Eddie Sáenz:
Thank you for being here.
Today, I am officially announcing that I am your candidate for the Texas House of Representatives for District 40.
Our campaign is going to offer hope for all communities, united for a positive change.
Our vision is simple: it is a new day and a new direction.
It's time to have a representative in Austin who wants to be part of the solution.
I am your community leader who brings diversity and who will make decisions based on the district's needs and concerns.
As chairman of South Texas Health System, I know what it takes to provide health care. A lack of insurance hurts working families, not only in the pocketbook, but in maintaining your health. That's why I provide health care benefits for my employees, and I want to do the same for small businesses.
As past chairman of AVANCE, I know what it takes to sign up children to the CHIP program.
We need to continue to fight to make this program more accessible to all families.
We need to loosen the restrictions and raise the income level requirements.
Let's make sure our children don't stay at home ill.
Let's keep them healthy, to attend school to learn, and become more production members of this community.
As past chairman of the Edinburg Chairman of Commerce, I know that economic development is the engine that drives our economy.
We need to continue to bring new jobs to all areas of this district.
For this county to remain strong and vital, we need to work together to strengthen all communities.
As a former member of the site-based decision management committee for the Edinburg school system, I am aware of the challenges of our educators, and what they are dealing with the educate our kids.
We need to make our schools safer for our kids so they can learn.
This is Red Ribbon Week, and a solution needs to be found to keep our schools clean from drugs.
We need to secure our schools from weapons, and keep our kids and parents at ease, that they are safe, as well as our educators.
We also need to try to get our teachers another pay raise.
With utilities high and gas prices up, and health premiums even higher, the $500 increase that they received barely got them to where they were coming out even.
We need to give them more, and work that into the budget.
As an engineer, I know what it takes to build communities.
Communities need master-planning and infrastructure.
They need this to maintain services and prepare for future growth.
Infrastructure attracts businesses, which create a bigger tax base and increased revenues for government services.
Finally, as a small businessman, I know what it takes to meet a payroll in the real world, to meet budgets and deadlines, to be competitive in today's market, to understand what families at all income levels are having to face day-in and day-out.
Our campaign is about preparing the trust that has been broken, so that our communities can get stronger, and our families can get healthier.
It is about bringing back respect to you, and this district.
It is about being accessible and staying aware of the needs of this district.
But make no mistake.
Our campaign will also chart the distance between what the incumbent has promised, and what he delivered.
He said he was going to Austin to change it, but Austin changed him.
As a freshman legislator, he broke quorum, along with the Democratic colleagues, and fled to Oklahoma to protest redistricting.
This time, he fled from the House floor during the voter ID bill, instead of defending our rights to vote.
Austin has changed him.
As a freshman, he was considered an environmental supporter, with 100 percent rating.
This time, he received the lowest rating of any Democratic legislator, with a 33 percent grade.
Austin has changed him.
As a freshman, he called himself a hard-core Democrat.
This time, he has separated himself again, and seconded the nomination for a Republican to be the Speaker of the House.
Austin has changed him.
This past session, my opponent co-authored a bill to bring $3 billion in cancer research over the next 10 years.
When it came time to vote for his own bill, he voted against it, and was the only Democrat to vote against it.
Austin has changed him.
On that note, I do urge each and everyone of you to vote for this issue. It is Proposition 15.
We have all been touched by cancer, and we have to find a cure.
My mother has survived it, my father-in-law succumbed to it, and my father currently has it.
It is something that touches each and everyone of us. Please go out and vote for it.
My opponent was quoted in the Monitor as saying this past session, "My work is done."
I don't think any legislator's work is ever done – When health care premiums are up 53 percent, when 1.4 million children have no health insurance, when we are still fighting to keep our principles as Democrats.
That's why I am asking our voters and taxpayers of District 40 to unite behind me, your community leader, for a positive change.
Our great state senators and South Texas representatives need a partner working with them in Austin.
We need to elect a Speaker who is for everyone.
That is why I am committing to stand with the Democratic Caucus, and support a Democrat for Speaker that we can all stand behind.
No more squeezing middle-class families who work hard and play by the rules.
No more punishing eligible children by stripping them of their health coverage.
No more running as a Democrat, but voting as a Republican.
Let's bring back this district to its constituents, let's bring this district back to you.
It's a new day, in a new direction.
Let's go there together.
You have honored me and my family with your presence here today.
We are indebted to you for your support.
I want to thank my wife, Sandra, and my daughter, Cassie, for being my rock. They have always been there, and they are my driving force.
My parents, who has always been there for me, my sister, who is here from out-of-town, and my brother, who is here to, as well as my in-laws, and my aunt from Mission as well, thank you for being here.
I want to thank the many volunteers who have made this kick-off a success, and who will have a hand in making this campaign a success.
