http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php Copyright 2012, J. Lawrence Collins J. Lawrence Collins en-US SPHPBLOG 0.4.7.1 http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060914-111530
I used to work for Ann Richards. Barbara Chapman hired me to be Ann's "personal aide" in 1994, immediately after Ann lost the Governor's race. The three of us moved into a very small office at 98 San Jacinto. For two years I drove her around, conducted (really poor) research on miscellaneous projects she'd stick me on and tended to everything from her house to her mother. I was perhaps the last of a series of guys who had much more glamorous roles than I did. Chris. James. John. Ann referred to the guys who served her in this capacity as (somethinig like) "higher education for young white males who have graduated from college." And, boy, was it an education.

I'm grateful for my experience with her. She was a total hard ass. Getting bitched out by Ann was no pleasant experience but I always appreciated it. Every time she would come back to me or call me and tell me what I had done wrong and how I could do it better in the future. In this respect, she never lost her qualities as a teacher.

Here are three funny experiences I had with her.

#1. She was on the phone with someone important. I was standing in the doorway with Suzanna Ceballos and I kept trying to get her attention because I thought the call was important. She finally turned around, squinted her eyes, put the phone on her shoulder (didn't press the hold button!) and said, "Lawrence, if you stuck a broom up my ass I could sweep the floor, too. But I can't take the damn call right now."

#2. My highschool girfriend, Jenna Repa, had a painting made of her for me. For some reason I had had it my trunk for a long time. It was just one of those things you can't get rid of. Ann kept seeing it because I would pick her up at the airport or take her around town. Well, once, again at the airport, I opened my trunk with her by my side and was about to lift ber bag into the trunk and she saw this painting of Jenna. It was huge. A big painting of her smiling face. And it was a bad painting. She picked it up and said, "Now, this is bullshit. Take me to Kentucky Fried over by Manor." I was totally perplexed. But, being young and really dumb, I did just as she said. We got to Kentucky Fried and she asked that I pull around back. When we got there she got out of the car and dumped Jenna in the dumpster!

#3. Life lesson from AWR. I think I was at her house, waiting for her to get ready so we could go some place. Except for having knocked on the door, we had no exchange and I had said nothing. Out of the blue she said this: "Lawrence, you need to like yourself more than you like anyone. And that's the same for everyone. We all need to get ready to spend a lot of time being alone with ourselves because you spend most of your life alone. And if you don't like yourself and get comfortable with yourself, you're going to have an awful life."

She did a lot for me. And the people around her did a lot for me, in direct and indirect ways. Pat Cole. Billy Ramsey. David Miller. Dave Talbot. Mary Beth Rogers. Erin Mayton. Jody McKergow. John Donisi. Joy Anderson.

I sent her a note about three or four months ago and said that there was no doubt in my mind that she would make it through her latest ailments. That's what you think of Ann Richards. To borrow somewhat from Barbara Jordan, her strength and determination were total. And it's in this respect that I thought she would always be around. ]]> http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060914-111530 J. Lawrence Collins Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:15:30 GMT http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/comments.php?y=06&m=09&entry=entry060914-111530 http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060531-170208
Lloyd Bentsen’s funeral was in Houston yesterday. The service was held at First Presbyterian in the museum district. The service itself was distinguished and brief, although throngs of people waited hours for seating. President Clinton delivered the eulogy. It was a fitting farewell to a national figure and a famous Texan; it was also a full force social event of the variety that the Pink Lady loves. I went with my good friends Jimmy Stewart and Audrey Barrett; we went to support our good friend Skyler Bentsen. Hannah Calvert and Kate Volti were also there.

Here’s a recap of highlights.

Presidential Heavyweights: Mike Dukakis, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton.

Other Heavyweights: James Baker, Henry Cisneros, loads of U.S. House and Senate Members, Governor White, Ron Kirk, Rodney Ellis, Garnet Coleman, Scott Hochberg, Jessica Farrar.

Graciously in Attendance: Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Cornyn, Rick Perry and Tom Delay. These guys quickly departed after the service in the sanctuary. It was a heavily populated D scene.

Best Scene: Former U.S. House Member Jack Brooks (and perhaps my personal favorite politician) waving his forward arm to clear a pathway for the guy (barely making it in a standup walker) he was towing with his other arm. The man being towed was Governor Dolph Briscoe. Both were shuffling.

