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<v Speaker 1>Hatred Kest listeners. This week's episode is a recording of

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<v Speaker 1>an interview I did in our offices with Don Haffins,

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<v Speaker 1>the Republican nominee for control. Hope you enjoy it, honorable

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<v Speaker 1>Don Halffans, thank you for being here. Congratulations on your

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<v Speaker 1>primary victory.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, thank you, Thank you, Matthew. I appreciate it. It's

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<v Speaker 2>good to be here. First, let me just talk about

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<v Speaker 2>that victory. I mean, this was really a huge win,

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<v Speaker 2>really unpresced in it. This was not whimsical. I won

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<v Speaker 2>by a huge majority in a very competitive primary for

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<v Speaker 2>the Republican nominee to be the Republican nominee, and I

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<v Speaker 2>got out spent.

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<v Speaker 3>I worked on the campaign.

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<v Speaker 2>For over a year, but it was really a year

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<v Speaker 2>or two in the making because I was listening to

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<v Speaker 2>the Republican voters and I've worked with them in the

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<v Speaker 2>grassroots and the base for years, and they our message resonated.

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<v Speaker 3>Had a great team.

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<v Speaker 2>I won every county in Texas but ten I won

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<v Speaker 2>DFW and the Houston metro areas about sixty three percent combined.

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<v Speaker 2>So I bringing that up because I really think it

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<v Speaker 2>sends a great message. I mean, my victory was margin

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<v Speaker 2>was fifty seven and a half percent over some great candidates.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think it just echoes the fact that Texans

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<v Speaker 2>and Republicans in general really won't to find out where

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<v Speaker 2>their money's going, how it's being spent, is it being

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<v Speaker 2>spent properly or not.

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<v Speaker 3>So I just wanted to bring that up to you.

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<v Speaker 1>Tell me a little bit. I mean, you have, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>history in Texas politics. You've been in the state Senate,

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<v Speaker 1>you ran for governor in twenty twenty two. What was

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<v Speaker 1>it about the Comptroller's office? Why that office?

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<v Speaker 4>Why? Now?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I appreciate that question.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to roll back just a minute and tell

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<v Speaker 2>you that about the Texas trip and why I'm here. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>if you don't mind. I went to your trip, as

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<v Speaker 2>you know a couple of times. I was on a

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<v Speaker 2>panel a decade ago. And and you know, the last

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<v Speaker 2>time I was there, the reception wasn't the greatest for conservatives, right,

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<v Speaker 2>I got the boot birds are out, But I knew

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<v Speaker 2>Evan Smith very well. And and as actually I'm going

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<v Speaker 2>to his to the LBJ School after this event to

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<v Speaker 2>do a lecture over there. And and then it was Suell,

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<v Speaker 2>your former editor or chief CEO, all a few years

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<v Speaker 2>ago and I went to him and I said, guys,

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<v Speaker 2>you really need a conservative voice on your on your paper,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, and what you do.

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<v Speaker 3>And because I love media, I mean I love.

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<v Speaker 2>Papers and and he said, you know, he got back

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<v Speaker 2>to me, we just don't do opinion pieces. And I said, well, hm,

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<v Speaker 2>you need a conservative voice. But you the paper is

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<v Speaker 2>an opinion piece. It's all to the left.

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<v Speaker 3>So it really is.

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<v Speaker 2>So I'm saying I'm here today to tell you the

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<v Speaker 2>conservative what conservatives think, how we operate, or what we think,

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<v Speaker 2>what we see the future of the state of Texas,

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<v Speaker 2>because we have the answers to and the solutions to

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<v Speaker 2>the issues that affect Texas.

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<v Speaker 3>I just wanted to get that out.

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<v Speaker 1>Sure, I appreciate that, and you know, I agree we

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<v Speaker 1>want to have conservative voices and you know, on our

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<v Speaker 1>stage and on our in our stories as well. So

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<v Speaker 1>very much appreciate you being here and you know, sharing

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<v Speaker 1>your perspective on this this important office. Let's talk a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit about the Comptroller's office. Uh, you know, a

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<v Speaker 1>statewide office. Some people call it the you know, the

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<v Speaker 1>state's accountant, right has a lot of influence on you know,

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<v Speaker 1>how much money is available to the legislature and how

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<v Speaker 1>it is spent. Do you have priorities that you're coming into,

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<v Speaker 1>things you really want to focus on, you know, assuming

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<v Speaker 1>you in this office in November.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course I do. I've got a lot of priorities, Matthew.

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<v Speaker 2>But let me just tell you how important this office is. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>Texas is the basically the eighth largest economy in the

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<v Speaker 2>world if we have our own gd The comptroller's position

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<v Speaker 2>is constitutional. Of course, it's elected by the voter statewide,

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<v Speaker 2>as we know, and its independent position. Fundamentally, let's just

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<v Speaker 2>talk about the office has to The fundamental responsibility office

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<v Speaker 2>is to set the budget, help the legislator set the budget,

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<v Speaker 2>tell the legislature how much money they have to spend.

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<v Speaker 2>But it's got to collect all the money. It manages

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<v Speaker 2>all the money, and then it manages the spending. It's

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<v Speaker 2>got eyes on the spending. And that's one reason I'm

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<v Speaker 2>so excited about it. People don't understand often the scale

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<v Speaker 2>of Texas, and we're spending way over five hundred million

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<v Speaker 2>dollars a day every single day. That's over three hundred

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<v Speaker 2>and fifty thousand dollars every minute of every day, and

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<v Speaker 2>we're Also, the Comptour is also the procurement officer for

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<v Speaker 2>the state, and there's over two hundred state agencies, and

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<v Speaker 2>there's so much more the comptroller does. It's really a

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<v Speaker 2>huge undertaking, three thousand employees and it's a full time occupation.

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<v Speaker 3>It's not legislative.

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<v Speaker 4>Of course, let's talk about some of those things.

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<v Speaker 1>I in my job spend a lot of time driving

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<v Speaker 1>around Texas, which means, you know, during the primary season,

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<v Speaker 1>saw a lot of Don Heffine's billboards out there political

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<v Speaker 1>ads for the race. One of the things that I

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<v Speaker 1>would see on those billboards was, you know, doge Texas right,

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<v Speaker 1>this was this was something you were advocating for. Tell

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<v Speaker 1>me a little bit about what that means, what that

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<v Speaker 1>looks like to you.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course I appreciate that question because that was the

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<v Speaker 2>message that resonated. That's why I won a boy such

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<v Speaker 2>a landslide, and what I just said. But Doje's Department

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<v Speaker 2>of Government and Efficiency. It's more of a urb now

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<v Speaker 2>than than any of they write.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a verb.

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<v Speaker 2>Everybody knows what it is, but it's about it's about

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<v Speaker 2>having eyes own or spending primarily. And I'm a business

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<v Speaker 2>guy and I have a lot of successful businesses, And

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<v Speaker 2>I know that a dollar we don't spend is a

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<v Speaker 2>dollar we earned.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's really simple as that.

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<v Speaker 2>And and so can we make government more efficient?

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<v Speaker 3>That's really the question.

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<v Speaker 2>Are we getting a good value for every dollar we're spending?

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<v Speaker 2>Can we consolidate different functions, either in the Comptroller's office

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<v Speaker 2>or in other state agencies?

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<v Speaker 3>What is? And just ask simple.

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<v Speaker 2>Questions like I did when I found that corrupt organization

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<v Speaker 2>in Dallas County government organization?

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<v Speaker 3>Why do you exist? What's your purpose?

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<v Speaker 2>Are you really accomplishing what the legislature directed you to accomplish?

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<v Speaker 2>Who's your customer and it's the taxpayers. So doging is

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<v Speaker 2>about to me understanding that the money belongs to the people.

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<v Speaker 2>It belongs to you and me. Government doesn't create any money,

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<v Speaker 2>and it takes the money by force. The least we

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<v Speaker 2>could do is make sure that it's being spent correctly.

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<v Speaker 2>And to make sure that we could consolidate is making

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<v Speaker 2>sure we've got skill in our procurement division.

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<v Speaker 3>Are we getting the best dollar spent? Is anyone else?

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<v Speaker 2>If we're buying a product our service, are we absolutely

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<v Speaker 2>getting the lowest dollar? Is anybody else getting it cheaper?

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<v Speaker 2>From that company than the state of taxes.

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<v Speaker 3>I hope not.

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<v Speaker 2>That's what many things we're going to be digging into.

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<v Speaker 2>So give you a quick sample of that.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, excellent. I want to read just a brief excerpt

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<v Speaker 1>from your website because it focuses on something specific that

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<v Speaker 1>I want to ask about. Sure, on your issues page,

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<v Speaker 1>you say he you will shift the focus of the

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<v Speaker 1>Comptroller's office away from auditing businesses and toward aggressively auditing

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<v Speaker 1>government spending, finding savings, and returning budget surpluses to taxpayers

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<v Speaker 1>through property tax relief for businesses, renters, and homeowners. So

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<v Speaker 1>you know, for those who may not know or understand, right,

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<v Speaker 1>one of the functions of the Comptroller's office is tax enforcement, right,

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<v Speaker 1>and auditing businesses to ensure they're in compliance. Is you

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<v Speaker 1>know the hundreds of people in office focused on that?

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<v Speaker 4>Are you.

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<v Speaker 1>Is what you envisioned essentially shifting those people from doing

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<v Speaker 1>that work on? How does that look in general? Will

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<v Speaker 1>they no longer be auditing you know, businesses and and

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<v Speaker 1>really be focusing on on agencies. What's the what's the

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<v Speaker 1>breakdown of how that works?

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<v Speaker 3>Well?

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, not completely, not completely right now, it's the FTEs

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<v Speaker 2>are about six hundred auditors.

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<v Speaker 3>That's not full. Uh they're having difficulty hiring auditors. Uh.

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<v Speaker 3>But say we get it up to six hundred, that's

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<v Speaker 3>my goal or more.

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<v Speaker 2>I think we'll be doing a lot of shifting around

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<v Speaker 2>and the ORG chart's going to look a lot different

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<v Speaker 2>when I'm there. But yes, absolutely, I'm going to put

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of those auditors auditing government. And that's what

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<v Speaker 2>I promised the people when I ran for office, and

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<v Speaker 2>that's what I'm gonna do. And look, we've got a

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<v Speaker 2>We've got different issues that affect the Comptroller's office and

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<v Speaker 2>whether it's tax protest, I mean when people are having

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<v Speaker 2>uh TEX compliance issues, businesses, individuals, the process.

