Burnt Orange Report

UT to Admit Hurricane Students

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

The following is a statement from Sheldon Ekland-Olson, Executive Vice President and Provost of UT, which contains condensed points from President Faulkner about who and how UT will admit students in Katrina affected areas to UT. Faulkner's letter is in the extended entry.

President Faulkner is about to issue a statement indicating how UT Austin will accommodate undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who are Texas residents or graduated from Texas high schools and are enrolled or enrolling in a college or university in the Katrina affected area that is likely to be closed for an extended period.

The basics are:

1. Students who had been previously admitted to any of our programs but elected to go elsewhere will be admitted on a regular basis.

2. Students who had no such prior admission will be admitted for the fall semester only.

3. We will accommodate exchange students from institutions with which we have exchange agreements. Exchange students who come to us for help and are not in that group will be assisted for placement in institutions that are partners with their home universities.

4. We are also indicating that we are offering to accommodate faculty with office space and access to libraries and other research facilities.

5. Finally, we will be reaching out individually to all of our current students from the affected area to see what special support they might need.

This is a very difficult moment for those impacted. We want to be responsive as possible.

Sheldon Ekland-Olson
Executive Vice President and Provost

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The University of Texas at Austin stands with the nation in expressing our sorrow in this time of terrible tragedy in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. We are committed to providing temporary help this fall to colleges and universities in the New Orleans area which are unable to operate while they are attempting to recover and rebuild. To assist university students and faculty who have been affected by the disaster of catastrophic proportions in our neighboring states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, The University of Texas at Austin is taking the following emergency steps, effective immediately.

The following policies apply to students who were enrolling or enrolled in colleges or universities in the area of greatest disaster impact and are likely to remain closed for an extended period.

• Undergraduate students who are Texas residents or graduates from Texas high schools will be eligible to take available undergraduate courses at the University for the fall 2005 semester.

• Graduate and professional students who are Texas residents or graduates of Texas colleges and universities will be eligible take available graduate courses at the University for the fall 2005 semester.

• Graduate students who have no need for coursework but who need to use libraries and research facilities will be eligible to use appropriate University facilities.

• Foreign exchange students will be eligible to take available courses at the University for the fall 2005 semester if the University has a formal exchange agreement with the students' home institutions.

The details of these policies can be found at the Web sites of the Office of Admissions and the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

In addition, faculty members of colleges and universities in the affected disaster areas will be offered the opportunity to work on our campus, with access to office space, libraries, research facilities, and the Internet.

These temporary measures are intended to help students and faculty colleagues in a time of unprecedented disaster. The University of Texas at Austin is firmly committed to aiding the affected higher education institutions in any way possible as they seek to recover from the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina.

We are also concerned about University of Texas at Austin students who have been affected by this disaster. Those students who need assistance with University matters or matters of a more personal nature are urged to contact LaToya Hill, Emergency Services Coordinator, Office of the Dean of Students, at lchill@mail.utexas.edu. They may also visit the Dean of Students Web site at http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ and go to the "Spotlights and Events" link on that site.

Larry R. Faulkner
President
The University of Texas at Austin

No Nonsense Blog

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

The No Nonsense in November campaign has added a blog to their site. Check it out as it will be be updated by Glen Maxey and Co.

And remember, it's more important to Double Extra Ban Gay Marriage in Texas than get textbooks to school on time. And it's really more important than making sure that 9 Texas Public State Parks don't shut down because someone was too busy pissing away money on special sessions while ignoring requests from Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director Robert L. Cook that more money was needed to simply keep things open.

Reaching Out

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

One thing that I have been impressed with has been those in politics using the power of thier listservs to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. I've received messages from the DNC, Nick Lampson, Chris Bell, Save Texas Reps, and most Texas Blogs have posted appeals and ways in which you can help.

If you are in the Houston area, check out how to help at these posts by Kuffner and Bell. And of course you can always donate to the Red Cross through the link at the top left.

UT Republicans and Democrats Work Together for Hurricane Relief

By Katie Naranjo

Members from the University Democrats and the College Republicans met today to work on a bi-partisan effort to raise money for hurricane victims in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. All monetary and food/toiletry donations collected will be given directly to the Red Cross. The two groups have made an agreement to come together to show students at the University of Texas that aiding fellow Americans is above partisan feelings.

If you would like to get involved and donate money or physical products please contact Alex Hunt (U-Dems president) at president@udems.org.

"Not the Guacamole, Avocados are pretty good for you."

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Barbara Ann picked up a rather interesting bit of media today in the Statesman, in the Life section.

I think the message of this that story? She's "fit" to lead Texas.

I'd also like to point out that Radnofsky was in Fredericksburg this past weekend where my father (who's website was just relaunched) played host while she visited with Gillespie County Democrats and was in our Country Fair Parade float. She also managed to get a great article in the Kerrville Daily Times, not the easiest task as it is very Republican.

It was good to meet Barbara again, and I have to say, she's really on top of her stuff. I don't think I've met a first time candidate before that knows as much about her opponent and about the process (possibly more than KBH in some cases, as it seems that she keeps reacting to Radnofsky's Press Releases if nothing else). Like her bumber sticker says, she is a "smart dame" one which would be a huge asset to Texas if this uphill battle can be won.

This is the Yellow Dog Convertible that other such as Liz Carpenter have ridden in in our Parades.

This is the new float for the Gillespie County Democrats.

A Panel with Sarah Weddington

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Gearing up for the John Roberts nomination, some of the leaders of the women's movement as well as the warriors for choice will be here at UT next Tuesday for a panel discussion that "discusses options available to women before abortion was legal," which of course is important considering the upcoming nomination hearding for John Roberts.

