Press Release - Bill White campaign AWOL on open carry issue!

OpenCarry.org
(A pro-gun Internet community of over 22,000 registered members)

For Immediate Release – October 19, 2010
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Bill White campaign AWOL on open carry issue

Petition for Texas open carry continues to attract supporters

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Texas is one of only 7 states still banning the open carry of properly holstered handguns, but apparently that doesn’t bother the Texas Democratic candidate for Governor, Bill White, or his campaign handlers.

Over the last few weeks, White’s campaign staffers, including Communications Director Ali Smith, have stiff-armed repeated inquiries from OpenCarry.org regarding the restoration of open carry rights in Texas. The question put to White’s campaign was pretty straight forward:

“If a future legislature passed a bill restoring open carry rights in Texas, would a Governor White be inclined to sign it?”

Ali Smith took several calls on the matter but ultimately just empty promised that “omeone will call you.”

OpenCarry.org’s John Pierce says “we know that “Gov. Rick Perry supports, at least in concept, . . . open carry,” see http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/robison/6194141.html. Therefore,

“the choice before Texas gun owners on November 2nd is very stark. Voters must choose between a candidate who runs from gun rights policy questions, or Rick Perry who frequently carries a gun himself for self-defense, and is prepared to stand his ground when necessary.”

Meanwhile, no matter who wins the Texas Governor’s race, OpenCarry.org is driving on with its online petition to restore Texas open carry rights at http://www.petitiononline.com/texasoc. This valuable tool allows voters to register that demand for open carry rights, and at the same time allows gun rights organizers to collect tens of thousands of pro-gun email addresses of Texas voters for future use to promote open carry and other gun rights policy initiatives.

Carry on!

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Media Contact:
John Pierce, co-founder and spokesperson, OpenCarry.org, John@OpenCarry.org

Not a surprise and I am happy that people across Texas did not buy Bill White's campaigning hype. It was a major statement that the Houston Police Union endorsed Rick Perry and that should have been a screaming message to all Texans that when the police union of the city that Bill White was mayor endorses the opposition, there is clearly not a good feeling.

He left Houston with a huge budget deficit and a his failure to manage staffing and recruiting has left the City with 1/3 of police officers eligible for retirement. In addition, under Bill White's mayorship, he added red light cameras (voted out last week) which are nothing but a revenue grab. If they had been meant to promote safety at dangerous intersections, there would have been multiple large signs alerting drivers that they are approaching a photo enforced intersection. Instead, the sign was about the same size as a speed limit sign and that would have only one at each directional approach.

Good Bye Bill White and quit the "I am not a politician" line. You were in the Clinton administration and have served as Mayor = Politician.