H.R. No. 725
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The Honorable Paul Moreno is celebrating his 64th
1-2 birthday on April 28, 1995, and the members of this chamber would
1-3 like to honor him a day ahead of time, knowing full well he was
1-4 hoping to avoid the forthcoming recognition he so richly deserves;
1-5 and
1-6 WHEREAS, An institution in this chamber, Mr. Moreno was first
1-7 elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1966 as a member
1-8 of the 60th Legislature and has, in fact, been around so long that
1-9 the Texas Historical Commission has expressed interest in having a
1-10 historical marker erected at the site of Desk number 128; and
1-11 WHEREAS, This fine gentleman was well prepared for
1-12 legislative service since he brings to his position former combat
1-13 experience as a marine that earned him two Bronze Stars for
1-14 exceptional valor and a Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak
1-15 Leaf Cluster; and
1-16 WHEREAS, In his youth, Mr. Moreno was graduated from Texas
1-17 Western College, where he had hoped to major in roping and branding
1-18 but instead settled for an undergraduate degree in business
1-19 administration and was later steered into obtaining a law degree
1-20 from The University of Texas Law School; and
1-21 WHEREAS, Throughout his distinguished tenure, this dedicated
1-22 activist has long served as a champion of consumer and
1-23 environmental groups, who, it is rumored, have submitted his name
2-1 and picture for consideration to the folks at the General Mills
2-2 corporation for possible placement on boxes of Wheaties; and
2-3 WHEREAS, A member of the "Dirty 30," he also has earned a
2-4 name for himself through the years as a strong advocate of equality
2-5 for all people and he has played an instrumental role in the
2-6 Mexican American Legislative Caucus, though, on occasion, he has
2-7 been known to vocalize in their midst; and
2-8 WHEREAS, Mr. Moreno and his deskmate, Irma Rangel, have
2-9 shared a desk in the rear corner of the house floor, which is
2-10 popularly known as "Red Square," for more than a decade, and only
2-11 once have had to be reprimanded for shooting spitwads at colleagues
2-12 who were attempting to usurp the rights of the downtrodden; their
2-13 friendship was tested early on when Mr. Moreno requested Ms. Rangel
2-14 to fetch him a cup of coffee, but fortunately for the members of
2-15 this chamber, she let him live and has managed to remain similarly
2-16 firm with him throughout the years in her refusal to polish his
2-17 shoes; and
2-18 WHEREAS, Mr. Moreno offers "No Excuses" for his support of
2-19 former U.S. Senator Gary Hart's bid for the presidency though,
2-20 despite having supported passage of the lottery in Texas, he
2-21 doesn't bet on the numbers either; and
2-22 WHEREAS, This feisty gentleman has patterned his charming
2-23 personality after a mentor of his youth, Grumpy of seven dwarves
2-24 fame; yet despite his inclination to be a bit on the gruff side, he
2-25 has managed to win the praise and admiration of his colleagues, at
3-1 least one of whom has referred to him as "the conscience of the
3-2 house," in a sentiment that is widely shared among his colleagues;
3-3 now, therefore, be it
3-4 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
3-5 Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Paul Moreno on the
3-6 significant occasion of his 64th birthday and extend to him warmest
3-7 best wishes for continued good fortune in the coming year; and, be
3-8 it further
3-9 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-10 prepared for Mr. Moreno as a reminder from his many friends in the
3-11 Texas House of Representatives that, like fine wine, he just gets
3-12 better with age.