Bill White was in Dallas today to talk about his six-point border security plan. He was joined by Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, who endorsed his plan. Sheriff Valdez emphasized that border security affects more than just the communities along the Rio Grande.

"Border security isn't just a border area issue in our state. There are eight major drug routes in the United States, and three of them go through Dallas," Sheriff Valdez said. "We need to do whatever is necessary to stop the flow of drugs, money and violence. Bill White will act, and his border security plan will be effective."

In April, authorities in Dallas caught two drug lords associated with La Familia Mexican drug cartel. According to the Dallas Morning News, one of the drug lords admitted moving "at least $2.3 million in narcotics" since 2008.

Bill's plan provides for the hiring of any additional 1,000 local law enforcement officers along the border and 250 more state troopers, as well as other policy measures to make Texas safer and more secure.

Click here to read more about Bill White's border security plan.

Recently, Bill White announced plans to rein in homeowners insurance rates for Texas families, who pay an average $626 more than homeowners in other states.

"Homeowner's insurance rates are squeezing the savings of Texas families. As governor, I'd require homeowner's insurance companies to prove why any rate increase is needed before I'd permit it," said White. "Under Perry, if they want your money they can have it. I'd put a stop to that."

"This is a common sense approach that's worked in states all over the country," White said of prior approval. "Perry said he'd fix homeowner's insurance costs in 2002. It's been eight years, and he hasn't."

When he first ran for governor in 2002, Perry admitted Texas lacked effective policies saying, "the status quo is unacceptable." Perry described a "tougher option" that would "prevent rate shock for Texas consumers."

Months after his campaign promises, Perry signed a toothless law, essentially allowing companies to do whatever they want as long as they notified the state.

Now, Rick Perry is hiding from questions about his ties to the insurance industry and won't explain why he broke his promise to Texans.

Rick Perry Hides from Tough Questions: Homeowner's Insurance.

Yesterday, Elena White attended the El Paso Central Labor Union's annual Labor Day breakfast. The El Paso Times covered the breakfast, where "state legislators, judges and union members congregated and rallied around gubernatorial candidate Bill White's campaign."

"Elena White said her father would ensure El Pasoans had a stronger voice in their government -- something other political leaders emphasized, too. She said she could see how the importance of that message resonated with those present at the breakfast."

Elena has been visiting with Texans throughout the state -- From college campuses in North Texas to restaurants in the valley, to the Crossroads at Victoria, to the West Texas cities of El Paso and Marfa.

Elena and Bill took this photo recently when they were able to spend the afternoon together.

While Texans take a well deserved break from work this Labor Day, it's worth pointing out that Houston led the nation's major metropolitan areas in job growth from 2003-2009. While Bill White was mayor, Houston added nearly 200,000 jobs, more than 37 states combined.

Check out a comparison of job growth in major cities and metropolitan areas (source: the Bureau of Labor Statistics):

Job Facts

Last week, Bill White released his six point border plan. Bill White created the plan after meeting with local elected officials, sheriffs and police chiefs. Sheriffs protecting 98% of Texans along the border have endorsed Bill White. Below, Richard Wiles, El Paso County Sheriff, discusses why Bill White's long term policy to add more boots on the ground is the most effective plan for securing the border that he has seen in years.

While Bill White is traveling around Texas today sharing his six-point plan to secure our border, Perry will be in Austin hosting a fundraiser where 29 of the 30 hosts are lobbyists. Many of these lobbyists are former Perry staff members. Bill sent the following email out today calling on Texans to help in the fight against Perry and his lobbyist cronies:

Fellow Texan,

Who pulls the strings in Rick Perry's Texas?

It will be obvious later tonight at his big "Lobbyist Ball" fundraiser in Austin -- 29 out of 30 members of the steering committee are registered lobbyists. Many of those lobbyists are former Perry staff members who then cashed in for millions after working for Perry.

Please help us send a clear message that Texans from all backgrounds are tired of the "politics as usual" that has brought us rising tuition, insurance, and utility rates.

Click here to contribute $5 to make sure ordinary Texans -- not lobbyists -- pull the strings in Austin.

All contributions in response to this email will be counted toward our "Say No to the Lobbyist Ball" goal of surpassing 20,000 individual donors to our campaign -- we are now at 19,523.

Our campaign is building momentum, as you can see from the crowds and energy growing statewide.

If you are ready for a new governor, please contribute today and help us move Texas forward.

