Sara E. Smith

<!DOCTYPE html> <html>   <html class="no-js">  <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.tribtalk.org:80/author/sara-e-smith/","20150403041531","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1428034531"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1"> <title>Sara E. Smith</title> <meta name="description" content="The Texas Tribune's opinion site"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://cdn.optimizely.com/js/1290820213.js"></script> <link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="/web/20150403041531im_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/images/favicon/favicon.af0f59d4e6e6.ico"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="120x120" href="/web/20150403041531im_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-120x120.d7d8f92b1fee.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="76x76" href="/web/20150403041531im_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-76x76.214a9777769e.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="152x152" href="/web/20150403041531im_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-152x152.be4506cae0a3.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/web/20150403041531im_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/images/favicon/favicon-196x196.79e4f003069b.png" sizes="196x196"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/web/20150403041531im_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/images/favicon/favicon-16x16.131c774078d2.png" sizes="16x16"> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="703403706393563"> <meta property="og:site_name" content="TribTalk"> <meta property="og:description" content="Perspectives on Texas from thought leaders across the politics and policy spectrum. A publication of The Texas Tribune."> <meta property="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531im_/http://static.texastribune.org.s3.amazonaws.com/media/tribtalk/tribtalk_FB_og_image.jpg"> <script src="/web/20150403041531js_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/js/vendor/modernizr.min.d515a1d5b4ab.js"></script> <link href="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531cs_/http://netdna.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.0.3/css/font-awesome.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/web/20150403041531cs_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/css/app.min.1e3e9c366cb0.css"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://use.typekit.net/hxp4tcr.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">try{Typekit.load();}catch(e){}</script> <script type="text/javascript">window.NREUM||(NREUM={}),__nr_require=function(e,n,t){function r(t){if(!n[t]){var o=n[t]={exports:{}};e[t][0].call(o.exports,function(n){var o=e[t][1][n];return r(o?o:n)},o,o.exports)}return n[t].exports}if("function"==typeof __nr_require)return __nr_require;for(var o=0;o<t.length;o++)r(t[o]);return r}({QJf3ax:[function(e,n){function t(e){function n(n,t,a){e&&e(n,t,a),a||(a={});for(var u=c(n),f=u.length,s=i(a,o,r),p=0;f>p;p++)u[p].apply(s,t);return s}function a(e,n){f[e]=c(e).concat(n)}function c(e){return f[e]||[]}function u(){return t(n)}var f={};return{on:a,emit:n,create:u,listeners:c,_events:f}}function r(){return{}}var o="nr@context",i=e("gos");n.exports=t()},{gos:"7eSDFh"}],ee:[function(e,n){n.exports=e("QJf3ax")},{}],3:[function(e,n){function t(e){return function(){r(e,[(new Date).getTime()].concat(i(arguments)))}}var r=e("handle"),o=e(1),i=e(2);"undefined"==typeof window.newrelic&&(newrelic=window.NREUM);var a=["setPageViewName","addPageAction","setCustomAttribute","finished","addToTrace","inlineHit","noticeError"];o(a,function(e,n){window.NREUM[n]=t("api-"+n)}),n.exports=window.NREUM},{1:12,2:13,handle:"D5DuLP"}],"7eSDFh":[function(e,n){function t(e,n,t){if(r.call(e,n))return e[n];var o=t();if(Object.defineProperty&&Object.keys)try{return Object.defineProperty(e,n,{value:o,writable:!0,enumerable:!1}),o}catch(i){}return e[n]=o,o}var r=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;n.exports=t},{}],gos:[function(e,n){n.exports=e("7eSDFh")},{}],handle:[function(e,n){n.exports=e("D5DuLP")},{}],D5DuLP:[function(e,n){function t(e,n,t){return r.listeners(e).length?r.emit(e,n,t):(o[e]||(o[e]=[]),void o[e].push(n))}var r=e("ee").create(),o={};n.exports=t,t.ee=r,r.q=o},{ee:"QJf3ax"}],id:[function(e,n){n.exports=e("XL7HBI")},{}],XL7HBI:[function(e,n){function t(e){var n=typeof e;return!e||"object"!==n&&"function"!==n?