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League of Women Voters: Texas Commissioner of the General Land Office

Editor, Victoria Advocate | Published on 5/18/2022

Editor’s note: To help voters learn more about the candidates, the Advocate is printing profiles provided by the League of Women Voters in contested races in the May 24 primary runoff election.

Texas Commissioner of the General Land Office

Qualifications:

  • What training, experience and characteristics qualify you for this position?

Allocation of Federal Funds:

  • When federal funds for natural disaster relief and mitigation are allocated, how would you ensure that communities with the highest needs are prioritized?

The Alamo:

  • As the head of the agency that manages the Alamo, what story do you believe it should tell?

Coastal Planning:

  • What measures would you implement to restore and protect the coast, wetlands, and the built environment to minimize damage from major storms?

Priorities:

  • As Land Commissioner, what would be your highest priorities for the next four years, and how do you intend to accomplish them?

Jay Kleberg - Dem

Conservationist Website: jay4tx.com

Qualifications:

  • I grew up working on the King Ranch and have spent my whole career in conservation. I served as the associate director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, and now I own a land-based conservation business and work in environmental education.

Allocation of Federal Funds:

  • I would use the GLO’s discretion to administer federal funds to ensure that dense, urban areas are not penalized and that damage claims for lower income homeowners and renters are not ignored. I would also send teams into damaged communities to ensure the timely disbursement of FEMA funds and application for longer-term allocation of funds.

The Alamo:

  • The Alamo is a symbol of Texan and Tejano pride and we should honor their contributions to the state. We should also consider the role of early Black Texans and slavery in Texas’ history, as well as indigenous groups who inhabited the site for centuries. As for the battle, the GLO should tell the comprehensive story and honor the facts of those historic events.

Coastal Planning:

  • The GLO will incorporate climate change modeling into the Coastal Management Plan, which will increase the standard for all federal and state investment on the coast. These higher standards would be applied to the Coastal Resiliency Master Plan and the $30 billion Coastal Spine. These standards would also maximize investments with GOMESA, NRDA, CEPRA and HUD-CDBG funds.

Priorities:

  • My top priorities for the next four years are to adequately fund our Texas schools through the General Land Office’s contribution to the Permanent School Fund, address the effects of climate change and diversify our state’s energy portfolio to strengthen our grid, and to prepare for future natural disasters by fortifying our coast and other vulnerable areas of our state.

Sandragrace Martinez - Dem Licensed Professional Counselor
Website: sandragrace4texans.com

Qualifications:

  • My expertise in trauma informed care, crisis management, my in-depth understanding of the legislative process, and the desire for educating my community, is a passion that has equipped me with the necessary skills to perform these duties.

Allocation of Federal Funds:

  • Establish meaningful partnerships with all local governments and develop comprehensive insights on potential strains in our communities, is how we can pro-actively begin to manage and prioritize effectively. Mitigating and allocating relief from a natural disaster will depend on the areas hit, the socioeconomics in that region, and their resources.

The Alamo:

  • When I visit other cities or a different country, and I tour their historical structures and monuments, my initial questions are always, ‘how did it get here, who built it, and why?” In essence, the story of the Alamo can only begin at that point due to chronological logic, so by default the story will have to involve explanations on how that evolved.

Coastal Planning:

  • Our Texas ports alone, have an impact of nearly 1.8 million jobs and generate somewhere around $102 billion in personal income, so the protection of our coastline is imperative for supporting the financial well-being of citizens, and projects along the coastline must provide the required maintenance, development, and improvements to sustain those areas.

Priorities:

  • Disaster readiness and prevention with fine tuning the logistics involved are paramount. Honoring our Veterans with the same level of devotion and allegiance that they made to this country, and applying that same devotion to their benefits and healthcare. I want to create more programs and initiatives to help provide funding for public education.

Dawn Buckingham - Rep Physician/Surgeon
Website: dawnbuckingham.com

Qualifications:

  • Landowner experienced in land management and physician used to making major decisions. Senator and Sunset Commission member where I reviewed state agencies, fixed inefficiencies, cut waste, and improved outcomes for taxpayers. Ready to lead the GLO on day one.

Allocation of Federal Funds:

  • I would immediately identify what communities were hit the hardest by a storm and identify which communities have the most daunting path to recovery. We must ensure that these federal funds are going to communities that are directly impacted or are prone to be affected by the next storm on the horizon. Using the benefit of hindsight, we can plan before it’s too late.

The Alamo:

  • There will be no re-imagining the Alamo under my watch. As a state senator, I initiated the legal challenge that kept the Alamo Cenotaph in its rightful place, out in front, and passed the only piece of legislation protecting our historical monuments. The GLO is the tip of the spear in defending our rich Texas history we know and love, and I will always fight to protect it.

Coastal Planning:

  • By protecting our wetlands and coast with land management practices such as proper sand dune rebuilding, we will be able to naturally minimize damage in our coastal communities. We must also work with the federal government to ensure we build the Coastal Spine Barrier Project, known as the Ike Dike, to protect our Texans along the coast, oil and gas industry, and refineries.

Priorities:

  • I’ll secure our border by identifying available state lands on the border and begin building a border wall as soon as possible. I’ll also continue to fight to preserve the Alamo as we know it for generations to come and keep our commitment to our veterans and children by providing them with quality care and education through the Veterans Land Board & Permanent School Fund.

Tim Westley - Rep Education
Website: texans4tim.com

Qualifications:

  • I am a former two-time nominee for U.S. Congressional District 15, PhD. in educational leadership, U.S. Army veteran, and nonprofit community leader. I have researched, provided solutions and worked on or with all the major areas the position covers.

Allocation of Federal Funds:

  • I would have liaisons ready to work with mayors before disasters strike to map areas that fit into U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s (HUD) basic requirements for fund disbursements. Next, I would recommend placing them on a mapping database so as disasters happen, they are quickly identified by area. Finally, ensure funding procedures are known by all.

The Alamo:

  • The Truth. As historian of the Republican Party of Texas, the story of the Alamo has already been written and told. It does not require a rewrite or revision. Such history I have shared in the city of San Antonio and beyond. This historical story is one I’ve told publicly at the foot of the Cenotaph in the Alamo footprint on many occasions and will continue to tell.

Coastal Planning:

  • I would be proactive by view current studies for protection and seeing what we can readily implement. I would also encourage investment in hurricane surge protection projects. Ultimately, I would ensure consistent talks with experts in the field such as engineers, geoscientist, and other partners to develop and implement mitigation plans at the earliest stage.

Priorities:

  •  Identify all public lands on our 1,254 mile southern border and partner with other organizations to secure it. Help advance oil, gas and mining exploration through increased land lease opportunities so that Texas leads the way to energy independence while providing jobs for Texans. Ensure the $43 billion Permanent School Fund is used properly to raise level of education.
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