Paul Burka
Paul Burka joined the staff of TEXAS MONTHLY one year after the magazine's founding. A lifelong Texan, he was born in Galveston, graduated from Rice University with a B.A. in history, and received a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.
Burka is a member of the State Bar of Texas and spent five years as an attorney with the Texas Legislature, where he served as counsel to the Senate Natural Resources Committee.
Burka won a National Magazine award for reporting excellence in 1985 and the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award. He is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and teaches at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a frequent guest discussing politics on national news programs on MSNBC, Fox, NBC, and CNN.
Features
Storming the Ivory Tower
For the past four years, a group of passionate reformers has been steadily trying to remake how higher education works in Texas—over the screams and howls of many professors and school presidents. Last year the battle came to UT. And the bombs are still flying.
Is There Life After Rick Perry?
When Rick Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas history loses his first campaign ever, what happens to him? More importantly, what happens to us?
Farmers Flight!
Texas A&M’s announcement that it was bolting the Big 12 for the SEC signaled the end of a passionate rivalry with the University of Texas that has defined the two schools for more than a century. But what does the end of Aggies versus Longhorns mean for the rest of us?
20 Sessions
A brief history of every Legislature we’ve ever covered.
The Best & Worst Legislators 2011
For the Eighty-second Legislature (our twentieth at the Capitol), everything old was new again: the state faced a budget deficit; the governor harbored presidential ambitions; the members of the Best list were hard to find; and the names on the Worst list picked themselves.
Power Company
As we head into the most critical legislative session in decades—maybe ever—the question is not just, Who are the people with the most clout at the Capitol? It’s also, What do they want?
The Eighteen Billion Dollar Man
Texas is facing an unprecedented deficit in the next legislative session, so to help our poor, overworked elected officials, I went ahead and balanced the budget for them. And good Lord! It wasn’t pretty.
Mr. Bridge
He’s the greatest player in the world—maybe the greatest player ever— of a card game that fewer and fewer people know how to play. But Bob Hamman doesn’t care. He’s too busy probing my mind.
The Bucket List
Driving the River Road, in far West Texas; having a drink at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, in Dallas; fishing for bass in Caddo Lake; eating a chicken-fried steak in Strawn; searching for a lightning whelk along the coast; and 58 other things that all Texans must do before they die.
Right Place, Right Time
A year ago Rick Perry’s political future seemed to be in peril. Now he’s looking past the 2010 elections—and all the way to the White House. Think I’m kidding? How about a cup of tea?
The Best and Worst Legislators 2009
It was a new era at the Capitol, with a new Speaker and a new mood of peace, love, and bipartisanship in the war-torn House. But the eighty-first legislative session turned out to be a lot like the eighty that came before it—some heroes, some villains, and enough hot air to last until 2011.
Putter Around
Regular Joe
How a nobody became the somebody nearly everybody wanted to replace Speaker Tom Craddick.
The Thrilla in Vanilla
The looming clash between Republican gubernatorial candidates Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison may not be as fearsome as the storied Ali-Frazier bout, but it’s the heavyweight showdown every Texas political junkie has been waiting for.
The Idiot’s Guide to the Speaker’s Race
How it works, what it means, and why Tom Craddick may not end up holding the gavel this time around.
The 40 Best Small-Town Cafes
Our exhaustive, exhausting, strictly scientific (and lamentably fattening) survey of the finest home cooking around, from Maxine’s on Main, in Bastrop, to El Paraiso, in Zapata.
My Frail Island
The damage done by Hurricane Ike to Galveston, my beloved hometown, is in many ways worse than you’ve read about. And I’m not only talking about the physical devastation.
State of Play
You may think you know how the Obama-McCain battle in Texas is going to turn out. You may even be right. But the more important outcome is down-ballot, where two dozen or so races—and the future of politics and policy here—will be affected by what happens at the top of the ticket.
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Every family has its myths. Some are intended to reveal, and some are intended to conceal, and sometimes the intentions can get confused. The problem with myth, however, is that it can overpower history. That’s what happened in the case of my father, who died when I was four. Only when I finally learned the truth about him could I come to appreciate him as a real person.
BBQ08
Eighteen hungry reviewers. 14,773 miles driven/flown. 341 joints visited. Countless bites of brisket, sausage, chicken, pork, white bread, potato salad, and slaw—and vats of sauce—ingested. There are only fifty slots on our quinquennial list of the best places to eat barbecue in Texas. Only five of those got high honors. And only one (you’ll never guess which one in a million years) is the best of the best.
