Did gifts affect Oliveira’s votes?
Brownsville Herald, Letter to the Editor, Saturday, September 27, 2007

Editor:

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Aug. 22 that our local state representative, Rene Oliveira, and his chief of staff J.J. Garza received up to $1,000 worth of San Antonio Spurs playoff tickets purchased by Michael MacDougall, a partner with Fort Worth-based equity investment firm TPG Capital, which hopes to purchase electricity company TXU.

The buyout has been dogged by controversy from the beginning with major consumer groups saying it could lead to higher electric rates.

Texas lawmakers had considered legislation that would have required up-or-down regulatory approval and other concessions, but the measure failed under heavy lobbying pressure.

It is sad to report that Rep. Oliveira opposed utility legislation favored by consumer groups such as Texans for Public Justice that would prevent electric rates from being increased. Oliveira and Garza “declined to comment” for the Star-Telegram article.

I was fortunate to have worked for State Rep. Doyle Willis, D-Forth Worth, who was the dean of the Texas House and served for nearly 47 years just out of law school. Rep. Willis taught me something that his former boss, Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, taught him that “when you go to office and represent the people you leave with the same money that you started with.”

I hope that when Rep. Oliveira’s acceptance of the Spurs tickets from a lobbyist for a powerful investment firm had nothing to do with the way he voted as reported by The Star-Telegram. However, if you live in his district watch your pocketbook when your electric rates go up in the future due to his opposition to proposed legislation designed to help the average consumer and middle class.

John Shergold
Brownsville
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