Texsox Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Plastic Christmas Tree Shakes Texas Politics Mon Dec 8,10:11 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo! DALLAS (Reuters) - The speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is under fire and having his Lone Star State pride questioned, all because he decorated the House floor with a giant made-in-China plastic Christmas tree. The state's tree growers are up in arms and crying 'Bah Humbug' over the 15-foot polyvinyl chloride tree that Speaker Tom Craddick, a Republican from the west Texas town of Midland, had installed on the House floor. They have supplied the State House with free trees and are ready to bring in a Texas-grown tree to replace the plastic model. "I think people can deduce for themselves about what it means to have a plastic Christmas tree from China in the Texas State House," said Lanny Dreesen, a spokesman for the Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association. Texas Christmas tree growers produce about 150,000 trees a year and Dreesen said the trees are crops that are grown for the sole purpose of being harvested for the holidays. There has been a real Texas tree on the House floor for over 20 years. The Christmas tree in question is a top-of-the-line plastic model that came with 3,500 lights and a retail price of $3,400. It looks like an Oregon fir and was donated to Nadine Craddick, the speaker's wife, by a store in Austin. "It is a beautiful tree. It is well decorated and it is really hard to tell the difference," said Bob Richter, spokesman for the House speaker. Maintenance crews at the House are happy about the plastic model because they do not have to clean up pine needles or fend off the occasional bug. "It is like a dirty little secret. A lot of people are using artificial trees now," Richter said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 LOL. Only in Texas are you a commie for not using a real pine tree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted December 8, 2003 Author Share Posted December 8, 2003 LOL. Only in Texas are you a commie for not using a real pine tree Not using a TEXAS tree. He would have been in trouoble with a Oregon or Wisconsin tree. An Oklahoma tree would of had him thrown out of office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Not using a TEXAS tree. He would have been in trouoble with a Oregon or Wisconsin tree. An Oklahoma tree would of had him thrown out of office. Damn, he would have been fried at the altar with a Mexican tree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted December 8, 2003 Author Share Posted December 8, 2003 Damn, he would have been fried at the altar with a Mexican tree No, that would have been better than the Oklahoma tree. We make a lot of money from Mexico in Texas. Mexican Nationals spend over $10,000,000 per year in McAllen. More than they spend in San Diego, Vegas, Chicago, or New York. No returns for the retail stores, no "just shopping". They arrive with $$$ and intend on spending it all before they leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 No, that would have been better than the Oklahoma tree. We make a lot of money from Mexico in Texas. Mexican Nationals spend over $10,000,000 per year in McAllen. More than they spend in San Diego, Vegas, Chicago, or New York. No returns for the retail stores, no "just shopping". They arrive with $$$ and intend on spending it all before they leave. I guess the attitude is different around Houston , than it is around the border cities, then. There was much more racism for Mexican's (in general) than hate for Okies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted December 8, 2003 Author Share Posted December 8, 2003 I guess the attitude is different around Houston , than it is around the border cities, then. There was much more racism for Mexican's (in general) than hate for Okies. Definately. Remember the Rio Grande Valley is 80+% Hispanic. I'm the minority. Especially since I can't seem to learn enough espanol beside cerveza, taquilla, nachos, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Definately. Remember the Rio Grande Valley is 80+% Hispanic. I'm the minority. Especially since I can't seem to learn enough espanol beside cerveza, taquilla, nachos, etc. Isn't that all you need to know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted December 8, 2003 Author Share Posted December 8, 2003 Isn't that all you need to know? One day, while working in Mexico, I wish I knew how to say liver. I loaded up a tortilla, added some salsa, thinking it was bistek. Two chews later I discovered it was liver and I hate liver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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