by Fred Behr
Texas voters had an opportunity to hear the Republican candidates for Lt Gov at a forum hosted by the Wise County Conservatives on January 3, 2022. Noticeably absent was current Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, thus depriving the viewers of an opportunity to question him about his policies. In attendance were Daniel Miller, Trayce Bradford, Aaron Sorrells and Zach Vance.
If first impressions are indeed the most important, then Mr. Daniel Miller, President of the Texas Nationalist Movement, made the biggest impact of all the candidates. He recounted his six generations of Texan heritage proudly and boldly. It is clear Mr Miller has a deep abiding love for our great state of Texas. He informs the viewers and attendees that this is a critical juncture in the future of our Texas history. Mr. Miller is articulate, his voice is strong and confident, and his demeanor inspires careful attention to his well-chosen words. Miller’s presentation was straightforward and polished. He had no hesitations, no “uhs” nor any tripping over words. It was a succinct and impressive introduction for which he received a warm and raucous applause.
The first topic for conversation was border security and immigration. Mr. Miller addressed the question head on when he asked if the viewers wanted to hear the real story. He said the activity at the border was unquestionably an invasion facilitated by the Federal Government and supported by weak elected officials. The audience applauded him in mid sentence when he reminded them that the Governor has the Constitutional duty of repelling invaders and nothing has been done. It was obvious the crowd was eager to hear more of his ideas and thoughts.
The Border issue was followed by a discussion of how to eliminate or drastically reduce property taxes. While some candidates suggested VAT tax or requiring out-of-state buyers to pay a premium for Texas home ownership, Mr Miller explained that the property tax was immoral. It is unjust to tax a citizen on something they own, therefore the tax should be abolished. Mr Miller also proposed a moratorium on homestead evictions.
Next up was the topic of education and the direction of school curriculums. Mr. Miller espoused the necessity for school by choice, a notion Dan Patrick said in 2014 he would support. Nothing has come out of that promise. Parents must have the choice. The Educational Freedom Pledge, which President Miller just signed, states the choice of the school should always be in the hands of parents. The other candidates reiterated the problem but had few proposed solutions
The moderator introduced the next discussion by explaining that, by Constitutional design and authority, the Lt. Gov. position is the most powerful elected official in the State of Texas as President of the Senate. The moderator posed the question of how each candidate would handle a Governor who had abused his/her authority. The candidates agreed that the Governor should be “called out” by the Lt Gov. to hold the executive branch in check. Mr. Miller advocated a Constitutional mechanism to allow the citizens of Texas to be able to recall elected officials who step out of their authority.
The first question from the audience concerned the walkout of the Democrats in the Legislature. The questioner asked whether committee chair positions be withheld from individuals who left their posts during the walk out. All candidates agreed that those who left should not chair any committees and Mr. Miller also blamed the Republican leadership for their lack of guidance
The next question was one near and dear to our hearts. How do you feel about TEXIT? To no one’s surprise, President Miller said emphatically that Texans should have the right to decide for themselves. The other candidates felt we should try to solve any and all problems from within the Union.
On the question of legalization of marijuana, the consensus was that it should be left to the voters to decide. Should universities be defunded if they continue teaching Marxist theories and CRT (Critical Race Theory)? Most agreed these topics should never be taught in our schools.
The last question asked was if elected as Lt Governor, how would the candidates protect the state from the World Economic Forum? “A cesspool of globalism” is how Miller described Washington, D.C. Only an independent Texas could protect against this growing philosophy.
During the closing remarks, Mr. Miller said Texas must be remembered by future generations as free and prosperous. The next election will determine what the outcome will be.
Throughout the debate, Mr. Miller displayed a strong grasp of the issues impacting all Texans. His oratorical abilities engendered a confidence in his ability to handle the responsibilities of the most powerful elected position in the state of Texas.
To view the full video of the Wise County Lt. Gov. forum, click here.
