Thank goodness I live in a state where officials are allowed to take suitcases full of cash, and it's ok as long as they write down "currency" on their ethics disclosure forms. Wow.AUSTIN — A Texas official who receives any sum of cash as a gift can satisfy state disclosure laws by reporting the money simply as "currency," without specifying the amount, the Texas Ethics Commission reiterated Monday.
The 5-3 decision outraged watchdog groups and some officials who unabashedly accused the commission of failing to enforce state campaign finance laws.
"What the Ethics Commission has done is legalize bribery in the state of Texas. We call on the commission to resign en masse," said Tom "Smitty" Smith, who heads Texas Citizen, an Austin-based group that advocates for campaign finance reform.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Ahh, Texas II
One of the things I miss about California is the quaint state politics, like the Peace and Freedom Party, which doesn't sound too bad ("Hey - I like peace and freedom!") until you realize that they're radical Marxists. Texas provides its own amusement, though. From this morning's Houston Chronicle:
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Doug, does this also apply to faculty at state universities? I have a few friends at UT who would be interested. We gotta get the private schools in on this game.
Look at it this way, now you have documented evidence of the state politicians taking bribes. Just because they are not breaking the law by taking bribes doesn't mean it becomes okay to vote for them. Somehow, I think that paper trail means that Texas politicians will treat this sort of behavior the same way other state politicians do, discreetly and very "off the books".
I think that paper trail means that Texas politicians will treat this sort of behavior the same way other state politicians do.
I think that paper trail means that Texas politicians will treat this sort of behavior the same way other state politicians do, discreetly and very "off the books".
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