We asked again, just to be sure, but the Governor’s Office says it has on file no plans or approvals for Operation Jump Start.
On June 30, the Governor announced that Operation Jump Start was on schedule, so we asked the Governor’s Office for a copy of the schedule. But there isn’t one, came the reply from his office.
Neither is there a record of the Governor’s pre-approval of the mission, although such pre-approval is required by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) posted over the Governor’s signature at his official website.
It’s the strangest thing. We don’t know what to make of it. If there’s a simple explanation, nobody’s offering one yet.
If the Governor is not getting his bearings from documents on file in his office, then how does he know the mission is on schedule? If the Governor’s Office doesn’t keep copies of the Governor’s approvals for military operations in Texas, then who does?
Surely, it can’t be the case that no plan exists or that the Governor hasn’t enforced his own MOU?
Maybe the Governor is splitting his identity as Commander-in-Chief and keeping all his military records on federal property. But then we’d have to ask the metaphysical question: why is the Commander-in-Chief of the Texas National Guard issuing “on schedule” press releases from the website of the Governor’s Office?
Frankly, we’re stumped.
Texas Civil Rights Review 