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Comptroller's Report

Dear Readers:

10 Principles for Texas
in the 21st Century
  1. Develop a better-educated workforce
  2. Direct more of every education dollar into the classroom
  3. Raise the bar on student performance
  4. Cut taxes in Texas
  5. Introduce competition into Texas government
  6. Improve government performance and accountability
  7. Reduce the size of government
  8. Bring common sense to regulations
  9. Use technology to cut costs and increase quality
  10. Return control to communities and individuals

The future of health care in Texas faces serious challenges.

Compounding the health care problem is a shortage of nurses and other workers. By 2010, there could be as many as 58,000 vacant positions for registered nurses in Texas.

Texas’ growing health worker shortage affects every sector of health care—especially critical care! The lack of qualified health specialists in overcrowded emergency rooms literally means the difference in life or death.

I am concerned by continued rumblings that the state could shift the formula for funding some areas of higher education in a way that would penalize schools like Texas Woman’s University that have strong programs in nursing and other health professions. Whether this is a real threat or meddling bureaucratic noodling, I can’t say, but I will tell you this: This cannot be allowed to happen and it won’t while I have a voice to speak with and a platform to speak from.

The need for quality health professionals is, you would think, self-evident. But I learned a long time ago that nothing is self-evident to those who aren’t paying attention. Under one scenario of the proposed funding formula, Texas Woman’s University would lose about $6.2 million, Texas Southern University would lose $3.8 million and the University of Texas at Arlington would lose up to $3 million.

The recommended changes would cut back funding for nursing schools at the same time the state is going through a critical shortage of nurses. To penalize exemplary programs like the one at Texas Woman’s University at this moment in history would be shortsighted and wrong.

Sincerely,

Carole Keeton Strayhorn's Signature
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Texas Comptroller