By State Rep. Brooks Landgraf
I’m thankful for the pilgrims who did the modern-day equivalent of traveling to Mars when they landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. They struggled, but persevered, laying the foundations for a free nation.
I’m thankful for the original fighters for freedom, those who dared to take on a king, and won. Our Founding Fathers, those who fought and died in the Revolutionary War, were so successful in their pursuit of liberty that it set a global trend, causing revolutions against tyrannical governments to spread all over the world.
I’m thankful for the pioneers who braved untold hardships to make a better life for their families. Their endurance paved the way for the United States to reach its full potential. Their bravery has blessed every subsequent generation of Americans.
As Texans, or better yet, as West Texans, we get to share in all of that history and more. We get to also be thankful for the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, for the independent spirit that has always defined Texas. That independent spirit is especially strong in West Texas and the Permian Basin, where we go to work every day in the world’s most secure oilfield – the geological formations that enabled the United States of America to win back-to-back world wars. If it wasn’t for the Santa Rita No. 1 striking oil here in 1923, we’d all be speaking German today.
Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for here in West Texas, despite what we all see on the news and social media. Whether you are looking back at our past, at the present day, or attempting to see into the future, we have every reason to be thankful.
Looking ahead to 2023 with the Texas legislative session set to kick-off on January 10, I see more reasons coming for West Texans to be thankful. Troubles in Europe and Washington D.C. are putting the Permian Basin on center stage at a time when the Texas legislature will be prioritizing needs with its largest ever budget surplus. Your voice – the voice of hard-working West Texans – is being heard louder than ever in the halls of the Texas capitol because our state leaders now understand what America’s enemies have long known: aside from our Constitution, America’s greatest asset and most important guarantor for future freedom and prosperity are the hydrocarbons under our feet here in the Permian Basin.
As your state representative, you have my word that I will fight tooth and nail to ensure West Texas gets its fair share this session. We’ve had a lot of success in the last two sessions, but I am heading back to the Capitol in January to work to make sure we have even more to be thankful for.
God bless Texas!
