DEBATE William P. Clements and Mark White September 24, 1982 Page 9 WPC: they all agreed with my bill. ALAN: . .time's up. Our next question will come from Carol Kneeland. PANEL: Governor, you've been going around the state saying that during the time that you've been Governor the last four years, teachers salaries have increased by almost 50% and yet that's something that the legislature did and over your constant objections. You wanted to give teachers much less pay raises than that. How can you claim credit for that 9-8?) --- ,N\ WPC: Well, you know Carol, I happen to be the Governor. And that bill would never have passed unless I signed it. And I would also remind everyone concerned that all of the consultations that were going on were condusive to passing that bill between the leadership, between Lt. Governor Hobby and Speaker Clmm ( yton and 0 myself and the committee chairman in both the House and the Senate4! u know I have a long, long record of interest in public educatioct. my sister was a school teacher for over 30 years in public schools. I had three aunts in public schools. And I am strong for Texas teachers. I want to make that very very clear. And I will make a small wager with my opponent, that when we take a post election survey, more teachers will vote for me than will vote for him. a Now let's don't have misunderstanding about this. You know TSTA is not the end so far as teachers are concerned. TSTA is striving for one thing, and that's collective bargaining. And it's no accident that they're for my opponent. To the contrary the Classroom Teachers and the Association of Texas Professional Educator are strongly in favor of me and they will vote in a majority. They have more membership actually than TSTA does. y enera White. CD'NN (ii-FE: Well, the Governor knows that I oppose strikes or any stoppages in work, work as far as any public employees concerned, including teachers. I'm very proud to have the endorsement of most of the major teacher organizations that do endorse. I think you'll find that the teachers really know that Bill Clements isn't their friend. When he says that he got 49-Vo increase in their salary, Bill Clements flunked his math course. Because the recommendations that he made to the Texas legislature amount to about 8% in both terms of his hi _____________- that What we have today in Texas is the very unfortunate priority has been set by Bill Clements. Today in Texas we pay prison guards, their first day in training, more money than we pay school teachers their first day in the classroom, $11,111. That's not a good priority and Texas ought not to be doing that. That should be a shame. And it is.
