Burnt Orange Report
News, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas
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Burnt Orange ReportNews, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas |
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July 31, 2005Crude AwakeningBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanForwarded to me from a friend for those that are interested here in Austin. A group called Crude Awakening is holding a town hall meeting on Friday, August 5, on the subject of: "The End of Cheap Oil and What It Means for Austin." A brief presentation on peak oil will be followed by a panel discussion among Austin community leaders and energy experts: Bill McLellan of Envision Central Texas, Councilman Brewster McCracken, Michael Osborne of Austin Energy, and author Robert Bryce. July 30, 2005Honorary Texan: $2,050.25 - UpdateBy Karl-Thomas Musselman Thanks to two more BOR Contributors who pitched in $40 to the cause and a $50 donation from someone who came from a comment of mine over at the SwingStateProject, we've now exceeded the $2,000 mark with 52 contributors. In this MyDD post, you can see that on Thursday, Hackett registered the most blog posts in a day to date. That also happened to be the same day we launched our Honorary Texan Project, so all of you who wrote about it, that's you. Everything's bigger with Texas... New Totals... Richard Morrison - $1385.20 And now after long last, we thank Greg, the originator of the idea, for donating $25.00. We look forward as well Greg getting back to Texas politics next week. Conservative Legislative Group ALEC To Meet In GrapevineBy Vince LeibowitzThe ultra-conservative American Legislative Exchange Council will meet in Grapevine next week for its annual meeting with several high-profile Republicans--including two Texans--slated to address the group. In addition to former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texan Dick Armey (former House Majority Leader) and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings--also a Texan--are slated to address the group. According to its website, ALEC was founded, "morethan a quarter century ago, a small group of state legislators and conservative policy advocates met in Chicago to implement a vision: A bipartisan membership association for conservative state lawmakers who shared a common belief in limited government, free markets, federalism, and individual liberty..." eith the mission of "advancing the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty among America's state legislators..." You can check out the agenda for the annual meeting here. Note that some of the topics include "Disorder in the Courts—Litigating Public Policy," and "Charter Schools and Beyond." No wonder they decided to hold it in Texas. No word on what legislators from Texas will be attending the convention. In spite of the special session, I suspect quite a few Texans will be making the trip up to Grapevine. Vince Leibowitz is County Chairman of the Democratic Party of Van Zandt County. He may be reached at Vince_Leibowitz@bluebottle.com. Texans for Hackett- Update!By Karl-Thomas MusselmanWow. I honestly didn't expect our Honorary Texan project to be this successful and was hoping that at least the awareness of Paul Hackett's race would get to more Texans because of the effort. UPDATE: But in the past two days, as of this writing, NOTE: Totals for SaveTexasReps corrected and moved to Richard Morrison for credit due to a refcode error. Richard Morrison - Thanks to all of those below who have posted about this effort and to all those I haven’t caught yet. Remember, it's not too late to donate. And be sure to check out the DCCC's ad which just went live in the district, it's a good one (if you realize that Gov. Taft there has approval rating less than 20%). And keep up with the Swing State Project for the latest on the ground news. Save Texas Reps (And in this case Ohio too!) National Journal Blogometer --Added-- Plus, look what happens when you search for Honorary Texan right now. And here are the results of our own blogburst for Honorary Texan Paul Hackett. Site OutageBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanJust before midnight I noticed that the database lost connectivity for BOR. It appears that the access setting changed for some reason but has been corrected. There does not appear to be a loss of data. Though we will finally be reconnecting www.burntoragereport.com as the domain here this weekend, I am slightly irritated with the little quirks that keep popping up, which for the most part have been restricted to us on the back end. With the new Beta Test of Movable Type 3.2 it is to be expected, though long term I am becoming less pleased with our current state of affairs. So I have two questions... 1) Have you had problems being able to comment or otherwise use this site that have appeared recently? 2) Please list any and all systems you know of, as obvious as they may seem, that are out there for blogging. I'm looking for more community oriented tools if possible but may settle for less if MT 3.2 is not up to par. I know many Texas blogs use MovableType and I personally use WordPress for other projects but what else is out there? Leave a comment or e-mail if you can't (link to the right). July 29, 2005Congress Ups State's Share of Transportation FundsBy Vince LeibowitzIn an interesting move, Congress today passed a six-year surface transportation bill which will reportedly give the state back at least 92 percent of the money it [we] pay in gasoline taxes. Right now, Texas gets back 88 cents on the dollar. According to the Denton Record Chronicle, $40 million is earmarked in the bill to build new I-30 and I-35 bridges over the Trinity River in Downtown Dallas, with more than 12.8 million set aside for West Texas projects including the LaEntrada Al Pacifico trade route from Mexico's western coast through Persidio and to Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls and D/FW. The measure passed the House handily, and approval is expected in the Senate and by President Bush. The bill covers expenditures from 2004-2009. For more on background, read the Record Chronicle story. Join The Alliance!!By Damon McCullarThe Campus Alliance Against Inequality was formed last night during an organizational meeting. We are seeking out like-minded campus groups to join our alliance. University Democrats and Stand Out are the only two members of the alliance, but we encourage any and all campus organizations to join us. Please Email the Campus Alliance Against Inequality with a point of contact from your group if you are interested. Campus Alliance Against Inequality is a coalition of students, staff, and facualty at the University of Texas that are taking a stand against the Marraige Inequality Proposition that will be on the ballot in November. This is the offical name of the group that was referred to before as Alliance for Social Justice: UT Brigade. Turns out that was only a working title and this will be the offical title of the group. Educators Blamed For Finance Bill's Failure??By Vince LeibowitzScrolling through Google News's most recent stories on the Texas Legislature tonight, I ran across this one from the Houston Chronicle. It discusses the Senate's plan to try and salvage something from this special session with a revised education bill. Of particular interest, though, was this phrase in the story [in bold, with a couple of other paragraphs included for context]:
You've GOT to be kidding me! School superintendents and educators now deserve the blame for the tax-phobic, over-partisan Texas Legislature's failures? What's next? Blaming Texas public school students? Let's be serious: public school educators and administrators don't deserve the "blame" for the failure of the Legislature to come up with a new school finance plan, of for "thwarting" the Legislature's progress. The obvious reason educators and administrators have lobbied heavily against previous legislative packages is because they aren't what's best for Texas public schools, students, teachers, administrators or taxpayers. Although I hate to play the "partisanship" card on this issue, it simply must be thrown down. The fact of the matter is that Republicans are more concerned about passing a school finance measure that looks good on paper and that is better for business and special interests than for schools. Of course, for the sake of the voters back home, this is done in the name of "tax relief." I'm not saying that some property tax relief isn't necessary, but clearly, if tax relief was the only real issue on the table, a consensus would have been reached by now. The GOP's actions on school finance have gone beyond "tax relief" and allegedly improving education. Clearly, the GOP has something else on its mind aside from tax relief and schools, and I suspect it has a lot to do with who signs their campaign contribution checks. Vince Leibowitz is a (sometimes) regular contributor to Burnt Orange Report. He is County Chairman of the Democratic Party of Van Zandt County. Where To See Your 2006 Democratic HopefulsBy Damon McCullar
Chris Bell Chris is going to be up in North Texas on Friday, July 29 for the Cooke County Democratic Party Rally! The rally is being held at the Leonard Park Pavilion in Gainesville between 6PM and 10 PM on the 29th. Directions: Take the FM 51 (496b) exit off I35, turn (west) and go one block to the Leonard Park entrance. For more information contact Sylvia Bayer at 940-665-4851 or by email at sacbayer@yahoo.com.
Barbara Radnofsky July 27, 2005 Barbara Ann Radnofsky attended the Mexican American Bar July 27, 2005 Austin: Field Director Robert Andrews represented Barbara Ann at the monthly meeting of Keep Austin Blue on July 27th, and reminded the crowd Barbara will be in Austin on August 3rd for the monthly DFA meetup at Mother Egan's on Wednesday August 3rd. Tuesday August 2nd Barbara Ann Radnofsky will be attending a meeting of the CWA Legislative Committee in Houston. On August 3rd and 4th Barbara will be in Austin and in Bastrop County. She will be speaking at the Monthly Austin DFA meetup at Mother Egan's on Wednesday August 3rd at 7:00 On Thursday she will participate in University Baptist Church weekly meal for the Austin homeless community along with members of the UT chapter of Hillel, which is involved with UBC in this ministry beginning at 4:45. This event is part of Barbara's ongoing dialogue with the critical mainstream religious community across Texas as the campaign progresses. After the meal she will be speaking to the Bastrop Thursday morning Barbara is meeting Burnt Orange Reporter Damon McCullar who will join her for a run on Town Lake and an interview, along with a brief but healthy breakfast.. John Courage Nick Lampson Charlie Thompson Andy Brown Andy Brown will be blockwalking this weekend. Come meet Andy, talk to West Austin voters, and work on your tan! Contact Marc at 636-4345 or at marc@voteandy.com for more information. That's it for this week folks. If any of your other 2006 Democratic Hopefuls would like to have your events featured in this weekly post or on Burnt Orange Report, please contact me or via email with your schedules or any campaign announcements. July 28, 2005Keeping Wynn WeirdBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanWell, the otherwise neutrally bland Austin Mayor Will Wynn scored a PR coup today as he gave Austin, and himself, some flavor.  And here's the actual strange, but true video, though maybe Mayor Jumps Off Bridge isn't the best title. The Future?By Karl-Thomas MusselmanThough we can certainly smirk like schoolchildren at this comment left over at In the Pink Texas's post on Bell's Announcement, it makes me a bit sad because there are a lot of the WDs that I really respect. So I would like to ask you? What or who do you think is the future of our Texas Party? Do we have any Paul Hacketts around this state? (Remember to donate to our Honorary Texan today, BOR has already given $105 of the total so far!)
Of course we now have Chris Bell as another of our candidates in addition to Barbara Radnofsky and David Van Os, but my question is less about this year's statewides, more the back bench and the future. YDA Convention in San FranciscoBy Katie NaranjoAugust 3rd through the 7th young democrats will be congregating from all over the U.S. to discuss youth issues. Texas Young Democrats will be in attendance with 35 delegates from all over Texas. Programs will consist of chapter building, candidate workshops, and, of course, turning your red state blue. One highlight for Texans attending will be Chris Bell’s speech at the convention on Saturday. For those interested check out young democrats www.yda.org for more info on the events and issues to be discussed. I'll be attending the convention as part of the delegation and blogging when I can. Austin Chronicle Hypes Capitol BlogsBy Phillip MartinThe Austin Chronicle has a new story in tomorrow's edition about "The Blog Days of Summer." Click on the link to read. Our part is below though the Chronicle gets snarky with snarksters PinkDome and In the Pink Texas as well. And it's nice to see some of the newer groups including the Texas Kos group get recognized. Kudos to Naked Politics! -KT
The Leadership Stands at EaseBy Phillip Martin
--A Ben Sargent cartoon from May 5, 2004 LTG Dewhurst continues to insist he has the votes to pass SB2, but he has now pulled everyone behind a closed-door caucus meeting to make sure. Many people continue to believe he doesn't have the votes -- remember, Speaker Craddick also thought he had the votes, and we all saw what happened Tuesday. Everyone needs to start working from the center out, and not from the left/right in. Governor Perry can sign HB1 and schools can go on this year as normal. In the meantime, that majority of bipartisan lawmakers that want to get things right and aren't just looking for campaign cover should convince the leadership to step back. Let those willing to come together work out the school finance plan, and tell Perry, Dewhurst, and Craddick to stop playing politics with Texas' public schools. CHRIS BELL RUNNING FOR GOVERNORBy Damon McCullar
The formal announcement was made today by email:
To read the entire announcement, check out the Chris Bell Blog. The unique thing about this declaration was that there was no press conference. Average Texans were finding out the answer to whether Chris would run at the same time as the Austin power brokers and the mainstream media. Chris Bell, former Congressman from Houston is best known for breaking the "ethics truce" and bring ethics complaints against Rep. Tom DeLay. Chris has also served on the Houston City Council before running for Congress. More information about Chris Bell, his history in public service, and his vision for Texas can be found on his website. Texas Thursday: Paul HackettBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanInspired by Greg Wythe when he bestowed the title of Honorary Texan on Paul Hackett, Texas Bloggers, led by Burnt Orange Report, Off the Kuff, PinkDome, and Greg’s Opinion are calling today upon all Texans (and friends of Texas) to join ranks and donate towards the very cause we have been arguing for this past week- Run Everywhere, because it's what our Party and our Democracy needs. His success is our success, not just as Texas Democrats, but as Democrats period. "Paul Hackett is hereby granted "Temporary Texan" status from now and election day in the Ohio 2nd (August 2). I'm pretty sure I have no legal standing whatsoever to convey Texan-ship, but who am I to let that stop me?" Certainly not us Greg. So join us today, in a special edition, Texas Thursday, for Honorary Texan Paul Hackett. Let's roll. I'll be tracking the results through the day from various blogs as well as from Daily Kos contributors. July 27, 2005Chris Bell Announcing within 24 HoursBy Damon McCullar
The formal announcement will be made tomorrow by email and there will be an announcement on the Chris Bell Blog. Anyone wishing to receive the formal announcement can go to Chris Bell's Website and sign up for the email alert. Chris Bell, former Congressman from Houston is best known for breaking the "ethics truce" and bring ethics complaints against Rep. Tom DeLay. Chris has also served on the Houston City Council before running for Congress. More information about Chris Bell, his history in public service, and his vision for Texas can be found on his website. (Ed. Note: There was briefly a post up saying that Chris would not run. That was merely a mistake on my part. I was preparing multiple posts.) (Ed. Note: We then ran into some database and comment issues which should now be resolved. -KT) An Open Letter to Rep. GrusendorfBy Phillip MartinDear Rep. Grusendorf: In today's Dallas Morning News article, you said the following about what happened during debate on House Bill 2:
In a day filled with confusion and chaos, one thing remained strong: Democrats and many Republicans are for a better school finance bill that brings real reforms and billions of more dollars to Texas classrooms, and a better tax bill that delivers significant property tax relief to most Texas homeowners. The courageous Democrats and Republicans that passed the Hochberg amendment onto your bill did so for the children, teachers, and parents of their districts. That majority of House members are for lots of things. Here's a list, so you know in the future: They are for putting billions of more dollars into Texas classrooms. They are for giving an across-the-board teacher pay raise that won't disappear after taxes. They are for maintaining local control on such issues as the school start date, school board elections, and classroom management. They are for letting educators run public schools instead of companies. They are for increasing the homestead exemption, so that someone other than the richest ten percent of Texans could see some real property tax relief. But there is something else they are for, Rep. Grusendorf: they are for debate, and discussion, and a democratic government that allows for the majority to rule. You weren't for any of those things, Rep. Grusendorf, and neither were Speaker Craddick, Rep. Keel, and many of your other Republican allies. You were for shutting down debate on the single most important issue in the state. You are for doing the Governor's bidding, and that's not what the majority of lawmakers came here to do. I'm afraid you and the Republican leadership are going to have to live with that reality, and learn to compromise. And isn't it funny...that's been the Democrat's education plan all along, remember? It is called the Learn and Live plan. Tell your bosses to take notes. BORer Podcasts with Cate EdwardsBy Marcus CenicerosWhile in DC for the College Democrats of America convention, I was invited to participate in a podcast with VP nominee John Edwards' daughter Cate. I have to say this was one of the highlights of the trip. I've had a secret crush (secret no more) on Cate since she introduced her mom at the DNC convention in Boston. She was a really neat person and totally easy to talk to. (Plus, I got to sit right next to her!) For those who don't know what a podcast is, it's like a radio address but online. People can record their messages and other people can download them and listen to it like talk radio. John Edwards has been doing several podcasts of his website OneAmerica.com, which is where you can find the podcast I sat in on. I, along with Grant Woodard the College Democrats of America national president from Grinell College in Iowa, LaToia Jones- the CDA Executive Chair, and Megan Block from Mizzou, talked with Cate about the importance of being involved in the political system. Anyways, check out the podcast. Let me know what you think. July 26, 2005UDems Rock CDABy Marcus CenicerosLet me start by saying, I had an amazing trip to our nation's capitol this past weekend. As I posted a week ago, I went to DC to attend the College Democrats of America National Convention. It was the first time I attended, and unless anyone knows otherwise, the first time a UT kid has gone in a long time. I promise to post all about it very soon, but I wanted to let you know the big news first. The University Democrats of UT-Austin received the Honorable Mention in the category of CDA National Chapter of the Year!! Only one group was above us, the Brown University Democrats of Rhode Island, who won 2005 Chapter of the Year. CDA has over 1,200 chapters and is the official college outreach of the DNC. Brown had an amazing presentation and did a lot of great work. I was told the decision was very close and took almost two hours. It came down to the amount of community service hours put in by both groups. So, the bar has been set for President Alex Hunt and the rest of the group this year. Let's win it next year! The CDA recognition comes after being named "2005 Most Outstanding Organization" by the UT-Leadership Board. I can't begin to say how proud I am of all the members and how grateful I am to all the supports across campus and Austin. These recognitions go out to the people who worked hard for us, and we want to say thank you for that. I will update soon with some stories from convention (including finding a die-hard burntorange report fan from up east), video of Senator Hillary Clinton, and information about how to download a podcast I recorded with Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards' daughter Cate. Update: Texan article here, nice stuff Marcus. -KT No Nonsense In November Lauches WebsiteBy Damon McCullar
Former State Rep. Glen Maxey and Company have launched www.nononsenseinnovember.com. This is a website where folks can go to:
Glen will also be doing a radio special on Lamda Weekly, the nation's oldest continuous gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender talk radio show. The special will be on Sunday, July 31st at 1pm. Lamda Weekly can be heard on KNON, 89.3 on the FM band in North Texas or at www.KNON.org. Click "Listen Now" for live streaming audio. Alliance for Social Justice: University of Texas Brigade HB 3 Just FailedBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanAnd the House stands adjourned until Thursday at Noon. HB 3 fails with what appeared to be an 8-128 vote. Keffer who was carrying it announced he was voting no. Rep. Dunnam gave a short speech just before it all died expressing his displeasure at the process and that they had an chance today to make some real progress for the children of Texas but that it was apparent that today these bills were killed so people could go home. Phillip should have a round up later tonight on the lay of the land and today's events. The archived feed of today's events will be here in a bit. House Bill 2 Just FailedBy Phillip MartinThe Speaker put every amendment onto the bill, without any debate. No one knew what got put on the bill, but because Grusendorf made the motion, no one had time to object. That left every member without a clue as to what was now in the bill, and all the Republicans broke and voted against House Bill 2. Now, the House has planned on voting for House Bill 3. As soon as anyone can make sense of anything, I'll update. Until then, I'm done posting for a while... Hochberg Amendment Passes!!!By Phillip MartinThe vote was 76-67, giving Democrats and over a dozen moderate Republicans the biggest victory over the leadership in several years. It just goes to show that when we work together with bipartisan support, anything can happen. BUT, as many have noted, we're not through yet. We must, must, must encourage all those who voted for the Hochberg amendment to make sure it stays in HB2, and then to pass HB2 on both second and third reading. There are also many other important issues concerning school finance reform that we have not addressed, including issues concerning privatization, the school start date, and the time of school board elections. Future amendemts will look at these issues, and, hopefully, they can build off of the momentum of the Hochberg vote so that we can continue to bring real education reform to our public schools. Stay tuned for more updates, including a detailed analysis of what's in the Hochberg amendment, as they develop throughout the afternoon. Also, per K-T's request, here are the 14 Republicans who joined with every House Democrat to pass the Hochberg amendment: Brown (Fred), Casteel, Geren, Goodman, Goolsby, Griggs, Haggerty, Hamilton, Hunter, Jones (Delwin), Kuempel, Merritt, Pitts, Reyna. Knaupe Not to RunBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanOne of the candidates that has grown on me in his time actually not running for anything, Gregg Knaupe (of City Council Place 3), appears to now be more or less officially out of the running for HD 47, Keel's open seat. Austin sources tell me that Knaupe, after spending a year on the trail away from his family and especially his two young kids, plans to not jump into this one for what are actual, honest family reasons (the traditional 'out' for many candidates). I respect Gregg more than he knows and certainly feel that he will be well received at some future point here in Travis County should he set his eye on some other race. Thanks for what you have brought to the table Gregg. Our party is grateful for sure, and I know that your children will be even more so to have you around as they grow up in these most amazing of times. Our inbox is always open to you, stay in touch. Republicans Fail to Shut Down Debate on HB2By Phillip MartinA motion by Rep. Keel to move to previous question would have entirely shut down debate on HB2, not allowing a single amendment to be presented for the bill. The motion failed 63-80. This was the sickest, most disgusting move Speaker Craddick and the Republican leadership could imagine. Speaker Craddick also ruled that motions of personal privlege, which have always superseded any other motion, were no longer allowed. This ruling showed that Speaker Craddick knows no bounds when it comes to force-voting. I will keep everyone updated as the debate continues... Why The Texas Democratic Party MattersBy Andrew DobbsThere has been a lot of talk about the nature of the Texas Democratic Party, all prompted by Damon’s posting of our most recent online fundraiser. I want to start out by thanking those of you who gave to this effort—it means a lot to all of us who are working hard down here. As for anyone else, I would like to address some of your concerns. To begin, I’m going to do something I never do. I never take credit for my work, because it isn’t about me, it is about the party and the people we are fighting for. The idea behind this campaign, the graphic and the text of the pitch were all created by yours truly. That’s what I do. I’ve also designed stuff for some of our candidates, I keep our website up to date, I do opposition research for many of our candidates, write press releases, speeches, Op-Eds and a whole host of other things. Some campaigns can’t afford a full-time press guy, and I am happy to help them out. By the way, I’m also a full-time student and I can say that the TDP is helping put at least one kid through college. Some people complain that we don’t do anything down at the TDP. I don’t know where this comes from because I’m here 40 hours a week and I know that is not true. Earlier this year we sent one of our field staffers out to Ector County for a County Commissioner’s race. Last year we had field staffers in every corner of the state. We send people out to campaigns all of the time to help them learn the voter file (which we provide to campaigns for free), develop a campaign strategy and raise money. We are also recruiting candidates for races all over the state right now. As for our consultants, we don’t have many and most don’t make a whole lot of money. Kelly Fero worked for the Party all last year, coming in almost every day, working constantly to help organize this state for the Democratic Party. For all of this his annual salary from the party was $7,200, the same amount a Texas legislator makes. He now does a lot of the same work pro bono. Oh, and the $9,200 a month someone keeps whining about was actually for a fundraiser, not a consultant, and she raised more money than her salary, so that was actually a net gain. Other consultants have done great work for us, some paid, but most for free. Philip’s dad, Ed, is one of them. In terms of communication, much of what you see in the news that makes the GOP look bad or us look good came from our office one way or the other. TRMPAC wasn’t a story at all until some TDP consultants started talking to reporters on background and giving them the info they need to get those stories out there. This is a service that you can’t see every day. But it is one of the most important things we do because the more our position becomes conventional wisdom, and the more people know about what the GOP is doing down in Austin, the better we’ll do in 2006 and beyond. As for finance, we do a lot to help out campaigns. We provide many campaign services for free and help campaigns raise their own money. Our indefatigable comptroller, Shelley Smith, also helps out many campaigns with compliance issues. We also gave out tens of thousands of dollars in cash and in kind over the 2004 election cycle, much of it to challengers who are laying foundations in communities that need Democratic outreach. We don’t make a huge deal when we spend this kind of money on campaigns. Maybe we should, but there is something to be said for keeping the emphasis on the candidate. The fact of the matter is that people are right when they say we should do more—and we are. We are developing new programs and tools all the time to help Democrats get elected. But to say that we do nothing now or that we are ineffective is unfair and untrue. We do a lot of good and we want you all to be a part of it. Come by our offices at 707 Rio Grande in Austin and we’ll put you to work. Call us up at (512) 478-9800 and we’ll help you get connected to your local party. Sign up for our email list so you can keep informed, and become a Sustaining Member so you can brag that you are a “card-carrying Democrat.” Most importantly, email me or leave a comment here telling us what we could be doing better. I hope this clears things up a little bit, because it is important that we start working together. Complaining won’t win any elections; coming down here or calling us and letting us know what you need where you are will. Let’s get started! US Returns to SpaceBy Damon McCullar
Congrats to NASA and the brave men and women on board Discovery as they return the US to manned space flight. May the thoughts and prayers of the BOR community be with these American heros as they embark on this perilous adventure. God speed! Turn The Capitol BlueBy Damon McCullarFloating this back up to continue the discussion while I write my next post on the subject. And I made a donation today to the TDP back when it jumped from $85 to $95, so I'm using that as my excuse for sustaining this debate. -KT  From the Texas Democratic Party Website: New Session, New Beginning!
July 25, 2005Blog TalesBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanGod, I love reading Kinky's Blog now that I've got the xml addy to read it (http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/blog/atom.xml) I can keep my eyes from getting color burned. Today's post was particularly... amusing? inspiring? P.S. I'm off to dinner on the East Side to eat with Kos and Jerome and some other Austin politicos to chat about technology, blogging, and such. We'll see what I have to report later. Local Post Becomes Statewide StoryBy Phillip MartinThis past Saturday, the Fort-Worth Star Telegram picked up the story about how the people in Rep. Joe Moreno's district have gone without representation for these two special sessions. The story, which echoes parts of a post I had previously written, leads with a strong condemnation of Perry's actions:
I know Governor Perry is no longer legally responsible to order an expedited election, but for Perry and the GOP to champion morality one moment and boast that they can barely crawl over the minimum requirements of the law the next is flat out wrong. The votes on the tax and education bill are within a single vote, and it's tough to fathom that Perry would have acted the same if the district in question voted a different way. The Brown ListBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanWhile we wait for Marcus's report this afternoon, I thought I might take a run though the Andy Brown public supporter list to see who he had lined up in this seemingly non-existant primary race (any supporters of Donna Howard or Hugh Brady and Duffy Keever, neither of whom I've heard anything about for quite a long time, please e-mail me at karltm-at-gmail-dot-com or tell them to Step Up.) I'm sure I'll miss certain people (and there is always the chance that some of these people have the same name as those I know) but here is a short list of who's who and why they may be important. Things to note? Strama crossover support is high, as are elected officials, and many of the people that have an interest in the neighboring HD 47 race. The info after the jump... The Honorable Ben Barnes Jeff Brooks Cass Robert Callaway Larkin Campbell Liz Carpenter Rick Cofer Mandy Dealey Matthew Dempsey David Holmes Lowell Lebermann The Honorable Lee Leffingwell The Honorable Garry Mauro The Honorable Glen Maxey Ambassador Stan McLelland The Honorable Ed Miller Bettye Nowlin Catherine Robb Ambassador Arthur Schechter The Honorable John Sharp The Honorable Rose Spector Dennis & Emily Speight Kate Volti Marc & Suzanne Winkelman Big News for UDems ComingBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanMarcus is on his way back from the College Democrats of America National Convention and will be getting his notes in order to tell us all about the goings ons there and I'm sure all the people he met. That and he'll have some big news related to the UDems-Austin chapter for us so keep and eye out for his post later today. July 24, 2005Seven Cheers for LanceBy Karl-Thomas Musselman
Half a Million people in Paris heard from now seven time Tour de France winner and Austinite Lance Armstrong. I can only imagine what Congress Avenue will be like when he comes home to us. Way to go Lance, you inspire us all. July 23, 2005Texas Education CrisisBy Damon McCullarGov. Perry is now into his 6th Special Session. Each special session cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.7 million dollars. Each one of these special sessions have had something to do with reference">public education. So what have Texans have to show for our 10.2 million dollars? We have a public school system that is near the bottom of the barrel in the United States when it come education. We are ranked 33rd in the country, tied with West Virgina and 48th in the country in SAT scores. On the issue of drop out rates, Texas has the highest. The administration would love to have you think that things really aren't that bad. They would point you to schools that have done wonderful things in Houston and Dallas. This "Texas Miracle", however, turned out to be a Texas mirage. Enron-style accounting practices turning out 100% completion rates and cheating on the TAKS test by school districts and students have reached such alarming proportions that out of state companies have been called in to investigate the allegations. There will be a detailed post on Monday about the shortcomings of the current HB 2 and 3 being considered in the current special session, so I won't go too much into detail here on it. That being said, the clear winners in HB 3 are business interest and insurance companies. They businesses don't have their burden raised outside of a few inconsequential loop holes being closed while whole segments of the economy have no tax burden what-so-ever. The insurance companies get a huge tax cut. I guess their investment in TAB (a pro-business political action committee) is paying off. The rich also make out in HB 3 with a cut in their property taxes. Those in the middle and lower classes get taken to the cleaners in several ways. First there is the raise the sales tax. This would give Texas the highest sales tax in the country. Also, those with the "vices" of smoking and drinking will see prices on cigarettes and alcohol go up as the taxes on these particular items go up as far as three-fold. In addition folks in the middle and lower classes get shafted on accessibility to education and quality of education. These bills do raise teacher salaries, but by a paltry sum. The best teachers our state has to offer are going to pack up and move to a state that will pay them what they are worth. Also, these bills do nothing to reign in the sky rocketing cost of tuition. The University of Texas system has seen tuition cost go up 37% since deregulation and Texas A&M has seen tuition prices go up four time the rate of inflation in one year. With combination of higher tuition prices and higher taxes on the middle and lower class, you have tuition prices going up, while family income is going down. These two conditions make it less and less possible for families to send their children to college. Couple that with the lower quality of education and you get a system where students can't afford to go to a state college and they aren't competitive for out of state colleges. This will begin a downward spiral that will squeeze the middle class to the brink of extinction with no hope of upward mobility. That's my take on it....what do you readers think? Stop or my mom will shoot!By Jim DallasI've always gotten a chuckle out of headlines like this one with multiple, plausible, meanings:
At any rate, expect new and bolder attempts to peddle Social Security privatization now that nobody is paying attention. Keep on your toes. July 22, 2005In Houston politics, money is always in StyleBy Jim DallasI'm currently in the market for a decent used cars with low miles and no accidents. But enough about me - let's talk about this week's edition of Houston Style, a local free publication which I was flipping through earlier on this wet and wild Friday evening. In this week's edition, Reverend Jackson asks, "would you buy a used car from President Bush?" To which the answer must surely be "no." Although the comparison makes me feel a lot better about the used-car salesman I've talked to recently. More interesting for y'all, though, is Burt Levine's roundup of campaign finance reports for Houston city candidates. Unfortunately, Style doesn't publish it's columns online, but it's good to know some one is keeping up with the money game besides city hall bureaucrats. Moreover, Levine's column reminded me that, in fact, we are having elections in November, despite the relative lack of coverage in the H-Chron recently. So what's up with political money in Houston? Here's a roundup: * Despite having no serious opposition, Mayor Bill White has spent over $700,000 since January. According to Levine, this should give White well over $2 million cash-on-hand, more than sufficient for a White-out if an opponent more serious than Jack "Josey" Terence appears. Terence's only campaign expenditures so far include a $37 tab (for stamps, one would assume) at the post office and an $8 bill purchasing campaign materials at a local Family Dollar outlet. Nonetheless, BOR will be certain to count all the votes before calling this election for the Mayor. * Peter Brown pretty much crushes the rest of the field for At-Large One. A good chunk of Roy Morales's campaign kitty (which, shall we say, is roughly the size of my car budget) comes from a self-loan. I was under the impression that the Republicans were going to be putting up a fight (this seat being currently held by Mark Ellis, who wants to be a state senator). Perhaps Peter Brown can breath a little easier? Unfortunately, I missed Brown's fundraising party this week, but he'll be speaking at the Harris County Young Democrats meeting on Tuesday of next week. * Jay Aiyer has a whole heck of a lot more money than Sue Lovell in At-Large 2. That Aiyer would have more money doesn't surprise me. We'll have to see if money translates into votes, though. UPDATE: Just after I noted that, in my humble opinion, the Chronicle had been awfully quiet, I got an e-mail indicating that Kristen Mack's latest column is about... campaign finance in city council races! I don't always get around to reading every page, but I feel really goofy about this. But not nearly as goofy as "diapers" (who knows, maybe it's part of a creative strategy). Run. Everywhere.By Karl-Thomas MusselmanI'm about to echo what has been said across the blogs the past day because it's an issue that has struck a chord with Texas Dems and needs to be set down as our standard for 2006. (Reference Kuff, Save Texas Reps, Eye on Williamson County, Et Cetera, and Greg) This conversation was initiated in large part because of comments made about SD 7 becoming an open seat and the reaction from "high powered consultant" Marc Campos who said this.
That's some "high powered crap" right there. A candidate running in SD7, regardless of what you may think the outcome may be, will give a reason for Democrats on the ground there to not only vote, but start to organize around whatever campaign is running and then going into the future, have ongoing organization that whalah!, builds our Party. Granted, there is a more limited pool of money on the Democratic side perceptually than there is over with the GOP. But the money raised for an SD7 battle, because of the nature of the district and any likely candidate, is going to come out of that district and not drain off of other Dems funding other targeted races. Let me give and example: much of the Texas Hill Country has been ignored for cycles. There has been little funding flowing out of it but in 2002 we had candidates run like John Courage in the old 21st and even a challenger to Carter Casteel back then, which spurred the first wave of new donors out of that area in a long time. And guess what, they're still around and may be willing to fund other races or the party like my family has for instance. And who are Chris Bell, and Radnofsky, and Van Os going to go out and see in Lampasas in early September? An 800 person picnic extravaganza with Democrats, organizers, and donors coming from the 21 counties of the Hill Country from Fredericksburg to Abilene, Menard to Killeen. Hell, I'm here blogging today because John Courage inspired me two and a half years ago to stand outside of the Gillespie County Courthouse on a chilly November night handing out his campaign material in the reddest of towns with my now elected father. And that happened without moving the Democratic totals from beyond that "severe ass whipping" 25% mark. If we are honestly worried about lost filing fees being the reason for defeat for other candidates, then we have some serious problems as a Party, because it shows a lack of vision beyond the parochial and a lack of foresight beyond the next election day. Letting grassroots candidates run in some of the more 'hopeless' districts is the cheapest way the Party can help build itself and push out its message to people who otherwise will never hear or see from an actual Party operative in the next decade. I think it's worth it. Let people run. Everywhere. P.S. Campos appears poised to tell all us bloggers to run for office if we're so hot on it. Note to Mr. High Powered Consultant, we already are. So remind me when you're filing again? Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls This WeekendBy Damon McCullarTGIF folks! It's time for this week's installment of Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls! Chris Bell John Courage David Van Os
July 21, 2005Jews: Check, Homos: Still Outsourcing ThemBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanI can't believe that I didn't notice this in the past couple of days. Apparently Gov. Goodhair has apologized for his Jewish Representative at the Christian school in Fort Worth where he signed HJR 6 into 'reality' (though it didn't need a signature at all), a Jewish leader who is actually the head of a Christian Church that seeks to convert Jews to Christianity... So I read here.