Hillary for President: Senator Clinton actually had a receiving line in the middle of the reception hall and, arguably, towered over the entire event. Standing 4′3″, she’s an early front-runner for the top job.

Also Campaigning: Fred Head for State Comptroller.

Also Campaigning: Andy Brown for House District 48.

Senior Consultants in Attendance: Lawrence Collins and Jimmy Stewart.

Junior Consultants in Attendance: Jack Martin, Blaine Bull, Glen Smith, Jo Bill Watkins (these guys are young enough that I think they’ll find a niche and actually make some money one day).

Best Lines - President Clinton: (paraphrase) “Immediately after I got elected President, I took the Cabinet out to Camp David so that we could get to know one another. Someone decided that we should get a facilitator so that we could ‘bond.’ The facilitator suggested that each cabinet member tell a story that no one would have heard before, so I said to myself, Gee… I’m the President so I’ll start this thing. Well, I started to go off on a story about me as a kid and how fat I used to be and I was about two minutes into my spiel when Lloyd Bentsen got up and said he’d had enough and was going to bed! That’s when I knew I was dealing with a man of stature and determination.”

Seriously: It was an elegant and well-performed service for a great man. The D’s in the room, and particularly the man being remembered, were true forces of nature and politics. The church was busting at the seams with stature, honor and sophistication. Most significantly, it was a tribute to a man who could calibrate his own political interest in such a way that it didn’t always overpower the public job he was elected to perform.

D’s would do well to look for more like Lloyd Bentsen; they’re out there.]]> http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060531-170208 J. Lawrence Collins Wed, 31 May 2006 22:02:08 GMT http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/comments.php?y=06&m=05&entry=entry060531-170208 http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060403-114444 www.vmfoundry.com/rio The site is great, but incomplete. Someone needs to pick up this project and run with it. It has great potential.






]]> http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060403-114444 J. Lawrence Collins Mon, 03 Apr 2006 16:44:44 GMT http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/comments.php?y=06&m=04&entry=entry060403-114444 http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060322-171459
Why? Democrats have nothing to lose - they are below the bottom of the barrel - in this state yet they have done nothing to take bold steps to distinguish themselves as a party of ideas - ideas that resonate with Texans. And they continue to lose, resoundingly.

Other than people NOT knowing how, when, where and why it is important to vote I am convinced that low voter turnout has a lot to do with the types of people who are running for office and the ideas they impart to their prospective voters.

I am for a party, any party, that does these things.

1: Get Some Personality. This is sort of like dating in a way. Let's look to females for a minute. What do they like? Confidence. Personality. Independence. Risk takers. Someone whose going to get the job done well. None of this adds up the tools who are running for office and being nominated in party primaries.

2: Define Texas As It Is. Can we please step away from the bullshit. There is No. Such. Thing. as "Texas Values." This is a joke, people. We are all Texans. I'm a 6th generation Texan. But we have got to move beyond thinking of this state a giant ranch where we all get together in the mess hall to have beans and steak. Texas is growing like crazy. Steve Ogden said some powerful stuff last year at the annual Texas Legislative Conference in New Braunfels (it went roughly like this): "I visited Houston ISD last year and finally understood that what we are doing in Texas schools is TAKING CARE of children as much as we are EDUCATING children."

3: It is an URBAN state with RURAL sensibility, not the other way around. Texas needs to be run as an URBAN state that has URBAN problems. Our rural heritage shouldn't be forgotten and we should do whatever we can to protect and nurture it. Leading on rural issues, though it has been politically fashionable, is doing a disservice to Texas and Texans.

4: Ditch Party Affiliation Once in Office. Parties are electioneering instruments. And the rhetoric of both parties wears people out. Once our elected leaders obtain office, they should ditch their party allegiance. And by this I mean require them to ditch it. Legislative politics is about the strength (of the person) and position (with committee assignments and within the leadership) of individual members and their ability to develop coalitions. Party matters much less once elected than while running for office. I think those who are elected to the Legislature should revoke their party affiliation once they hold office and be responsible for their own rhetoric, ideas and record of voting.

5: Be Done with the No New Taxes/Big Government Quagmire. It is amazing that Democrats haven't gotten the point on taxes. Here it is: The flip side of people's disdain of taxes is that they do not understand what they get for the checks they write to the government. Democrats are going to have to explain to voters the benefits they get out of government. No explanation, no victory. While Ds are at the bottom of the power structure, they should spend some time thinking about how to change this.

