Republican Lt. Gov.-elect Dan Patrick announced yesterday (Thursday, Jan. 15) he has appointed 56 state business leaders to six new citizen advisory panels who will advise him on a variety of policy areas, including water, taxes, economic development and forecasting, transportation and energy.
Texans for Public Justice, a liberal ethics watchdog group, noted 77 percent of the advisory members financially backed his campaign for lieutenant governor. Other members have backed Patrick since his first campaign for state senate in 2006, a position he held until his election as lieutenant governor this past November.
Nearly half of the advisory members live in the Dallas/Fort Worth region. Many are also among the Patrick campaign’s donors.
Dallas’ Roy Bailey will chair the advisory board’s committees.
Advisory group meetings would not be open to the public but Patrick said he will acknowledge legislation brought by the groups, according to the Austin American-Statesman. He also anticipates advisory board members to testify before committees.
“Endowing a handful of corporate titans with the power to write laws behind closed doors is the ultimate form of government privatization,” said Craig McDonald, the group’s director. “If you thought cronyism and corruption were out of hand under the [outgoing Gov.] Perry regime, just hang on! The worst is yet to come.”
Major Patrick contributors and advisory board members:
Asterisk indicates Dallas/Fort Worth area resident
*Roy Bailey, Chairman of Advisory Committees
Economic & Workforce Development:
Gene Powell, Chairman
*Barry Andrews
*Monty Bennett
Alonzo Cantu
*Dick Collins
*Doug Deason
Windi Grimes
*Mike Gruber
Bill Holmes
Michael Plank
Kyle Stallings
Massey Villareal
Economic Forecast:
Hon. Kent Hance
Tilman Fertitta
*Gerald Ford
Woody Hunt
Jodie L. Jiles
*Bob Rowling
Paul Sarvadi
*Shelly Stein
*Ardon Moore
Energy/Oil and Gas:
*T. Boone Pickens, Chairman
S. Javaid Anwar
John Connally
Tim Dunn
Kirk Edwards
Wil VanLoh, Jr.
John Walker
*Kelcy Warren
Tax Policy:
*Brint Ryan
Nelda Blair
Alan Hassenflu
*Marcus Hiles
Victor Leal
Steve Mach
*Bob McNutt
Mike Reitmeier
Ben Streusand
Sherry Sylvester
Transportation:
Ned Holmes, Chairman
*Bob Albritton
Steve Alvis
Arch “Beaver” Aplin
*Pamela Bailey-Campbell
*Carter Pate
*Brenda Pejovich
*Jere Thompson, Jr.
John Weisman
Water:
Jack Wood, Chairman
*Joe Colonnetta
*Ralph Ellis, Jr.
Joseph Fitzsimons
*Kenn George
Gaylord Hughey
Kevin Sparks
Bought and sold: Lt. Gov-elect Patrick packs advisory boards with donors
