“Comptroller Combs has made it her personal mission to increase transparency in the finances of the Texas government,” said Jeff Morris, YCT State Chairman. “She is truly a hero to taxpayers who wish to see their money spent wisely and efficiently.”
Oh, I see. Like giving Formula 1 $25 million a year in tax dollars for ten years. Very wise. Very efficient. And the project has gone so smoothly, t0o.
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Red says:
Oh good, future generations of Texas leaders also are clueless as to how government works and the definition of “spending the public’s treasury” is uncertain. Great.
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Robert Morrow Reply:
March 29th, 2012 at 8:02 am
What a complete effing fraud. It is probably because Combs hired a former YCT as one of her top aides.
I know it is a fantasy to get rid of crony capitalism, but God I hate it and it should not be rewarded or honored.
Formula One Fraud Combs. … and YCT.
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Whoa Nellie! says:
In Goldie Hawn’s immortal phrase from the movie “Butterflies Are Free,” “There is no such thing as a ‘young’ conservative.”
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Friend of Billy Sol says:
Burka:
Now you may finally understand why Combs hired David White.
We are watching the show “Extreme Makeover” but instead of a house, it’s a statewide elected official seeking higher office who is in need of right-flank cover. The David White guy brings all of this to the Combs camp.
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paulburka Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 11:04 am
I have always understood why Combs hired David White. There never was any mystery about it. My son’s dog knew why Combs hired David White. It is one thing to bring right-flank cover to the Combs camp and quite another to bring skills that are useful in a statewide race. White is no Reggie Bashur.
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Double standard Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 11:11 am
It’s sad that Reggie isn’t here to disagree with your statement. Especially considering how, as Combs’ consultant, he without a doubt had a hand in Mr. White’s hiring.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Burka, if Combs wins the Lieutenant Governor’s office in 2014, she can say “I beat y’all skeptical experts.”
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Pri-ista says:
Here’s what happened former Wayne Christian staffer-turned-Combs senior adviser threw a kegger for YCT and BOOM!
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Kool-Aid Man Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 11:03 am
OH YEAH!!!!
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I still don't get it... says:
1) She hasn’t given Formula 1 a dime.
2) The LEGISLATURE writes the rules. Take it up with them, Burka.
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paulburka Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 11:55 am
Let’s cut to the chase. Combs drove the whole F1 project from the start. So what if she hasn’t given one dime to F1. “I still don’t get it” knows that she will give them millions in the end. That’s the deal. The state gives away hundreds of millions in tax dollars and gets get little or nothing back in return. Some cities will get hotel-motel tax revenue, and the state will see a one-to-three day spike in sales tax and alcoholic beverage tax receipts. That’s a great deal for state. NOT. And I am taking it up with the Legislature. That’s why I write this blog.
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I still don't get it... Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
She’ll give them millions in the end assuming F1 meets all the requirements set out in the statutes.
The Major Events Trust Fund is just one of several controversial economic development programs. Even Jerry Patterson has said he supports these programs. I understand that the “buck stops here” effect is in play here when it comes to the media’s storyline for F1 – she’s the administrator so she’s going to be in the crossfire – but Burka you take your criticism of these programs to an entirely new level. When it comes to Susan Combs, you grasp for straws. Any opportunity to trash Combs and you lunge. The straw this time was YCT giving Combs an award for her transparency work. It’s getting old watching you type in circles trying to defend yourself.
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WUSRPH Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
The Buck Stops Here has never applied to Combs and the many,many screwups at the Comptrollers since she “took over” (sic)….The way she has operated there has to be a sign on her desk that says: “The buck stops way, way, way over there!”
Cow Droppings says:
You get something stuck in your craw and you lose the bigger picture.
Combs put the state’s checkbook online one of her first days in office. She has saved millions through bulk purchasing, and allowing local governments to participate in the purchasing pool. She has cut expenses at her own agency in a real way.
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Not a Fan Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 11:17 am
So, Cow Droppings, you seem to know quite a bit about Combs. Do you know if Dave Carney is working for her or do we have to wait for the next campaign expenditure reports?
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Ned Stark Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
I, for one, would be extremely surprised to see Mr. Carney be anywhere near associated with that operation. Staples will crush her into a KBH-shaped heap of moderate compost.
If Staples passes on the opportunity, Patterson could do the same with a decent team behind him.
David White is still the chief fundraiser for YCT. But stretch your imagination with me for a minute, and pretend that YCT hasn’t been marginalized by its past activities…this should do the trick.
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WUSRPH Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
You could not possibly mean that it hurt them to put Tom Craddick on their “watch list” of legislators in danger of becoming RINOS could you?
