It’s sad that the only major newspaper in one of the largest cities in the country promotes bigotry. The Houston Chronicle’s business columnist, Chris Tomlinson, is a bigot and the newspaper prints his offensive screeds regularly.
BIGOT: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices;
The only thing that definition from Merriam-Webster needs to improve its accuracy is a picture of Chris Tomlinson.
False claims of lost revenue for Texas
In his latest bigoted screed, Chris Tomlinson promotes the idiotic ‘study’ that claims that Texas will lose billions of convention and tourism dollars if Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is successful in passing a law that keeps men out of women’s restrooms and locker rooms. Remember when Tomlinson said that Houston would lose boatloads of money if voters shot down the offensive Houston UNEqual Rights Ordinance? Hey, did you hear that the Super Bowl will be held in HOUSTON in February? After voters defeated that stupid ordinance in Houston, Chris Tomlinson said this:
The fact that a small number of voters defeated Houston’s equal rights ordinance comes as no surprise.
Demagogic politicians, though, spread misinformation and lies to appeal to the basest human emotions among poorly informed voters.
n 1920, a handful of Protestant conservatives, worried about public morals and immigration, sponsored the second coming of the Ku Klux Klan to Houston. They promised to uphold American values, punish miscreants and secure the political supremacy of northern European whites. Klan leaders spent more time talking about morality and fighting crime than they did promoting their racism and eventually won control of Harris County government.
So the bigoted Chris Tomlinson thinks that the large number of black and Latino voters that defeated the Houston UNEqual Rights Ordinance are the same as KKK members. Oh, and uninformed of course. Gotta throw that in there because no one that is ‘informed’ could possibly want to keep men out of women’s restrooms and locker rooms. In the bigoted world of Chris Tomlinson anyway. Chris Tomlinson and his bigoted brothers and sisters in arms want to redefine basic language.
I, and the vast majority of Texas citizens, agree with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that men do not belong in women’s restrooms and locker rooms. We reject this ‘transformation’ of a fundamental truth. The bigoted Chris Tomlinson can call us whatever he wishes to call us. And the editors at the Houston Chronicle can continue to allow this hatred to fill their pages. Calling us names and screaming at us with your hatred isn’t going to change our fundamental belief – men do not belong in women’s restrooms and locker rooms.
If a fight is what they want, a fight is what they will get
And guess what? We aren’t going to shut up and sit down in the face of your bigotry, Chris Tomlinson. We are going to fight to protect that fundamental, common sense, no-brainer argument – men do not belong in women’s restrooms.
“Discriminatory legislation is bad for business,” said Chris Wallace, president of the Texas Association of Business. “We cannot slam the door on the Texas Miracle of openness, competitiveness, economic opportunity and innovation.”
Yes it is, Mr. Wallace, yes it is. That is why we aren’t going to let you discriminate against our daughters, sisters, wives, mothers and grandmothers. Mr. Wallace’s misrepresentations are one of the reasons we replaced one of the Texas Association of Business’ favorite sons, Rep. Wayne Smith, with Briscoe Cain. Rep.-elect Cain isn’t going to cower down in the face of your misrepresentations of common sense laws. We aren’t going to let you pass Sen. José Rodríguez’ bill making it legal for men to hang out in women’s restrooms and locker rooms.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s bill is not going to discriminate against anyone and he is not the one that asked for this fight, Sen. José Rodríguez did. If the bigoted Chris Tomlinson and friends want to fight about this, bring it on. Ask Annise Parker how it worked out for her. Maybe the geniuses at the Harris County Republican Party can figure it out too.
Is the Houston Chronicle becoming a click bait website?
Normally, I would tell you to go read a column in the Houston Chronicle that I comment on. If you choose to do that, you may click here: “Business leaders to battle bigots in Austin“.
Before you do that, you might want to know that the bigoted Chris Tomlinson likes for that to happen:
Maybe the Houston Chronicle so desperate for readers that they let their employees write hateful, bigoted columns just for the clicks. In this regard, maybe, just maybe, there is not a lick of difference between the Houston Chronicle and fake news sites.
Wouldn’t it be nice if people read the bill?
Frankly, instead of clicking over to read the column at the Houston Chronicle, your time would be better spent reading Sen. Paul Bettencourt’s critique of that idiotic ‘study’ that the TAB is promoting:
Texas Association of Business Numbers on Unfiled “Women’s Privacy Act” andReligious Freedom Bills are Wildly Speculative
Senator Bettencourt says let’s first read the bill to find out what is in it
HOUSTON – Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) has called into immediate question a study promoted by the Texas Association of Business (TAB) that describes the speculative economic impact of Senate Bill 6, supported by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, that has not even been filed in the Legislature to date. The St. Edwards University study uses legislative acts from around the nation, many of which are not in effect in their home states. Therefore, the use of any of these examples of “denial of service” bills to extrapolate “bathroom bill” claims of business and job losses in Texas should never have been made in the first place.
“No matter which side you may or may not be on in this public policy debate on SB 6, women’s privacy and religious freedom, this study’s amazing claims of $8.5 billion in economic losses and 185,000 job losses in Texas attributed to legislation that hasn’t even been filed are just flat wrong,” Senator Bettencourt said.
