Texas Monthly's "Best & Worst Legislators" List
Want a sneak peak at the 2007 edition of Texas Monthly Magazine's list of what its staffers consider to be the best and worst state legislators? You can read the article (for the next 24 hours, anyway) via this non-registration link. The article will appear in the July edition of the magazine.
If you want to cut to the chase, here are the "winners":
The Best and Worst Legislators for 2007, in alphabetical order, are:
THE BEST
Rafael Anchia, Democrat, Dallas
Sen. John Carona, Republican, Dallas
Byron Cook, Republican, Corsicana
Sen. Bob Deuell, Republican, Mesquite
Scott Hochberg, Democrat, Houston
Lois Kolkhorst, Republican, Brenham
Jerry Madden, Republican, Plano
Sen. Steve Ogden, Republican, Bryan
Sylvester Turner, Democrat, Houston
Sen. Tommy Williams, Republican, The Woodlands
THE WORST
Lon Burnam, Democrat, Fort Worth
Warren Chisum, Republican, Pampa
Speaker Tom Craddick, Republican, Midland
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Republican
Sen. Troy Fraser, Republican, Marble Falls
Charlie Howard, Republican, Sugar Land
Sen. Eddie Lucio, Democrat, Brownsville
Sen. Dan Patrick, Republican, Houston
Gov. Rick Perry, Republican
Debbie Riddle, Republican, Houston
An additional list of "Furniture" is also provided. Here's how the magazine describes this category: The concept of “furniture” originated in the early years of the Legislature to describe members who were no more consequential than their desks, chairs, inkwells, and spittoons—the equivalent of backbenchers in Parliament. Today the term is only mildly pejorative; the sin lies not in being furniture but in failing to recognize it.
Alma Allen Democrat, Houston
Roberto Alonzo Democrat, Dallas
Wayne Christian Republican, Center
Senator Craig Estes Republican, Wichita Falls
Joe Farias Democrat, San Antonio
Jim Jackson Republican, Carrollton
Senator Mike Jackson Republican, League City
Nathan Macias Republican, Bulverde
Armando Martinez Democrat, Weslaco
If you're expecting some kind of commentary from me about any of this, I hate to disappoint you but you'll need to look elsewhere.
Interesting.....I used to know John Corona fairly well. At the time he owned a property management company that handled the condo property I owned.
Posted by: Wallace at June 18, 2007 06:23 PMAbout the publisher
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Eric, there are a pair of West Texas rep's I would have liked to see on the list ..... Senator Kel Seliger of Amarillo, and Representative Pete Gallego of Alpine .....
Best or Worst? I'll leave that up to the individual reader ..... but they were certainly NOT "Furniture"
Posted by: Jeff at June 15, 2007 07:41 AM