For another indication of just how much the paranoid, right-wing political fringe has become embedded in Texas government, check out what Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s “Grassroots Advisory Board” is up to. Today the panel of Tea Party activists released a letter criticizing Gov. Greg Abbott’s plans to expand pre-K programs in the state. Those programs, the advisory board insists, will undermine parental rights and put children into “a Godless environment” that promotes socialism.
Yeah, that’s right. Tea Party activists who advise the Republican lieutenant governor are accusing the Republican governor of trying to lead Texas kids into Godless socialism. This is whack-a-loon territory.
The governor’s plan, outlined in House Bill 4 and Senate Bill 801, call for more funding and better quality standards for pre-K programs that school districts choose to offer. Lt. Gov. Patrick’s Tea Party advisors see the bills as a step toward universal pre-K education for all Texas kids. (TFN takes no position on these bills. Pre-K isn’t one of the issues that we focus on. But we do monitor what the right-wing fringe is up to, and they really don’t like pre-K.)
You can read the full letter from the lieutenant governor’s advisory committee here. Some choice excerpts:
“(W)e are experimenting at great cost to taxpayers with a program that removes our young children from homes and half-day religious preschools and mothers’ day out programs to a Godless environment…”
“… Texans are endowed with ‘certain unalienable rights’ which include the rights and duties of parents to rear their children with minimal intrusion from the State. This interference by the State tramples upon our parental rights. The early removal of children from parents’ care is historically promoted in socialistic countries, not free societies which respect parental rights.”
“… We know that one-size does NOT fit all in our school districts, and if these bills become Law, we are going to begin imposing this on even younger and more malleable children. Texas would be sending the message to the rest of the Nation that parents do not or cannot love and care for their children as well as the State can.”
Grab the popcorn, folks. The circus is in town, and the clowns are parading around Ringmaster Dan Patrick.
15 Comments
Notice that our most whacko Politico Danny Patty is being out-whackoed by his own whacko advisory appointees.
O, the irony.
Not quite, Corey Mondello: Texas pays LOTS of taxes to the federal government, but we don’t get much of it back because men like Rick Perry and Greg Abbott would prefer to kiss $90B in Federal funds goodbye than work with “Socialist Obama” to insure poor Texans through Medicaid expansion.
Once again it’s not about the kids. It’s never about the kids. These politicians are simply peacocks strutting around trying to display their pious tail feathers to attract voters. Like the peacock, they do no work, their meat is no good to eat and they just strut around and do whatever peacocks do in the woods.
I am a devout Christian, an ordained minister and my children go to public schools and do fine socially and academically. I don’t know why some Christians want to live in caves and keep their children locked in closets.
It is because the are “Cavepeople.” Seriously. Troglydytes living in mud, scared of thunder and in thrall to a deity who they can not define.
More like a devout idiot. It’s absurd that humanity actually believe the Abrahamic (or any other deities) to be real. How do you justify worshiping a child murderer? Passover: the celebration of your imaginary god’s unnecessary slaughter of innocent babies and children. Your death cult is pathetic.
Truth hurts what’s with the name calling. I didn’t call anyone a name. Christianity and Judaism are very bloody religions because that is what God asked for. Blood atonement for sin. And Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and me. You need to settle your heart and stop trying to challenge God and tempt Him. As the Psalmist says, “the fool has said in his heart there is no God.”
Why is it that the extreme right politicians want to bring religion into schools? What about the separation of Church and religion do they not understand?
The religious right is neither. There should be outrage.
Totally agree!! Keep religion and public schools separate. Please stop wasting our tax dollars on items already in our laws for a reason. Separation of church and state is what our country is founded on. Do what you were elected to do, which is not preach religion. Respect all Texans’ rights and religions. Not everyone in Texas is of the Christian faith. Have respect for all people and their individual faith and beliefs . If the Lt. Gov. wants to be a preacher, no problem, just please do not do this on our Texas tax paying dollars. .
Dan is not the Ringmaster; he’s the Clown-in-Chief. There’s no Ringmaster operating this Clown Car.
I wish these teabag a$$holes would all drop dead. The world, and the state of Texas would be a better place without these ignorant jerks.
A-Hah! Also, Corey, check out what fascist states get rolling. First, they mess around with education.
The TEAliban here in Texas had a plank in their platform that would make teaching CREATIVE THINKING unlawful! Why? Because, as Hitler said, “Governments should be grateful that the people they administer don’t think.”
The former Republican party and the Taliban want to destroy our way of life. So I call the former GOP the TEAliban. Their goal is to have our Republic turned into a fascist state within the next 20 years.
Not really. Only the loaded get money back. Meanwhile, we have billions in reserve, the most amount of people without health insurance, one of the highest in teen pregnancy (cause abstinence Ed works!), and also near the top of the drop out list. While we’re at it, we’re going to give the families with more money more options for schools while poor families who cannot transport their kids to nicer kids will be stuck in poor schools that’ll only get worse.
WTF? What does socialism have to do with or without a god or God.
The TEAliban don’t bother to understand that Jesus and his boys were socialists; our government should have NOTHING to do with religion.
READ THE CONSTITUTION!
Texas, like most Red states pay less in taxes than Blue states. Along with this, these Red states get back more money from the Government than Blue states. This is called “redistribution of wealth” aka Socialism.