Consistent. Principled. Action.

Fellow citizens,

Tomorrow we celebrate freedom on the 4th of July, Independence Day.

As we celebrate, enjoy again one of the best descriptions of civil society and government ever written, the most well-known sentences from our Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

These two sentences encapsulate the great truths that make our nation free.

May God bless you and yours,
Keith

Citizens, the June 10 email/post on engineering concerns did not properly articulate the boundaries of the research that I conducted.

The details within the email/post were correct, but they apply only to the 7 major engineering firms that were selected for a second review by the commissioners court on segment 3 of the regional outer loop in Collin County.

The email/post was written from my perspective and with my background knowledge, but did not account for the fact that you were not aware of the research boundaries. The issue at hand is the current consideration of the outer loop segment.

Sincerely,
Keith

I want to thank the 300 folks who came out on a "warm" afternoon on Saturday to attend our First Annual Summer Picnic. We had a great time enjoying good food, friends, and fellowship in rural Collin County.

John and Diann Jones' Pepper Hill Ranch is a great spot for a picnic - pavilion and trees providing shade next to their beautiful lake - what a great setting! Check out the pictures (one to the left, the remainder at my Facebook page) for a taste of the great afternoon that we had.

I appreciated remarks by the Chairman of the Collin County Republican Party, Fred Moses, and I was honored to have the Republican National Committeewoman representing Texas, Cathie Adams, also address the crowd. Ken Paxton and Jodie Laubenberg added a few words about the recent legislative session.

We discussed the new transparency in Collin County government, our lower county tax rate, the new county homestead exemption, and the restrained growth of county government.

I thank each of you who came out to enjoy the afternoon with us, and I look forward to the second annual summer picnic!

Sincerely,
Keith

Citizens, I am concerned about the current methods of awarding engineering contracts in Collin County.

There seems to be a special relationship between the county and a very few engineering companies. Over the past 5 years, 49% of all contracts for engineering design work has been awarded to only a single firm. That may not be in the best interest of County taxpayers.

I have no issue with any of the engineering firms that do business in our county - they are all very respectable and capable firms. There is no indication of wrong doing, collusion or corruption and no information that would suggest otherwise. This is an issue of acquiring the best value at the least, but reasonable cost without sacrificing quality.

The bottom line is that state law states that pricing CANNOT be considered in the INITIAL selection of engineering firms - a system that encourages a relationship with no check and balance against giving all business to the same firm. It is difficult to negotiate "best value" if price is not included.

Contrary to what you may hear, I don't believe that allowing price to be considered in engineering contracts would lead to failure of projects designed by any of the world-class engineering firms in Collin County.

In court on June 8, we designated the firm that has received 49% of all contracts over the past 5 years as the single firm with which we will negotiate scope and price for a major section of the massive project. In this project, even a small percentage savings would be a huge dollar amount.

The next step in our process is to negotiate only with the selected firm. The only way that we have to get you the best price on this massive project is to continue to negotiate down the priority list of firms in turn until we reach a price that reflects the current weak economy, work available on the market, and recent pricing history in the region.

I am encouraging the two commissioners designated to monitor the negotiations to press hard for the best price possible.

That is the least that we can do for you.

Sincerely,
Keith

Citizens, we are in the midst of a series of important national dates; dates that directly speak to our liberties. I face re-election next year, so some ask why I spend so much time on the issue of freedom. Freedom is why I spent 25 years in an Army uniform, and what I want to preserve for all Collin County citizens.

Special Forces Sergeant Stefan Mazak said it well, "There are only two types of warriors in this world. Those that serve tyrants and those that serve free men." To paraphrase for us, there are only two types of citizens, those who serve tyrants, and those who live free.

We recently remembered our fallen heroes on Memorial Day on May 25, remembering those who paid the ultimate price for liberty. Many of us attended ceremonies that reminded us that our freedoms are not free; that maintaining freedom requires the participation of every citizen in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

On Saturday, June 6, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the massive invasion of Europe that signaled the beginning of the march to victory in World War II. I parachuted into the 49th D-Day anniversary and had a wonderful two days with many old vets from the Normandy invasion. After nearly half a century, their memories were as clear as yesterday, their emotions as strong as when they were 49 years younger, and their commitment to defend our freedoms and our way of life still absolutely resolute. It is one of the most meaningful memories of my military career. Every American should visit the military cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach - an inspiring place of rest for more than 10,000 dead and missing from that campaign.

The 4th of July, the touchstone of our freedom with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, is just around the corner. In the last sentence, the signers stated that, "we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." It is that commitment to the principles of freedom and independence that continues to be essential in the defense of freedom today.

