"How Will it Affect Our Families?"

staples (5.00 / 1)

is a failure

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by: David Mauro @ Thu Jun 15, 2006 at 19:39:21 PM UTC

Toad Staples (5.00 / 1)

I remember being on the floor when Todd was debating on behalf of redistricting. I was up in the gallery with Sputnik when it passed.

I also remember being there for HJR 6 passing on the House side. And that dirty sleeze Staples carries that rag in the Senate.

I'm sure the farm in his campaign pictures isn't even his.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Thu Jun 15, 2006 at 20:03:21 PM UTC

hell (5.00 / 1)

who knows if thats even his family, he could be pulling some jack stick bullshit

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by: David Mauro @ Thu Jun 15, 2006 at 20:04:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's not his... (5.00 / 1)

The farm in the picture is not his.  He claims to be in the cattle business(partnership) with his dad.  Friends of mine that know the family says that he and his dad haven't talked in 6 years.

As far as legislation, Karl, Staples also co-authored the Transportation Bill(Trans-Texas corridor)in the senate with Sen Ogden (R-College Station), and voted for the National ID System.  Truly committed to Texas agriculture, family farms, and the families of Texas, huh?

Hank

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by: hank @ Thu Jun 15, 2006 at 23:32:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

We Got Your Back, Hank! (5.00 / 1)

Soon we will be rolling out new ways to show Todd Staples that his brand of "families first" politics is NOT the Texas way.

Todd Staples : Wrong For Texas

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by: Don't Get Stapled! @ Fri Jun 16, 2006 at 00:37:50 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hank, please explain the impact of the ID system (0.00 / 0)

Sharon Wilson pointed out the chasm between concept and practical application when she spoke of the problems of catching chickens to insert the chips! Won't it be a paperwork nightmare to update the information once the chips are inserted? Won't the passage of this legislation totally change the culture of the family farm? Will they have to have computers in the barns to enter data in addition to the daily load of farm chores?

Faith Chatham

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by: faithm @ Fri Jun 16, 2006 at 12:37:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes, I'd like to have more ammo (5.00 / 1)

on the ID chip although I may not need it.  People in Wise County simply won't do it.  There is no way most of them can implement it.

I hope that you and David Van Os will attend our Wise County Democrats annual fundraiser in beautiful Greenwood, TX on September 23.  The following counties are within 50 miles:

Parker, Cooke, Jack, Montague, Denton, Tarrant and Wise 

Maybe you could work in those counties on a Whistle Stop tour. 

I know the people in Wise County will support you if they can hear what you have to say.

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by: TXsharon @ Fri Jun 16, 2006 at 13:15:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hank's plan for aspiring political stepping stones like Rick Perry and Todd Staples (5.00 / 1)

I've been supporting Hank Gilbert since the first time I spoke with him on the telephone. An old friend, Ben Z. Grant, told me that Hank Gilbert was a good guy, and infinitely qualified to be Agriculture Commissioner. He told me I'd like him. Ben hit a homerun into the park with that advice. I phoned Hank and asked him questions and he sold me! I offered to put out yard signs for him in Tarrant County while we were putting out Ben Z. Grant's yard signs for the primary.

Instead of shipping them, he decided to drop them off in person. So I invited a few friends to meet us at a local catfish restaurant. Hank fielded questions on sustainable agriculture, mad cow disease, mandated computer chips in poultry and livestock, international marketing, tariffs and trade with Mexico and other quadrants of the world, water conservation, and Texas politics in general. He didn't falter on any question and answered the question plus some on each one.

Since then, Hank Gilbert has become my friend. I volunteer for his campaign. I do not receive any pay for any of the campaigns I target and work for. It is an honor to know him. It will be a joyous day when we, at long last, have a QUALIFIED, INTELLIGENT, TOP OF HIS FIELD, PROGRESSIVE, REAL HONEST TO THE TEXAS SOIL FROM WHICH HE SPRINGS TEXAS RANCHER- FARMER in the AG COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE IN AUSTIN.

The last time that the Farmers and Ranchers actually had someone in Austin looking out for their interests was decades ago when Jim Hightower was Ag Commissioner. Since them we've had a series of suits (and now high heels) in the office, using it as a spring board for other political offices. (Think about that. See what having George W. Bush as Governor got Texas and this nation? When folks seek an office merely to get another one, they do a disservice to those whom they take a vow to serve.)

Hank pointed out to an idiot BOZO MENTALITY M.D. in Longview earlier this week that we'd be better off to establish an office merely for spring boarding than we are allowing politicos to use the Agriculture Commissioner's office as their stepping stone. Agriculture is this state's 2nd largest industry. We cannot allow it to decline. Todd Staples is another political opportunist who wants to use the Agriculture Commissioner's job as a spring board for other political offices. (The Longview M.D. earned "Bozo Mentality" status by saying he was supporting Staples even though he knows that Gilbert is infinitely more qualified. The Doc told Hank that he's going with Staples because Staples is "more of a player!")