Anonymous says:
“I still don’t get it”… never will if he doesn’t look at all of the facts:
Fact #1 Susan Combs held numerous press conferences, issued press releases, and even penned op/eds all in favor of the track promoters moving to Austin and building the F1 project in Central Texas.
Fact #2 Susan Combs travled across the world to take a first hand look at other F1 venues in Europe and then came back to Texas even more high on the project.
Fact #3 She signed an official letter saying that state funds would be released to promotors under a timetable she approved. Her letter was used to secure financing, previously unavailable to race promotors.
Fact #4 There has not been one elected leader who has become as big a cheerleader for the F1 project–certainly not Kirk Watson, not even Lee Leffingwell, and certainly not Rick Perry, who under normal circumstances would be all over this. Even he sees the risk.
No matter what kind of spin Davd White and the gang at the Comptroller engage in, this project has always had Susan Combs acting as its biggest and loudest cheerleader.
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Bill51 Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Fact #5 The F1 project is corporate welfare of the first order.
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Anonymous says:
She lost my vote when she endorsed Simpson.
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I still don't get it... says:
Anonymous = random consultant who thinks BurkaBlog matters…to anyone…
I see your list of irrelevant facts and raise you the only fact that matters.
Susan Combs has never given one dime to F1. Period.
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Distinguished Gentleman Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 1:01 am
If BurkaBlog does not matter, then why are you even taking the time to look at it and to leave comments on it??
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Bill51 Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Should she? It’s crony capitalism, like Solyndra.
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Bill51 Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Should she? It’s crony capitalism, like Solyndra, for a billionaire. McCombs=Kaiser
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I. P. Shiner says:
The burkablog does matter… because it’s one of the last places online where political comments aren’t just part of an echo chamber… there are views from the right and left here and I appreciate that!
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Robert Morrow Reply:
March 29th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
I really wish folks would get away from the false left-right paradigm. Politics is a lot more interesting than that.
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Jurassic Park says:
Oh Paul you old toot… It’s such a badge of honor when you trash those kids. Not ironically they’re the only group of young people who do anything in this state from the right, and the only group you take time to trash. I remeber when you trashed White when he took the job, now trashing him for doing his job, apparently exceedingly well… Seems an honor to have a washed up dino like you blog about somone. Shouldn’t it be you wrting the “Eat My Words Blog”?
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paulburka Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
I didn’t trash Mr. White when he got the job. I trashed Combs for putting out a press release about her new hires, all of whom came from politics, when her agency was beset with all sorts of managerial issues. You don’t fix managerial issues with political operatives.
I follow what YCT does. I thought they were 100% right for jumping on Burnt Orange Report for saying that the attack on Wendy Davis’s office was caused by the climate of hate (I don’t recall the exact words) in politics. But if they are going to play with the big boys, and give an award to a comptroller who has a history of having mismanaged her agency, then someone is likely to say something about them, and it’s likely to be me.
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Former YCTer says:
As someone who was there when the award was given, it was in recognition of her efforts to increase transparency in government. That’s what her speech was about and that was what was discussed when the award was given. I have no idea who I’m voting for in the next Lt. Gov’s race and no idea who YCT will endorse, but the Comptroller deserves credit for her efforts in transparency. David played a role in getting Susan to the event I’m sure, but I believe it was the group’s decision to give her an award. Transparency is one of their top issues.
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donuthin Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
I guess you could say she has increased transparency. She made available all our personal data.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
YCTer, on the 2014 TX Lieutenant Governor’s race, I’m undecided between Staples or Combs.
Remember, Perry was Agriculture Commissioner before he took off.
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paulburka says:
Everyone is for transparency, including me. This argument isn’t about transparency. It is about whether Formula 1 is a wise and efficient use of state tax dollars.
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Fiftycal Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Gee, was the Super Bowl a good idea? How about the basketball game in Houston? You do know the METF is from taxes generated by the events, right? And the $300 million track is going to generate MORE taxes from the other events held there. Unlike, say, Royal/Memorial stadium, the track is going to be used year round and likely many days during the week.
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Former YCTer says:
And that has what to do with the award?
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paulburka Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
The award was for using tax dollars wisely and efficiently. I don’t think F1
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Anonymous says:
Not to mention the security breach of state employee’s private info.
Does anyone care about that? Do state employees and their families get any respect in this state?
