by Chris Hanna
Concerning different topics in the state government, Texas State Representative Barry Telford, a Democrat from DeKalb, spoke in the upstairs conference room of the Student Center, Wednesday, Nov. 11. Telford, who defeated Republican Jim Parsons for the District 1 Representative’s seat in Austin, spoke on issues including the state budget and the prison over-crowding problem.
The new budget was approved by the narrowest of margins during the special session ordered by Governor Clements. Seventy-six members of the House and 16 senators passed it.
“The budget barely passed,” Telford said. “It probably doesn’t satisfy everyone; but, then, no document should.”
Telford attributed a big part of Texas’ economic malady to the slumping oil business. “Texas got $100 million for every dollar over $30 for a barrel of oil on the world market in 1985. In 1987, we get $30 million,” the representative said.
“That’s 70 percent of our old revenues gone and that’s very bad,” the Democrat said.
According to Telford, there was really no alternative but to raise taxes statewide. “If the services and appropriations from the state are to continue, more money is needed,” Telford said.
“Let me tell you, excellence in education will cost; the care for those who can’t care for themselves will cost; and new highways and roads will cost.
“Voting for a tax bill is never easy. Anyone who tells you different has either never done it, or he is lying to you.”
During the budget debate in regular session, according to Telford, not one person stood up to offer a cut in the budget. However, when ordered to make cuts, the legislature chopped $19 million out of the $38 billion budget.
“We did the best we could under the circumstances imposed on us. It’s not a perfect budget,” he said.
Fifty percent of the proposed budget is concentrated on education. “Some of the cuts, unfortunately, had to come from education. They had to come from somewhere,” he said.
Texarkana College has felt the crunch of the cuts in education. State funds to TC were cut by 30 percent this year.
Twenty percent of the new budget covers human services. “In Northeast Texas, approximately $16 million was appropriated for human service programs. Out of that, $12 million went to care for the elderly,” he said.
With a hint of sarcasm, Telford said that Texas stood “somewhere behind Puerto Rico” in service delivery to the mentally ill and retarded. He also said that Texas was 49th out of the 50 states in total human services. “We don’t need to cut services anymore than we have to,” he said.
Telford said that 15 percent of the state funds covers the highway department. noting that transportation was one of the biggest problems facing Texas cities today.
“If you think traffic is bad in this area, go to Dallas during rush hour; or go to Houston anytime,” Telford said.
The Texas prison system was also a major topic for discussion. Texas prisons currently hold 38,000 prisoners. It is detained, according to Telford, that 48,000 more will be convicted in 1987-88. Almost a year ago, Judge William Wayne Justice handed down a court order imposing a 95 percent capacity cap on the prison system. That means the prisons cannot take prisoners if its number of criminals exceeds 95 percent capacity. Some measures have been taken to comply, including an early-release program.
“There is talk of new prisons, but that’s in the future,” he said. “Right now, for every 150 criminals we send up, another 150 have to be released.”
It is proposed that Texas build nine 2,250 bed facilities around the state, at a cost of $68-70 million.
“It’s (the overcrowding problem) a problem we’re just going to have to deal with for the moment,” he said.
Turning to a more personal side, Telford talked of his decision about life in politics. Telford considers his father as his biggest influence on his life.
“My wife jokingly said that it was insanity that drove me to run for the legislature, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do since high school,” Telford said.
Telford calls himself a “middle-of-the-road traveller” in Texas government.
“I’m not a liberal, and I’m not a conservative,” he said. “I just do what I think is right no matter what anyone else says.”