However, the signers of the Declaration were NOT of one mind as our young nation matured. In fact, two of the most famous signers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, later became political opponents.

From the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia, referring to Jefferson's victory over John Adams in the election of 1800, quote,

"The revolution of 1800 was as real revolution in the principles of our government as that of 1776 was in its form; not effected by the sword ... but by the rational and peaceful instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people," wrote Jefferson. With the overwhelming support of the citizenry, Jefferson and his followers had overcome the politics of faction and intrigue, turned back the tide of counter-revolution, and restored the country to its true republican course. End quote.

Let's re-commit ourselves to this spirit - keeping the flames of freedom alive and bright at every level of government.

As Collin County continues to go through a period of rapid change, including political changes, we are reminded of the words of Edward Everett in a speech just a month after Adams and Jefferson both died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence - July 4th, 1826,

"Having lived and acted and counseled and dared and risked all, and triumphed and enjoyed together, they have gone to their great reward. Forgetting the little that had divided them and cherishing the communion of service and peril and success that had united, they walked with honorable friendship the declining pathway of age; and now they have sunk down together in peace into the bosom of a redeemed and grateful country."

All who love liberty and independence should cherish the memory of these two Founding Fathers; compatriots in the Revolutionary War, political opponents in the years that followed, and finally, old friends with a common desire - a great future for America. I ask that all who cherish liberty come with me as we continue this experiment in open and transparent county government focused only on core functions in order to preserve your freedom.

Sincerely,
Keith

---

...Please join us on Saturday, June 13, for my first annual summer picnic. You can download a form at http://www.keithself.com/images/SelfJune2009PicnicRSVP.pdf or just call Kim Watts at 214-236-1053. We kept the cost low in order to get as many of the grassroots army together as possible before we start campaigning in earnest in the fall. Burgers, dogs, bounce house, volleyball, and horseshoes - fun for all ages! And of course, comments by a few folks that you will want to hear.

---

Citizens,

There is growing excitement in the Republican ranks in Collin County! If you attend a club in Collin County, you must be aware of the tremendous energy building across our county.

As I attend various clubs, I meet new folks at every meeting, and I hear similar stories from other clubs. Tracy and I just met a young lady who recently moved into Collin County, googled Republican clubs, and was attending her first club meeting. She had previously not been involved, but plans to do her research and join the club that most closely mirrors her energy and enthusiasm. And there are other stories just like her's.

I believe that the last presidential election and a growing awareness of the massive amounts of debt that every level of government is piling on our children and grandchildren are responsible for this growing excitement, that in many respects, government is out of control. More and more people are realizing that inaction is not an option - that entrenched politicians listen only to direct and vocal action by an informed and engaged citizenry.

This is exciting stuff! The fiscally conservative and openly patriotic message that you and I have proclaimed for years is taking hold across our county! People are deciding that the Constitution is actually important, and that the words in the Constitution have meaning.

There are clubs that are holding their elected officials accountable for how they vote on issues - our investments in transparency and open government are making a difference. There are those who talk about asking Republican candidates where they stand on Republican issues. This is exciting stuff!

This is the time to get your neighbors to come with you to a political meeting. This is the time to join one of the clubs that is growing, the clubs that are building the grassroots army that it will take to defeat the counterattack by those who believe that citizens should just shut up and pay the taxes demanded of them. And believe you me, the counterattack will be fierce and personal, so strap on your spurs and join the team! There many more like you joining our conservative team.

You may have heard of the tea parties happening across the country. There will be five tea parties across Collin County this evening, April 15. This is a great place to start. Come out between 5 - 7 PM at one of the following locations and see what happens when concerned citizens get involved. The parties will be at Park/Preston (Plano), Parker/Preston (Plano), Gaylord/Preston (Frisco), Lebanon/Preston (Frisco), Eldorado/Craig (McKinney). Come stand on a street corner and wave a sign - should be fun!

I'll see you there!

Sincerely,
Keith

Citizens,

The events of the past week prove that my re-election campaign will rely upon traditional grassroots activism to counteract personal attacks and negative campaigning.

I would first like to thank all of you who wrote to Tracy and me, expressing your support for us. We are deeply grateful for your encouragement.

The re-election campaign will depend on you, the grassroots of the Republican Party, to carry us to victory. You are the lifeblood of the movement to keep our taxes low and release our energetic and dynamic citizens to achieve their best. At times I believe that you are the only thing standing between us and over-powering government. As this past week as proven, we need to prepare now for a robust and active campaign.

