Rich Wakeland

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Rich Wakeland

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 1, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Texas A&M University at College Station, 1980

Graduate

University of Texas at Austin, 1985

Law

University of Texas at Austin, 1993

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1980 - 2010

Personal

Birthplace

Bethesda, Md.

Religion

Methodist

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Rich Wakeland (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of Texas. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2022.

Wakeland completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Richard Wakeland was born in Bethesda, Maryland. Wakeland served in the U.S. Navy from 1980 to 2010. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University at College Station in 1980, a graduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985, and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993. Wakeland's career experience includes founding and owning Emergency Restaurant Repair LLC.

Elections

2022

See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Texas

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Texas on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Greg Abbott (R)	54.8	4,437,099
		Beto O'Rourke (D)	43.9	3,553,656
		Mark Tippetts (L)	1.0	81,932
		Delilah Barrios (G)	0.4	28,584
		Jacqueline Abernathy (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	1,243
		Mark Goloby (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	394

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,102,908
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Reginald Jennings II (Independent)
• Jorge Franco (Independent)
• Jeremy Rios (Independent)
• Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla (Independent)
• Justin Cunneen (Independent)
• Sean Sharp (Independent)
• Demetra Wysinger (Independent)
• Chioma Okoro (Independent)
• Star Locke (Independent)
• Raul Cortina (Independent)
• Patrick Wynne (Reform Party)
• Jal Dennis (Independent)
• Deirdre Dickson-Gilbert (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Texas

Beto O'Rourke defeated Joy Diaz, Michael Cooper, Rich Wakeland, and Inocencio Barrientez in the Democratic primary for Governor of Texas on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Beto O'Rourke	91.4	983,182
		Joy Diaz	3.1	33,622
		Michael Cooper	3.0	32,673
		Rich Wakeland	1.2	13,237
	Submit photo	Inocencio Barrientez	1.2	12,887

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,075,601
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Deirdre Dickson-Gilbert (D)
• Star Locke (D)
• Jack Daniel Foster Jr. (D)
• Larry Baggett (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Texas

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Texas on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Greg Abbott	66.5	1,299,059
		Allen B. West	12.3	239,557
		Donald Huffines	12.0	234,138
		Chad Prather	3.8	74,173
	Submit photo	Rick Perry	3.1	61,424
		Kandy Kaye Horn	1.2	23,605
	Submit photo	Paul Belew	0.6	11,387
		Daniel Harrison	0.6	10,829

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,954,172
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green convention

Green convention for Governor of Texas

Delilah Barrios advanced from the Green convention for Governor of Texas on April 9, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Delilah Barrios (G)

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Governor of Texas

Mark Tippetts defeated Fidel Castillo in the Libertarian convention for Governor of Texas on April 10, 2022.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Fidel Castillo (L)
✔		Mark Tippetts (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Andrew Jewell (L)
• Daniel Behrman (L)

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Rich Wakeland completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wakeland's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a business owner, veteran, and father. The combination of the January 6th Riot, and February 2021 Texas power crisis convinced me there is something seriously ill in our government and society. I am running for Governor to directly address these acts of violence and incompetence, and to better defend our Constitution, against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Reliable electric power. Balanced mix of thermal and renewable generation coupled with regular operational testing of the grid and thermal generating units is necessary to ensure reliability. Abbott ignored written warnings provided to him in March 2015 regarding the reliability of the ERCOT grid while I was policy advisor to Commission Ken Anderson, Jr. of the Public Utility Commission. Abbott ignored these recommendations and caused the deaths of Texans.
• Growing the tech industry. Technology, the engine of progress and prosperity, is critical for our continued successs. Governor Abbott's actions, including the passage of SB 8 provide risk to our prospective labor force. We need these tech workers to flock to Texas, not be scared away by Byzantine laws.
• End divisiveness in politics. Too often our partisan differences create unacceptable barriers to progress. By governing with policy and stability instead of vitriol and anger, we can ensure better prosperity today, and tomorrow.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have extensive experience in energy regulation. If elected governor, the focus of my administration will be on proper reforms to the Texas Interconnection (Power Grid). My roadmap to stability in Texas energy has three parts. First, a balanced portfolio of renewable energy and natural gas. Second, the operational testing of the transmission grid and gas sources. Third, an in depth review of maintenance practices.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Abraham Lincoln. I believe that his causes, abolitionism and national reunification, were the two most significant of any cause between the founding and his time, and from his time until now. In many ways, we are all living President Lincoln's ideals, and in many ways they still have to be fought for.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I found the Lincoln Memorial to be particularly moving. When viewing the memorial, the observer should consider the extreme cost - personal and political, that Lincoln had to bear in order to make the decisions he did. It is obvious in hindsight that he was right, and the memorial is his vindication. But such things were unclear at the time. For those reasons, he is a profile in courage and the Lincoln Memorial embodies that for me.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty and integrity, you really can't have anything without those.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, integrity, and my diverse experiences both in the public service and as a business owner-operator.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

1. Thorough understanding of the State's Executive Branch, organization, and operation.

2. Effective communications with the staffs in Austin and workers in the field.
3. Technical competence to drive meaningful 21st century operations and reform.

