AUSTIN – In a one-on-one interview with KVUE News, Former Houston Mayor Bill White won't rule out tax increases to help pay the state's bills, if he's elected governor.
Democrat White is running against Republican incumbent Governor Rick Perry.
"We need somebody with a strong grounding in the private sector who can squeeze the most out of every dollar,” he said.
When asked if a tax increase would be off the table in his administration, White said, “I don't see it as a problem with revenues. I'll deal with members of the legislative leadership, the lieutenant governor, and we'll come up with some plan together."
White also didn't rule out dipping into the state's savings account.
“I think we need to have cash reserves, but there also needs to be a reason to have cash reserves -- and one of those reasons is if there is a global economic recession, so I wouldn't put that off the table,” he said.
When legislators are back under the dome in January, they'll face a host of challenging issues. White says he's well aware. He also says he plans to build consensus anyway.
White found some consensus with his opponent -- taking easy aim at Washington.
“I mean, the federal government has failed us, has failed the public, on not just border issues but on the fundamental issues of having immigration policies which are predictable to the employee and the employer,” he said. “I think Arizona's approach, if applied in Texas, would make us less safe because if you take any law enforcement, police officer or deputy sheriff out of responding to a call for service, a 911 call, or investigating a crime, then we're going to be less safe.”
White approached the question about Arizona’s law from the police perspective. He didn't address whether the law is moral, or allows for racial profiling.
White believes enforcing immigration law should be a secondary concern for local law enforcement.
KVUE News has extended an invitation to Perry’s re-election campaign to engage in a one-on-one interview as well. Aides tell us they're still working on a date for the governor to sit down with KVUE News.