-1:e===window?0:i(e,o,function(){return r++})}var r=1,o="nr@id",i=e("gos");n.exports=t},{gos:"7eSDFh"}],G9z0Bl:[function(e,n){function t(){var e=d.info=NREUM.info,n=f.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];if(e&&e.licenseKey&&e.applicationID&&n){c(p,function(n,t){n in e||(e[n]=t)});var t="https"===s.split(":")[0]||e.sslForHttp;d.proto=t?"https://":"http://",a("mark",["onload",i()]);var r=f.createElement("script");r.src=d.proto+e.agent,n.parentNode.insertBefore(r,n)}}function r(){"complete"===f.readyState&&o()}function o(){a("mark",["domContent",i()])}function i(){return(new Date).getTime()}var a=e("handle"),c=e(1),u=(e(2),window),f=u.document,s=(""+location).split("?")[0],p={beacon:"bam.nr-data.net",errorBeacon:"bam.nr-data.net",agent:"js-agent.newrelic.com/nr-632.min.js"},d=n.exports={offset:i(),origin:s,features:{}};f.addEventListener?(f.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",o,!1),u.addEventListener("load",t,!1)):(f.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",r),u.attachEvent("onload",t)),a("mark",["firstbyte",i()])},{1:12,2:3,handle:"D5DuLP"}],loader:[function(e,n){n.exports=e("G9z0Bl")},{}],12:[function(e,n){function t(e,n){var t=[],o="",i=0;for(o in e)r.call(e,o)&&(t[i]=n(o,e[o]),i+=1);return t}var r=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;n.exports=t},{}],13:[function(e,n){function t(e,n,t){n||(n=0),"undefined"==typeof t&&(t=e?e.length:0);for(var r=-1,o=t-n||0,i=Array(0>o?0:o);++r<o;)i[r]=e[n+r];return i}n.exports=t},{}]},{},["G9z0Bl"]);</script></head> <body class="author-detail"> <script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-9827490-9', 'tribtalk.org'); ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script> <div class="page-wrap"> <header class="site-header"> <div class="wrapper"> <form action="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/search/" method="get" class="nav-search social-link"> <label for="id_search"> <i class="fa fa-search"></i> </label> <input class="form-control" type="search" name="q" placeholder="Search" id="id_search"> </form> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.facebook.com/TribTalkTX" title="Find us on Facebook" class="social-link" target="_blank"> <i class="fa fa-facebook"></i> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.twitter.com/TribTalkTX" title="Follow us on Twitter" class="social-link" target="_blank"> <i class="fa fa-twitter"></i> </a> <a href="#" class="nav-toggle nav-toggle-icon"><i class="fa fa-bars"></i></a> <h1> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/"> <img src="/web/20150403041531im_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/images/TribTalk-Logo-Final-white.a96f4e18b60a.png" alt="TribTalk"> <span>|</span> <small>Perspectives on Texas</small> </a> </h1> </div> <div class="subheader"> <div class="wrapper"> A publication of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.texastribune.org/">The Texas Tribune</a> </div> </div> </header> <nav class="main-nav tribtalk-menu"> <div class="wrapper"> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/about/">About</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/authors/">Authors</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/submit/">Submit</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/paid-placement/">Paid Placement</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.texastribune.org/donate/" target="_blank">Donate</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.texastribune.org/" target="_blank">The Texas Tribune</a></li> </ul> </div> </nav> <div id="content-wrap"> <div class="wrapper content-wrapper"> <div class="main-container"> <div class="main "> <div class="drop-label-container clearfix"> <div class="drop-label"> Author Profile </div> </div> <div class="author-profile"> <div class="media avatar"> <img src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531im_/http://cdn.tribtalk.org/media/authors/headshot-sized.jpg" alt=""> </div> <div class="content"> <header class="author-header"> <h1>Sara E. Smith</h1> <p class="author-title"> Director of the Texas Public Interest Research Group </p> <p class="author-twitter"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://twitter.com/Sara_in_ATX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> @Sara_in_ATX </a> </p> </header> <p>Sara E. Smith is a lawyer and the director of the Texas Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization.