I echo the sentiments of Representative Deshotel and Fischer-Martinez; we should drug test all individuals in public office, especially Governor Perry. As Representative Fischer-Martinez commented, “He’s the largest recipient of government subsidies in the state of Texas. His subsidy for his mansion is no different from someone else’s Section 8 voucher.”

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The Governor’s office isn’t alone in wasting time on inconsequential issues that ignore Texas’ real problems. Looking at some of the bills filed last week, they range from having the Ten Commandments in every school to mandating a Constitution course in public schools. I suppose Representative Dan Flynn doesn’t know that course already exists, it’s called Government, a required course for all high school seniors. I presume he also doesn’t realize that studying the Constitution is required curriculum in 7th grade Texas history, 8th grade U.S. History, 10th grade World History, and 11th grade U.S. History.

Why aren’t the leaders in our state working on the REAL problems that exist in Texas?

Texas ranks first in executions.
Texas ranks first in the number of uninsured.
Texas ranks second in food insecurity.
Texas ranks last in mental health expenditures.
Texas was labeled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation as “the worst state in America to be a child.”
Texas is 47th in tax expenditures that directly benefit their citizens.
Texas ranks last in the percent of population that has a high school diploma.
Texas ranks last in Workers’ compensation coverage.
Texas ranks 4th in the percentage of children living in poverty.
Texas ranks 2nd in the number of children enrolled in public schools.
Texas ranks 2nd in overall birth rate.
Texas ranks 49th in the number of poor people covered by Medicaid.
Texas ranks 48th in the number of people covered by employer-based health insurance.
Texas ranks 49th in per capita spending on Medicaid.
Texas ranks last in the percentage of non-elderly women with health insurance.
Texas ranks last in the percentage of women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester.
Texas ranks 49th in the average credit score of Americans.
Texas ranks 1st in the amount of carbon dioxide emissions.
Texas ranks 1st in the amount of toxic chemicals released into water.
Texas ranks 1st in the amount of hazardous waste generated.

With those twenty facts (and there are more), a more reasonable person might insist that lawmakers’ focus on real problems, rather than nonexistent ones.

Instead, our Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and the rest of the Tea Party mob focuses on dredging up hatred and resentment of the poor and non-white population. It’s nothing more than ignorant propaganda to create an anonymous group of million-man villains, more angry echoes from behind the Pine Curtain of the East Texas GOP, with Chairman Peter Morrison labeling fellow Texans as “maggots and parasites”.

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