Down the home stretch
CC honors two former athletes
Former Clarendon College basketball players Myrna Carney and Joan Crawford were recognized as President’s Ambassadors last Monday night for their continued support of CC.
Myrna Carney attended Clarendon College and played in 1957 and 1958 for the Comets, as the women’s basketball team was then known.
She went on to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, Michigan State University, and the University of Minnesota, and holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from OU.
She worked in a number of roles at the University of Oklahoma for 42 years, and retired as the Assistant Dean at University College at OU in 2008. Ms. Carney holds a number of awards and honors including Outstanding Alumni from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Leedey High School, and she was inducted into the Dewey County Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2007.
Joan Crawford attended Clarendon College and played for the Comets basketball team in 1956 and 1957.
After leaving Clarendon College, Crawford attended Nashville Business College where she played on an AAU team. Over the next thirteen seasons, the Nashville team would win the National AAU Championship ten times, and Ms. Crawford was named to the All-America team in every year. In 1962, the Nashville team was especially dominant, winning every game in the post-season tournament by at least 14 points, and winning the championship game over Wayland 63–35. She would go on to win the MVP of the 1963 and 1964 AAU National Tournaments.
With the US National team, Ms. Crawford won the World Championship in 1957, and the 1959 and 1963 Pan American Games. The World Championship game was against the USSR, the first time the USA had faced the USSR in a major competition. The USA came into the final with a single loss to Czechoslovakia, while the USSR was undefeated. The USA team was down by three points at the half, but came back in the second half to win the championship 51–48. Ms. Crawford scored a game high 27 points in the championship game against Brazil.
Ms. Crawford has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Amateur Athletic Union Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ms. Crawford was in attendance to accept the award, but Ms. Carney was unable to attend. Her sisters accepted the award on her behalf.
Scholarships have been created in each of these player’s names, and future students at Clarendon College will be the recipient of scholarships in their honor and will benefit from their graciousness and financial support for many years to come.
Services held for Hawkins
A standing room only crowd filled Canyon’s First United Methodist Church Saturday when services were held for Clarendon native Dr. Dean Hawkins.
A well-known figure in education and in agriculture, Hawkins passed away February 27, 2018, after a valiant fight against brain cancer.
A Distinguished Alumni of Clarendon College, Hawkins often worked with his alma mater to further agriculture education and maintained a close relationship with CC.
“I truly appreciated the friendship he and I developed during my time here at Clarendon,” CC President Dr. Robert Riza said. “He was a great supporter of the College and was a great partner for our students.”
Hawkins was the dean of West Texas A&M University’s Paul Engler College of Agriculture & Natural Sciences, a position he had held since 2015. He had joined the faculty at WTAMU as head of the Department of Agricultural Sciences in 2009. As dean, he played an active role in the development and construction of the University’s new Agricultural Sciences Complex and was instrumental in the naming of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.
Dean Earl Hawkins was born in Groom on October 2, 1961 to Glenda Lee and Jerry Milo Hawkins. He grew up in Clarendon.
He was a graduate of Clarendon High School and earned an associate degree from Clarendon College in 1982. He then attended Texas Tech University where he earned his B.S. degree in Animal Science in 1984 and his M.S. in Animal Breeding (Physiology of Reproduction) in 1986. He went on to earn a Ph.D in Physiology of Reproduction and Growth from Texas A&M in 1990, and completed an NIH Post-Doctoral fellowship at Colorado State University.
His career began in 1992 as a professor in Animal Science at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He married Jaye Erin Bearden on July 22, 1995 and they remained in Las Cruces until 2009 when he joined West Texas A&M and moved to Canyon.
Throughout his years, he was the recipient of many honors beginning with the Boy Scouts God and Country Award and achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He also received the Western section, American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), Young Scientist Award.
He served as a board member for the ASAS and was a reproductive consultant for several ranches in Arizona, Wyoming, Mexico, and New Mexico. He traveled widely for his work; he went to Mexico often, gave a speech in Dubai and also traveled to China.
Dean found his work at WT and NMSU very fulfilling. He was proud of all the things his students, faculty, staff and administrative teams accomplished during his tenure. Most recently, he was honored to have had a role in acquiring funding for the new WTAMU Agriculture Complex due to open in Fall of 2018. However, his most valued role as a university professor and administrator was the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students. At NMSU, Dean was advisor to 12 undergraduate student researchers, 16 graduate students and four Ph.D. students.
Above all, Dean valued Faith, Family and Friends. He adored his family and was always telling them how proud he was of each one of them.
