demographers expect them to be the majority by 2020.
“Texas is running out of water and energy, our roads are deteriorating, and the next generation of Texans who have to face this reality will be less educated and in poor health,” Fischer said. “Apparently, our alleged pro-business Republicans think it is more important to attend tea-party rallies than confront this reality. One Texas will change that.”
The PAC’s website is here and its Facebook page is here. I had the chance to speak to Reps. Martinez Fischer, Hernandez Luna, and Armando Walle about this, and the main idea I got from them is that this is about addressing the infrastructure needs of a state with a young and growing population whose current leaders aren’t doing a damn thing about them. Martinez Fischer goes into some detail in this Rio Grande Guardian story.
Martinez Fischer is a Democrat from San Antonio who has served six terms in the Texas House. He said he and his colleagues formed One Texas PAC because Texas needs to move on from the politics of mañana that permeates the state Capitol in Austin.
“All of our problems, whether it is water, energy, transportation, education, public health… you get to the floor of the House in Austin, Texas, and the Republicans say, yeah, we will deal with that mañana. Mañana is the busiest day of the week in Austin, Texas. You never get to it. That is why One Texas is around and why we are going to change things,” he explained.
At a news conference held in McAllen on Friday, Martinez Fischer looked ahead to the time One Texas PAC’s goal is achieved.
“When we are one Texas we are not going to have the disparity in education and health care that we have today in our state,” he said.
“When we are one Texas we are going to have an infrastructure that is going to provide adequate water for the families and businesses that depend on it. We are going to be able to turn on the light switch and know we have safe, reliable and diverse power sources fueling our state. And, we also know that when our businesses want to relocate, and when moms and dads want to be able to get to that little league soccer on time, that we are going to have a transportation system that works.”
[…]
Martinez Fischer said the new PAC will use its funds to help tomorrow’s Latino leaders win election to public office. He said the PAC will also put out position papers on issues such as transportation, water, and energy to kick start a public policy conversation that currently does not exist in the highest echelons of state government.
“These are not issues out of the blue. They are ordinary, kitchen table issues that every Latino in the Rio Grande Valley talks about on a daily basis,” Martinez Fischer said. “The problem is they are not priority issues because they are not talked about at Tea Party rallies, they are not priorities because people think government needs to be smaller, because people want to cut spending. We can no longer cut spending. We need leaders who can do three things: make hard decisions, make smart investments and ask Texans to share in the sacrifice.”
Martinez Fischer noted that historically, Latino leaders have focused on civil rights, education and health care. He said new Latino leaders must also tackle transportation, water and energy issues because it is increasingly going to be Latino households that provide the taxes to fund the state’s infrastructure needs.
“We have this looming infrastructure crisis, and what we need to do is start thinking big again,” Martinez Fischer said. “We need responsible leaders, Hispanic leaders that recognize this is becoming a Latino problem. Because, as we become the majority of the population in this state – we are 38 percent of the statewide population today – these problems are either going to be fixed by Latino leaders that are in school and colleges right now, or it is going to be financed by the taxpayers that are going to be largely Latino that have to pay taxes to support these projects.”
What I like about this approach is that it’s not just about trying to win the next election, it’s about looking beyond that at the issues that are important now and will become crises if we don’t start addressing them now. It’s about understanding these issues and supporting leaders who understand them and want to engage the public in trying to solve them. Hey, someone’s got to do it. One Texas PAC has already met its initial goal of raising $100K – they may be policy-oriented but they’re still a PAC, and you have to win elections to affect policy – mostly with the support of incumbent House members. They’re continuing their push, and they’re worth your support. Check ’em out.
I am suspicious of and doubtful about the claim that Texas Hispanics vote at lower levels than those in California. I suspect the difference relates to differences in accuracy of reporting of citizenship status, although it is possible that California’s Hispanics are more urban, more easily mobilized, more educated.
Also, Anglo voters continue to dominate for the present, even though “Non-Hispanic whites make up less than half of the state’s population.” Many Hispanics are younger than 18, and only about half are citizens. A large part of the small Asian population of the state also are non-citizens.
Pingback: A matter of priorities – Off the Kuff
Pingback: Eye on Williamson » Democratic organizing efforts throughout Texas are ramping up
Pingback: Roundabouts in the sky – Off the Kuff
Dear Charles: If you want to receive press releases about campaign finance violations; e.g., on the whole of San Antonio City Council and 5 of 7 Missouri City City Council members, email me to get on my list. Bill