Canon challenges Seliger in speech at MCRW

With all the cordiality that would be expected at a Midland County Republican Women’s luncheon, the proverbial white glove was thrown down as state Senate hopeful Mike Canon challenged the incumbent Sen. Kel Seliger in his speech to the organization’s members.

Canon is a former Midland mayor and is making his second run against Seliger, who for 14 years has held the post as District 31 senator. In 2014, Canon lost the primary by 5 percentage points. Now in a three-person Republican primary field, which includes former Muleshoe mayor and restaurateur Victor Leal, Canon professed what makes him different than his currently seated competition.

In addressing a packed ballroom at Midland Country Club, he beckoned the audience to “move into the imaginary world with me for a minute.”

“Imagine that, like our senator, you have collected over that period of time almost $6 million in campaign contributions,” Canon said. “Imagine that from 2006 to 2016, less than 30 percent of those contributions came from Midland, Amarillo and Odessa. Imagine that during that same period of time, almost 10 percent of those contributions came from outside Texas from places like Los Angeles; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Omaha; Indianapolis; and other places, from groups such as the University of Houston PAC, which gave almost $50,000, or Friends of Time Warner Inc., which gave $30,000 over that time period, and numerous other special interest groups from within or without the state of Texas.

“You might be asking yourself why would I, a Texas senator, be taking money from groups and places like that, from so many special interest groups?”

Seliger parried when it was his turn to speak.

“Time Warner has a Texas affiliate. Their PAC is I don’t know where. They support me because I’m the pro-business candidate,” the lawmaker said. “The University of Houston PAC? Absolutely. I’m so proud of that support because it’s one of the growing successful universities anywhere in the country, and we ought to be particularly proud because one of the people who has made one of the biggest contributions to that is Spencer Armour from Midland, who is on the board of regents and has been a great regent.”

Seliger then struck back.

“I think what Mr. Canon is telling you is, if elected, he will not take a dollar that comes from outside Midland County or the district and will not take a dollar that comes from Austin or PACs or things like that,” he said. “I believe that not to be true.”

In speaking with the media after the event, Canon said he has never received any money from special interest groups. “Down the road, I may have people offer contributions, and I’ll have to make a decision at that point. But I don’t plan on taking money from special interest groups.”

Exchanges between the candidates in their 10-minute speeches show that the primary candidates indeed aren’t the same, Canon said. “We’re all running for the same office, so it will get a little bit contentious. In regard to the senator, there are certain things I would have done differently. In general, I have a different vision for what government ought to be. I think (Seliger) sees government being more controlled in the central level, more big government.”

Canon advocates for less statewide bureaucracy and more local control over issues such as education. The former Midland mayor prefers to see standardized testing limited to the SAT for those who want to go to college; otherwise, yearly tests as a metric for accountability are unnecessary both as an evaluation of a student’s aptitude and as a financial burden. The financial savings could be put to better use, such as raising teachers’ wages.

Seliger said standardized tests must evolve.

“The SAT is a test for college preparation. It does not apply to all students, so it is a measure of nothing,” he said. “I supported not doing tests for those who performed well because we know how they’re going to do the next test. But when you have 1,041 school districts and people have cheated — El Paso Independent School District is an example — we need some standardized measure to make sure everyone is meeting those standards. It’s easy to hold your school board’s feet to the fire, but what about those other 1,040 districts?”

He added that the STAAR test “has its place.”

“We shouldn’t over-emphasize it; it’s not perfect, but it plays its role,” he said.

As for school finance, the so-called “Robin Hood” plan, which moves money from property-rich school districts such as Midland ISD to poorer districts around the state, all three candidates said it has to go.

“I talk with very few folks who are enamored with Robin Hood,” Leal told media before the luncheon. “When you take money from the richer school districts and give them to the poor, it’s not a good deal for either side.”

Seliger said the Legislature didn’t make enough progress on education finance this session.

It’s the sense of lack of progress that has Canon running for a second time. “My plan is, to some extent, shake things up a little bit (if elected).” He wants to achieve that by changing how government is run.

“We’re trying to spread the message to treat government like a business and try to bring as much control as we reasonably can to the local level, and in doing so, you’re going to reduce regulations, reduce requirements and reduce the cost of government and deliver a more effective product,” Canon said.