Taking a cue from the cordial tone of last week's Republican U.S. House candidate forum, the four GOP candidates vying to represent Brazos County in the Texas House of Representatives expressed few differences on the issues Monday night during a forum at the College Station Hilton.
The three challengers to incumbent Fred Brown -- Blanche Brick, Gerald "Buddy" Winn and Rick Davis -- didn't quarrel with any decisions Brown made during his six previous terms in the Legislature.
Instead, the candidates introduced themselves to primary voters and described how they believe their experience would aide them as legislators.
The dominant topic was the state budget and possible difficulties the Legislature will face balancing it in its 2011 session.
They all agreed on some general principles to keep the budget balanced, such as combing the financial sheets of state agencies to eliminate waste. But each also suggested unique proposals to raise funds or trim costs.
Brown focused on reducing the money spent on education administration salaries. He proposed realigning school districts by county to cut down on the number of administrators. For example, Brazos County would no longer have school districts in Bryan and College Station under the plan, and instead would have a single county district with one superintendent and fewer administrators overall.
Cuts could also be made to public university administrations, he said.
Winn, who served for years as Brazos County's tax assessor-collector, suggested legalizing gambling in Texas. He said Texas residents currently visit casinos in surrounding states. If they stayed in Texas, he said, the state could tax them and have enough revenue to cover budget shortfalls and secure the southern border.
His three opponents expressed opposition to that idea.
Davis, a former district judge who currently has a private legal practice, said he supported the government living within its means and not paying for things that it can't afford. Law enforcement and education should be priorities, he said.
He also advocated an overhaul of how Texans pay taxes and repeatedly said he dislikes property taxes.
"If I could eliminate all property taxes in exchange for a comparable increase in sales tax, I would support that," he said.
Brick, a lifelong educator who currently teaches history at Blinn College, noted that more than half of state funds go toward education. She said making education more efficient by using teacher aides and increasing educators' use of technology could reduce costs. She said those measures -- along with the 5 percent cuts across state agencies that state leaders have requested -- will help shore up the budget.
"There are ways we can make better use of the resources we have," she said. "I believe money is very important, but I don't believe the lack of money is the number one problem we face in education today."
The winner of the March 2 Republican primary will be uncontested in the general election. Brown has held the seat since 1999.
All four said they supported increased border security. All four said they believe the state should support new career development options for people who choose not to attend college. All four said the cost of attending public universities needs to be reined in. And all four said they oppose abortion.
They all also said they support term limits. However, none of the challengers took Brown to task when he said a good limit would be five terms -- although he has already served six terms and is seeking his seventh.
Brick portrayed herself as a calm, cooperative leader who would focus more on achieving goals than political bickering.
"I am not a career politician and I believe that I can bring some fresh ideas and talk about issues that we believe," she said. "Elected officials need to find common ground and work together to find common solutions to common problems."
Winn touted his 40 years of experience as a tax collector and work he did with the Legislature that required his expertise on tax issues.
"The Legislature is a place where you have got to be able to go and be a diplomat," he said.
Davis said he has dreamed of becoming a legislator since he was in college. His knowledge of the law and his conservative beliefs make him an ideal representative of Brazos County, he said.
"I bring to the table a zeal for my country, a zeal for my state and a love of God and country," he said. "I will work hard for you and will stand up for fiscal and social conservatism."
Brown, meanwhile, stressed that only he had the knowledge necessary for next year's legislative session.
"This next session is not for the faint of heart," he said. "It is going to be very difficult for our state. I have the experience and I hope that you will vote for me again to look out for your best interests."
The forum was sponsored by WTAW Newsradio and The Eagle.
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