written by Noelle Bell, Director of New Media for Back To Basics PAC
THE LINDA HARPER-BENZ SCANDAL
Talk about the ties that bind---especially the ties between a state lawmaker, Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, and her special interest crony, Durable Enterprises Equipment Ltd., a company with long and deep ties to Harper-Brown and her husband. 
You see, Rep. Linda Harper-Brown sits on the Texas House Committee on Transportation, so, it almost seemed inevitable that she would get a nice, big $55,000 present in the form of a new 2010 Mercedes ME550 Sedan.
After all, Rep. Linda Harper-Brown has worked so hard over the past eight years on the Transportation Committee. In a shocking coincidence, Durable Enterprises Equipment was given a fat $12,300,000 in lucrative contracts with the Texas Department of Transportation. The new 2010 Mercedes-Benz ME550 Sedan is just the topping on the cake.
Oh, and guess what? We're just getting started on the story below.....
Rep. Linda Harper-Brown has had the proud privilege of slapping her official state license on not just one, but THREE cars owned by Durable--two E-class Mercedes-Benz and a Chevy Tahoe. Wow--what a deal that is for a state lawmaker that gets paid $7,200 annually from Texan taxpayers!
And she even tried to bill the Texas Department of Transportation for an injury to her Mercedes-Benz from a pothole in the road! Now, that's chutzpah, using your Mercedes-Benz given to you by your special interest crony, and asking taxpayers through the Texas Department of Transportation to foot the bill for it. Perhaps she should have billed her special interest crony friend, Durable, instead.
There's also more that Rep. Linda Harper-Brown has done to enrich her special interest cronies--for instance, the red-light camera legislation that Harper-Brown snuck unannounced into a major transportation bill. Earlier, a majority of her colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives had voted down a bill using photos from red light cameras to ticket drivers. Linda's sneaky measure passed into law, and shortly, a company owned by the same friend who owns her Benz just so happened to enter the market selling components for red-light cameras.
Here's the Lone Star Project on this stinky scandal from Linda Harper-Brown:
Linda Harper-Brown (R-HD105) sits on the Texas House Transportation Committee and is the biggest advocate for red-light cameras in the Texas Legislature. Harper-Brown also drives a $55,000 Mercedes Benz, owned by a transportation company that, along with its sister company, has sold red-light cameras and received more than $12.3 million in Texas state contracts.
A formal bribery complaint has been submitted to the U.S. District Attorney and the Public Integrity Section of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office (Source: Dallas Morning News, June 17, 2010).
Harper-Brown is also known as a relentless promoter and defender of red-light camera traffic enforcement. Even when it meant bucking her extreme-right soul-mates , Linda Harper-Brown has offered amendments, inserted legislative language and generally used her personal and political influence to promote the use of red light cameras by cities to photograph and fine motorists at road intersections (Dallas Morning News , July 11, 2004).
Why would a hard-right Republican, who talks about personal liberties and limiting government, make invasive red light traffic cameras a central focus of her official duties?
She certainly can't unring the bell, undrive the Mercedes-Benz, or undo the entire situation.
Can you please donate $5, $10, $20, or more to help support our great work in exposing the blatant hypocrisy of Texan politicians?
Disclosure: Donations will be used by the Back to Basics PAC to advocate on behalf of Texans against the hypocrisy of self-serving politicians.