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<v Speaker 3>Takes too long to resolve those.

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<v Speaker 2>We have administrative law judges and they take way too

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<v Speaker 2>long to get those hearings. But people still businesses and

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<v Speaker 2>individuals and whoever owes the money is still going to

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<v Speaker 2>be paying it. But like I said earlier, if we

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<v Speaker 2>can save a dollar, we earned a dollar. And what

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<v Speaker 2>I'm saying is that I can use the bully pulpit

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<v Speaker 2>to focus on property tax relief. I think it's the

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<v Speaker 2>number one issue for the legislature this year. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>think there's any doubt about that. Texans are tired of

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<v Speaker 2>renting their property from the government and never owning it

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<v Speaker 2>where it's their home or their business. And so I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to focus on using my bully pulpit and helping

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<v Speaker 2>the legislature what can we do, what's the best approach

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<v Speaker 2>to get property tax relief? And of course I got

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of opinions on that.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, well, let's talk about this, you talk about the

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<v Speaker 1>bully pulpit. I mean, one of the things I wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to kind of drill into is how much do you

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<v Speaker 1>feel in your office you will have the opportunity to,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, implement change or or require change, or how

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<v Speaker 1>much of it is bringing to light the issues that

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<v Speaker 1>you see and then you know, going to the legislature

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<v Speaker 1>or whoever else to try to you know, put those

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<v Speaker 1>changes into law.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, a lot of it's both.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, we'll have a list of legislative I priorities

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<v Speaker 2>for the Comptollurer's office and for which of course reflect

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<v Speaker 2>for the state of Texas, and we give that to

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<v Speaker 2>the legislature and we hope they act on all that

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<v Speaker 2>and I'll be communicating with them. And one thing I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to do is comptrollers make sure I have a

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<v Speaker 2>real open door policy to the members. When I was

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<v Speaker 2>in the Texas Senate, it it didn't seem to work

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<v Speaker 2>that way, and a lot of a lot of members

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<v Speaker 2>really didn't understand were what happened. You know, we appropriate

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<v Speaker 2>the money and then we don't know really, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's no one really overseeing it. The legislature meets one

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<v Speaker 2>hundred and forty days every other year, and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'll say, well, who's watching over this? You mean

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<v Speaker 2>you're not, I'm not, you know, So we need good

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<v Speaker 2>eyes and ears on that. I can use the bully

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<v Speaker 2>pullp it a lot, and I will. But it's also

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<v Speaker 2>here's the thing. I'm the chief financial officer right for

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<v Speaker 2>the state of Texas. Well, if the chief financial officer,

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<v Speaker 2>I have a judiciary responsibility to make sure that the

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<v Speaker 2>money is being spent correctly, it's not being stolen.

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<v Speaker 3>That we don't have fraud involved, don't.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a nonpartisan issue, right if you've got fraud, Most

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<v Speaker 2>people in America, and in Texas particularly, and I'm always

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<v Speaker 2>Texas first, we want people to help be held accountable.

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<v Speaker 2>The Texans are very thirsty for that. They want to

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<v Speaker 2>know that if people are taking the money and they're

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<v Speaker 2>not supposed to be that they're going to be accountable.

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<v Speaker 2>They're going to go to jail. And that's what I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to focus on. Can I just tell you a quick,

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<v Speaker 2>quick issue on that. When I was in the Texas Senate,

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<v Speaker 2>there was a I tell this tell a lot because

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<v Speaker 2>it's it's not a tale, it's a true story.

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<v Speaker 3>Uh.

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<v Speaker 2>There was a line on my property tax bill and

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<v Speaker 2>it said Dallas equal fine. And you know what, what

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<v Speaker 2>worlds that I'm not? I don't even know. Then I

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<v Speaker 2>dug into it and it said Dallas County schools. I said,

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<v Speaker 2>what the world's that? I'm not even in their district.

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<v Speaker 2>I represented the north half of Dallas County. No one

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<v Speaker 2>told me to dig into this group. Nobody formed a committee,

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<v Speaker 2>nobody formed a study group. It was just old Don

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<v Speaker 2>digging into it. And I went and asked him a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of questions. I said, why do you exist? Simple

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<v Speaker 2>things I've already said, and and they couldn't answer. They

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<v Speaker 2>really couldn't get me clear answers. And they were spending

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<v Speaker 2>over one hundred million dollars annually. They had an elected

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<v Speaker 2>wide board, county wide and and and bottom line is

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<v Speaker 2>I got started digging into them and got the rangers involved,

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<v Speaker 2>and we got the FBI involved over a three year period,

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<v Speaker 2>and they were stealing millions of dollars from Dallas County taxpayers.

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<v Speaker 2>And six people pleaded out and went to jail. I

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<v Speaker 2>got a bill done and uh to close him down overnight.

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<v Speaker 2>So it was the largest takedown of a government agency

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<v Speaker 2>in modern Texas history. And including the mayor pro tem

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<v Speaker 2>of the City Council of Dallas went down and he

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<v Speaker 2>got seven years.

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<v Speaker 3>Uh.

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<v Speaker 2>But what I bring that up because what that group

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<v Speaker 2>was spending in one year the state of tech I

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<v Speaker 2>mean in one year, Yeah, the State of Texas spends.

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<v Speaker 3>In nine hours. So uh.

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<v Speaker 2>And it was corrupt and it was an elected agency.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not saying we got a lot of that, but

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<v Speaker 2>I'm telling you if you don't look, you're not going

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<v Speaker 2>to find it.

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<v Speaker 3>And I was doging before you knew the word.

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<v Speaker 1>So do you see within the powers of that office

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<v Speaker 1>the ability in any way to you know, essentially take

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<v Speaker 1>things into your own hands, you know, like with withhold money,

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<v Speaker 1>or or you know, require changes in how agencies are run,

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<v Speaker 1>or or is that something that more is necessary to

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<v Speaker 1>go through other avenues of government.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I appreciate that question. Yes, to answer your question,

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<v Speaker 2>I have to. I'm the chief financial officer. Wouldn't if

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<v Speaker 2>if you're running to I'm a businessman, right, And and

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<v Speaker 2>my chief financial officer says, I tell I've got a

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<v Speaker 2>budget for something, and I give them the budget and

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<v Speaker 2>I come back and they spend all the budget and

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<v Speaker 2>I'll say, well, okay, let's ask questions about that. Where

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<v Speaker 2>did the money go? What did you really spend it on?

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<v Speaker 2>And they can't answer that, and they can't answer, well,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know. Well I just relied on this bureaucrat

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<v Speaker 2>to tell me this, and well, what did they know?

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's dig into it. I would be an accomplice to

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<v Speaker 2>a possible crime. If all those people are stealing money.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think they are.

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<v Speaker 3>Don't know.

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<v Speaker 2>But if I don't, look, do you think I should

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<v Speaker 2>take Texas taxpayer money and keep funding it. Let me

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<v Speaker 2>just give you an example. Okay, I traveled all over

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<v Speaker 2>the state of Texas for this election, and I've traveled

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<v Speaker 2>all over the state for you year. And that's why

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<v Speaker 2>I won by such a landslide and we got outspent.

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<v Speaker 3>Did I tell you that? Did I tell you that already?

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, we did, and it was millions of dollars. But

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<v Speaker 2>people when I get out of the car, people would

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<v Speaker 2>hand me a folder a file. Every week I get

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<v Speaker 2>more information in either delivered to my office in the

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<v Speaker 2>mail or via email. Folders. They could be six inches thick,

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<v Speaker 2>one inches thick. That could be a letter of the

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<v Speaker 2>corruption that's in their county, in their school district, in

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<v Speaker 2>their appraisal district, and their county commissioners. These are local

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<v Speaker 2>people that are totally frustrated. They get no action, no relief,

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<v Speaker 2>and they're begging me as I get out, please help

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<v Speaker 2>us these this is all the files you need.

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<v Speaker 3>Don't know, I don't have. I'm not in the position.

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<v Speaker 2>I haven't had time to dig into that and then say

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<v Speaker 2>people say, hi, fis what are you going to how

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<v Speaker 2>you going to do? First thing I'm going to do

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<v Speaker 2>is look at that. I mean, there is a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of corruption in Texas. Unfortunately we're not immune to that.

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<v Speaker 2>The scale that we deal with is massive. There's a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of money, and so yes, I'll be looking at

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of things.

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<v Speaker 4>Excellent.

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<v Speaker 1>You talked a little bit about reorganizing the office. Tell

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<v Speaker 1>me what's your vision there. Do you feel like the

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<v Speaker 1>level of the workforce is appropriate. Do you feel like

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<v Speaker 1>there are people who need to be, you know, swapped

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<v Speaker 1>out for other people or positions.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know that for sure, because I'm not there

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<v Speaker 2>right We'll be interviewing a lot of folks.

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<v Speaker 3>Obviously, when I.

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<v Speaker 2>Get there, there's three thousand people. We'll be making decisions

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<v Speaker 2>on all that. But I'm a business guy. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>buy a business. I'm not buying this business. As you

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<v Speaker 2>probably know, I never I'm not taking a salary. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>not looking for a new job to make money. And

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<v Speaker 2>when I was in the Senate, I'm the only elected

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<v Speaker 2>office holder at the time in Texas history they ever

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<v Speaker 2>took a penny from the State of Texas no pay, pension,

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<v Speaker 2>health care, And I'm going to do the same as controller.

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<v Speaker 2>But I'm looking to downsize government and make it doubly efficient.

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<v Speaker 3>AI is going to have a lot to do with that.

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<v Speaker 2>We all know that tide a wave is coming, there's

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<v Speaker 2>no doubt about it. But let's just make sure that

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<v Speaker 2>we were as efficient as possible. To answer your question, yes,

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<v Speaker 2>I'll be analyzing and reorgan and reorganizing with an org chart.

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<v Speaker 3>This is probably different, but that takes a while to

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<v Speaker 3>get your arms around.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, absolutely, Okay, let's let's talk about the relationship with

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<v Speaker 1>with other offices. This is that the controller has an

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<v Speaker 1>interesting history here dating back to when John Sharp was Controller.

