Coming Monday: We must do more to honor our troops. houston Chronicle |chron.com | Sunday, May27, 2012 | Section B xxx

MayraBeltrán /Houstopn Chronicle The highestprofile race in Texasthis year is thecontest to replace Republican U.S. Sen. KayBaileyHutchison. Republican Lt.Gov.David Dewhurst,Democrat Sean Hubbard, Republican TomLeppert, Democrat Paul Sadler,Republican Craig James and Republican TedCruzare seekingtotakeher place in Washington, D.C. eleCtIonS The primacy of the primaries: Vote noworforeverhold your peace

Because of the number of safe districts, primary, where the principal can- victorious in the fall is extremely didates (, remote,the primaryprocess will primaryballots are the ones thatcount and TomLeppert)providevoters determine whorepresents the with relatively clear-cut alterna- public face of the Democratic Party By Mark P. Jones Congress and Legislature tivesinterms of the type of U.S. in this high-profile race.The two on Nov.6.Bycontrast, the May29 senator whowill representthem in leading candidates, former Texas Onlyone out of every10Tex- primaryfeatures several competi- D.C.next year.Whereas Dewhurst House member Paul Sadler and ans of voting ageisexpected to tive statewideraces, nearly adozen and Leppert generallyfitthe mold Sean Hubbard, providevoters with participate in the firstround of competitive U.S. House races, and of the establishmentconservatives twoverydistinct choices in regard the Democratic and Republican more than three dozen competitive whodominate the Republican to whowill be the party’sstandard primaries thatconclude on Tues- Texas House and Senate contests Senate delegation in D.C., Cruz is bearer in November.Sadler is the day. This is unfortunate,because where the winner is either all but expected to join the GOP’s small onlyone of the four Democratic duetothe prevalence of safe certain to be victorious in Novem- faction of movementconservatives candidates with the minimum Democratic and Republican legisla- ber,oratleasthas arealistic chance led by Sen. JimDeMint, R-S.C. gravitas one generallyexpects of a tive seats throughout the state, of victory. These candidates offer competing U.S. Senate candidate,while Hub- an overwhelming majority of our If voters want to maximize their visions of the role the GOP U.S. bard compensates for his lack of ex- elected representativesinWash- influence overwho represents them Senate delegation should playin perience with aconsiderable level ington, D.C., and Austin are at the national, state the policymaking of youthful enthusiasm. effectively chosen in their and county level, process, especially Texans whowanttheir party’srespective primary. the time to actis in the eventPresi- voices to be heard by their This year is no excep- now, not November. dent Barack Obama elected officials should tion, with onlyone or two Particularly within is re-elected. As no participate in the Tuesday U.S. House seats, one Texas manyofthe Repub- candidate is pro- primaryorelse signifi- Senate seat, fewerthan a lican primaries tak- jected to win more cantlyforgo their ability to dozen Texas House seats ing place through- than 50 percentof determine whorepresents and no statewideraces tru- out the state, voters the vote on Tues- them when the victors of ly in playinthe November are able to choose day, the firstand this year’s general election general election. This, of David between candidates Ted second place finish- Tom assume office in Januaryof course,does not mean there Dewhurst whopossess distinct Cruz ers appear destined Leppert 2013. While early voting has will not be ahandful of positions regarding to face off again concluded, Texans will have surprises in the fall (lightning does major public policy issues ranging on July 31. As asidenote,anyone one lastchance to vote in either the strike, justnot very often). Rather, from public education to transpor- whoparticipates in the Democratic Democratic or Republican primary it means thateventodaywecan tation infrastructure to the broader primarythis month is ineligible on Tuesday. predict with aconsiderable degree role of the stateand federal govern- to vote in the Republican primary of accuracy whichparty’scandidate mentinsociety. runoffs on July 31 (and vice versa). Jones is the fellow in political science at will prevail in more than 200 of Themarquee race on Tuesday While the prospect of the Demo- Rice University’s James A. Baker III the 218 races for seats in the U.S. will be the Republican U.S. Senate cratic U.S. Senate candidate being Institutefor Public Policy. unemployment The valueofbluecollar work