Raising his beautiful twin daughters with his wife, Jaye, was his greatest and most treasured personal accomplishment. He was an outstanding father and husband.
Dean was preceded in death by his father, Jerry Milo Hawkins; maternal grandparents, Pete and Opal Borden; and paternal grandparents, Spud and Vera Hawkins.
Dean is survived by his wife, Jaye Erin Hawkins; twin daughters, Hannah Bryce Hawkins and Callie Dean Hawkins; his mom, Glenda Hawkins; brother, Doug Hawkins and wife, Daphne; three nephews, Brayden, Brigg and Josh Hawkins; his aunt Regina Wootten, uncle Jack Hawkins (Ann), aunt Gwen Cochran (Wendell) and several cousins.
Funeral Services for Dean were held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the First United Methodist Church in Canyon. Graveside services followed at 3:00 p.m. at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
The family asks that donations be made to the Education Fund FBO of the Hawkins Twins at First United Bank of Canyon; the WTAMU Foundation Dean Hawkins Scholarship at WTAMU, Box 60766, Canyon, TX 79016; or the Dean Hawkins Scholarship Fund at Clarendon College, PO Box 968, Clarendon, TX 79226.
Howardwick gets back to business
Howardwick City Hall is conducting business again, and several candidates will appear on a May ballot for every seat on the city council.
Alderman Eric Riddle, who resigned February 13, agreed to attend a called meeting of the Howardwick City Council last Thursday, March 1, in order to approve a limited number of important agenda items.
Riddle’s resignation, along with that of Alderman Mac Miller the same day and Alderman Shelly Williamson in December, had paralyzed the city by eliminating the possibility of the council having a quorum to meet. That situation was compounded February 15 when City Secretary Tammy Jordan also resigned and left the city without the needed two signatures to for paying bills.
Texas law provides that a public official, even after resigning, technically still holds their office until their replacement is in place, and thus Riddle was able to attend last week, along with Mayor Greta Byars and Aldermen Robert Brewster and Doc Holladay, in order to help the city get back on track.
The ten-minute meeting included just five action items, all of which were unanimously approved.
The council approved the appointment of Sandra Childress as the new city secretary and authorized her name to the Herring Bank signature cards.
Aldermen also voted to name Sam Grider as the presiding election judge and Tommie Duncan as the alternate judge for the regular and special city elections that will be held concurrently on May 5.
Current bills were approved to be paid, and the council also approved a motion that allows City Hall to pay “regular bills” that will come due through the May election.
Thursday’s meeting was held civilly and without interruption from those in attendance, which was a departure from city meetings in the last few months.
Following the meeting, Childress, who had organized a petition two weeks ago that led to Donley County calling a special election in May, thanked Riddle for his attendance and thanked citizens who signed the petition.
Meanwhile, filing for candidates for the special election called by the county for two aldermen’s seats expiring in 2019 closed on Friday with five candidates running for those positions. Brice Hawley, Vol Lindsey, James Wix, Johnny Floyd, and Mary Grady will compete for those two unexpired terms.
The same May 5 ballot will have three full aldermen’s terms open, and four people are running for those positions. Alderman Doc Holladay will be joined on the ballot by Marietta Baird, Kay Dye, and Debora Sharpton.
Childress said a town hall meeting featuring the eight city candidates as well as county officials is being considered for the last week of March, but a date is not finalized.
Jeremy “Tex” Michael (Simonds) Paul
Jeremy “Tex” Michael (Simonds) Paul, 39, a resident of Forest, Mississippi, passed away on February 17, 2018.
Jeremy was born March 9, 1978, in Barstow, California to James and Sue Marie (Goodman) Simonds. After his mother in 1990, Jeremy moved to Kingman, Arizona. In 1994, his brother Jimmy passed away. Jeremy also lived in Oklahoma and Colorado. He married Lauraine Paul in Aurora, Colorado. Jeremy and Lauraine were blessed with their son Tyler Michael Paul on September 28, 2002. Jeremy loved his son to the moon and back.
Jeremy had an infectious smile and laugh. He was compassionate and loved to make others laugh. He loved animals, the outdoors, fishing, bull riding, Nascar and Chris LeDoux’s songs. Jeremy loved tinkering and working with his hands. He was a man after God’s heart. He was always willing to lend a hand. He was kind hearted and knew no stranger. He loved his friends like family. He also loved our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James “Sonny” and Sue (Goodman) Simonds; and 1 brother James “Jimmy” Simonds.
