You would think that in a state like Texas, where water is so important, politicians would be falling all over themselves trying to protect it.

Blessed with abundant, reliable sunshine and steady breezes across huge regions of the state, Texas would surely be at the forefront of a job-creating clean energy revolution. State lawmakers must be leading the charge with new subsidies and tax incentives to hasten the transition from costly energy technologies such as coal, natural gas and nuclear. You would think those relics of the old energy economy, that consume and pollute scarce water resources and fuel the global warming that will make Texas’ heat and drought problems even worse would soon be a thing of the past — and that Texas’ elected officials in Austin and Washington, DC would be doing everything in their power to make it happen.

However, anyone paying close attention to what’s really going on in Austin or in Washington, DC knows that those assumptions would be wrong on all counts. Too many Texas lawmakers, at both the state and the federal levels, seem to be focused instead on carrying out the wishes of the nation’s largest polluters, including Big Coal, the Oil Industry and others with a vested interest in keeping our economy mired in those old, polluting technologies of the past.

Take a look at how Texas’ Congressional delegation has been voting on the reckless Dirty Water agenda that is moving through Congress. A similar look at the Texas legislature’s behavior over the past year reveals the alarming extent to which lobbyists for polluting industries seem to be calling the shots.

Yes, things are looking pretty grim when it comes to the challenges Clean Water Action faces protecting our water and our health. Sometimes the deck really seems stacked against us in the fight to build a clean energy future that protects our water.

But here’s the good news: thanks to members like you, we’re winning here in Texas and across the country. So far, we’ve been able to stop the worst of the attacks on our water in Washington. Even with the polluters’ considerable influence in Austin, Texas communities are emerging as national leaders in the clean energy revolution.

Yes, for the time being, ours remains something of an uphill battle, but momentum is slowly shifting in our favor. That’s because in the long run, Clean Water Action’s agenda of fishable, swimmable, drinkable water and a clean energy future for all Americans is one that makes environmental, economic and political sense to an overwhelming majority of people. When you join with Clean Water Action by providing financial support for our programs and by taking action to defend and advance our shared clean water values you are doing what really counts: making democracy work.

Thank you for all that you do.

David Foster

State Program Director, Texas Clean Water Action