I will maintain my consistent, principled, action-based focus on the issues.

I ask that you continue your strong support for tax relief, public accountability and transparency, and opposition to big-government solutions that rob you of your freedom and individuality.

In the meantime, we need to gather as many dollars as we can prior to the start of the campaign season. If we face significant special interest funding, we can overcome it by hard work and good policies, but we do need as many contributions as possible in order to counter the negative campaigning that we experienced this week, and will experience over the next year.

On my web site at www.KeithSelf.com, there is a "Donate" tab on the left side. Under that tab, you can contribute through the PayPal button if you prefer on-line contributions, or you will find an address if you prefer to send a check.

If all of us contribute something, we can gather enough to counter the opposition, even if we get outspent. I know these are tough times for you. I know that I am asking a lot of you to contribute at all. It doesn't have to be much, and if you cannot, I understand, and value your support during the campaign in some other tangible way. I value and need your hard work as much as your financial contributions.

Together, we can accomplish this. We can continue the reforms of county government that we have started; reforms to keep spending low, to provide easy on-line access to commissioner's court meetings to every citizen, to allow public review of our checkbook.

Come with me as we continue this great experiment of whether or not open and limited government can be sustained in Collin County. I believe that it can.

Sincerely,
Keith

The following is my written testimony on March 18, 2009.

Chairman Carona, members of the committee, thank you for holding this hearing on SB 855.

I am Keith Self, the County Judge for Collin County. Almost 800,000 strong, our county has both DART and large non-DART cities - an important point in my testimony.
I will address two major themes in my testimony - tax increases and a view of transit funding in the DART region.

Tax Increases. Collin County Commissioners Court members have stated our support for transit in Collin County. However, this is not the time to levy a tax increase on our citizens. Over the past 20 years, state spending has grown at nearly twice the combined rate of population growth and inflation. This cannot continue. It has nothing to do with whether or not I want it to continue - it is a fact that this rate of government growth is unsustainable. This is the most dangerous aspect of this bill - tax increases in an era of massive government spending amidst a declining economy.

Raising taxes during a recession is absolutely the worst thing to do. Our citizens are tightening their belts and reducing their spending, and government should do the same. We need to leave as many hard-earned dollars in the private sector as possible in order to get through this recession as quickly as possible. We cannot ignore the massive spending in Washington, spending that will impact our taxpayers either through direct tax increases or through inflation as the printing presses run.

Heretofore, Texas remained competitive because we are business friendly; proof positive that capital (both financial and human) goes and stays where it is welcome. In fact, Collin County's best recruiting tools are the high tax and unfriendly business/family policies of other states and counties. Our low taxes, high population growth, jobs, safe streets, good schools, and almost double the national average of bachelor's degrees are among the results. This new tax increase would make us less competitive to attract and retain financial and human capital. Our entrepreneurial citizens will find ways to react the best they can, but eventually the growing weight of government will crush any entrepreneurial spirit.

You will hear the same arguments for this tax that we hear justifying government action in every crisis, real, perceived or manufactured - arguments all based on the children's nursery rhyme, Chicken Little. "The sky is falling. It will only get worse if we don't do something. Only the government is big enough to fix this. We must do something." All these arguments we heard for the multiple federal stimulus packages in the trillions of dollars. We hear the doomsayers justifying massively huge spending just because we no longer trust free markets and free people. I suggest that in "doing something", we not try to repeal the laws of physics, the laws of economics, or federal law. I will address these later.

Winston Churchill once famously said, "A nation that thinks it can tax its way into prosperity is like a man standing in a pail, trying to lift himself by the handle." His wisdom is even truer during a recession.

Turning to the mechanisms detailed in SB 855, I believe that the bill is unworkable at several levels. I will address only transit, which was the genesis of the bill. If these taxes are not dedicated for transit funding, then they become just another general, fungible tax increase supposedly for transportation, much like the lottery was supposed to fund education.

SB 855 prohibits new transit authorities, meaning that DART, the T, or the Denton County Transit Authority will have to provide new capacity in our region. Realistically, in Collin County that means DART.

DART member cities have been contributing to the system for several decades. Plano (one of our three DART cities) has over 800 Million dollars invested in DART, today contributing 60 Million dollars every year - these new tax increases would be on top of that 60 Million per year. I'm not sure what this bill offers as the incentive for Plano voters because it amounts to double taxation on Plano citizens.

DART has a plan through the year 2030 for expansion of the system into their member cities that do not yet have a DART station, like Addison or Rowlett, but I do not believe that DART has conducted planning to incorporate cities that are not DART members.

