Opinion Pieces

  • Congressman Mike Conaway: Americans don't need another tax burden
    Nov 29, 2010 - Midland Reporter-Telegram Calvin Coolidge once said, "Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery." Although problems abound in our current tax code, the revenue generated by it is not one of them. The last major reform of America's tax code was under President Reagan in... More
  • Op-Ed: An Unstimulating Stimulus Package
    Feb 10, 2009 - Last week we heard some very discouraging news from some of the nation’s top employers. Over 60,000 jobs were lost, U.S. retail sales posted the first drop in annual sales, and more bank failures were announced. The bad news seems to keep coming with no end in sight. No one refutes the severity of o... More
  • Never Take Freedom for Granted
    Jul 4, 2008 - On July 2, 1776, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, signed at the time by only Charles Thompson, the Secretary of Congress, and John Hancock, the presiding officer. It is because of this that John Adams predicted that Americans would come to celebrate their Independence on July 2nd ev... More
  • Why I voted Against the Ethics Bill
    Mar 16, 2008 - Representative K. Michael Conaway San Angelo Standard-Times Members of Congress have long resigned themselves to the knowledge that the American public does not think very much of them. Sadly, that does a great disservice to most of the members who were elected to serve in this great institution. Th... More
  • Oil and gas profits go both ways
    Feb 26, 2008 - Earlier this month, Exxon-Mobil once again announced record profits. These record profits, $40.7 billion to be exact, have been labeled “outlandish,” “unjustifiable,” “appalling” and “ruthless” by many in Congress. They believe that such profits gouge the American consumer and are consequently immo... More
  • How a Free Trader Can Support the Farm Bill
    Jul 25, 2007 - As a fiscal conservative and free-trade advocate, I am often asked how I can support our current farm policy. I answer that question with a quote from President George Washington: "It will not be doubted that with reference either to individual or national welfare, agriculture is of primary importan... More
  • Odessa Offers Clean Committment to Coal
    Jun 24, 2007 - In the heart of the nation's crude oil production, the friendly city of Odessa leads the way in energy diversification. The Odessa/Penwell site and the Jewett/Heart of the Brazos site remain two of the final four finalists' competing for the FutureGen initiative, a public-private partnership to deve... More