Child’s Play
Summer vacation is right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you should panic. We’ve rounded up 68 of our favorite things to do with your toddlers, teens, and every kid in between. Dance the hokey pokey. Rope a horse. Eat way too many hot dogs. Zip down a waterslide. And yes, feed the animals.
El Gobernador
The first Hispanic to lead Texas will be a Basque jai alai phenom, Dallas attorney, and Democratic state representative whose election, in 2018, will relegate the GOP to semi- permanent minority status. Wanna bet?
Big Red
John Cornyn won a U.S. Senate seat in 2002 by pledging allegiance to George W. Bush and riding a Republican wave to victory. But neither the president nor the wave is as strong six years later, and Cornyn’s bid for reelection may not be either.
The Best and Worst Legislators 2007
The eightieth session began with a Speaker’s race, ended with a Speaker’s race, and was consumed in between by the usual mix of nuanced issues and nasty politics. Along the way, a handful of lawmakers put the common good ahead of all else. And a handful of lawmakers didn’t.
North Toward Dome
The best way to visit the Capitol, the state’s grandest public building, is to take the 45-minute guided tour. But there is much more to see if you know what to look for, and I’m going to tell you precisely that.
Agent of Change
In four years as president of Texas A&M University, former CIA director Robert M. Gates—who knows a thing or two about leading a strong, hidebound, misunderstood culture—has left few areas of campus life untouched. But putting sushi in the dining halls is nothing compared with overhauling the Aggie brand.
Thank God It’s Friday
And Saturday. And Sunday. The arrival of fall means weekends spent watching football, up close and on-screen, and yet another opportunity to love the greatest game on earth for all the usual reasons. Forty-nine of them, in fact.
Capture The Flag
As weird as the 2006 governor’s race undeniably is, the goals of all four major candidates are remarkably mundane: Rick Perry wants nothing less than to be the longest-serving chief executive in the state’s history; Carole Keeton Strayhorn means to move her “One Tough Grandma” act into the big house across from the Capitol; Chris Bell craves respect, for himself and his depleted party; and Kinky Friedman intends to lead his band of unlikely voters in a rousing chorus of “Adiós, mofo!”
Without DeLay
He blames the Democrats, the press, Ronnie Earle, the bloggers—the list goes on. But in the end, what did in the most powerful Texan in Washington was his own excess.
The Elephants in the Room
Remember what Ronald Reagan said about Republicans not speaking ill of other Republicans? How quaint.
I of the Storm
The Gulf carried mendacity in every molecule. Its beauty, its tranquillity, was all a lie. It had created Galveston, carved out its deepwater port, tempted us with the promise of greatness, and then betrayed us.
Ten Ways To Fix Texas
They’re obvious to everyone except, apparently, the people we elected to fix Texas. They include some easy solutions and at least one that will probably get me a lot of hate mail (but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong).
The Best and Worst Legislators of 2005
A few lawmakers in both parties distinguished themselves during one of the worst sessions anyone can remember. As for the rest? Well, in the words of Jon Stewart, that famous observer of Texas politics: not so much.
Carole Keeton Strayhorn Has Guts. Carole Keeton Strayhorn Is Nuts. Discuss.
An attempt, however futile, to figure out what the comptroller is up to.
Who Might Make It Next Time
Who’s Not On The List
3.—25.
Twenty-three other people with more clout than they know what to do with. (Well, they know exactly what to do with it.)
Power
What it is and isn’t. Who has it and who doesn’t. Our 2005 list.
An F for Effort
Or maybe the grade should be “incomplete.” The special legislative session on school finance proved that Rick Perry and Republican lawmakers care a lot more about reducing property taxes than about improving public schools. Anybody surprised?
Corps Values
What place does tradition have at Texas A&M these days? One by one, the old ways are disappearing from the venerable campus, and many Aggies are up in arms. But embracing change may be the only way to save the school they love.
The Man Who Isn't There
In word and deed, the George W. Bush now residing in the White House bears little resemblance to the Texas governor I gladly sent to Washington. That's why I'm so ambivalent about reelecting him.
And Then There Were None
Call it Perrymandering. Call it Tomfoolery. But whatever you call redistricting, call it successful (for now). And call the white Democrats dead.
Greatness Visible
The dream of a first-rate university rising out of the prairie north of the Colorado River is almost as old as Texas itself. Which prompts the question, When will UT finally live up to its potential?
