New York City, Los Angeles, and Texas all gripe about politicians treating us like ATMs—hitting us up for cash they spend elsewhere.
As a progressive in Texas, it can be frustrating to see national candidates and committees lavish attention on our green while ignoring our attempt to turn the state blue. Ask Paul Sadler if you don’t want to take my word for it.
I’d like to point out one national political action committee that hasn’t given up on Texas. Are they spending more money in hotly contested states? Probably, because they don’t have an unlimited amount, and at a certain point, you have to be pragmatic. But they haven’t written us off, and I appreciate that, because I don’t think any of us like to be written off when the stakes are this high.
I appreciate that the Planned Parenthood Action Fund values our support enough to invest in turning out the base in Texas.
Texas votes matter when it comes to choice, at the presidential level, sure, but much more so further down the ballot. Municipalities can regulate clinics. Counties and state departments disburse federal funds. The legislature passes either bills that protect us and provide services, or, more commonly, bills that eviscerate our right to privacy, basic medical care, and ultimately self-determination. And judges sort out the legal from the ridiculous once the legislature gets done with their business, not to mention their work in family court helping vulnerable teens navigate punitive consent requirements.
Texas votes matter.
Here’s the banner ad that has popped up on my screen multiple times in the past several days when I’ve gone to the home page of Houston’s hometown newspaper. Click on it, here or when you see it on the Houston Chronicle site, and learn just how ruthlessly reckless Romney is when it comes to basic women’s healthcare like birth control:
nonsequiteuse 