When: Tuesday, September 6, 2005 at 12pm

Where: Eastwoods Room in the Texas Union at the University of Texas at Austin (2.102)

What: A Panel Discussion with Trailblazing Women On the Eve of U.S. Senate Confirmation Hearings for Judge John Roberts

Who: Speakers will include:
Sarah Weddington, Winning Attorney, Roe v Wade and Adjunct Professor, University of Texas
Barbara Hines, Clinical Professor of Law, University of Texas Law School
Victoria Foe, Research Professor, Dept. of Biology, University of Washington
Judy Smith, Director of HomeWord an Affordable Housing Developer in Missoula, Montana
Lin Smith, Media Specialist, Missoula, Montana

Former staffers from The Rag, a newspaper that put Austin on the counter-culture map from 1966 to 1977 will be conducting a panel discussion focusing on the state of women’s and reproductive rights before the Roe v Wade decision. The group will be in town for The Rag Reunion taking place during Labor Day Weekend. At this event, they will be talking about the history they share as part of the early women’s movement in Austin. These trailblazing women, all former UT students, organized a referral project to inform women about their bodies, about their rights, about available birth control options and about safe abortion. At a time when Texas law banned abortion “unless necessary” to save the woman’s life, the group printed public service articles about safe and unsafe abortion methods and sources. This same group eventually recruited a young Austin attorney, Sarah Weddington, to their cause. Weddington, currently an adjunct professor at UT, went on to file and later successfully argue the case of Roe v Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Join these amazing and ground-breaking women for an open question and answer session that is sure to be informative and memorable. The timing of the event is historical in itself; confirmation hearings will be taking place simultaneously in Washington, DC for President Bush’s nominee for the Supreme Court, John Roberts.

Sponsored by: Voices for Choices
Ali Puente (832)-541-3262 psychotaco@gmail.com

Press Contact: Dilen Kumar, The Weddington Center,
(512)-478-7163, DilenK@aol.com

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – PANEL MEMBERS WILL HAVE PRESS AVAILABILITY BEFORE PANEL DISCUSSION BEGINNING AT 11:30AM AND AFTER

Blog Roundup

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Kuff: Reublican State Rep. John Davis has a challenger for the first time since 2001. Her name is Sherrie Matula.

Sherrie and her family are long time resident of the area (since 1974), long time active Democrats and she is a retiring educator who has her degree from UH while her husband and two daughters all have mechanical engineering degrees from Texas A&M. Sherrie is a third generation educator and as a topper, she served an elected four year term on the Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees. She's been involved in all sorts of community affairs from local sports leagues to the community symphony.

This district is heavily Republican but within Tom DeLay's CD 22. Just like our synergy with CD21 and House District here in Austin is a good thing, the same goes for out in Southeast Texas.

PinkDome: Republican Rep. Suzanna Hupp is retiring from the Lege.

Grits: Scott has a good roundup of sources that are useful in looking up news on Texas politics, for bloggers and readers alike.

Campus Alliance Second Meeting

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

The Campus Alliance Against Inequality is having another BIG Meeting to organize STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF to help fight the anti-gay Texas Marriage Amendment that will be on our ballot this November 8th.

When: Thursday, September 1st, 7-9pm
Where: Texas Union, Eastwoods Room, 2.102
(directly behind the info desk in the Texas Union)

The CAAI is the UT Campus Arm of the No Nonsense in November campaign.

BORed: How to (ab)use a blogger

By Matt Hardigree

Having worked as a blogger, and as a paid campaign consultant, I can tell you with authority that good communication benefits both sides. Also, if the mainstream media is the hard-to-get head cheerleader, bloggers are the cheap date that's a sure thing. Cultivating a symbiotic relationship with a real journalist is a challenging dance that is truly fascinating to watch. Cultivating a relationship with a blogger is as challenging as picking up a Big Mac. The following are a few tips to help aid the "online media strategists" and "communication consultants" out there:

Don't Send Press Releases, Send Press Releases With Notes - Will bloggers reprint your press releases in full when you email them out? yes; however, if you attach a little personal note you can enhance your message. Example: you put a note on top that says "Karl, how are you? I think this is going to be center-piece of our campaign" they'll write "I have it on inside authority from high-ups in the campaign that this is going to be a center-piece of their campaign." It is as simple as that. Remember, bloggers work on the idea that they've got access the regular person does not have.

"Free stuff? No, that's not a conflict of interest." - As I learned from my last column, writing about a candidate will get you free stuff. They'll even offer to give it to you in the comment section. For a regular journalist, this would be an appalling conflict-of-interest. For a blogger, this is par-for-the-course. Does giving bloggers free stuff work? Ask my dear friend Peter Brown. Did I mention that he's had a hand in downtown renovation?

Politicians are celebs for bloggers and blogger junkies - Doing a personal interview with a blogger, especially if you're a candidate for a statewide office, makes their day. Hell, they're excited to talk to Charles Soechting. This is good for you, but remember: THEY'LL PRINT EVERYTHING. I have to be honest, even I don't read all of them. So it might be advisable to get your candidates to stick to talking points.

Bloggers are cheap drunks -

That picture is of Karl-T after two shirley temples. After the third, he started making out with the cardboard Kerry. (Lies, lies! -KT) Wanna get a blogger on your side? By him or her liquor.

"You're... Mark? Nathan? Nathan Mark? Archer Wilcox? - Bloggers, contrary to popular belief, are people too. The ego of a blogger isn't great, and calling them the wrong name doesn't help. Other significantly human emotions also apply. One important emotion to consider is jealousy. If you spend a lot of time sending info to one blog, but ignore another, there isn't anything stopping that other blogger from saying bad things about you.

Avoid the comment section - In general, you can learn a great deal about what the most rabid politcos are thinking from the comment section. That being said, don't jump into the fray unless you have to, even if someone says something bad. At some point you're going to have to defend yourself, but if you do it once people will expect you to do it everytime. Plus, someone constantly harping on you starts to appear like another candidate's lacky and annoys everyone (though, I'm not singling anyone one out. Banana Apple Bargain Yoga SNickers OOgle Killer Sandwich.)

Don't waste all of your time on blogs The power of the web is always growing and impossible to ignore... but only 18% of people read blogs at most. Knock on a few doors!

Anything else? Leave it in the comment section:

PAC Non Suprises

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

ITPT bring us a tale today of the new Maverick PAC of Texas, made up of old Bush/Cheney Texas fundraisers, announcing their support of Bush's former Lt. Gov, Rick Perry.

Big suprise I know. About as big as Desis for Texas's endorsement of Chris Bell for Governor. Considering some of them are interning for him and, well, look at their treasurer, who happens to be campaign staff.

Should I be waiting for the Drug Policy Forum of Texas to endorse Kinky Friedman anytime soon?

