Maybe it's "crooked" (not much, depending upon your shade of grey), but I don't hesitate to ask for the "Military Rate" if available when reserving a room, and have only once been questioned about my grey "Retired" ID card. Even then it "worked", although often hotels have only a limted number of rooms "bookable" at the military rate.

Interestingly, as a member of the Board of a Convention Center (unpaid), with a nice ID card for entering the center when "events" are going on, I suspect I could get the "Government Emplyee" rate without too much difficulty. "ID Cards" do seem to impress desk clerks and TSA folk, although with a decent computer, webcam and printer, I'm confident that many among us could turn out "Sort of Government-issued photo ID Cards" more impressive than the everyday varieties.

The problem with the state/government employee rate in Texas is that the price break may be small since state/local governmemt employees get the state portion of the room tax written off (but have to bring a form, IIRC, to do so).