Why Is Staples Hiding His Records ?

Texas' current Agriculture Commissioner, Todd Staples, has done plenty enough to convince me that the state needs a new Ag. Commissioner. In addition to just not doing his job very well (such as the very poor inspections of food preparation plants such as the peanut plant in West Texas that was exposed as a health hazard by the federal government), Staples has purchased a new Chevy Suburban with campaign funds (a violation of campaign law) and refused to release his tax returns for public viewing (as his opponent and other politicians of both parties have done).

Now he has done something else that I must admit I just don't understand. He has sealed the records of his time as a state representative and state senator "in perpetuity" -- meaning the people of Texas will never be able to see what is in those records, ever, under any circumstances. I have to wonder just what kind of terrible thing is in those records that they must be hidden from view forever? What has he done that he feels must be hidden from the citizens of Texas?

And I'm not the only one wondering about that about Staples. His opponent in the upcoming election, Hank Gilbert, would like to know what Republican Todd Staples is trying to hide. Here is what Gilbert has to say about the situation:

"Many records from Staples' days as a State Representative and State Senator housed in the custody of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission--particularly correspondence from lobbyists, constituents, business people, contributors, and even the Texas Legislative Council sent to Staples' House and Senate offices--are sealed in perpetuity--meaning no Texan will ever be able to gain access to the records for the entire future of recorded human history.

Existing law allows confidential information of his constituents--like their names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, Social Security Numbers, etc. to be redacted from those documents when they are open to viewing by the public, so there seems to have been no need for him to seal them forever unless he was truly trying to hide something

Staples' legislative records join his tax returns and records concerning a vehicle purchased with campaign funds as the latest in a series of Staples' records the incumbent Agriculture Commissioner is attempting to hide from public view.

What could be in the records that is so damning to Staples? Aside from a letter from Harold Simmons reminding him exactly how much money he contributed to purchase Sleazy Staples' vote to build a radioactive waste dump in Texas, the guess of the good citizens of Texas is as good as mine.

To put this into perspective, think of two of the most secretive presidents in U.S. history--Richard M. Nixon and George W. Bush; if you go to their presidential libraries or the National Archives and request to see correspondence, with the exception of something relating to national security, you're going to by and large get to see what you ask for. To think that Staples has more to hide than either of those two guys is downright frightening."

I have to agree with Hank Gilbert. It is time for Staples to open up and be honest with the people of Texas. I doubt that he will do that though, and that is just another very good reason to vote against him this November.