Bush calls for more cooperation
Tuesday, July 18, 2000 04:29 PM EDT
CHICAGO, July 18 (UPI) -- Texas Gov. W. Bush Tuesday pledged to reduce government's role in education in an appearance before the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"A president should not be the local superintendant of schools," he said. "Those who know your name are most likely to know your needs."
He added that schools that receive federal dollars "must show us what results they are getting and strong academic improvement should produce bonuses (for teachers)." However, opposition groups quickly lined up to criticize Bush, citing a study by the Children's Rights Council ranking Texas as the third-worst state in which to raise children.
The likely Republican presidential candidate broke no new policy ground in his appearance. Instead he promised to move beyond the "command and control structure" he said dominates the federal government.
"Three of the last four presidents were governors of their states," Bush said. "And the Texas legislature only meets four months every two years, so I guess that means that if government doesn't meet it can't hurt you."
However, while trumpeting his success in dealing with lawmakers from both major parties in Texas, Bush failed to mention that two of three presidents he referred to -- Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton -- are Democrats, and that the one non-governor in the mix was his own father.
"When the governor was confronted with a $750 million revenue shortfall last week, he said, 'I hope I'm not here to have to deal with it,'" said Texas state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos in a statement released by the Illinois Democratic Party. "As Texas legislators, we know him, we worked with him and this is what Governor Bush did: He pushed and supported a trophy tax cut on the backs of
children and seniors, basically mortgaging the state and people of Texas most likely because he was running for president."
Bush also called for clean air and clean water, and described Texas as "a template for change." He said that if he were president he would sign legislation passed last week by the U.S. Senate abolishing the so-called "death
tax, which President Clinton has threatened to veto.
After his appearance, Bush held a fund-raiser that was expected to raise an estimated $2.25 million for the Republican National Committee. The event was seen as a balancing act for the Texas governor as he tried to win votes while distancing himself from Gov. George Ryan, who is chairing Bush's Illinois campaign at a time that his stewardship over the secretary of state's office is under federal scrutiny.
This is Bush's first visit to Illinois since March 16 while his presumptive Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore, already has made three trips.
Death penalty opponents announced a demonstration outside the Sheraton Chicago, where the Republican fund-raiser was taking place.
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