America’s Boomerocracy and Round Four in Austin

This again? Yeah, this again.  ͏  ͏  ͏ [expressnews.com]( [View in Browser]( [Tomlinson's Take]( November 9, 2023 Reader, after Nov. 16, this newsletter will be exclusively for paid subscribers. Don't lose access to Chris Tomlinson's award-winning commentary on politics, money and life in Texas! [Get unlimited digital access: 6 months for only 99¢.](   --------------------------------------------------------------- [Never burn out, never retire]( Houstonians voted for a new mayor this week, and the two front-runners heading for a runoff are veteran politicians who want to make City Hall their retirement home. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, 73, and state Sen. John Whitmire, 74, said they wanted to wrap up their careers as their hometown’s chief executive. A nice sentiment, but their campaigns failed to energize voters. Turnout was low, even for an odd-year election, and [many nonvoters said they didn’t cast a ballot because they couldn’t stand Whitmire or Jackson Lee](. [Presidential polling shows similar impatience for baby boomers nationwide](, with registered voters dismissing both Joe Biden, 80, and Donald Trump, 77. A recent [New York Times poll found Trump leading in six swing states](, but with a big caveat. [Trump was not gaining popularity](; instead, Biden was losing support because of worries about his age. [Younger Americans are fed up with more than 30 years of Boomerocracy](. In Texas, more than 60% voted against raising the retirement age for state judges to 80 from 75, the only constitutional amendment to fail this year. But they have themselves to blame in the marquee contests. In Houston’s mayoral race, 18 candidates took to the nonpartisan field. Voters had options, but the public assumed the race would come down to the biggest campaign chests. Houstonians stuck with the brand names. Nationally, Biden is the incumbent; therefore, the race is his to abandon or lose. Most Democrats feel obligated to follow their leader. Republicans have choices. Good young people are running in the GOP primary, but again, core voters are sticking with the old guy they know. The irony is that baby boomers used to say never trust anyone over 30, and yet, well into their 70s, [boomers cannot seem to retire](. When I speak with party stalwarts, they often tell me the next generation is not up to the job. But that’s [the dictator’s excuse: no one can fill their shoes](. And frankly, most of these boomers have [failed to develop or actively blocked the next generation of leaders](. Texas and the nation need more young people voting and running. The Boomerocracy is engendering public disillusionment with an out-of-touch political class that puts ego ahead of public service. Our democracy will wither without fresh faces with fresh ideas. TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL! I’ll interview[Dr. Peter Hotez in Austin on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m.]( about his new book, [“The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science.”]( We’ll be in [C-SPAN](’s BookTV tent if you want to join us in person, or you can watch live on C-SPAN2. WHAT’S NEXT FOR HOUSTON? The Houston Chronicle is hosting the [Houston 2036 Task Force]( for a presentation from the Kinder Institute on critical issues facing the city. I will moderate reactions from a distinguished panel of community leaders. Sign up to [join us in person Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.]( or [watch online](.   [Photo of Chris Tomlinson] Chris Tomlinson, Business Columnist   --------------------------------------------------------------- What Else I'm Writing [FILE - Guests tour the five turbines of America's first offshore wind farm, owned by the Danish company, Orsted, off the coast of Block Island, R.I., as part of a wind power conference, Oct. 17, 2022. The Biden administration wants to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 using traditional technology that secures wind turbines to the ocean floor to generate enough electricity to power more than 10 million homes. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)]( [Clean energy is down, but it’s not out]( Right wing Republicans and left wing Democrats oppose clean energy technology, but the real problem is interest rates and inflation.   [Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, walks the floor with pages of legislative material as the Texas House of Representatives takes up the budget bill on March 27, 2019.]( [Oilmen who push GOP right employ extremists]( Three Texas billionaires finance a web of political action committees and candidates with antisemitic connections.   --------------------------------------------------------------- What I'm Reading Must Read: [Paxton donor Nate Paul charged with four new wire fraud counts]( (Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News) Should Read: [Top Texas energy regulator pans proposed science textbooks as 'woke environmental agenda']( Wayne Christian is at it again. (Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News) Interesting Read: [The 2024 presidential primary tracker]( Key data points to gauge candidates’ performance on the campaign trail. (Brookings) Technical Read: [Washington's gender quota for corporate boards: an event study analysis]( Women on corporate boards improved performance. (University of Texas at Austin - School of Law; European Corporate Governance Institute) Fun Read: [Pancho Claus is coming to town]( (Texas Highways)   --------------------------------------------------------------- Question of the Week Prop 13 asked voters to extend mandatory retirement from 75 to 80 for Texas judges. How did you vote and why? Reply directly to this email and tell me your thoughts.   --------------------------------------------------------------- Mailbag Last Week’s Question: Should Texas law allow companies to require union membership if it's part of a labor contract? “I am a retired military officer and paid-up lifetime member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). I have friends who are also retired officers, but they have not joined MOAA, i.e., paid the cost to join MOAA or any other such organization … If it were not for these organizations, many current, well-deserved military benefits would have never have come to pass.” – Greg Meyer, San Antonio “Union membership should not be required by law. Workers have a choice. However, workers who don’t pay union dues should not get the negotiated benefits. Striking in solidarity is not enough. Unions do more than strike. They make sure companies follow through on the contract, protect workers rights and ensure a safe workplace.” – Anita Simpson, Pearland “A company should be able to negotiate with a labor union if the workers want it, but if the company does not wish to negotiate a labor contract, then they can say no and give the workers the choice to remain with the company or work elsewhere.” – Clark Walker, Victoria “The Texas government should keep their nose out of how companies handle unionization. Obviously, Republican lawmakers don't like the fact that a portion of union dues ends up in the coffers of Democrat political candidates, but this is no justification for fighting unionization at the government level. Private businesses can figure out what works best for them all by themselves." – Greg Groh, Houston   --------------------------------------------------------------- The Takeaway Gov. Greg Abbott just can’t take democracy as an answer. Abbott desperately wants to pass a school voucher bill to appease the right wing of the Republican Party of Texas. [Expanding parochial schools is a priority for oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks](. [They backed Abbott’s opponent, Don Huffines, in the 2022 GOP primary](, and the governor wants to get on their good side before 2026. School vouchers, though, are [unpopular with most Texans]( and [opposed by reasonable Republican lawmakers](. They’ve routinely joined with Democrats to scuttle voucher plans multiple times over the last 55 years, but Abbott will not take no for an answer. [Abbott called a fourth special legislative session]( on Tuesday. He promises to hold teacher raises and additional school funding hostage until rural Republicans change their votes. The governor will likely add enough sweeteners and exemptions to change some votes to get a watered-down bill passed. But anyone who thinks cracking the door open to a limited defunding of public schools now will not lead to major cuts in future legislative sessions is helplessly naive.   --------------------------------------------------------------- Share With Your Friends Do you know someone who would like Tomlinson's Take? For the Houston edition, [send them here to sign up](; for the San Antonio edition, [send them here](.   --------------------------------------------------------------- More Newsletters SA Inc. Get Texas business news updates from behind the scenes. [Sign Up](   [Facebook](  [Twitter](  [LinkedIn]( [TikTok]( [Unsubscribe](list_name=SAEN_TomlinsonsTake&list_display_name=Tomlinson%27s%20Take&b=sa_saen) | [Manage Preferences]( | [Privacy Notice]( [San Antonio Express-News - Footer Logo] San Antonio Express-News PO Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297 © 2023 Hearst Communications