"Texas Competes": A Potemkin Village

"Who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits."
Isaiah 30:10

Potemkin Village - An impressive facade or show designed to hide an undesirable fact or condition.

A new organization, "Texas Competes", recently emerged.  Led by the Texas Association of Businesses, it is mostly comprised of the usual suspects behind big business/big government crony socialism.  Their goal is to use the power of government to create new classes of thought crimes in Texas:

We believe that in order for Texas businesses to compete for top talent, we must have workplaces and communities that are diverse and welcoming for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

We believe that treating all Texans and visitors fairly is essential to maintaining Texas' strong brand as the premier home for talented workers, growing businesses, entrepreneurial innovation, and a thriving travel and tourism industry.

It's time to ensure fairness for all Texas employees, residents, and consumers. A united Texas is a competitive Texas. And when Texas competes, Texas wins.

First, it's important to point out that 'discrimination' against homosexuals is essentially non-existent in Texas.  Since 2013, only two semi-credible accusations have emerged.  One involved a Lubbock man, who worked for an explicitly CHRISTIAN youth ministry, who was unnecessarily flagrant about it in front of children.  The other involved a former women's track coach at the University of Texas who took advantage of a student.  If this were a widespread problem, one would expect examples of this alleged 'discrimination' to be too numerous to list.

Clearly, one semi-credible accusation per year in a state with 27 million people requires big business and big government to create thought crimes.

More revealing, however, is the degree to which "Texas Competes" is comprised of aging legacy companies, law firms, and regional chambers.  The screenshot below is a representative sample of their membership.  How many of these 'companies' have you heard of?!?

Perusing their full roster, one sees (perhaps) 7-10 growing companies that are relevant to Texas' future.  Most pledge signers either don't produce anything or they peaked a generation ago.  Furthermore, for 200 'companies' to take a position in a state with MILLIONS of businesses isn't impressive.

Bottom Line: The only people backing this alleged 'groundswell' are the usual suspects promoting big business/big government collusion; does anyone care what American Airlines thinks?!?