Back in the middle of January I got a four-page flyer form an outfit calling itself the “Texas Citizens Coalition.” The group is headed up by Rosenberg realtor Gary Gates.
Their ostensible goals sound conservative enough:
1. A smaller role for government at all levels
2. The elimination of over-reach and reduced regulation
3. A pro-business, pro-capitalism environment
4. Personal responsibility
All well and good. But why drop a flyer two months after the election?
My working theory is that Texas Citizens Coalition is another group created with the express purpose of supporting Speaker Joe Straus against his conservative critics.
Supporting evidence for the theory:
One of their first news blurbs is from Straus himself. (The fact that the most recent bit of “Latest News” is from January ninth suggests lack of follow-through on TCC’s part…)
Note that every single legislator singled out for praise in page 2 of the flyer was not among those backing Scott Turner for Speaker.
Note that many of those praised legislators (Giovanni Capriglione, Tan Parker, Drew Springer and Jason Villalba) were all notable for declaring themselves Straus supporters in November.
The only groups that have been dropping flyers to my mailbox post-election have been pro-Straus groups.
Finally, I sent an email through their contact address asking if they were formed explicitly to support Straus, and received no reply.
If anyone has an alternate explanation, I’d be happy to hear it. Here’s the flyer itself:
By Lawrence Person
Lawrence Person is a political commentator and science fiction writer living in Austin, Texas. His political work has appeared in National Review, Reason, The Freeman, Liberty and The World & I. His SF has appeared in Asimov's, Analog, F&SF, Postscripts, Jim Baen's Universe, Fear, and several anthologies. He owns such a large library (mostly science fiction first editions) he had to buy a two-story house to put it in, and then adopted a golden retriever to drag him out of his house on a regular basis.
View all of Lawrence Person's posts.
Overheard at the last Board meeting of Texas Citizens’ Coalition:
“Geez! Two newsletters and they’re on to us already.”
As usual, your logic is impeccable.
Strange that a “grassroots based political action committee with members from all over the State of Texas” doesn’t include any contact info for the “staff” & “founding president” so we can jump on the bandwagon and help. Wonder if their visits to the legislators includes any Norm Adams “Texas Solution” amnesty talking points re the illegal alien problem. Wonder who their “expert” is on the IA problem. Whoever it is should see the website https://developcandidates.wordpress.com/texas-legislative-guide-reducing-illegal-immigration/
Reading your latest “Austin Report” I see very little listing about fixing education funding. Is this not a legislative priority and with Texas Citizens Coalition?
I read a lot about efforts to promote school choice and your latest issue discussed some about home schooling. I support both of these latter issues also, but correcting the inequalities in school financing should be education priority #1. Is Austin losing it’s focus on the ball? I believe the courts have directed that our current school funding system must be revised.
Ron Oden