The recent Dallas Morning News-UT Tyler Texas poll just revealed that Gov. Abbott now has a 9-point lead over Beto O’Rourke -- likely a result of a heavy barrage of campaign advertising that the Abbott campaign has launched using their large treasure chest of campaign funds.[1] The political edge that Gov. Abbott is enjoying, however, stems from deceptive messages that continue to mislead Texas voters.
For example, in an earlier
post I discussed how one of his campaign messages that focused on the challenges
that he faced in overcoming his physical disability may have won him praise but
overlooked the fact that he was awarded up to $9 million from a personal injury
lawsuit. In his effort to become the
Texas governor, Abbott supported legislation to limit personal injury awards in
Texas to $250,000 – thus denying other Texans who suffered personal injuries access
to medical equipment and other necessities that would help them adapt their lifestyles
to their disabilities.[2]
In more recent political advertisements,
the Abbott campaign focuses attention on a past statement by Beto O’Rourke that
appeared to explain his support for Black Lives Matter and their efforts to
de-fund the police. Interestingly, several public policy decisions in Texas related
to law enforcement and public safety suggest that it is Gov. Abbott who has
been “de-funding” public safety for Texas residents. For example:
·
To support Operation Lone Star, a border
security project that deployed thousands of state troopers and National Guard
soldiers at the border, Gov. Abbott took approximately $160 million from the
Texas Department of Public Safety, while tens of millions of dollars were also
taken from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Juvenile Justice
Department. Despite the absence of any evidence that Operation Lone Star
achieved its objectives, Gov. Abbott decided that his pet project was more
important than the public safety of Texas residents. [3]
·
Of the
283 killings resulting from mass shootings since 1966, 58 percent of these
killings (or 163) occurred since Gov. Abbott took office in 2015. Many of the mass shootings involved
AR-15 assault weapons. The figure below
illustrates that the number of killings in mass shootings have been
accelerating since 2015, a likely consequence of gun friendly legislation more
recently adopted under Gov. Abbott’s leadership. Killings for 2022 reflect only
the first five months of the year and likely to exceed all previous years assuming that no future changes are made in
Texas law related to gun control. [4]
·
Despite protests from Texas law enforcement
officials, Texas has adopted gun-friendly legislation – promoted by Gov. Abbott
and Republican legislators – that has allowed residents to purchase and carry weapons in public without
required training. The fact that mass
shooters are often 18 years old has not prompted Gov. Abbott to add an age
restriction that restricts access to assault-style weapons. Gov. Abbott has also made no secret of his endorsement of the NRA.
Texas voters should look past
the deceptive advertising that is being promoted by the Abbott campaign and
focus on his past record of de-funding law enforcement programs and endangering
the public safety of Texas residents with gun-friendly legislation.
Reference
Notes
[1]
Garrett, R. T. (September 2022). Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott widens lead on Beto O’Rourke in new poll. Dallas Morning News,
accessed at:
[2] Rincon, E.T. (September 2022). Disability
Messaging by Gov. Abbott Misleads Texas Voters, accessed at:
https://thecultureofresearch.blogspot.com/2022/09/disability-messaging-by-gov-abbott.html
[3] Beeferman,
J. (April 2022). Gov. Gregg Abbott redirects $500 million from
other agencies to fund border security mission through end of fiscal year. Texas Tribune. Accessed at:
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/29/greg-abbott-texas-border-mission-funding/
[4] Rincon, E.T. (May 2022). Uvalde School
Massacre: Another Mass Shooting Under Gov. Abbott’s Gun Friendly
Leadership. Culture of Research
Blogpost, accessed at: https://thecultureofresearch.blogspot.com/2022/05/uvalde-school-massacre-another-mass.html
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