A Helping Hand

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

I noticed over that the Chris Bell campaign they had called off their online fundraising drive, not because it was going slowly (well, it wasn't doing speedily either) but because they have replaced it with a call for donations towards the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

I've added their donation link to BOR because this is one of those events where all Americans should step up to help our fellow citizens whose lives are totally disrupted. Though many feel they should send clothes or food or other such supplies, the best thing you can do, and what most Aid Organizations have asked for, is monetary donations. The Red Cross is taking the lead in this effort and can more efficiently get what is needed to where it is needed and can do that easier with dollars than objects.

So please help those in need of aid.

A Few Austin Events

By John Pruett

Cindy Sheehan will be speaking in Austin tomorrow. This will be the first leg of her bus tour across America that culminates with the National March for Peace in Washington, DC on September 24th.

Here is tomorrow's info:
Time: 5:30pm Wednesday 8/31/05
Place: Austin City Hall Plaza
301 W. 2nd St.
Austin, Texas 78701
(park at the City Hall garage enter off Lavaca)

Also, starting this Thursday, former members of The Rag will be hosting a reunion weekend. The Rag was a student newspaper created in 1966 at UT-Austin. The main events this week include:

Backward Through the Fog - RAGfotos
Thursday, September 1st, 6-10 pm
The Old School, 1604 East 11th
with protest and labor songs led by
The Melancholy Ramblers

RAG Art Show
Friday, September 2nd, 7:09-10 pm
South Austin Museum of Popular Culture
1516-B South Lamar

Rag Mama Rag Concert
Saturday, September 3rd, 8-12 pm
Threadgill's World Headquarters Beer Garden
304 West Riverside, $5 cover

Ten Best Laws You Should Know About

By Phillip Martin

On Thursday, hundreds of new bills passed by the 79th State Legislature will be put on the books. This week, newspapers and TV stations will begin their run down of major legislation, mostly looking at worker's comp, public utilities, telecom reform, budget changes, and the lack of any school or tax bills.

Here is my list of ten bills I think are very important but probably won't get as much attention as they deserve (some will, but most won't). Be sure to check Pinkdome tomorrow morning, to see their list of the ten best bills.

Here's some of the best things the 79th Texas Legislature accomplished:

10. Learning Financial Skills in High School

Going into college, I barely knew how to write a check, let alone manage my finances. HB 492 by Rep. Woolley will change that, though, as it requires that high school students -- at some time in their education -- be taught personal financial skills. Whether you're figuring out how to put together enough money to pay the bills or how to save up for grad school, this bill should help all students early on in life.

9. Student Regents Legislation

I know this one has been covered a lot by our friends at the Daily Texan, but it is important to note that, with the passage of SB 34 by Sen. Zaffirini, state campuses must allow one student onto the Board of Regents. While the student cannot vote and cannot affect the quorum of the meeting, at least now we got a foot in the door.

8. No Viagra for Sex Offenders

A recent nationwide study reported that sex offenders around the country receive discounted prices on sexual enhancing drugs by purchasing them through state-sponsored Medicaid programs. Rep. Hopson put an amendment onto SB 1188 -- an all-encompassing Medicaid reform bill by Sen. Nelson -- to stop registered sex offenders from receiving state-sponsored erectile dysfunction drugs, thereby saving the state millions of dollars a year in health care costs.

7. Cleaner School Buses

Tail pipe exhaust can make the inside of school buses extremely hazardous for children going back and forth from school, especially students in rural areas.

HB 3469 by Rep. Hochberg aims to reduce the diesel exhaust emissions from school buses, a small, but important, action to keep the air clean and safe for Texas school children.

6. The Donor Education, Awareness, and Registry Program (DEAR)

According to the bill analysis for HB 120, a new person is added to a donor transplant waiting list every 13 minutes, and every day, 17 people die while waiting for an organ transplant. Currently, there is no statewide registry for organ donors.

HB 120 by Rep. Dawson establishes DEAR to make it easier for the state to track organ and tissue donors in Texas, in hopes of saving more lives.

5. Screening for Cervical Cancer

In Texas, the mortality rate for women with cervical cancer is 30% higher than the national average. HPV is an early indicator of cervical cancer, which is almost 100% preventable.

HB 1485 by Rep. Thompson requires that insured Texans have access to HPV screening with no deductibles or co-pays, in hopes of reducing the number of deaths caused by cervical cancer and improving the health of women across the state.

4. Improvement of Colonias

For those who don't know, colonias are extremely poor communities along the Texas border, many of which are without such basic services as plumbing and electricity.

HB 775 by Rep. Gonzales will ensure that ORCA grant money given to certain political subdivisions be set aside for installing street lights. SB 827 by Sen. Zaffirini and Sen. Ellis creates a statewide classification system to identify colonia areas and track the progress of state-funded projects in those areas. SB 1202 by Sen. Lucio and Sen. Ellis expands the number of people and projects that can coordinate to improve conditions in the colonias.

3 & 2. Better Care for Sexual Assault Victims & Survivors

Law enforcement agencies are not required to request a forensic medical examination for victims of sexual assault, supposedly because many people request examinations that were not assaulted. Forensic medical examinations can collect evidence concerning the assault, which can help both in curing the victim and catching the criminal.

HB 544 by Rep. Naishtat and Rep. McClendon states that any victim of a sexual assault that requests an examination within 96 hours of a sexual assault must receive the examination, unless the request comes from a person with repeated false claims and there is no evidence of assault.

Another bill I wanted to point out is HB 677 by Rep. Thompson, which is aimed at improving emergency room conditions for sexual assault survivors. It requires the state's department of health services to coordinate and implement uniform policies across all emergency service health care facilities, to ensure that any victim of sexual assault receives prompt, professional care and attention.

1. Meth Prevention

Five years ago, 1,821 people in Texas were treated for methamphetamine abuse. Last year, that number had jumped to over 11,000. The skyrocketing use of meth, especially in rural areas of the state, poses serious health and safety risks to local communities.

HB 164 by Rep. Berman and SB 66 by Sen. Nelson both create tougher drug laws to help reduce and prevent the manufacture and use of methamphetamine drugs.

Talking With The Chairman

By Damon McCullar

Howdy Folks! I'm starting a new segment here on BOR where I try to get answers to the concerns that I've seen in the comments regarding the Texas Democratic Party. I do this by interviewing the State Party Chairman, Charles Soechting. So read what Mr. Soechting has to say. Agree with it or not, but I ask everyone who comments to be civil in their remarks. By all means raise the issues that you care about in the comments as they will will serve as my basis for the next interview. Without further ado, my interview with the Texas State Democratic Party Chair, Mr. Charles Soechting.

