NDG View
All too often political campaigns devolve into finger pointing. This occurs across the political aisles and even within the same political parties. It often confuses registered voters trying to determine who they can trust. In the current political cycle in Dallas the finger pointing is at it’s highest and the primary mudslinger is Marc Veasey, a current state representative vying for the Congressional seat for the newly formed Congressional District 33. The district includes neighborhoods from both Dallas and Tarrant counties.
What does Veasey really stand for when it comes to the issues impacting the African American community he claims to represent? How can he claim to stand with the community given his ties to the payday lending companies, which are robbing low-income families with no access to credit?
Normally, a candidate’s family is off limits, but it would be impossible to share the complete picture of Veasey’s candidacy and leave out his wife’s lobbyist activities. During his career Veasey has been questioned if his wife’s lobbying agenda with various major corporations’ cause a conflict of interest. He simply replies she is not registered. However, she has accepted monetary consideration from the companies she represents. These are the same companies, which he happens to support via his voting record. We invite Veasey to explain his wife’s activities as a lobbyist and if his vote is indeed autonomous of her actions.
Veasey seemingly does not care for the poor, children of immigrants or anyone who cannot afford private schools, luxury cars and other perks of being wealthy. He has voted for several Republican-backed legislations including taking funds away from the Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF); he also voted against new programs and services for low-income families; and against a professional out-of-state athletes tax that would pay for at-risk youth programs. It would appear he does not believe job training programs or health care are necessary or should be accessible for illegal immigrants and their children.
Did we mention Veasey has the support of his political opponents? Yes. Since 1996 he has received almost $40,000 in funding from Republicans. While Veasey is a strong voting Democrat on primary focused issues, he is a true Republican at heart and has voted more than a few times to support Republican-back legislations.
We often wonder how anyone with children could vote against educational advancements or anything that improves the quality of education for all children. Apparently it does not bother Veasey, a father of one son, to vote against other children’s education especially when his child receives the perks of a lobbyist wife.
Veasey voted against a $3,000 pay raise for teachers and against compensation for retired school employees. The people that teach his child are not deemed worthy to earn a living fit to feed their families. He voted to cut the top 10 percent rule at the University of Texas, which will severely impact low-income students.
We could go on and on about Veasey’s inability to decide if he is a banker, Republican or a true politician who cares about the community he claims to represent. We cannot tell if Veasey will take his pay for play attitude if he is elected to Congress. But what we can tell is that it’s time to say no to politicians and political candidates who push false agendas to win the votes of minority voters. It’s time to take a stand against elected officials and incumbents who say one thing and do another time after time.
Yes, Veasey has received his desired coveted endorsement from the right wing leaning major daily papers in Dallas and Ft. Worth but at what price to the community? Whose interests will he protect, the minority community or those who they often favor – the Republicans?
The Lone Star Project questioned our endorsement of Marc Veasey’s opponent, Domingo Garcia. Their reasoning was because we did not cast a light on why we think Veasey’s candidacy was not a good fit for Congressional District 33. Hopefully, we have educated the community on Veasey’s record, which contains elements he would rather not be made public.
It’s time to expose the double take and undercover voting practices of people who claim they represent minority districts and their residents. It’s time to vote NO at the polls for business as usual and no to Marc Veasey for District 33.
