[ad_1]
Gov. Greg Abbott and his doubtless Democratic challenger in November, Beto O’Rourke, made marketing campaign stops in San Antonio Thursday, every focusing on their base of voters with occasions that demonstrated the candidates’ distinction in fashion.
Abbott met with the enterprise advocacy leaders at Sunbelt Materials Dealing with, a Dallas-based forklift provide firm that opened a warehouse on the far East Aspect in January. There, he accepted the endorsements of a slate of enterprise leaders and their political motion committees.
The group of eight officers representing varied statewide organizations lauded Abbott’s management throughout the pandemic and for being a good friend to enterprise by supporting job creation and eliminating regulatory limitations.
“We all know that Gov. Greg Abbott will proceed to face agency and shield the Texas miracle,” mentioned Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Texas Affiliation of Enterprise.
Others saying their endorsements throughout the occasion included the marketing campaign finance arms of the Nationwide Federation of Impartial Enterprise, Impartial Bankers Affiliation of Texas, Texas Restaurant Affiliation, Texas Trucking Affiliation, Texas Affiliation of Producers and the Texas Impartial Vehicle Sellers Affiliation.
Representing the auto sellers, April Ancira, vice chairman of the Ancira Auto Group, credited the governor for creating what she referred to as the perfect enterprise local weather within the nation.
“With a mix of affordable and predictable tax, regulatory and authorized local weather, Texas companies and their staff prosper,” she mentioned. “And when native family-owned companies like a franchise dealership prosper for his or her staff, the Texas communities by which they’re based mostly prosper as effectively.”
As he faces seven main challengers within the March 1 election, Abbott has pressured Texas’ financial progress throughout his two phrases, trying to make the case to voters that his function within the “Texas miracle” is essential. However on Thursday, he pointed to the enterprise neighborhood itself as the explanation the state has prospered.
“What all these folks right here collectively have been capable of accomplish is that, as we collect up simply outdoors of San Antonio at the moment, extra Texans have jobs than ever earlier than within the historical past of our state,” he mentioned. “Our success is owed to companies each massive and small.”
In the meantime, O’Rourke headed to downtown San Antonio for the newest cease on his 12-day tour of Texas cities that he’s calling the “Retaining the Lights On” highway journey. On the Espee venue in St. Paul Sq., he blasted Abbott with what he mentioned was a failure to handle the issues that pushed Texas’ electrical grid to the brink of collapse throughout final yr’s huge freeze.
Talking earlier than greater than 100 folks on the casual outside occasion, O’Rourke mentioned Abbott did “nothing” within the wake of Winter Storm Uri, inaction that he attributed to power corporations giving Abbott’s marketing campaign tens of millions of {dollars} in contributions.
“That’s fairly near a bribe,” he mentioned.
O’Rourke, the previous El Paso congressman who is predicted to win the Democratic nomination simply over eight different candidates, additionally offered a broad define of his personal coverage proposals, which included connecting Texas’ energy grid to the remainder of the nation and taking an aggressive actions in opposition to fuel corporations that profited throughout the freeze.
“These of us who robbed us once we had been at our most determined and susceptible — that $11 billion — I’m going to ensure we get that cash again and we’re going to prosecute anyone who’s accountable for the disruption and demise we noticed right here in Texas,” he mentioned.
Fuel sellers in Texas took an estimated $11 billion in earnings throughout the Texas freeze, in accordance with Bloomberg Information.
The Democrat outlined his concepts for making the state’s energy system extra steady and equitable if elected: additional weatherizing the power grid and connecting it to the nationwide grid and ensuring Texans don’t foot the invoice for final winter’s storm by taking again the $11 billion from power corporations that O’Rourke described as earnings from value gouging. He additionally referred to as for appointing an “impartial market monitor” for Texas’ power market.
O’Rourke acknowledged Abbott’s occasion occurring about 8 miles away, however described a number of insurance policies handed beneath Abbott — such because the latest near-total abortion ban — as dangerous for enterprise.
“While you govern the power capital of the world, and might’t maintain the lights on in a winter storm — that’s not good for enterprise,” O’Rourke mentioned to applause from the group.
As O’Rourke spoke, a handful of protesters stood outdoors the gates of the Espee, waving a big American flag. One held an indication that learn “Inexperienced New Deal = Much less Power Jobs.”
At his occasion, Abbott was questioned by reporters in regards to the near-collapse of the Texas energy grid almost a yr in the past and the way that has affected recruiting new companies to the state. He responded with an outline of infrastructure upgrades made since then and mentioned “way more” energy was accessible for the newest winter chilly spell than was wanted.
[ad_2]
Supply hyperlink