The cost of no leadership in state government

Houston Chronicle Austin reporter R.G. Ratcliffe says it will cost taxpayers $30,408 a day for a special legislative session that would not have been necessary with adequate leadership at the state level.

The 140-day regular session of the legislature, which Ratcliffe says cost taxpayers $9.1 million, ended June 1 without passing bills to keep alive such agencies as the Texas Department of Transportation, Department of Insurance, Office of Public Insurance Counsel, the Texas Racing Commission or the State Affordable Housing Corporation. Why did the legislature do this? Because the Texas Senate was peeved that the House refused to consider its voter suppression legislation, it adjourned without even considering the House-passed bills that were on the table to keep those departments functioning. That's how petty our state government has become. If we had any kind of leadership in the governor's office, this would not have happened.

But then this lack of leadership is nothing new. Gov Hair became our chief executive on Dec. 21, 2000, when Gov. George Bush officially resigned to prepare to assume the Presidency. Since then, we have had seven -- count 'em, seven -- special legislative sessions: three in 2005 to deal with educational financing, three in 2003 because of redistricting issues and one in 2004, also to deal with redistricting. Now, we are about to have an eighth (and Hair's right-wing cronies are pressing him to add voter suppression to the agenda, which will cost taxpayers far more money than a probable three-day mini-session just to deal with the expiring departments.) That's an average of two special sessions for every one regular session.