He is survived by his son Tyler Paul of Clarendon, Tonya Goodman Bronkema of Savannah, Illinois, Jesse Simonds of Kingman, Arizona., niece and nephew. Over the years, many friends played an important part in Jeremy’s life. They too were thought of as family. He will be greatly missed by many. Live, laugh, and love because tomorrow may never come. We love you to the moon and back.
Memorial service will be held at a later date. Cremation and Arrangements made by Ott and Lee Funeral Home of Forest, Mississippi.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to Christ’s Kids Outreach Ministry P.O. Box 45 Clarendon, Texas 79226.
Family can be reached at P.O. Box 1454 Clarendon, Texas 79226.
Mary Lou Phelps
Mary Lou Phelps, 82, of De Leon, Texas and formerly of Hobbs, New Mexico, went home to her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, with her loving family by her side.
She was born February 10, 1936, in Silverton, Texas to Fladger Alfred Fitzgerald and Ruby Elena Strange Fitzgerald.
To capture the fullness of Mary Lou’s (“Mom”, “Meme” and “George”) life in a few sentences is difficult, but we will give it our best. She was a daughter of a policeman, a 1953 graduate of Clarendon High School, a cheerleader, wore cat-eyed glasses and danced the Jitterbug. She began her career as a telephone operator then moved on to become one of the real Madmen-era secretaries that helped lay the path for women in business. Through Mary Lou’s hard work and determination, she retired as an office manager and even continued to work until her passing.
Mary Lou loved sports – especially University of Texas football and basketball. As a lifelong Longhorn fan and in her later years, many Saturdays were spent cheering on the Burnt Orange and White in her favorite chair with her dog “Pickles” nearby. Hook ‘em Horns! Mary Lou enjoyed antiquing and the thrill of the garage sale hunt. She was especially passionate about Goofus decorative glass and at one time had one of the largest collections around. Mary Lou was a member of Pyatt Baptist Church. She located to the De Leon area in 2010 to live near one of her sons and daughter-n-law. The most important thing to Mary Lou was her family and she loved and cared for them as nothing less than a matriarch. She was a funny, spirited and loving mother, daughter, sister and friend and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
Mary Lou leaves behind a large, loving legacy in her family. She is survived by her children; Dan Whitsell and wife, Amy, Tony Whitsell and wife, Christi, Dennis Whitsell and wife, Beth, and Denise Court-DeVore and husband, Adrian; grandchildren, Lauren Whitsell, John Whitsell, Eric Lester, Jeston Whitsell and wife, Angel, Tyler Garrett Whitsell and wife, Courtney, Caitlan Chagnon and husband, Noah, A. Josiah Whitsell and wife, Cristina, Annelise Baker and husband, Chase, Luke Whitsell, Madison Whitsell, Adanna Court and Adam Court; nine great- grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, and other extended family and friends. Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, Fladger and Ruby Fitzgerald; brother, Gary Fitzgerald; and husband of twenty years, Daniel Whitsell.
A Celebration of Mary Lou’s life was held Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Nowlin Anders Funeral Home, De Leon, with Tony Whitsell officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Stroke Foundation. Condolences may be offered online at www.nowlinandersfh.com.
Hedley ISD approves armed employees
Certain school personnel will be allowed to carry firearms at Hedley ISD following a vote of the school board last week.
Superintendent Terry Stevens said the school’s decision came after several months of deliberations and research.
“We’re not being cowboys or trying to be Rambo, we just want to protect these kids as best we can,” Stevens said.
School officials said more than 170 Texas schools now arm employees to protect students in the wake shootings across the country, but Stevens said Hedley isn’t making a knee-jerk decision.
“This came up three months ago during a board discussion of security, deadbolt locks, and other issues,” Stevens said. “One of the board members asked if we had considered concealed carry. Everyone agreed they wanted to consider it.”
Stevens then called other area schools, started discussions with the school’s attorneys at the Underwood Law Firm, and met with Donley County Chief Deputy Randy Bond.
“This isn’t anything new,” Stevens said. “The Legislature has made this possible. Doing nothing is not going to be good for this school, and the board knows that. These shootings happen in just a few minutes. We’re sitting here on US 287, twenty miles from the county seat, and law enforcement isn’t always necessarily nearby.”
Not all district employees will be allowed to carry weapons, Stevens said. Employees with licenses to carry and who work in critical locations will be identified by the administration and presented to the board for approval. Those approved employees will be tested for psychological fitness and will then have to receive training in the protection of students, interaction with first responders, tactics for dealing with an intruder, and other skills.