The big news this week is that Ruben Hernandez has been named Texas Democratic Party Executive Director.

DCM: Tell us about yourself; tell us about your past, what you’ve done in the past, and what you’re doing now.

Soechting: I am 54 years old and I live in San Marcos, as ever generation of my family has for the last 5 generations (we’ve been here since the 1850’s) and I just think it’s one of those great opportunities to live where you want to live. I am married to Elizabeth. I was a single parent to a son, Charlie, who is now 28 and a lawyer in Dallas who just took the bar exam and has a legal internship in Dallas for a great Democratic law firm. I also have two darling daughters, Ashley and Caroline, ages 11 and 8, respectively. Background: It seems like I’ve been a lawyer forever, but I was actually 30 when I first starting practicing law. I’ve been a lawyer 24 years this year. I work for a firm called O’Quinn, Laminack and Pirtle, which is a big plus because it is one of the best Democratic law firms in the state. Before that, I was a solo practitioner for 20 years or so. Although a fair amount of my time was spent in Houston, I also tried lawsuits in San Marcos and Austin as well. In fact, when I was elected Chairman, the Republicans said that my election completed the buy out of the Texas Democratic Party by the trial lawyers and it has turned out that I actually have one of the toughest relationships with trial lawyers of any Chairman ever because by virtue of the very fact that I am a lawyer myself, both sides negotiate very hard on what we think is good for the Party. Before that, I was a Navel Officer and I had a commission as a JAG Officer while I was in law school, which is something we can probably leave out because, as I told you about the other day, it’s hard to explain that situation. But, to me, it was a great situation because I got the best of both worlds without having to be there for a long time like you were, but anyway, there was that. Then I was a State Trooper before law school and worked my way through law school as a Deputy Sheriff in the Court System of Houston. My other claim to fame is that probably I am one of the few ever State Chairs to have actually carried a Union Card. Immediately out of high school. I joined the Seafarer’s International Union and sailed on a merchant vessel for about 6 months. I learned that, while that was a good-paying job, it was better for me to go back and get my education at that point.

DCM: Alright. And now, you’re Chairman of the State Democratic Party. Tell us how that happened.

Soechting: Yeah, all the way from an engine room on the ST Avenger to being Chair of the Party. There are a lot of similarities to those two jobs, but anyway, Chair of the Democratic Party is a complex job. You are constantly working to better the Party and at the same time better the situations of all the different diverse interest groups in the Party. But, it’s a job that is easily done as long as someone understands that every interest group in our Democratic Party deserves to be heard and has a great wealth to bring to the Party as a whole. An average day in the life of a Chair is trying to determine where all I can go, where the Party’s resources are best spent, and working as I was just when this interview started with Representative Aaron Pena on trying to bring a caucus system back to Texas to increase the relevance of a huge state like Texas. We are huge in land size, number of people, and in diversity. Last Friday, I had lunch with Representative Alonzo and then today a conversation with Representative Pena working on just exactly how to make all of this happen. I’m proud to report that those two State Reps get it and that this could be something huge for Texas. I’m actually going to let them take the lead on that.

DCM: Alright. How long have you been in office now?

Soechting: Since October 25th of 2003.

DCM: So, what is the role of the Texas Democratic Party in politics in the state of Texas?

Soechting: Well, it depends on how active the Chairman chooses to be and how active Democratic office holders have been. My administration has been a different role for several reasons. For one, there are no statewide officeholders, and I hope to change that situation. The role of the State Democratic Party is to administer the primaries and that in and of itself is a huge task but we work very well with the Secretary of State’s office in doing that. We also convene the biannual state convention and adopt Party rules, platforms and resolutions. For instance, I was talking to someone from Senator Feingold’s office today about him coming to Texas and they were telling me that the State of Massachusetts has not had a convention in either 8 or 18 years—I’d have to find my notes to remember which one—but we have a great convention here, and it appears that we are on track to have the largest state convention in 2006. Our convention last year was roughly 10,000 in attendance. Only one other state contends to have that many people and they have 8,000. So, we’re gearing up for that and we’re going to make it a success story because we’re going to have John Edwards, Wes Clark (who have already committed), Senator Hillary Clinton is thinking about it, another invitation has gone out to Bill Clinton so it would be interesting to get two Clintons there at once.

DCM: So basically, the Party’s responsibility is for primary races and the State Convention?

Soechting: Well, you know, your responsibilities are as much as you’ll let them be. We have undertaken candidate recruitment, candidate training schools, grassroots training, hiring a political director and field organizers, working with the Democratic National Committee to see that proper organization goes on around the state so, yeah, our statutory duties are few. Our actual responsibilities are many. You can be as lazy in this job as you want to be and thankfully, we have a staff that is neither lazy by nature nor content to be that way. We have a very hardworking and good staff.

DCM: Tell me more about the staff. What kind of positions do you guys have?

Soechting: Well, currently, Political Director, Executive Director, which I call the Chief of Staff, which it all means the same, but that is the person who is responsible for administering the day to day operations of the Party. Tell me, when do you think this interview is going to go online?

DCM: Oh, I want to get it up as soon as possible.
Soechting: Well, the reason I say this is that we are going to announce a change in the next two or three days so why don’t we let it be that you get the first. The new ED is going to Ruben Hernandez. He comes to us from a great background with Congressman Frost and SEIU, which is a labor union. It’s going to be a big change and it’s going to be a great opportunity for this Party to move forward. Under Mike Lavigne, the current ED, we’ve already moved as far as our relations with the State House goes to a point where it is just truly awesome to see the relationships there. Mike has done a great job interacting with the press and so I think people have a very positive perception of the Texas Democratic Party. And we had some rebuilding to do when I was first elected. It was the year that the State Reps had gone to Ardmore and for whatever reasons; I cannot imagine how everyone would not understand how good a thing that was. Some people did not appreciate that so I think we’ve done a great job showing the people in the state of Texas that was not only a smart move, it was a courageous move. So, then you have the Political Director, who essentially works with the SDEC, the County Chairs—everywhere from the Precinct Chairs to the State Chair and there are a lot of people in between there. Then you have the field organizers who work under the direction of the Political Director and right now, it is small, but that staff will be increasing with our DNC hires in the next several weeks. Of course, there is no idea yet who those hires are going to be. We are actively soliciting resumes from around the state so we should be hoping to start evaluating those hires pretty soon. Our greatest emphasis must be paid to the Hispanic Community because it is the one community that has had the least attention paid to it and so I’ll be talking to a special committee that I’ll put together just for that purpose—to see what it is we need, where it is we need it, and then we’ll sit down and figure out who it is that will be working on that.

