Dec
21
Written by:
Andy Hogue
12/21/2009 12:56 PM
Santa Claus, who said he may want to move his North Pole opeartions to Texas to take advantage of the better business climate, assisted Americans for Prosperity-Texas in releasing the group's "Naughty and Nice" lists for 2009.
Peggy Venable, executive director of AFP-Texas, introduced during a press conference this morning AFP-Texas'
Legislative Report Card for the 81st Legislative Session as "Santa" read a list of the highest grades.
Being "nice," Venable said, involves voting in a manner which "encourages individual liberty, lower taxes, and fewer onerous regulations." Santa praised those on the top of the "nice" list, who were all Members of the Texas House. The names included Reps.
Doc Anderson,
Wayne Christian,
Dan Flynn,
Linda Harper Brown,
Jodie Laubenberg and
Ken Paxton -- all of whom received A+ grades on the report cards.
In all, four Senators and 44 House members appeared on the nice list.
Being on the naughty list entails "being generous with someone elses' money," Venable said. While Santa did not read a list of the "most naughty," he said he would send a lump of coal and a copy of an AFP booklet on economics to those legislators making failing grades -- 17 Senators and 27 Represenatives who made Ds and Fs on the report card. Those making the lowest grades, according to the report card, were all Senators:
Eliot Shapleigh,
Mario Gallegos,
Rodney Ellis, and
Wendy Davis.
Venable said the group had communicated their expectations of what it considers to be sound fiscal policy before the 81st Legislative Session began in January, and advised legislators on their positions throughout the session.
"It's no coincidence that we're releasing our report card today, because this week Congress is poised to pass one of the most expensive and expansive pieces of legislation in my lifetime," Venable said, of the U.S. Senate's expected vote on a Health Care bill later this week.
But Texas, Venable said, is the "No. 1 state in the country for business relocation," thanks to the efforts of those on the nice list.
"... Texas has created more jobs than all of the other states in the country combined," she said.