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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

On October 14, I sent my foster care reform package to the Legislature and respectfully requested Gov. Rick Perry to declare it emergency legislation to be considered in the first 30 days of the 79th Legislature. Doing so would enable lawmakers to suspend rules and immediately begin passing the reforms that address the crisis at the Department of Family and Protective Services.

I also urged Gov. Perry to immediately create a Family and Protective Services Crisis Management Team by executive order.

When I delivered Forgotten Children, my heartbreaking report on the condition of our state’s foster care system, I vowed to report back to the people of Texas as often as it takes to fix the broken system. In July, I released a progress report that made it clear that the Department of Family and Protective Services had ignored the majority of my recommendations.

This crisis must be taken seriously and immediate action taken. We can no longer wait to turn around the critically wounded Department of Family and Protective Services. The sweeping reform legislation that I turned over to the Legislature is needed for long-term accountability. A crisis management team composed of experts from other agencies would stabilize the agency during the change of management and provide technical assistance on contracting, licensing, technology and investigations.

The crisis grows minute-by-minute, child-by-child. By drawing on assistance and expertise from staff in other agencies immediate action can be taken to protect thousands and thousands of our forgotten children. Fundamental change must begin now. It is time to put our most vulnerable Texans – our children – first.

Sincerely,

Carole Keeton Strayhorn's Signature
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Texas Comptroller

SPECIAL NEWS!
In February, 2005, Statement will get a new name, a new look and a new mission. The Comptroller is combining the publication with City and County Financial Management, a publication of the Local Government Division, to create Window on Texas Local Government. The new publication will provide readers with livelier, more comprehensive coverage of the issues that face local government. The change will also save taxpayer money by cutting printing and mailing costs.