DCM: Can you speak more about the new DNC hires? What role will they have in the State Party?

Soechting: Well, they will be field organizers, and that means that they will be working in the field organizing grassroots efforts, campaigns, etc. They are going to be invaluable at working in areas that have not seen on-the-ground Democratic operatives in a while.

DCM: And can you tell me where they will be active? What areas will they be in?

Soechting: You can expect that you are going to see special attention paid to any Hispanic area with great attention being paid to the valley, a lot of attention being paid to inner-city El Paso, everywhere from El Paso to Houston. And, of course, we have large interest in Dallas County as well and even in rural areas in places like Walker County we have pockets of Hispanics, so we’re going to be working where we need to work. But you can expect the greatest attention to be paid along the river from El Paso to Brownsville. Or Boca Chica. You know where Boca Chica is, don’t you?

DCM: I have no idea.

Soechting: It’s on the very, very tip right as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

DCM: Are there any other offices in the Texas State Party that you’d like to talk about?

Soechting: Yeah. We have my Executive Assistant, which is April Larsh, who probably does as much as anyone in this Party trying to make sure that we all go in the right direction at the right time for the right reasons. She’s been an invaluable hire. She just learned she’s expecting a baby and so we’re going to try to figure out how to work that in—there should be one more Democrat on the ground here soon. Then we have Shelley Smith and Evan Hicks who work finance for the Party who have more work than they can possibly say grace over, but we hope to have a new fundraising component coming online shortly and that will do a lot toward making their life unbearable because it’ll be more work than they already have (and I’m laughing when I say that, but it’s good for the Party when they are really, really busy!)

DCM: Some folks have criticized the State Party over the current level of funding. Can you speak to that at all?

Soechting: You know, I think it’s natural to criticize, especially when you don’t have a real good grasp for what’s going on, but the dynamics of funding have changed since McCain/Feingold and for those that don’t understand that and don’t see those change that would be a natural criticism. But, if you understand the realities of how campaign finance laws have changed, you understand that we are probably in better shape than we are in right now. But, no, funding is slow, absolutely. But a lot of the people that do some of the criticizing would be helpful if they would do some of the work to help resolve that problem. They can donate, come in and volunteer, etc. It’s easy to criticize and it’s easy to be frustrated, but for these folks, if they would come down and see how we make-do on the resources that we have, I think most people would be very impressed to see that we do as well as we do. The thing is, when I assumed the Chairmanship, this was a Party that had not had much success at winning races. That was not because of any current Chair, but it was because of the current state of politics in Texas. I think we’ve done a good job driving the information to show that the change was not good for people and people are starting to understand it. I mean, if you can’t find a farmer in El Campo hardly that claims he voted for Rick Perry, you can’t find a guy that works in the shops in the Houston that claims he’s a Republican anymore. You can’t find people standing in gas lines that say that they’re happy with George Bush and the price of gas, so I think there’s a lot of things that are going to start turning our way that just took a while for people to be screwed long enough. I’ll be the first to admit that George Bush will smile at you and screw you quicker than anyone who has probably held a public office anywhere, but he does it very effectively. Rick Perry made people think he cared about kids and education and school teachers. I sure like Lon Burnham. I sure like when he sent a strong message by refusing to cote for Tom Craddick, and I think all of those others that joined him this time sent a strong message and I hope that next time it’s an even stronger message.

DCM: Speaking of that, we just finished up our second special session of the summer, and there wasn’t anything accomplished as far as education and finance goes…

Soechting: There was nothing special as it relates to education in this special session. The telecom industry did well, which maybe they needed that relief, but kids needed to have some answers to the education plan in Texas.

DCM: Yeah, I’ve had some of our readers criticize the State Democrats as being obstructionists and not getting anything accomplished and not being willing to accomplish anything on school finances. Do you have anything to say to those folks?

Soechting: Sure, tell them they’re Republicans and it’s good to see that they’re reading a good Democratic blog because maybe they’ll figure out sooner or later that the Democrats are looking out for them. I don’t think any Democrat would say that.

DCM: Can you talk to us about the Hochberg amendment?

Soechting: Well, yes. What do you want to talk about on it?

DCM: Well, you know, basically…

Soechting: Well, what Scott called for was level of funding that would help bring Texas more into step with the rest of the nation. Yes, it was going to take some big commitment out of legislators to raise taxes in this state, but what Scott was, I think saying at first is, “Let’s see what our level of commitment is to education.” And then, of course, once you show that you have the level of commitment, you can sit down and figure a way to pay for it. Is it going to cost some? Yeah, but you know what? The way that Tom Craddick and Rick Perry had this education bill set up…The taxes for the rich in this state went down and the taxes on the poorest people went up and that’s not right.

DCM: Well, school is starting for me in a couple of days here at the University of Texas and fortunately for me, my tuition is taken care of, but it’s awfully expensive these days. Do you know how much it is?

Soechting: I was shocked to learn today when talking to one of our employees at the Party.

DCM: Why was that?

Soechting: The cost of tuition is outrageous. It’s criminal. It’s unbelievable that anyone in the legislature or in the public universities would have let something come to this point. I’m of course one of those liberals who thinks a public education ought to be free to whomever wants it and especially if they can’t afford it, but when I learned when talking to my staffer that his was going to be $ 3,800.00. .

Soechting: There is going to have to be a commitment from the legislature that they are going to take back the reigns of this tuition deregulation and get it back to where people can afford it. Period. Giving it to public education and telling them that they can charge whatever they think is fair…that was just an avocation of its role. They just flat said, “We don’t want to deal with this—you handle it.”

A Breakthrough Ad

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Thank to PinkDome for bringing this to our attention, but for progressives and the GLBT community, this ad by candidate Brian Ellner for Manhattan Borough President is really powerful. Take a look.

