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In Patrick, Texas may find another tea party star

By WTOP Staff

WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press

SALADO, Texas (AP) — Scoffing at the issue of climate change was easy, but tea party favorite Dan Patrick also didn’t miss the chance to savage the White House’s purported efforts to slow it — really working the conservative crowd into a frenzy.

“I understand why Obama thinks he can change the weather,” the millionaire radio talk show host bellowed over rising applause from the 200 people assembled at a ranch deep in the countryside “because he thinks he’s God.”

From Texas, which made firebrand Ted Cruz a political celebrity and remains America’s franchise state for the tea party movement, comes another rising grassroots star. Patrick’s victory Tuesday in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor, a position that holds a unique amount of power in Texas, over 11-year incumbent David Dewhurst has the potential to push a deeply red state even farther to the right at a time when tea party contenders are struggling elsewhere.

Patrick, like Cruz, has “a spirit for real reform but also a fighter mentality,” said JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America — We the People, a conservative activist group based in East Texas. “Dan Patrick, he’s going to make people in both parties very unhappy, just like we’ve seen with Senator Cruz.”

Although tea party contenders are losing in primaries in many states, they keep rising in a state that’s fertile ground for grassroots stalwarts.

“The tea party groups are better-organized, much better-funded and much more-focused than the pro-business or other establishment outside efforts,” said Texas-based strategist Matt Mackowiak. “They just are.”

The movement’s strength in Texas is further magnified in primary and runoff elections, where turnout is low and the most motivated voters have the greatest sway.

Twenty years Cruz’s senior but a head taller and often quicker with a 10,000-watt smile, Patrick has the same fast-on-his-feet oratorical prowess as Cruz, who was an Ivy League debating champion. Patrick has a more abrasive style that critics call bullying — but also has been known to weep in public over issues close to his heart.

Patrick brags that he was the first grassroots sensation elected in Texas when he won a Houston-based state Senate seat in 2006. He founded the Legislature’s tea party caucus, and his lieutenant governor bid won strong support from state grassroots groups, as well national figures like former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Both Patrick and Cruz toppled the same Texas mainstream GOP-backed opponent in Dewhurst, who ran for the U.S. Senate in 2012.

“Tea party folks love America, they love the Constitution, they love (free) markets, they love the Second Amendment and they love Texas,” Patrick said during his victory party Tuesday. “If you love America, welcome to the grassroots of the Republican Party.”

Born Danny Scott Goeb, Patrick grew up in working-class Baltimore and took a new name for on-air appearances while working as a sportscaster in Pennsylvania. His rise featured some serious setbacks, including going bankrupt and attempting suicide in the 1980s, before he made a fortune buying and selling Texas radio broadcast rights.

More recently, he has devoted his radio program to social and policy topics that resonate with fierce conservatives.

“What we’re trying to do is take back America,” said one fan, Irene Dykemn, a 78-year-old retired artist who saw Patrick at a recent tea party debate in Salado, north of Austin. “It’s really going bad and I’m just scared of what’s going to happen.”

Patrick is a born-again Christian who is extremely vocal about his faith. His memoir is titled “A Personal Challenge to Read the Bible” and he successfully pushed to display “In God We Trust” in the Texas Senate Chamber.

Despite their political affinity, Patrick and Cruz have feuded publicly in the past. After Patrick backed Dewhurst’s 2012 Senate bid, Cruz accused him of lying during a heated radio appearance.

To become lieutenant governor, Patrick still must beat Democrat Leticia Van de Putte in November, but he’s a strong favorite.

If he wins, Patrick has promised to further restrict access to abortion and give Texans the right to carry guns virtually anywhere. He says he can muscle policies through the Legislature to halt an “illegal invasion” of immigrants. Patrick even has threatened to subject airport screeners to criminal charges for “excessive touching” during security pat-downs.

For now, he’s not yet on the radar of the major national conservative groups because he’s seeking a state office, but Peggy Venable, a policy director for Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, said she sees “a lot of similarities” with the more famous Cruz.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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