Posted on 07/25/2006 5:06:50 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Gubernatorial candidate Bell pays visit to Hub City BY BETH AARON AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Texas schools focus too much on standardized testing, and teacher salaries should be increased, gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell said.
Speaking before members of the Texas Sheriff's Association on Monday, Bell, D-Houston, said the state needs to focus on reforming public education and health care and discussed why he supports stem cell research.
"We do live in a big state with big dreams, but right now we face big challenges, he said from a podium in the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Theater. "It's about a new way versus an old way."
Bell connected education to law enforcement, saying as school dropout rates increase, so could the number of state prison inmates - forming what he calls the "school-to-prison pipeline."
He called for increasing school retention rates by improving success rates by using less standardized testing, better curriculums and more qualified educators.
"We have to be able to teach them things that are a little more useful," he said.
Schools that only prepare students for tests such as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills are doing Texas children a disservice, Bell said.
"It has gutted the curriculum of public schools in Texas," he said.
Texas teacher salaries should be raised by $6,000 across the board, he also said.
Turning to health care, Bell said he would like to see low-income Texans receive better medical coverage at a reasonable price. He also said he would like Texas to be at the forefront of stem cell research to help combat illnesses like breast cancer and Parkinson's disease.
"There can be a brighter day for all Texans," he said.
Bell is a former congressman from Houston. He began his career in public service after being elected to the Houston City Council in 1997, according to Bell's Web site.
After five years on the Houston City Council, Chris Bell was elected to Congress in November 2002. Bell lives in Houston with his wife, Alison Ayres Bell, and their two children, 10-year-old Atlee and 8-year-old Connally.
Kinky Friedman, an independent gubernatorial candidate, was also on hand to address the sheriff's association. He was the second of three candidates expected to speak at the conference.
Comptroller and independent candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn is scheduled to speak at 10:30 a.m. today at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center theater.
To comment on this story:
beth.aaron@lubbockonline.com t 766-8713
brian.williams@lubbockonline.com t 766-8717
Bell will be the first Democrat in the history of Texas to come in FOURTH place for Governor. Gotta love it.
The bad news, too bad Perry the RINO will come in first.
Bell doesn't have a prayer for beating Perry unapposed let alone with Grandma and Kinky fracturing the tiny liberal voting pool.
Go Rick!
Bell is the last place finisher in a race with 2 other single digit losers.
Why do you call Lubbock "Hub City?" Are there a lot of old hub caps there?
Both Kinky and one nutty Grandma will get into the double-digits. Most likely Perry will also be reelected with the lowest plurality received by a winning Gubernatorial candidate in the past century, if not the history of Texas (I'm estimating perhaps as low as 35%, though he might get to 40% -- Kinky might get as high as 25-30%, ditto Ma Strayhorn, etc., but Bell might only get to 15%).
It's called "Hub City" because it is the economic hub of the region it's located in. But then, isn't ANY city that, too ?
Just like his predecessor
Bell's campaign commercials are downright creepy == the ones where he's bigger than Big Tex. He desperately needs a new ad agency.
Not that it would help his chances.
Doesn't Bell have a built-in base of 35 percent, and could he win with that much?
I just copied the headline, as we are required to do, even when headlines are misleading, Ken.
Under normal circumstances, Bell might be able to reach that figure in a 2-man race. Problem is that a lot of Democrats are backing RINO Ma Strayhorn. I would be very surprised if Bell gets over 20% in the general.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.