I can't even make up shit that's more outrageous than this. Some Kinky NumbersBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanFirst off, did anyone else notice that of Kinky's 301k he raked in, John McCall, who made a fortune as a shampoo distributor, has ponied up $160,000 so far, more than half Friedman's total? Also, that Kinky's blog is actually running off Blogger which may be why my calls for an RSS feed have gone unresponded to? Though I do have to admit, I like his Trust for Texas Heroes idea to fund pay raises for teachers, police and fire fighters. One, Trust instead of Tax is excellent framing, two, it's out of the box but sensible and a grassroots idea that the candidate embraced. Something I'd kind of expect from the land of Fuchsia and Cream. Feeling Blue and just a bit KinkyBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanI'd like to clear up some conceptions that seem to have been created with my recent series of posts about the Texas Governor's race. I have been told, from various sources, that my commentary is direct, confrontational, and seemingly Anti-Bell in nature. Well, two out of three ain't bad. I don't pretend to think, not do I believe most bloggers think, that they or I are the definitive voice on the state of affairs in Texas politics. It'd be nice to think so, but honestly we are just a team of players with some technology and an audience with an interest to broaden the discussion of party politics, scandal, and highlighting news and commentary that in any other case would be left to the backrooms and dustbins of day to day Texas happenings. That said, and as I have said before in some of my posts before, my interest first and foremost is to be a Burnt Orange Reporter. That means I'm going to cover the campaigns, all campaigns, from the high level Perry v. Strayhorn battle, to the Invisible Democratic Primary, to our Independent friends Kinky and Jennifer Gale. Why? For one it's damn entertaining for me as well as you the readers (I hope) even if it does cause campaigns a bit of a headache at times. But that's the nature of campaigns, you put yourself out there, try to do the best job you can controlling how people perceive you, and sometimes hope for the best. I do not envision Burnt Orange Report to ever be a puppet or promoter of any campaign just because that is conventional wisdom or they happen to be the Democratic nominee (or at least I will not strictly enforce a requirement on any of the writers here to blindly accept a candidate at my or the Party's bequest). I see little interest, for example, in being forced to promote Marty Akins against Carol Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn in 2002 say, when I and many Democrats that did end up voting for Marty had to find some of the biggest damn clothespins to hold our noses while doing so. I'm a supporter of the Democratic Party, have been, and plan to be on into the wild Blue yonder. I have every interest in supporting our candidates, building our party, and devising new ways to grow the Texas Blogosphere- allowing our thousands of readers to become the newest insiders to the party. That's why I'll promote Step Up Texas as much as I can, because it's inventive technology that enables the grassroots to help build the Party. It's why I spent 4 hours at a technology meeting last night that brought people together to envision the integration of the state party's voter data with new campaign tools that are being built by the Strama Tech Guru for the coordination of at least 4 campaigns. It's why in an upcoming post I'll have to ask what the hell is going on with our state party and how can we help fix it, before I blindly encourage people (like was done at the SDEC meeting) to shovel money into the hole that was created this last reporting period. As a blogger I dissect and discern, promote and dismiss, and sort and investigate to the best of my abilities within the boundaries of the time and money I have as a third year student at The University of Texas at Austin. It's not because I know best- hardly. It's because I believe in the concept of Texas political blogs being the open source media for an open source Democratic Party where news, ideas, and activism are born, bred, and bringing us to Victory on E-Day. A gentle reminderBy Jim DallasThe House Democrats have a plan, and during the first special session, Tom Craddick killed it. Blink and You Miss itBy Phillip MartinThe 2nd Called Special Session opens in the House and Senate. BLINK. The education and tax bills are sent to respective select committees. BLINK. House Bill 2 and 3 voted out of committee. BLINK. Public schools get no new money so the wealthiest Texans get property tax cuts. BLINK! In their joint press conference, Dewhurst and Craddick both claimed they had the votes to pass HB2 and HB3 (something nice to tell the press, but a substantially doubtful reality). I watched the press junket and took notes. Here's what they said: Dewhurst: "We've got a good foundation to build on...we're making progress...timewise, I decided to get a bill out of committee...House Bill 2 is revolutionary...whether it takes us one day or thirty days, let's get it done and let's get it done right." Craddick: "Hope we can get this done quickly...we're very committed to get this done and over with...we expect the governor's bill to come out...it's all money." So, despite immense opposition from teachers, superintendents, and parents, the leadership is going to push through the same old House Bill 2. And despite immense opposition from homeowners, taxpayers, and businesses, the leadership is going to push through the same old House Bill 3. The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Four Small Explosions Rock LondonBy Damon McCullarFour smaller explosions rocked the London mass transit system today. The blast are reported to be small in nature than two weeks ago. It seems that only the detonators are going off, or the explosives themselves are somehow defective. The authorities are thinking at this point that it is a copy-cat crime but are not ruling out terrorist activity. The explosions were in three subway stations and a bus. Scotland Yard is investigating an "incident" at University College Hospital, where armed officers have been deployed. Check out CNN for more info. What Do Ya Get....By Damon McCullarWhat do you get for 1.7 million in tax-payer money and 30 days of work at the Lege? If you throw in another $20 dollars, you can get a T-shirt. Rural Texas Dems SummitBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanFrom the Texas Young Democrats Listserv... We invite you to the Rural Texas Democratic Summit on August 26-27 in Tyler, Texas. Tickets are $25 each. You may purchase tickets individually or if you want a block of tickets to sell in your county, contact Sam Allen at samallen@cox-internet.com. Checks should be made to the ETDC and mailed to PO Box 751, Tyler, 75710 The Rooms at the Ramada are $58 plus tax. You will need to make your reservations directly with the hotel, and please mention that you are attending the Democratic Summit. The cut-off date for hotel registration is August 15. Final Judgment: Leadership Needs to Step BackBy Phillip MartinSen. Whitmire successfully filibustered HB2, and the 1st called special session ended without a single bill to help fund Texas' public schools or to lower property taxes for Texas homeowners. Word around the capitol is that neither the House or the Senate had the votes to pass HB2 anyway, which tells the leadership something important: You can't just ram any old education bill through the Legislature. It's too important, and it's not a partisan issue. The leadership's misplaced priorties continue to put the rich ahead of our public schools. Unless the leadership steps back and lets a bipartisan try to do what is best for Texas, don't expect anything different from this next special session, which begins Thursday morning at 10:00 am. To note: the Governor's proclamation only called for property tax relief, which means that House Bill 3 will probably start over from scratch, and once everyone is agreement on HB3, they will come back and try to pass HB2. Also, the Speaker is expected to appoint a special committee to study the tax issue. For any additional late night rumors and early morning gossip, stay tuned to our friends at Pinkdome, who kept a running comment all night on the process. July 20, 2005Judgment Day for Texas LegislatureBy Phillip Martin...I wish I was special An article in the San Antonio Express News confirms what many around the capitol believe to be true -- that with HB3 already dead, if HB2 doesn't pass, then there's no reason to call anyone back for an immediate special session. The article reads:
Trying to pass HB2 without HB3 proves what opponents of the bills have been saying all along -- that HB3 NEVER contained a dime for our public schools, and all that tax-swap bill really did was cut taxes for the rich. As it is, HB2 amounts to a series of horrendous education reforms that will only hurt our state's public schools. Bottom line: we need to encourage the Senate and House members to kill HB2, which means we need to make sure that all Representatives are there at their desks all day today, ready to stop this embarassing piece of legislation. Voting for any old bill just isn't good enough. It's not good enough for Texas public schools, and it won't be good enough come election day. Here's what's in the HB2 conference committe report: 1) The HB2 report is loaded with unfunded mandates that will force local school districts to pay for more with less. Nowhere in the bill is there any proposal to solve the school finance crisis, which is what everyone was supposed to be doing in the first place. 2) The HB2 report would give teachers their health insurance stipend back disguised as a bogus salary increase along with a measly $500 guaranteed raise and an insulting merit pay system - a plan that will only drive more teachers from the classroom. 3) All the hard-line Republican items are in there, too. Privatization of schools, an inequitable finance system that only benefits a few wealthy districts, and elimination of state standards and funding formulas that guarantee all children receive a better learning environment. 4) Finally, the HB2 conference report includes a clause in the final section that would allow the bill to go into effect at any future date - this summer or in two years - whenever the legislature might pass a plan like HB3. Once again, this clause proves that the only way to prevent an immediate special session to pass this mess is to kill HB2, now! Eminent-Domain Bill Runs Into TroubleBy John PruettTuesday might have spelled trouble for the House's revision of SB 62. The bill, authored by Sen. Kyle Janek (R-Houston), came in response to the Supreme Court's June decision on municipal use of eminent domain. On Sunday, the House passed the extensively amended Senate bill. However, yesterday Rep. Frank Corte, Jr. (R-San Antonio) led the charge in a 91-40 vote to block sending SB 62 to Conference Committee after fears that the bill's language would be watered down. This means the bill returns to the Senate. Channel 8 in Dallas reports: Further down:
It's not readily apparent what the Senate's decision means for an amendment authored by Rep. Rene Oliveira (D-Brownsville) that would prohibit "lodging facilities" from being included under eminent domain for "economic development." Oliveira's cousin Carlos owns the restaurant Players, which has been embroiled in a dispute with the UT System over the construction of a conference center and hotel. If anyone has more information on whether the Senate will keep Oliveira's amendment, then please chime in. July 19, 2005Money in TexasBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanFrom hotline, just so you have the numbers in place if you haven’t been reading the comments.
Now a couple things to note and I will make a more detailed post about Bell in just a bit. Perry and Strayhorn will raise as much as they feel they need to win the primary. Granted, they will spend most of it, but by no means should we think that will leave the GOP drained of cash. There may have bitter feelings towards the winner and not volunteer as much or reconsider their vote, but the cash will still flow as needed. But their nominee will be damaged. Bell hasn't announced. We are all quite aware of this but sometimes we forget how that changes the dynamic. Many donors refuse to give to someone who isn't actually a candidate. Why would you or I want to spend $5,000 on someone who will end up dropping out of the race? Imagine how all the donors to the Jim Stork for Congress campaign in Florida felt when mid-race, he dropped out due to health with little explanation? No one likes to feel used or burned. That said, $153k is paltry. If it was from an announced candidate, I'd say yes, they'd be through. But he's not. Kinky. Kinky is an interesting case. As an announced Independent, he's somewhere in between. Independents don't have regular donors to go to. Since he's not on the ballot, a certain amount of funds simply aren't going to come to him because as mentioned before, people don't want to waste their dollars. But at least he is an announced candidate which can give people a certain level of confidence. A short look through his report filings was interesting to me as there was about $10,000 raised from my hometown of Fredericksburg, 2/3 of that from one person. And the profile of the Fredericksburg Kinky donors? Odd to say the least. Most hadn't voted in any political primary since 2000. One couple had voted in both political primaries in that time. A couple of others weren't even registered voters as far as I could tell. And a couple others were Republicans. And another was one of the hardcore supporters of my father's city council campaign. All over the map. If I had a state voter file it would be fun to look at the primary history of all the donors in order to determine if Kinky would bleed more support from Republicans or Democrats or if his support would be new people outside of the system. Of course these rumors about the Governor's race are highly interesting as much as they are suspect. How about Dewhurst v. Kinky v. Sanchez? Hah, right. Sen. Lindsay to Step DownBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanVia QR
Don't know about Democrats yet, but maybe you know someone who should Step Up. Bush Picks John G. Roberts Jr. as Supreme Court NomineeBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanPresident Bush chose federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts Jr. on Tuesday as his first nominee for the Supreme Court, selecting a rock solid conservative whose nomination could trigger a tumultuous battle over the direction of the nation's highest court, senior administration officials said. Here we go. Get'em While They're Hot!By Damon McCullarFirst there were "Adios MoFo" T-shirts and now there are CB4G (Chris Bell for Governor) over on Greg's Opinion. They look pretty cool. Don't be the last kid on your block to get one! Andy Brown Website Launch, sortaBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanAndy Brown has a website up now, though it's mostly so we can donate online. Not that I'm complaining. This will be one of the banner races in Travis County as we go for 6-0 in '06. Visit and donate. Freely. Granted he may have a primary opponent but things have been very quiet of late and best indications is that he will be left alone to be the nominee. Brown has also committed to being part of the coordinated Tech effort that I'm attending a meeting for tomorrow night. Matt Glazer for HD 122By Karl-Thomas MusselmanA personal friend of mine, Matt Glazer, who traveled with me to the Democratic National Convention last summer from SD 25 (and was the youngest Texas delegate all of 15 minutes before I was elected out of SD 24) has announced that he is forming an Exploratory Committee to run against Rep. Corte in HD 122, a San Antonio seat that he hasn't been really challenged in since 1992. It's one of those 75/25 districts on the surface, but when incumbents sit unchallenged for too long it's hard to gauge what their true level of support is. Personally, I know it's a long shot, but then again, everything in Texas is these days. And though I'm not expecting massive wins in Texas in 2006, I support Matt's effort because by running he helps build the Party on a local level where it hasn't been tended to for a decade. In addition, 40 Precincts (or was it 40%, have to check) of HD 122 overlays CD 21 where John Courage is running against Lamar Smith so it provides yet another underlying house seat that will have a Democratic candidate active on the ground, (adding to pieces of Strama's seat, Baxter and Keel's challenges seats, as well two of Patrick Rose's counties). John and Matt are well acquainted which is all the better to the both of them. Included in the extended entry is a letter from Matt about this race. Please leave your thoughts and comments below. UPDATE: The Jeffersonian has a bit of a profile on the district here and Kuff just weighed in with his thoughts. Dear Friend, San Antonio and its neighbors to the north deserve a Representative who listens to their concerns and fights for their beliefs. Currently, House District 122 has a selected official that has twice been elected as one of the worst legislators in Texas by Texas Monthly. He is a man who champions the interests of Houston businesses over the needs of his own district. He consistently votes against women and minorities, and he supports measures that make our public schools unequal and inadequate according to Texas Supreme Courts standards. Right now, in San Antonio, progressive groups are trying to find a conservative candidate who is less radical than Mr. Corte. They believe the only way to win is to take him on within his own party. A handful of passionate Democrats have started searching for a progressively minded individual to protect the rights of Texans in district 122, San Antonio, and across Texas. I believe that we can never be truly successful if we are required to pick the lesser of two evils. I am a man who believes that it is time Democrats and progressively minded groups and individuals banded together to win back key seats in the Texas legislature. In response to this call for new leadership, I have asked different community leaders and organizations about the possibility of running for this position. Today I am officially announcing the formation of an exploratory committee to establish the necessary legal structure, secure key endorsements, build a diverse and extensive coalition, and most importantly, inquire about the viability of my candidacy. I am inviting you to join this exploratory committee. I would like your thoughts on this expansive goal. I want to begin having conversations with people across the district and I want to ensure that this campaign makes lasting change. Frank Corte has gone virtually unchallenged since 1992, and that will not be the case in 2006. House District 122 will show a clear signal that Texans across the state believe that the environment is a right and not a privilege, that women’s rights deserve to be protected, and that education reform requires solutions that produce real results. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you, Matt Glazer Richard Raymond RunningBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanNot that this is an announcement, but an official BOR linking to the Richard Raymond for Congress website. First rumored back in the good old days of the regular session by Rep. Aaron Pena, Rep. Raymond is officially seeking to become a Rep. of a different kind, the congressional kind, hoping to replace Henry Cuellar. I think most of us here would agree in my encouragement of spending some time or money over on Raymond's site. Let's put some oomph behind that D in Congress. UPDATE: I forgot that former holder of the seat, Rep. Ciro Rodriguez has said he would challnege in the primary as well. An interesting show that will be indeed and Rodriguez would be a good guy as well should that be the case.
Richard Raymond is running for cd28. He has already formed an exploratory committee and is raising money. Ciro rodriguez has also formed an exploratory committee and is raising money. Both raymond and Ciro are good Democrats. Although Raymond voted for HJR 6 and the parental consent bill he is otherwise as good as Democrat as anyone in the house. He proposed a constitutional amendment to ban private school vouchers and is very strong on public education. The district goes from Bexar county to Webb county (Laredo) with a few rural counties in between, including a part that comes up through New Braunfels all the way to San Marcos. The conventional wisdom is that, because of his small town roots, Raymond will run fairly well in the rural areas as will Cuellar because of his incumbency. There are a few more thousand voters in Webb county than Bexar, so unless ciro can pick up some webb county voters or do extremely well in the rural areas, than he has absolutely no chance. Rumors are that every Webb county elected official will soon endorse Raymond. He already has the support of the Webb county sheriff. Raymond is strong in the rural areas because he himself has a rural background, having lived in Alice for many years. It will be unwise for progressive Democrats (or any anti-Cuellar) to support Ciro because, to put it plainly, he doesnt have a chance. This is a Laredo district now. The worry is that Ciro will knock Richard to third and it will end up Ciro v Cuellar in the runoff and than Cuellar would kill him. Raymond is a much better public speaker than Cuellar or Ciro and, despite his anglo surname, speaks much better spanish. Cuellar's fundraising has not been very impressive for an incumbent, perhaps because Democratic special interests and pacs have stayed away. He voted for the Schiavo bill and the flag burning amendment and also is with Republicans on the estate tax. HB 2 and 3 Coverage Continued...UPDATE!!!By Damon McCullar***Early Morning UPDATE*** ***NOON UPDATE*** ***AFTERNOON UPDATE*** ***EVENING UPDATE*** HB 3 is dead. From QR:
Edwards Gets Blinging with ItBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanThe Chet Edwards Campaign lets us know that they have just finished raising $429,000 in the last quarter, bring him up to $560,000 Cash on Hand which is a quarter million more than where he was this time last cycle when he was facing the Wohlgemonster. Full release here. Who is he running against? One of five Republicans...
Of course, this will be targeted by the Republicans so any kaching you can pony up for Chet would be appreciated of course. The Suspense Will Soon Be OverBy John PruettIt's official. Tonight at 9pm ET (8pm CDT), President Bush will announce his choice for replacing Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. It appears that Alberto Gonzalez, Emilio Garza, etc. are no longer the media frontrunners for the position. Instead, most major news outlets are now eyeing Judge Edith Clement of the U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans as a possibility. We shall all know soon enough. Considering that Chief Justice Rehnquist has decided to remain on the Court, Bush now has only one pick and, consequently, less latitude to appeal to both moderates and his radical Christian base. I would bet that Bush decides to side with the Christian Right, although one can argue that he'll choose a moderate to preserve O'Connor's legacy. The bottom line is that President Bush owes the Christian Right big-time for his election victory and there'll be hell to pay if he doesn't pay up (figuratively of course). For these radical Christian interest groups, a socially conservative Supreme Court Justice will be the ultimate prize. Can Bush play to all sides without alienating his more radical supporters? On a related note, the Family Research Council has announced a "Justice Sunday II" for August 14th in Tennessee. The event will be simultaneously broadcast to churches around the nation. It will include speakers such as Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA) and James Dobson of Focus on the Family. According to the flyer, speakers will address "How activist judges subvert the family, undermine religious freedom and threaten our nation's future." I had know idea the threat to America was so serious. House Bill 2 and 3 Weekend Round Up ***Update***By Damon McCullarThere's been a whole lot of moving and shaking in the Lege over the weekend over HB 2 and 3 and as of 2:30am this morning, the conference committees still had not reached a consensus on HB 2. At that time the Senate submitted its proposal to the house and we will have to wait until this morning to see if the House accepts. The sticking point on HB 2 at this point is recapture, or how much wealthy school districts should have to give to the less well off school districts. The sticking points on HB 3 are the sales tax and the homestead exemption. This weekend a $15,000 increase in the homestead exemption was shot down and it appears as if the Senate is beginning to cave on the sales tax. The Senate approved a .5% increase while the House wants a 1% increase. There have been statements that seem to say that the Senate may give on the sales tax if other taxes are trimmed. Sen. West, D-Dallas wants the homestead exemption to be raised to $22,500 to off set the raise in the sales tax, but as of now there is no raise in the homestead exemption on the table. Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso has promised to filibuster HB 3 if there is any raise in the sales tax above the .5% the Senate agreed upon. Time is running on on the Lege. The special session ends on Wednesday. There is a 24 hour madatory wait period for analysis once the bills come out of conference. If an agreement is not reached today, it is likely that no agreement will come out of this special session. Odds are we will be back here in August with yet another special session on school finance. Stay tuned for updates. ***NOONISH UPDATE*** According to QR, a deal was reached on HB2 early this morning, but once all the conferees had woke up and actually read the bill, there some language that was not part of the deal found its way into the bill so whatever deal there was is now off pending further meetings. There is still not a consensus on HB 3. The main sticking point now seems to be the "unintended consequences" of HB3. The clock is ticking!
QR is reporting that a deal has been struck on HB 2.
