David Van Os, the Democratic candidate for Attorney General, vowed during a stop in Midland to combat corporate malfeasance, derail the Trans-Texas Corridor and return the government to the people by riding a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment into office. ...
"We don't have to sit idly by while runaway corporate greed runs roughshod over everybody's standard of living," Van Os said, later citing high utility bills brought about by industry deregulation and high insurance costs as examples.
Van Os described large corporations as speeders and the public officials responsible for ticketing them as unwilling to even bother using their radar guns. The reason for this complacency, he said, is in part because these same corporations are significant contributors to Abbott's campaign and the campaigns of other high-ranking state politicians.
"Politicians in the highest levels of government, with their responsibility and tools of office to protect the people, are not doing it because they've actually been purchased by special interests," Van Os said.
If elected, Van Os said one of his primary goals would be to attempt to halt the development of the Trans-Texas Corridor which he said is "a monstrosity, because it's going to take away hundreds of thousands of acres of private land and property through forcible eminent domain."
Van Os said European corporations will profit from the development of tolls along the corridor and in his opinion it is unconstitutional for public land to be taken for private profit. He said the seizure of lands by eminent domain also will establish a precedent that will pave the way for similar actions in the future.
He said he is confident he has a chance of being elected because he feels Texas residents, both Republicans and Democrats, are weary of incumbents who rely on opinion polls and political consultants to get elected and are ready for a candidate who will make decisions based on what he feels is right and wrong.
"The political history in Texas goes in long, 20-to-25-year cycles and the way I read it is the people of Texas will go through a long period of time where they're forgiving of those in office and they're very complacent," Van Os said, adding this encourages incumbents to become lax in their duties and their dedication to public service. "There always comes a time where something sparks and a critical mass is reached and the people decide to clean house. We're in one of those times now, there's no doubt about it."