Here's a listing of all the candidates and some background on this wide open race.

Rural Superintendent Speaks Out

By Phillip Martin

In an article titled "Who's to Blame for the in the Legislature's Failure" in the Jacksonville Daily Progress, Dr. James Largent, the superintendent for Rusk ISD in East Texas, asks why legislators like Speaker Craddick and Rep. Berman continue to blame educators for the failure of the Texas Legislature to pass any school reform bills. Some highlights:

Regarding the failure of the Legislature to pass anything - the last time I looked, educators didn't have a vote on the floor of the capitol. If we did, we would have voted for the Hochberg amendment, or the Eltife/Ellis plan. While neither was perfect, they would have been beneficial to ALL students and educators in our great State, instead of providing unfair benefits to a few districts and adding millions of dollars of unfunded mandates as HB2 would have done.

Dr. Largent goes on to discuss the accountability he already faces:

We have TAKS tests, SDAA I and II tests, Performance Based Monitoring, Transportation and Food Service audits, TPRI results, LPAC's, ARD's, LEP's, IEP's, AEP's, PEIMS reporting and many more state and federal programs that we must account for on a daily basis. In addition, we receive the Financial Integrity ratings and our yearly financial audit. And some in the legislature say all we want is more money with NO ACCOUNTABILITY? That is a ludicrous statement made by people who obviously do not know or care what we do on a daily basis.

While Mr. Berman and others were calling for "education reform" we all watched as they introduced (once again) vouchers, a cap on recapture (to allow already wealthy districts to retain more dollars and widen the funding gap between rich and poor school districts), a later school start date and November elections for school board members. These are just some of the "reforms" they proposed, none of which has anything to do with helping educators teach students...

In the end, legislators like Craddick and Berman led the way in denying educators a much deserved raise, watered down the teacher retirement system, and then as a final farewell, gave all educators a kick in the teeth by blaming us for the failure of the legislature to act, while at the same time giving themselves a nice pension increase.

Add this to the list of rural and conservative voices speaking out against the failure of the Republican leadership to lead.

*from the Jacksonville Daily Progress*

Who's to blame for the Legislature's failure?

By Dr. James Largent - RISD Superintendent

I have remained silent as I have seen several articles lately in which Speaker Craddick and locally, Representative Berman of Tyler, blamed the Legislature's failures on educators. After seeing the ad Mr. Berman ran in the Tyler paper last week once again blasting educators, I just could not remain silent any longer.

Regarding the failure of the Legislature to pass anything - the last time I looked, educators didn't have a vote on the floor of the capitol. If we did, we would have voted for the Hochberg amendment, or the Eltife/Ellis plan. While neither was perfect, they would have been beneficial to ALL students and educators in our great State, instead of providing unfair benefits to a few districts and adding millions of dollars of unfunded mandates as HB2 would have done.

While some misguided and misled legislators were calling for more accountability, our staff was going through the mounds of paperwork and test results from the 48 tests we are required to administer to our students. These data are broken down by grade level, subject area, learning objective, ethnicity, economic level, etc., and we must "hit the mark" in ALL areas or else we are deemed failures by people like Mr. Berman.

Two weeks later, we got another report letting us know whether or not we made "Adequate Yearly Progress" as part of the No Child Left Behind project...again, more mounds of data to digest and more plans to produce to address areas of concern. We have TAKS tests, SDAA I and II tests, Performance Based Monitoring, Transportation and Food Service audits, TPRI results, LPAC's, ARD's, LEP's, IEP's, AEP's, PEIMS reporting and many more state and federal programs that we must account for on a daily basis. In addition, we receive the Financial Integrity ratings and our yearly financial audit. And some in the legislature say all we want is more money with NO ACCOUNTABILITY? That is a ludicrous statement made by people who obviously do not know or care what we do on a daily basis.

While Mr. Berman and others were calling for "education reform" we all watched as they introduced (once again) vouchers, a cap on recapture (to allow already wealthy districts to retain more dollars and widen the funding gap between rich and poor school districts), a later school start date and November elections for school board members. These are just some of the "reforms" they proposed, none of which has anything to do with helping educators teach students. This is in addition to our testing program that has gone from TEAMS to TAAS and now TAKS, and every time schools across the state show that we can meet the expectations, the bar gets raised and a new series of tests are developed along with a new series of unfunded mandates. It appears that the current leadership in Austin wants us to fail so they can demand more "reforms" and "accountability." Most of them having nothing to do with helping public school students, but more to do with advancing the political agendas of their wealthy campaign contributors.

On the other side of the coin is the so-called property tax reduction. The plan would have lowered property taxes, but it raised sales taxes and increased fees on such things as car purchases and household goods. Unless you make over $140,000 you would have seen a net increase in what you currently pay in taxes and fees. This doesn't sound like a tax reduction to me. Provisions to add a payroll tax to businesses and end loopholes in the tax law that give huge benefits for many companies were defeated by those lobbies and taken out of the bill, while a payroll tax on schools to supplement TRS Care remains.

In the end, legislators like Craddick and Berman led the way in denying educators a much deserved raise, watered down the teacher retirement system, and then as a final farewell, gave all educators a kick in the teeth by blaming us for the failure of the legislature to act, while at the same time giving themselves a nice pension increase.

I have a suggestion for these legislators. The next time you are called into session, why don't you actually listen to people who have dedicated their lives to educating children. Those of us who are in schools every day and work directly with students might have a little insight on what could be done to make our schools better. Instead of bashing us every chance you get and blaming us for your failures, why not work with us to write a bill that is good for ALL the children in Texas? How about a new "reform" that recognizes the importance of public education and provides equitable funding and resources to actually pay for the high expectations and standards you demand?

I am proud to say that Representative Hopson and Senators Eltife and Staples listened and sponsored bills and amendments to help all children. Unfortunately they could not counter the stronghold the leadership had on many legislators like Mr. Berman, which resulted in yet another failure of the legislature to pass a school finance bill.

Intern Opportunity with the Diane Henson Campaign

By Damon McCullar

Diane Henson is running for the Texas Court of Appeals place three. She's looking for an intern. If anyone is interested, email your resume to her.

Flynn May Have GOP Opponent In HD 2

By Vince Leibowitz

State Representative Dan Flynn (R-Van), may have a Republican Primary opponent next year.