Las Vegas, Nevada
Top Fifty
The Best of the Best
Pit Stops
Where are the best places to eat barbecue in Texas? Six years ago we published a highly subjective—and hotly debated— list of our fifty favorite joints, and now we’ve gone back for seconds. Ten intrepid souls drove more than 21,000 miles in search of 2003’s worthiest ‘cue. Here’s what they came back with: the top 5 and the next 45, plus honorable mentions, great chains, and meat by mail.
Who's Next?
San Antonio's Marshevet Hooker is not just any old high school sprinter; she's an Olympic gold medalist in the making. Meet her and nine other women we're betting will lead the new Texas—and the world.
Galveston to Quanah on Texas Highway 6
A secret garden, a drive-through feedstore, presidential papers, tasty pinto beans—and a Picasso.
Can Rick Perry Stand On His Own?
And just how long are his coattails? Texs politics is always interesting, but the 2002 election—with two formidable tickets, four big races, and a healthy debate over whether this is still a two-party state—promises to be one for the books.
The Best and the Worst Legislators
Rodney Ellis was excellent. Gary Elkins was—well, significantly less so. Bill Ratliff was a model of dignified leadership. Domingo Garcia was a one-man leper colony. Our biennial roundup of the Legislature's leading lights and dim bulbs.
The Education of Laura Bush
A first read on the Midland librarian in the White House: what she has learned so far and how her life has changed.
2002: A Race Odyssey
The next statewide elections are twenty months away, but a pack of would-be candidates—from a Laredo oilman to the mayor of Austin—are already running hard.
Politics • Karl Rove
Getting W. to D.C.
The Man Who Saved LBJ
Who deserves credit for Lyndon Johnson's newly burnished reputation? Harry Middleton, the director of the LBJ presidential library, who made hours and hours of White House audiotapes public—and in doing so, remade history.
How W. Can Win
The first test was whether primary voters thought he had what it takes to be president. It was touch and go for a while, but he passed. Now George W. Bush has to get the rest of the country on his side. An inside look at his plan for doing precisely that.
The Case Against John Cornyn
If it pleases the court, the question before you is whether the attorney general of Texas has served his constituents or, as his critics charge, only his own political interests. What is your verdict?
Great Escapes
From a boutique hotel in hip South Austin to a bed-and-breakfast across the Mexican border, from fly fishing on the Llano River to bathing in the Chinati Hot Springs, 33 getaways the guidebooks don’t tell you about, courtesy of our intrepid staff of weekend warriors.
The Aggie Bonfire Tragedy
What's so important about a stack of wood? Every Aggie knows that the answer is tradition—which is why, after a catastrophe that took the lives of twelve young men and women, the decision of whether to continue, change, or call a halt to the bonfire looms so large at Texas A&M.
The Race Is On
The changing of the calendars marks the start of the presidential campaign (this time we really mean it), and George W. Bush is still the favorite to win.
Water Under the Bridge
Henry Cisneros’ power derived from his ability to bring people together. It was supposed to get him elected governor, senator, president. He’s finally the president, all right —of a Spanish-language TV network. And all thoughts of a career in public life are in the past.
Politics • Karen Hughes
Communicator in chief.
Law • James Byrd, Jr.
Crime and punishment.
The Best and the Worst Legislators 1999
Naughty Nixon and wonderful Wolens, soapy Shapiro and revered Ratliff, and of course, a certain governor who’s ready for his close-up: Our say-so on the session’s standouts—good, bad, and in-between.
The W. Nobody Knows
He’s irreverent and unself-conscious, and that’s not all.
Savoring the Private Ryan
Out of uniform, in his own words, Texas icon Nolan Ryan on baseball, ranching, values, and his love for his native state.
Squares
A masterpiece of courthouse architecture in Waxahachie, a handsome jail of native stone in Marfa: Significant structures line the streets of five terrific town centers.
The Six-Billion-Dollar Men
How to spend a huge budget surplus will be the defining issue of the coming legislative session. It will also determine the political futures of George W. Bush, Rick Perry, and Pete Laney.
The Disloyal Opposition
How five right-wing members of the State Board of Education are making life miserable for their fellow Republicans—especially George W. Bush.
Two for Texas
Candidates Rick Perry and John Sharp donÕt agree on much, but they both say the race for lieutenant governor is the most important one on the ballot this fall. They’re right.
SPORTS • Dennis Rodman
As the Worm turns.
POLITICS • Paul Begala
The great defender.
President Bush?
He’s the front-runner even before he has officially entered the race, but sky-high expectations are the least of the obstacles George W. Bush faces in his quest for the White House.
