A Dallas city councilman’s recent social media posts show him in fully reopened Florida, despite having advised citizens to stay home for Thanksgiving. While he was reportedly there, local bureaucrats in Dallas enforced Gov. Greg Abbott’s coronavirus restrictions on businesses.
On November 23, Dallas City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Adam Medrano advised citizens to restrict their Thanksgiving celebrations to only include those in their own household and “connect virtually with those who live away.”
Just 11 days later, on December 4 and 5, geotags on his Twitter posts showed he was posting from Florida.
In September, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) ended all coronavirus restrictions throughout the state, and last month, he extended his statewide ban on mask mandates.
Texas is still under local and state government mandates in response to the Chinese coronavirus, with Gov. Abbott restricting capacity for most businesses in North Texas from 75 percent to 50 percent.
The very weekend that Medrano was in a fully reopened state, Dallas’ code compliance was out enforcing Abbott’s limited-capacity mandate.
Medrano did not respond to a press inquiry before publication.
Texas Scorecard sent press inquiries about Medrano to the entire Dallas City Council. Only Johnson’s office replied before publication:
“Mayor Johnson has led by example throughout the pandemic. And with cases and hospitalizations on the rise, it’s more important than ever to take precautions,” replied Johnson’s chief of policy and communications, Tristan Hallman. “The mayor urges all of our residents, including elected officials, to act responsibly and to do what they can to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Members of the medical community have disputed the effectiveness of wearing masks and other government mandates in combatting the Chinese coronavirus.
Medrano’s action aligns with the latest trend of local officials telling citizens one thing while they do another. Austin Mayor Steve Adler was recently caught vacationing in Cabo San Lucas during his “stay home” warnings, while two county judges were photographed not following their own COVID guidance.
2017 Conservative Leader Award winner Joel Starnes has advised citizens to practice “peaceful noncompliance” with coronavirus mandates, while Republican Party of Texas Chairman Allen West has called for the Texas legislature to address “executive overreach” in the upcoming legislative session.
“Government exists to protect our rights, not to protect our health. That is an individual responsibility,” West stated.
The 87th Legislative Session starts on January 12, 2021. Concerned citizens may contact their elected state representative and state senator.
