Last month, We learned that State Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) was accepting unethical and very possibly illegal campaign help from ATandT. The problem is that Rep. King's House Committee oversees companies like ATandT, and King is the chairman of the committee. Now we find that may just have been a little of what is going on, and it has been happening for a while.
In 2005, King threw a dinner for the members of his Regulated Industries Committee. It just happened to be held at the house of a lobbyist representing some of the very industries that committee regulates. The catering for the party was also paid for by a couple of those industries who had business before the committee.
It also turns out that at least a third of his current contributions have come from the PACs of these regulated industries. Of course, these companies say they're just giving King donations, parties and gifts because they like him and not because they're trying to buy his vote. But can there really be anyone who doesn't think these companies expect something in return?
And we know we can't believe what King says, because he doesn't mind lying about it. He watched the 2004 Super Bowl from the luxury box of CenterPoint Energy, but told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that they didn't pay for his tickets. Now, four years later, he is forced to admit that the energy company did give him the tickets.
King has been bought and paid for by the companies he is supposed to be regulating. It doesn't get more unethical than that. The good people of Weatherford should be embarrassed by his actions.They should vote him out in the upcoming election.
They don't have to do it in November with a Democrat. If they want to be represented by a Republican, King has an honest Republican opponent in the primary next month -- former mayor Joe Tison. But whether they replace him with a Republican or a Democrat, replace him they must.
It time to start cleaning up the corruption in state leadership, and Rep. King would be a good place to start.
No comments:
Post a Comment
ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. And neither will racist,homophobic, or misogynistic comments. I do not mind if you disagree, but make your case in a decent manner.