This Statesman article gives an overview of the proposed new CD 10, one of the three districts that would carve up Austin under the Republican map. This is the one that stretches from Austin to west Houston, from suburb to suburb with a swath of rural in between. The folks in the rural areas think that the suburbanites don't know or really care about them, while the folks in the suburban areas talk about themselves.
A couple of quotes of interest, first from U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, who currently represents much of this area:
"That area is very similar to the Round Rock area — very fast growth," Carter said of the Harris County suburbs in the new 10th. "That's a hugely pro-life area. These folks are conservative almost to the point of being Libertarians."
If you need another reason why I generally don't like these conservative-almost-to-the-point-of-being-Libertarian folks, you need only look at this:
Cherry Tree Republicans President Paul O'Finan, whose Houston area club includes members in the new 10th, believes he has a feel for concerns of area residents."They are outraged with what's going on with illegal immigration," he said, adding that immigrants are "laughing at us because they are destroying our culture from within."
I'm sure Paul O'Finan would be really happy to see the illegal immigrants who pick his fruit and veggies on the cheap, cook his meals and bus his tables at restaurants, build on his property, mow his lawn, and clean his house sent back wherever they belong.
And I'm sure he looks forward to paying American citizens minimum wage to do their jobs, too. Oh, wait ...
Jim may not just have a nosebleed. I was thinking more along the lines of an aneurysm, myself.
Posted by: Ginger on December 29, 2003 4:56 PM