Tick, Tick, Tick... ***Early Morning UPDATE*** Tick, Tick, Tick... July 18, 2005Dollars and SenseBy Damon McCullarToday is July 18th, 2005. The 2006 election is about a year and a quarter away. Yet many have declared the Chris Bell for Governor campaign (which doesn't exist yet) dead and buried. Come on folks! I've read comments all day about how Chris Bell is this and he's that, he can't do this and he should do that. Lively debate is one thing, but denigrating a guy that is out there pounding the pavement and taking the temperature of the party is quite another. Who knows if Chris will run, and who knows if he can raise the amount of cash that he needs. With Gov. Perry's approval ratings below 40% and no other Democrat out, is there any reason not to at least wait to see if he can put the money together once he announces? This is a guy who has raised seven figures for past races, so it seems ridiculous to read comments that say he has hit his ceiling when he hasn't even announced his candidacy yet. Another thing that is flying around is "How can Chris Bell be a serious contender when the GOP candidates have upwards of 7-8 million in their war chest?" Gov. Perry and Carol Strayhorn have roughly the same amount of money with Gov. Perry having a slight advantage. Folks, they are both going to use every last penny to bash the heck out of each other from now until the primary. It's true that Chris will have to kick the fund raising machine into high gear, but it's ridiculous to compare his money with Gov. Perry's or Carol Strayhorn's money at this point since they are going to have to spend a large portion of it in the primary race before they even face Chris. Finally, Chris isn’t playing chicken. He’s sincerely exploring a race for Texas Governor. He’s got some family issues to get past, and he’ll make that announcement by the end of the month. He's either going to run or he won't and nobody know the answer to that question but Chris. Now it's your turn. What do you folks think? Memo to Lege: Don't Miss These Votes!By Phillip MartinAs those who are following the education and tax bills can attest, the compromises on HB2 and HB3 are on and off faster than it takes to flick a light switch. However, whether or not these bills ever make it to the House and Senate floor, it is imperative that all Senators and Representatives stay in Austin through Wednesday. In this morning's Dallas Morning News, Rep. Jim Keffer (R-Eastland) talked about why the House didn't want to change anything with HB 3:
Republicans know that the vote in the House is close, and any changes could swing the vote so that the bill would fail. However, that threat is only possible if all House members stay in town for the next few days. If members start assuming that no bill will come out and decide to leave, then a bill comes out and they miss the vote, there will certainly be hell to pay with constituents back home. I encourage everyone to keep an eye on their Representatives and Senators over the next few days, and make sure that no one misses what could be the most important votes before the primary elections. Hurricane Watch for South TexasBy Jim DallasFrom the National Hurricane Center:
Chris Bell Rings True in the PanhandleBy Damon McCullarThis weekend Chris Bell addressed a group of around 100 Democrats at a fund raiser in Amarillo. The Panhandle Truth Squad was there to cover the event. The following are exerpts from thier post on the subject.
Campaign for a National MajorityBy Damon McCullarI attended the Campaign for a National Majority kickoff here in Austin last night. I had an opportunity to sit down and speak with with Micheal Fertik, one of the founders of Campaign for a National Majority. This is what he had to say about the organization. Campaign for a National Majority (or CNM) is around 18 months old and has a membership of roughly 3000 people. They have members in 33 states and a presence in New York City, the District of Columbia, Louisville KY, Philadelphia, New Haven, San Francisco, Los Angles. They are kicking off their efforts in Texas this week with the get together in Austin yesterday, San Antonio today and Houston on Tuesday. Their research staff consist of around 150 all volunteer researchers. The goal of CNM is to see Democrats elected to state-wide executive offices. These include Governor, Lt. Governor, Comptroller, Secretary of State, Ag Commish, Railroad Commish, and Mayor in the larger cities. The conventional wisdom holds that Presidents come from the Governor's mansion these days. So, CNM asked the question: Where do Governors come from? Turns out from their research that Governors come from the other executive offices that I mentioned before, as well as mayors from larger cities in the state. Their goal of getting Democrats elected to these offices gives the Democratic party a "farm league" from which to choose from in national elections. CNM does exhaustive research on candidates for the above mentioned races. They look at a candidates record in public office as well as their character. CNM will interview everyone from a candidate's grade school teachers, to their college professors, members of the their church and so on to get a complete picture of just who the candidate is. Once CNM has vetted the candidate, they will endorse and fund raise for that candidate. In addition, they will lobby other groups to endorse and fund raise for the candidate. They will share their research with the group in question to help convince them to endorse. CNM took put their model into effect last year in a few state legislature races. First was David Leibowitz here in Texas. In that race, they were able to help get him elected to a seat in the Texas Lege held by an incumbent Republican. Also, they were able to help Jeff Daniels of Ohio get elected to a state legislature seat that was open, but had historically been a Republican seat. In 2005, CNM is working on mayoral races. There are currently 500 races that CNM wants to be involved in. However, they need a research staff of roughly 500 to be able to handle the work load. CNM is looking for volunteer researchers to help fill that gap. They are also looking for folks to pledge to donate to candidate that they endorse. John Sharp RoundUpBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanPardon the lateness of this entry, it was supposed to have been posted last Sunday but never made it out of the queue. The other week we posted an article about the rumors of John Sharp jumping into the Governor's Race. Since that time, we have learned more information and I have kept tabs on a number of different comments and sources. The reason for the original post was a comment left by former Sharp Campaign Consultant Kelly Fero on the Governor's Step Up Texas page.
In addition, Matt Glazer from San Antonio let loose some information after our post which in other conversations I've had, now seems to be on the mark.
This combined with other chatter since then, now leads me to put Burnt Orange Report's official statement as Sharp "taking a serious look at running, which office is up in the air, but one way or another, is going to be back in public service". The dance that Bell and Sharp have been playing isn't just idle tip-toeing, it's because each of them is judging the other's intentions and adjusting and adjusting to those adjustments and so on. This leads me to believe that it may come down to a game of chicken, who announces first and forces the question. Personally, I don't have a dog in this race yet. I know another of the Burnt Orangers do and almost the entire Texas blogosphere seems to be behind Bell (which is a credit to the netroots outreach, if a bit overboard at times. Remember, there are people out there not on the Internet). I honestly am still pondering this one and will wait to see how this all sorts out, as well as encouraging this blog to be a place for discussion about the merits of each. UT Student Government Summer UpdateBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanIn the extended entry is a listing of the progress of a number of Student Government project updates, and contact information if you want to get on board and help out. I'm quite impressed with the new Communications Director Stacy Torres. And of course with her name going out to a few thousand UTexans each week or two, having her on your SG ticket next year couldn't hurt for name ID... (Sorry, it's how I think. People know me for all the GLBT e-mails I send out on campus). 3. Progress of Student Government Projects · Technology Task Force: After meeting with ITS, Student Government is creating a Technology Task Force that will advise ITS on technology concerns throughout campus. One of this Task Force’s first initiatives will be to assess locations on campus that do not have cell phone reception and wireless access. If you would like to be a part of this task force contact SG Executive Director Dan Paschal at www.SGED@www.utexas.edu. · Tuition Setting at College Level: SG President Omar Ochoa (SGPresident@www.utexas.edu) and Vice President Elizabeth Brummett (SGVP@www.utexas.edu) have been meeting with the Deans of the Colleges to inquire about the process that each will take with tuition setting for the following year. Ochoa and Brummett are working with each of the Deans to ensure that students within that college have input in the process. · Emergency Services Coordinator: After a comprehensive search process LaToya Hill has accepted this new position and will begin at UT Austin during the month of August. This position was created by the Office of the Dean of Students to be available to students when issues/concerns arise. The Emergency Services Coordinator position was created this past year to better equip the Office of the Dean of Students to serve students. · Sportsmanship Task Force: Student Government, Texas Exes, and The Texas Exes Student Chapter are all working together to create innovative ways to encourage good/positive sportsmanship at UT Athletic Events. Meetings with representatives from each of these entities are being planned to discuss ideas. A possible “Go Horns Go” campaign is being considered and any other ideas can be sent to Stephanie Weaver (SGSecretary@www.utexas.edu). · Tuition Revenue Bonds: Student Government’s Legislative Relations Agency Director Sam Laine (laine.samuel@bba03.mccombs.utexas.edu) has been meeting and working with UT Administration and Legislators to pass House Bill 6, which would allow for Public Institutions in the State of Texas to sell Tuition Revenue Bonds. HB 6 was passed out of the House Higher Education Committee and is currently in the Senate Finance Committee awaiting approval. UT Austin alone is in need of $75 million to renovate/reconstruct its current Experimental Sciences Building and this past week LRA distributed an informational packet to all members of the Finance Committee that included pictures of some of the worst parts of the building. · University Sendoffs: Texas Exes Chapters in Houston and San Antonio will host Sendoffs for the incoming freshmen in their areas this week. Houston’s Sendoff will be on Monday, July 18, 2005 and San Antonio’s on Tuesday, July 19, 2005. Expected in attendance, to welcome the new students, is UT Austin President Dr. Larry Faulkner, SG President Omar Ochoa, representatives from DHFS and Financial Aid, and representatives from Texas Exes. · Safety Week: Student Government’s Safety Agency Directors have already begun planning Safety Week for 2006. Elliott Reep (utman2003@aol.com) has met with UTPD to develop an entertaining and informative week. Safety Week 2006 will be February 13-17, 2005 with possibilities including demonstrations regarding a Canine Unit, a CSI Crime Scene, multiple transportation safety issues, a drunken driving scene, and a burn house scenario. Planning is in its preliminary stages and student input is encouraged and appreciated. · Cell Phone Reception: Student Government and ITS have been working together to bring 100% cell phone reception to all outdoor areas of UT’s Main Campus. UT is currently in discussions with cell phone companies to build more towers on campus. President Ochoa (SGPresident@www.utexas.edu) and other members of Student Government will continue working on this project. · Wireless Coverage: Members of Student Government have been working for the past several months with ITS to expand wireless access to all areas of campus. ITS has doubled the number of wireless ports on campus since a year ago and has recently purchased the necessary equipment to continue installing access ports. SG is creating a Technology Task Force that will compile a list of locations with little or no wireless access as one of it 1st charges. If you know of any particularly bad locations or would like to help with the issue, please email Chris Kennedy at chrisken@mail.utexas.edu. · SG Football Ticket Group: Student Government is extending an invitation to be part of its Season Ticket Football Group to any student that would like to sit with members of SG during home football games. The SG group will sit in the Flashcard Section of the Stadium and all members are required to be present during half time. If you would like to be part of this group please contact Stephanie Weaver at SGSecretary@www.utexas.edu. The last day to purchase priority season tickets is Monday, July 18, 2005. · Discount Program: Student Government is currently reviewing submitted proposals for a University wide Student Discount Program. External Financial Director, Clayton Stewart (cstewart@mail.utexas.edu) will be meeting with Student Affairs Administrators to formally accept a proposal and begin working with the vendor. · Summer Appropriations: For the 1st time ever, Student Government appropriated monies during a formalized summer appropriation process to petitioning Student Organizations. Over $2000 was given out, which is an increase from the $1492 that was appropriated last summer. The start of the school year is a large transitional phase for many 1st year and returning students and appropriations are one of Student Government’s way to support events that assist in the transition. For information about Fall 2005 Appropriations please contact SG’s Internal Financial Director Henna Tayyeb at SGFinances@www.utexas.edu. · UT Police Chief Search: The application process for a new Chief of Police for UTPD has been closed and the search committee will now begin reviewing applications of those that applied. Although details cannot be discussed SG President and Search Committee Member, Omar Ochoa welcomes any and all input that students believe should be taken into account when hiring this new Chief of Police. · Vietnamese Classes Campaign: The Vietnamese Classes Campaign Student Group, Nicole Trinh (Nicole_trinh04@yahoo.com) and other members of Student Government have continued work in creating a South East Asian Studies Center and acquiring placement/credit test as well as classes for Vietnamese as a foreign language. Members of both organizations will continue meeting to prepare for a meeting with the Provost and draft an SG Resolution in support of the effort. · Trash to Treasure: Student Government’s Campus Environmental Center is currently meeting to work through the logistics of the 2nd part of this year’s Trash to Treasure. At the end of the spring semester CEC collected unprecedented amounts of objects that they will arrange and sell at a reduced price for an On Campus Garage Sale August 27-28, 2005 at Rec Sports located at 21st and San Jacinto. The Sale will be open to the public and give all students a chance to save some money by purchasing things have been used but are still in good shape. CEC Director Trevor Lovelll (trevorl@mail.utexas.edu) can answer any questions about Trash to Treasure. · Keep UT Hate Free: To promote the upcoming University Hate Crimes Pamphlet, SG Representative Danielle Rugoff (rugoffdr@mail.utexas.edu) is working with the Multicultural Information Center and other student organizations to host a “Keep UT Hate Free” Rally at the beginning of the fall semester. Preliminary ideas include a daytime West Mall Rally for the promotion of the new pamphlets and a night time on campus vigil/speak out. · Housing Guide: Student Government and Texas Student Publications have begun working together to produce an On/Off Campus Housing Guide for Students at The University of Texas at Austin. Though, it’s only in its preliminary stages, the new guide is expected to be available by February 2006 and will include a current website and rating and amenities of possible student housing. The guide will be at no cost to UT students and will be issued yearly by the partnership. For details about the book, please contact Dan Paschal (SGED@www.utexas.edu). · Cab Cash: SG Representative Christine King (christineking@mail.utexas.edu) and Vice President Brummett (SGVP@www.utexas.edu), and UT Administration are moving forward with this initiative by researching possible vendors and inquiring about existing policies. The feasibility of adding Cab Cash to students’ current UT ID is just one of many details being explored. Members of Student Government are preparing for this method of payment for transportation will be available during the fall semester. · Summer Orientation: At the conclusion of Summer Orientation, Student Government spoke with over 1000 new students and helped to welcome them to UT Austin and the Longhorn Family. Members of Student Government were at The Parents’ Welcome, The Opening Session, The Orientation Fair and BBQ, The Welcome Program Dinner and Informational, and held its own SG Optional Program. As the fall semester begins members of Student Government will be incorporating all of these new students into SG. · City Council Student Commission: SG Vice President Brummett (SGVP@www.utexas.edu) and members of SG at UT Austin met last week to discuss the timeline and feasibility of creating a City of Austin commission that hosted representatives from Concordia University, Huston Tillotson, Austin Community College, Texas State University, St. Edwards, and UT Austin. Members from each of these institutions are in the process of scheduling one large meeting to work through the logistics of such an endeavor. · Student Discounts: SG President Ochoa (SGPresident@www.utexas.edu) met with administrators from ITS to discuss the Universities progress on acquiring student discounts from cable and DSL internet providers as well as cell phone plan providers. Student Government will continue to work with ITS to assist in this process in any way possible. · ENS Breezeway Project: Jessica Bradley (jkbradley@mail.utexas.edu), SG Engineering Representative, is working with other Engineering students, the College of Engineering, and Engineering student organizations to design a plan that would maximize the ENS Breezeway as a community building location. Input is still greatly desired as plans are scheduled to be developed throughout the rest of the summer. · Federal Relations for UT Austin: SG President Omar Ochoa and SG Executive Director Dan Paschal met The University of Texas at Austin’s new Federal Relations liaison, Ellyn Perrone. This new position will work in addition to UT System liaisons on various Higher Education Issues, the first being the Higher Education Act. Because she is new to UT Austin she is very interested in student input and the inclusion of students in her work. · Campus Lighting Project: SG’s Safety Agency Director, Elliot Reep (utman2003@aol.com) has created a map of various walkways throughout campus that he, UTPD, and other members of Student Government will walk to determine if more light is necessarily in those places. If you would like to be a part of this project or would like to suggest a certain pathway please contact Elliot Reep. CDA Convention This WeekBy Marcus CenicerosThis Thursday, I will be in DC for the College Democrats of America Convention. I am really excited because this is my first CDA convention and I will get to hear people like Governor Dean, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe and many more. To make it more interesting, I am going to be the Texas state delegation chair. I get to be chair because Alex Hunt, my successor as UDems president and the Texas College Chair will be in Maine and unable to attend. Being my first time, I'm not completely sure what delegation chair entails, but it seems like it's an important job seeing as how I have received like 10 phone calls from kids all over the country running for national office. Talking with them I have learned a lot about CDA and have realized, that UDems hasn't been as involved as we could or should. But really, neither has the Texas Federation seeing as there are only four of us going and I don't even know all their names yet. I know that TYD president Mike Apodaca has been trying to get things going for a while now, but seriously, if Texas College Dems want to get any love from CDA we have to start working for it. There are too many great achievements in Texas that are being overlooked, we continue to be left out of the loop, and we are missing out on some really great opportunities and support. I hope to make some friends while I'm there and get Texas on the map. CDA guidelines don't allow for us to bring anything to the meetings, so I probably won't have computer access, but I am going to try to give an update whenever I can. Check back for more news about CDA. In the mean time, I put a list of the national candidates in the extended entry. President (re-election)/ Vice President Communications Director: Development Director: Membership Director: Political Affairs: Programs: July 17, 2005Mehlman to NAACP: I'm CluelessBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanPlease recommend this cross-post at dKos to keep the discussion going over there. From the CNN.com transcript...
That would be great if James Byrd was a racist killer in east Texas. Unfortunately for Mr. "Who me, gay?" Mehlman, James Byrd wasn't a racist killer. He was the African American victim of a gruesome hate crime.
It was of course this case that lead to the passage of the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes law in Texas, which includes protections based on 'sexual preference' as well, one of the last pieces of good legislation passed in 2001 when the Democrats still had control of the statehouse. Of course, President Bush opposed the bill in 1999 where it died in committee. The cluelessness seems to extend from Mehlman to the top of the party as well, as Bush didn't seem all too interested in the case to get the facts right either.
Slip of the tongue or just more words lacking actions from the GOP? Could there be a reason why African American voters have a problem getting over the trust barrier to listen to what your party is preaching? Lege to UT: No Hotel on the DragBy Phillip MartinSunday night, the House passed Amendment #13 by Rep. Oliveira (D-Brownsville), which says that eminent domain may not be used to aquire land "for a lodging facility or for parking or a parking structure...if the land has been used for the same commercial purpose for at least 20 years." The amendment goes on to say that it does not include dorms or student housing facilities, only hotels. During explanation of the amendment, which passed unanimously and without objection, Rep. Oliveira mentioned that his amendment was specifically for UT. Rep. Dukes (D-Austin) and Rep. Keel (R-Austin) both signed onto the amendment, and no member of the House rose to speak against it. The amendment was placed on Senate Bill 62, the enacting legislation for eminent domain which will most certainly pass both chambers. So, unless the Senate strips this amendment or unless the final version of the bill does not pass both chambers before the special session ends on Wednesday, it looks like there will be no hotel for UT. Movable Type 3.2 Beta 1By Karl-Thomas MusselmanBurnt Orange Report has been upgraded to run on MovableType's 3.2 Beta release. Not too much should change on the front end (other than the site being down for about 4 hours last night) but there are some new things on the back end that I hope will be worth it in the time that we take to transition to the site redesign. Of course being a beta tester, I'm sure we will run into problems since I'm already seeing some of them. So unless you have some extra time right now, hold off on the upgrade. July 16, 2005What is Bonilla up to?By Karl-Thomas MusselmanI received in my inbox earlier this week the following e-mail solicitation from Congressman Henry Bonilla (who is not my current congressman at either of my last two registered addresses. Emphasis mine.
