Gee, I wonder why the Texas State Democrats didn't run away to New Mexico on THIS vote, like they did on the redistricting vote???
Panel to dine on lobby's dime
By R.A. Dyer
Star-Telegram Austin Bureau
AUSTIN - In a move that has good-government groups crying foul, a Texas House committee chairman has elected to hold a end-of-session dinner for his committee at the posh $4 million home of one of the state's most powerful lobbyists.
Invited are all seven members of the House Regulated Industries Committee, headed by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford. The panel deals with some of the most powerful companies in telephone, cable and electric utilities.
The Austin lobbyist is Neal "Buddy" Jones, whose clients include AT&T and FPL Energy, each with business before King's committee.
Catering for the Monday dinner comes courtesy of telecommunications companies SBC and Grande Communications, also with business before the committee, King said.
King said he sees nothing wrong with the arrangement.
"It's just the custom around here -- every committee that meets, and usually some lobby covers the cost," King said.
But Suzy Woodford, director of Common Cause Texas, said committee leaders typically pick up the tab for the end-of-session dinners -- and that's how it should be.
"And I don't care if it's typical or not -- it's still not right," Woodford said. "We don't agree with it, and we think what he's doing is an outrage."
Jones, who was recently called one of the state's most powerful lobbyists by Texas Monthly, could not be reached for comment Thursday.
In a written statement, SBC Communications stated that the company complies with all ethics laws and that it reports lobby expenses with the Texas Ethics Commission. A representative for Grande Communications could not be reached.
Each of the companies has pushed or opposed multimillion-dollar legislation with a direct bearing on consumer bills and service before King's committee.
Aggressive utility lobbying of King and other top lawmakers is nothing new.
• Last year, King watched the Super Bowl from a luxury skybox of Centerpoint Energy, a Houston energy company with a multimillion-dollar stake in legislation before his committee. King said that Centerpoint did not pay for his ticket and that he did not discuss legislative business during the game.
• In April, TXU facilitated a trip to the Masters golf tournament for the chairmen of two key Senate committees. Although the lawmakers paid their own way, questions remain as to whether they paid fair market value.
• A TXU official recently circulated a letter soliciting donations for the purchase of a shotgun as a gift to Rep. George "Buddy" West, R-Odessa, who heads the House Energy Resources Committee.
• Last month, TXU used its customer billing lists to send out thousands of letters in a direct-mail lobby effort against a bill before King's committee that could have saved money for TXU customers. That bill appears dead for the session, which ends May 30.
King said the tactics never affect his judgment.
"I never had anyone say to me, 'Hey, we supported you and gave you campaign contributions, or we helped you with this' -- I never had anybody do that," he said. "We're not going to put up with that."
But Woodford marveled at what she described as wining, dining and chutzpah by the industry lobby.
"The average consumer is going to be adversely impacted by the actions [the committee] takes, but the average citizen is not going to be in a position to pay for a dinner or have this access to the Regulated Industries Committee," she said.
• Abortion-rights forces block legislation that would require parental consent before abortions. 4B
ONLINE:www.capitol.state.tx.us
R.A. Dyer, (512) 476-4294 rdyer@star-telegram.com
A "lawmaker" is supposed to be a private citizen with a profession who is called to public service for a brief term, to lend the expertise of his or her profession to the lawmaking process. The very notion of a pension being earned for this (supposedly) brief term of public service is repugnant, and an affront to the ideals of the republic.
When will I get my $6K pay increase? Huh? Waiting. Drumming fingers. Still waiting.
Taxes Pensions Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
Glad i'm getting out of this hell-hole they call Texas.
The House sponsor of the legislation, state Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas, said that legislators in particular deserve the retirement boost because their salaries are so low. Lawmakers, deemed part-time, make $7,200 a year, plus $128 a day when they're in session.
Pretty sweet, work 12 years and retire on 5 times your base pay.
Believe it or not, all politicians are in it for the money, power, and glory.
The people are just the means they use to get it.