Money Money Money
By Karl-Thomas Musselman
I just donated $20 to the Texas Democratic Party in support of the 15K in 14 Days fundraising drive. It's the right thing to do.
And speak of the devil, Howard Dean is doing exactly what I suggested should be done to raise money in the state. (Not because I said something though, but it's nice to think that.) Word via the latest Democracy for Texas e-mail...
GOVERNOR DEAN’S COMING TO TEXAS!
On Saturday, August 21, Howard Dean will be appearing at a fundraiser for the Harris County Democratic Party in Houston at the annual Johnson-Rayburn Dinner. Tickets begin at $125.00. www.hcdp.org.
On Sunday, August 22, Governor Dean will headline a brunch fundraiser for Richard Morrison, Dean Dozen candidate, and the man who’s going to be responsible for retiring Tom DeLay! Tickets to the brunch are $50.00. For more information, go to www.richardmorrisonfordistrict22.com.
Finally, on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m., the Gov will be in Austin to appear at the largest DFA/21st Century Democrats training to occur anywhere in the country. This appearance will be outside, open to the public and FREE. (There will be places to wait inside out of the heat and plenty of shade.) We encourage you to join us at Huston-Tillotson College to welcome Dean back to Austin!
Update: From the other thread there is a very good comment by Vince L. County Chair of Van de Zandt County which really explaing the point I made about fundraising and rural counties. I've elevated some of the highlights in the extended entry...
Finally, it's great that Soechting is talking about the DNC not doing enough for us. Texas has been written off as everything but a cash cow for too long. They want our money but give no on the ground assistance.
However, Soechting is doing the SAME THING TO TEXAS COUNTIES. Not long ago, he sent out what some of my fellow county chairs have deemed an "extortion letter" telling us how we county chairs needed to raise $5K very quickly and send it to the state party in installments. Number one, most rural and less populous suburban counties (which are essentially the majority) don't have that kind of base to draw from. Some counties don't raise $5K for an entire election cycle. Second, we need to be spending that money to take back our courthouses before we send it to the state party.
Taking back Texas begins one precinct, one courthouse at a time and we've got to have the money for those races. Finally, we're being asked for all this money, but where's the support. I have difficulty getting emails and sometimes phone calls returned from the state party for the most basic of information. I've twice invited the Chairman to VZC and been turned down by his staff because of scheduling conflicts.
The first time, back in May, I was told a visit to our county wouldn't happen because there were more "pivotal" places. Is that not being written off in the same manner in which the DNC has written off Texas? The state party wants me to send them a $5,000 check representing the hard work of hundreds of Van Zandt County citizens yet we receive relatively little support in return. A voter database would be great, but it's a little late for the current year. We've been working on ours for months. We needed this in March.
Just for kicks, multiply $5,000 by the number of counties in Texas. Heck of a lot of money, isn't it? Where will it be spent? Not, I dare say, on races actually in our county like CD 5 (which even many Democrats have written off), but rather on battleground races to take back the state house. I understand this, but if we're going to give someone $5,000, don't spend it in San Antoion or Houston, spend it at least somewhere near where all those people gave it. We have needs, too.
There are things that have been done--like the county chairs helpline--that are beneficial to Texas counties. I'm not saying the TDP doesn't do anything for Texas counties. But, from my experience, those of us in rural East Texas are out busting our behinds while the TDP focuses on San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and El Paso. Our voter registration cards get stamped "DEMOCRAT" the same as the ones in those areas.
Sure, there aren't anywhere near the people in VZC as there are in any one of those areas. HOWEVER, pack all the East Texas counties like Anderson, Wood, Van Zandt, Rains, Kaufman, etc., together and you have a huge voting block where a difference can be made in local voting and statewide races.
Every time I hear the state party asking for more money, I feel sad. I want to go out and raise and help, but, hey, I've got three candidates here I've got to get re-elected. They need that $5,000. I dare say that if the TDP leadership had a full grasp on the situation on the ground in some of our counties, we'd have never received that letter.
An elderly lady I know likened this year's local election to a war during a conversation yesterday. The more I think about it, she's right. We're waging a war against the far Right right here in Van Zandt County--a war against their money, their huge headquarters across the street from our Sheriff's Department with paid staff, a sophisticated computer system and their inferior candidates with more money to get their messages of false hopes and half-truths to the people. I'd give my eye teeth for one paid staff member, one computer, or a bigger headquarters, and dance in the streets if someone sent us or our candidates a check for even one quarter of what they have in the bank right now.
Posted by Karl-Thomas Musselman at August 11, 2004 11:09 PM
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