</p> </div> </div> <section> <h2>Latest Columns</h2> <article class="article-summary category-government"> <div class="media"> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2015/03/31/finding-common-ground-on-budget-transparency/"> <img class="lede_art" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531im_/http://cdn.tribtalk.org/media/photos/2014/06/TribTalk-capitol-cieling1024x522.jpg"> </a> <div class="category"><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/category/government/">Government</a></div> <div class="comment_count hidden"> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2015/03/31/finding-common-ground-on-budget-transparency/#comments">0</a> </div> </div> <div class="article_body"> <h2> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2015/03/31/finding-common-ground-on-budget-transparency/">Finding common ground on budget transparency</a> </h2> <p class="byline"> <span class="authors">By <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/author/sara-e-smith/">Sara E. Smith</a> and <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/author/peggy-venable/">Peggy Venable</a>,</span> <time class="pubdate" datetime="Tue, 31 Mar 2015 16:57:13 -0500" title="2015-03-31 16:57"> March 31, 2015 </time> </p> <p>We're two grassroots leaders from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but on this we can agree: Texas can and must improve its fiscal transparency.</p> </div> </article> <article class="article-summary category-government"> <div class="media"> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2015/01/21/citizens-united-5-years-later/"> <img class="lede_art" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531im_/http://cdn.tribtalk.org/media/photos/2015/01/TribTalk-USCapitol.jpg"> </a> <div class="category"><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/category/government/">Government</a></div> <div class="comment_count "> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2015/01/21/citizens-united-5-years-later/#comments">4</a> </div> </div> <div class="article_body"> <h2> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2015/01/21/citizens-united-5-years-later/">Citizens United: 5 years later</a> </h2> <p class="byline"> <span class="authors">By <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/author/sara-e-smith/">Sara E. Smith</a>,</span> <time class="pubdate" datetime="Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:34:45 -0600" title="2015-01-21 13:34"> Jan. 21, 2015 </time> </p> <p>Citizens United has unleashed a tide of big money into our election system, threatening to drown out the voices of ordinary Texans. Fortunately, there's something we can do about it.</p> </div> </article> <article class="article-summary category-transportation"> <div class="media"> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2014/10/05/the-trouble-with-toll-roads-in-texas/"> <img class="lede_art" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531im_/http://cdn.tribtalk.org/media/photos/2014/10/tollroad.jpg"> </a> <div class="category"><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/category/transportation/">Transportation</a></div> <div class="comment_count "> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2014/10/05/the-trouble-with-toll-roads-in-texas/#comments">3</a> </div> </div> <div class="article_body"> <h2> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2014/10/05/the-trouble-with-toll-roads-in-texas/">The trouble with toll roads in Texas</a> </h2> <p class="byline"> <span class="authors">By <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/author/phineas-baxandall/">Phineas Baxandall</a> and <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/author/sara-e-smith/">Sara E. Smith</a>,</span> <time class="pubdate" datetime="Sun, 5 Oct 2014 21:01:04 -0500" title="2014-10-05 21:01"> Oct. 5, 2014 </time> </p> <p>Texans aren't so fond of toll roads these days, and for good reason. They allow politicians to take credit for shiny new projects while letting them off the hook for making tough decisions on transportation funding. </p> </div> </article> <article class="article-summary category-government"> <div class="media"> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2014/07/02/as-texas-woos-business-wheres-the-transparency/"> <img class="lede_art" src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531im_/http://cdn.tribtalk.org/media/photos/2014/07/TTalk-Trans.jpg"> </a> <div class="category"><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/category/government/">Government</a></div> <div class="comment_count hidden"> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2014/07/02/as-texas-woos-business-wheres-the-transparency/#comments">0</a> </div> </div> <div class="article_body"> <h2> <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/2014/07/02/as-texas-woos-business-wheres-the-transparency/">As Texas woos business, where's the transparency?