Carona Bashes GOP, Conservatives on Gambling

April 10, 2013 by Dustin Matocha

Taxpayers witnessed a rather candid moment for State Sen. John Carona (R – Dallas) today. While laying out his bill to expand gambling, Mr. Carona took time to bash conservatives, and the Republican Party of Texas, for their stance against cronyism and bigger government.

State Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas)

Mr. Carona’s comments came during the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, which he chairs. Mr. Carona was laying out his late-filed bill to expand gambling in Texas by legalizing resort-style casinos and slot machines – all while creating a brand-new government bureaucracy to oversee and regulate it.
The Dallas Morning News reported this morning that Chairman Carona dismissively questioned Republican Party of Texas Vice-Chair Melinda Fredericks for pointing out the party’s explicit opposition to gambling in the party platform, and said of the Tea Party, “we never know what the Hell they’re going to say on any given issue.”
Given the senator’s self-described status as an “independent voice who is not afraid to go against the Republican establishment,” the question should instead be about what Mr. Carona will say on “any given issue.” Remember, this is the same “Republican” who colluded with former State Rep. Vicki Truitt to support hiking the gas tax in 2009. He has a lifetime score of F on our index and a 61 career score on the Young Conservatives of Texas ratings.
What Sen. Carona doesn’t seem to understand is that grassroots conservatives and the Republican Party of Texas have all been consistently calling for free markets and limited government, neither of which they would get if his bill became law.
Lt. Governor David Dewhurst told taxpayers after the 2012 elections that he wants to have a “conservative session” in 2013. That absolutely will not happen if this crony gambling legislation moves. It’s on his shoulders to make sure the bill is DOA by the time it hits the Senate floor, because Speaker Straus and his leadership team certainly will do nothing to stop it in the house.
Frankly, taxpayers should be concerned that the Lt. Governor even allowed the bill to be late-filed in the first place.

Category: Featured Articles

Tags: crony capitalism, David Dewhurst, Gambling, Joe Straus, John Carona, SJR 64

Dustin Matocha

Dustin Matocha is the Social Media Coordinator for Empower Texans and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. He oversees our Facebook and Twitter presence, while also monitoring legislative activities and news reports. Dustin is a self-described Corvette enthusiast, baseball purist and diehard Orangeblood. When not defending liberty, he enjoys grilling, good bourbon, and close friends.

Follow @dustinmatocha

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Texas Democrat Wants Photo ID for SHOPPING but not VOTING

the following article is from Empower Texans:

December 5, 2012 by Dustin Matocha

One Texas Democrat wants the state to force people to show a photo ID this session. No, it’s not to prove who you are at the voting booth – it’s to prove who you are in the grocery store checkout lane.
That’s right, HB 244 by Democrat State Rep. José Menéndez, would require you to provide a photo ID any time you use a credit card in a face-to-face transaction.
So whether you’re buying groceries, paying at a restaurant, or even shopping at the mall, you can be ready to break out that government-issued photo ID if this bill were to pass.

If Rep. José Menéndez got his way, you’d be required to prove your identity to spend your own money, but not if you’re spending someone else’s money.

But if you stop by the polling place on your way home, don’t worry. Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to make sure you are not inconvenienced in any way, shape or form by a requirement to provide a photo ID.Providing an ID any time you make a credit card purchase face-to-face? That’s to prevent identity fraud. But show one when asking for a ballot? Discrimination! Or something like that…
Notice though that a requirement to show Photo ID for the use of an EBT/Lone Star Card is conspicuously absent from the bill – despite it being illegal for someone to use another person’s card.
In other words, if Rep. Menéndez got his way, you’d be required to prove your identity to spend your own money, but not if you’re spending someone else’s money. And showing an ID once or twice a year at a polling place is too much to ask?
Thankfully this bill will almost certainly go nowhere in the legislative process this session, but it’s a great example of how misplaced the priorities are of those on the left.