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<v Speaker 1>He instituted these government efficiency reviews. At the time, they

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<v Speaker 1>were very popular, and in fact, I was reading yesterday

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<v Speaker 1>about how President Clinton actually pulled John Sharp up and

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<v Speaker 1>use him as an example of how he wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>do similar efficiency reviews at the national level. He was

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<v Speaker 1>followed by Carol Keaton Strayhorn. She was clashed a little

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<v Speaker 1>bit more with the leaders, in which at some point

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<v Speaker 1>folks in the legislature actually removed some of the powers

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<v Speaker 1>of those reviews and put them in another office in

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<v Speaker 1>the Legislative Budget Board. A lot of people, it was

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<v Speaker 1>reported at the time, felt like she was using these

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<v Speaker 1>reviews less for efficiency sake and more for her political future.

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<v Speaker 1>She ended up eventually running against Rick Perry for governor

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<v Speaker 1>in that office. You, of course have run against Greg

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<v Speaker 1>Abbott before for governor. What is your relationship with him? Like?

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<v Speaker 2>Now, Well, thank you for asking that question. A lot

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<v Speaker 2>of people are very curious about that since we did

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<v Speaker 2>run against him. Of course, he called me day after

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<v Speaker 2>the election and he had his candidate obviously, and and

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<v Speaker 2>congratulated me. We had a twenty five minute discussion, and

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<v Speaker 2>then a couple of weeks ago he invited Mary Catherine,

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<v Speaker 2>my wife, and I to the Governor's mansion and we

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<v Speaker 2>had a great, great meal together. The three hour meal

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<v Speaker 2>together is very generous him and Cecilia.

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<v Speaker 3>To do that. And we're aligned.

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<v Speaker 2>We're aligned on many issues that affect Texas, and we're

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<v Speaker 2>going to work together.

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<v Speaker 3>It's really critical that we do. I'm going to work

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<v Speaker 3>with the governor.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to work with the Speaker of the House,

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<v Speaker 2>and of course the lieutenant governor. We all have to

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<v Speaker 2>work together to make sure we saw excuse me, Texas

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<v Speaker 2>problems and deliver a great conservative budget because the money

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<v Speaker 2>belongs to us, the people. So we're I'm good with

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<v Speaker 2>the governor and I'm good with everybody. I know a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of people in the legislature, and you know this

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<v Speaker 2>is Republican legislature, so we're all united, and we're going

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<v Speaker 2>to be united in the fall too.

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<v Speaker 4>How much would you see it as you job?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, not just the governor, but the lieutenant governor

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<v Speaker 1>and the legislature others to serve as sort of a

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<v Speaker 1>watchdog for.

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<v Speaker 4>For their actions. And they're they're spending.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, that's a good question.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll be I'll say this, I am, excuse me, the

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<v Speaker 2>taxpayer watchdog and excuse me just a second.

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<v Speaker 3>Sure, and I'm gonna keep that reputation. I'm gonna be

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<v Speaker 3>the taxpayer watchdog.

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<v Speaker 2>So if they're you know, if we're spending the money

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<v Speaker 2>where we don't need to spend it, they're gonna hear

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<v Speaker 2>about it. But we're gonna work together constantly. I'm not

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<v Speaker 2>here to embarrass anybody. I'm not here to get uh

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<v Speaker 2>too much in the wii's with the legislative priorities. But

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<v Speaker 2>I do have a bully pulpit and people expect me

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<v Speaker 2>to use it.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the biggest roles of the controller is, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>they any biennial revenue estimate, which is released the day

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<v Speaker 1>before the legislative session starts and sets basically how much

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00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:07.839
<v Speaker 1>money the legislature can spend. The comptroller has to certify

401
00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:10.960
<v Speaker 1>the budget once it is written, and can you know,

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00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:14.160
<v Speaker 1>amend the estimates during the legislative session. How do you

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<v Speaker 1>feel about how that process has gone in recent years.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you view there needing to be any kind of

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<v Speaker 1>change and approach to that work as you, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>potentially head into office.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, Being that I haven't done it before, it's hard

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<v Speaker 2>to me. I really am not appropriate for me to

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<v Speaker 2>answer that question. I know that the Speaker and the

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<v Speaker 2>governor and the tenant governor and the comptroller have to

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<v Speaker 2>get together and we got agree on stuff that starts

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<v Speaker 2>a September. So this is a very interesting, unique process

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<v Speaker 2>right now, whether there's this transition or there's not a

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<v Speaker 2>transition of what's going to happen. But I'm open for

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<v Speaker 2>suggestions on how to do the budget. I've got my

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<v Speaker 2>ideas how to do the budget, and I'm sure they

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<v Speaker 2>do too. Is the just simple questions are we do

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<v Speaker 2>we do the budget the best way? Why don't we

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<v Speaker 2>have zero based budgeting and other other things like that,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, to get rid of the use it

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<v Speaker 2>or lose it mentality and government? So uh, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>so I'm open to whatever the legislature suggests and I'll

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<v Speaker 2>have my opinions.

424
00:22:19.160 --> 00:22:19.880
<v Speaker 4>Okay, very good.

425
00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:24.519
<v Speaker 1>I mean one of the you know, sort of awkward

426
00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:27.279
<v Speaker 1>situations around this, right of course, you have a general

427
00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:30.039
<v Speaker 1>election in November. If you were to win that, you

428
00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:35.279
<v Speaker 1>would be inaugurated in late January. The bre comes out

429
00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:40.000
<v Speaker 1>before then. Do you feel like you should be involved

430
00:22:40.039 --> 00:22:43.720
<v Speaker 1>in that process at all leading up to them, or

431
00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:47.839
<v Speaker 1>do you feel like you should kind of reevaluate it

432
00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:50.119
<v Speaker 1>if you were to come into office afterward when that

433
00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:51.160
<v Speaker 1>time happens.

434
00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.759
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely I should be involved or I'm going to have

435
00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:57.400
<v Speaker 2>to reevaluate it. I mean, I've got to sortify a

436
00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:01.319
<v Speaker 2>budget that I really wasn't involved in. That's not the

437
00:23:01.319 --> 00:23:02.000
<v Speaker 2>best approach.

438
00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:04.799
<v Speaker 4>Okay, great?

439
00:23:05.240 --> 00:23:08.400
<v Speaker 1>Another you know new role of the Controller's office is

440
00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:12.640
<v Speaker 1>of course administering the voucher program. You have been a

441
00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:14.920
<v Speaker 1>major supporter of this. You were advocating for this in

442
00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:18.039
<v Speaker 1>the legislature when you were in it, back when it

443
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:22.119
<v Speaker 1>felt unrealistic for it to pass right. There was you

444
00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:26.559
<v Speaker 1>know a lot of opposition in the House at that time.

445
00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:29.319
<v Speaker 1>Now it is here, you have witnessed its role out

446
00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:31.480
<v Speaker 1>with the Countroller's office. How do you feel like that's

447
00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:32.440
<v Speaker 1>going right now?

448
00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:36.920
<v Speaker 3>Well, it's going it's going well.

449
00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:40.240
<v Speaker 2>I think the significant thing about it is the number

450
00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:43.480
<v Speaker 2>of people of families that have applied. I mean two

451
00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:48.000
<v Speaker 2>hundred and seventy four thousand families, and with minimal marketing,

452
00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:51.359
<v Speaker 2>I should say I would venture to guess that if

453
00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:53.599
<v Speaker 2>you went out there to the government school system today

454
00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:55.599
<v Speaker 2>and ask anybody if they knew about it, you know,

455
00:23:56.319 --> 00:23:58.400
<v Speaker 2>nine and a half out of ten people would say no,

456
00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:00.200
<v Speaker 2>they didn't know about it.

457
00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:02.119
<v Speaker 3>And uh so.

458
00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:08.880
<v Speaker 2>It just shows how thirsty Texans are for great education

459
00:24:09.319 --> 00:24:13.000
<v Speaker 2>or some change something different, whether they're disabled or whatever

460
00:24:13.079 --> 00:24:17.720
<v Speaker 2>it is. And and look, I am being a huge

461
00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:21.440
<v Speaker 2>advocate of it because I want our government school systems

462
00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:24.960
<v Speaker 2>to be the best they can possibly be. I'm also

463
00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:27.799
<v Speaker 2>a free market man, and I believe in the free

464
00:24:27.880 --> 00:24:31.759
<v Speaker 2>in the free market and capitalism and what saved the world,

465
00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:35.400
<v Speaker 2>and it's going to save our government schools. We need

466
00:24:35.400 --> 00:24:39.160
<v Speaker 2>them to compete. We don't want monopolies, and we certainly

467
00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:40.880
<v Speaker 2>don't want a government monopoly.

468
00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:43.559
<v Speaker 3>This is the best solution.

469
00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:46.039
<v Speaker 2>To make the government school is the best they can be,

470
00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:48.440
<v Speaker 2>and they're going to compete. They'll learn how to do it,

471
00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:51.440
<v Speaker 2>There's no question they'll learn why people aren't leaving.

472
00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:53.079
<v Speaker 3>But the customer is right.

473
00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:56.000
<v Speaker 2>The customer is the kid and the parent in that chair,

474
00:24:56.640 --> 00:24:58.880
<v Speaker 2>and if they are not getting served, they need an

475
00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:01.559
<v Speaker 2>option as simple as that, and so I'm a champion

476
00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:03.880
<v Speaker 2>of it, and I think it's gonna go. It's going

477
00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:06.759
<v Speaker 2>to go good, and I think we see the demand

478
00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:09.599
<v Speaker 2>right now, and I think it's going to do nothing

479
00:25:09.640 --> 00:25:11.559
<v Speaker 2>but substantially increase.

480
00:25:12.279 --> 00:25:15.880
<v Speaker 1>Do you envision advocating for more money for that program

481
00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:16.440
<v Speaker 1>in the future.

482
00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:20.640
<v Speaker 2>Well, actually, the legislation that was passed UH requires the

483
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:24.119
<v Speaker 2>controller the way I read it, UH to add to

484
00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:25.880
<v Speaker 2>the budget everyone on the wait list.

485
00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:28.440
<v Speaker 3>Now the legislature don't have to fund.

486
00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:31.119
<v Speaker 2>It, but they all but I am supposed to present

487
00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:33.079
<v Speaker 2>them a budget with everybody on the.

