Ted Poe: “Texans have been sharing with me their stories and lives about their businesses that they have built without the help of…”

“Texans have been sharing with me their stories and lives about their businesses that they have built without the help of an out-of-control government. The responses were a testament to the tenacity of the American people. Jeffrey, from League City, Texas, wrote me this: I am the son of a single mother. I grew up watching my mom work two and sometimes three jobs to support us. She never took one penny of government assistance. When I was 8 years old, I lied about my age and took three paper routes that had morning/evening and Sunday delivery. At the age of 11, I took a job as a short-order cook at a 24-hour diner working from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., went to school, played sports, went home, grabbed a quick dinner, slept for a few hours, and went back to work. I did my homework while standing over a grill in the kitchen. In the summer months, I would squeeze in a second job working in a service station. I went into the Marine Corps upon high school graduation at the age of 17. I spent 6\1/2\ years in the military. Upon being honorably discharged, I entered the Houston Police Academy. I have been an officer in Houston, Texas, for the past 27\1/2\ years. I worked 17 years undercover in the narcotics division, the rest has been in patrol. My wife is an educator. We have two sons, a 19-year-old Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps on his way to Afghanistan and a 7-year-old.…”