Ratliff 'distraught' over redistricting, contemplates resignation

Fort Worth Star-Telegram ^ | August 19, 2003 | April Castro

[hoaxbuster1]

AUSTIN - Former acting Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, the only Senate Republican who has vocally opposed congressional redistricting, said Tuesday there's little chance he will seek another term and has contemplated resignation over the current state of the Texas Senate.

"It's a day-to-day or month-to-month decision," said Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant. "I'm getting to the point that I'd rather be playing golf. I enjoy my golf a little more these days."

Speaking publicly for the first time since angrily walking out of a Senate Republican Caucus meeting last week and abruptly returning to Mount Pleasant when his colleagues decided to fine 11 boycotting Democrats, Ratliff was pensive and melancholy.

Asked if he'd considered resignation over the current legislative mess, Ratliff replied "I guess the other day when I went home it occurred to me."

"The tragedy behind all this is that just gradually we're escalating the hostility," Ratliff said. "The real tragedy is that it was all predictable and avoidable. But each step that's taken, just by one more step, destroys the Senate that I knew."

Senate Republicans, last week voted to levy stiff fines on Democrats boycotting the Senate over Republican-led efforts to redraw congressional districts. Days later, to enforce the fines on rebellious senators, Republicans voted to impose sanctions on their offices, including stripping their staffs of cell phones, parking spaces and some mailing privileges until the fines were paid in full.

If Democrats manage to stay in Albuquerque, N.M., until Aug. 26, the end of the second special session, the redistricting legislation would be effectively dead for this session. It would be the third failed attempt by the state's Republican leadership to adopt congressional redistricting and Gov. Rick Perry has indicated he's committed to the issue.

Ratliff predicted that healing the wounds wouldn't come easily to the divided Senate chamber.

"If I thought that it was all going to blow over when it's over, I wouldn't be nearly as distraught about what's going on," he said. "I don't think it's going to blow over. I think it may be a generation before the scars from this are healed and that's what bothers me about it."

Ratliff became acting lieutenant governor - presiding officer of the Senate - when in 2000 then-Lt. Gov. Rick Perry replaced George W. Bush as governor.

[Redbob]

"I would like to know where was the Republican "hostility" when the shoe was on the other foot?"

You've hit the nail on the head:
We need more "hostile" Republicans in Austin (and Washington, too, for that matter).

I say we need to replace ANY 'Pubbie who was elected to the Texas legislature before about 1990: those guys KNEW they'd never be in the majority, never have a chance to set policy or wield power, and they were fine with that!
They've ALL got to go, they've got to be replaced with creatures with spines.

[Redbob]

Give his office a call, tell them you think he needs to go right away, why wait? Get an early tee time!

The (Dis)Honorable Bill Ratliff
P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711
(512) 463-0101

[CPT Clay]

I feel like a heckler with someone standing on the ledge of a tall building.

Go ahead, Jump!!!!

Don't talk about it... do it.