Clean Energy In the News

Jerry Patterson seeks second term for state's oldest office.

By Corrie MacLaggan

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, October 19, 2006 Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is used to folks not knowing what, exactly, the General Land Office is. Sometimes, they ask him which precincts he represents. Patterson, a Republican seeking a second four-year term, tells them that if they live in Texas, they're in his precinct.

The General Land Office — the state's oldest agency, established in 1836 — is in charge of tasks as diverse as managing 20 million acres of state land, running a veterans program and preserving historic Texas documents: 35 million pieces of paper including Sam Houston's will and the first draft of the Texas Constitution.

Money that the agency makes from leasing drilling rights for oil and gas production on state land goes to the state's Permanent School Fund, a $22 billion endowment that directs money to public schools.

Patterson, a former state senator whose top priority is to diversify revenue for the school fund, faces Democratic challenger VaLinda Hathcox, a rancher and lawyer critical of Patterson's record. Libertarian Michael French is also running.

Hathcox faces a steep financial disadvantage: Patterson had $434,000 on hand at the end of September; she had $0. She's driving from county to county, campaigning at courthouses and Dairy Queens; he's launching television ads in El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley and radio ads in those cities in addition to Beaumont and Corpus Christi.

Hathcox says she's running because she sees the price of oil rising but wonders why Texas doesn't have enough money for new public school textbooks. "I kept saying, 'Where's all this money? What's happening to it?' " said Hathcox, who was a clerk in the General Land Office during law school in the early 1970s.

Patterson, however, points out that though oil prices have risen, production volumes in Texas have decreased. Hathcox also criticizes Patterson's management of Texas land.

"The land commissioner is a trustee of the public lands, and they are to be managed in the best interests of all Texans," she said. "The current administration seems to be more of a private real estate firm. They're looking at current development and maybe not long-term investment."

Patterson said his focus on real estate is part of a strategy to diversify income so when oil and gas royalties shrink in the future, there's still money for the school fund. The 600-employee land office brought in $500 million last year for the fund. "If the land office wasn't making this money, school property taxes would be substantially higher," he said.

Patterson, who has expressed interest in running for lieutenant governor or governor in the future, has made long-term solutions for Texas coastal erosion one priority as land commissioner.

Luke Metzger, a spokesman for Environment Texas, a statewide advocacy organization, said Patterson has a mixed record on the environment. Metzger praised the commissioner's dedication to boosting wind power in the state; Texas this year surpassed California as the nation's leading wind energy state. "Clearly, he's been the wind industry's biggest cheerleader," he said. But he criticized Patterson's support of drilling in the Padre Island National Seashore. Patterson has said he supports drilling there to generate money for the Permanent School Fund.

cmaclaggan@statesman.com; 445-3548

Jerry Patterson (R) Age: 59 Occupation: Land commissioner Hometown: Austin Education: Bachelor's degree, Texas A&M University Experience: U.S. Marine for 20 years (Vietnam veteran, retired lieutenant colonel); state senator for six years Worth noting: Led increase in Texas veterans' benefits, created Coastal Texas 2020 to focus on coastal issues, created program to preserve historic documents. Wants to diversify revenue sources for the $22 billion Permanent School Fund. As state senator, passed the 1995 Concealed Handgun Law. Web site: www.votepatterson.com

Michael French (L) Age: 43 Occupation: Rancher Hometown: Wills Point Education: Not available Experience: Not available Worth noting: He is not responding to inquiries from the media, state Libertarian officials said. Web site: www.lptexas.org/2006/french

VaLinda Hathcox (D) Age: 58 Occupation: Rancher and lawyer Hometown: Sulphur Springs Education: Bachelor's degree, master's degree in political science, Texas A&M at Commerce; law degree, University of Texas Experience: Hopkins County attorney; special assistant, office of the attorney general of Texas; director of programs, State Bar of Texas; tax judge, state comptroller's office; director of government affairs, Texas Association of Counties; clerk, General Land Office Worth noting: Wants to increase Texas' school fund, keep beaches open to the public, preserve veterans benefits and lower land taxes. Web site: www.valindahathcox.com