Dear Senator Driskill,
In your recent interview with the Cowboy State Daily, you stated you have “always had a policy: attack policies, don’t attack people.” Then we watched as you broke your own policy within the first three minutes. A weak man has no discipline.
You managed not to contradict yourself when detailing your disgust with legal campaign donations being handed out in full transparency by Wyoming residents on the House floor after the session ended. It seems many of your donations are from PACs and out-of-state donors, so this would seem strange to you.
And what about that $1,500 “anonymous” donation you received shortly before the session started in 2023?
You went on to say you didn’t want “money from Jackson buying people’s way of thinking.” Then later, you mentioned that you will personally take money “from just about anybody,” and that doesn’t change your vote. So, which is it?
It’s honestly impressive how often you talked out of both sides of your mouth during a 20-minute interview. You highlighted your concern with Representative Abby Angelos “block voting” with the Freedom Caucus. To you, it seemed her voting record was proof she was Freedom Caucus, no matter what she otherwise said.
Well, what does that make you since you block vote with the two Democrat Senators most of the time? I knew it! You are really a Democrat!
You said you wanted people to trust your word. The best I can tell, the main thing you’ve done to try and trick voters into doing this is by sitting under an “1880s” ranch sign during the interview.
We should all see your family has been here for a long time. We do not need to look anywhere, ask any questions, observe your votes on the Senate floor, nothing like that. We need to trust you because your family has been here for a long time.
But how can anybody trust you? You told us about a conversation you had with Speaker Neiman about not running against each other, yet that conversation never happened. It seems you made it up out of thin air.
You also incorrectly said I held a “fundraiser” in Cheyenne. That didn’t happen, either. The event hosted by Eyes on Wyoming was simply to highlight a few important issues which affect Teton County residents, like unconstitutional housing mitigations fees, property tax exemption loopholes given to wealthy out-of-state developers, and Wyoming public records act items that need to be addressed.
But once again, you “block voted” with the two Democrats on all of this.
You touched on your “service getting tested,” and how you can spend $100,000 to run and earn $20,000 per year.
In all fairness, it doesn’t look like your time in office turned out all that bad for you, Mr. Driskill. While in the legislature, you did finally get that suspicious land swap to go through on your third try with the State Land and Investment Board. It seems you traded worthless sagebrush and a few trees for a front row seat at Devil’s Tower.
You traded this (I hear this is the best photo of that entire parcel!)
For this:
And what about when you took millions from taxpayers to put a questionable conservation easement on your land? According to multiple complaints filed by your neighbors, a few other shenanigans went on regarding state-funded roads to your property. Many of the people I’ve talked to don’t think the state (us honest folks) got a fair deal on that.
But that’s right. You have a BIG problem with Wyoming donors handing Wyoming legislators legal campaign checks in broad daylight. You do NOT have a problem overseeing lucrative land swaps in your favor while in office.
What about that COVID money your businesses received? I’ve heard all about a new shed, painted buildings, a new roof, and how hard you scrambled to spend that government windfall before the deadline. You and I seem to have different standards about what’s “immoral,” as you put it.
The one thing I think we can both agree on is how well you’ve learned to milk government programs, and you’ve continued to do so even while in office. You claim to be “pro-business,”; however, you and I seem to have different opinions about what that term means.
For me, it means I work hard and keep what I earn with little to no government interference or taxes. For you, it seems it means another payout on the backs of hard-working Wyomingites.
Keep hoping constituents will focus more on your family’s history, and NOT on your voting record and “pro-business” background.
Editor's Note: Rebecca Bextel is part-owner of The Open Range Record