Baby Vulcan Smiles

We Texans love our guns, and therefore our gun stores.  So when some Noo Yawk assholes start fucking around with the latter, we take action:

Citigroup Inc. is once again facing an ouster from the booming Texas municipal-bond market after the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office determined the bank “discriminates” against the firearms industry. 

The ruling indicates that the New York-based bank runs afoul of a Republican-backed law passed nearly two years ago that bars most government contracts with companies that engage in anti-gun business practices. The decision appears to halt the bank’s ability to underwrite most municipal-bond offerings in the state.

It’s a whipsaw moment for Citigroup. The bank had temporarily halted its work in the Texas muni market after the law went into effect in September 2021 but had revived that business two months later, saying it complies with the law. Paxton’s ruling ends a months-long probe into Citi’s corporate policy.

“It has been determined that Citigroup has a policy that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association,” Leslie Brock, assistant attorney general chief of the public finance division, wrote in the letter. 

The determination means that Citigroup’s so-called standing letter, a document that had thus far allowed the bank to underwrite debt in one of the nation’s largest public bond markets, has been rejected, according to a Jan. 18 letter distributed to lawyers and viewed by Bloomberg.

“Therefore, until further notice, we will not approve any public security issued on or after today’s date in which Citigroup purchases or underwrites the public security, or in which Citigroup is otherwise a party to a covered contract relating to the public security,” according to the letter.

Of course, Citi’s acting all butt-hurt:

“We’re disappointed with the decision and will remain engaged with the Texas AG office to review our options,” said Mark Costiglio, a Citigroup spokesperson, in an emailed statement. “Citi has been financing public works in Texas for more than 150 years and we currently have more than 8,500 employees who call Texas home. As we’ve said previously, Citi does not discriminate against the firearms sector and believe we are in compliance with Texas law.”

Well, our legal guys say you do, and therefore you aren’t.

Yankee shitheads. Fuck ’em.

Texas Ain’t Vancouver

Amid rising fears of furriners buying up Murkin land comes this little glimmer of sunshine:

Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) vowed to back legislation prohibiting Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean citizens and entities from purchasing land in Texas.

The bill, submitted two months ago by Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, states that citizens, corporations, and government agencies of the four nations “may not purchase or otherwise acquire title to real property” in the state. Abbott confirmed on Sunday that he would endorse the legislation, which has not yet been voted upon by lawmakers.

The bill should pass — and if not, I’ll be looking at the list of who voted against it.

Heads, Meet Brick Wall

You have to hand it to the Gun Control Party*:  they never seem to realize that the liquid running into their eyes is blood from continuously beating their fool heads against the wall of conservative, Second Amendment-loving Texas.

Courtesy of the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA), here’s their latest laundry list of wishful thinking:

  • House Bill 22, House Bill 106, House Bill 284, House Bill 324 & House Bill 662 requiring the REPORTING OF LAWFUL SALES of certain firearms and magazines to state and/or local law enforcement. [nope]
  • House Bill 76 & Senate Bill 172 CRIMINALIZING the failure of a victim of gun theft to report having his or her firearms stolen. [unenforceable, according to the State Police]
  • House Bill 88 & House Bill 447 further TAXING the sale of firearms and/or ammunition and firearms accessories. [higher taxes? in Texas? lol]
  • House Bill 110, House Bill 146, House Bill 308 & Senate Bill 360 BANNING private firearms transfers at gun shows. [was that a unicorn I just saw?]
  • House Bill 123, House Bill 136 & Senate Bill 144 so-called “red flag” GUN CONFISCATION legislation requiring firearms surrender without due process. [no due process… yeah, maybe they could get away with that in Illinois]
  • House Bill 129, House Bill 565, House Bill 761, House Bill 781, House Bill 925, House Bill 996, House Bill 1072, Senate Bill 32 & Senate Bill 145 RAISING THE AGE for firearms sales, restricting firearms transfers to, or purchases by, young adults. [lowering the age would have more chance of passing]
  • House Bill 155, House Bill 236, Senate Bill 170 & Senate Bill 370 BANNING private firearms transfers between certain family members and friends, requiring FFLs to process these transactions that would include federal paperwork for government approval at an undetermined fee. [yeah, we just love getting the feds’ noses stuck in our bidness in Texas]
  • House Bill 817, House Bill 925 & Senate Bill 32 BANNING the manufacture, sale, purchase or possession of commonly-owned semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns. [there aren’t enough body bags to enforce this little wet dream]
  • House Bill 197 & House Bill 632 BANNING the sale or transfer and possession of standard capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. [see the point above]
  • House Bill 179, House Bill 216 & House Bill 244 RESTRICTING long gun open carry, with limited exceptions. [you mean, over and above the restrictions we already have, and that most Texans hate like poison and mostly ignore?]
  • House Bill 298 establishes a 3-day WAITING PERIOD for firearms sales. [uh huh — I know we’ve got a lot of Californians come here recently, but we still ain’t California yet]
  • House Bill 887 CRIMINALIZING the practice of home-building firearms. [sorry, I need to go get another hanky]
  • House Bill 925 requiring enforcement of a whole host of newly-established firearms restrictions through PRIVATE CIVIL ACTIONS. [once again, this isn’t California or New fucking York]
  • House Bill 1092 REPEALING Texas’ firearms industry non-discrimination act from the 2021 session. [considering the margin by which the latter was passed in 2021, that ain’t gonna happen either]
  • Senate Bill 205 REPEALING Texas’ campus carry law. [because of all the dozens of mass shootings on Texas campuses over the past few years, maybe?]
  • Senate Bill 253 STREAMLINING signage requirements for posting areas off-limits to gun owners, making it easier for property owners to ban carrying on-premises. [actually, that we have any such signs at all is something I and others intend to take up with our legislators]

