The following is a compilation of the unedited responses from Jerry Patterson, candidate for Texas Land Commissioner, to the 2018 Amarillo Pioneer Voter Guide Questionnaire. Patterson is running in the March 6th Texas Republican primary against Davey Edwards, Rick Range and incumbent George P. Bush. The winner of the Republican nomination will face the Democratic nominee in November.
Name:
Jerry Patterson
Office Sought:
Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office
Occupation:
Retired Marine, retired Texas Land Commissioner
Please list any of your political, civic or non-profit experience.
Texas Senate 1993-1999, Texas Land Commissioner 2003-2015
What is your educational background?
BA History, Texas A&M 1969
What experience do you have that qualifies you for this position?
Successfully ran the agency for 12 years, setting records in Permanent School Fund income, overseeing the greatest increase in Veterans benefits in the history of the Texas Veterans Land Board, defending the Texas Open Beaches Act, and successfully negotiating the donation of the Phil Collins Alamo artifact collection to the Alamo.
What will be your top priority, if elected?
Restoring the agency to its former status as the best agency in Texas government, redirecting the effort to preserve and restore the Alamo while being completely transparent in its management and finances, and trying to recover from the lost time spent in directing the Hurricane Harvey recovery effort.
What should the future be for the historic Alamo site?
A recreation of the site as it existed in 1836, without moving the cenotaph, and an immediate cessation of the current policy of the Commissioner Bush GLO of non compliance with the Texas Open Records Act, also known as the Public Information Act
What are your plans for overseeing the administration of the Permanent School Fund?
During my 12 year tenure at the GLO, we made $8.1 billion dollars for the PSF, compared to the total amount made in the entire 129 prior years of the PSF of $7.9 billion. I plan to do more of the same
In regards to veterans programs at the GLO, do you have any plans to change or improve any of the current programs overseen by the office?
Speed up loan processing for VLB home and land loans, and expand the number of Texas Veterans Homes (long term care facilities)
Are you supported by any political action committees? If so, which ones?
To date my contributions have come from individuals, not PACS
Do you have any aspirations for higher office?
No.
Why should voters choose you in 2018?
I generally know what I'm doing and when I don't I will find somebody that does. I will not run the agency for the purpose of "looking good" politically or with a view that politics comes before performance. After leaving public office in 2015, I had no intention of ever being on the ballot again but the mistakes made by the current administration related to the Alamo and Hurricane Harvey recovery cannot be ignored and must be corrected.
Photo by Patterson Campaign