488
00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:37.079
<v Speaker 3>White list in the budget. Okay, very good, Yes, I

489
00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:37.960
<v Speaker 3>think it will be added.

490
00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:41.799
<v Speaker 4>Answer question, you think you think the legislature will, Well, yes.

491
00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:43.480
<v Speaker 3>I think the political pressure is there.

492
00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:47.039
<v Speaker 2>They see it, everyone sees it, and UH the members

493
00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:50.880
<v Speaker 2>see it. And and like I said, that was minimal marketing.

494
00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:55.400
<v Speaker 1>The most recent legislative sessions have been marked by UH,

495
00:25:55.640 --> 00:26:00.279
<v Speaker 1>you know, pretty significant surpluses right growth in UH sales

496
00:26:00.319 --> 00:26:04.279
<v Speaker 1>tax revenue, oil and gas revenue, federal COVID funds, a

497
00:26:04.279 --> 00:26:07.440
<v Speaker 1>lot of things have created what up until a few

498
00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:11.519
<v Speaker 1>years ago, we're sort of unprecedented surpluses for the for

499
00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:16.960
<v Speaker 1>the legislature to spend feels like maybe this upcoming session

500
00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:19.240
<v Speaker 1>might be a little different. Do you anticipate there being

501
00:26:19.480 --> 00:26:22.400
<v Speaker 1>less money to spend this time around?

502
00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:24.200
<v Speaker 3>Well, of course I'm not there.

503
00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:29.880
<v Speaker 2>I can't give you the details on all that, but no,

504
00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:33.160
<v Speaker 2>we're still going to have a surplus. And I like

505
00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:35.200
<v Speaker 2>to look at it as I think we've overcharged the

506
00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:37.960
<v Speaker 2>customer and we need to give that a lot of

507
00:26:37.960 --> 00:26:41.680
<v Speaker 2>that surplus back to Texans. And I'm promoting, of course,

508
00:26:41.799 --> 00:26:45.119
<v Speaker 2>like I have on the campaign trail, I'm promoting to

509
00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:48.519
<v Speaker 2>give it back and talk excuse me, property tax relief.

510
00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:51.839
<v Speaker 2>However the legislature wants to do it. I'm in favor

511
00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:54.359
<v Speaker 2>of it, and I know that's the number one issue.

512
00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:57.559
<v Speaker 2>Like I said, so, I think I think they're going

513
00:26:57.640 --> 00:26:59.039
<v Speaker 2>to make a lot of progress on that.

514
00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:02.440
<v Speaker 1>What is your what would your response be if you

515
00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:06.880
<v Speaker 1>feel like the legislature did not sufficiently fund property tax cuts.

516
00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:13.400
<v Speaker 2>Well, let's talk a minute about wealth creation. How can Texans?

517
00:27:13.799 --> 00:27:18.359
<v Speaker 2>How can Texas government? What's the role of government? You know, really,

518
00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:22.000
<v Speaker 2>what what do we do? We forcibly take money from people,

519
00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:25.160
<v Speaker 2>but we've got to deliver a good service to people.

520
00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:29.039
<v Speaker 2>The taxpayer. That's our customers. I keep saying, and.

521
00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:32.279
<v Speaker 3>Property tax is.

522
00:27:32.200 --> 00:27:38.240
<v Speaker 2>Something that that that can generate wealth if we cut it,

523
00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:44.240
<v Speaker 2>it puts more money in people's pocket. And okay, let's

524
00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:47.359
<v Speaker 2>just look at if we I'm for whatever the legislature

525
00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:51.880
<v Speaker 2>comes up with. Any property tax relief is beneficial. And

526
00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:57.880
<v Speaker 2>but how can we really generate wealth is across the board,

527
00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:02.119
<v Speaker 2>get you know, start phasing out the M and O tax.

528
00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:05.400
<v Speaker 2>But it has to be definitive. It has to be

529
00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:08.480
<v Speaker 2>on a glide path to zero. People have to know that.

530
00:28:08.519 --> 00:28:11.440
<v Speaker 2>We have to be committed. It has to be constitutional.

531
00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:15.039
<v Speaker 2>We have to pass a constitutional amendment that the state

532
00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:16.920
<v Speaker 2>of Texas is going to pay all the M and

533
00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:19.839
<v Speaker 2>O tax that already pays about fifty percent of it.

534
00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:23.319
<v Speaker 2>Whether the state should just pay it all, it might

535
00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:25.599
<v Speaker 2>take ten years, fifteen years, or eight years.

536
00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:26.279
<v Speaker 3>It depends.

537
00:28:26.599 --> 00:28:30.519
<v Speaker 2>But we use our surpluses and we buy down that rate,

538
00:28:31.240 --> 00:28:35.359
<v Speaker 2>and it benefits everyone that pays the rate equally, including

539
00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:39.160
<v Speaker 2>businesses which we basically sign the paychecks don't have.

540
00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:39.559
<v Speaker 3>Any of that.

541
00:28:39.880 --> 00:28:43.799
<v Speaker 2>I will point out that my research shows that if

542
00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:46.240
<v Speaker 2>you that real quick, I don't want to get too

543
00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:52.000
<v Speaker 2>much in the weeds. But businesses and big and commercial

544
00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:55.799
<v Speaker 2>property represent over three dollars worth of that that all

545
00:28:55.839 --> 00:29:00.480
<v Speaker 2>that is sold on a net operating income, and property

546
00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:03.440
<v Speaker 2>tax is the largest expense of any business because they're

547
00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:05.359
<v Speaker 2>in strip centers or triple net leases.

548
00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:06.920
<v Speaker 3>Well, they got to pay it.

549
00:29:07.880 --> 00:29:10.480
<v Speaker 2>Well, a business is sold on a multiple of its

550
00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:14.480
<v Speaker 2>net earnings. Commercial real estate, that building, everything is sold

551
00:29:14.680 --> 00:29:18.720
<v Speaker 2>on a multiple of its net operating income. And if

552
00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:21.640
<v Speaker 2>you can take that down, every dollar you save those

553
00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:25.759
<v Speaker 2>businesses is a multiple of how much it's worth. It

554
00:29:25.799 --> 00:29:29.160
<v Speaker 2>could be a twenty multiple, ten multiple, or twenty five multiple.

555
00:29:29.799 --> 00:29:33.279
<v Speaker 2>And that our research shows it will create tens of

556
00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:36.519
<v Speaker 2>billions of net worth for Texans. If we can do

557
00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:39.400
<v Speaker 2>away with that and guess what they do with that money?

558
00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:42.559
<v Speaker 2>They spend it, then sales tax goes way up. They'll

559
00:29:42.599 --> 00:29:45.720
<v Speaker 2>laugh for curb you know, to supply de mend, you

560
00:29:45.799 --> 00:29:50.000
<v Speaker 2>cut taxes and you government makes more money.

561
00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:54.680
<v Speaker 1>All right, let's talk about I mentioned your billboards earlier.

562
00:29:55.240 --> 00:30:03.079
<v Speaker 1>Another message on the billboards was fighting DEI right, what

563
00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:08.039
<v Speaker 1>is what do you envision the controller's role being in

564
00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:09.319
<v Speaker 1>this topic?

565
00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:09.880
<v Speaker 4>This issue?

566
00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:12.440
<v Speaker 1>And and and and also how do you how do

567
00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:14.039
<v Speaker 1>you define de A?

568
00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:17.240
<v Speaker 3>Well, thank you for that question.

569
00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:22.000
<v Speaker 2>Uh, if the legislature and the governor have spoken, I've

570
00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:27.079
<v Speaker 2>got an obligation to do to enforce it if I can, right,

571
00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:29.680
<v Speaker 2>I'm not going to And if I see there's a

572
00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:34.160
<v Speaker 2>government agency or my agency that is involved in DEI

573
00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:36.279
<v Speaker 2>and the governor says we're not going to have it,

574
00:30:36.359 --> 00:30:39.000
<v Speaker 2>the legislature says we're not going to have it, I'm

575
00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:39.720
<v Speaker 2>not going to have it.

576
00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:41.640
<v Speaker 3>As simple as that, We're not going to do that.

577
00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:45.279
<v Speaker 2>And if a and if an agency, I'm not sure

578
00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:49.119
<v Speaker 2>or should they get money to break the law, you

579
00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:51.640
<v Speaker 2>can ask you, well, okay, then i don't know if

580
00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:54.200
<v Speaker 2>that's a good idea, and it's not a good idea, and.

581
00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:56.319
<v Speaker 3>I'm not going to let them do that, as simple

582
00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:56.599
<v Speaker 3>as that.

583
00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:59.960
<v Speaker 2>I'm not going to let a university or a state agent,

584
00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:03.440
<v Speaker 2>seere my agency break the law over the wheels of

585
00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:05.119
<v Speaker 2>the state's statue so.

586
00:31:06.359 --> 00:31:07.559
<v Speaker 3>And might not get their money.

587
00:31:08.599 --> 00:31:11.079
<v Speaker 2>Simple as that, I'm going to at least try to

588
00:31:11.319 --> 00:31:12.119
<v Speaker 2>enforce the law.

589
00:31:12.440 --> 00:31:15.720
<v Speaker 4>I mean, what would cross the threshold to you for.

590
00:31:17.160 --> 00:31:19.559
<v Speaker 1>Being a situation where you would feel like you would

591
00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:22.400
<v Speaker 1>need them to not, as you say, get their money,

592
00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:23.559
<v Speaker 1>Like what is what is that?

593
00:31:23.640 --> 00:31:23.839
<v Speaker 3>I mean?

594
00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:27.880
<v Speaker 1>DEI can be such a sort of amorphous topic depending

595
00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:29.680
<v Speaker 1>on how you talk about it, Like what is that?

596
00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:31.079
<v Speaker 1>What would that actually look like?

597
00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:33.039
<v Speaker 2>In your minth I have to look at the legislation

598
00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:35.920
<v Speaker 2>and really study it and make sure that we're following

599
00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:38.799
<v Speaker 2>the law. And if it's ambiguous, we have a little

600
00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:41.480
<v Speaker 2>bit of a leeway to interpret it. I don't like

601
00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:45.119
<v Speaker 2>ambiguous laws. I like everything being very definitive. I want

602
00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:48.359
<v Speaker 2>I don't want the comptroller have to interpret a lot

603
00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:51.279
<v Speaker 2>of things. I don't want this interpreting tax law. I

604
00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:53.119
<v Speaker 2>want it to be clear. So a lot of things

605
00:31:53.119 --> 00:31:56.720
<v Speaker 2>that aren't true I mean aren't clear at the office.