Every single one of these has been copied and pasted, so to speak, from years gone past;  all have gone down in flames or else been “tabled” without making it out of committee.

And lest we forget, the Texas Legislature is only in session for six months every two years.  Amongst other things, they have to build, debate and pass a two-year budget — which the U.S. Congress can’t do in a full year — and ours have better things to do than debate this foolishness in the short time available to them.


*Actually, what I’d like to hand to them is their own severed heads on a pike, but we can discuss that some other time.

Quote Of The Day

From the always-wrong Paul Erlich:

“I and the vast majority of my colleagues think we’ve had it; that the next few decades will be the end of the kind of civilization we’re used to.”

On this occasion, he’s actually correct — but only if we let the Commies (WEF, Democrats, George Soros etc.) run things.

As for all his quasi-scientific collectivist (“vast majority”) statements and apocalyptic warnings, they’re

…as always.

Changing Tide

I have to admit that I’m starting to lean this way myself:

Donald Trump is being largely blamed for the midterm red wave that never happened, with Republican strategists pinning the party’s underwhelming performance in the 2022 midterms on his selection of ‘flawed’ candidates. 

Trump endorsed some 300 candidates, held 30 rallies and raised millions of dollars for his ‘army’ of candidates. It was supposed to be the amuse-bouche for a Presidential run, intended to set him up for a sweeping 2024 success.  

But overnight, many of Trump’s chosen candidates crashed and burned.

It seems to me that Trump is becoming like Her Filthiness Hillary Ciinton, the “broken glass” candidate (in that people would crawl over broken glass to vote against them).

Where there was previously no strong candidate to back in the fight against socialism, Trump was the default because all the Stupid Party could bring to the [ahem] party were candidates of the Romney/Mitch McConnell stripe — establishment GOPe drones.

Thanks to Trump, however, we have more radical leaders like Kristi Noem and of course Ron DeSantis around who, provided we could actually vote them into power, might continue or even improve upon the works of President Trump.

And let’s be honest:  another Trump similarity to Hillary is age:  in 2024 he will be 78, and if Biden is anything to go by, we do not need another octogenarian in the White House, no matter how energetic he may seem at the moment.  (A depressing thing about advanced age — ask me how I know this — is that two, three or four years has a far more radical effect upon one’s physical- and mental capabilities at 65+ years than they had at age 40 or even 50.)  Trump would be 79 if he were to win the next election, but 81 by the next mid-term election.  Could he still be as effective?  Hell, given the obstacles the Swamp would throw at him, could he be effective at all?

I have no problem with Trump continuing to hold rallies all over the place, as long as they support the MAGA philosophy and not his candidacy.  But that ain’t gonna happen.

And given that the supposed “red tsunami” turned out to be more of a pinkish trickle (a topic for another time), there’s no guarantee that even a conservative maestro like Ron DeSantis would be successfully elected.

Is it too early for a second gin?  I think not.