The Disaster of Single Party Rule
Texas has been in the iron grip of Republicans since 1995. The results are obvious – total corruption of state leadership including a talk radio host and bar owner on the verge of winning yet another election for lt. governor, the top law enforcement officer who’s been under felony indictments for over 5 years headed for re-election, and hyper gerrymandered state house and senate districts that are non-competitive. In the 27 years of GOP leadership in the state we have slid from US leadership in personal rights, education, science, healthcare, and livability to 49th, according to CNBC’s latest livability study. Not surprisingly, Texas was ranked as 5th for business.
And, if people don’t turn out to vote, it’s going to get worse. Texas Republicans, like those in over 30 GOP controlled states, have passed dozens of laws to suppress the right to vote and even take away the votes of millions if the party doesn’t like the result. Using The Big Lie as an excuse, they’ve enacted crushing laws that make it harder to register, harder to vote, both in person and by mail. In Arizona right now, armed thugs are “guarding” ballot drop boxes intimidating voters and following them home.
Texas won’t be saved from actual fascism if they don’t start voting. I really don’t give a damn if they vote Dem or Repub, but they need to vote. Single party control has never worked, and never will. Texas and the US will never survive without a vigorous democracy that includes lively debate based on facts. You can’t reason with radicals. You have to just beat them at the polls.