The following Letter to the Editor was printed in the Sunday, November 14, 1999 issue of the Austin American-Statesman.

Texas' Future Depends on Educated Citizens

Kudos to Arnold Garcia for spotlighting the successful careers of University of Texas-San Antonio President Ricardo Romo and UT-Austin Professor Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, as well as their mission to better populate Texas higher education with Hispanics.

While Garcia managed to avoid the buzzwords of equity, access and Hopwood, identifying the problem is easier than the solution. The American-Statesman would provide a great public service by reporting on an unprecedented combination of public policy initiatives designed to provide further guidance to the next Legislature, including several legislative interim committees, the Lt. Governor's 21st Century Commission on Texas Higher Education, and task forces of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The future of Texas will require many more well-educated Texans than ever before, and those future leaders are already carrying backpacks full of books. Their success is our legacy.

-- Chuck Hempstead
Executive Director
Texas Association of College Teachers (TACT)
Austin