Forgive -- But Remember

DosCentavos is upset by an appearance at the rally:

Here's one line I found interesting: Several prominent black leaders, including Texas Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, and Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, as well as Bishop Charles V. Grahmann, leader of the Dallas Catholic diocese, marched in solidarity.

Now why did I bold Senator West's name? Royce West was the co-author of Senate Bill 1501, which was the same as HB2345. HB2345 called for imposing a fee on all wire transfers abroad, specifically targeting immigrants as a means of "collecting payment" for their use of emergency services at local hospitals. Dos Centavos called this the Immigrant Tax.

West is the best State Senator that Dallas County has had since the lamented Oscar Mauzy (author of the quote titling this post) moved up to the Supreme Court. That doesn't mean West is right about everything, and this was a very bad mistake.

Dallas's emergency charity hospital, Parkland, is primarily (and inadequately) supported by property taxes, which the Republican county government refuses to raise because that would mean they could afford to actually help people, especially poor people. It's not racism, because they don't want to help poor whites either. It's a class thing.

Trying to instead squeeze hard-earned less-than-minimum wage money out of people trying to wire tiny profits back to their families is an attractive proposition to politicians because those exploited workers can't vote. You're a better man than this, Senator. Stop playing their game.