Editorial: Special interests targeting two area legislators

Voters have some big decisions to make in the next few days, and the consequences of the Republican primary will have lasting ramifications on our state and our region.

Most Donley County voters have had their mailboxes littered with ultra-conservative propaganda that just seems to multiply as election day edges closer. The majority of that mail is courtesy of Empower Texans, a group that can best be described as sinister in their tactics to control Texas politics.

Empower Texans intends to unseat State Rep. Ken King and State Sen. Kel Seliger after the Panhandle legislators didn’t tow the line for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott last year. For the money men behind the political powerhouse, there is no compromise, and there is no “do what’s best for your district.” There is only “obey.”

Interestingly, King and Seliger both find themselves in three-way races for their party’s nominations.

Seliger is facing former Midland mayor Mike Canon, and Amarillo restauranteur Victor Leal. I’ve never met Mr. Canon, but I’m sure he would make a fine senator… for Midland. I’m just not sure he can identify with us poor folk in Donley County. He’s also endorsed by Empower Texans, and that’s about all I need to know.

Mr. Leal, on the other hand, I visited with on the phone a few months ago, and I had hoped to squeeze in a full interview before the election. But alas, time slipped away. In our one conversation, we did quickly find common ground with family histories in the Muleshoe/Farwell region. I told him my reasoning for supporting Mr. Seliger in an October editorial, and I think he respected my position. He seems like a man who can agree to disagree, and I think that’s a great quality in a person.

Rep. King is facing Perryton insurance man Jason Huddleston, and Richard Beyea, a man in the oil business who is also from Perryton.

Much like Canon, I don’t know Mr. Huddleston. I’m sure he’s a fine Christian man, but his campaign literature leads me to think that he might tend to vote his religious views over what’s best for the state. His campaign was nice enough to leave a message on our home answering machine about men in little girls’ restrooms, which we then had to explain to my nine- and 11-year-olds. I don’t appreciate that. He’s also endorsed by Empower Texans.

Mr. Beyea stopped by my office two weeks ago, and I had full intentions of writing up my entire conversation with him. But then Howardwick’s government went to hell, and I became sidetracked for several days.

During the half hour or so visit, Beyea seemed like a very nice West Texas guy. I found common ground with him also in terms of government functioning best at the local level. He was kind of worked up about property values going up and down with the price of oil, and I gently explained we didn’t have that problem here since we never had any oil.

Beyea said one of his motivations for running was that, in his opinion, Rep. King has basically ruined his relationship with the governor and Lt. Dan and therefore he cannot effectively represent us. In his view, you have to be able to get along with the party leadership if you’re going to get anything done.

Beyea also said Austin can take an I-35 issue and then uses a sledge hammer approach to the whole state.
I specifically asked if Beyea would have supported the lieutenant governor’s property tax proposal, which would have crippled economically disadvantaged rural counties like Donley by limiting their ability to raise taxes beyond four percent. (Currently, those taxes can be raised up to eight percent before a rollback election is triggered.)
Mr. Beyea said he would not have voted for it “without a fight,” which led me to believe that ultimately, after a good fight, he would have voted the way the party leadership wanted him to.

I did appreciate comments that Beyea made about needing more transparency instead of less transparency in government, and his assertions that politicians need to remember they work for us. He also said that he is not taking any special interest money in his campaign.

The real question is whether or not we need to change who we have representing us. Ultimately, Donley County and the rest of the Panhandle need legislators in Austin who represent our interests even when that contradicts the agenda of the faceless radicals behind Empower Texans.

The literature in your mailbox will tell you that King and Seliger are “liberals” and will proclaim that “studies have proved” they are some of the most liberal members of the Legislature. But if you put me and my brother in a room with five staunch Baptists, you’re going to be able to “prove” that we’re the most “liberal” because we don’t have a problem going to the liquor store. It’s all a matter of degrees and perspective.

Empower Texans cherry picks hot button issues and then obfuscates the facts to smear the records of two men, who have done nothing but vote for our best interests. Do not be deceived. The Texas Panhandle doesn’t need automaton legislators who will just do what Empower Texans and Lt. Dan tell them. We need men of backbone, and we already have that in Ken King and Kel Seliger.