Stevens said it will be the fall semester before armed personnel are in place; and while signs will warn potential intruders that they will be met with armed force, the number and identity of those employees will remain secret.
“The board and I will be the only ones who know who is armed,” Stevens said. “We’re going to have a sufficient number to protect our school.”
Clarendon School Superintendent Mike Norrell says CISD already has a lot of security measures in place but that security is going to be an issue on the board’s March agenda.
“People have asked about it, and it seems like this issue [arming school personnel] comes up every time there is a shooting,” Norrell said. “I don’t know what the answer is.”
Norrell said the discussion in March will cover all of CISD’s security measures.
For its part, Hedley ISD is trying to make everyone aware of all the facts about the new program. The school did not solicit input from the public or parents before last Monday’s vote. However, the district says it does plan to hold a public forum with parents at some point, and it has released a two-page letter explaining the district’s action.
“Each student is precious to us at Hedley ISD,” Stevens said in the letter. “Anything we can do to ensure that every student goes home safely, we are prepared to do. We hope we never have to call upon our board-approved employees to unholster their weapons. But if such a terrible circumstance were to arise, the Hedley ISD Board has created a program that puts the right employees with the right training between an active shooter and our children. And I’m proud to be a part of it.”
For more information, read Hedley ISD’s entire statement on its new policy below.
TEXT OF PRESS RELEASE:
Hedley ISD Board of Trustees Adds Additional Layer of Security in Case of an Active Shooter
Heartbreaking tragedies involving active shooters at schools have made the names of Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary School infamous. What those tragedies have taught many school administrators responsible for the safety of children is that responding to an active shooter within the first few minutes is critical to preventing needless bloodshed.
The Hedley ISD Board of Trustees has decided to join many other school districts from across Texas in adding an additional layer of security for student safety should the unlikely but tragic scenario of an active shooter present itself at one of its schools. As of February 19, 2018, Hedley ISD is allowing certain Board-approved employees who meet certain criteria and possess a license to carry a firearm to carry their firearm on school grounds. The goal of this policy is to provide, as quickly as possible, an armed response to an active shooter at a school so that needless bloodshed may be prevented.
Not all District employees who possess a license to carry a handgun will be allowed to do so on school grounds. Instead, employees possessing the necessary skill set to meet the District’s overall security needs and who are assigned at critical District locations will be identified and vetted by the administration. Then, those employees will be presented to the Hedley School Board for approval. If the individual employee is approved by the School Board, the employee is required to meet the following additional measures before he or she may possess a firearm on school grounds:
1. The employee must be properly licensed under state law to carry a handgun;
2. The employee must take a psychological examination to affirmatively determine that he or she is psychologically fit to engage an active shooter in an emergency situation; and
3. The employee must receive training in the following areas:
• Protection of Students;
• Interaction with first responders;
• Tactics for denying an intruder entry into a classroom or school facility; and
• Methods for increasing an authorized employee’s accuracy with a handgun while under duress; and
4. The employee must certify to the District that he or she has practiced loading, unloading, and shooting the employee’s primary carry handgun with a minimum of 300 rounds of ammunition annually.
Once the Board-approved employee has presented the appropriate documentation to the superintendent of schools that he or she has completed the psychological, tactical, and practical training, the employee will be certified by the Superintendent to carry a handgun on school grounds.
“The profound responsibility we feel as an administration for the lives and safety of the students entrusted to our care is the primary driver of our going down this road,” stated Terry Stevens, Superintendent of Schools for Hedley ISD. “Although Hedley ISD is blessed with outstanding local, county, and state law enforcement personnel, in the best case scenario, it will take several minutes for any law enforcement officer to respond to a 911 call at one of our campuses in the case of an active shooter. Too much is at stake during those first few minutes to not take some affirmative step to protect our children during that critical time period. This program is that step,” says Mr. Stevens.
As Hedley ISD begins its program, it is taking advantage of several new laws that the Texas legislature has recently passed to get its Board-approved employees tested and trained. Specifically, in 2013, the legislature passed SB 1857, which created an additional certification for certified handgun instructors to teach individuals in the exact tactics required by the Hedley ISD plan. Also in 2013, the legislature passed HB 1009, which is commonly referred to as the “School Marshall Bill”. In that new law, the legislature tasked the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (“TCLEOSE”) with developing a psychological test that would “determine whether [a person] is psychologically fit to carry out the duties of a school marshal in an emergency shooting or situation involving an active shooter.”