606
00:31:56.839 --> 00:32:00.720
<v Speaker 2>I will be asking the legislature to give more clarity.

607
00:32:00.839 --> 00:32:01.079
<v Speaker 4>I mean.

608
00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:04.440
<v Speaker 1>One of the things I've been sort of trying to

609
00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:11.880
<v Speaker 1>I guess drill into understand from you is like how

610
00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:16.599
<v Speaker 1>willing are you to use the levers at your disposal

611
00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:24.400
<v Speaker 1>to you know, restrict cash to what you may envision

612
00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:28.119
<v Speaker 1>or see as bad actors, either if it's around DEI,

613
00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:32.000
<v Speaker 1>whether it's around efficiency or anything else like that, Like

614
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:37.000
<v Speaker 1>what do you see how much, for lack of a

615
00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:39.319
<v Speaker 1>better term, wiggle room do you think you have to

616
00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:41.759
<v Speaker 1>step in when you feel like you see something wrong

617
00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:45.720
<v Speaker 1>within government, whether that's an agency or legislative spending.

618
00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:50.759
<v Speaker 3>Well, I appreciate the question. At you.

619
00:32:52.519 --> 00:32:56.519
<v Speaker 2>Again, I've got to produce your responsibility to the tax

620
00:32:56.559 --> 00:33:00.160
<v Speaker 2>by your period and they expect me to do to

621
00:33:00.200 --> 00:33:03.440
<v Speaker 2>step in, whether I'm stepping in on the legislature with

622
00:33:03.559 --> 00:33:07.920
<v Speaker 2>the legislature to help and in communicating what I'm seeing,

623
00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:12.039
<v Speaker 2>what we're experiencing across the state or in this agency

624
00:33:12.119 --> 00:33:16.519
<v Speaker 2>or that agency, can we get some legislation done to

625
00:33:16.599 --> 00:33:20.200
<v Speaker 2>fix it? And if that's not the case, I'll have

626
00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:23.920
<v Speaker 2>to evaluate everything when I see it and to understand

627
00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:27.480
<v Speaker 2>the significance of it, the severity of it, or are

628
00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:30.680
<v Speaker 2>they you know, how bad is it? And I'm telling you,

629
00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:33.400
<v Speaker 2>if you're stealing it, we've got problem.

630
00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:36.319
<v Speaker 1>Let's talk about the general election a little bit. How

631
00:33:36.359 --> 00:33:40.160
<v Speaker 1>do you view the climate out there right now? Political climate?

632
00:33:40.839 --> 00:33:46.880
<v Speaker 1>It's a midterm election. Oftentimes the president's party can struggle there.

633
00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:50.880
<v Speaker 1>We are, of course though in Texas, right what do

634
00:33:50.920 --> 00:33:53.240
<v Speaker 1>you see both for yourself and other Republicans you know,

635
00:33:53.319 --> 00:33:55.400
<v Speaker 1>coming down in November.

636
00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:58.480
<v Speaker 2>We're going to smoke it. It's not even going to

637
00:33:58.519 --> 00:34:00.759
<v Speaker 2>be closed, it's really we're going to smoke. Okay, Hey,

638
00:34:00.880 --> 00:34:05.000
<v Speaker 2>look this is Texas. This is Texas. Our culture is unique.

639
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:08.199
<v Speaker 2>We're special. Do we want to be like all the

640
00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:12.440
<v Speaker 2>other states? No, our heritage is unique and our party

641
00:34:12.519 --> 00:34:18.559
<v Speaker 2>represents that. And I asked what we want A limited government.

642
00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:22.639
<v Speaker 2>That's a conservative principle. We want to take as little

643
00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:26.440
<v Speaker 2>money from the taxpayer as possible to deliver the very

644
00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:31.800
<v Speaker 2>best product possible. And that's what the that's a conservative message,

645
00:34:31.800 --> 00:34:35.599
<v Speaker 2>that's a Republican message. We're We're a party that believes

646
00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:39.239
<v Speaker 2>in God. We're a party that believes that we need

647
00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:42.559
<v Speaker 2>to have morals. We're a party that believes in law

648
00:34:42.719 --> 00:34:45.400
<v Speaker 2>and order. We're a party believes in the free market.

649
00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:49.199
<v Speaker 2>We want everyone to have equal opportunity. We want everyone

650
00:34:49.239 --> 00:34:50.800
<v Speaker 2>to be as rich as they want to be. We

651
00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:53.800
<v Speaker 2>want everyone to have joy in their life. And we

652
00:34:53.840 --> 00:34:57.440
<v Speaker 2>want everybody to be morals. They have great morals and

653
00:34:57.519 --> 00:35:02.880
<v Speaker 2>great ethics. Texas is our heritage was founded on the

654
00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:06.159
<v Speaker 2>blood of our patriots. We're not going to change that,

655
00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:08.519
<v Speaker 2>and I don't think anybody come in here that wants

656
00:35:08.559 --> 00:35:09.440
<v Speaker 2>us to change it.

657
00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:13.599
<v Speaker 1>Another thing that I saw on your on your website,

658
00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:16.400
<v Speaker 1>we talked about de I, we talked about dodging the government.

659
00:35:16.440 --> 00:35:20.519
<v Speaker 1>You talked at at times about UH, you know, preventing

660
00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:26.920
<v Speaker 1>government funds from UH landing in the hands of radical Islamists.

661
00:35:27.360 --> 00:35:30.000
<v Speaker 4>Uh, what do you mean by that? When when when

662
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:32.159
<v Speaker 4>you talk about that as a priority.

663
00:35:33.519 --> 00:35:35.800
<v Speaker 3>About UH, tell me again real quick.

664
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:38.760
<v Speaker 1>So I believe on your site, you know, you talk

665
00:35:38.840 --> 00:35:44.199
<v Speaker 1>about fighting DEI and also preventing government funds from UH.

666
00:35:44.519 --> 00:35:46.079
<v Speaker 3>Going to radical Yeah.

667
00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:48.960
<v Speaker 2>Sure, of course, Well this is about terrorism, That's really

668
00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:53.480
<v Speaker 2>what it's about. The Governor's declared that Muslim Brotherhood and

669
00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:57.800
<v Speaker 2>Care are terrorist organizations and and of course we're not

670
00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:00.880
<v Speaker 2>going to allow government money, taxpayer money to go to

671
00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:05.360
<v Speaker 2>any organization that's affiliated with them. I mean, we are

672
00:36:05.400 --> 00:36:10.280
<v Speaker 2>at war right now with salam Is with his Islamic nations.

673
00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:14.119
<v Speaker 2>So it's it's even more germane now than it was

674
00:36:14.159 --> 00:36:14.920
<v Speaker 2>a few months ago.

675
00:36:16.519 --> 00:36:20.280
<v Speaker 1>There there's been some discussion around the voucher program about

676
00:36:21.159 --> 00:36:25.800
<v Speaker 1>you know, UH schools associated with the Muslim faith being

677
00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:26.679
<v Speaker 1>denied access.

678
00:36:26.760 --> 00:36:27.079
<v Speaker 3>Do you.

679
00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:29.559
<v Speaker 4>What's your view on that?

680
00:36:29.559 --> 00:36:32.880
<v Speaker 1>Should should school Muslim schools be allowed to participate in

681
00:36:32.920 --> 00:36:33.400
<v Speaker 1>the program.

682
00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:38.840
<v Speaker 2>This isn't about religion, This is about terrorism and that's.

683
00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:39.280
<v Speaker 3>What it's about.

684
00:36:40.360 --> 00:36:43.559
<v Speaker 1>So so in that case, if a school is affiliated

685
00:36:43.559 --> 00:36:49.599
<v Speaker 1>with Muslims with Muslim religion. But you know is like

686
00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:54.159
<v Speaker 1>many Muslims in Texas, you know, law abiding, faithful, you know,

687
00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:57.880
<v Speaker 1>people members of the community. You don't see any issue

688
00:36:57.880 --> 00:36:59.280
<v Speaker 1>with with them being allowed to.

689
00:36:59.199 --> 00:37:03.679
<v Speaker 2>Participate as long as they're not affiliated with the terrorist organizations.

690
00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:06.239
<v Speaker 2>Like I said, this is about not about religion, this

691
00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:07.199
<v Speaker 2>is about terrorism.

692
00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:08.239
<v Speaker 4>Okay, very good.

693
00:37:08.679 --> 00:37:11.840
<v Speaker 1>I want to ask you know, the other thing that

694
00:37:11.960 --> 00:37:16.360
<v Speaker 1>you have been in the news about lately was your

695
00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:18.960
<v Speaker 1>purchase of the ranch in New Mexico that was owned

696
00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:23.079
<v Speaker 1>by Jeffrey Epstein. Tell us about the decision to buy

697
00:37:23.079 --> 00:37:23.599
<v Speaker 1>that ranch.

698
00:37:24.800 --> 00:37:29.079
<v Speaker 2>Sure, it's really nothing, Burger. The property was on the

699
00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:33.880
<v Speaker 2>market for several years. South the Bees had it listed

700
00:37:34.519 --> 00:37:40.639
<v Speaker 2>and then they they lost the listing and the Concierge

701
00:37:40.679 --> 00:37:44.400
<v Speaker 2>auction company was going to auction the property, and so

702
00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:47.360
<v Speaker 2>we decided to buy it and turn a place of

703
00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:49.639
<v Speaker 2>darkness into a place of light, as simple as that.

704
00:37:49.719 --> 00:37:51.639
<v Speaker 3>They assured me that the.

705
00:37:51.239 --> 00:37:53.239
<v Speaker 2>Revenue and the money they were getting would go to

706
00:37:53.280 --> 00:37:56.840
<v Speaker 2>the victims, and it did, and that's I was happy

707
00:37:56.880 --> 00:37:57.800
<v Speaker 2>to help them out.

708
00:37:58.280 --> 00:37:59.440
<v Speaker 3>And so that's the process.

