February 24, 2003

Rep. Norma Chavez, Chair
Committee on Border and International Affairs,
Texas House of Representatives

Re: Opposition to the proposed resolution H.R. 107

Honorable Rep. Chavez,

I am deeply concerned by Rep. Bonnen's abuse of the legislative power entrusted to him by the people of Texas. He has not only proposed passage of resolution H.R. 107, which deals with diplomatic issues related to Greece and Macedonia that are not under the jurisdiction of the State of Texas, but has overlooked the fact that this resolution is in direct conflict with official U.S. State Department policy on the subject matter.

Rep. Bonnen's explanations for his proposed passage of resolution H.R. 107 are 'insights from an intern' and 'requests from his mother' (The Facts, Feb. 18, 2003, http://thefacts.com/story.lasso?WCD=7045). I want to remind Rep. Bonnen that he represents the people of Texas, and not only his intern and members of his family. Moreover, an intern does not sound as having sufficient scholarship on the matter as to motivate Rep. Bonnen to propose a resolution on a topic he hardly knows anything about.

I can assure Rep. Bonnen that Texan voters like me would prefer for him to focus on education, employment, medical care, and other issues related to the well-being of his Texas constituents and not on Balkan history and politics. I am not Macedonian, nor Greek, but I am outraged by Rep. Bonnen's wasting of valuable effort and time in a subject that does not concern Texas, but the U.S. State Department and the United Nations.

The Texas Legislature is not the right forum to discuss Balkan politics and Rep. Bonnen should know so. His proposed resolution H.R. 107 is an embarrassing demonstration of Rep. Bonnen's ignorance of International Law and his duties as a member of the Texas Legislature.

I am confident that the Committee on Border and International Affairs that you chair, will impede the passage of resolution H.R. 107.

Respectfully,

Rosamaria Graziani