Houston Chronicle: Who is in charge of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s plan to help to restart the Texas economy? A secret team of entrepreneurs led by a Dallas megadonor
Houston Chronicle: Who is in charge of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s plan to help to restart the Texas economy? A secret team of entrepreneurs led by a Dallas megadonor
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s suggestion last month that he and other senior citizens would be willing to risk exposure to the coronavirus to get the economy back on its feet sparked headlines — and outrage — around the globe.
But the details of just how Patrick wants to jump start commerce in Texas, and who all is advising him on it, remains a state secret — with one notable exception, that is.
Who else is on it? What’s the focus? Why all the secrecy?
Patrick’s office didn’t respond to numerous requests for more detail about his task force.
In the meantime, government watchdogs say Ryan, a Republican megadonor whose company specializes in reducing tax bills and getting economic development grants for big corporations, could benefit from his elevation to the head of Patrick’s quietly assembled task force.
Ryan denies that and insists his goal is to stabilize and revive the economy, particularly for small businesses.
The tension about who stands to gain from government recovery efforts mirrors a debate in Washington, where the lack of oversight and transparency of coronavirus-related spending is leading to concerns that the money could end up helping people that don’t need it. …
Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, a nonpartisan watchdog organization, said “with this much money flowing around the last thing you want is for it to all go to people who just happen to be politically well connected as opposed to people who are out of a job without health care or have their business shutting down.”