</a> </h2> <p class="byline"> <span class="authors">By <a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/author/sara-e-smith/">Sara E. Smith</a>,</span> <time class="pubdate" datetime="Wed, 2 Jul 2014 18:40:51 -0500" title="2014-07-02 18:40"> July 2, 2014 </time> </p> <p>Our state isn't providing taxpayers with the tools they need to evaluate some of the costliest and most controversial economic development programs in the country.</p> </div> </article> </section> </div> </div> </div> <footer class="site-footer"> <div class="wrapper"> <div class="logo-etc"> <h2> TribTalk<br/> <small>©2015 TribTalk</small> </h2> <p class="foo">A publication of:</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/https://www.texastribune.org/"> <img src="/web/20150403041531im_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/images/TT-logo-white.dd56ad79c0da.png" class="tt_logo"> </a> </div> <div class="info"> <h2>Info</h2> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/about/">About Us</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/authors/">Authors</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/submit/">Submit</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/paid-placement/">Paid Placement</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/https://www.texastribune.org/donate/" target="_blank">Donate</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/https://www.texastribune.org/terms-of-service/" target="_blank">Terms of Service</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/https://www.texastribune.org/privacy/" target="_blank">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/https://www.texastribune.org/ethics/" target="_blank">Code of Ethics</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/https://www.texastribune.org/contact/" target="_blank">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.tribtalk.org/feeds/articles/" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="share"> <h2>Share</h2> <ul class="share-list"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.twitter.com/TribTalkTX" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i>Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531/http://www.facebook.com/TribTalkTX" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-facebook"></i>Facebook</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </footer> </div> </div> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.0/jquery.min.js"></script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/underscore.js/1.6.0/underscore-min.js"></script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/backbone.js/1.1.2/backbone-min.js"></script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/https://hammerjs.github.io/dist/hammer.js"></script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/moment.js/2.5.1/moment.min.js"></script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.texastribune.org/lib/jquery.cookie/1.4.0/jquery.cookie.js"></script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.texastribune.org/lib/jquery.scrollTo/1.4.11/jquery.scrollTo.min.js"></script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20150403041531js_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.texastribune.org/lib/xscrolly/0.4.0/xscrolly.min.js"></script> <script src="/web/20150403041531js_/http://www.tribtalk.org/static/js/app.5d9f1bf4fc23.js"></script> <script> jQuery(document).ready(function() { $canvasContent = $('.main-nav ul').html(); offCanvas = '<nav id="off_canvas" class="tribtalk-menu">'; offCanvas += '<ul>'; offCanvas += $canvasContent; offCanvas += '<li><a href="#" class="nav-toggle">Close <i class="fa fa-times-circle"></i></a></li>'; offCanvas +='</ul></nav>'; $(offCanvas).insertBefore('#content-wrap'); window.App.init(); }); </script> <script type="text/javascript">window.NREUM||(NREUM={});NREUM.info={"beacon":"bam.nr-data.net","queueTime":0,"licenseKey":"345fc0974e","agent":"js-agent.newrelic.com/nr-632.min.js","transactionName":"YldSYkNWV0VQVkwPXlsddkNfVE1fXlsXAltUXFdZH0FQU0ZGFgFUW1dCX1IZXVNFVFEKC3RHRF5eRX1TRVRRCh9SV0Q=","applicationID":"4041291","errorBeacon":"bam.nr-data.net","applicationTime":93}</script></body> </html>

CINXE.COM

Sara E. Smith