The study references Arizona SB 1062, which was vetoed and never implemented. It also uses Louisiana HB 707 that is no longer in effect and quotes an unverified media story with no basis in measurable fact that 80-85{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of the business of the top conventions in the city of New Orleans was lost. These alleged losses are then extrapolated onto the Texas economy, despite having never been proven. In fact, the citation used to justify a large portion of the alleged loss in Louisiana states: “So far, statements issues by companies and conference organizers opposing the measure have not yet been followed up with action.” “In plain English, that means their efforts did not pan out,” said Senator Bettencourt. Finally, the study claims that Texas could lose 0.5{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of its GDP based upon Indiana’s SB 101, a claim that has not been fully vetted nor adequately verified.
“This is indeed part ‘fake’ news, and the St. Edward’s University study should not be relying on misleading data prior to the filing of the actual bill,” Senator Bettencourt continued. “Any study that ranges from a $964 million impact up to an $8.5 billion one, almost a 9 to 1 ratio, is just wildly speculative.”
In 2015, 61 percent of Houston voters rejected a poorly worded initiative known as the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, H.E.R.O., by former Mayor Annise Parker, without any measurable economic loss to the community. The 2017 Super Bowl, for example, is still coming to Houston. Senator Bettencourt opposed this ordinance along with the Houston Pastor’s Council, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and a broad coalition of community groups.
“While public policy debates can be heated, let’s first read the bill to find out what is in it!” Senator Bettencourt concluded.
I was at a luncheon last year where he spoke. He kept spewing the pseudo-environmental BS and would tell anyone who questioned him that global warming was settled science. I greatly question his objectivity as a reporter, let alone a business reporter. Certainly, he is know friend to our areas largest industry.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VdZ7xFBJfY8
It’s still not clear to me why the HOUSTON Chronicle employs an Austin-based business columnist.
The Chronsters sure don’t like it when one asks about it.
David, are you arguing that someone who is going through the transition phase of gender reassignment, which takes a year or more, should use the restroom of their birth gender, even though they appear to be the other gender in dress, mannerisms, and appearance? In other words, a biological male, who to all outward appearance is female, should use the men’s room? Do you think it would be OK for other males to make fun of, harass, or assault that person? Would you stand by and laugh as the person is bullied and abused?
I am appalled at the general lack of empathy shown by many in the Republican party. It’s one reason I have stopped voting for Republicans in many races – they are utterly incapable of understanding how anyone could be different than themselves, and seem to be strong proponents of forcing everyone to conform to their norms.
Ross,
I am saying that Chris Tomlinson is a bigot. The guy likes to call other people names but as applied by the dictionary term of the meaning, he is the bigot.
To your observation about empathy, I have empathy towards everyone. But simply because I, or you, have empathy towards someone doesn’t mean that we should pass laws giving certain persons/groups rights that cause other groups harm.
And this ‘debate’ has nothing to do with “I just want to pee”. People dressed as women enter women’s restrooms and locker rooms every single day without incident. This has to do with people NOT WANTING to be forced to dress as a woman to enter a restroom or locker room designated for women. I challenge you to look it up.
If you don’t want to vote for Republicans, then don’t. But don’t go around telling people that someone is a bigot because he/she doesn’t think that it is appropriate to pass a law stating that men have free reign to abuse the rights of women and children. If you choose to do that, then you are just like Chris Tomlinson.
DJ
‘Texas will lose billions of convention and tourism dollars if Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is successful in passing a law that keeps men out of women’s restrooms and locker rooms.’
I can’t wait for the day people stop pretending a law accomplishes things. No law will KEEP men out of women’s restrooms and locker rooms. It will potentially penalize people after the fact. Pretending otherwise is dishonest.
Felicia,
I don’t know about that. Do speed limits penalize people after the fact? Sure but people do it anyway. So, should we remove all speed limits? What about theft? Assault? We have laws for that but people do it anyway.
The question is not whether a law like Patrick’s will stop people from entering and abusing the privacy of women and children, it is whether or not a law like Rodriguez’ (and Parker’s) will increase the number of invasions of privacy. Again, back to the speed limits, if we remove the school zone limits, my guess is that most certainly people will drive faster. If we removed laws against theft, I think the same thing would happen.
Where does it stop?
DJ
I was in attendance at an even two weeks ago where Lt. Governor Patrick discussed this bill. He stated the bill would prevent government entities from COMPELLING private entities to allow cross gender uses of restroom and shower facilities.
He did not state that that the law prohibited this behavior, only that local governments could not force it.
If this is a correct reading of the law, I am at a loss as to how anyone could oppose it.
Fred – In a perfect liberal world every conceivable action is either mandated or prohibited. Thus you MUST allow men to use women’s bathrooms; you are PROHIBITED from making a (positive) Christian reference in public schools; etc. See how it works? You CAN’T carry a gun (guns are evil); you MUST pay (through the government) for abortions.
Once you get the hang of it it’s easy.
The most clear sign that the left isn’t concerned with reason and acting purely ideologically in this matter is they are nonresopnsive to gender neutral reasons to support a no mention in the women’s restroom bill.
Environmental laws operate under a regulate the masses for the protection of the few philosophy. The calculations on allowable pollution levels are the number of incidences per million. Once that threshold is exceeded in modeling the limit is set.
This same reasoning applies in a men in the women’s restroom situation. The vast majority of men going into women’s restrooms have no ill intent. However, already some incidents of videos, attempted assaults, etc are cropping up. Any bill that serves to limit the number of incidents is acting with already established and accepted jurisprudence in other areas of the law.
Until the left starts responding on point it is bigotry.