anti-Innovation, anti-Startup, pro-Incumbent Texas Association of Business broadcasts Willful Economic Blindness....

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

The Texas Association of Business exists for one purpose: to protect incumbent industries from startups.  They have a long history of preaching virtue signaling claptrap as a cover for self-interested cronyism.  That being said, the degree of economic illiteracy they displayed under questioning from Senators Kelly Hancock and Paul Bettencourt during last week's hearing over the privacy act was a sight to behold:



Highlights:

• Hancock: Did your [TAB's] board see this legislation before or after TAB took a position?!?
• TAB dodges question: Our board took a position back in September.

• Hancock: Did you take a position before or after this legislation was filed?!?
• TAB answers with platitude.
• Blah, blah, "workforce recruitment"....

• Hancock: So you took a position without reading anything?!?
• TAB: "Yessir, September."

• Hancock: Do you often take positions on legislation without reading it?!?
• TAB: Something, something "Yes, actually, every September prior to every legislative session...."
• Author's Note: You can't start pre-filing legislation prior to mid-November.
• Hancock: So the legislation itself doesn't matter?!?

• Hancock: Can you tell me what the GDP of Texas is?!?
• TAB: "I don't know off the top of my head."
• Hancock: "Oh, come on, you're TAB...give it a wild guess Chris [Wallace]."
• TAB: "I don't know the exact number."
• Hancock: "Do you want me to google it for you?!?"

• Hancock: "You're claiming you speak on behalf of the businesses of Texas, surely you know ballpart what the GDP is."

• Hancock: "Can you divide [$85 billion] by [$1.4 trillion] and...tell me what it gets you?!?"
• Bettencourt: "The right number is $1.7 [trillion]...but go ahead."
• TAB: "My phone's off."
• [CROSSTALK]
• Hancock: "Dude, if I'm representing businesses, I hope my math skills would be better."
• TAB: "One half of one percent."
• Hancock: .005%

• TAB reverts to talking points; something, something "keep Texas open for business."

• Bettencourt: "Did you read this study before you quoted from it on December the sixth of 2016...did your board read and approve this study for use?!?"
• TAB: "The board was never asked to approve this study..."

• Bettencourt: First two 'laws' you cite weren't actually passed in their respective states.