A note from Collin County Republican Party Chairman, George Flint. – Posted 12/9/14

Last night the Plano City Council voted 5 to 3 in favor of a city ordinance that has the potential to criminalize the free exercise of religion by persons of faith who own and operate small, closely held businesses. This ordinance is wrapped around the flag of “equal rights” for various people-groups, but its net effect is to add the City of Plano to the growing list of governments throughout the United States which would sacrifice long term preservation of individual liberty and private property on the altar of immediate satisfaction of the demands of “oppressed minorities” and large, politically correct businesses, who want to save face.

Of course, those businesses who seek to operate according to their owners’ personal religious beliefs can go to the state (the City of Plano) for exemptions from the law, should the state (the City of Plano) determine they are “worthy” of such exemption. Likewise, people of religious faith in Russia can seek waivers from the State to permit their church to operate, as can people in China. And yet as free Americans, who would want to live in either Russia or China, under the State’s supervision and with the State’s permission?

A number of people of good will and concern for the future of liberty in their city, their state, and their country, spoke last night to the Plano City Council. They urged restraint, consideration of unintended consequences, thoughtfulness toward people of faith, and at least postponement of the vote. Alas, none of these voices mattered because the agenda had been set, the request by the large companies located in Plano for support by the City for their “inclusive” policies had been made, and the politically correct course had been pre-determined. So the vote was taken and another piece of liberty has been taken away for the individual citizen, for the small businessperson who thinks that they still own the fruit of their labor and the property purchased with their vision and investment belongs to them, and for the average citizen.

There is a problem here, though, which will not go away. The government that can take away the freedom of one man will one day be large enough to take away the freedom of the largest corporation. The law that attempts to silence people of faith is the same law which can one day be used to silence people of any particular people group, including the people it supposedly protects. The groups which support this ordinance believe that their rights have been enhanced when, in truth, the only enhancement has been to the power of government over their lives. Today they like the result; tomorrow, perhaps not so much.

The law that attempts to silence people of faith is the same law which can one day be used to silence people of any particular people group, including the people it supposedly protects.

So what can we do as citizens? The 5 to 3 vote was by our “non-partisan” elected representatives on the City Council. The vote last night was “non-partisan” in name only. It actually was a demonstration of social engineering of a type more in keeping with the radical agenda of the political parties of the left. We who cherish our freedom, our faith, and our liberty need to vote them out of office. We need to nominate qualified candidates, promote them, support them financially, and vote for them.

What is so sad for me about all this is that people will read this and think that, because I write this response, I am against equal rights for particular groups of people. That is not true at all. What I am against is the political nonsense that says that to make one group equal (here, the LGBT community) you have to make another group unequal (here, the faith-based business community). The beauty of liberty and the free market system is that, if you don’t like the fact that a bakery will not provide a cake for your wedding because the owner does not want to promote your particular type of wedding, then buy from a bakery who will make you the cake or, if there is no bakery like that, establish your own bakery and make your own cake. Through this system, all people have the opportunity to buy fine cakes from ready bakers for a fair price. The ruin of government is that, after due regulation and “equal opportunity” for “equal” cakes, there will be no diversity in the cake-making business, which means that the cakes will slowly become fewer and fewer, with less and less quality, at a higher and higher price … until the only cakes which will be available will be for the king and his court.

So sad. And so unnecessary.


 

Make your voice heard!

Below are the Mayor and Council Members names, their vote, emails, and phone numbers. Be sure to call them to voice your displeasure with this vote. Please be courteous and measured in your responses.

Harry LaRosiliere

VOTED YES
Mayor
[email protected]
(972) 941-7107

Lissa Smith

VOTED YES
Mayor Pro Tem – Place 4
[email protected]
(972) 941-7107

Ben Harris

VOTED NO
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem – Place 2
[email protected]
(972) 941-7107

Pat Miner

VOTED YES
Council Member, Place 1
[email protected]
(972) 941-7107

Andre’ Davidson

VOTED YES
Council Member, Place 3
[email protected]
(972) 941-7107

Jim Duggan

VOTED NO
Council Member, Place 5
[email protected]
(972) 941-7107

Pat Gallagher

VOTED NO
Council Member, Place 7
[email protected]
(972) 941-7107

David Downs

VOTED YES
Council Member, Place 8
[email protected]
(972) 941-7107


A note from Collin County Republican Party Chairman, George Flint. – Posted 12/8/14

I have become aware of a pending vote before the Plano City Council for the adoption of an ordinance which could deprive owners of closely held/small businesses of their right to exercise their religious freedom in the businesses.

I support Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-A, and the rights of all business owners to exercise their religious freedom in the operation of their private businesses. I object to the expansion of the “public accommodations doctrine” to deprive these private business owners of their fundamental rights to religious freedom.

Please contact the Plano City Council for more information on this vote, or to make you voice heard on this important issue.