By ScottBraddock ityand human nature,” do the work. asociety that Pauken says. My grandfather also doesn’t really Theeconomyhas been Theman whomay taught me the art of help- encourage top of mind for me follow- headupthe ing people understand people to pick ing my recentexperience Education Commit- complex ideas. He’d sit up ashovel,” with unemployment. tee next year,Sen. Dan and readthe encyclopedia Rowe said. After all the drama and Patrick, agrees. Patrick, for fun. When Iwas an Driving into support Ireceivedfrom R-Houston, told the 8-year-old boy, he could Houston re- all sides, there came the Texas Tribune,“Everyone always explain thingsto cently, Iheard simple issue of what I should have the option to me in away thatIwould alivelydiscus- will do to feed my family go to college. Butnot ev- understand. sion on Nation- and keep aroof overour eryone should be tracked Mike Rowe,the hostof al Public Radio heads. to go to afour-year “Dirty Jobs” on Discovery about Trained as ajournalist, university …. We need to Channel, told lawmak- whether Ifound myself unem- valuewhatIcall blue col- ers on Capitol Hill about too many ployedwiththe skills lar work.” his grandfather and the kids are needed to bring impor- My grandfather was “widening skills gap” going to col- tantissues to light.Why thatkind of blue col- in America. He told the lege. not figure out whywe lar worker.Heserved Senate Commerce Sci- HenryBienen, presi- Dean Rohrer simultaneously have lots honorablyinKorea and ence and Transportation dent emeritus of North- of unemployedpeople Vietnam in the United Committee thatweneed a western University, ing about the worldina guess what:That’sde- and lots of jobopenings? States Air Force.When national public relations argued thatcollegeisa differentway,” Bienen meaning.” And when Isay lots of job he returned to the states, campaign that“recon- “consumption good.” In said. Murray’spoint is well openings, Imean lots. he became amechanic nects the countrywiththe other words, collegehas In thatsame program, taken. Many do think Companies thatemploy to providefor his family. mostimportantpart of intrinsic value. political scientistand skilled labor is demean- skilled laborers can’t find Hisbusiness card read our work force.” “Itwas SteveJobs author Charles Murray ing. enoughpeople.There are “A rt Downing,General Hundreds of thousands himself,the late Steve made the case thatthe When Iwas eight years 325,000 currentjob post- Repairs.” of jobs go unfilled because Jobs, whosaid when he wayAmericans think old, if someone hadtold ingsinthe stateand the Because he often college-educated people came back after dropping about certain kinds of me thatwhatmygrand- Texas Workforce Com- worked on complex farm don’thavethe skills out of Reed and satin jobs is damaging. father did for aliving was mission reports there are equipment, agood por- needed, he said. on courses, he took a “You want to hire a demeaning,I’d have been four applicants for every tion of his daycould be “People are surprised calligraphycourse.And lawyer or adoctor,you startled, to saythe least. opening.Commission spentlearning exactly thathighunemployment thatcalligraphycourse can do thatinanano- After all, he wasmyhero. Chairman TomPauken howsomething wasput can existatthe same time gave him awhole new second. Yo uwanttofind says the well-intentioned together before he could as askilled labor short- worldofthinking about good skilled labor? That’s Braddock is ajournalist policy of putting every even start the back-break- age. Butthey shouldn’t design. hard,” Murraysaid. “We and political analyst in Texas child on the college ing work of repairing it. be,” he said. “Wetalk “Who knows what in have ademand for awide Houston. He blogsat track isn’t working.“[It] He essentiallytrained about creating millions the collegeexperience will variety of skills thatwe constructioncitizen.com and flies in the face of real- himself so thathecould of shovel-ready jobs for triggerfor people think- aren’t meeting because scottbraddock.com