The Hero Had Two Faces
For fifteen years Galveston knew Tim Kingsbury as a civic leader and do-gooder. Then the wife—and life—he deserted back in Ohio caught up with him in Texas.
We Are the World
Want to see Kuwait, Iowa, and Washington, D.C.? Go to El Paso, Austin, and Houston.
You Lose Again!
A billion-dollar drop in revenue? You bet. How politics ruined the Texas lottery.
What’s Black and White And Red-faced All Over?
The University of Texas at Austin, whose paralysis in response to the Hopwood decision ignited racial tensions. And that was before Lino Graglia said a word.
Las Vegas
No good food? Don’t bet on it.
The Revision Thing
The opening of the George Bush presidential library at Texas A&M is a good occasion to ask two questions on the mind of everyone but Bush himself: How good a president was he? And what sort of ex-president has he been?
The Real West Texas
High peaks, scant rain, and hardpan soil—but also high art, hip hotels, and a new telescope that’s a star in its own right: Snapshots from a remote region of our state unlike anyplace else on earth.
Public Service • Bill Hobby
Governed by generosity.
Politics • Bill Archer
Taxes are his target.
The Best Worst Legislators 1997
From Bush’s good try on property taxes to Bullock’s grand finale, from savvy Sadler to weaselly Wohlgemuth, from Duncan’s beginning to Howard’s end: Our sorting of the session’s standouts—best, worst, and in between.
Did You Hear the One About The New Aggies?
They overcame politics, poverty, isolation, and Old Aggies to make Texas A&M the state’s academic powerhouse.
The Honeymoon Is Over
In the last legislative session, George W. Bush’s moderate program won over Bob Bullock, Pete Laney, and other top Democrats. But this time, Bush’s agenda is more partisan, and Republicans are measuring his presidential potential—so Texas politics is going to get ugly.
Carl C. Waitz Elementary
At a school whose children come from some of the poorest communities on the border, the way to excellence begins with sheer will and a culture of success.
Home on the Range
Home on the Range All over Texas, small ranchers are giving up and moving to the city. But the Stoner family of Uvalde is as determined as ever to hold on to its land—and its way of life.
Law • Cheryl Hopwood
Sins of admission.
National Politics • Tom DeLay
Cracking the whip.
Perot and Con
From the war on drugs to education and his new Reform Party, Ross Perot has ideas about everything. Too bad they’re usually wrong.
Life After Oil
Midland’s energy companies are still laying people off a decade after the bottom of the bust. But—surprise—the city’s economy is booming again.
Major Barbara
Barbara Jordan saw herself not as a black politician but as a politician who happened to be black—and that was one of the things that made her great.
State of Mind
On February 19, 1846, the flag was lowered on the Republic of Texas for the last time. Here’s a look back at what was our national interest, and all that it might have been.
The Best and the Worst Legislators 1995
From the respected to the rascally, our regular roundup of the session’s most renowned pols.
Four for Four
George W. Bush got elected governor by promising to focus on welfare, education, tort reform, and juvenile crime. After his first one hundred days, he’s batting a thousand.
More Power to Him
The office of governor is constitutionally weak, but don’t tell that to George. W. Bush.
George W. Bush and the New Political Landscape
How the Republicans took over Texas—and what it means.
Seasons to Remember
The end of the Southwest Conference was predictable, but for eighty years it gave Texas fans a brand of football that was anything but.
The Best and Worst Legislators 1993
Our biennial boosting and bashing of the state’s most beguiling politicians.
Honesty is the Best Politics
When you hold public office, the differnece between truth and fiction is more than a matter of degrees. Ask Lena Guerrero.
“Read My Lips: No New Texas”
George H. W. Bush has given Texas the Republican convention—and little else.
Perot in ‘92?
It’s his race to win—or lose.
“This Is the Alamo!”
If Congressman Charlie Wilson has his way, the humble wood chip will be the focus of a trade war between East Texas and Japan.
The Best and the Worst Legislators 1991
We bring you the heroes and the villains of the Capitol circus. Guess which list had more contenders?
What a Dish!
We cleaned our plate at restaurants across Texas. Here are the results: 66 irresistible specialties of the house.
Into The Storm
In normal times, Fort Hood teems with troops training in tanks and helicopters. But in their absence, the huge base is left with a scattering of soldiers and a uneasy sense of peace.
The Best and the Worst Legislators
We just rate them. You voted for them.
Texas Primer: Football Hand Signals
From “Hook ‘em, Horns” to “Peck ‘em, Owls,” the Southwest Conference is football’s most hospitable habitat for hand jive.