Mr. Stevens stated, “We are fortunate that, because of SB 1857 and HB 1009 and other law enforcement initiatives, we can access high-quality training in tactical school safety through several resources, including state licensed and certified instructors, and we can access psychological testing that is readily available to ensure that we are putting a tactically proficient and psychologically suitable person in the position of protecting our children.”
The names of the persons who have been certified by the District to carry their handguns and the number and locations of those persons is considered confidential by law under Texas Government Code Chapter 552 and won’t be released by the District in order to protect the safety of those employees and to give them the best opportunity to protect the children of Hedley ISD.
“Each student is precious to us at Hedley ISD. Anything we can do to ensure that every student goes home safely, we are prepared to do. We hope we never have to call upon our Board-approved employees to unholster their weapons, but if such a terrible circumstance were to arise, the Hedley ISD Board has created a program that puts the right employees with the right training between an active shooter and our children. And, I’m proud to be part of it,” Stevens said.
Entire council up for vote in Howardwick
Howardwick will have an opportunity to elect its entire five-member city council this May following action by the Donley County Commissioners’ Court last Friday, February 23.
Acting on a petition from Howardwick voters, Commissioners called a special election on May 5, 2018, to fill vacancies created by the resignations of Alderman Eric Riddle on February 13 and Alderman Shelly Williamson in December. The terms will expire in 2019.
In addition, County Judge John Howard said the Texas Secretary of State’s office confirmed that Howardwick can proceed with its regularly scheduled May election to fill three expiring aldermen’s seats. The state’s determination is that the elections can happen at the same time on the same ballot even though Howardwick failed to call its regular election before a state deadline last month.
Howardwick Mayor Greta Byars is keeping City Hall open this week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including through noon, and says things are moving along there now after city government came to a halt two weeks ago following multiple resignations on the city council and the resignation of the city secretary.
Donley County Judge John Howard said the aldermen who have resigned at Howardwick legally still hold their offices until their successors are in place. Byars said that Riddle has agreed to attend a called meeting this Thursday so the city can pay bills and appoint election judges.
“It just seems like things are going great now,” Byars said. “Eric coming back for this one meeting is a tremendous help.”
Four candidates filed before the February 16 deadline to run three council seats expiring this year. Alderman Doc Holladay will be joined on the ballot by Marietta Baird, Kay Dye, and Debora Sharpton.
Qualified Howardwick residents have until Friday, March 2, at 5 p.m. to file for the two vacant positions expiring in 2019. Commissioners had set a deadline of Saturday, March 3, but the mayor said City Hall is only open through Friday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Brice Hawley had filed paperwork to run for one of the 2019 seats, and City Hall was expecting a second application.
The possibility of holding a Howardwick town hall about the idea of dissolving the municipality there was mentioned at the county meeting, although no residents from that city were in attendance. Byars said this week that, after talking to Judge Howard, such a meeting will definitely be held at some point.
“We’re going to have a town hall for sure with Judge Howard and probably the commissioners, but we’re not sure on when that will be,” the mayor said.
Republicans to decide two local races Tuesday
Donley County voters will decide two locally contested races when they go to the polls next Tuesday, March 6, for the Republican and Democratic primaries.
In Precinct 2, County Commissioner Daniel Ford is being challenged in the Republican Primary by Donley County Chief Deputy Randy Bond.
Precinct 3&4 Republican voters will have the choice between Justice of the Peace Denise Bertrand and challenger Pat White.
Also running on the Republican ticket but facing no opposition are County Judge John Howard, Treasurer Wanda Smith, Precinct 1&2 Justice of the Peace Pam Mason, Precinct 4 Commissioner Dan Sawyer, and Bobby Woodard, who is seeking the county/district clerk’s position.
County/District Clerk Fay Vargas is the only local candidate in the Democratic Primary.
Republican voters in Precincts 101, 201, 301, and 401 will all vote at the Donley County Courthouse. Republicans in 102 will vote at Howardwick City Hall, and Precinct 303 Republicans will cast ballots at the Fellowship Hall of the Hedley First Baptist Church.
Precinct 303 Democrats will vote at the Hedley Lions Club Hall, and all other county Democrats will be voting at the Courthouse Annex.
Polling locations on Election Day will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check your voter’s registration card for your voting precinct to determine your polling place.
Early voting by personal appearance continues at the Donley County Courthouse Annex through this Friday, March 2.
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.
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