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JP says:
As to the comment defending Combs that stated “the legislature wrote the rules”, the commenter is absolutely correct. However, according to the statute written by that legislature, 3 things must happen before a commitment of METF funds can occur. None of those had occurred when Combs wrote Bernie Ecclestone (F1 owner) saying “I hereby certify that I will…” commit $25 million/year for 10 years, and further specified the first payment would be NLT 31July2001. She later told KXAN that letter was merely a “letter showing Texas’ interest”, and that those words weren’t “legal terms”. When the AG was asked to opine as to whether she had the authority to make that written commitment, she wrote Abbott asking him not to respond to the opinion request, and stated that she had fully complied with the law. If thats so, why would she ask the AG not to issue an opinion. Answer: she knows she committed a quarter of a billion without any authority to do so. Combs has increaed transparency, but she’s now slow playing ETF/METF Open Records request. She told another TV reporter that the City of Austin had applied for the F1 METF funds. The fact is the City of Austin didn’t even know about the application and had to create an application after the fact.
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JP says:
correction: 1st payment was to occur 31July2011, not 2001. That didn’t happen and when Ecclestone awarded an F1 race to New Jersey, WITHOUT any money from the New Jersey taxpayers, she pulled the plug saying, “I wish them well”. She also stated she will still consider a METF tax subsidy to F1 after the event happens. If the purpose of the METF is to attract events that would otherwise not occur in Texas, how can she spend tax dollars for F1 that has now selected Austin, TX, and done so without any subsidy?
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Robert says:
YCT truly tarnished its reputation with this one.
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paulburka Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
Give them a break. They didn’t tarnish their reputation. They just didn’t know, or didn’t care, about the shortcomings of their awardee.
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JackBurden says:
I’ve worked around the Capitol for nearly 20 years and still the thing that makes the least sense to me is why anyone cares what the YCT says.
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FakeDavidWhite says:
She lost my vote when she hired David White.
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FakeFakeDavidWhite Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 3:26 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV8aiI-NIIA
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LL42's SuperPac says:
Because they’re TLR’s Empower Texan’s, Agenda Wise’s echo chamber. YCT’s echo chamber would be that fat frat guy who gets drunk on Keystone Light, talks about his dad wiping his ass with money he’s so rich and never has a date.
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Hilarious Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 11:56 pm
Wow, TLR’s echo chamber. Never heard that one before. Do you remember Shark Watch, and YCT’s response?
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C'mon man?! Reply:
March 31st, 2012 at 9:08 am
We drink much better beer than keystone light.
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LL42's SuperPac says:
Oh, and let’s not forget the Raging Elephants, my family’s finest gift to the black community. We’re embracing the Young, the Black and The Restless.
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DumbthingsBurkahassaid says:
I thought statewide elected officials didn’t endorse house members, Paul?
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Texas-Agriculture-Commissioner-Staples-to-Honor-Dan-Flynn.html?soid=1109200548033&aid=THfpnqh8O08
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Hilarious Reply:
March 27th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Dan Flynn – another YCT endorsee, as it happens.
The David White Machine is either wider than anyone here believes, or is not the devil Paul makes it out to be.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
must be hard for dems to wake up and discover that even the youth aren’t buying what they are selling….
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BurkaBlog Peanut Gallery says:
Paul, YCT would have to have had a reputation in order to lose one. They have always been known for endorsing wacky, extremist and sometimes downright unstable candidates. In 2010 they endorsed as many losers as they did winners and when you factor out incumbents, they endorsed far more losers.
Saying nice things about Combs will do her reputation no good, especially when you look at some of the things YCT has done and positions they have taken.
But then given how wacky YCT is and how screwball Combs has been lately, that would seem to make them “A Perfect Match.”
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C'mon man?! Reply:
March 31st, 2012 at 9:22 am
Excluding incumbents but including challengers (including ones we knew wouldn’t win) we went 12-10 in 2010. But our endorsement isn’t about picking winners and losers, it’s about picking the best conservative candidate in each race. We are about the only group out there that puts in the kind of research we do to make an evaluation from a pure ideological/philosophical perspective. Everybody else has some special interest angle.
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John Johnson says:
Being an outsider and an Indie to boot, all I know is that there have been two major screw ups in the Comptroller’s office under Combs…and she handled them both very poorly. Furthermore state dollars should not be used for any private enterprise project….be it F1 racing, Jerry Jones’ stadium, or a Super Bowl game. Give me a straight shooter like Patterson in every office; not a lightweight player like Combs.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Johnson, Patterson will be 68 years old by 2014, and this is likely his last political campaign.
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Susan's Comb says:
A fart cut by a bear in an empty forest has more political influence than YCT.
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Tarry House says:
News flash:
David White good guy, talented and ethical political hand policy adviser. Needs a little more seasoning.
Suan Combs is just silly, suffers from acute adult ADD. Going nowhere further in elected politics. R Sullivan won’t help.
YCT is and always has been a joke. It has zero influence.
John Carona will be next Lt Gov, in the next session and he will win a full four year term from voters.
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