Tuesday, January 02, 2007

"We don’t deserve Tom Craddick."

Opinion/Analysis

A Reminder To Texas House Members About Craddick

January 2, 2007

John Cobarruvias
Fort Bend Now
Copyright 2007

It is hard to believe, with Speaker Tom Craddick’s record, that anyone, especially any Democrat, would ever consider voting for him as one of the most powerful individuals in Austin who will set the course for our state in 2007. Maybe the 84 members who have pledged to him need to remember a few things about Craddick.

Craddick has been in office twice as long as Tom DeLay. He has been a State Representative for 38 years. He is a professional politician and when he retires, will receive a pension bigger than most Texans will ever see after spending their entire life at one company. Craddick, like Tom DeLay, is the poster child for term limits. No one should be in office for 38 years.

In just a few short years as Speaker of the House, Craddick renovated the Speakers apartment inside the Capitol with over $700,000 in donations from lobbyists. This included $250,000 from the AT&T Foundation and $250,000 from billionaire investor Harold Simmons . The renovations included not one, but two, $1000 toilets. Most Texans spend $2000 to renovate their entire bathrooms. Craddick instead buys $2000 in toilets for his and her’s thrones. Clearly Craddick is out of step with the working class in Texas.

Since becoming Speaker in 2003, Craddick has hid over $31,000 in expenditures behind credit cards, which is against ethics rules. He also has an enormous water bill from Ozarka for over $14,000 maybe for flushing his $1000 toilets. Again, Craddick is out of step with those who drink tap water and who follow the laws that he creates.

Craddick’s heavy handedness is second only to Tom DeLay, but it is a leadership method that was rejected by the voters with the 2006 elections. It has no place in our government. It has no place in Austin.

The 84 members supporting Craddick need to decide who they really support, the lobbyists and the heavy handed politics of a professional politician or the people of the state who own $50 toilets, drink tap water, and are held accountable for breaking the laws of the state.

This is a simple decision. How can you vote for someone to represent the hard working, law abiding citizens of the State of Texas while he sits upon his $1000 throne, drinks $14,000 of bottle water, and believes the laws are only for those he serves?

Tom Craddick doesn’t deserve to be Speaker of our House. And we don’t deserve Tom Craddick.


Houston

© 2006 Fort Bend Now: www.fortbendnow.com

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