4. Understanding and support for the core public interest.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That my reforms left Texas with a reliable electric grid and abundant water for Texas agriculture. These reforms which, in hindsight, formed the basis of Texas becoming America's largest state economy.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The moon landing! I remember it very fondly, having watched it on my family's grainy black and white TV set. I was 11 at the time. My dad worked on the Gemini program so it felt like an enormous culmination of his work and that of his successors.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

In 1980 I finished my studies at Texas A&M in College Station and I entered Officer Candidate School. I served as a nuclear submarine officer on active duty for five years on the east coast. I left active service to better serve my family, but I remained in the Navy Reserve, where I retired in 2010.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Iron Man! Tony Stark is a complicated character but I always appreciated that he's just a regular guy in a "super" world - armed only with his wit and skills.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

The Governor serves as the ultimate responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the public and individual rights.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

A robust economy is the key to all other goals. Prosperity is a tandem bicycle whose riders are both capital and labor. They both must be represented, efficient, and effective to deliver a great society. In particular, support and and promotion of both the blue and white collar worker interests including organized labor.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

As Governor I will directly use the Line-Item Veto power to shape fiscal legislation in the public interest

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

I will not use the Line-Item Veto for those items do not deal with the health or safety of the public.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

As the Governor, I would enforce the laws that the People, through their legislature, provide. Accordingly I expect to have a cooperative, common goal oriented approach to serve the best interests of Texans.

What do you love most about your state?

The friendliness and hospitality of fellow Texans! It's not something you notice until you travel somewhere else.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

The two pillars of modern society are technology and agriculture. The greatest threats to these are unreliable power and drought. Reforms to power generation and water use are required for sustainability of these critical 21st century resources.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Wakeland's campaign website stated the following:

