| Ann Richards
Posted: 9/16/2006 9:31:53 AM | Hey, all:
I had no idea this topic was even here. I was a big fan of hers, although I disagreed (and still do) with some of her decisions and policies, but I really like and admire her.
She was extremely charming and she made a huge change in the face of Texas state government, but unfortunately it has not been permanent.
I am very proud of her for kicking Clayton Williams's A S S back to where-ever-the-Hell-he-was-from. I am at least as sad, as someone here has already said, that she lost to Dumb A S S Bush.
She apparently made some bad choices in that election, but if someone ever gets Karl Rove alone in a pool hall or bar or dark alley or Hell, even a PTA meeting, somebody ought to kick his balls up to his bald stinking head, assuming he has balls, and assuming he has a head by then.
Ann's worst mistake was supporting the funding of a huge prison industry in Texas ("if you commit a crime in Texas, we'll have a place to put ya"), and yeah, now we have one of the biggest prison systems and the most prisoners per capita and we kill 'em all the time, and it is a huge private industry, but in the meantime poverty increases and the schools continue to go to s h i t. Obviously much of that has to be laid at Bush's and Perry's feet but the precedent doesn't help. Spending many millions of dollars on Bandaids after the fact is not the solution.
I knew from years ago she had personal struggles--she was an alcoholic and a smoker. She beat the alcoholism in AA but the smoking beat her (the esophageal cancer was smoking related).
One other thing I have to bring up that won't be seen in the news now that she has died in this way, is that she was a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. The irony of a cancer victim working for what she should have known was the enemy really touches me, since I really admired her. With a person of her integrity and smarts, I can't imagine even now why she did that.
On the other hand, as has been mentioned, she brought important social policy changes to the state (which was--and is--still fighting the Civil War in some ways), and opened up state government with a style and presence that could be used again. And she was a good person.
David
Messages done with sustainable energy, with Wind and Sun! | |
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| Ann Richards
Posted: 9/16/2006 11:40:34 AM | | She was a classy lady. She was the last govenor who tried to help the common folk. The last two helped themselves and their cronies. There won't be another like her again. she was unique. | |
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| Ann Richards
Posted: 11/3/2006 5:58:06 PM | | A great and funny lady. Decent people will be sad that she is gone. | |
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| Ann Richards
Posted: 11/3/2006 6:05:27 PM | I can not help but think what a better world we would be living in had she trounced him in that election and we never heard from him again. Oh how wonderful that would have been.
You might also remember that she left her office with a surplus in the State coffers, that was quickly spent by the incoming administration. And that was repeated when this administration marched into Washington ... history repeating itself. | |
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| Ann Richards
Posted: 11/3/2006 6:52:45 PM | a texas orignal...in a state with so many.
ann had big balls...sorry say lacking in so many of our politicians these days...
Descansa con Dios, Senora... | |
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| Ann Richards
Posted: 11/3/2006 10:51:54 PM | | I am glad someone revived this thread. I was thinking of her today. What a great woman she was. Texas is not really the lone star state. We have had many. Ann's star was the brightest. My brother in law worked for every governor form Dolph Briscoe through Ann Richard's. He is a Republican but avows that she was the best, most effective and hardest working Governor that he ever knew. | |
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| Ann Richards
Posted: 11/4/2006 3:06:21 AM | | I was sad to hear of Ann's death as well...she was one of our more colorful leaders and I admired her, even back in my crazy days. | |
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