Respectfully,

Bill White

P.S. I just released a new plan to make homeowner's insurance rates more affordable, but don't expect insurance reforms from Rick Perry. In 2000, Perry promised to rein in these rates, but that was before he received $1 million in campaign cash from the insurance industry -- and before 10 Perry staff members left the governor's office to become lobbyists for the insurance industry, making up to $6 million total.

Bill White released his plan to secure Texas' border today, and he will be visiting Houston, Austin and Hidalgo today to talk about the details and get feedback from locals. After nearly a decade of failure along the border, Texas deserves a governor that will work with border communities and law enforcement to get results.

Click here to read the details of Bill White's plan to secure our borders.

Some of the details include:

• Fund an additional 1000 local law enforcement positions and 250 state troopers using federal grants, state appropriations and additional drug forfeiture dollars.


• Obtain all available federal funding to support border security and direct sufficient discretionary funding to border security efforts.
• Use state appropriations more effectively.
• Establish a formal partnership with local and federal law enforcement agencies and other leaders along the border to promote public safety.
• Revamp the Department of Public Safety to meet the challenges of the 21st century.


• Assist local law enforcement agencies in adopting Secure Communities, a program that ensures that criminals in the U.S. illegally are identified and turned over to federal authorities.

Check out our new video highlighting Perry's approach to the $18 billion budget deficit: ignoring it.
Rick Perry has helped create the biggest budget crisis in Texas history and continues to ignore the issue and focus on his re-election.

Check out our newest additions to our Texas Voices series -- Republicans for Bill White.

Violet, previously a Rick Perry supporter, is supporting Bill White for Governor. She observed Bill's fiscal responsibility firsthand in Houston, and she knows he will run the government in a transparent, fiscally responsible manner.

Tim, a small business owner, had to deal with increasing franchise and payroll taxes in a tough economic climate. He said, "Sometimes in politics, people put their own agenda's first, and I don't think Bill's ever done that. I think he's looked after the people he supports and represents..."

Today, Bill White called for the introduction of term limits for the office of governor. Bill's proposal would limit an individual to serving two four-year terms. Texas currently is one of only 13 states that do not have term limits for the governor.

"Texas needs term limits to avoid excessive centralization of power in Austin and the use of power by special interests to entrench a governor in office," said Bill White. "The public deserves to know from Rick Perry, not some spokesperson, whether he supports or opposes term limits for governor, and whether he supports letting voters decide."

Rick Perry is currently the longest serving governor in the history of Texas. While being in office for almost a decade, Perry has appointed dozens of his campaign donors to high level positions and has seen the majority of his chiefs of staff become influential lobbyists in Austin. This Thursday, Perry will be hosting a fundraiser where 29 of the 30 members of the steering committee are registered lobbyists.

Sunday marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina striking the Gulf coast. Houston History magazine, published by the University of Houston, has put together an issue looking back at Houston's response to the costliest natural disaster in American history. The issue was the idea of Ernesto Valdes, who began assembling an oral history in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Unfortunately, Mr. Valdes passed away earlier this year, but the stories he helped compile provide an enduring testament to the people of the city of Houston who opened their arms in a time of great need.

While Katrina is often remembered for many failures, from levees to the performance of FEMA, one story of success was Houston's response. City government, businesses and private citizens came together to help their fellow Americans. Over the weekend, we will be highlighting different stories from the magazine, and if you want something worthwhile to read this weekend, I encourage you to take the time and read the magazine in its entirety.

Houston's Helping Hand: Remembering Katrina

In 2002, Rick Perry promised to lower homeowner's insurance rates. Now, Texans spend $685 more than the national average on homeowners insurance.

Rick Perry is hiding from his record and doesn't want to explain why he broke his promise.

The five biggest newspapers in Texas published editorials this morning calling for the governor to stop hiding from Texans and debate Bill White. Texans deserve to hear candidates account for their policies and lay out their plans for the state's future. Bill White has already agreed to six televised debates. Why is Rick Perry hiding from the people of Texas?

Austin American-Statesman:

Democratic candidate Bill White has taken an admirable anytime, anyplace position on gubernatorial debates...

But there's an unfortunate problem with our governor. He seems to think he is empowered to set conditions for his participation in a debate. And, even more ridiculous, he seems to think he can use that as leverage to force opponents to do whatever he wants them to do...

Texas voters are entitled to hear the candidates' views on these issues in a forum other than the 60-second ads that will blanket the airwaves in the campaign's closing days.

