State Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) is head of the House Regulated Industries Committee. Some have said he's just a bit too close to some of the industries that the committee is supposed to regulate. Some recent evidence shows that may well be true.
King (pictured above) has opposition in the Republican primary from former Weatherford mayor Joe Tison, and in the general election from Democrat Charles William Randolph. It looks like his corporate friends may be starting to worry he might not get re-elected.
ATandT-Texas company president Jim Epperson sent a memo last week to all company employees and retirees living in King's district. The memo asked them to "make the time to help your state representative win this important race".
ATandT says the letter is a legal effort by its PAC. Epperson just happens to be both chairman of the PAC and company president of ATandT. Others disagree and see it as illegal corporate help in a campaign.
Tom Smith, Texas head of Public Citizen, said, "Texas law has long prohibited corporations from contributing to campaigns. The contributions can come in money but also from labor, and we think it's inappropriate for a regulated industry to be turning their staff people out to support a sitting legislator who is in a position to grant them large favors in return."
King's primary opponent, Joe Tison, said, "I think [the letter] adds to the perception that...he does spend more time working for the industries than he has doing things for his constituents in Parker and Wise counties."
In 2005, King helped to pass a telecommunications bill that was very advantageous to ATandT. Now it looks like the corporation wants to make sure their legislator gets re-elected.
This is just one example of how the state Republican leadership has sold out to the corporations. If ATandT wants King re-elected so badly, then I recommend the people in his district vote for his opponent.
The ordinary citizens of Texas will never get a break until the corporate hold over our state leadership is broken.
With the current economic outlook, I'd welcome more investment in Texas that brings us more jobs -- I don't care whether it is ATT or any other business. We need jobs and business competition that lowers our consumer rates. Heck, I support Phil King for bringing jobs, jobs, jobs.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
When was the last time rates went down on utilities? Mine just keep going up, thanks to the Republicans like King.
ReplyDeleteAT&T, previously SBC, has gotten everything that it wanted in every Texas legislative session. I once did an analysis of every telephone service that was deregulated by King (and the previous "State Affairs" committee that oversaw telecom), and every consumer add-on service went up in price to consumers.
ReplyDeleteKing, at this time, is one of the worst baggage carriers for AT&T. (But let's not forget Van de Putte, a Democrat from San Antonio, who has carried AT&T's water many times in the Texas legislature. )