709
00:37:59.559 --> 00:38:04.880
<v Speaker 2>I was converting that ranch into a Christian retreat and

710
00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:06.440
<v Speaker 2>and we had a lot of ideas to do it

711
00:38:06.519 --> 00:38:10.239
<v Speaker 2>and how to do it, and so that's going ongoing,

712
00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:11.920
<v Speaker 2>and that's what I'm gonna do.

713
00:38:13.559 --> 00:38:19.480
<v Speaker 1>Have have you have the authorities asked to visit the ranch?

714
00:38:19.760 --> 00:38:22.519
<v Speaker 1>Would would you make it available to them if they did?

715
00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:26.559
<v Speaker 2>Of course, of course we would absolutely, one hundred percent.

716
00:38:26.559 --> 00:38:29.320
<v Speaker 2>And I have no one ever asked to come out there.

717
00:38:29.360 --> 00:38:31.400
<v Speaker 2>We asked people to come out, they assured me that

718
00:38:31.760 --> 00:38:35.159
<v Speaker 2>they didn't need to. And so now that they you know,

719
00:38:35.239 --> 00:38:38.639
<v Speaker 2>of three million pages being dropped, there's a lot more

720
00:38:38.679 --> 00:38:40.239
<v Speaker 2>emphasis on that, and I get it.

721
00:38:40.519 --> 00:38:43.280
<v Speaker 3>I mean I won't. I want the answers.

722
00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:46.519
<v Speaker 2>And so the Attorney General's Office is out there and

723
00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:49.480
<v Speaker 2>done their investigations and I wasn't there, but it's my

724
00:38:49.559 --> 00:38:53.239
<v Speaker 2>understanding they haven't found anything, but they have complete free rank.

725
00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:57.840
<v Speaker 2>Any law enforcement agency just they can come out there anytime.

726
00:38:57.840 --> 00:39:00.239
<v Speaker 2>They won't and they have been and I'm I don't

727
00:39:00.239 --> 00:39:02.320
<v Speaker 2>know if they will continue to, but that's up to them.

728
00:39:02.840 --> 00:39:03.159
<v Speaker 4>Okay.

729
00:39:03.159 --> 00:39:05.639
<v Speaker 1>Reminder for folks audience questions, If you have a question,

730
00:39:05.679 --> 00:39:08.440
<v Speaker 1>you can submit it online. Are of insturrector Maddie Wallda

731
00:39:08.440 --> 00:39:10.039
<v Speaker 1>is sending them to my phone. So if you look

732
00:39:10.039 --> 00:39:11.679
<v Speaker 1>at me reading my phone. I'm not playing the world

733
00:39:11.760 --> 00:39:15.039
<v Speaker 1>over here, I am. I'm looking at the questions. I'm

734
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:17.239
<v Speaker 1>going to go to audience questions right after this, but

735
00:39:17.400 --> 00:39:20.320
<v Speaker 1>just one last question for you. If you win the

736
00:39:20.360 --> 00:39:25.320
<v Speaker 1>general election, serve a four year term, and are at

737
00:39:25.320 --> 00:39:27.280
<v Speaker 1>the end of that term and looking back, how will

738
00:39:27.320 --> 00:39:28.360
<v Speaker 1>you define success?

739
00:39:28.400 --> 00:39:30.840
<v Speaker 4>What will you what should we look at, what metrics?

740
00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:33.679
<v Speaker 1>What anything should we should we viewed to say to

741
00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:36.840
<v Speaker 1>decide whether don ha Fines was a successful.

742
00:39:36.280 --> 00:39:39.960
<v Speaker 3>Controller delivering on my campaign promises.

743
00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:43.800
<v Speaker 2>I don't make promises, I don't deliver, and it won't

744
00:39:43.800 --> 00:39:46.039
<v Speaker 2>be from a lack of trying. And I've got a

745
00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:49.320
<v Speaker 2>lot of those on the website and people expect me

746
00:39:49.400 --> 00:39:52.559
<v Speaker 2>that to do that, and they trust me to do that,

747
00:39:53.119 --> 00:39:55.119
<v Speaker 2>and that's what I'm gonna do. And a lot of

748
00:39:55.119 --> 00:39:58.679
<v Speaker 2>that is making sure we're efficient in government and we

749
00:39:58.760 --> 00:40:01.880
<v Speaker 2>root out fraud, wasting, abuse, and we hope people accountable.

750
00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:05.360
<v Speaker 1>Excellent, Thank you, Okay, So let's go to some of

751
00:40:05.400 --> 00:40:08.159
<v Speaker 1>your questions now. I'm going to ask from John in

752
00:40:08.280 --> 00:40:12.280
<v Speaker 1>East Texas. He asks, what is your philosophy on broadband

753
00:40:12.360 --> 00:40:15.039
<v Speaker 1>grants for closing the digital divide in Texas?

754
00:40:16.679 --> 00:40:21.599
<v Speaker 2>Well, I can tell you there's I get a lot

755
00:40:21.639 --> 00:40:24.679
<v Speaker 2>of comments from a lot of businesses and people about

756
00:40:24.400 --> 00:40:26.559
<v Speaker 2>that that whole division.

757
00:40:26.159 --> 00:40:28.719
<v Speaker 3>Now, you know, giving out the grants and things like that.

758
00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:32.639
<v Speaker 2>You know, I'm not there, so I can't answer it completely,

759
00:40:33.079 --> 00:40:35.199
<v Speaker 2>but I think it needs to be looked at, and

760
00:40:35.239 --> 00:40:37.840
<v Speaker 2>we need to make sure that rural Texans are good

761
00:40:37.960 --> 00:40:42.199
<v Speaker 2>in the service they need and the original intent of

762
00:40:42.239 --> 00:40:45.320
<v Speaker 2>the legislation. Federal money and the state money is being

763
00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:48.159
<v Speaker 2>spent wisely and properly and effectively.

764
00:40:48.679 --> 00:40:50.119
<v Speaker 3>That's the goal, do you know.

765
00:40:50.239 --> 00:40:51.719
<v Speaker 1>I mean, there are a lot of grants that are

766
00:40:51.719 --> 00:40:55.280
<v Speaker 1>issued through the Comptroller's office. Do you are there any

767
00:40:55.280 --> 00:40:57.519
<v Speaker 1>that you feel like need to be cut? Is there

768
00:40:57.559 --> 00:40:59.360
<v Speaker 1>a process that you would want to go through to

769
00:40:59.400 --> 00:40:59.960
<v Speaker 1>review those?

770
00:41:01.199 --> 00:41:05.400
<v Speaker 2>Well, I'll be doing a process to review everything.

771
00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:06.400
<v Speaker 3>Everything.

772
00:41:06.519 --> 00:41:09.559
<v Speaker 2>There's nothing off limits, and I think that's my job

773
00:41:09.639 --> 00:41:15.199
<v Speaker 2>as chief financial officer. You know, if the state legislature

774
00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:17.559
<v Speaker 2>or the federal government says this is going to be

775
00:41:17.559 --> 00:41:19.760
<v Speaker 2>spent in this area, we're going to follow up on that.

776
00:41:19.800 --> 00:41:23.559
<v Speaker 2>But I've got to be sure that it's being spent correctly. Again,

777
00:41:23.800 --> 00:41:28.159
<v Speaker 2>that we're not just whimsically awarding contracts to these people.

778
00:41:28.159 --> 00:41:31.400
<v Speaker 2>They're not The bid process isn't being handled correctly. We've

779
00:41:31.400 --> 00:41:32.920
<v Speaker 2>got to make sure that it's done right.

780
00:41:33.800 --> 00:41:39.119
<v Speaker 1>Excellent, Okay, let's see here. I want to ask this.

781
00:41:39.119 --> 00:41:42.119
<v Speaker 1>This is from Renee in Austin, and I suspect maybe

782
00:41:42.159 --> 00:41:45.559
<v Speaker 1>Renee might be a Comptroller's Office employee because she asks

783
00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:48.719
<v Speaker 1>the comptroller employs a lot of folks. What sort of

784
00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:51.239
<v Speaker 1>boss will you be? How will you maintain the good

785
00:41:51.239 --> 00:41:54.360
<v Speaker 1>employee morale established under the Hagar administration?

786
00:41:56.639 --> 00:41:57.519
<v Speaker 3>Well, team members.

787
00:41:57.559 --> 00:42:03.840
<v Speaker 2>As a business person, having loyalty and a sense of

788
00:42:03.880 --> 00:42:07.159
<v Speaker 2>a purpose with our team members, having an open door

789
00:42:07.239 --> 00:42:09.559
<v Speaker 2>with the team members is huge.

790
00:42:09.719 --> 00:42:10.840
<v Speaker 3>I'll be there every day.

791
00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:13.360
<v Speaker 2>This is a six person I mean a six day job,

792
00:42:13.480 --> 00:42:16.960
<v Speaker 2>ten hours a day, and I want to visit with

793
00:42:17.039 --> 00:42:21.519
<v Speaker 2>the team members, talk to them and build up our morale.

794
00:42:21.760 --> 00:42:25.559
<v Speaker 3>Because they need to know their purpose. Why are they there?

795
00:42:25.719 --> 00:42:29.000
<v Speaker 2>I need to know that how are they accomplishing their mission?

796
00:42:29.719 --> 00:42:33.440
<v Speaker 2>And I think it's going to be a great relationship

797
00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:36.920
<v Speaker 2>with the team members in the Comptroller's Office because I

798
00:42:36.960 --> 00:42:38.800
<v Speaker 2>know we're all working for the same goal.

799
00:42:40.519 --> 00:42:43.760
<v Speaker 1>Cole from Round Rock asks in twenty twenty two, when

800
00:42:43.840 --> 00:42:47.079
<v Speaker 1>running for governor, you told the Texas Nationalist Movement that

801
00:42:47.119 --> 00:42:50.400
<v Speaker 1>you would support a referendum on Texas independence. Do you

802
00:42:50.920 --> 00:42:52.360
<v Speaker 1>support Texas independence?

803
00:42:54.280 --> 00:42:56.920
<v Speaker 3>I think people have a right to weigh in on this.

804
00:42:57.039 --> 00:43:00.199
<v Speaker 2>I don't know if it's you know how much much

805
00:43:00.280 --> 00:43:04.280
<v Speaker 2>popularity it has, but I don't see any reason that

806
00:43:04.920 --> 00:43:06.239
<v Speaker 2>people couldn't weigh in on it.

