Why David Van Os?

& Why should you care about the Texas Attorney General?

Did you know that the Texas Constitution charges the Attorney General with a special duty to protect the people against corporations?

Indeed it does. Article 4, Section 22 of our Constitution provides that the Attorney General “shall especially inquire into the charter rights of all private corporations,” and that, “He shall, whenever sufficient cause exists, seek a judicial forfeiture of such charters.”

According to the Interpretive Commentary accompanying the current edition of Vernon’s Texas Constitution Annotated, “Such a duty was placed on him by the framers because of strong prejudice and distrust which existed at the time against corporations. Such was based to a large extent on a fear of monopolies, a fear of unfair competition, and a fear that there would be a concentration of economic power in the hands of a few.”

Distrust of private corporations, fear of monopolies, fear of unfair competition, and fear of concentration of economic power are not new fears. They were guiding principles for the hardy men and women who gave birth to the special place called Texas.

"Too many modern-day politicians sell out to the very evils they are supposed to protect the people against. Too many modern-day politicians protect the corporations from the people, instead of the other way around."

~ David Van Os

In 2004, David Van Os ran for a seat on the Texas Supreme Court because he wanted to restore the highest court of Texas to the people from the corporations and insurance companies to which it now belongs, and because he wanted to restore the Constitutional checks and balances that protect the rights and liberties of the people of Texas.

In 2006, he will run for the office of Texas Attorney General in order to carry on the same fight on a different front, to protect the Constitutional liberties of the people and to ensure that Texas belongs to the people as our Constitution intended, instead of to the corporations and insurance companies to whom our state has been handed by the mouthpieces of greed.

The Center for Economic Justice and Texas Watch report that in 2004, Texans were overcharged by $4,000,000,000 (four billion dollars) on homeowners and auto insurance policies, overpaying their greedy insurance companies by an average of $600 per home insured and by $200 per vehicle insured. “Insurers Price Gouge Texas Policyholders By $4 Billion in 2004,” A Report by the Center for Economic Justice and Texas Watch, March 31, 2005.

When Van Os takes office as Attorney General of Texas, the corporate and insurance price gougers and predators will be served immediate notice:

"I am going to fight them tooth and nail on behalf of the people of this state, and when I am done, Texas will not be a safe place for them and their kind. Time is overdue for justice for the people of this State."

~ David Van Os

"Too many modern-day politicians sell out to the very evils they are supposed to protect the people against. Too many modern-day politicians protect the corporations from the people, instead of the other way around."

~David Van Os

Active Citizen of Democracy:

David believes that citizen involvement is essential for the maintenance of self-governing democracy. For this reason he has always participated in the activities of his party and the political processes.

• Attended every Texas State Democratic Convention since 1974

• President, Northeast Austin Democrats, 1978-1980

• Democratic Precinct Chairman #132, Travis County, 1981-1988

• County Democratic Chairman, Travis County, 1996-1998

• Chairman, North East Bexar County Democrats, 2000-2003

• Democratic Precinct Chairman #4112, Bexar County, 2001-2003

• Ran in General Elections as Democratic candidate for Texas Supreme Court, 1998 and 2004
• Recipient of the 2005 Spine Award by the Backbone Campaign