Texas representative Valinda Bolton, elected in 2006 to represent district 47 located southwest Travis County, shared her opinion in a argument that appeared in the Austin American-statesman last Wednesday. In "Texas counties should control their own destinies," Bolton argues on the limited power Texas legislature yields to districts. She aims to inform and persuade Texas residents to accept, understand, or contribute to a change. Strong reasoning and support is needed; she must lay out a clear analyze of the causes and effects of the problem and use relevant and current evidence to support her claim.

Bolton argues that Texas districts, specially the larger ones, need more local authority. She states that commissioners are not able to solve some of the problems faced by residents because the power granted to counties’ government is not enough to deal with local growth and development. She criticizes Texas legislature position in the issue declaring that bills regarding this matter have always failed in pass sessions; including a bill, proposed by her, that would give counties with more than 500,000 people the necessary “tools to manage land and water use.” According to Bolton, Texas ought to pass a legislation granting counties more local authority and control; this is the only effective way to solve such problems.

Bolton supports her argument with a recent vital event; she mentions the Hamilton Pool water contamination as an example of the kind of problem residents have to face due to counties’ lack of local control over development and she adds that “much will need to be done to reclaim” the pool. She also refers to a recent Austin America-statesman as a alternative source where readers can find more information to support her claims.

I consider this argument some how successful; I believe that if the author had engaged the opposition and presented good counterarguments the claim would be stronger and seem more credible. Bolton convinced me that county government is not always capable of dealing with local issues, but I’m not yet convinced that passing such legislation is the only way to deal with local growth and development issues.

If such legislation is passed, counties will be able to solve more problems and to make more decisions, residents will have lower taxes and more property rights, and Texas representatives will have more power and control.