Austin American Statesman
by Reverend Fred Krebs, Local Contributor
Before each election, newspaper columnists write about low voter turnout and general lack of participation in the democratic process. Writers decry our political culture for being divisive, overly partisan and controlled by big-money interests.
This was why it was gratifying to see Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, a Republican, and Democrats state Rep. Mark Strama of Austin and Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe all commend the leaders of Austin Interfaith and the Texas Industrial Areas Foundation Network for their work in helping to create and pass legislation creating the $25 million Jobs and Education for Texans fund.
In her "Texas Works" report to the Legislature in December, Combs cited Austin Interfaith and its work force development strategy, Capital IDEA, as a successful model for training low-income adults for high-demand careers.
In addition to Capital IDEA in Austin, Texas IAF organizations have started similarly successful job training initiatives in San Antonio, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. Capital IDEA, for example, takes adults earning on average $11,000 before training to nearly $38,000 after completion of the program. The programs graduated more than 9,000 participants. Capital IDEA and these other projects receive county and city dollars, but we saw the need for the state to invest in these types of long-term job training projects.
Combs recommended that the Legislature create the $25 million JET fund, which includes a $10 million grant program providing state matching fund for long-term job training initiatives. We commend Combs and legislators of both parties for creating this legislation.
The JET fund was passed in two bills: HB 1935 cosponsored by Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, and Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock. It was also included in HB 3, the public school accountability bill sponsored by Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, and Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands.
Over the last year and a half, Austin Interfaith, and its sister organizations in the Texas IAF Network began asking candidates across the state in nonpartisan accountability sessions if they would support the creation of a $10 million state grant program for proven, long-term job training projects.
Our accountability sessions are consistently the largest events of local elections seasons. At an accountability session last spring when we first proposed this idea, more than 850 Austin Interfaith leaders attended.
The creation and passage of this legislation was due in large part to hours of work by Austin Interfaith and Texas IAF lay leaders, pastors and ordinary citizens at the Capitol nearly every day of the session, often past midnight, making sure this legislation did not die.
Ordinary citizens, through their congregations and Austin Interfaith, invested their time, energy and resources in these efforts. In our experience, asking candidates and elected officials from both parties to make commitments on issues affecting families has led to real success like this legislation.
At first glance, this type of politics might not seem as sexy as covering partisan bickering. Judging by the success of this legislation in a session without many successes, we would question that. Ordinary citizens, engaging pragmatic elected officials of both parties, just might provide the type of politics that is worth reading about.
Krebs is co-chairman of Austin Interfaith.