Editorial: Empower Texans Letter Empowers Amarillo

It is amazing to me that a political group based in central Texas is doing a better job standing up for Amarilloans than our actual elected officials are doing.

As we reported this week, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, the campaign arm of Empower Texans, sent out a letter to Amarillo residents, discussing the arrest of resident Kip Billups at an Amarillo City Council meeting for refusing to leave after clapping. The letter also discussed a response from State Representative Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington) over Mayor Ginger Nelson's conduct during that meeting.

Some people, including another Amarillo newspaper, have taken aim at Empower Texans for the letter. Mayor Ginger Nelson, Senator Kel Seliger and, to a lesser extent, Councilman Eddy Sauer have all been seen attacking Empower Texans over the past few months.

This might be a controversial stand, but Empower Texans is standing up for Amarillo. Mayor Nelson is not.

Before we get into this issue, here are a few things to note in response to some ridiculous arguments I'm sure we will hear on the day of this article's publication:

• The Amarillo Pioneer is not funded by Empower Texans

• As with any group, the Amarillo Pioneer is not endorsing the platform of Empower Texans

• The Amarillo Pioneer is not funded by Empower Texans donors or officials

Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about the issues.

In the past, there has been some well documented criticism hurled the way of Empower Texans, but we won't get into that in this article. This article is more about the fact that Empower Texans is doing a better job of encouraging citizen participation and holding elected officials in Amarillo accountable than groups like Amarillo Matters have ever done.

As far as I can tell, nothing in the letter sent to Amarillo residents was false, as some have claimed. In fact, many of the statements made in the letter shouldn't even be disputed, unless a person has no grip on the United States or Texas Constitutions. Take this passage for example:

"Texans deserve a representative government that puts the rights of citizens over the self-serving whims of politicians. And make no mistake - Texans have the right to petition their government, and to speak freely, in accordance with state law."

Can anyone really dispute this? Really?

The letter also included the email addresses of every member of the Amarillo City Council and encouraged residents to consider contacting their elected officials to provide their viewpoints on the topic of the so-called "clapping ban" at City Hall. This doesn't seem to be a bad thing at all, as this is just encouraging citizen interaction with government. Isn't that one of the most important founding principles in this great constitutional republic?

While some may disagree with Empower Texans on various issues, it is undeniable that Empower Texans is doing a better job of engaging the citizenry than any other group to reach out in Amarillo. It is truly shameful that some groups claim that "Amarillo Matters," then attempt to defend actions by the City Council where policies are selectively enforced and viewpoints are shut down.

In this case, it is safe to say, Empower Texans is empowering Amarillo.

-Thomas Warren III, Editor-In-Chief