First, I thought that solicitation like this has to be opt-in, which it clearly is not. Any action I can take on the e-mail it to opt-out. Secondly, why did I get the e-mail when I'm not in the district? I'm sure there are data companies out there that sell matched addresses to physical addresses so either mine was done incorrectly or he has sent this to all registered voters in Texas. Thirdly, if he has sent this to all registered voters in Texas, is it part of plan to increase name ID for a statewide run for something other than Senate now that Sen. Hutchison is running for re-election, the seat he wanted? Fourth, in any case, is this something that every Republican member of Congress is doing in a way possibly to extend their Franking privileges to the Internet in order to build another arena for the Republican Noise Machine? And if this is legal, would it be possible for Democrats to do as well? July 15, 2005Unnamed Source "Briefed" on RoveBy John PruettIn today's NY Times, an unidentified source alleges that Novak first contacted Rove on July 8, 2003 with the Valerie Plame story, thus denouncing claims that Rove revealed her identity in an attempt to discredit her husband. However, I remain unconvinced. First of all, who is this anonymous person who has been "officially briefed" about a private phone call between Novak and Rove? Who briefed this person? Was it Karl himself, or Bush, or Scott McClellan, or anyone in the Bush Administration for that matter? What were the motives of this person? Do other sources confirm the phone conversation in question and when it took place? Secondly, the NY Times article ignores that Rove told CNN last year that he didn't know Plame's identity, yet the NY Times source claims that Rove learned her name and connection to Mr. Wilson from Novak. Did Rove know her name OR not know it? Which is correct? Furthermore, even if he found out from Novak, then why did Rove push the story further by giving the information to Matt Cooper with Time magazine a few days later? At that point, Rove would not only be confirming a media rumor but also helping to spread Plame's identity to other reporters. To me that still counts as an attempt to publicly smear Wilson's credibility. I, for one, feel that Karl Rove is the last person in the Bush Administration who deserves any slack, especially when that slack comes in the form of an uncorroborated anonymous source. In my opinion, Rove's history of dirty tricks, smear tactics, and general disdain for ethics and legality are alone enough to warrant a thorough investigation and a statement by Rove under oath. As the NY Times article later states:
It's great to see Democrats and other groups standing up and demanding that Rove be fired. The DCCC just released a video and online petition that you can sign. MoveOn.org also has an online petition. Bush needs to keep his word and get rid of anyone involved in the Plame affair. However, he probably realizes that firing Rove would effectively end his administration. Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls This WeekendBy Damon McCullarWell folks, its that time of the week again. Time to get out there and meet your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls. Here's the skinny on where who will be, when they will be there and all that jazz. Chris Bell John Courage David Van Os
Combs Rakes in the $$$By Karl-Thomas MusselmanFrom the Combs "day early" press release.
If only we could see numbers like this on our side of the aisle. Would go a long way towards filling the $8,000 hole in the TDP coffers. We'll have a discussion about that later today... Thoughts of a MomBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanSome of you that attended the Austin Democracy for America MeetUp last week had a chance to meet my parents. Well, yesterday was my mom's birthday (she's still 30 of course) and she spent it with my father in Burnet County as the guest speaker for their County Democratic Club in an encore performance of the MeetUp speech. But I wanted to share a comment of hers to me with y'all because I think it's indicative of the feelings of a number of independents across this state.
The conferees for HB2 are still meeting right now. Here to hope for some cool heads under the dome. July 14, 2005Jennifer Gale for Governor UpdateBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanYou simply must read this Daily Texan story from this week to understand that which is Jennifer Gale. Granted, I am quite sure she'll never get enough signatures to get on the ballot, but I've always had a place in my heart for Austin's perennial candidate. Oh, and here is the poem that she recited for the article. Eating an Oreo frosting-filled sandwich, Gale offers me a plastic-wrapped, Batman-frosted cookie. I refuse, and she reluctantly places the cookie in her bag, handing me instead a comic she has torn from a newspaper. "I wrote a poem. Wanna hear it?" she asks, then recites: This So that one day They will remember The Radnofsky ReportBy Damon McCullarI got to wondering today what in the world Barbara Radnofsky has been up to lately. So I made a few phone calls, shot off a couple of emails, popped the top on a few Sam Adams and waited for a response. It turns out that Barbara has been really busy over the last week. She was in Dallas, Lewisville and Fort Worth Tuesday and Wednesday While there she attended a Women's luncheon in Dallas, an evening event sponsored by the Flower Mound Democrats and other Denton County clubs, met with prominent Fort Worth attorneys, and had a private meeting with a prominent moderate Baptist pastor, as well as a personal tour of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth. In the metroplex she met with the County Chairs of Dallas, Denton and Johnson County. Field Director Robert Andrews represented her at Representative Lon Burnam's Birthday Party in Fort Worth Wednesday night and gave Lon a personal gift from Barbara. "It's Good To Be King"By Damon McCullarI saw this post that Chris Bell himself made over on his blog and I thought it summed up the outrage and frustration that a lot of us feel over the antics playing out in the Lege this summer.
Heads up TexasBy Jim DallasWhile the consensus model projects Hurricane Emily will be heading into Mexico, the UKMET forecast model (one of several computer models used by the weather service) shows Hurricane Emily sitting right off the Texas coast early next week. While the model accuracy data on the National Hurricane Center's web site is a bit old (looking at average model error for 1996 and 1997), the UKMET model was slightly less accurate than the others. Moreover, this time around it is clearly the outlier. Nonetheless, forecasts are subject to change on a dime, depending on unexpected changes in the atmosphere. Indeed, the buildup of high pressure this week on the East Coast was a bit more rapid than the weather service expected, which is why the initial long-range forecasts for this system projected it would move towards Cuba or the east coast of Florida. Libertarianism versus localismBy Jim DallasThis statement by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Lake Jackson), got put up on a message board I read regularly. It reads, in part:
On its face, this turn would appear to be another fine libertarian moment from Dr. No. However, I think it's worth having a discussion about whether protecting local prerogative is really the appropriate way to protect individual freedom. Whilie localism may have represented the original intent of the Constitution's framers (the First Amendment originally restrained only Congress, and several states maintained state churches well into the 1830s), this philosophy is chracterized by indifference towards local whims, which is not the same as a libertarian Constitutionally-mandated neutrality towards religion. If religious posturing is not an appropriate act of state, this ought to apply universally. And the last time I checked, one of the claims of libertarianism (or at least classical liberalism) was its aspiration towards universality. Rep. Paul has a similar dilemma when faced with the issue of abortion. The libertarian pro-choice position is simple: recognizing that, irregardless of an unborn child's right to life, any law prohibiting abortion would, of necessity, be coercive and unconscionably destructive of a woman's liberty, dignity, and autonomy, not to mention that such an act would also, necessarily, treat women as ends and not means. But Rep. Paul is pro-life. And there is also a simple pro-life position that a libertarian could take: that abortions deprive the unborn child of life; that not criminalizing abortions denies the unborn child's right to life; and that the pro-choice, generally, makes a mockery and sham out of life and liberty. Either choice would be perfectly logical and would flow naturally from libertarian philosophy. And as a matter of fact, Ron Paul is pro-life: in a localist sort of way. While he has voted for some restrictions on abortion - and maintains a zero rating from NARAL - but also voted against other acts, warning of a "national police state." I am at a loss to explain how fifty-one (the states and DC) different abortion bans would be any better (or worse) than one federal one, unless you impute localist values. Of course, one can argue that by federalizing every issue, we are depriving the states of the freedom to choose. And this is undoubtedly so. But it seems to me that a political philosophy rooted in universal morality would tend to federalize those issues with the most moral content - which naturally tend to be those involving religion, crimes, and sundry social issues. Curiously, those are the issues which many Americans, including many libertarians, most doggedly hope will remain at the state level. Personally, I'm quite concerned about the federalization of crime. But such objections beg the question - are we or are we not one moral community? I am reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln, whose most brilliant rhetorical moments often involved assaulting localist doctrines:
The Hard-Working Texas FamilyBy Phillip MartinFighting for the hard-working Texas family should be more than a campaign slogan -- it should be a choice and an action. The choices and actions of our legislators reflect what they truly value, and the choices and votes of many Republicans in the Legislature show that they do not care about what is best for the majority of their constituents. According to the 2000 census, approximately 73% of households in Texas are family households with at least one child living in the home. The median household income is about $40,000, and almost 60% of Texas households earn less than $50,000. In fact, 118 out of the 150 members of the Texas House have a district with a majority of constituents earning less than $50k. The logical thing, then, is to help these majority of Texans who are in desperate need of, as Governor Perry put it, the three R's: results, resources, and relief. Unfortunately, if the Governor is able to sign House Bill 3, the result of this special session will be that Texas' hard-working families will see a drain on their resources so that the richest percent of Texans can see some tax relief. According to the Legislative Budget Board's analysis of HB 3, 90% of Texans are going to see their taxes go up. Rep. Carter Casteel (R-New Braunfels) said it best at a recent town hall meeting:
I mentioned that 118 out of the 150 members of the Texas House have a district with a majority of constituents earning less than $50k. Of that 118, 43 members voted for House Bill 3, and every single one of those 43 members is a Republican. I know someone mentioned wanting to see the vote on these bills. Here's the final third reading vote on House Bill 3. The 43 members who betrayed those constituents making less than $50k are in bold. Look after the jump. HB 3, as amended, was passed by (Record 44): 71 Yeas, 66 Nays, 4 Present, not voting. Yeas — Mr. Speaker(C); Allen, R.; Anderson; Baxter; Berman; Blake; Bohac; Bonnen; Branch; Brown, B.; Brown, F.; Callegari; Campbell; Chisum; Cook, B.; Corte; Crabb; Crownover; Davis, J.; Dawson; Delisi; Denny; Driver; Eissler; Elkins; Flynn; Gattis; Goolsby; Grusendorf; Hamilton; Hamric; Hardcastle; Harper-Brown; Hartnett; Hill; Hope; Howard; Hughes; Hupp; Isett; Jackson; Keel; Keffer, B.; Keffer, J.; King, P.; Kolkhorst; Krusee; Kuempel; Laubenberg; Madden; McCall; McClendon; Miller; Morrison; Mowery; Nixon; Orr; Otto; Paxton; Phillips; Pitts; Riddle; Smith, W.; Smithee; Swinford; Talton; Van Arsdale; West; Wong; Woolley; Zedler. Nays — Allen, A.; Alonzo; Bailey; Burnam; Casteel; Castro; Chavez; Coleman; Cook, R.; Davis, Y.; Deshotel; Dunnam; Dutton; Edwards; Eiland; Escobar; Farabee; Farrar; Flores; Frost; Gallego; Giddings; Gonzales; Gonzalez Toureilles; Goodman; Griggs; Guillen; Haggerty; Herrero; Hochberg; Hodge; Homer; Hopson; Hunter; Jones, D.; Jones, J.; King, T.; Laney; Leibowitz; Luna; Martinez; McReynolds; Menendez; Merritt; Moreno, P.; Naishtat; Noriega, M.; Oliveira; Olivo; Pena; Pickett; Puente; Quintanilla; Raymond; Ritter; Rodriguez; Rose; Solis; Strama; Straus; Thompson; Turner; Uresti; Veasey; Villarreal; Vo. When Record No. 44 was taken, my vote failed to register. I would have voted no. Anchia When Record No. 44 was taken, I was temporarily out of the house I was shown voting yes on Record No. 44. I intended to vote no. McClendon Current Coalition to Defeat Texas Same-Sex Marriage AmendmentBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanBelow is a list of partnered organizations that will be coming together under the leadership of Glen Maxey to help defeat the Nonsense in November that HJR 6 will morph into. I have bolded some organizations of note, either because they will probably provide a lot of funding, volunteers, or logistical support as well as others that I'm glad to see as part of the coalition and show how broad it is. This isn't an amendment for the homosexuals to fight; it's one for all reasonable people to fight (progressive to conservative) if they believe that making Civil Marriage in Texas double secret illegal is hardly necessary to the function of the state. In the extended entry there is a list of individual endorsers as well, which includes most of the staff of the Texas Democratic Party, including Chairman Soechting. Organizations Individual Endorsers Campaign for National Majority on SundayBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanThis Sunday, July 17, former Congressman Chris Bell will headline the Austin kickoff of Campaign for a National Majority, a pragmatic political action committee that supports Democratic candidates for state executive offices nationwide. The event will be held at the Cedar Door (201 Brazos Street) and begins at 7:00 p.m. The event is free and not meant to be a fundraiser. I'll try to make sure that myself or someone from BOR is there to cover the happenings. Below is some more info on the CNM from their press release.
I'm all for building the farm team, god knows we need it in Texas. July 13, 2005Chris Bell Happy Hour and UpdateBy Damon McCullarHowdy folks! I went to the Chris Bell Happy Hour and Update tonight. There's nothing a blogger loves more than booze and politics. They go together like milk and honey. I have the details from the meeting on the flip-side. There was a pretty good crowd at tonight's fundraiser. A few movers and shakers. Joining us tonight were Rep. Elliot Naishtat, Justice Jan Patterson, Judge on the 3rd Court of Appeals; John Courage, candidate for Congress from the 21st Congressional District; and finally Jim Coronado, candidate for the 3rd Court of Appeals. Everyone, including yours truly, are enjoying the food, drink and great company. Donna Beth McCormick, Treasurer for the State Democratic Women, introduced Chris tonight. She says that she has always respected Chris since he started in public office back on the Houston City Council. Chris took center stage after that. He told us that Gov. Perry has been a inspiration to many folks here in Texas. He has inspired Chris into this exploratory campaign. Chris told us that Texas needs real leadership, but not the type of leadership that Gov. Perry has given us. It seems that the only way that Gov. Perry has been able to lead our state is straight to the bottom in almost every category, but most notably in education. He said that we need a real conversation about how best to deal with our education problems. He promises that as governor he would commission a blue ribbon, bi-partisan panel on how to best deal with our problems with education. He says that we can learn from the successes in both public education and charter schools. He says that our goal should be to have the best schools in the country. The Texas Miracle is more like a mirage. Teaching to the test is ruining our public education. Education needs to be taken out of the special interest of the testing corporations and back in the hands of teachers and principals. As far as ethics go, Chris thinks that the revolving door that has been installed in the Governor's Mansion needs to be removed. The state government needs to become more transparent, without (D)eLay. Democrats need to reclaim their stake in the moral debate. It's unforgivable that democrats have let ourselves be seen lacking in moral courage. Budgets are moral documents. Kids die when you cut funds from Child Protective Services. One in five kids in our great state live in poverty. Texans can do better than that. We can have a better, more prosperous state. As Chris has travelled around the state, he has seen great support West Texas, out in East Texas, and his own stomping grounds down in Houston. In order for him to run for governor, democrats are going to need to have the stomach for fight. As Chris has travelled around the state, he has seen that democrats are ready to fight. When asked about when he will announce, Chris said that he will be announcing toward the end of this month. He says that the support he has gotten thus far has got him leaning strongly on running for Governor for the State of Texas. Low definitionBy Jim DallasWhile away on the blogger-exchange program, I made a fleeting reference to an editorial published by African American News and Issues during the week of July 4th, that read, in part:
At the time I felt the editorial was a bit over the top, at the very least, and maybe a little bit angry. Today, while doing some research, I came across the following definition in a reprint of Burn's New Law Dictionary - originally published in 1792, shortly after the Constitution was drafted - which has been digitized and placed on the Internet for posterity:
(vol. 2, p. 150, 2003 reprint) Sometimes unpleasant facts have a way of staring you in the face. And sometimes, unpleasant facts have a way of beating you senseless. This is rather much the latter case. More Governor PollsBy Jim DallasA spread of negative fifteen points for the Guv, down four points from a month ago. Bad, but not nearly as bad as the Governator. As by my count, twenty of the fifty state governors have net negative ratings right now. A Note From Glen MaxeyBy Damon McCullarGlen posted this comment to my post about the campaign against the same-sex marriage ban that will be on the ballot this fall. I thought it deserved to be moved to the front page. Take it away Glen:
TDP Speaks out about Kelly FeroBy Katie NaranjoMembers of the SDEC have contacted me about the release of Mr. Fero's services as a matter of budget problems rather then any harsh feelings. The TDP is very appreciative of all the work Mr. Fero has preformed for them and his release is on good terms. Dr. Teal (SDEC 3 Committeeman) stated that, "Mr. Fero's is no longer consulting for the democratic party because the budget is no longer flexible as it previously was. This is not a retaliatory action or due to his consulting for John Sharp, but merely a numbers issue." Capitol Beat: Education is not on the minds of Texas LegislatorsBy Katie NaranjoGov. Rick Perry called the special session to address the inadequate school finance bill HB2 and HB3, but unfortunately they are still in conference committee. However, legislators have not been too busy with Education Finance to increase their pensions by over $6, 000. The session ends on July 20th and as of now the record stands legislators 1 education 0. The session also addressed the problem of eminent domain this week, setting limits on the Supreme Courts ruling. This measure passed the house unanimously and in the form of a constitutional amendment to be voted on Nov. 8th along with another famous amendment HJR 6. With the 30-day session coming to a close and bills back in forth in conference committee there will be more updates from the capitol. There is something rotten in the city of Austin. July 12, 2005Step Up TexasBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanIt's been mentioned here in passing in a number of posts and comments before, but for all of you who aren't sure what it is, I'd like to introduce you to Step Up Texas. Step Up Texas is... Well, let me let them say it for me...
