The Arlington City Council is a conservative group. They have been excellent stewards of taxpayer funds, achieving high credit ratings while building a sizable surplus. In addition to sensible fiscal policy, the people of Arlington also expect the Council to get things done without the drama that plagues our State and Federal governments.
Council members do not run as Democrats or Republicans. They run as citizens and neighbors, and they do an often-thankless job. They get the calls when the trash isn’t picked up or a neighbor isn’t being neighborly. So it was unfortunate to see the lack of respect and decorum this past week from my opponent for Texas House District 94, Tony Tinderholt.
Initially, his comments before the Council were measured, his tone polite. After his allotted time was up, and the Council members began to give their response, voters got to see the real Tony Tinderholt. He shouted down Charlie Parker, a longtime Arlington public servant, then stormed out when it was clear he would not get his way (knowing he would have been removed from the chambers). This behavior should have shocked no one, as Mr. Tinderholt displayed in his race against Diane Patrick that he only has two tactics: Attack the people who step up to get things done, then denounce the entire system when those leaders refuse to relent to his tests of ideological purity.
What Mr. Tinderholt could have done, and what I will do as the next Representative District 94, is study the issue carefully before weighing in. First, he should have read the ordinance. Open Carry Texas activists and Mr. Tinderholt are upset that firefighters are allowed to go into busy intersections for their “Fill the Boot” campaign while OCT and other groups are prohibited from approaching cars to distribute literature. I agree that laws should be applied equally. However, a reading of the city ordinance shows that there are no excepted organizations. This ordinance applies equally to everyone. A State-level exemption for certain groups binds the City Council in this case. If we believe cities should have the authority to maintain safety in their streets, perhaps the exemption for certain groups should be eliminated. If Mr. Tinderholt believes all citizens, including little league teams or panhandlers, have the right to run out into traffic to solicit donations or hand out materials he should say so. Either way, heckling City Council members who are bound by State law is misguided.
I am a 5th generation Arlingtonian and local business owner. I am invested in this community, and want to see the effective governance that built this city to continue without being dragged into tired national debates. I commend the City Council for doing what is right for Arlington despite threats from Tony Tinderholt to defeat them in their next election. They didn’t let the politics of the moment distract them. That is real leadership.