According to sources within the Republican Party of Van Zandt County, Flynn may be opposed by Charles S. "Chuck" Tull, Jr., current President of the Edgewood Independent School District Board of Trustees, and son of former Grand Saline Police Chief C. Stanley Tull, Sr.

Flynn, who won unopposed—in both his Party Primary and in the general election in 2004—defeated former Greenville Mayor Sue Ann Harting and Rains ISD Trustee (and former justice of the peace) Mickey Cooper in the 2002 GOP Primary after an expensive and bitter battle.

Flynn, who is heavily backed by his party's far-right-wing, including millionaire tort reform/voucher advocate James Leininger, is considered to have a lock on next year's GOP Primary. According to January semi-annual Texas Ethics Commission reports, Flynn had about $21,000 in cash on hand in his campaign account. Subsequent reports indicate Flynn's campaign also carries around $13,000 in debt.

Hays County Dems LBJ Birthday Picnic

By Damon McCullar

Well, I just got back from The Salt Lick. Man am I stuffed. I've not eaten so good since the last time I was there for Katie's B-day party.

The Hays County Dems LBJ Picnic has been going on for over 17 years. Today's crowd was about 200 folks. Among the speakers were Gary Mauro, former Land Commissioner and 1998 candidate for Governor; Chris Bell, current candidate for Governor; Glen Maxey, former Texas Rep and campaign manager for No Nonsense in November. The State Chairman, Charles Soechting welcomed everyone to the event. He told us of how Hays county was the top performing county in getting the most Democrats to the polls and how they won 5 out of 6 contested seats in Hays county in the 2004 election.

Cactus Pryor, formerly of KLBJ regaled us with stories of an era past. He told us several antedotes of his years working with the Johnson family, all of them humorous.

Then there was the food! If you haven't eaten at The Salt Lick, you've not had great BBQ. I recommend it to everyone before they leave Texas.

Then came the candidates. We heard from John Courage, Diane Henson, Judge Jim Coronado, and Mina Brees. All of the last three are running for the Texas Court of Appeals.

The most interesting thing I saw there was the battle for CD 28. Henry Cuellar has three primary oppoents. They include Richard Raymond of the 42nd District, and former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez . I hadn't been paying attention in CD 28 but looks like there will be a highly contested race in that district. Look for these individuals to be added to my growing list of candidates for 2006 next week.

Finally, I found out that the San Marcos Area Democrats have just launched a site at www.smad.org. The host of the party, Hays County Democrats has a web site at www.hayscountydemocrats.org. The Democrats in Wimberly boast the largest Democratic group in Hays county and you can find them at www.wimdems.org.

It Comes... Go Now

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

If you are anyone you know is near New Orleans or the coast where Hurrican Katrina (now Category 5) will hit tomorrow, get on the phone and tell them to get suppied and get out of the area now.

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared a state of emergency on Sunday and ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city as potentially catastrophic Hurricane Katrina churned toward the city with maximum sustained winds near 175 mph.

All of Orleans Parish falls under the order except for necessary personnel in government, emergency and some other public service categories.

People who are unable to evacuate were told to immediately report to a designated shelter.

"I wish I had better news for you, but we are facing a storm that most of us have feared," Nagin said. "I do not want to create panic, but I do want the citizens to understand that this is very serious and it's of the highest nature."

Only three other Category 5's have made landfall. The Labor Day Hurrican in 1935, 1969's Hurricane Camille and Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the Miami area back in 1992.

So let your friends and family know this is totally serious and they should make plans to head on out, most all interstates are outbound. I fear the worst-case though for residents sake (as well as those associated with the Gulf Oil Industry...

In worst-case scenarios, most of New Orleans would end up under 15 feet of water, without electricity, clean water and sewage for months. Even pumping the water out could take as long as four months to get started because the massive pumps that would do the job would be underwater.

"People in New Orleans tend to think that the storm we've always planned on would never come," Louisiana National Guard Lt. Col. Pete Schneider said. "But people need to heed that warning."

Rappaport cautioned that New Orleans was not the only area threatened -- the storm's hurricane winds spread out as far as 100 miles. As far east as Mobile, Alabama, forecasters warned of storm surges reaching 8 to 10 feet.

Of course, it would be great if more of Louisiana's National Guard and Reserve were available to help with evacuation and protecting the city and its possibly overpowered levee system, but a large number of them have been called up to Iraq. And of those, the state is tied with New York in the number of servicemembers lost- 23, with all but one of those coming in the last 8 months.

Unfortunately, the citizens of the state of Louisiana are about to face the full force of Katrina without the benefit many of their National Guard troops to protect them. Maybe some of the 1500 pro-Boondoggle protestors out in Crawford today can caravan over to New Orleans to take their place.

Hank Gilbert for Ag Commissioner

By Damon McCullar

I didn't get to attend the Rural Texas Democrats Summit this weekend. Events here in Austin kept me close to campus, but the Tyler Morning Telegraph has a wrap up on it. Featured in the article is Chris Bell, Democratic candidate for Governor, but the thing that I found most interesting is that we now have a candidate for Ag Commissioner. The last paragraph of the article says:

Several other Democratic candidates were present for the convention, including David Van Os, who is running for attorney general, and Hank Gilbert, candidate for agricultural commissioner.

I know very little about Hank Gilbert, other than the fact that I met him at the SDEC Meeting here in Austin and at the time he told me he was only considering a run for Ag Commish. If anyone has any contact info for Hank Gilbert, please shoot me an email. Vince, I hope you have a report to file on the Rural Democrats Summit.

I'm heading to the LBJ Birthday Picnic at The Salt Lick this afternoon. I understand that Felix Alvarado and Maria Alvarado, candidates for Governor, and Lt. Governor respectively will be in attendance. I am looking forward to meeting them both. Chris Bell, John Courage, David Van Os and many of the 2006 field of candidates will be at the event this afternoon. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll run into Hank. If you've not got anything to do this afternoon, head on down to The Salt Lick, tickets to the picnic are $20 at the door.

A Walk With Andy

By Katie Naranjo

For those of you who haven’t seen Andy Brown on the weekends lately it is because he has been walking the neighborhoods of HD 48 meeting with voters. His early start has given him name recognition and happy salutations when knocking on doors.

