From The Progressive Populist Caucus Chair
Charlie Urbina Jones

Texans have grown weary of waiting for our federal government to meet the needs of the people of this state and country.   Congressional gridlock seems to prevail, even with a new, though slim Democratic majority.  While thumbs twiddle in Washington, the people are hurting for access to healthcare, improvements in the education in our youth, environmental answers for global warming, clean air and plentiful water, the return of our national guard from mission impossible in Iraq,
Economic justice from workers being sold out through federal trade policy, to name a few of our top needs begging for policy solutions.

While our Caucus supports national Democratic Party solutions to these and other core issues facing Texans, we have lost confidence that answers are forthcoming in the short-term from the DNC and our national and congressional candidates.  We are every hopeful, but unconvinced that we can expect reform in the near term at the national level that will have meaningful impact on the daily lives of Texans who are struggling for improvement in their lives.

It is with this backdrop that the Progressive Populist Caucus urges our fellow Texas Democratic Party members to move their emphasis on federal solutions to our State government. Texas’ economy is one of the largest in the world - larger than many western industrial countries and larger than most of our States.  We are blessed with economic diversity like few others can claim; a massive agricultural economy, an oil economy that leads the world, medical research and healthcare delivery that would be the envy of the planet if it were put to better use and high technology and financial industry which can drive growth and higher education which has produced world leaders and visionaries in almost every field.  So, we ask, why wait as we have so patiently for
The Feds to get their act together to solve our problems and better our lives?  With the will, we can do it ourselves.  Sure, we still look to the U.S. constitution to protect our rights and give us a voice for the voiceless, but we have a Texas Constitution as well which has in many instances led the nation in the granting and protection of citizen rights.

The wealth and dynamism of Texas, properly administered by a Democratic governor, legislature and judiciary, can provide all Texans with affordable healthcare, reform and improve our public education system to groom the next generation of Texas leaders, help our agricultural industry to grow and expand,  provide discipline and incentives for businesses to create jobs, offer more services and wealth, and improve our environment.  

There is simply nothing we cannot do ourselves that we have been looking to the federal government to do.   Fine, if they finally get productive some years ahead, that will be gravy…frosting on the cake.
But with the will, public policy and organization, as well as a restructured and fair Texas taxation system, we can get these jobs done here and create new jobs for Texans in the process.

The PPC gives this “call to arms” to our fellow Democrats to focus our efforts on “self help”, in Texas, for Texans.  It starts with regaining our Legislature, State House and Court House.  It starts with helping Democrats win also down to the County and community level.  With this focus we can virtually ignore the beltway, continual bad news from the corporate media and hollow calls for our help and support from national and federal officeholders who give us so little in return.