Built by some of the same people that are now working on the coordination of a number of Central Texas campaigns (who I have a meeting with in an hour), this powerful tool enables the grassroots to take control. We can encourage people to run and let those up and down the ladder of the State Democratic Party know of people and opportunities in some of the most obscure areas of the state. It broadens the base of those "in the know". So go create an account, leave comments, nominate people, and see what others have said. 2006 will be the year where grassroots and technology come together and Texas Democrats will pull some surprises across the state. Now it the time to Step Up Texas. Tom Delay and I are Personally Not Very Close.By Katie NaranjoChris Bell sat down Saturday with Texas Young Democrats from all over the state of Texas. To read more go to http://www.chrisbell.com/blog Howard Dean in SA and the DNC Hispanic Leadership SummitBy Andrew DobbsI don't know that we've mentioned this yet, but the DNC's annual Hispanic Leadership Summit will be held in San Antonio from August 5th through the 7th at the Hyatt Riverwalk Hotel. This is the third year for the event, which seeks to bring Latino leaders from across the United States together in order to brainstorm ways for the Democratic Party to serve and harness the power of the Latino community in the United States today. Many prominent Latinos-- including elected officials, activists and community leaders-- will be present and Chairman Howard Dean will be there as well. The event does not cost money, but the DNC is asking people to contact them at (202) 863-8000 in order to gauge how many people will be coming. Past events in Orlando and Albequerque have been big successes and most expect San Antonio to have more people than either of the previous summits. See Dean, talk politics and learn what must be done to maintain the Democratic Party as the majority party of the US' fastest growing ethnic group. This will be a pretty exciting opportunity, especially for San Antonio Deaniacs. Spread the word far and wide so we can get as many people at this event as possible. UPDATE: Meant to say this in the original message, but forgot. Be sure to send this information out to your friends, family or colleagues who might be interested in attending. Let's show the rest of the country that when it comes to leadership, Texas is the place to look. Former Rep. Glen Maxey To Head Fight Against Same-Sex Marriage BanBy Damon McCullarFrom the LGRL release:
British Troops On To Something...By Marcus CenicerosBritish troops have raided a home in northern England with leads that the residents are linked to the bombing attacks in London last week. 52 people have been declared dead from the attack, with some families still looking for their loved ones. Over 700 were injured. Officials have not released much information and the story is still developing. Interesting Facts: Bike sales in London have risen as people try to find alternative routes of transportation. Looking for UDems ArticlesBy Marcus CenicerosI am putting together UDems' application for national college democrat chapter of the year. It's very exciting really. I am putting out a call to anyone who might have weblinks to stories about UDems from the past year. If you are a member and you have been quoted somewhere, please send it my way: mceniceros@mail.utexas.edu. Thanks July 11, 2005Fero Goes Indy?By Karl-Thomas MusselmanAn odd piece from QR today, stating that "long time operative, consultant and press guy Kelly Fero is severing his ties with the Texas Democratic Party this month." We of course have mentioned Mr. Fero's name here before in regards to stories related to John Sharp. Why this happened and why now I'm not sure (I'm not rich enough to have QR subscription) so thoughts, theories, to the comments we go to hear them... Lampson Raises Half a MillionBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanFrom a Nick Lampson e-mail, the man to take on DeLay in 2006.
I'm impressed, I'm sure the reports should be out online soon enough and we'll be able to tell if this is because he shifted money from any other accounts or from actual new dollars. It seems though that the online community is taking the whole Lampson/Morrison dust-up quite well. Though personally, I look forward to Morrison's 2008 prospects, the year in which he's stated he will be running for something, just what is up in the air. She's Got a Huge War Chest, But Very Little SupportBy Damon McCullarAccording to a press release today by Carol Strayhorn for Governor, the campaign has raised over seven million dollars and 1.5 million of that has come in the first ten days of June. However, according to a recent poll conducted by Montgomery and Associates, an independent research firm based in Austin, Gov. Perry is favored in the Republican primary by a 2:1 margin over Carol Keeton Strayhorn.
HB 3 Passes the SenateBy Damon McCullarOkay folks, I know you probably gotten more than you care to hear about HB 3, but I thought I would throw in my two cents. First off, thanks to Pink Dome and QR for the great coverage last night and this morning. HB 3 passed the Senate this morning on its third reading. The bill proposes a .5 cent increase in the state sales tax as opposed to the House version that calls for a one-cent increase in the state sales tax. The House version also calls for adding new taxes on bottled water, and raising taxes on cigarettes, auto repairs, auto and boat purchases to name a few. The Senate version gives us the above-mentioned raise in the state sales tax an as-of-yet unfunded increase in the homestead exemption to $30,000. Notably, the Senate version is missing any kind of business partnership tax. This business partnership tax was championed by Lt. Gov Dewhurst but then he cast the vote to break a 14-14 tie on the amendment and sent it down. Dewhurst seems to have flipped on the sales tax:
These seems to say that the Lt. Gov is interested in negotiating something in between .5 and a 1 cent increase in the sales tax. So this now begs the question: Are there too many differences in the Senate and House version to get a working tax bill approved? That remains to be seen. It would seem that the House version that is hell-bent on taxing the middle class as much as possible would be incompatible with the gobbledy-gook that came out of the Senate. Now that school finance has been sent to the conference committee, the Governor has decided to expand the special session to include HJR 19, a constitutional amendment to limit the use of eminent domain and a bill to fund college bonds. The latter seems to be an attempt by Gov. Perry to shore up his stance on the out of control college tuition increases across the state after being attacked by Carol Strayhorn and Chris Bell on the subject. Finally, Judicial Pay Raises have been added to the special session as well.
Chief Justice O'Connor?By Drew ClintonThe Washington Post reports that many in Congress are interested in a scenario in which Chief Justice Rehnquist would step down and be summarily replaced by the somewhat ex-Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Several senators mentioned the idea to her, said Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican:"The response that I heard [from other senators] was that she said she was flattered, that she didn't say no," Mr. Specter said on CBS' "Face the Nation" "I think it would be quite a capping to her career if she served for a time, maybe a year or so." Though this is very preliminary speculation, I'll be interested to see how this ordeal plays out over the next few weeks. I think that a O'Connor for Rehnquist replacement would afford our nation a sort of moderation that is unavailable otherwise. O'Connor is an independent and necessary ally on many impacting issues that have recently come before the court. Here's hoping that there is a possiblity of avoiding the installation of one or two Scalia clones. It would be nearly impossible for Republicans to recind their recent praise and deny O'Connor the Chief Justice position. Her appeal is likewise omnipresent in the Democratic camp: Given the praise Justice O'Connor has received from liberals since her retirement announcement, she would be a lock to be confirmed as chief justice, said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat. "I think it would be a very doable thing," he said. This would allow the Senate to avoid a fiercely partisan, overly lengthy, and rhetoric driven confirmation process and reconcentrate their efforts on important legislation...Iraq, CAFTA, and Social Security to name a few. July 10, 2005Chonicle Best of Austin PollBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanThe Austin Chronicle is doing their yearly poll for the Citizen's Best Of's. If you want to cast a ballot, do so here in the next 24 hours. You don't have to fill it all out, but here are some that I know I filled in under the Politics and Personalities section. State Legislator: Mark Strama (if for anything, to help his re-electin bid) Of course, BOR would be defending the title of Best Local Political Blog after being selected in 2004. In any case, go vote and help determine the Best of Austin. Did he or didn't he? And is Rove laughing all the way to the bank?By Jim DallasI'm getting IMs this morning from my Republican friends swearing that the new Newsweek article exhonorates Karl Rove and "proves" that the whole Plame investigation is just a big waste of time. Meanwhile, over at DailyKos, Hunter says it really is too early to tell whether Karl Rove lied. But what raises my suspicion about all these new "revelations" is the fact that they all rely on Matt Cooper's notes, which were released because Matt Cooper's source permitted them to be released, thus sparing Cooper from being held in contempt of court. Judith Miller's source, however, did no such thing. Why? We don't know whether the two reporters' source was the same person, but consider the possibility that they are. And suppose this source leaked to Miller before leaking to Cooper. And suppose this source realized after the fact that he could cover his tracks by letting the Cooper leak go public, since the leak happened at roughly the same time Robert Novak's column was published. And suppose it would further assist the source to let a female reporter go to jail to stir up public anger at the special prosecutor. I know, I know, it's not good form to posit conspiracy theories, but it would not be a stretch to say that there were people in high places - be it Karl Rove or someone else - who were the reporters' sources for this. Moreover, I have no idea whether the above hypothetical actually happened or not. But I think it would be fair to say that much of the media, in their blustering, self-righteous Free Press ramblings about Judy Miller, are being extremely naive; and I have had a very strong hunch that from the get-go whoever this source was has played the media, and Matt Cooper and Judith Miller in particular, like an organ. Michael Kinsley gets this exactly correct:
I think the reasonable person ought to be a little skeptical of any one interpretation of the Newsweek story, or about taking any one statement or press account too seriously, lest it obscure the big picture. And the big picture is a very hazy one. July 09, 2005Summer 2005 State Democratic Executive Committee MeetingBy Damon McCullarHere's the thread for the SDEC meeting here in Austin. You can follow along after the break. 11:00 Grassroots Committee Meeting In today's grassroots committee meeting here are the things that were covered We were introduced to four candidates for office. First on is Hank Gilbert from Tyler Texas. He is running for Ag Commish. Next comes Ted Ankrum, he's running in Congress in CD 10. He will be at the 1960's Democrats meeting in Harris County on Monday. The meeting starts around 7:00pm. John Courage, running for Congress in CD 21 is present. Finally, Charlie Thompson is running for Congress in CD 5 along with Patrick Wilson. Some other interesting things coming out of the Grassroots Committee Meeting is that there is a Grassroots Handbook in the works. The handbook folks are taking input from anyone that wants to contribute. If you have an idea you think needs to be in the handbook contact Karl Silverman at silverman@ghg.net, 129 Bayou Bend Drive, League City Texas 77573. There will be a Rural Democratic Summit this fall. It will be August 27th and 28th at the Tyler Ramada Inn. Events will consist of a reception for attendees on Friday. There will be workshops on Saturday culminating with a keynote address by a national democratic figure. For more information, contact Sam Allen at (903)530-5157. 12:15 As I travel Texas, Democrats are telling me something that just a few years ago would have sounded like heresy to some in our party. Everywhere I go, Texas Democrats say they are looking for new leaders who aren’t afraid to act like Democrats. The young people who are joining the Democratic fold in such impressive numbers are not doing so because they are looking toward the past. They are looking toward the future because they are the future and they are looking for leaders who understand the Texas of today and who are willing to work for a brighter tomorrow. As I travel the state, I talk about what I call the New Mainstream. And some people are asking me what I mean by that. When Republicans say they’re representing the mainstream they really mean a narrow section of special interest groups in Texas, leaving a huge majority of people on the outside. Remarkably, these new outsiders are solution-oriented people of all stripes--the moderate Republicans who Rick Perry is trying to kick out of his party, the Independents who are getting quite scared about what’s going on, and the Democrats who knew from the start that Rick Perry couldn’t lead a silent prayer. People who want our state to work, in short. And all those folks who don’t take frequent dips in Tom Delay’s hot tub and whom Rick Perry says aren’t real Texans, well, they are part of the New Mainstream. Todos estamos en esto juntos. We are all in this together. And if we are all in this together, it’s time that we in the Democratic Party start acting like it. First, we can’t afford another two years in which the people in this room are treated like props while Austin insiders pick our nominees like they’re casting yet another sequel to Cannonball Run. The SDEC is the grassroots leadership of this party, but for too long you all have been stuck at the kids table when you all should be at the grown-up table where the decisions are made. The people in this room don’t need a pollster to tell them that the Democratic Party needs to do a better job, a much better job, of articulating what I think should be the core Democratic message: that education is the best investment in individual achievement ever made, and that a truly moral government is one that demands excellence not only from our kids but from our Governor as well. It’s one that tells parents that if they do their part, then we’ll make sure that teachers have the freedom and the resources that they need to teach our kids something more than how to take yet another standardized test. And if we are going to make teaching our kids the highest purpose of government, then we need to give greater rewards for doing the teaching. Succeeding generations teach us over and over again that to achieve the American Dream, you have to go through the front door of the schoolhouse and work hard for yourself. Sadly, as everyone in this room knows, far too many kids in this day and age, when going through the schoolhouse door, are heading in the wrong direction. They’re going out, not in, and the dropout rate is around 40 percent in this state – the worst in the country. It is time for the Democratic Party in Texas to stand up and say these are our children. Estos son nuestros ninos. We cannot stand idly by and watch almost half of each generation drop out of school and forgo the opportunities that Texas provides. The Republicans want you to believe that we are on the right track to solving our education problems. Don’t be fooled. The so-called “Texas Miracle” is nothing more than a politically expedient mirage. Enron-style “accountability” has corrupted the curriculum and increased the dropout rate, and it’s left our kids needing more remedial help when they get to college. That is what is really happening, my friends, and it is time for us to say enough is enough. We can no longer simply accept test-driven curriculums that are driving away our children in droves. We know how to improve our schools. We need to put principals and teachers back in control of schools and classrooms, give them textbooks that aren’t censored by special interest word police, the materials they need to teach, the technology needed for kids to learn – and then we might really witness a miracle. Testing isn’t the answer; it’s just one way to ask the question. The folks running schools from Austin think they can use tests to make our kids smarter. Tests don’t make our kids any smarter than a ruler will make you taller, but Rick Perry and the lobbyists for the testing companies either don’t get it or hope you haven’t yet figured it out. We need a governor who wants to take advantage of the knowledge that exists to make schools better and who is committed to making our public schools the best in the country. Not just better. Not as good as Arkansas. The best. No wiggle words. The best schools in the country. That’s a vision as big and exciting as Texas. Education needs to be the main course, but there’s so much more on the table for us to chew over. With the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country, Texas Democrats need the moral courage to stand up and protect birth control and give our kids the medically accurate information they need to know so they don’t get pregnant in the first place. With college tuition rising faster than anywhere else in the country, Texas Democrats must show people that Rick Perry’s “deregulation” scheme has failed, and we must put and end to runaway tuition increases—what amounts to a tax on education for the middle class. And with corporate cash infecting our elections, and 9 lobbyists for every state lawmaker in Austin, Texas Democrats need to demand political reforms that make our campaigns and our government more transparent and accountable. And with more than 500 kids dead of child abuse and 150,000 kicked off health insurance, Texas Democrats need to get up every day and tell Republicans that budgets are moral documents that should reflect our priorities and not a wish list for wealthy campaign contributors. For too long, we have assumed that all we really need to do is wait for people to realize just how bad Republicans are before they started voting for Democrats again. It is not enough to be right about them being wrong. We have to start defining a future not just for the Texas Democratic Party but for Texas as a whole. We can no longer charge into battle and assume that our armies are right behind us. We need to give Democrats something to fight for. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for finding common ground, but when you have to choose between your conscience and compromise, you’ve got what I think is an easy choice. After all, Jesus didn’t need a dial-tested focus group to convince him to kick the moneychangers out of the temple. And David didn’t use third-party surrogates to attack Goliath. He picked up the five smooth stones and did the slinging himself. With a Republican in his second term in the White House, Republican majorities in the House and Senate both in Washington and in Austin, and a Texas Republican Governor who wants to parlay six years of incompetence into yet another term in the Governor’s Mansion, maybe, just maybe it’s time to try something new. Maybe—borrowing here from the accidental wisdom of Rick Perry as he sought to avoid a traffic ticket—it is time to “get on down the road.” We’ve tried to out-Republican the Republicans, and all we’ve gotten for it is a demoralized base, demoralized donors, demoralized activists, and demoralized leaders. Our unwillingness to challenge the other side has given us the most corrupt and incompetent Texas government in a generation. It is our duty to restore Texas pride. Our struggle for relevancy in the 21st Century in Texas is no longer about Ralph Yarborough versus Lloyd Bentsen, the liberals versus the conservatives. It’s not about narrowing the definition of a Democrat down to its purest essence. Our charge is to reach out to the true silent majority—the New Mainstream. Our duty is to articulate a positive vision of the future that unites all Texans. And we do this by talking about Democratic values, which I believe are the true shared values of Texans, and not by abandoning them at the first report of gunfire. This is what I am talking about when I talk about the New Mainstream. Rick Perry can put a fence around his folks and tell the rest of us “Adios, MoFo,” but Texans want a leader who has the moral courage to apply something as radical as common sense to our problems and who has the vision to lead us into a tomorrow worth fighting for. There is a disaffected majority of Texans in the state who are waiting, just waiting to find the basic moral courage to talk about the world the way it is and not the way it polls. They are waiting for us to stop pandering to the issue of the day and to start offering visionary solutions to create a tomorrow that they can get excited about. The New Mainstream is waiting for the Democratic Party to start getting serious about solutions. In short, how can we call ourselves “progressive” if we fail to offer progress? This is where I want to lead the Texas Democratic Party if I decide to run for Governor. My exploratory campaign is coming to a point this month when I’m going to have to make a decision. And I’ll tell you with all honesty that I’m not running unless the Democratic Party is ready to hear how a Democrat wants to tackle our challenges, and not how we’d do it just a little bit differently than the Republicans. The time for that is long past. Welcome to the New Mainstream, my friends. If we choose to stand together, no one can defeat us. If we work together, there’s not an election we can’t win. We restore Texas pride and we can build a better Texas together. Thank you.
Q and A When are you running?
Kudos from one lady for filing the ethics complaint against Tom DeLay.
Are God, Guns and Gays are killing the party in West Texas?
