Southwest and U.S. under pressure to speak out against Texas voting law
Gary Leff at 1. April 2021.
As in many states, Republicans in Texas are pushing for changes in voting rights. They passed a new bill in the Senate that restricts early voting, bans drive-throughs and prohibits local election officials from proactively emailing ballot requests.
With Delta embroiled in a controversy over Georgia’s new election law, former San Antonio mayor, President Obama’s HUD Secretary and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro is calling on Texas airlines American Airlines and Southwest Airlines to keep an eye on their positions on the law:
At 2 a.m., the Texas Senate filed one of the most horrific voter suppression bills in Texas history.
Georgia’s @Delta opposed bills like this. Will @AmericanAir and @SouthwestAir – big Texas companies – speak out against this blatant voter suppression in our state? https://t.co/00FdYYX4Wb
– Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) April 1, 2021
Julian Castro, who Delta called an opponent of the Georgia law, is a little rich. To be clear, according to Delta, they have… :
- reputation sought as a contributor to the final language
- Lobbying
- and ultimately convicted him after he had already passed
It is beyond obscene for the airlines to interfere with the election laws that determine who is in power, while they get those people in power to give them billions in subsidies. It works both ways and the taxpayer suffers.
The problem is that the airlines are politicized. In fact, they are now partially owned by the federal government, having given warrants to the Treasury in exchange for a bailout. In recent years, they have also waged high-profile political campaigns to prevent competitors from entering the U.S. market, keep prices high and limit consumer choice (ironically, by claiming that Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways received government subsidies).
Last summer, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker even told his staff that he spent all his time lobbying Washington. Once you are part of the political process, it is hard to get out.
(HT: @David_Slotnick)
