The Texas Legislature is deeply immersed in a struggle to balance the state’s budget with less revenue and more demand.

They are spending hours poring over departmental expenditures and determining how they can “cut the fat” and still meet basic needs. There are no sacred cows this Legislative Session. Education, higher education, the arts, DPS, highway funds, prisons, human services and more are all on the table.

Here’s the question: Rick Perry has been Governor since 2001. If there was so much fat in these budgets, why didn’t he deal with it before now? No one seems to be asking this question.

We seem to be under the impression that this is all a new problem. Well, it is not new. Even Governor Perry has faced tough budgets during previous years.

It’s not like the State has been in a free-wheeling, spending mode over the last decade. If anything, the opposite has occurred. We have struggled to balance budgets every year and to keep up with our ever increasing population numbers.

What has Governor Perry and the Legislature been doing? Thankfully, a “rainy day fund” was created along the way. Now, we just need to tap it as the rain is falling.

This Session, Governor Perry has been busy traveling the country and bashing Washington D.C. The Chronicle’s Peggy Fikac provides details .
This Session, Texans ourselves are going to have ask how far we are willing to go with these cuts and less revenue. Are we willing to cut schools to the bone and layoff teachers? Are we willing to bring back early release programs for prisoners or to drive on bad roads?

We all need to send a message to the Governor and encourage him to get serious about the problems facing this State. Please provide some leadership on the budget issues and redirect your attention homeward!