A Stately House: A Photographic Portrait
Even on her one-hundredth birthday, the Texas Capitol looks good in places other building don’t even have places.
Power
From H. Ross Perot to the people who will run Texas in the nineties, from couples with clout to the Brownwood Mafia, we present the most complete guide to power in Texas ever compiled.
The Best and the Worst Legislators
We just rate them. You voted for them.
Beating the Good Ol’ Boys
The Soul of a Huge Machine
The National Car of Texas
It’s big, it’s fast, it’s powerful, it eats gas, it’s the Suburban.
The Ten Best and (Groan) The Ten Worst Legislators
We just rate them. You voted for them.
The Bloody Billion
Oh, how our legislators are moaning and groaning as they try to cut the state budget. But we’ve slashed, chopped, trimmed, pared, and whittles our way through it—and save $1 billion. It wasn’t that hard. Really.
The Man in the Black Hat, Part Two
With the help of a friendly banker and some friendlier politicians, Clinton Manges conquered might Mobil Oil and saved his empire. But not for long—it’s in jeopardy again.
The Man in the Black Hat
Clinton Manges built his empire on brushland and oil wells, political contributions and lawsuits. His influence extends to the state capitol and oil company boardrooms. To get where he is, he studied under three masters of South Texas.
Grande Dame of the Gulf
She may be past her prime, but Galveston still clings to her aristocratic heritage and her precarious place on the sand.
The Ten Best and The Ten Worst Legislators
We just rate them. You voted for them.
Texas Primer: The Farm-to-Market Road
The last best way to see the real Texas.
The King of the Forest
He’s Arthur Temple, Jr., ruler of a million acres of East Texas and the last of the timber barons.
The Ten Best and The Ten Worst Legislators
Nineteen people you voted for and one you didn't.
The Law West of the Trinity
Justices of the peace, maligned since the days of Roy Bean, don’t operate like other judges. But if lawyers want to get ride of them, they can’t be all bad.
The Truth about John Connally
There are two questions about John Connally: Is he good enough to be president? Is he too bad to be president?
The Ten Best and The Ten Worst Legislators
We just rate them. You voted for them.
The Ten Best and Ten Worst Legislators
We just rate them. You voted for them.
Power Politics
How Coastal State Gas pulled the plug on the Texas consumer.
Columns | Miscellany
On the Money
Isle of Fight
The battle over public housing in Galveston.
The Big Test
Before Robert Scott stepped down as the state’s education commissioner in July, he told anyone who would listen that high-stakes standardized exams were ruining the public schools. But is it too late to learn from his lesson?
Right to Strife
In Republican-dominated Texas, the May 29 primary might as well have been the general election. And what it revealed is a party perfectly capable of doing battle with itself, no Democrats required.
The Party Never Ends!
You might think they’re invincible, but Texas Republicans could soon find themselves in peril. At least that’s what Steve Munisteri says. And he should know.
Buyer Beware
Dear Jim Crane, new owner of the Houston Astros: Please don’t screw things up as badly as the last guy did.
General Admission
Will Fisher v. The University of Texas at Austin help the U.S. Supreme Court decide affirmative action once and for all? Not likely, which is why it's time to let public universities make their own decision about which students to accept.
Class Warfare
Since 1984, the State of Texas has battled one school finance lawsuit after another. In nearly every case, the system has been ruled unequal, unfair, and unconstitutional—yet it remains largely unchanged. Will this time be any different?
Dear Yankee
You didn’t ask, but here’s some free advice for you and the rest of the national press corps as you prepare to write about Rick Perry.
Capitol Affair
How architecture changed the balance of power at the Legislature and other observations from my three decades covering Texas politics.
Out of Beach?
Whose coastline is it anyway? How the state Supreme Court may be undermining decades of unlimited public access to the sand and surf.
Less Than Hero
The worst deficit facing Texas right now is not the one in our budget: it’s the leadership deficit.
Old College Try
Rick Perry's quiet war on higher ed.
Who’s the Boss?
The Speaker’s race in the Texas House wasn’t just about Joe Straus. It was about two competing visions of democracy.
Let There Be Right
The Republicans whipped the Democrats in November. Now what are they going to do?
Bush v. Perry
Comparing Rick Perry's 2010 campaign to George W. Bush's 1998 reelection campaign.
Dem Bums
Bill White’s toughest foe this fall isn’t Rick Perry. It’s the national Democrats. But he could still win. Maybe.
