As the Texas House prepares to vote on a measure which would stop San Antonio’s aggressive annexation plans in their tracks, opponents of the city’s aggressive annexation posture have found a very influential ally–former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm.

News Radio 1200 WOAI reports Gramm has written a letter to every ‘conservative’ member of the Texas House and Texas Senate, telling them that ‘every conservative out to support’ a bill which would require an election of all people to be annexed before annexation can take place.

“This allows Texas communities to choose their local government and prevents government from being imposed on them by people they can’t even vote for or vote against,” Gramm wrote.  “Annexation is a clear and present danger to millions of Texans who increasingly live far away from large cities that seek to impose taxes on them without their consent.”

San Antonio’s huge property grab, gobbling up some 66 acres and 120,000 residents, sparked several bills that would rein in the ability of major cities to annex unincorporated areas at will.  The bill which has passed both House and Senate committees and is expected to be approved by the full House this week, would forbid any city over 5,000 population from annexing any property without first getting the consent of the people who would be annexed.

That would make San Antonio’s planned annexation virtually impossible.  Informal polls show as many as 90% of the people in the areas targeted for annexation oppose it.

“Gramm and his wife Wendy live in Helotes.  He says his property is not in the line of fire for annexation.

“We support the rights of people not the designs of government,” Gramm said.  “We oppose wealth redistribution, and we believe in the right of people to have a say about where and how they live.  If these people had wanted to live in San Antonio, they would have moved there.”

San Antonio officials say annexation is needed to pave the way for major employers, like Toyota, and to protect miltiary posts, like Camp Bullis, from encroachment by development.