SB 855 mandates timings for project construction in non-DART cities, planning that DART has not yet conducted. Therefore, I'm not sure how passing a law that mandates new transit construction in Collin County by DART on a fixed schedule could be practically accomplished. DART is working hard to provide new capacity for their member cities who do not yet have service, but the new local tax increases are restricted to projects in the county in which they are raised and limited to a strict timetable actually codified in legislation for the ballot language.

But let's assume that this bill passes, that the required resolutions are obtained (resolutions that realistically include double taxation of Plano) and that the citizens of Collin County approve this tax increase. DART would have two issues that I see:

1) They would want some reimbursement for the system impacts of capital construction to accommodate the added ridership from non-DART cities. However, the funds raised by these new taxes would remain in the county in which they were raised. Collin County taxes would not be available to address the impacts of Collin County riders on the Dallas County sections of DART. In fact, if this issue is not addressed, more Collin County riders would actually limit available seats for Dallas County riders. In effect, you would add more flow without increasing the size of the pipe or increasing the speed of the flow. You cannot repeal the laws of physics.

2) They would want some form of higher fares for our non-DART citizens in order to compensate for the equity that the member cities built up over the past decades. DART ticket fares are heavily subsidized now. A two-tiered, non-subsidized ticket fare structure would be necessary. Higher taxes for DART cities; higher taxes AND higher fares for non-DART cities. This scenario reminds me that Art Laffer of "Laffer curve" fame loves to say, "You cannot repeal the laws of economics." People behave in certain ways under certain incentives, regardless of government efforts to change human nature.

And at the end of the day, transit estimates are that, compared to the number of cars on US 75 daily, only an infinitesimal number of people will ride transit between Plano and McKinney. (Update comment: Estimated 5440 daily transit riders versus approximately 200,000 cars.)

In addition, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has the final federal authority on the regional transportation system. SB 855 purports to give local control over projects under this law, but the MPO controls projects, priorities, and pace under federal law. We also cannot repeal the federal laws that govern the MPO's role.

So if the SB 855 tax increases cannot repeal the laws of physics, or the laws of economics or federal law, we may need other solutions to our transportation needs. SB 855 can certainly collect taxes, but whether or not it can lead to a coherent transit system is a question.

The bottom line is that you may end up with an unenforceable law requiring impossible results on an untenable timeline.

My central message is the same as my testimony in front of this committee two years ago. I recommend that the legislature reprioritize the taxes that our citizens already send to Austin in order to fund transportation. Make transportation a higher priority because since the beginning of commerce a good transportation network has been essential to growth and strength of economy. Fund transportation adequately from the biennial budget as the important priority that it is.

Stop the diversion of our motor fuels tax - stop all diversions. The diversions are another example of taxes being marketed to the public one way and used a different way - again, the example of the lottery supposedly funding education.

Allow private funding for major infrastructure projects. When did we start trusting government more than private enterprise? Let companies invest, accept the risk, and reap the reward for that risk. The way out of the Chicken Little syndrome is to once again trust free markets and free enterprise. Companies will invest when it becomes economically feasible. Our citizens will have a choice of where they invest their transportation dollars. Freedom and mobility will both be increased.

I close with an encounter between Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher, known as The Iron Lady, Prime Minister of Great Britain who rescued Great Britain from socialism in the 1980's. Gorbachev asked Thatcher how she ensured that the people of her nation got enough food. "She didn't", she tartly told him. (There Is No Alternative by Claire Berlinski) Thatcher understood that free markets and free people ensure that goods and services are delivered. The reason the Soviet Union could not resolve the basic necessities of life is because they had a command economy in which the government decided everything, price, quantity, allocation, everything - and they failed. In our nation, the hundreds of millions of individual decisions every day should decide our economy, not some bureaucrat in Arlington or Austin or Washington.

In the command economy of SB 855, all Collin County citizens would pay these tax increases and non-DART cities would also pay higher non-subsidized ticket prices. And that still leaves unresolved some unintended consequences such as paying for added capacity to accommodate additional Collin riders along the Dallas sections of DART and the issue of Plano double taxation. And THAT still leaves the issue of MPO responsibilities to meld together our regional transportation system, regardless of county votes.

Command economies don't work; they only bring more complexity, uncertainty and misery. We should heed the lessons of history - as recently as the 1980s in Great Britain, or we will start experiencing our own lessons of an overbearing command economy here in America.

I encourage you to keep Texas competitive during this world-wide recession. Do not raise taxes.