6: Stop Thinking of Minorities As Stepping Stones. Forget what they look like. Don't even think about messaging. Try this perspective: They own this state. This has very little to do with political hacks, "targeting Hispanic precincts with a message that resonates with conservative Hispanic values." Give me a break. This has to do with cultural ADAPTATION. This is some deep shit. We are one generation, maybe two, from children speaking Spanish as fluently as they speak English and learning that history had a brief, yet very significant, interruption of Hispanic people moving North while White people moved West. A group of Anglo Republicans (and formerly Democrats) have a very temporary lease on the power structure of Texas. Give them all due respect.

7: Get Away From Trial Lawyers. I worked for a time with the trial lawyers. My Dad is a former president of the trial lawyers. They are good, smart people but there has to be a new wellspring of ideas, inspiration and funding. I don't know where to get it but there is plenty of money in this state and lots of folks who are politically organized. The new Ds should find this new source and run with it.

8: Ethics Reform. Ethics reform is more than restricting lobbyists ability to take people to lunch or move money around the political system. A comprehensive package of legislation that shortens the election cycle (and thus the amount of money needed to win), engenders meaningful lobby reform, and sheds light on government operations is the way to roll.

9: Immigration. The party that owns this issue in Texas is the party of the future. I wrote about this yesterday.

10: Redistricting. Elections in the U.S. are predetermined (by party). This issue needs to be taken away from legislators and given to an independent commission that has final jurisdiction. Ds and Rs are equally to blame for this. I believe that voters think elections are rigged and with our current system they actually are.

11: Abortion. Someone needs to get this issue out of the courts and stop the arcane, elite constitutional wrangling. This issue needs to be taken to the voters of the nation in a constitutional amendment on abortion. May the best, most organized woman win.

I don't like Ds or Rs. So let it be known that this is a post about what I think should happen in politics in this state. Nothing else.]]> http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060322-171459 J. Lawrence Collins Wed, 22 Mar 2006 23:14:59 GMT http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/comments.php?y=06&m=03&entry=entry060322-171459 http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060321-172514
“That bill responds directly to public anger over illegal immigration. The Post-ABC News poll found that four in five Americans think the government is not doing enough to prevent illegal immigration, with three in five saying they strongly hold that view.”
- The Washington Post, January 3, 2006

Billions for democracy in the Middle East? How about billions for jobs in Mexico? The fence ain’t gonna work. Seriously. If we can spend upwards of $200 billion (and this a conservative estimate) in three years on the prospect that democracy in the Middle East helps us in our daily lives here at home, then the U.S. should spend $200 billion to promote a viable economy (and by this I really mean jobs and public infrastructure) in Mexico, particulary in Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua and the other key Mexican immigration “donor states.” By comparison, new democracy in the Middle East is downright abstract.

I’m no pro on the fine points of immigration issues or international diplomacy but I think the recent debate taking place about immigration reform misses the point because it’s too small in scope. There seems to be two concerns about immigration: 1) how do you deal with the folks that are here now (short-term) and, 2) how do you deal with the folks that are going to come (long-term).

Since most of the discussion of late is focused on the short-term, I’d like to offer a suggestion about how to stem the tide of legal and illegal immigration from Mexico and South American countries in the future. It should make Republicans feel a little conflicted (because they hate spending money but even more than this they hate seeing “Mexicans,” as all Hispanics are Mexicans) and make Democrats confused and angry (because they can’t conjure an idea of any significance, large or small).

My idea is about creating jobs, making a better Mexico and keeping Mexicans and other South Americans where they really want to be: their home country, not the United States or Texas. Aside from the very significant problem of Mexican national pride and general disdain of their American neighbor, I think the idea would work.

Through an as yet defined partnership, the United States should issue $200 billion in bonds over a 25-year period, starting in five years. Countries south of here, with Mexico leading the charge, would be responsible for paying the debt service in proportion to their rates of legal and illegal (to the extent that it is quantifiable) immigration. The American bond houses will love it, American taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill, and Mexicans and South Americans pay the debt.



The American Ambassador in Mexico, Tony Garza, should lead the charge on this. He’s lived on the border, is close to the President and other Mexican billionaires (namely his wife) and can coordinate this effort out of Mexico City, not here in the United States.

What are we going to buy? Depends on where your political seat is located. If you’re a Republican (please pardon the venom here), you don’t have to see more “Mexicans.” If you’re a Democrat, you get some much needed social justice. If you’re an immigrant (or thinking about being one), you get a job in your home country.

