OP-ED on Perry and the special session. Please distribute if you would

We can't trust Governor Perry.

This week Governor Rick Perry announced he will call the Texas legislators back for another special session to reform school finance. Unfortunately, Governor Perry has a horrible track record for reform in the areas of homeowners insurance, tort reform and medical malpractice. With such a record, how can homeowners, parents and educators trust Perry with adequately funding our Texas public schools?

Three years ago Texas homeowners had the highest home insurance rates in the nation. After Perry passed insurance reform in 2003, insurance rates doubled, and are now 25% higher than 2nd place Louisiana. Homeowners were left with higher rates, higher deductions and without important coverage for foundation, water, mold, and sewer damage.

Perry also supported and passed a massive tort reform bill which reformed our legal system and provided yet another plum for insurance companies and businesses in Texas. In return, the citizens of Texas were rewarded with fewer rights to a fair trial in a civil matter. The loss of services and protection with this reform will never be fully understood by a consumer until the consumer needs the services.

Perry supported limiting the liability of medical malpractice suits. He promised reductions in medical malpractice rates thereby providing affordable medical care to Texas citizens. After passage of Proposition 12, the promises of lower medical malpractice rates and affordable care were DOA. The rate reductions, if any, were minimal at best leaving the doctors with broken promises just like homeowners with home insurance and the citizens of Texas have received absolutely no benefit of lower insurance rates or medical services.

And now Perry wants parents, homeowners, and educators to trust him with the funding of our children's education, as he calls another special session, loaded with special interests. Given his horrible record of promises in Texas, it should come as no surprise when the joy of less property taxes is followed by a decrease in services and increases in other taxes and fees to offset the tax breaks for his political buddies.

The writing on the chalkboard should be very clear to all: Perry's plan will reward his campaign donors with less taxes. Homeowners will be lulled by substantial property tax cuts. Then he will pick our pockets with other taxes and fees.

The folk hero, Robin Hood, stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Perry will steal from the many and give to the few who donated to his campaign. With his broken promises on insurance reform, Proposition 12, and tort reform, it will be hard to trust the governor with our children's education.

John Cobarruvias is President of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, Texas and a long time consumer activist in new home construction, insurance and tort reform. He has testified in many hearings during legislative sessions with an emphasis on the Texas Residential Construction Commission.

Every single time. Consumers, homeowners, schoolkids, poor people- they all get screwed.