2:10 3:00 I Never Sausage A Place!By Jim DallasFor those seeking access to the nitty-gritty-naughty-dirty details of Congressional lawmaking, there have rarely been better times to be alive than now. OpenCRS is putting a lot of current information on the Internet for the masses; meanwhile, the pay service LexisNexis is about midway through a massive project to put all the CIS Serials (including committee reports and such) from 1789 through the present online. July 08, 2005Live Blog of State Democratic Executive MeetingBy Damon McCullarHey folks! I will be at the State Democratic Executive Committee meeting tomorrow live blogging the speakers. Coverage will start around 1pm. Former House Speaker Pete Laney Getting Drafted for the Governor's Race??By Damon McCullarIt's summer in the Hill Country and as temperatures soar, the ground becomes ripe for wildfire rumors. Today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram For those of you unfamiliar with Pete Laney, he was Representive from the Panhandle from 1973 to 1993 when he was elected as Speaker of the House. He served in that capacity from 1993 until the Republicans took over. He was the only Speaker under Governor Bush, who praised him as the model of bipartisan leadership. The T-Shirts that Rep. Thompson is selling say "Save Texas, Laney for Gov -- 06". She says that 50 were sold in the first ten minutes. When asked by the Star-Telegram about being whether he would encourage or accept a draft for the governor's race, Laney repiled, "It'll take a lot more than a T-shirt." Where to See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls This WeekendBy Damon McCullarHowdy Folks! I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend. I hope you had a chance to get out and see your 2006 Texas Democratic Hopefuls. If you didn't, then you are in luck! You can meet them this weekend. Here's a rundown of who will be where and when. 12:00: Chris will be with us in Austin this weekend as he addresses the State Democratic Executive Committee at the Radisson downtown. David Van Os John Courage Barbara Ann Radnofsky Bush's Texas Judicial Nominees Examined In Light of Supreme Court VacancyBy Vince LeibowitzFollowing Supreme Court Justice O'Connor's retirement announcement--and increased speculation that the ill Chief Justice William Rehnquist will step down--the mainstream media seems to be in a frenzy of a guessing game to predict exactly who will replace O'Conner (and possibly Rehnquist). In addition to a Houston Chronicle piece discussing support for two possible Texas Hispanics as Supreme Court Justices, a Washington Post article in today's editions analyzes Bush's nominees to the bench while he was governor of Texas. According to the Post story, as Texas Governor, Bush "employed an open process that reflected how he presented himself as governor -- a pragmatist willing to build consensus..." and that his four nominations to the Texas Supreme Court "moved the very conservative court closer to the center, appeasing consumer groups." Yeah. Uh hum. Ok. Whatever. Although Bush's top judicial nominees in Texas may have moved the court a smidge closer to the center--or rather, about a half inch from the far right to just to the right of the middle of the right--I don't think the American people should have any expectation that he's going to appoint any centrists or moderates to the high court, in spite of the fact he claims he won't use abortion or similar issues as a 'litmus test'. If nothing else, consider that since Bush left the Governor's Mansion for the White House, he has completed his wholesale sell-out to the Religious Right. Given that Bush owes his election and re-election to the Religious Right and their divisive pushing of wedge issues such as abortion, gay marriage, school vouchers and prayer in school to craft the so-called "morals voter," I think it's pretty safe to say he'll appoint an anti-choice, pro-voucher, pro-religion justice (and possibly chief justice) to the high court. People for the American Way agrees with me on this one, at least according to the Post:
Hopefully, I'll be proven wrong. At any rate, here are a few interesting excerpts from the Post's article on Bush's judicial nominees in Texas:
July 07, 2005ACL Schedule OutBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanLook over here, and take a gander at the Austin City Limits schedule (which of course is the inspiration for this category, as well as the pattern used for all the major Texas cities' categories on this site). The headliners: Diane HensonBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanLong-time Austin attorney, Diane Henson, has announced her candidacy today for Justice of the Third Court of Appeals, Place 3. This position is presently held by Democrat Bea Ann Smith, who has announced that she will not seek another term on the court. Henson ran for the 3rd Court of Appeals last fall and lost by only a couple percentage points in this expansive district where Travis County provides tens of thousands of votes for a margin to offset the rural parts of the district. From her Press Release: "Henson brings 26 years of experience in various capacities, as a prosecutor and as a civil litigator." The Third Court of Appeals encompasses 24 counties in central and west Texas. She is working with well known Austin consultant David Butts. Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals District, Place 6 (Unexpired) R- Bob Pemberton(I) / 386,274 / 51.55% House Bill 3 Passes by a Single Vote, 70-69By Phillip MartinWhy, oh why, was this vote not verified? After hours of debate and discussion, House Bill 3 passed the House on third reading by a vote of 70-69. Though the floor vote was 71-66, there were numerous machine malfunctions and errors in voting. The House Journal Clerk's office is saying that the final vote was 70-69. I have spoken with Rep. Hilderbran's office, and they have told me that Rep. Hilderbran was meeting with the Governor during the vote, and once he was out of the meeting he went to register a "no" vote against the tax bill (71-67). I have spoken with Rep. Anchia, who told me it was "chaos" after the vote, and once he realized he was not registered he immediately went to the Journal Clerk and registered a "no" vote. (71-68). I have spoken with Rep. McClendon's office, and they also assured me that Rep. McClendon was opposed to the tax bill. Apparently, their voting machine malfunctioned the worse, and she was recorded voting "yes" when she obviously meant to vote "no." (70-69). So the Leadership's bill only passed by a vote, and that was after considerable arm-twisting by the Speaker. Two Republican Representatives, Rep. Laudenberg and Rep. McCall, switched from a "no" vote last night to a "yes" vote this afternoon. Also, Rep. Hegar and Rep. Truitt, who voted "no" last night, disappeared overnight and were not present on the floor this afternoon. Also, last night, Chairman Pitts apparently broke his promise to Rep. Dukes. Check the Statesman for the best story---they go into much better detail than I can here. It was good to see Rep. Edwards and Rep. Bailey remain firm with their "no" votes, despite rumors that they might do otherwise, and while it would have been best for him to be here last night, it was good to see Rep. Eiland immediately return to the House floor. So, in the end, it seems that the Democrats were caught off guard last night, which gave our illustrious Speaker enough time to guarantee that the will of the Leadership was greater than the will of the people of Texas. HB 3 Fails 73-74 on Second Reading...But Then the Games Begin ***UPDATE***By Damon McCullarAfter hours of debate on some 600+ amendments HB 3 died on a vote of 73-74. If only that's were the story ended. Upon verification of the vote the absences of Rep. Eiland and Rep. Martinez-Fischer pushed the vote to 73-72, so HB 3 passed upon its' second reading. Rep. Dukes and Rep. Delwin Jones were the only excused absences yesterday. Speaker Craddick's vote pushed HB 3 over the top after Reps. Eiland and Martinez-Fisher were not in the chamber upon the verificaiton of the vote. Speaker Craddick is confident that "We will retain the votes and get more" when HB 3 gets its' final vote during its' third reading today. ***UPDATE*** Speaker Craddick is leaning on Reps. Edwards and Baily to reverse their votes on HB 3 during the third reading today. Speaker Craddick had made it his goal that a terrible tax bill gets through the house that will cost about 90% of Texans. This is because the average family will see about $200 in property tax relief but between the sales tax and everything else that's in it, it's all a wash. It appears that Rep. Delwin Jones and at least one of yesterday's missing Democrats will be back on the floor for the third reading vote on HB 3....stay tuned. ***UPDATE*** Two of the R's that voted against HB 3 last night, Reps. Hegar and Truitt, have been excused by the speaker, seems their arms have been twisted. Also, Reps. Martinez-Fischer and Dukes were also excused for the day. Hopefully, Rep. Eiland will return, and Reps. Edwards and Bailey won't leave. US Alert Raised to Orange for TrainsBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanThere should be a press conference within the hour. While the general alert will remain at Yellow, it will be raised to "high" for the U.S. rail network, a move that affects Amtrak, commuter trains, subways and other rail systems. More on the story here. Supreme Court Hears School Finance Case...And, Oh Yes, I'm BackBy Vince LeibowitzAfter a far-too-long hiatus from the Blogsphere (and a nice, extended July 4th holiday sitting around a pool), I have returned. But please, hold your applause. It only seems fitting that my first post upon my return would just happen to be on one of my favorite topics: public school finance in Texas. For those of you who didn't know, the Texas Supreme Court took up school finance yesterday in oral arguments. Though it's received quite a bit of ink across Texas today, it has been shadowed by the Special Session. At any rate, the school finance saga that began with the Edgewood lawsuit in the 1990s and came to a head last summer in the West Orange Cove case where a state district judge ruled the Share-the Wealth system of school finance doesn't adequately fund Texas schools, went before the high court yesterday. The Houston Chronicle noted:
For those of you who are unfamiliar with some of the issues in the case, here's some background, which I believe I've posted before, but is worth posting again: The Share The Wealth plan, commonly called "Robin Hood," is codified in Chapter 41 of the Texas Education Code, and defines property wealthy school districts as those districts in which the taxable value of all property in the district divided by the number of students using a sometimes mind-numbing formula for "weighted average daily attendance" (WADA), exceeds a threshold set by the state (currently set at about $305,000). Local tax values above that amount become subject to equalization, and schools subject to giving up revenue (referred to as a "recapture payment") are frequently referred to as "Chapter 41″ schools. Wealth is not determined by a district’s tax rate or the revenue it generates. The law (SB 7) was created in 1993 by the Texas Legislature to equalize funding among school districts across the state following litigation resulting from the great disparity between property rich and property poor districts. Currently, 134 Texas school districts–-roughly 12 percent–-are considered Chapter 41 schools that must make recapture payments. On the other hand, 889 Texas schools are recipients of the recapture funds. In 2003, the newly Republican Texas Legislature voted to do away with Robin Hood as soon as an alternative plan could be developed. Over the past 20 years, courts have declared the state’s system of school finance inequitable and unconstitutional. The most well-known of these court battles is the series of Edgewood lawsuits that began in 1989. This series of suits confronted the issue of how to resolve inequalities between districts related to revenue-raising capacities and funding between property wealthy and property poor districts. After courts ruled the state’s system wasn’t equitable, the state legislature developed SB 7 in 1993 which created the share-the-wealth system. The plan was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1995. Under share-the-wealth, property-wealthy districts are defined as those districts with $271,400 or less in taxable property value per weighted student. Revenue earned above this level is subject to recapture under Chapter 41. About 12 percent of Texas schools fall in this category. Property-poor districts are designated as those with $271,400 or less in taxable property value per weighted student. Districts in this catergory receive "Tier 2″ aid from the state that allows them to raise the "guaranteed yield" of $27.14 per student per penny of tax effort. About 85 percent of Texas schools fall in this category. So-called "gap districts" are those with less than $305,000 but more than $271,400 in taxable property value per weighted student. These districts receive no Tier 2 aid, and their tax revenue isn’t subject to recapture. About two percent of Texas’ ISDs are gap districts. West Orange-Cove Consolidated School District in Southeast Texas was the initial plaintiff in the suit heard by the Supreme Court Wednesday, styled West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District vs. Alanis, et al. Since then, more than three hundred school districts have joined in the suit in three sepatate groups, which now constitutes a "class action." The largest districts include Austin ISD (78,000 enrollment) Dallas ISD (160,00 enrollment), and Houston. The "Alanis" is Texas Education Commissioner Felipe Alanis, who is being sued along with Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the State Board of Education, and some involved with the lawsuit that started the school finance battle, Edgewood ISD v. Kirby. When West Orange-Cove was filed in 2001, property wealthy districts asserted they were or would soon be levying local property taxes at the maximum cap set by the state for maintenance and operations–$1.50–and that they had lost local discretion in setting the M&O rate, although districts can utilize a separate tax rate–Interest and Sinking–for facilities construction and improvement. The plaintiffs asked the 250th District Court to declare that the system constituted a state property tax. State District Judge Scott McCown dismissed the case, noting that fewer than half of the state’s districts had reached the cap–an insufficient number for the court to consider whether the state has established a state property tax through compelling ISDs to tax at a specific level to meet minimum standards required for accreditation. The local-option homestead exemption was also considered by the court, which noted that districts had the discretion to continue or eleminate the cap locally, thus being able to free up additional revenue. Austin’s Third Court Of Appeals upheld McCown’s decision based on different reasoning, specifically that the threshold for determining whether the tax cap constitutes a cap isn’t the number of districts at the cap but rather whether any district has no choice but to tax at the cap to meet minimum accreditation. The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court reversed the two lower court decisions and remanded the case to the district court for trial, and reaffirmed its previous decisions in the Edgewood cases. The suit essentially seeks six things: +Maintain–and increase if possible–the overall equity of Texas school finance system. +Establish a system that truly reflects the cost of educating students. +Ensure that the system preserves local control; +Ensure that the state funding system reflects the true cost of educating limited-English-proficient students, and other high-cost students, to meet State performance standards. +Eliminate or reducing the reliance of the current school finance system on “recaptured” local property taxes, while maintaining the overall equity of the system. In December 2003, a group of property-poor districts entered a separate challenge in the West Orange-Cove lawsuit. These plaintiffs, referred to as the Alvarado plaintiffs, include many districts who have been involved in school finance litigation since 1984, intervening on behalf of the original plaintiffs in the Edgewood suit and on behalf of the state in the original West Orange-Cove lawsuit. A third group of districts, led by Edgewood ISD near San Antonio, again including many of the original Edgewood plaintiffs, also intervened in the laswuit on behalf of the state in February of this year. These 16 property-poor districts are involved as a cross-petitioner because they support and opposes certain aspects of both sides. Both the Alvarado and Edgewood districts defend the equity of share-the-wealth while also claiming the system does not provide sufficient funding to guarantee a “general diffusion of knowledge” as required by the state constitution. On the flip side, although the West Orange-Cove plaintiffs don’t directly challenge the recapture aspect of share-the-wealth that gives it the “Robin Hood” moniker, they do ask the court to block the state from enforcing Chapter 41 and Chapter 42 of the Texas Education–both of which include the recapture provisions–and from distributing any funds under the current system until the constitutioonal questions have been resolved. Though the lawsuit only challenged the constitutionality of the $1.50 cap when it was filed, it has evolved into a massive case revolving around the question of whether the current funding system meets constitutional standards for providing an adequate education. West Orange-Cove plaintiffs include: West Orange-Cove, Alamo Heights, Allen, Argyle, Austin, Beckville, Carrolton-Farmers Branch, Carthage, College Station, Coppell, Dallas, Darrouzet, Deer Park, Fairfield, Graford, Grapevine-Colleyville, Hallsville, Highland Park, Houston, Humble, Katy, Kaufman, LaPorte, Lake Travis, Lewisville, Lubbock, Marble Falls, McCamey, Miami, Northeast, Northside, Northwest, Palo Pinto, Pearland, Plano, Port Neches-Groves, Pringle-Morse, Richardson, Round Rock, Round Top-Carmine, Spring Branch, Spring, Stafford, Sweeny, Terrell, and Texas City Edgewood Plaintiffs include: Edgewood, Brownsville, Edcouch-Elsa, Harlendale, Kenedy, Laredo, LaVega, Los Fresnos, Monte Alto, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Raymondville, San Elizario, Sharyland, Socorro, South San Antonio, Ysleta The Alvarado Plaintiffs include 223 school districts the largest of which are El Paso, Mesquite, and Amarillo. Other medium-to-large school districts among these plaintiffs are Sulphur Springs, Mabank, Athens, and Gainsville. More on the London AttacksBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanI just started reading Google News about 30 minutes ago and wanted to point out a couple of sources for more up to date, on the ground, live coverage. One is the Guardian Blog, this Flickr photostream for pictures, an index of eyewitness accounts, and this wikipedia entry that is being updated as we go. The attacks appear timed to occur after the first day of the G-8 summit (The 2012 Olympic bid win was likely unrelated since it wasn't expected and is a much harder event and date to plan around.) The attack style initially appears to be done similarly to the Madrid bombings and Al Queda has claimed responsibility. Terror Blast Rock LondonBy Damon McCullarFrom CNN this morning:
July 06, 2005Musselmans at MeetUpBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanTonight my father (and mother) will be coming up to Austin. After winning his city council seat back in Fredericksburg in May, he's become a bit of a rural Democratic star and thusly, we have been asked to be the featured speakers at tonight's July Democracy for America- Austin Meetup. The details are here and posted below. Come out and give a hollar! Mother Egan's July 05, 2005Craddick Admits HB 2 and 3 Don't Solve Texas Education WoesBy Damon McCullarAccording to QR when the Houston Chronicle's RG Ratcliffe asked: "Does HB 2 and HB 3 cure all the problems in that lawsuit?" Craddick: Later he added:
***Update*** Cradick has further clarified his remark with this recent statement:
...so what does he really mean? Is Perry in Violation of Texas Election Code?By Phillip MartinIt is likely that Governor Perry, in his failure to call an expedited special election to fill the House District 143 seat that was vacated when Rep. Joe Moreno died in May, has violated a provision in the Texas Election Code and unfairly silenced the votes and voices of over 130,000 Texans. Sec. 203.013 of the Texas Election Code states that:
During the regular session, Governor Perry ordered a special election to be held in November, which was perfectly legal. However, once Perry called the session on June 18'th (and he obviously knew he was going to call one long before then, at least by May 31st), the law required him to call a special election under the expedited procedure discussed above. Governor Perry should have, at the very least, called the election on June 18, the day he called the special session. The election could have occurred by this Friday, July 9'th, 21 days after the election was ordered (see subsection C of the law quoted above), and well before our current special session is going to end. The closest vote of the special session was decided by a 75-74 vote on the House floor, an education vote that almost certainly would have gone the other way if the HD 143 seat had been properly filled. Perhaps this matter should be addressed by a District 143 resident in Court, before any more votes are decided by a single vote on the House floor without a representative of the people who live in District 143. July 04, 2005The Statesman: An Apologist for Rad Waste?By John PruettToday’s Statesman article on the proposed radioactive waste dump in Andrews County misses the point. Sure, I’ll grant that most of the county’s residents may support the plan, minus a few holdouts who haven’t received the memo describing how large quantities of radioactive waste are great for their community. Andrews has fallen on tough times, and the area faces difficult economic choices if it is to grow. Besides the obvious problems associated with radioactive waste, the project also reeks of private profiteering and Republican politics. The article mentions off-hand:
However, it fails to report that Waste Control Specialists is owned by none other than Harold Simmons, a billionaire from Dallas and one of the largest donors to Texas Republican candidates. His money has reached the campaign coffers of virtually every Republican currently in office, according to filings with the Texas Ethics Commission. The list includes heavy-weights such as Governor Perry, President Bush, Attorney General Abbott, Comptroller Strayhorn, Speaker Craddick, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, and Sen. Hutchison. Simmons’s companies also have a history of pollution liabilities. Texans for Public Justice reported in 2001:
This year, TPJ reports:
The Statesman also ignores the fact that WCS has faced fierce opposition to its attempts to create a radioactive waste facility in West Texas. In 1995, the state refused to allow WCS shipments of radioactive waste. Then again in 1998, the state environmental agency turned down similar plans for a Sierra Blanca site. The current battle over Andrews County has dragged on for years, despite Governor Perry’s not-too-surprising authorization for such a site in 2003. The point of this whole affair is that WCS, with Republican backing, has been preying on small communities. They prefer to leave them with the toxic waste and take the profits. To make matters worse, the Texas Observer remarks that the Andrews site could easily end up storing radioactive materials for many years to come, thus becoming a permanent disposal site. I doubt the future generations of Andrews will be quite as eager. Happy Independence DayBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanCelebrate your freedom today. Spend time with your friends and family and fellow citizens. BOR will be here when you get back because I'm sure most of us will be out celebrating our freedoms too. PS. Lt. Commander Juan Garcia who is a Navy Pilot from Corpus Christi and rumored potential candidate for Senate a while back, will be the guest of honor on the Gillespie County Demomcrats 4th of July Parade Float today in Fredericksburg. I've got a note in to my county chair to give me an update as to what Garcia is up to. Also, did you know that he was Senator Barak Obama's roommate in Harvard? July 02, 2005College Tuition and the Race for GovernorBy John PruettThis past Thursday, Strayhorn got on the stump to deride Perry and deliver promises. The event was the state VFW convention in Corpus Christi and her first speech since announcing her candidacy for governor. It took place at Omni Bayfront Hotel, owned by UT Regent and “Bush Pioneer” Robert Rowling. Oddly enough, Rowling has contributed over $150 thousand to Perry’s campaigns during the past four years according to the Texas Ethics Commission. Besides promising more benefits for veterans, Strayhorn also focused much on education. The Caller-Times reports:
Strayhorn first proposed TexasNextStep in 2002. It was originally designed to decrease the state’s high school dropout rate by providing incentives for students to continue their education. Every student would be guaranteed 90 credit hours at a community college or technical school plus $30 per credit hour for textbooks. The concerns addressed by Strayhorn’s plan are well-founded. Texas lags far behind in national education levels and more jobs in Texas now require some college. However, TexasNextStep has a flaw. In 2003, the legislature deregulated tuition for all Texas public colleges and universities. Since then community colleges have increased tuition by a state average of 55 percent. Given this new climate, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for the state to project the cost of Strayhorn’s plan without the ability to control tuition rates. Perry and most Republicans in the legislature have consistently ignored the plight of those unable to afford a college education. Instead, they have pushed for deregulation, cuts in financial aid, and weakening the Top Ten rule. A Scripps Howard poll from earlier this year revealed that a majority of Texans oppose tuition deregulation, and Strayhorn is smart to appeal to middle- and lower-income class voters who were the most affected by higher tuition costs. Chris Bell has also made the cost of college one of his concerns as he explores his candidacy for governor. Last week, he attacked Perry’s support for tuition deregulation and called it a “failed” plan. He rightly believes that Texas must re-regulate tuition to keep it affordable. However, both Strayhorn’s and Bell’s proposals are only partial solutions. Ensuring low tuition ultimately depends on the legislature adequately funding colleges and universities. Once tuition is under control, then the legislature could consider something like TexasNextStep. Higher education has the potential to be an important issue during the 2006 statewide elections. The current Republican majority has indeed “failed” on higher education and average Texans are paying the price. Furthermore, Democrats have traditionally held an advantage when it comes to education and should make the most of it. My guess is that Strayhorn will most likely lose in the Republican primaries. At that point, Bell or whoever becomes the Democratic candidate for governor should nail Perry to the wall on higher education. Texan’s are broadly in favor of affordable tuition, and Democrats would fair better with typically-conservative, middle-class voters by focusing on it. More importantly, all Texas families deserve as much. Texas Finishes Second in Sports Academy Directors' Cup Division IBy Damon McCullarThe University of Texas finished second in the final 2005 Sports Academy Directors' Cup Division I standings for the third time in four years. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the United States Sports Academy and USA Today present the award annually to the best overall collegiate athletics program in the country. Stanford University won the Cup with 1,209.25 points, while the Longhorns amassed a total of 1,075 points. UCLA finished third with 1,074 points.