807
00:43:06.280 --> 00:43:09.159
<v Speaker 3>People could have vote, but it's not it's not.

808
00:43:09.280 --> 00:43:13.639
<v Speaker 2>Look, I'm not supporting necessarily succeeding from the nation. You know,

809
00:43:13.679 --> 00:43:16.480
<v Speaker 2>Sam Houston didn't want to do that. He didn't like

810
00:43:16.559 --> 00:43:19.800
<v Speaker 2>that idea and it didn't go good for Texas. So

811
00:43:20.199 --> 00:43:23.960
<v Speaker 2>I'm not trying to repeat that at all. But I

812
00:43:24.400 --> 00:43:27.400
<v Speaker 2>do like the fact that people have a voice and

813
00:43:28.159 --> 00:43:31.599
<v Speaker 2>whatever it is that they want to have Texas do so.

814
00:43:31.760 --> 00:43:35.840
<v Speaker 1>Thank you, John and Austin asks. Through rulemaking and policy,

815
00:43:35.880 --> 00:43:40.119
<v Speaker 1>the Comptroller's office has long head a reputation for stretching authority,

816
00:43:40.960 --> 00:43:44.880
<v Speaker 1>for stretching the authority the legislature intended or clearly authorized,

817
00:43:45.679 --> 00:43:49.039
<v Speaker 1>leading to many lawsuits. What are your thoughts on addressing this?

818
00:43:49.199 --> 00:43:51.119
<v Speaker 1>Do you agree with the premise of that question?

819
00:43:52.840 --> 00:43:54.719
<v Speaker 3>Not that I've seen. I really don't.

820
00:43:55.119 --> 00:43:57.639
<v Speaker 2>I haven't seen the contra I mean John Sharp, who

821
00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:02.760
<v Speaker 2>I visited with last week, he didn't. We didn't talk

822
00:44:02.800 --> 00:44:06.119
<v Speaker 2>about the litigation. Look, I'm sure there'll be litigation. I

823
00:44:06.159 --> 00:44:07.920
<v Speaker 2>don't doubt that. That's why we need a really good

824
00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:11.360
<v Speaker 2>ag But John told me that, you know, he saved

825
00:44:11.360 --> 00:44:15.800
<v Speaker 2>four billion dollars when when the legislature really needed the money.

826
00:44:16.239 --> 00:44:18.440
<v Speaker 2>And I think I can save a lot more than that.

827
00:44:18.440 --> 00:44:23.199
<v Speaker 2>That was twenty five years ago. So how you do that?

828
00:44:23.400 --> 00:44:27.119
<v Speaker 2>It might be overstepping some of the legislative authority, I

829
00:44:27.119 --> 00:44:28.599
<v Speaker 2>mean what the comptroller has.

830
00:44:28.639 --> 00:44:30.559
<v Speaker 3>Maybe not, but our goal is.

831
00:44:30.519 --> 00:44:32.440
<v Speaker 2>To be efficient and that's what I'm going to do

832
00:44:32.480 --> 00:44:33.760
<v Speaker 2>in save tax payer money.

833
00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:39.880
<v Speaker 1>Excellent in your opinion, does the Comptroller have unilateral authority

834
00:44:39.880 --> 00:44:43.119
<v Speaker 1>to eliminate initiatives, programs, or agencies that have been created

835
00:44:43.159 --> 00:44:44.559
<v Speaker 1>and funded by the legislature?

836
00:44:44.679 --> 00:44:46.519
<v Speaker 4>If so, under what circumstances.

837
00:44:47.400 --> 00:44:48.320
<v Speaker 3>No, I don't think so.

838
00:44:48.880 --> 00:44:51.599
<v Speaker 2>It would depend. I don't think so. I don't think

839
00:44:51.639 --> 00:44:52.559
<v Speaker 2>they liked it.

840
00:44:55.199 --> 00:44:55.599
<v Speaker 4>All right.

841
00:44:55.719 --> 00:44:58.639
<v Speaker 1>Sandy from McCallen asks, how do you plan to fund

842
00:44:58.639 --> 00:45:03.760
<v Speaker 1>more TIFA students? TIFA being the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, vouchers, essays,

843
00:45:04.639 --> 00:45:08.119
<v Speaker 1>or your incentives if you shift the agency's focus from

844
00:45:08.119 --> 00:45:11.519
<v Speaker 1>audit auditing businesses, which can lead to less tax collection,

845
00:45:11.679 --> 00:45:14.559
<v Speaker 1>to fund those new students or programs that come from

846
00:45:14.599 --> 00:45:15.800
<v Speaker 1>the gr fund.

847
00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:20.639
<v Speaker 2>Well, I don't think I tend to increase the revenue

848
00:45:20.639 --> 00:45:25.159
<v Speaker 2>for the State of Texas through spending and savings, right,

849
00:45:25.280 --> 00:45:28.559
<v Speaker 2>And so I don't think not auditing the businesses is

850
00:45:29.400 --> 00:45:33.199
<v Speaker 2>going to make it give us a decrease in our revenue.

851
00:45:33.239 --> 00:45:34.000
<v Speaker 3>I really don't.

852
00:45:35.079 --> 00:45:37.880
<v Speaker 2>Most businesses just want to pay the tax they owe

853
00:45:38.559 --> 00:45:40.679
<v Speaker 2>and they want certainty in the process.

854
00:45:41.119 --> 00:45:43.000
<v Speaker 3>They want clarity in the process.

855
00:45:43.639 --> 00:45:46.800
<v Speaker 2>And uh, and so that's what I'm going to give them,

856
00:45:47.079 --> 00:45:51.119
<v Speaker 2>clarity and certainty and then and we'll keep auditing businesses.

857
00:45:51.199 --> 00:45:52.880
<v Speaker 3>There's no doubt. If you owe it, you need to

858
00:45:52.880 --> 00:45:53.280
<v Speaker 3>pay it.

859
00:45:53.960 --> 00:45:56.320
<v Speaker 2>But I think I can save a lot of money

860
00:45:56.440 --> 00:46:00.159
<v Speaker 2>by auditing government, and that's going to increase.

861
00:45:59.760 --> 00:46:05.320
<v Speaker 1>Our Do you do you think that those employees are transferable, Like,

862
00:46:05.360 --> 00:46:08.880
<v Speaker 1>are those skills the same auditing you know, the businesses,

863
00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:10.039
<v Speaker 1>in the in the government.

864
00:46:10.679 --> 00:46:12.320
<v Speaker 3>You know, that's an interesting question.

865
00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:16.559
<v Speaker 2>And uh, let's hope so we can train them to

866
00:46:16.840 --> 00:46:20.440
<v Speaker 2>it is a different skill set, there's definitely it's a

867
00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:24.480
<v Speaker 2>different skill set. But optimistic that they we can train

868
00:46:24.559 --> 00:46:26.119
<v Speaker 2>those folks to do both.

869
00:46:26.840 --> 00:46:30.480
<v Speaker 4>Okay, very good. A good question here. What do you

870
00:46:30.519 --> 00:46:32.559
<v Speaker 4>make of Governor Abbott's performance?

871
00:46:33.199 --> 00:46:33.320
<v Speaker 2>Uh?

872
00:46:33.679 --> 00:46:38.760
<v Speaker 1>You know recently, and and and I was gonna say too,

873
00:46:38.800 --> 00:46:42.880
<v Speaker 1>I mean, do you think your run for governor in

874
00:46:42.920 --> 00:46:47.760
<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty two had an impact on you know, as

875
00:46:47.800 --> 00:46:50.280
<v Speaker 1>this question frames that pushing pushing him further to the.

876
00:46:50.320 --> 00:46:56.400
<v Speaker 2>Right, I think, Uh, the governor's doing a good job now.

877
00:46:56.679 --> 00:46:59.440
<v Speaker 2>I think he's doing a real good job on there.

878
00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:05.000
<v Speaker 2>My campaign definitely had an impact on him.

879
00:47:04.840 --> 00:47:06.639
<v Speaker 3>And also on the state.

880
00:47:07.480 --> 00:47:11.199
<v Speaker 2>And everything I've campaigned for in my political career has

881
00:47:11.199 --> 00:47:14.880
<v Speaker 2>an impact, you know, things I advocated for in the

882
00:47:14.920 --> 00:47:18.519
<v Speaker 2>state Senate to things I had advocated on the campaign trail,

883
00:47:19.440 --> 00:47:23.000
<v Speaker 2>it has an impact. And so but I think he's

884
00:47:23.039 --> 00:47:25.039
<v Speaker 2>doing a good job right now, and I'm happy to

885
00:47:25.079 --> 00:47:25.679
<v Speaker 2>work with him.

886
00:47:26.559 --> 00:47:28.719
<v Speaker 1>If you're elected to control or do you view that

887
00:47:28.760 --> 00:47:33.440
<v Speaker 1>as being your last stop and elected office?

888
00:47:34.760 --> 00:47:36.199
<v Speaker 3>Well, I like to point this out.

889
00:47:36.360 --> 00:47:38.960
<v Speaker 2>A lot of people run for controller and they won,

890
00:47:39.079 --> 00:47:41.480
<v Speaker 2>and they all thought they were going to be something else, right,

891
00:47:41.480 --> 00:47:44.840
<v Speaker 2>They all want to be governor, lieutenant governor. Not one

892
00:47:44.920 --> 00:47:47.400
<v Speaker 2>controller has ever been governor in the history of Texas.

893
00:47:47.960 --> 00:47:51.360
<v Speaker 2>Not only one's ever been lt and that was Bob Bullock.

894
00:47:52.119 --> 00:47:54.840
<v Speaker 2>So it hasn't been a great stepping stone. There's no

895
00:47:54.960 --> 00:47:59.360
<v Speaker 2>stone to step on. So we've only had twenty seven

896
00:47:59.440 --> 00:48:02.800
<v Speaker 2>control in the history of Texas, so we've had more

897
00:48:02.800 --> 00:48:04.079
<v Speaker 2>governors than we would control.