“	Objective: Invest in Texas and focus on the middle class Reliable Electric Power Balanced mix of thermal and renewable generation coupled with regular operational testing of the grid and thermal generating units is necessary to ensure reliability. Abbott ignored written warnings provided to him in March 2015 regarding the reliability of the ERCOT grid while I was policy advisor to Commission Ken Anderson, Jr. of the PUC. Abbott was provided a roadmap of how to increase the grid reliability while simultaneously increasing renewable energy production. Instead he chose a course that six years later caused the collapse of the ERCOT grid. Electric Grid Reliability Abbott’s Destruction of ERCOT's Reliability He ignored warnings from PUCT Commissioners Promoted coal over natural gas, betraying the Texas oil and gas industry. Allowed an imbalance in generation mix to occur causing an unreliable grid. Keep Growing The High Tech Industry High tech is the white collar middle class central nervous system of Texas. Continue a positive business environment for the Texas high tech industry. Pro Business and Pro Individual Environment Additional Information A conservative business environment, one that favors the growth and expansion of tech businesses should not be confused with a conservative social environment. A conservative business environment is one where government intervention in businesses through regulation is minimized. Government intervention in the affairs of businesses should be limited to action necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Failure to regulate effectively can produce catastrophic results. The failure of the ERCOT power grid in February 2021 is a perfect example of the failure of Abbott to plan and guard against just such an occurrence. The catastrophe of February 2021 could have been avoided had Abbott only headed the warnings given him when he first took office. Failure to take action to protect Texas agriculture from a repeat of the drought of 2011 is another catastrophe in the making. The high-tech industry does not offer up the same risk to the health, safety and welfare of the public as the ERCOT grid (or even Texas agriculture) does. Intrusive government regulation should be discouraged. This would be a conservative business environment and one that I support. A conservative social environment on the other hand leads to restrictions on individuals. Consider individuals that make up the high-tech work force. A conservative social environment, like one found in Saudi Arabia, would draw significant protests from high tech workers should a high-tech company announce a move there. One of Texas’ strengths is that it is a conservative state. But, by enacting laws that are socially restrictive, the blue and white collar workers in the high-tech industry are likely to become disgruntled. It’s not like moving to Saudia Arabia, but you get the point. The most significant concern is that the legislation signed into law were overt acts of restrictions on individuals. The attack on women’s rights and on voting rights. Couple those actions with the ridiculous claims by right wing zealots like Abbott, Patrick, Paxton, Bush as well as radical right members of the Texas House and Senate attacking the presidential election results of 2020 and you get a clear signal that individual’s liberties are at risk. None of those actions by the elected republicans, was taken for the health, safety and welfare of the public, they were taken merely to further their conservative agenda against individuals. These actions lead to unhappy workers, unhappy workers lead to unhappy employers. This is not good for the Texas economy or the Texas blue and white collar middle class. Protect Texas Farmers and Ranchers from drought The 2011 drought will repeat itself and Abbott has not prepared to combat the coming drought, just like he ignored the electric grid. Push through legislation allowing for cash crops. The Ogallala Aquifer Crisis This image was released on the public domain from Oklahoma State University on the declining water levels of the Ogallala Aquifer. The Ogallala Aquifer provides 66% of groundwater and 38% of total water used in Texas. The Ogalla Aquifer Normal recharge rate The Texas Ogallala requires 300,000 acre-feet per year to make up for normal recharge. Levels have dropped over 200 feet in some areas. To make up and replenish the aquifer, we need to run a water pipeline across the state delivering 300,000 acre-feet per year. Principle source of water in the panhandle Drought and irrigation demands have depleted the Ogallala such that Texas' farming and ranching is in danger. Cattle industry $12.3 billion/yr, Cotton $2.6 billion/yr. 50% of water used goes to producing cattle feed. Our Farmers and Ranchers deserve our help and support Texas farmers and ranchers toil with a silent determination year after year. This industry is vital for Texas. We need to give Texas farmers and ranchers an advantage over all others. We need to bring them water. This will lower their risk of crop loss, which will make it easier to finance their operations, lowering their cost of capital and lower their insurance costs. They will be able to borrow money at a lower interest rate because their likelihood of crop success is higher. Invest in Texas Invest in Texas means invest in Texas farming and ranching and invest in Texas infrastructure. A large infrastructure project producing many jobs over the life of the build, and ensuring the survival and dominance of Texas agriculture for centuries. Pumping stations power The pipeline pumping stations will be powered by both renewable energy and natural gas combined cycle plants. In the event of energy shortages in the ERCOT grid, the power normally used for water pumps will be available as back up power for the grid. A pipeline river flowing through north central Texas from the south and east. Along the way, take off stations are available to Texas agriculture when the drought becomes widespread. The objective is to fill the Ogallala, and suspend filling during time of serious drought to provide surface water as necessary to save our farming and ranching. A Potential Solution This image showing Texas' working lands was released on the public domain by Texas A&M AgriLife showing the concentration of agricultural production in the state. The blue areas show the demand for water by cropland. The more blue, the more water that is used. The red line is a potential water pipeline route. Drought Protection for Texas Farming and Ranching Move 300,000 ac-ft of water per year to central Texas and Panhandle Position Statements: All for protecting the middle class Support diverse, robust, and abundant energy sources Texas power needs, which are the largest in the United States, require diverse sourcing. This includes both emerging sources like