The Little 10
I’ll give the new conference a fifty-fifty chance of lasting four years.
Oil and Water
The spill in the Gulf is just the latest in a string of catastrophic regulatory failures that prove how incompetent government is. And how important it is.
The Story of Us
Had the Texas myth become a straitjacket?
Court Attack
How the Citizens United decision could spell doom for democracy in Texas.
Center of Gravity
Who can challenge Republicans on the State Board of Education? A different kind of Republican.
The Rice Stuff
Why the proposed merger between Baylor College of Medicine and my alma mater could turn out to be a bad prescription.
The Terminator
Rick Perry’s record nine years in the Governor’s Mansion have made the office more powerful than ever before. That’s why we need term limits.
Cap and Tirade
Especially in Texas, the fight over carbon restrictions might make health care reform look like, well, a tea party.
Seeing Red
One year after President Obama’s election, what does the world look like in the county that voted against him more overwhelmingly than any other?
No Man’s Island
A year has passed since Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston, but my hometown is still reeling from a storm without end.
Lowe and Behold
An open letter to the lucky new chair of the most dysfunctional agency in Texas, the State Board of Education.
Hullabaloo
Rick Perry is the first Aggie governor in history. But as the current crisis shows, he’s been nothing but trouble for Texas A&M.
The Secret of My Secession
Rick Perry, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and the two visions of Texas.
Elephant Dung
Political grandstanding, no leadership—is this a dismal legislative session or what?
Manic Suppression
Why voter ID is bad for democracy.
Two-Party Animal
Why November 4 was a good day for everyone.
Inflexible Fliers
Both parties have wrapped themselves in the mantle of change this year. Only one appears capable of making it happen.
Leave It To Weaver
Who better to diagnose John McCain’s woes than the man who used to be his Karl Rove?
The Final Bell
An East Austin high school shuts its doors.
Almost Blue
What the massive Democratic turnout says about the political landscape in Texas.
Fed Up
An FBI investigation is only the latest of El Paso’s problems.
The Democraddick Primary
It’s the only election that matters.
The Capitol Press Corpse
Is it really time to pronounce the body?
No Niño Left Behind
What part of “demography is destiny” does Texas not get?
43 Skiddoo
Exit George W. Bush. Enter . . . change.
Speaker for Life!
Don’t bet against Tom Craddick.
School for Scandal
Texas Southern University’s missed opportunity.
Everything Is Illuminated
The Best and Worst list explained.
Road Warrior
How Ric Williamson became public enemy number one.
A Bronx Tale
Ruth. Gehrig. Mantle. Jeter. Ohlendorf? All of Austin, and Texas, is waiting to see if one of the newest New York Yankees earns his ’stripes.
More Power To Him?
Our weak governor asserts his strength.
The Secret History
The real reason to worry about the Bush library.
Animal House
The wild and woolly Speaker’s race.
Minority Report
What the Hispanic vote tells us.
His Way or the Highway
Rick Perry’s Trans-Texas corridor conundrum.
His Thoughts Exactly
Rick Perry’s inner monologue.
Grand Old Parry
My solicited two cents about the Republicans’ agenda.
He Walks The Line
Silvestre Reyes has a plan for the border.
Trees v. Forest
The trouble with law school— and how to fix it.
Blown Away
Rita, the forgotten hurricane.
The Tax Man. Yeah, the Tax Man.
Can John Sharp save the Republicans?
Maybe Not
My ambivalence about George W. Bush continues. And grows more pronounced.
Duty Calls
How Rick and Melissa Noriega served their country—and their constituents.
First, Dew No Harm
A challenge for the lieutenant governor.
The M Word
The conservative case for gay marriage.
Hammer Time
Tom DeLay versus Ronnie Earle.
Is Wright Wrong?
The case for flying anywhere I want.
Three Blind Elephants
The GOP leadership blows it. Again.
Adiós, Mofos
Rick Perry wins a few rounds.
Uncivil Union
Dewhurst versus Craddick: This time, it’s personal.
Kay Sera, Sera
The future is hers to see.
Disaster!
The House botches school finance.
That Blog Won’t Hunt
Why old media hacks like me matter.
The Games Begin
What 2005 has to do with 2006.
Why Bush Won
Or, if you prefer, why he didn’t lose.
Rescuing Rick
Advice for the governor’s chief of staff.
Incomplete
The politics of the high-school dropout rate.
Up and Away
My favorite not-so-small town.
War Stories
The Vietnam non-issue.
Gas Pains
We need an energy policy. Now.
