Bell campaigning in SE Texas for run-off election

By David Ball
The Port Arthur News

PORT ARTHUR November 20, 2008 06:39 pm

— The campaign season for two candidates was extended from the Nov. 4 election day.
Democrat Chris Bell and Republican Joan Huffman will be in a runoff for Texas Senate District 17 on Dec. 16.
Bell was campaigning through Southeast Texas, including Port Arthur, on Thursday. He is a former Houston City Councilman and gubernatorial candidate in 2006.
Bell said the 17th District was sliced in half by redistricting in 2004. He realized the political side of redistricing, but not the real life impact until he saw it for himself and the point was driven home.
“They’re playing games with the representation of this area. This area had Jack Brooks, Carl Parker and Nick Lampson representing them and now they have no one. It’s extremely unfair,” Bell said.
He estimates Port Arthur will play a huge role in the runoff. He expects redistricting to be taken up in the 2010-2011 legislative session and maybe Democrats can make up ground then.
“The Democratic Party is in a good position,” Bell said. “I want to take a modernizing approach to state government and stop playing the shell game on property owners. I’ve done this all the way back when I was on the Houston City Council.
Bell added he’s not in favor of a state income tax because it’s not realistic and would be “incredibly difficult to pass.”
Bell said another high priority for him is state education.
“A lot of our jobs need a college degree, and they’re making it more difficult to go. We should freeze it (tuition and fees) until we find a better way to fund it. Lamar State College-Port Arthur lost much of its funding,” he said.
For Bell, education reform is the beginning of prison reform.
“I’m optimistic treatment and alternative programs can be added to the prisons. Addiction can be treated, or they’ll be locked up and we do nothing. I think extreme crimes should be punished extremely,” he said. “You look at prisons and the rate of high school dropouts need educational reform. Those who enroll in ninth grade, far fewer are finishing the 12th grade. We mask it and hide it. Let’s be honest about it.
“We have an over reliance on testing. We need to return to vocational training for those who will not go to college so they can receive training in their field and make a livable income.”
Other issues Bell mentioned include health care insurance, college tuition costs, utility rates and hurricane aid efforts — particularly UTMB-Galveston damaged by Hurricane Ike.
“I’m concerned about UTMB. Nobody likes layoffs. Emergency appropriations will be needed or UTMB will continue to be cut by cut a little bit at a time and killing UTMB,” he said.
One of the advantages Bell said of running for governor was the campaign took him to every corner of the state, up close. He said it was the reason he entered the race.
“It’s an incredible place, Texas is. We have great natural resources, but if we don’t get serious and move in a different direction, we’ll fall farther and farther behind without new leadership. I look at different categories and Texas is falling farther behind. I want to have a positive impact. It’s a great opportunity,” Bell said.
Bell calls his run-off as “the mother of all ground wars” with a massive door-to-door voter contact. He said there’s still a great amount of excitement to draw from the Democratic primary and general election.
“Democrats are still very excited. They tasted victory and they want a little more. It should be interesting,” he said. “This is the last battleground, the only game in town. We assembled a pretty impressive army in a short amount of time.”

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