wind and solar power, and legacy sources such as natural gas and oil. These both secure our industrial output and jobs for the millions of Texans that supply and depend on power. Since Abbott took office, we've lost without replacement over 3,000 MW of legacy power plants. He was warned this would happen and that grid reliability was in jeopardy. He did nothing. Return Texas to a cooperative, positive attitude place for business to be. Texas is in competition with all the other states and many foreign countries to attract new businesses and retain existing ones. I believe in giving credit when due. The early Abbott and his predecessors and the predecessors to the current Republican led legislature deserve credit for growing the Texas economy. Select learn more to see how the current Abbott and legislature have gravely damaged our ability to sustain that growth. The Tip of the Spear Additional Information Tip of the spear: Often I am thanked for my service to the country as a Navy veteran. I usually respond with “It was a privilege and honor to serve.” But sometimes the individuals are especially grateful in their appreciation. In those occurrences I tell them this: The defense of the country can be thought of as a spear. At the tip of the spear, we have military members directly exposed to combat. The spearhead is made up of the rest of the military that provide combat support, in other words, things that the front-line troops need to win on the battlefield. The spear's shaft is made up of the rest of American society, it is made of you. Without a strong shaft, the spearhead is worthless. The Spear's Shaft Has Become Fractured Additional Information What makes up the shaft? The shaft is made up of the middle class, blue and white collar who are back in the states. Service men and women appreciate the teachers, plumbers, electricians, farmers, ranchers, refinery hands, roustabouts, roughnecks, biologists, police, fire, EMTs, bankers, engineers, doctors, nurses, pizza delivery drivers, garbage men and everybody else that keep society functioning for their families. They know that while they are deployed, society is stable and functioning smoothly. Over the last decade a harmful shattering of the spear’s shaft has occurred. Caused by extreme positions on the right and left, fueled by greed for power and a desire to force their will on everyone else, the extremists are tearing apart the spear's shaft. The spear is held together by the blue and white collar middle class, it is the middle class that is being damaged by the extremists on both the left and right. This fractured shaft is not good for Texas or the United States. The blue and white collar middle class is rightly focused on things such as: 1. Having a strong and stable economy for work to provide financial security for their families. 2. A good school system for their children. 3. Safety and security in the home and in public. 4. An opportunity to enjoy an individual’s choice of leisure or recreation. The concept of “the health, safety and welfare of the public” is justifiably the focus of the middle-class Texan. Businesses also have these values because they wish to be located in a stable environment where their employees feel comfortable. The extreme right control of Texas politics is not good for business. Abbott and the Legislature have gone much too far to the right as evidenced by their attack on abortion and voting rights. Coupled with the failure to ensure ERCOT grid reliability, after having been warned in 2015, business growth in Texas is severely threatened. Mending the Fractured Shaft of the Spear Additional Information When Abbott embraced the polarizing extremes of the far right at the beginning of his administration, he chose to ignore the importance of the Texas electrical grid, the need to provide drought protection for Texas farming and ranching, the Texas oil and gas industry and Texas’ underfunded and broken school financing. All are critical to the middle-class Texan and the Texas economy. The shaft must be mended. This can only be accomplished by staying focused on blue and white collar middle class values and a commitment to listen to the views of the minority party, whichever that party may be. Radicals, either left or right, need to be politely ignored by concentrating on the middle class so that the spear’s shaft can be repaired. Innovate to advance Texas interests Electric car extension cord section. Not going to wait on the Federal govt. That is like a turtle walking backwards. Will not refuse money provided from them, but they will have to keep up with us because we are going to advance continuously. Highway infrastructure Reduce cost of electric vehicles Support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic This is part of the commissioning oath of a member of the U.S. armed services. It carries a deep meaning and commitment. Select "learn more" to see my feelings. Constitutional Rights The Second Amendment The Second Amendment- an express amendment incorporated into the Constitution to protect citizens and the states from tyranny of the federal government. Basically to protect against a tyrant king, or would be king. Throughout the 245 years of our nation, this cornerstone of protection was never really needed as the fundamental rule of law and the Constitution was respected with the peaceful and orderly transition of power from one administration to the next. On January 6, 2021 an overt attempt by a tyrant would be king was made to prevent this most critical constitutional process. Fortunately authorities were able to squelch the attempt to defy the constitution and the plotters are now being brought to justice. The actual need for an armed citizenry was never realized, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT WAS DEMONSTRATED. The right for a woman to terminate a pregnancy This right is an implied right under the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the Roe v. Wade decision. Since the time of that decision, activists have attempted to limit or restrict the right granted to women by the Supreme Court. When a State's law that restricts that right goes into affect, it is usually challenged and the Federal Courts, sometimes the U.S. Supreme Court, further refine their ruling in Roe. It is clearly understood that the US Supreme Court interprets the Constitution and the laws of the United States and the States. If we are to support and defend the Constitution, then we must respect the decisions of the Court. Texas has passed a law that attempts an end around of Roe. It attempts to subvert the past and future decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court with regard to abortion rights. That law is a direct attack on the balance of power created under our Constitution, and is therefore a direct attack on the Constitution itself. Any