https://www.essence.com/op-ed/texas-mayor-resigns-after-controversial-facebook-post/

By Ashlee Banks ·February 19, 2021February 19, 2021

A Texas Mayor has resigned after telling residents to fend for themselves while much of the state grapples with a deadly and record-breaking winter storm. 

On Tuesday, February 16, millions of Texas residents were left without power and water as temperatures dipped below freezing. In spite of this, Colorado City Mayor Tim Boyd, who knew residents were literally fighting for their lives, for some reason became enraged and decided to take it out on the people he was elected to protect. 

Boyd posted a controversial, grammatically incorrect Facebook post about his thoughts surrounding the ongoing crisis in Texas. We knew it was going to be bad from the opening line: “Let me hurt some feelings while I have a minute!!!” he said. “No one owes you are [sic] your family anything: nor is it the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim it’s your choice,” he continued. 

As a matter of fact, sir, it is the local government’s responsibility to help a community in need during a natural disaster. Why take on the responsibility of running a city if you couldn’t care less about the people residing there? These folks aren’t lazy, they are literally dying and in serious need of help.

“This is sadly a product of a socialist government where they feed people to believe that the FEW will work and others will become dependent on handouts…I’ll be d***** if I’m going to provide for anyone that is capable of doing it themselves…bottom line quit crying and looking for a handout! Get off you’re a** and take care of your own family,” Boyd went on to say. 

What part of this natural disaster isn’t he understanding? The people of Texas weren’t prepared for the weather to strike in the way that it did. So many have lost their homes because pipes are bursting. On to of that, these problems are exacerbated by the global pandemic and all of the troubles that go along with it. Some already depleted whatever was in their savings just so they could get through 2020. And now they have to figure out how to live through this storm. People aren’t looking for handouts. They’re simply looking to their elected officials to assist them. If people could help themselves by providing water, heat and power for their families then they would. Boyd is simply a selfish Mayor who doesn’t know how to lead. 

Boyd has since deleted the thoughtless Facebook post, but it doesn’t matter because many people had already shared it and screenshot it. He apologized in another Facebook post, saying, “I would never want to hurt the elderly or anyone that is in true need of help to be left to fend for themselves. I was only making the statement that those folks that are too lazy to get up and fend for themselves but are capable should not be dealt a handout. I apologize for the wording and some of the phrases that were used!”

Honestly, he should’ve resigned and skipped the empty apology. Boyd is a politician who should know to think before he speaks or publishes anything. He meant what he said, and now he needs to deal with the backlash. It’s time for him to come to grips with the fact that he potentially destroyed his career in politics because he thought it made sense to turn his back on his city during a crippling natural disaster.

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