The money would buy basic public infrastructure that any civilization needs: roads, water and waste water systems, proper dumps, new electric generation capacity that can replace (for you Mexico and borderlands officianados) Carbon I and Carbon II that plague Texas air quality every single day. I would spend at least a billion a year to get adolescents who are at risk of leaving their country into a school and help them develop long-term education and financial plans. Somewhere. Anywhere.

Let’s pause here for a minute for my Democrat and Republican party stalwarts who only think of solutions in terms of political rhetoric - and bad rhetoric at that. If you’re an R, you should feel a little red in the face right now because we’re talking about big bucks. Like any good businessman knows, we’re not having a conversation at all if we are not talking about money. So, I’m talking about money. If you’re a D, relax a little bit as we are working through a problem here that requires big thinking and organizational skills. Remember those things?

I would spend at least a billion to invest in small business opportunities to supplement the (mostly failing) efforts of old school economic development models of the maquiladora industry. We’ve got all kinds of pros here in Texas that know how to do small business development and we should help, not because we are do-gooders but because it is in our direct economic and social interest to do so. Every major city in Texas has professional economic development staff. The state does. The Federal Reserve in Dallas has some of the best pros in the country. These resources should be leveraged in a way that is amenable (primarily) to Mexican officials and enables them to save face and get their own credit at home. None of this is to say that Mexicans don’t have their own pros. Banco de Mexico is an obvious dealer in clout. What I’m saying is that if we are going to pay for it, we need to have our people at the table so that we get the results we want.

The plan doesn’t work without strict accountability for the money. Real plans have to supplement real projects that have meaningful outcomes for Mexicans and Texans. The brainiacs can figure out the details of accountability.

This can’t be an American program. It’s got to be led by Mexicans and South Americans. America just finances it and gets the political credit. Doesn’t have to be UN-based, so Republicans ought to like that. An American response to a problem that Americans have acquired by virtue of their prosperity. ]]> http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060321-172514 J. Lawrence Collins Tue, 21 Mar 2006 23:25:14 GMT http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/comments.php?y=06&m=03&entry=entry060321-172514 http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060215-110649 I guess many see this as an opportunity for D’s.

I have thought for a while now that Cheney would gracefully step aside so that the R’s could tee-up their man/woman as an incumbent to run against Hillary, the presumptive Democratic nominee. This logic may not work so well any more since the Bush Administration is in such dire straits these days, but I think it’s still a good bet and a perfect way to switch the focus to the future and move it away from missteps of the Administration. And the D’s wouldn’t know what to do.

It sounds outlandish, but McCain as a VP means good things for the Bush Administration and certainly for Republican prospects in 2008.

In related news, I wonder how Ms. Armstrong is dealing with the Parks and Wildlife Department that she used to run. I’m not suggesting wrong-doing, I just suspect it’s tough for those guys to do their job when so much is at stake for their former boss. Best to Mr. Whittington and his family.]]> http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060215-110649 J. Lawrence Collins Wed, 15 Feb 2006 17:06:49 GMT http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/comments.php?y=06&m=02&entry=entry060215-110649 http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry051208-110920
First, I got to meet Chris Bell a few weeks ago and I really liked him. Nice. Smart. Curious. Articulate. Funny. Good D credentials. Don’t know why he can’t catch on.

Second, I don’t know why Ds haven’t been looking at John Montford, especially considering all the other heavyweights that have been through he ringer in the last ten years: Ron Kirk, Tony Sanchez, Ann Richards, Henry Cisneros, etc. Montord is a D. He’s a former prosecutor from West Texas. He’s a former Senator (and Senate Finance chairman at that). He’s a former Texas Tech Chancellor. He has bipartisan credentials. He’s a current bad ass at SBC and has been based out of San Antonio for a while now. He’s married to Debbie, who is equally bad ass. He has beautiful kids. He has massive fundraising skills.

Super left-leaning Ds will hate this idea because he’s a centrist but I think a centrist is exactly what this state needs right now. Montford would be the perfect transition for Ds who need a few years to let the younger generation of future statewide leaders on the D side catch-up. Kirk Watson, Pete Gallego and Ron Kirk will all be there one day but they still need some time. Montford is a nice steward for now.]]> http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry051208-110920 J. Lawrence Collins Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:09:20 GMT http://www.lawrencecollins.com/blog/comments.php?y=05&m=12&entry=entry051208-110920