person who supports the Constitution can see that this same end around approach could be used to attack other Constitutionally protected rights. Any supporter of the Second Amendment must be concerned by this attack on a woman's right to an abortion as the same method can be employed against the Second Amendment. Abbott and the Republicans in the Texas Legislature have attempted to subvert the Constitution by removing the power of the Courts, and have placed the Second Amendment at risk. I oppose this attempt by Abbott and the Texas Legislature because it is a direct attack on the Constitution, and if allowed to stand, can be used against all rights, including the Second Amendment. The Need for Voting Rights Protections In the early 1930's in Nazi Germany, Nazis rose to power by creating a propaganda campaign of fear in the populace. One of the early steps taken was restricting access to voting and limiting who among German citizens could vote. Voting is a constitutional right, found in both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions. It is given to individuals who satisfy the citizenship requirements of Texas and of the U.S. and those who regain those rights after losing them through criminal activity. Actions and laws passed by the Texas legislature and signed by Abbott are a step backward and are against the Voting Rights Act of 1965, championed by Texas conservative Democrat Lyndon Johnson. Laws that limit a church's ability to organize its parishioners to register to vote, and then to mobilize the vote is a step in the wrong direction. It is an attempt to consolidate power (like the Nazis) by limiting peaceful organizations with many members (the parishioners of the church) from participating in a constitutionally granted right (to vote). The State should not interfere with an organization's activities unless those activities threaten the health, safety or welfare of the public. The Republicans in the legislature and Abbott are demonstrating a fear of the cloth, of the Word, and of the strength of the belief of the parishioners. It is a fear of the Church's ability to deliver the message of God and to inspire its parishioners to vote in God's name. Our voting laws should not be restrictive. They should be designed to encourage people to register and then to vote. We need to "trust, but verify" to ensure all eligible voters, and only eligible voters (a voter from another state is not an eligible voter nor are those younger than 18) participate in this most important of constitutional rights. Terms and Conditions You must take charge of your life to protect your rights granted under the Constitution. This means registering to vote and then voting. It takes a determined person to go through the hassle of first registering, then going to the polls to vote. No one will do it for you. Reduce Undocumented Immigration While Helping Disadvantaged Texans A border wall is an ineffective, counterproductive and costly method of immigration control. We must not rely on the Federal Government to take action. We must provide our own approach to limiting undocumented immigration. Select learn more to see my approach for statewide immigration reform. Remove the economic incentive for undocumented immigration And use revenue generated to off set Robin Hood payments Abbott has failed to adequately address the undocumented immigrant situation. He relied on the federal government, instead of taking action on his own. And his solution, championed by the Republicans in the Texas legislature, is an expensive 12th century approach to solving a 21st century problem. The problem must be attacked much differently and more cost effectively. I claim the following: 1. The rush to the U.S. is driven by economic opportunity. Immigrants choose to come here to improve their standard of living. 2. They compete against our lower income citizens, harming our citizens standard of living. 3. They receive the benefit of years of improved infrastructure without having had to pay for any of the up-front investment. better water systems better sewer systems better electric systems (Oops, maybe not with Abbott as Governor) better roads & highways better schools better hospitals and hospital care better job opportunities These improvements in our standard of living did not come overnight. They came from years of sweat, toil and sacrifice by millions of Americans. An individual who enters our State who is not a U.S. citizen must be required to "buy in" to the improved conditions. This is not a new concept. It has existed in our society for a long time. Do you want to become a member at a fancy athletic club or golf course? You have to pay an up-front membership fee because the club you are wishing to join has invested a lot of money in the equipment and facilities. That is the cost of joining the club. Your monthly dues are to cover the monthly expenses of your monthly use. We don't currently charge immigrants to Texas a membership fee. We should. There are details to be worked out as this is a new concept, but don't let the Republicans dismiss this because they didn't come up with the idea. A few thoughts, but nothing is set in my mind, many people must contribute to figuring out how to achieve this. If we take away the economic opportunity, we will have fewer undocumented immigrants. On its face, this results in lower cost to us. An energy tax, with an immediate tax refund if the bill is registered to a U.S. citizen (SSN) or documented immigrant (green card) who has been in the U.S. over 10 years. An increase in sales tax of say, 6%, refunded to credit cards attached to a U.S. citizen (SSN) or legal immigrant. If you pay cash, you can process your refund by filling out a form and submitting receipts with your SSN or green card number. And don't think about cheating, there will be criminal penalties for tax cheats, that's how we got Al Capone! A school admission tax, refunded to U.S. citizens or documented immigrants. How would I allocate the revenue this generates? I'd pay it into the school finance system to help pay for the poorer school districts. This would then reduce the Robin Hood payments made by 75% of the school districts in the state. Again, these are just ideas. The basic concept is: Reduce the economic incentive for undocumented immigrants to reside in Texas Thus, improving the standard of living for lower income Texans. Thus, reducing the number of undocumented immigrants in Texas Generating revenue to reduce the amount of Robin Hood funding now having to be paid by 75% of our school districts. The net result? - Reduced costs for Texans and fewer undocumented immigrants. Or the republican plan: Spend $2.0 billion on a 12th century wall. Hell, we've already got a moat that doesn't work.	”
—Rich Wakeland's campaign website (2022)

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