A Call to Arms: Say "No" to Republican Cronyism in Austin. Now!
Our good friends over at Pink Dome alerted us late last night to some troubling goings-on on the Hill that have us, well...troubled.
Apparently a Republican operative has been appointed to lead the Legislative Council for Texas. Ho hum, right? Another legislative appointee. Not so fast. The Legislative Council Director controls everything on the Hill - the emails, the network, the drafting of bills, the handling of those bills being drafted and all of that. It is meant to be a non-partisan position. This effort being RAMMED through is another example of Washington cronyism seeping into Austin. We have very little time to act. The confirmation hearings are set for today. There is little we can do but flood the offices of Tom Craddick and David Dewhurst with phone calls.
Call Tom Craddick's Offices:
Capitol Office
Room CAP 2W.13
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-1000
(512) 463-7722 Fax
or
District Office
500 West Texas, Ste 880
Midland, TX 79701
(432) 682-3000
(432) 684-4864 Fax
The folks over at Pink Dome were alerted to this maneuvering by Rep. Senfronia Thompson. After the jump, read her letter to the Legislative Council expressing her concern over these devlopments.
31 January, 2006
The Honorable Tom Craddick
The Honorable David Dewhurst
To the Honorable Members of the Legislative Council:
It has come to my attention that the Council is scheduled to approve a new Council director Wednesday morning, Milton Rister, a political operative, who has worked against sitting members of both Houses. Mr. Rister will more than likely work with some of these members in his capacity as the Executive Director of the Legislative Council. Mr. Rister's devisive presence may create a perceived erosion of the confidentiality, independence, discretion, and credibility of the non-partisan Legislative Council.
As one of the most senior legislators and a former member of the Legislative Council, I urge your reconsideration of this ill-considered and ill-timed appointment. Texas Legislators must be able to depend on the Legislative Council to draft potential legislation according to the members request and for those requests to remain confidential. This has always been the policy of the Legislative Council. Having an Executive Director, with such a well-documented political agenda could stifle many legislators' willingness to make use of the such a valuable legislative asset.
The bipartisan traditions of the Texas Legislature have been honored by such diverse persons as George W. Bush and Ann Richards. At the core of this tradition, is an independent and dependable Legislative Council. I pray a more suitable candidate can be found to fill the shoes of true non-partisan Texas heroes like Bob Johnson and Bob Kelly.
Yours for a better Texas,
Senfronia ThompsonState Representative
cc: Members of the Legislative Council
