Texas Public Officials and their Racist Emails

What is that compels Harris County public officials to circulate racist/homophobic/sexist emails?  Back in June I wrote about Sheriff Tommy Thompson's frantic scramble to delete bigoted "joke" messages sent out by himself and his staff.  (Thompson was thrown out of office on November 4th.)  Then there was Harris County D.A. Chuck Rosenthal who resigned over racist and pornographic emails discovered on his office computer.  (He blamed the damning correspondence on "impaired judgment"  - not exactly what taxpayers expect from a man hired to put away the bad guys.) 

Now there are calls for the ouster of a county court judge who circulated emails ridiculing blacks, Hispanics, women and gays on the county government's computer system.  From the Houston Chronicle:  Chairman Jared Woodfill's move against County Court at Law No. 6 Judge Larry Standley comes 11 months after Woodfill and other party leaders called for the resignation of District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal over his scandalous e-mails...  "When you see racism like that you have to kill it one act at a time," Woodfill said. "Regardless of what party you are affiliated with, you have to stand up and say it was wrong."

I've lived in Harris County, Texas for most of my adult life.  The behavior of these public servants is beyond embarrassing.  And here's something else that's embarrassing.  Judge Sherman Ross, a Republican, has rushed to Standley's defense:  "I consider Larry a valuable colleague who has always looked after the best interests of the group of judges, and I feel quite certain at least 14 of us feel the same way."  Kat Rose on Pam's House Blend has a nifty idea:  "I think the best thing that could happen is for every non-white to have ever appeared before this clown to file an appeal based on presumed (proven?) prejudice.  Lets see how much money this Republican costs the state of Texas." 

I think Kat's on to something.  Maybe that's the way to deal with Texas officials who can't resist creating and forwarding these offensive emails.  Hit the Lone Star State where it hurts, in the pocketbook.