Dallas Morning News:

Are you really saying that sharing your vision on how you'd improve transportation, ensure an adequate future water supply, help children in the classroom and close the budget gap is less important than the former Houston mayor's ability to pull moldy documents out of a box?...

Whether your opponent is positioned next to an empty chair on stage depends on you, governor.

The longest-serving governor in our state's history, you've never before shied from debates. As a candidate in 2002, you even said, "If two debates are good, 12 will be great." So why are you reluctant now to take your message to the people in a forum that has been a part of virtually every campaign for Texas governor?

Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Voters deserve to hear those asking for support to respond to tough questions and react spontaneously to their opponents' criticism while enduring the pressure of a live broadcast.

Houston Chronicle:

True, a debate isn't a legal requirement to hold public office. You won't find it discussed in the Texas Constitution. We think of it as more of an old-fashioned civic duty. Because it is.

The governor is constitutionally ordained as the Texas public's CEO in Austin. He or she has a large measure of responsibility for setting both the tone and the agenda of the legislative session, an occasionally rambunctious 140-day process, convened every other year, that determines this state's priorities and sets our course on education, public health, the environment, taxation, energy - you name it.

In the 2011 session that opens next January, the governor will also be wrestling with a projected $18 billion shortfall as our representatives struggle to put together what figures to be a biennial budget approaching $200 billion. And did we mention that the governor is also vested with the power of appointment for hundreds of boards and commissions that govern or set the rules for everything from public universities to state parks, and barbers and beauticians? So we strongly encourage Gov. Perry to put himself in Texas voters' shoes. They need to see the candidates in action, as only a debate setting can provide. We urge the governor to make his best case directly to Texas voters in this most traditional way.

San Antonio Express-News:

He has subsequently released tax returns covering his life as an elected official and candidate for public office -- a standard of disclosure that is actually somewhat better than Perry's...

Perry leads White by a comfortable 8 points, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll. As a campaign strategy, it may make sense to avoid a debate where a gaffe or a bumbled answer could jeopardize that lead. As a measure of leadership, however, it's deplorable.

Perry may be able to coast to victory without fielding a single question about his 10-year record as governor, his priorities for the budget, how he'll deal with an $18 billion shortfall, transportation, ethics and a host of other issues. Or perhaps his refusal to take those questions will imperil his chances for victory. The only guarantee is that without a debate, Texas voters will be the losers.

On Tuesday, we highlighted on the blog support from across the state for Bill's eight point ethics plan. Messages continue to pour in from citizens demanding a government in Austin that works for them and not special interest. After nearly ten years of revolving door cronyism, Texans are ready for a change.

Ester in Tarrant County

These ethic reform proposals will be a great start to clean up a corrupt state government that has been in place for way too long.

Ann from Jefferson County

I think this is what we have needed in our state government for a long time and I think it will resonate with all Texans. I plan to share it with my email list - which contains a lot of Republicans!

Bruce from Freestone County

I believe that your eight point ethics plan is a great first step in cleaning up state government. I would also like to see high profile government officials in the public eye more often so that they can have discussions with the everyday people of the state. I realize this would be very difficult, but it would give an opportunity for the citizens of Texas to confront these officials on a personal level. In that setting our officials would be more accountable and have the opportunity to explain their actions.

Steve from Harris County

Thanks for these revelations about the Perry record. Your plan is admirable, and I strongly support your effort to expose and clean up ethical irregularities.

Click here to read Bill's ethics plan and send us your feedback.

Dallas business leaders are supporting Bill White for Governor. John Adams was the former CEO of Chase Bank in Texas. Michael Rawlings is a Managing Partner of a Private Equity Firm and previously was the CEO of Pizza Hut. Lucy Billingsley is Partner at Billingsley Co. They and 12 other civic and business leaders in the Dallas area recently co-signed a letter voicing their support for Bill White.

In the videos below, Lucy Billingsley, Michael Rawlings, and John Adams discuss why they know Bill's successful business background and track record as Houston's mayor prove that he is prepared to create an economic environment that promotes high wage job growth and builds Texas' economy.

Billingsley and Adams were both Kay Bailey Hutchison supporters, but believe that in the economic downturn, when Texas is facing an $18 billion budget deficit, Texas needs fiscally responsible businessman in the Governor's office.

Texas Voices: Dallas Business Leaders:

Texas Voices: Lucy Billingsley on Texas $18 Billion Budget Deficit:

Texas Voices: Mike Rawlings on Preparing for Texas' Economic Future