Updated: More Than 60 Candidates Have Signed the Defending the American Dream Pledge!

Now more than ever, it is critical for Texans to demand fiscal accountability from those seeking elected office. Taxpayers simply cannot sustain the current explosive growth of government which is expanding well beyond population growth plus inflation. According to Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt local governments increased their property tax levies in excess of 71.5% between 1996 and 2003. During that period, the state’s population and inflation grew only 16%. Property tax revenues are growing four times faster than population and inflation.

To get a copy of the candidate pledge, click here:

Ronald Reagan introduced the concept of tax and expenditure limitations and putting taxpayers in control of the level of government they wanted and were willing to pay for. Now, across the nation, advocates of responsible government have embraced meaningfl Tax and Expenditure Limits (TEL's) as the most promising method of ensuring fiscal discipline and direct accountability to taxpayers. A meaningful Tax and Expenditure Limitation is a taxpayer protection and is based on two fundamental principles:

  • First, the state government's budget should not grow faster than the family budget.
  • Second, decisions about new taxes and spending projects should be made by taxpayers. By signing AFP's Defending the American Dream pledge, candidates will demonstrate to Texas citizens that they support responsible government, fiscal discipline, and share the belief that the most important decisions about our state's future should be decided by the citizens themselves.

2008 Texas Primary Election

The following candidates for U.S. Senate races have signed the Defending the American Dream Pledge:

 

Yvonne Schick

 

 

The following candidates for Texas House and Texas Senate races have signed the Defending the American Dream Pledge:

 

HD 3 - Kirby Hollingsworth

HD 5 – Rep. Bryan Hughes

HD 6 – Rep. Leo Berman

HD 8 – Bobby Vickery

HD 9 – Rep. Wayne Christian

HD 10 – Phil Smart

HD 11 – Brian Walker

HD 14 – Rep. Fred Brown

HD 16 – Rep. Brandon Creighton

HD 19 – Rep. Mike "Tuffy" Hamilton

HD 20 – Craig C. Weems

HD 26 – Rep. Charlie Howard

HD 27 – Steve Nost

HD 29 – Craig Kelsay

HD 33 – Raul Torres

HD 45 – Tom Gleinser

HD 50 – Jerry J. Mikus, Jr.

HD 52 – Bryan Daniel

HD 55 – Ralph Sheffield

HD 61 – Rep. Phil King

HD 63 – Rep. Tan Parker

HD 67 – Rep. Jerry Madden

HD 81 – Tryon Lewis

HD 82 – Sherry Phillips

HD 87 – Rep. David Swinford

HD 96 – Rep. Bill Zedler

HD 97 – James Dean Schull

HD 105 – Rep. Linda Harper-Brown

HD 106 – Karen Wiegman

HD 107 – Bill Keffer

HD 112 – Randy Dunning

HD 115 – Rep. Jim Jackson

HD 122 – Tony Kosub

HD 126 – Rep. Patricia Harless

HD 127 – Rep. Joe Crabb

HD 130 – Allen Fletcher

HD 133 – Rep. Jim Murphy

HD 136 – Gerald W. "Jerry" LaFleur

HD 141 – Michael Bunch

HD 144 – John Hughey, Ken Legler

 

HD 149 – Greg Meyers

SD 3 – Sen. Robert Nichols

SD 4 – Michael Galloway

SD 7 – Sen. Dan Patrick

 

The following candidates for local office races have signed the Defending the American Dream Pledge:

 

Cameron County Tax Assessor/Collector - Robert E. Bolkcom

Collin County Commissioner – Matt Shaheen

Collin County Tax Assessor/Collector - Karl Voigtsberger

 

Galveston County Tax Assessor/Collector - Cheryl Johnson (incumbent)

 

Hays County Tax Assessor/Collector - Steve Ravet

Katy ISD School Board Trustee – Thomas Law

Jefferson County Commissioner, Pct. 3 - Kevin R. McCarthy

Mayor, City of Parker - Councilman Joseph Cordina

Plano City Council, Place 7 – Danny Morris

Travis County Republican Party Chairman – Dr. Rosemary Edwards

Travis County Commissioner, Pct. 3 - Wes Benedict

Travis County Tax Assessor/Collector - Mike Burris

Upshur County Tax Assessor/Collector – Vance Lowry