Published: 02-25-08
PAC Mailers Completely Distort House Voting Record Truth
AUSTIN Texas – While Texans for Economic Development (TED) may be a front group for gambling they’re apparently drawing from a deck that is full of jokers said the president of one of the state’s largest taxpayer advocacy organizations.
“In a misleading attack mailing to Republican voters in House District 73 the TED PAC has crossed the line from twisting the truth to deliberately lying about Nathan Macias” said Michael Quinn Sullivan of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. “In their desperate attempt to expand gambling in Texas they have been making outrageous claims about Nathan Macias’ service in the Texas Legislature. But the latest smear has crossed the line by misleading the public about Macias’ efforts to help reduce taxes.
In the mailing (available online for review see the end of the press release) TED PAC claims Macias “approved spending the $14 billion state budget surplus instead of returning it to you.” They cite Record Vote 1157.
There are two things wrong here.
1). The Legislature dedicated most of the $14 billion surplus to property tax rate relief which was included in HB 1 the state appropriations act. By voting for HB 1 Macias voted to return the surplus to the people exactly as promised. The Legislative Budget Board specifically says that the “$14.2 billion in appropriations for property tax relief” was included in the state budget.
2) The record vote TED references did the exact opposite of what they claim. In that vote conservatives – including Macias – were trying to keep HB2785 – a pledge to further reduce property tax rates -- from turning into a massive spending increase.
“Nathan Macias’s vote on HB 2785 (Record Vote 1157) was perhaps the best pro-taxpayer vote in the entire legislative session and Macias was on the side of the taxpayers” said Sullivan. “TFR used that very vote in giving Nathan Macias our “Taxpayer Hero” Award because he was trying to stop TED PAC-style liberals from spending the surplus.” TFR’s political action committee the Empower Texans PAC has endorsed Nathan Macias in his re-election bid.
Sullivan said Macias a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force is the only fiscal conservative in the House District 73 race.
“Nathan Macias was one of only 15 lawmakers to score a 90 or better on our rating of tax and spending votes. It’s unconscionable that TED PAC would lie about his record. Of course they have lied about their funding sources their purpose and their political intentions so Republicans in House District 73 probably shouldn’t be surprised that this left-wing group is now spreading their lies through the postal system.”