898
00:48:04.199 --> 00:48:07.800
<v Speaker 1>Indeed, indeed, okay, so you've pledged, if elected, to downsize

899
00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:11.000
<v Speaker 1>government and approve efficiency. Should see employees, particularly those in

900
00:48:11.039 --> 00:48:15.079
<v Speaker 1>the Comptroller's office be concerned about potential staff reductions? Are

901
00:48:15.079 --> 00:48:18.199
<v Speaker 1>you are you going to explore you know, when you

902
00:48:18.239 --> 00:48:20.559
<v Speaker 1>step in, you know, reducing the size of the staff

903
00:48:20.559 --> 00:48:21.280
<v Speaker 1>in that office.

904
00:48:21.800 --> 00:48:23.480
<v Speaker 3>Yes, that's what do dan is about?

905
00:48:23.719 --> 00:48:23.920
<v Speaker 4>Yeah?

906
00:48:24.519 --> 00:48:28.119
<v Speaker 2>Can we get our work done with less people? That's

907
00:48:28.159 --> 00:48:31.800
<v Speaker 2>what a good business person would always ask, right, you know,

908
00:48:32.039 --> 00:48:34.079
<v Speaker 2>is you know, can we get this done with less

909
00:48:34.079 --> 00:48:35.480
<v Speaker 2>people and spend less money?

910
00:48:36.000 --> 00:48:38.719
<v Speaker 3>Do you know a I is coming? You know that's

911
00:48:38.719 --> 00:48:39.840
<v Speaker 3>going to have a lot of impact.

912
00:48:40.079 --> 00:48:42.639
<v Speaker 1>Do you expect, you know, if if you are elected,

913
00:48:42.679 --> 00:48:44.519
<v Speaker 1>do you expect to come in with a plan for

914
00:48:44.559 --> 00:48:46.360
<v Speaker 1>how that should look or is it going to take

915
00:48:46.400 --> 00:48:49.639
<v Speaker 1>some time to sort of evaluate the you know, the

916
00:48:49.679 --> 00:48:50.360
<v Speaker 1>lay of the land.

917
00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:51.880
<v Speaker 3>Oh, definitely takes some time.

918
00:48:53.000 --> 00:48:53.840
<v Speaker 4>Okay, very good.

919
00:48:54.559 --> 00:48:59.320
<v Speaker 1>Let's see here the another audience question. Republicans have led

920
00:48:59.360 --> 00:49:03.000
<v Speaker 1>Texas for roughly thirty years. Is it fair to say

921
00:49:03.000 --> 00:49:06.440
<v Speaker 1>that any current waste and efficiencies in state government stem

922
00:49:06.679 --> 00:49:09.239
<v Speaker 1>from Republican led priorities.

923
00:49:10.360 --> 00:49:12.360
<v Speaker 3>Well, I like to use this metaphor.

924
00:49:13.119 --> 00:49:18.760
<v Speaker 2>You know, we we all have garages and they get

925
00:49:18.800 --> 00:49:21.119
<v Speaker 2>they just pile up. You know, everything gets put in

926
00:49:21.119 --> 00:49:23.159
<v Speaker 2>the garage and this is the last thing you want

927
00:49:23.199 --> 00:49:25.000
<v Speaker 2>to do. You don't want to take a weekend off

928
00:49:25.039 --> 00:49:27.559
<v Speaker 2>cleaning and out and things like that. But it's our

929
00:49:27.760 --> 00:49:30.559
<v Speaker 2>you know. But it still gets in there, and so

930
00:49:30.719 --> 00:49:32.960
<v Speaker 2>I look at it. It's that's what I'm gonna do,

931
00:49:33.519 --> 00:49:36.079
<v Speaker 2>clean out the garage. And everybody loves pulling in once

932
00:49:36.119 --> 00:49:38.960
<v Speaker 2>it's cleaned out. And that's what we're gonna do. We're

933
00:49:38.960 --> 00:49:41.559
<v Speaker 2>going to clean out the garage and get it done.

934
00:49:42.480 --> 00:49:45.400
<v Speaker 1>That's that resonates as a as a homeowner with me

935
00:49:45.719 --> 00:49:48.960
<v Speaker 1>in a very messy garage. So very good.

936
00:49:50.599 --> 00:49:54.840
<v Speaker 4>Tell me just a little bit about your.

937
00:49:56.679 --> 00:49:58.800
<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna go big picture now if you're going into

938
00:49:58.800 --> 00:50:02.960
<v Speaker 1>specifics your politicalhilosophy, like how did how did you come

939
00:50:03.000 --> 00:50:07.199
<v Speaker 1>to believe what you believe about government and policy?

940
00:50:08.800 --> 00:50:13.199
<v Speaker 2>Hmmm, well that's a that could be a ten minute

941
00:50:13.280 --> 00:50:14.679
<v Speaker 2>discussion on that deal.

942
00:50:14.840 --> 00:50:18.239
<v Speaker 3>But uh, let's just take it from this.

943
00:50:20.840 --> 00:50:24.519
<v Speaker 2>What what is the role of government, what's the proper role,

944
00:50:24.559 --> 00:50:27.039
<v Speaker 2>what's the end game. I always like to ask people,

945
00:50:27.079 --> 00:50:29.039
<v Speaker 2>what's the end game? What is it you want? Where

946
00:50:29.039 --> 00:50:31.880
<v Speaker 2>do you see government? What's the purpose of government? Why

947
00:50:31.920 --> 00:50:35.519
<v Speaker 2>were we did our founders create us? How did they

948
00:50:35.559 --> 00:50:38.960
<v Speaker 2>create what were they thinking? And the fundamental thing I'll

949
00:50:39.000 --> 00:50:42.039
<v Speaker 2>tell you is that our liberties come from God, not

950
00:50:42.199 --> 00:50:45.920
<v Speaker 2>the government. That's what makes us special, that's what makes

951
00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:49.559
<v Speaker 2>us unique. And I wish everything I could get that

952
00:50:49.679 --> 00:50:53.480
<v Speaker 2>lesson across to every elected office holder. The fundamental role

953
00:50:53.480 --> 00:50:57.519
<v Speaker 2>of government's always to defend our God given liberties. Government

954
00:50:57.599 --> 00:51:00.400
<v Speaker 2>never has enough of our money, and the more money

955
00:51:00.440 --> 00:51:03.000
<v Speaker 2>they have, basically, the less liberty we're going to have.

956
00:51:04.159 --> 00:51:09.159
<v Speaker 2>And Madison knew that, Jefferson knew that, and we don't

957
00:51:09.239 --> 00:51:10.239
<v Speaker 2>want to forget it.

958
00:51:10.960 --> 00:51:12.280
<v Speaker 3>I think it's critical that we.

959
00:51:12.280 --> 00:51:16.800
<v Speaker 2>Always remember that, because the last government we have, the

960
00:51:16.880 --> 00:51:19.079
<v Speaker 2>longer the government can survive.

961
00:51:21.000 --> 00:51:23.000
<v Speaker 4>How did your experience in the Senate?

962
00:51:23.719 --> 00:51:28.559
<v Speaker 1>How do you think that would shape you as someone

963
00:51:28.880 --> 00:51:30.320
<v Speaker 1>in a state wide elected office?

964
00:51:32.079 --> 00:51:35.079
<v Speaker 3>Well, as a business man. I went down there.

965
00:51:37.480 --> 00:51:43.440
<v Speaker 2>To solve problems, and I realized that that's not always

966
00:51:43.920 --> 00:51:48.760
<v Speaker 2>what members want to do, and often they create a problem,

967
00:51:48.960 --> 00:51:51.079
<v Speaker 2>or they'll try to solve the symptom of the problem

968
00:51:51.119 --> 00:51:54.360
<v Speaker 2>instead of the problem itself, and there's really no sense

969
00:51:54.400 --> 00:51:59.519
<v Speaker 2>of urgency. I have a huge sense of urgency to

970
00:51:59.559 --> 00:52:00.800
<v Speaker 2>get things done quickly.

971
00:52:01.039 --> 00:52:02.119
<v Speaker 3>As a business person.

972
00:52:02.239 --> 00:52:06.280
<v Speaker 2>We find a problem, we monetize the solutions, and we

973
00:52:06.400 --> 00:52:07.039
<v Speaker 2>keep moving.

974
00:52:07.599 --> 00:52:10.159
<v Speaker 3>I'm not a fan of committees.

975
00:52:10.199 --> 00:52:13.639
<v Speaker 2>There's a lot of people on different committees and volunteers

976
00:52:13.679 --> 00:52:16.039
<v Speaker 2>across the state that serve the state of Texas.

977
00:52:16.400 --> 00:52:18.239
<v Speaker 3>That's just not my leadership style.

978
00:52:19.000 --> 00:52:21.400
<v Speaker 2>I'm not I'm a guy that's the buck stops on

979
00:52:21.480 --> 00:52:26.440
<v Speaker 2>my desk and I'm gonna make the decision. I'm not perfect.

980
00:52:26.559 --> 00:52:29.719
<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna make mistakes, I'm sure of that, but I'm

981
00:52:29.760 --> 00:52:32.559
<v Speaker 2>gonna own them, and we're going to learn from them,

982
00:52:32.800 --> 00:52:35.880
<v Speaker 2>and we're going to move on. We're gonna move and

983
00:52:35.920 --> 00:52:40.760
<v Speaker 2>we're going to keep moving with speed and efficiency and

984
00:52:41.639 --> 00:52:42.800
<v Speaker 2>with a sense of purpose.

985
00:52:43.800 --> 00:52:48.199
<v Speaker 3>And that's not how government operates. It just doesn't. They're

986
00:52:48.239 --> 00:52:51.039
<v Speaker 3>not there to solve the problems. I was really surprised

987
00:52:51.079 --> 00:52:51.440
<v Speaker 3>by that.

988
00:52:53.159 --> 00:52:55.679
<v Speaker 1>Well, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with

989
00:52:55.719 --> 00:52:57.760
<v Speaker 1>This has been an interesting conversation. I want to say

990
00:52:57.760 --> 00:52:59.760
<v Speaker 1>thank you to all of our Tribute members who have

991
00:52:59.840 --> 00:53:04.119
<v Speaker 1>been here and help support this event. Best of luck

992
00:53:04.119 --> 00:53:05.519
<v Speaker 1>in the campaign and it's great talking with you.

993
00:53:05.840 --> 00:53:07.239
<v Speaker 3>Thank you, Matthew. I appreciate it.

994
00:53:09.000 --> 00:53:09.039
<v Speaker 1>H