Golden Nuggetts: various interviews with our candidate

CANDIDATE CHAT Kinky Friedman
Fourth in a series of editorial board interviews with Texas gubernatorial hopefuls

August 12, 2006

Excerpts from the independent candidate’s DallasNews.com chat yesterday with readers and editorial board member Rodger Jones

Jones: Many voters consider you a novelty candidate, a chance for a protest vote. Please respond to one reader, Kathleen, who asks: “How do you plan to combat the perception that yours is not a serious candidacy?”

Friedman: Are you kidding? Just because the other three candidates have had humor bypasses does not mean I have to be a self-important pompous ass. The circus needs clowns as much as donkeys and elephants. Besides, some things are too important to be taken seriously.

Jones: “Trust me – I’ll hire good people” is one of your campaign messages. You have talked about Willie Nelson as public safety commissioner and also a renewable-energy official. Can you be specific about who would form a Friedman administration?

Friedman: No, what I think you need to know is that Willie would head the new Texas Energy Commission. And when I appoint someone, it will be someone outside of politics. That’s why I admire Lance Armstrong. He’s managed to irritate the French for seven years in a row. But he’ll never have his hand in Texas’ pocketbook. Neither will Willie Nelson, nor will

Jones: Other candidates have policies on illegal immigration that include use of the National Guard. Are you sticking by your idea of paying Mexican generals to keep would-be illegals on their side of the border?

Friedman: No. The Mexican government must step up to the plate. Mexico is a rich country, and they should pay their fair share. My immigration policy is “Remember the Alamo.”

Jones: Reader Joe writes: “What do you have planned for the senior citizens? A lot of us don’t live on big fat retirement packages.”

Friedman: I’d do everything I can for old folks like myself. After all, I’m 61, which is too young for Medicare and too old for women to care. One of the ideas is the Texas Peace Corps, which brings back retired folks to the public schools to teach music, shop, art, vocation and life experiences. The retired people are getting screwed in this state, and I aim to change that.

Jones: Many reports have raised concern about the state’s use of capital punishment. Give us your assessment. Do you favor capital punishment?

Friedman: I’m not against the death penalty; I’m against the wrong guy being executed. And I ask the question, “When was the last time a rich man was executed in Texas?” Since the answer is never, I don’t see how we’ve improved the system in the 2,000 years since Jesus Christ was executed.

Jones: You advocate casino gambling to raise funds for education. Elaine writes: “What would you say to those who are opposed to using money from gambling for education?”

Friedman: I would say the Georgia Lottery has made it possible for every high school kid with a B average or better to go to college for free. The Texas Lottery has gone right into the politicians’ and lobbyists’ pockets, and everybody knows it. The money from legalized casino gambling will be constitutionally dedicated for education, and the people overseeing this will not be politicians. The last poll showed 76 percent of Texans favored legalized gambling. It’s just common sense.

Jones: Gov. Perry is a low-tax governor. What’s your position? If casino gambling didn’t raise enough money, would you look to higher taxes? What about a state income tax?

Friedman: How can you say Perry is a low-tax governor when he’s just passed a new tax on small business? He has taxed the people who have been successful and who are playing by the rules. Would Ronnie Reagan have passed a small-business tax when the state is sitting on an $8 billion surplus? Casino gambling is just one solution.

My Trust for Texas Heroes would tax an additional 1 percent of oil and gas production at the wellhead, and that money would go to raises for cops, firefighters and teachers. Taking sports funding out of our education budgets and letting the private and retail sectors bid on sponsoring our sports activities would also free up 10 to 15 percent of school budgets. And on the state income tax question, I’m opposed to it.