The Associated Press' Jay Root has done some of the best digging into Texas gubernatorial candidates over the past year.

Last year he got Gov. Rick Perry to cough up his tax returns. Through Root's examination, the public knew that Perry had hit millionaire status and that he profited from a land deal involving a GOP state senator.

Now, Root has put the spotlight on candiate -- and former Houston mayor -- Bill White's tax returns. White released his returns yesterday in the wake of pressure from Perry to do so.

From Root's report via the Statesman:

As the storm was walloping parts of Houston, White helped line up private companies to provide goods and services as part of a massive relief effort. One of those companies was Btec Turbines, where White had served on the board of directors before he was mayor. White said he called the company to help provide power generators to ensure the Houston-area refineries and the adjoining city of Baytown could maintain their water supply during the power outages.

The company then got an emergency contract with the regional Coastal Water Authority, White recalled.

A little more than a year later, White invested about $1 million in the privately held Btec, which has also provided generators to contractors in Iraq. He has reported about a $500,000 profit from the investment.

White says he made the investment for the same reason that he called them during a crisis.

"I though the company was good at what it did," White said. He said he considered keeping the water supply flowing to refineries a "matter of national importance." While acknowledging he has made money from Btec, White said he saw no conflict of interest in the arrangement.
Perry campaign spokesman Mark Miner said White still has "questions to answer on this."

Having this kind of information is helpful -- and can lead to more questions that the public and the press can ask to get the best understanding of a candidate.

Like we've said before, although public officials are not required to make tax returns public, when candidates do, they're providing the public with more tools to use in making an informed decision at the polls.

Trent Seibert can be reached at 832-316-4994 or at trent@texaswatchdog.org. Follow him on Twitter at @texaswatchdog or @trentseibert.

Photo of Hurricane Rita via the University of Texas at Arlington.