One sure way to cripple that important segment of the Texas economy is to allow them to build the Trans-Texas corridor. It will gobble up over 83,000 acres of prime Texas agriculture land! (Also, it will be contracted out to a Corporation from Spain who will charge tolls to Texans for 50 years to travel across Texas. Boy, wasn't that a stellar plan for Texans in this era of stupid public policy!) Todd Staples is one of the major supporters of the Trans-Texas Corridor legislation! Electing him Agriculture Commissioner will be giving the Ranchers and Farmers of Texas their biggest enemy in charge of the major advocacy/regulatory agency for agriculture. The sad reality is that in Texas, most elections are decided by high population urban districts. The farmers are at a real disadvantage when it comes to their electing the best person to represent their interest. This year those of us who live in cities need to be ESPECIALLY WARY and RESPONSIVE to the needs of our rural neighbors.

I urge you to get to know Hank Gilbert. Everyone I know who gets to know him likes him (unless they are idiots enough to tell him that even though he's most qualified, they won't support him because they think Staples is more of a "player" than Gilbert! Those folks get a dose of pure Hank Gilbert without any mincemeat to flavor it!]

Hank Gilbert is upfront, honest to the core, and speaks in language anyone can understand. He is not sneaky and he is a man of his word. What a refreshing experience in this era of corruption and hidden (though thinly veiled) ulterior motives. He is one person that I know I can trust to tell the truth even when he thinks I won't agree with him or particularly like it. I know when Hank Gilbert tells me something, he believes it. When he discovers he is mistaken, he tells folks he made a mistake. When someone deliberately misleads him, he recognizes a snake and takes names and remembers to be wary. That is exactly what we need in a person in public office in this state.

He's not a sound bite. He's a real, authentic, Texas rancher/farmer who taught agriculture in the Texas Public Schools for 14 years. He's a small business man. He's someone who will look out for the citizens of Texas.

If you live in a city and don't know why this race should matter to you, consider these things: the agriculture commissioner is responsible to inspection of gasoline pumps to be sure you get a full gallon of gasoline at the pumps!

Currently less than 1% of the fruit and vegetables the U.S. imports from Mexico are inspected for harmful chemicals. That is the responsibility of the Agriculture Commissioner's office in Texas.

Food prices rise and fall based on supply and demand. If Texas loses 83,000 acres of prime agriculture land, we'll lose production of produce and meat, and that will probably result in higher prices at the grocery store.

Just those three things alone are enough reasons for this city dweller to fight for Hank Gilbert to win the office of Agriculture Commissioner.

Here's Hank on video: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=TXDemocrats&page=2

Faith Chatham

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by: faithm @ Fri Jun 16, 2006 at 12:24:02 PM UTC

Staples an arrogant jerk (5.00 / 1)

Todd Staples is currently the senator who "represents" my home town of Woodville (over in the Bible belt of SE Texas.) When he was trying to be a "point man" on the redistricting, he presented a map (surely Delay's) that moved Tyler County from a truly rural East Texas Congressional district to one who's Congressperson lives in a Houston bedroom community. The only thing that Tyler County has in common with the people of Houston is that Tyler County has lots of water and trees and Houston wants water and lumber.
The district is loaded so that the congressperson there "has" to cater to the people of Houston rather than the the rural interests of SE Texas. When I talked to Staples about it, I asked him  how he could sell out SE Texas so easily? He actually looked me in the eyes and said he thought it would be "good" for these rural counties to be in with Houston (where the majority of the voters are.) I assumed he meant there was something in it for him- like running for ag commissioner unoppsed by Republicans! He is pompous and just really arrogant. He has this smirk on his face that just makes you really want to wipe it off-with the roughest possible towel you can find!
I hope the people of SE Texas remember how they were sold out by Staples and vote for real ag commissioner.
While, IMHO, Staples IS a jackass, I'm not sure he'd know one if he saw one! We need someone there who actually knows about agriculture and Hank Gilbert is the guy.
Kathi Thomas

Kathi Thomas, SD 25

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by: Kathi Thomas @ Fri Jun 16, 2006 at 21:02:52 PM UTC

rural/urban districts (5.00 / 1)

ah. just like sd19[sa to el paso]. we urbanites don't give the rural a chance to participate. it was almost like watching a real life "what's the matter with kansas" last week in fort worth. seeing good candidates from the rural get shot down in the vote- rural people voting AGAINST their own self interest in some cases. fear of change? i don't know yet- i'm still learning. righteous anger, kathi- good stuff.
jamie

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by: ag8grl @ Fri Jun 16, 2006 at 21:53:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

thanks for all the comments (0.00 / 0)

I invite you to visit http://dontgetstapled.blogspot.com and continue the conversation there until November 7, when Hank Gilbert is elected!

Todd Staples : Wrong For Texas

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by: Don't Get Stapled! @ Sun Jun 18, 2006 at 04:44:28 AM UTC