Straining Gnats and Swallowing Camels

We have all heard the phrase: “swallowing camels while straining gnats.” Generally, the phrase is applied to persons we designate as hypocrites. It seems to me; however, the phrase can be appropriately applied to our current lieutenant governor, Dan (Danny Scott Goeb) Patrick.

Texas is faced with several giant problems which it seems our state leaders and legislators have been unable to adequately address. Some of these include voting, health care, adequate provision for dependent and abused children and a looming teacher shortage brought about by too many teachers leaving the field.

For several years Texas has been ordered by the federal courts to make adequate care facilities and treatment available for children who are left without parents or have been objects of abuse. Stories abound where dependent and neglected children have been forced to spend the night in the offices of social workers for lack of other adequate care facilities as well as being subjected to abusive environments. This has gone unchecked for several legislative sessions of the Legislature.

Ever since passage of the Affordable Care Act Texas has refused to take advantage of the opportunity of accepting billions of dollars for health care, despite Texas trailing almost every other state in the union in availability of health care.

Because of the huge number of our highway patrolmen being stationed at the border, there is a dramatic increase in highway deaths.

It has been reported that an inordinate number of teachers have decided to not return to teaching as a profession. Most for a lack of adequate pay and benefits, others simply because well-educated teachers can easily find better and more lucrative elsewhere.

With all these issues on his plate, why on earth would our lieutenant governor proclaim his number one priority in the coming session of the Legislature will be dealing with who uses what restroom.