To My Ears
Texas music matters—even to me.
Troubled Waters
Water, water, everywhere.
A Giant Void
Master of the Senate.
Ruthless People
Yes, I don't get it.
Judging Priscilla
Priscilla Owen judged.
Sizzle and Stakes
Dallas mayor Laura Miller is hungry to take on the big problems facing the city.
Rice and Shine
Rice guys finish first.
Altered State
Why Texas politics will never be the same.
Can't Hardly Wait
The Legislative Follies 2003.
So Far, So Bad
Capitol hell.
Hoodwinked
My solution for the school-finance mess.
Mr. Speaker
Speaking of the Speaker.
My Texas Women
I was raised by one, I married one, and I raised one myself—and I wouldn't be who I am without them.
By George
Can the Republicans govern?
Swept Away
Election nostalgia already!
Left Out
Billie Carr, R.I.P. Liberals too.
Our Number Is Up
The year of demographic inevitability.
Keep the Change
Houston, we don't have a problem.
Sinking Flagship
Free advice for the UT System's new chancellor.
It's Crazy
It's the insanity defense that's insane.
Hughes and Loose
Communicating with Karen Hughes.
Gig 'em, Ray
Farewell to an Aggie prez.
Life of the Party
Night of the living Democrat.
Spare The Message
The real Enron scandal.
Onward, Christian
George Christian, one of a kind.
War and Peace
Over there, and over here.
A Report Card
Why principals matter.
9/11/01
The need for leadership.
Senator A. R. “Babe” Schwartz
Ben Barnes
The former golden boy of Texas politics is still running hard.
POTUS Operandi
Governor George W. Bush, M.I.A.
No! No! No!
Vetoing the Perry vetoes.
Twin Piques
Fake IDs and real issues.
You've Got Mail
Free advice for Tony Sanchez.
Apply and Demand
Playing God at UT.
Techs and the City
A tale of two Houstons.
Spare the A-Rod
Is A-Rod good for baseball?
Now What?
And the campaign goes on—into the legislative session.
Clearing the Air
Clearing the air about pollution politics.
Empathy Note
George W.'s endgame.
Little Big Man
Ross Perot's lost legacy.
Storm Without End
How Galveston weathered a once-in-a-century storm.
11/26/99
Texas A&M, November 26, 1999.
Having a Ball
It’s no easy task to run the two-time champs of the Ro-Tex-Erie Fantasy Baseball League. But I’m managing.
Obstacle Course
Drugs. Cussing. Funeral home regulation. George W. Bush is on the ropes—or is he?
The Dominator
Remembering the real Bob Bullock.
Jewel of the Forest
Jasper in black and white.
Filling the Shoes
Where are Texas politics headed? To 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Food for Thought
Once, before fast-food franchises and ecotourists took over Alpine, the Gallego family’s Mexican restaurant survived and thrived. Today, the kitchen is closed.
For an Income Tax
Why Texas needs an income tax.
Not Guilty
Two former high-level administrators at Texas A&M may have acted unethically—but that doesn’t make them criminals.
The Tort Tax
No high diving boards at public pools. No cameras in operating rooms. All this and more, thanks to lawyers.
Right, but Wrong
In his memoirs, archconservative state GOP chair Tom Pauken refights the cultural wars of the sixties—and loses.
Battle Lines
The weird shape of a new Houston congressional district guarantees a power struggle between Hispanic and Anglo politicians.
Getting My Kicks
How I learned that the toughest job in sports is umpiring girls’ kickball.
Behind the Lines
Something special.
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Baseball, an old and idiosyncratic game, loses and old and idiosyncratic field.
Behind the Lines
Ballpark Figures
Poll Taxed
Family Values
City Limits
Tom Foolery
Beef Choice
Fight Bakke
Will UT get affirmative action on affirmative action? Plus: A runoff rundown.
Right On
Primary color: Dole on a roll, a report card for the Religious Right, and other fallout from Election Day.
Current Affair
Why electricity is a supercharged political issue. Plus: Who cares about the Democrats running for U.S. Senate?
Poll Positions
The right’s phony gay-bashing campaign. Plus: Poor Phil Gramm.
Water Grab
Why farmers and big-city folk are at war over water. Plus: Jane Nelson for comptroller?
Merry-go-round
Hurricane Warning
Hurricane Andrew’s winds had a message for the Texas coast.
Copper Plea
Party Poopers
Republicans stew over Democrats at the GOP convention.
Aggie Land
Can the Aggies turn land in Guam into a record donation?
