Furniture

Add your comment »

The term "furniture" describes members who, by virtue of their indifference or inactivity, were indistinguishable from their desks, chairs, and spittoons. Herewith, a tasteful display of the state's Stickleys and Chippendales.

EMPTY FURNITURE Senator Gonzalo Barrientos (Democrat, Austin) won a plum seat on the Senate Finance Committee, and he might as well have left it unoccupied. He stopped showing up for work sessions, where the heavy lifting is done, when it became clear that writing a budget with a $9.9 billion shortfall would mean approving deep cuts. While other Democratic members spent hours searching for ways to preserve services for needy Texans, Barrientos threw in the towel and became an automatic "no" vote. We return the favor.

NEW FURNITURE Dwayne Bohac (Republican, Houston), Ryan Guillen (Democrat, Rio Grande City).

USED FURNITURE John Davis (Republican, Houston), Gary Elkins (Republican, Houston), Al Edwards (Democrat, Houston), Senator Jon Lindsay (Republican, Houston).

SQUEAKY FURNITURE Sid Miller (Republican, Stephenville).