In the race for House District 61, former Weatherford mayor Joe Tison told the Fort Worth Star Telegram today that “he would consider changing his position on any issue if he believed that a majority of his constituents felt differently.“ In short, Joe Tison believes in nothing. He’ll say or do anything to get elected. Want someone to kick puppies and slap around a few kittens? Joe’s your man.
Of course, the real Joe Tison isn’t so wishy-washy. No, he’s actually fairly clever. He’s signaled that he’s for sale to whoever can produce a poll that might be read as justifying any position. And any position can be justified by almost any “poll.” Notice the words employed by the Star-Telegram… “if he believed” and “felt differently.” He might as well advertise, “Whatever I’ve told you, whatever you think you’re voting for, I’ll sell you out in a heartbeat and I’ll justify it with some poll that a lobbyist will throw together on a cocktail napkin.”
The problem for Joe Tison is that he has a record of action. As mayor of Weatherford he proposed massive tax hikes, he proposed increased spending, he raised electric prices, he raised water rates, he even made it more expensive to get garbage collected.
Or, just maybe, it’s even worse. But maybe Joe Tison really is that vacuous. Maybe Joe Tison doesn’t have any core values, any defining principles. Maybe Joe Tison is a blank tablet upon which anyone can etch their pet projects and find taxpayer funding for their nefarious causes.
Maybe Joe Tison thinks it’s a modern virtue to be devoid of principles, of morals, of critical thinking. Or maybe he’s a crafty liberal in the vein of Charlie Geren, Delwin Jones and Tommy Merritt, who campaign as conservatives back home, legislate like liberals in Austin, and when caught make the claim that they are ‘just representin’ the district.’ And they’ve got the bozo-lobbyists and left-tilting consultants to “prove” anything.
Come to think of it, this brand of politician probably is void of principles.
Either way, it’s easy to see that Joe Tison, and the principles on which he is campaigning, is for sale.
We can only hope, for the future of Texas, that the voters aren’t buying.