Live 8: They Don't Want Your Money, They Want YOU!By Marcus CenicerosThe Live 8 concerts have been on MTV and VH1 all day. There is some great music by artists like Sting, Madonna, Jay-Z, Lincoln Park, and tons more. But besides the music, there is an important mission: end poverty in Africa. Every day, 30,000 kids die due to poverty. Help send a message to President Bush and the rest of the G8 leaders to make a commitment to end poverty by doubling aid, droping the debt, and making trade laws fair. Visit www.live8live.com to sign your name, upload a picture, and LEARN about what you can do. July 01, 2005A Note From Barbra Ann RadnofskyBy Damon McCullar"This exciting week allowed us to send our first press releases and deal with media attention, fundraise towards our goal, and continue our day-to-day activities, including travel, much research, review of the Congressional Record on key issues such as education, health care, and veterans' benefits. "I've given speeches and engaged in outreach to clubs and media, and have continued practicing law, including mediation this past week. "On June 30th thanks to the generosity of many donors across Texas from all walks of life my campaign exceeded 500,000 dollars in money raised." Where To See Your 2006 Hopefuls This WeekendBy Damon McCullarSo it's 4th of July weekend and you're sitting at home asking yourself, "Where can I go to see my 2006 Democratic hopefuls?" Well I'm glad you asked! Here are some events occurring this weekend. Get out there and meet your candidates! Chris has busy weekend. Tommorrow he will be at the Mid-Cities picnic in Hurst. Event starts at 10am and is located at Chisholm Park, 2200 Norwood Drive, Hurst. Go to the Mid-Cities Dems website for more info. Then he heads over to Dallas for a meet and greet at La Madeleine Oak Lawn, 3906 Lemmon Ave, Dallas. Please RSVP for this event with Sally Garcia ***UPDATE*** Saturday July 2nd Barbra Ann Radnofsky Barbara's campaign will continue to have a significant Texas presence over the holiday weekend, with Robert Andrews advocating for Barbara at the Mid Cities Democrats Picnic in Hurst on Saturday and at the Travis County Democratic Party Picnic in east Austin on Monday. Volunteers will be distributing material at events across Texas..
John Pruett Reporting for DutyBy John PruettI couldn’t help myself. I felt compelled to borrow from Sen. Kerry’s acceptance speech at last year’s Democratic Convention. Fortunately, I’m not running as a presidential candidate in our heavily divided nation, but this is my acceptance speech as a new writer for the Burnt Orange Report. I’d like to thank all of the current BOR staff who selected me as a new member of the BOR team. I cherish this opportunity to contribute to the political debate in Texas, and I plan to make the most of it. I’d also like to quote another JFK, the one elected as US President in 1960, and in my opinion one of the greatest presidents in American history. In a prepared speech he intended to give to the Texas Democratic State Committee in Austin on the day he was assassinated, Kennedy stated:
Those are words that I truly believe. Although Texas has its fair share of reactionary and conservative elements, our state also has a proud history of populism, progressive ideals, and great leaders such as former-President Johnson, Congressmen Ralph Yarborough and Wright Patman (from my birthplace of Texarkana), Barbara Jordan, and others. These leaders believed in bettering the lives of all Texas citizens by providing them with an education, healthcare, a clean environment, and job security. Times have certainly changed since Kennedy was president. Republicans have come to power but have failed miserably in their attempt to govern Texas. The needs of average Texans have been pushed aside in favor of big business and political corruption. I believe that the people of Texas will not stand for this indefinitely. The time is ripe for a resurgent Democratic Party to champion the needs of the poor and underprivileged. To do this, we must recognize “the needs of the future.” I am honored to play a part in the struggle for a better Texas. A Democratic David takes on the GOP's GoliathBy Phillip MartinThe Texas Values in Action Coalition is a statewide PAC that is focused on bringing fair-minded, progressive and open politics and politicians back to Texas government. They report all their money openly and DO NOT accept corporate contributions. Is it any surprise, then, that Tom Delay wants to bring them down? In the latest battle of the Democrat's David fighting the GOP's Goliath, the Free Enterprise Fund, which is another Tom Delay Washington-based PAC, has launched a national television ad attacking Ronnie Earle and the Texas Values in Action Coalition. In a memo Delay sent out that is titled "Shark 2 release"---possibly the most inappropriate title imaginable considering the latest headlines out of Florida---Delay and the Free Enterprise Fund attack a "liberal political action committee" for trying to smear the good name of the Republican party. (The memo can be read in yesterday's executive summary on Quorum Report). This national television ad, which has already run on Fox News, will air repeatedly throughout the July 4'th weekend. The hypocrisy, though not new, is still outrageous----Delay's shadowy, federal PAC which does not disclose money runs a national ad to complain about a local, state-run organization that is commited to honest and open politics. Why does Tom Delay need to launch an attack-ad campaign against a group of North Texas individuals? All I can think is that Delay knows his time as leader of the GOP is running out, and he only has so many more chances to abuse his power. Nice work, TEXVAC. To read TEXVAC's complete press release, click on the jump. Over this Fourth of July weekend, the Free Enterprise Fund, another Washington DC based DeLay front group, has announced it will air a national television ad attacking democracy. This time, they’re specifically attacking Travis County DA Ronnie Earle and the Texas Values in Action Coalition (TEXVAC). While most of us in the county are celebrating our independence, our country’s freedoms and honoring our troops in harms way, DeLay followers are attacking a group of local North Texans who have come together to have a voice in their state government. It’s interesting to note that on the very day the US House ethics committee announced it will begin meeting possibly to investigate DeLay’s unethical behavior, the Free Enterprise Fund launches it’s ad to deflect attention. TEXVAC is a local state PAC dedicated to returning honest, fair-minded progressives to all levels of local government. TEXVAC is not involved in federal races or national issues and unlike Tom DeLay, does NOT accept corporate contributions. According to the Free Enterprise Fund, TEXVAC is being criticized for honestly and legally raising $100,000 – which is chump change to Tom DeLay and his henchmen. They make more than that shaking down one special interest lobbyist on a slow day. TEXVAC is alarmed that the right-wing national political machine would bother themselves with a group of citizens in North Texas who want nothing more than to have a voice in our own state government. All Americans should be gravely concerned with the DC Republican’s attempt to discourage citizens from getting involved and making a difference. The Texas Values in Action Coalition encourages political participation on all levels and asks that other such involved parties resist these bullying tactics by DeLay’s various hit squads. TEXVAC is proud of the hundreds of individual donors who are concerned about the future of our state and will stand and fight the threats and intimidation from DeLay and his national machine. To View the Free Enterprise Release go to the daily buzz at www.quorumreport.com Pd. For by Texas Values in Action Coalition School Plan Pleases Senate, Not EducatorsBy Marcus CenicerosYesterday, the Texas Senate passed an education reform that would cut property taxes, give teachers a pay raise and set aside more money for bilingual education and textbooks. The Senate’s bill is much different than the one passed in the House earlier this week. The bill passed 27-4 in just over three hours. Lt. Governor Dewhurst told the Statesman, "I think we will be able to come to a timely agreement with the House." However, some leaders and community members, including myself, do not feel that the bill does as much as it should, nor does it help fix the inequality of school funding that plagues that state. In an El Paso Times article, Senator Eliot Shapleigh, who Texas Monthly called “The conscience of the Senate (that doesn’t want one)”, said, “The law would ultimately harm students in poor districts.” Senators Barrientos, Ellis, and Gallegos joined Shapleigh in voting no. Before the vote, Shapleigh proposed an amendment that would keep the state’s share-the-wealth system in effect until 98 percent of the students in the state reached equity in tax revenue, but his amendment fell short by one vote. Hector Montenegro, the superintendent of El Paso’s Ysleta ISD told the Times, "This legislative session is not as child-centered or inclusive as we would like it to be. The damage that could be done would have serious ramifications on the future economic and academic development of the state." The YISD is one of the largest urban districts in the state and is categorized as property-poor. It is also the district I attended. In the Houston Chroncile, "Richard Kouri, spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association, said the bill, despite the pay raise, would fall short of boosting teacher pay or per-pupil spending in Texas to the national average and would leave thousands of inappropriately certified teachers in classrooms. "I don't think any of the plans get us to where we need to go," he said. "Apparently they (legislators) just think they know better than we (educators) do." Almost everyone agreed though that the Senate's plan was better than the Craddick backed House bill. As time continues to tick and the pressure continues to rise for the legislature and Governor MoFo to produce a school finance bill, it’s hard to imagine that any solution will be the best that Texas kids and teachers deserve. As my superintendent said, this session was not as “child-centered or inclusive” as it should have been. The majority has been and still is out of touch with the needs of all Texans. Their attempt to turn their homework in late will not get them on the honor roll. For Whom Chris Bell Tolls...He Tolls For TheeBy Damon McCullarTaking up where Karl-Thomas left off... It's not of question of liberals vs conservatives within the party, or a question of the political establishment versus the grassroots organizers. It's more of a a question of new vs. old. John Sharp has been a fixture in Texas state politics for awhile. It's time to bring new faces to the table. Although Chris may have started this campaign at a disadvantage in name ID across the state, he has represented most of Harris County since 1997. He has solid base in the state's biggest city...not too shabby! It seems that my esteemed colleague thinks that a priamry fight is pointless. He states that a primary battle will leave the eventual winner damaged. I respectfully disagree. What the party can't afford is to choose one side over the other, rather the party needs a candidate that has credibility with both camps. Bell's commitment to grassroots outreach here in the early stage has won him a lot of support from the state's progressive grassroots but he also has a moderate profile and history drawing crossover support in his city council and congressional races. If we're going to run a reform campaign against Perry and the Sandra Day O'Connor is Leaving...Who Will Fill Her Shoes?By Damon McCullarUpon seeing this morning that Sandra Day O'Connor is retiring from the Supremes, I was wondering who Minority Leader Harry Reid would suggest to fill her shoes. I was really surprised to see that he had said that 4 of his fellow Republican Senators would meet with his stamp of approval.
Well, get your combat boots on troopers. If you thought the appellate court nominee battle was rough, wait until the nomination hits the Senate Floor. I imagine Senators on both sides are already digging their battle trenches. John Sharp to Enter RaceBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanA fellow 21st Street Co-oper got back from a meeting downtown this afternoon where he heard some of the most important political rumors more or less confirmed. Through the grapevine of tech people and political consultants, BOR now feels comfortable filing this initial report that John Sharp, former candidate for Lt. Governor against Dewhurst in 2002, will be entering the race for Governor against Perry. Word from our source has it that a "key Texas consultant has offered his endorsement of Sharp for Governor, an action this particular consultant wouldn't do unless there was a campaign and they were on board with it." I should have more information on this tomorrow, hopefully the name of the consultant or consulting group (should it be a team effort). If true, the question will soon become, for whom the Bell tolls? I see a primary battle as slightly pointless and one that will inevitably become a progressive grassroots v. establishment powerbrokers battle that will leave our Party wedged, if not the eventual candidate damaged. Yes, contested primaries would help us get some free media and coverage, but only Bell needs that, not Sharp (because of name ID issues). Of course, Bell's recent press releases have seemed to be more urgent in nature, almost asking for Sharp to just make up his mind one way or the other. And he still has a painless out due to family medical concerns, which may have come into play regardless of Sharp. Stay tuned for updates. And send us your tips if you have them... All Your Internets Are Belong to U.S.By Karl-Thomas MusselmanThis is an Open Thread about the Internet. Al Gore jokes encouraged. Rep. Pena: No Pot-Pops PleaseBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanDemocratic Rep. Aaron Pena isn't Anti-Candy, he's just Anti-'Pot'sicle. The Texan reports today that in the Special Session on Taxes and School Finance, he's filed HB 74 "relating to an offense of selling or offering to sell a marihuana flavored confectionery."
Hahaha. This is almost as good as the Anti-Booty Bill of Al Edwards. Can you think of a similarly clever name in the comments? Here's the actual language...
Chronic Candy retorts.
Of course, the Texan notes that the No-Pot-Pops Bill is going nowhere unless Rick Perry expands the agenda of the session, which means the Good-Hairinator is going to say Adios, Mofo to HB74. Bush Approval Ratings Continue to FallBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanHere are the SUSA USA poll internals for the state of Texas. Key points...
Almost makes you wonder what Rick Perry's numbers look like then. Robert Francis for Court of Criminal AppealsBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanGetting in on the action that Rep. Terry Keel has already stated an interest in, Republican Robert Francis, a former Dallas Judge is making the race for Republican incumbant Charles Holcomb's seat a threesome. Why the big interest in this particular spot when there are so many statewide goodies to go around? The Statesman says...
Mark Strama's SpeechBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanIf you attended the Democracy Fest Bloggers Caucus or heard about it, you'll know that State Rep. Mark Strama's speech on technology and campaigns was an important one as well as a crowd pleaser. Here is a full transcript of what he talked about. It's something every Texas (and beyond) Democrat should read in regards to how our party must integrate technology into our campaigns, not to replace the hard work of old, but to make it more efficient and effective. Speaking of technology, check out the new DNC website. Click on the Democracy Bonds BlogAd to learn how to sustain your Party. It's a brilliant marketing strategy for the DNC, basically selling something as unglamorous as recurring monthly contributions into something that you can take ownership in (as well as get a snappy signed 'bond' from Howard Dean). And hat tip to the DNC for making an investment into the progressive blogosphere on this one. I'm sure that almost every site they are running on has talked about that ad (as well as some bloggers getting personal calls from Gov. Dean). I'm sure we are too small to get noticed on that level still, but it's a major shift in approach from the last cycle. (Our phone is on though, just in case.) I look forward to their rollout of new tools and the big message plan that is coming later this fall. Madla to Run AgainBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanLooks like we didn't get Christmas early this year. Sen. Madla, one of the flip-floppers on HJR 6, the constitutional gay marriage ban (as well as various other pieces of legislation) says he is going to go ahead and run for his seat again, which had drawn three state reps interest. Reps. Robert Puente and Carlos Uresti, both of San Antonio, and Pete Gallego of Alpine were possible contenders for an open seat. No words on if any of them will still persue a primary challenge (which BOR would likely be quite supportive of, especially if it was Gallego) though Madla did throgh down this line... "Any serious challenger has to start moving around today," he said. So what say you reps? Step Up Texas. A Lost Plan of TaxationBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanLatinos for Texas reminds us of the fact that Rep. Eddie Rodriguez of Southeastern Austin has his bills filed even in this special session relating to a State Personal Income Tax. This has of course be a "we don't say those words" issue for years in Texas, to the point where no one would dare file legislation or say the word to any press source. This is one step, a small one, to getting the Legislature to consider more progressive means of taxation to solve the states problems. Currently, the only thing that either chamber can decide to debate is whether to jack up Texas's Sales Tax to near 10% making it the highest in the nation most likely, or how broadly to expand taxes on franchises or business partnerships, all in an effort to lower property taxes, and somewhere in that mix have it relate to Education Reform (which isn't the issue of the two driving the debate around the interlinked HB2 and HB3). A short summary of what Eddie is offerings...
Here a Marriage, There a MarriageBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanSo goes Canada, so goes... Spain? First, from the North...
And then to Western Europe...
And here is a quick list of where all the countries stand in relation to each other as well as the US. Spain actually gets to claim 3rd in the world status for legalizing gay marriage because Canada still has another vote to go through in their upper chamber. Of course, here in Texas, we are looking forward to letting the citizens vote on banning it altogether, because we like overkill in our state statutes. Oh, and gay veterans can just go find some place else to return home to after their tour of duty defending the right of their fellow citizens to strip them of their rights. |
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TGIF folks! It's time for this week's installment of Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls!
The Chris Bell Exploratory Committee has stated that Chris Bell will be running for Governor of the State of Texas on the Democratic ticket. 
