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Gina Hinojosa spreads masa inside a corn husk during a visit to a San Antonio small business. Credit: Julianna Plewes<\/p>\nGina Hinojosa spreads masa inside a corn husk during a visit to a San Antonio small business. Credit: Julianna Plewes<\/p>\n
State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee in the Texas governor\u2019s race, rolled up her sleeves and got to work Thursday morning in San Antonio to promote her new economic platform.<\/p>\n
During a stop at Adelita Tamales and Tortillas, Hinojosa helped spread masa on corn husks as she spoke with the small business\u2019 owners and employees about the impact of rising prices on their day-to-day operations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I am hearing from business owners across the state is they\u2019re struggling to keep their doors open, that inflation has impacted our small businesses much more than it has \u2026 big business,\u201d Hinojosa told the Current during the visit. \u201cFor small businesses, they operate on the margins, and we don\u2019t give help to our small businesses in this state.\u201d<\/p>\n
The stop at the tamale business is one of many Hinojosa is undertaking as she stumps for an economic platform centered around giving every Texas household a one-time payment of $1,500. The Austin-based rep argues the funds are necessary to help families such as the ones behind Adelita\u2019s and other small enterprises.<\/p>\n
Hinojosa\u2019s plan would use the state\u2019s $27 billion \u201crainy day fund,\u201d formally known as the Economic Stabilization Fund, to finance the direct payments to Texas families. Originally created in 1988 to respond to fluctuations in Texas\u2019 economy, the fund has grown substantially over the years but the state\u2019s Republican leadership has seldom tapped into it. <\/p>\n
To draw from the fund, Hinojosa would need legislative approval. And if she gets the green light, the plan would use up roughly two-thirds of the stockpile, costing the state an estimated $17 billion dollars, according to her campaign. However, based on projections by the state comptroller, the account will gradually expand back to its earlier level. <\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, people are struggling. People need that money,\u201d Hinojosa said. \u201cIf we\u2019re not going to spend it \u2014\u00a0and we haven\u2019t spent it in years \u2014\u00a0then we need to return it to the people of Texas who know how to spend it better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hinojosa spoke with Adelina\u2019s manager Robert Anthony Borrego IV, great-grandson of the tamale business\u2019 founder. He explained that the family owned shop has been selling tortillas and tamales since 1938, but rising prices and inflation have driven up costs, forcing the family to increase their prices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The price of meat has gone up by almost 30% during the past couple of months, Borrego told Hinojosa. The business also is paying more for corn husks. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo know that the cost of the husks has gone up almost 200% in the last few years, that\u2019s something that this family has to eat. They have to be able to still sell that product that people can buy,\u201d Hinojosa told the Current. \u201cAnd so they\u2019ve just had to go with less.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hinojosa\u2019s Republican opponent, Gov. Greg Abbott is campaigning on a promise to slash property taxes \u2014\u00a0something he\u2019s made a centerpiece of his previous runs. However, Hinojosa cautioned that the incumbent has shown little interest in helping ordinary people weather the economic storm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cost of everything has gone up considerably, and we know that in large part it is the government. It is because of Greg Abbott\u2019s corruption tax,\u201d Hinojosa said. \u201cThe economic development plan of Greg Abbott is to invest in global corporations, but it is our small businesses that hire people from the community and that put the money back in the community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both candidates are racing against the clock to sell Texans on their platforms before November\u2019s midterm elections. However, the well-funded Abbott currently holds a 7 point lead, according to a June poll from the Texas Politics Project. <\/p>\n
Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tThe proposal comes after a string of successes for candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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