Westward H2O
Split Personalities
Floating Crap Game
Male Delivery
Uncandid Camera
Dirty Deal
Reporter
Joe Wayland
Oilfield worker.
Loyalty Oaf
Going, going, Gonzales.
The Natural
Why all the fuss about Craig Biggio?
Left Behind
The Texas Education Agency flunks out.
State of Flux
What 2008 means for Texas.
The Great Undoing
Impressions of the session.
Squeaker of the House
The Democrats and the Speaker.
Wait Till Next Year
One, two, three strikes they’re out.
Mapmakers, Mapmakers
Re-re-re-redistricting.
Operation Rescue
Can this presidency be saved?
None of the Above
Vince, Reggie, or none of the above?
Map Quest
The battle lines over redistricting.
Y2Kay
Is Kay Bailey Hutchison plotting a run for Governor? And other questions about Texas politics in the new millennium.
Divide and Conquer
Shore Thing
A Census of Power
Not So Rosy
Grading George W.
Is George W. Bush’s nascent presidential campaign making the grade?
No New Tax Cuts
Surprised Parties
More Precious Than Oil
The Bucks Stop Here
Who gave—and to whom—in this year’s big statewide races.
Primary Cullers
Learning His Lesson
Primary Color
Handicapping the Republican primary: Will far-right might carry the day?
President and Accounted For
Brown in Front
Taking a Chance
The (Non)candidate
Air Fair?
The plane truth about airline surcharges.
Power Surge
Lights! Camera! No Action!
Power Outage
Out of Control
In Play
A pregame analysis of the sports-stadium showdown.
Fratricidal Black Politics
Burning Bush
Non-Issues
Greece, lightning, and other non-issues in last month’s election.
California Scheming
The New Fat Cats
Meet the newest Texas fat cats - the well-heeled contributors financing political campaigns in and out of our state.
America’s Marketer
No Contest
If Bill Clinton wants to get elected president, he’ll have to do it without Texas—just like in 1992.
Race Value
Rating our primary concerns.
Cutthroat Island
Once upon a time, Galveston was an isolated island with few big-city problems. Recent flaps over civic corruption, press bias, and race suggest those days are over.
Bad Medicine
By vetoing the Patient Protection Act, Gearge W. Bush put cost before care.
The Sheets of Laredo
Life after the oil bust is fair-to-Midland; bad News, hard Times in Laredo; I hear a timpani; a coach who believes winning is everything.
Web Exclusives
Strike Two
With two chances to win the World Series with a single strike, the championship slipped away from the Rangers for the second year in a row.
The Briscoe Mystery
The late governor’s time in office is more memorable for what didn’t happen than for what did.
Congressman Charlie Wilson
Charlie served his district and his state well, and he never tried to hide his shortcomings, and he was a good friend. A lot of people would settle for that as an epitaph.
Don Yarborough’s Texas
It was an era when segregation and civil rights were still issues and liberals had a base from which to run. That Texas is gone.
Can Anyone Save the Aggies? (Hint: It won’t be Rick Perry.)
Politics, leadership struggles, and the recent resignation of President Elsa Murano have some Aggies in crisis mode.
Straus of Representatives
The likely Speaker of the House promises no retaliation, an end to the acrimony, and tells his fellow Republicans to “wake up!”
Remembering Jim Mattox
The Joy of Spring
Horns Aplenty
Senior executive editor Paul Burka talks about this month's cover story, "Greatness Visible."
Metro Editor
Senior executive editor Paul Burka talks about this month's special issue on Dallas.
Perry's Place
Senior executive editor Paul Burka tells the story behind this month's cover story, "Can Rick Perry Stand on His Own?"
Special Session
How our story on the best and the worst legislators got started and how to make it on the list.
Who's That Lady?
Executive editor Paul Burka tells the story behind this month's cover story.
Bum Deal
Executive editor Paul Burka and senior editor Anne Dingus tell the story behind January's cover story, "The 2001 Bum Steer Awards".
Galveston to Quanah on Texas Highway 6
A secret garden, presidential papers, tasty pinto beans—and a Picasso.
Multimedia
Requiem for a Heavyweight: Podcast
Listen to Paul Burka read his column.
My Capitol
Texas Monthly Biz
Has Governor Bush Monkeyed Around With Business?
He’d certainly say no. But there are industries that have suffered on his watch, and at least a few CEOs who would describe his record as mixed.
Inside Aggie Inc.
Which sports lose money, the economics of luxury suites, and other secrets of Texas A&M University’s athletic program.
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