Thus far the statistics stand: 3 months of walking and over 1,000 doors knocked on

The results: 330 supporters on his website (many notable names), over 60,000 in donations (without even a fundraiser) and bunches of bumpers stickers and literature handed out.

The Bio: Andy is the former campaign manager for Lloyd Doggett and is currently working in litigation over intellectual property rights. He has clerked for a federal judge and worked for Pete Laney when he was Speaker of the House. His resume is a mile long and very impressive considering he is a young democrat at the ripe age of 32. His hobbies are Taekwondo competitions (he is a black belt) and working pro bono on immigration cases. He is hardworking, experienced, intellectual, and charming, yet very humble in his mannerisms which create an appeal as a candidate.

HD 48: The history of the district is becoming positive for Democrats, with HD 48 races being so close that Kelly White lost by 147 votes in the 2004 election. Andy expressed optimism about HD 48, when discussing voters who will be voting democrat in November as a result of the Republican administration’s inability to resolve the education finance problem. For Andy, education is much more then a committee and problem to be resolved, but rather an issue he concentrates on because, “education is what separates America from 3rd world countries.”

The opponent: Todd Baxter (Republican) is the current representative of HD 48 and has been linked to accepting large corporate contributions during his 2004 race against Kelly White. He voted to kick 250,000 children off of CHIPS program in 2001 (the kids have not been allowed back on to this date) and supported vouchers for private schools. Todd is a classic representation of corporate interests over constituent interests.

Andy on the issues: Q. How would you tackle education finance?
We first need to assess the areas where funding is needed and what programs need monetary compensation and then subsidize the programs up to 60% of the budgeted cost. Currently the state pays for 35% of the schools costs for educational programs, where as in the 70’s the state paid for 60% of the cost. The increase of state compensation will keep local taxes in the districts and overall enhance the educational institutions of Texas.

How will you work to improve ethics on the state level?
I will work for campaign finance reform in the state of Texas. Currently there is a corporate run legislature because there aren’t limits on contributions from PACs and corporate PACs in state races. Limiting contributions from PACs will ensure that the interests of the district are not lost at the capitol.

Andy’s style when approaching voters is laid back and very conversational. The usual protocol follows and general introduction and then an inquiry about specific issues constituents want addressed. The reason for the inquiry is not the usual political rhetoric, but rather an interaction Andy hopes will aid him in representing his district rather then corporate interests. When asked why he is running Andy refers to his roots in the district as a graduate from McCallum high school and long time Austinite. He takes pride in his district, but has been becoming more upset with the lack of representation in his state representative Todd Baxter.

For more information about Andy, his accomplishments and goals for Texas visit www.voteandy.com

Conservative Voices Rally Against Leadership

By Phillip Martin

It's been a week since the end of the Second Special Session, and while the Leadership is pointing fingers at each other, there's a whole lot of conservative voices pointing at them. Here's a look at what some newspapers are saying:

Houston Chronicle: An absolute must-read, former Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff -- considered to be one of the best legislators this state has ever seen -- states in an interview that the problem isn't with Robin Hood: "What's wrong is that today the state is paying only 37 percent of public education costs. It may be even lower. If the state were paying near 50 percent, there wouldn't be a crisis."

Tyler Morning Telegraph: Refuting many conservatives' claims that we should blame the education lobby, this editorial states that, "There is no question that lobbyists and lobbying groups can put a lot of pressure on individual legislators...But in the end, only members of the House or Senate have a vote, and that is where the ultimate responsibility lies."

Bryan-College Station Eagle: Want to know what those folks near Texas A&M thought about the leadership refusing to work with anyone on the education bill? Their editorial reads, "Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst decided to keep trying, but at some $60,000 a day in costs to taxpayers, we have to wonder if it was worth it."

Wichita Times Record News: (Registration required). An editorial titled "ripping off students" chronicles how Perry's latest PR stunt and failure to fund textbooks for classrooms adds the word "dishonesty...to the long list of other words that could be used to describe our House and Senate leadership, another of which is incompetence." Even Wichita knows that this was the leadership, and not the Legislature, that screwed this up.

That's what conservative voices are saying about the Republican (lack of) leadership. And I'll bet you guys thought I was harsh.

Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls This Week

By Damon McCullar

TGIF folks! It's time for this week's installment of Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls! This post has gotten long due to the number of candidates in the field. Use the extended entry to see what's going on this week and who is running for what! If anyone has any leads on candidates or knows of someone I'm leaving out, please email me or leave a comment.

Chris Bell
Chris Bell is a former US Congressman who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor.

8/27/2005: Chris will be traveling to East Texas in late August to address the Rural Texas Democratic Summit. The Rural Summit starts on Friday evening with a Blue Ribbon Ball, and then on Saturday there's a full day of meetings, workshops, and exciting guest speakers. Chris will be addressing the gathering on Saturday morning. The Rural Summit is being held at the Ramada Inn in Tyler. Regristration for the conference is $25 per person, and space is limited so register today! Register by phone at 903-530-5157 or by email at etdemsummit@hotmail.com.

8/28/2005: Chris is proud to be joining Hays County Democrats on Sunday, August 28th as they hold their annual LBJ Birthday Party celebration at the world-famous Salt Lick BBQ restaurant in Driftwood. Check out the HCDP website for all the details. See you there!

9/5/2005: Chris will be the featured speaker at the Senate District 24 Democratic Labor Day Picnic in Lampasas. The picnic starts at 11:30 AM at Hancock Park on Rt. 281, and Chris will be speaking around 1 PM. Come on out and spend your Labor Day with other Hill Country Dems! You'll have a chance to meet Chris and hear him talk about his plans for the campaign ahead. Don't miss out on the fun!

Felix Alvarado
Felix Alvarado is seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor.

Maria Alvarado is running for Lt. Governor.

David Van Os
David Van Os is running for Attorney General. Check out his new website.

8/26-27: Rural Democratic Summit, Tyler
9/3/2005: North East Bexar County Democrats, San Antonio. David will be one of the Guest Speakers
9/5/2005 Labor Day Democratic Picnic, Lampasas. David will be one of the guest speakers.

Barbara Radnofsky
Barbara is running for Senate against Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, fresh from a tour of El Paso and Lubbock, traveled to the Hill Country on Thursday, August 25th. She held an interview with Greg Shrader, Editor and Publisher of the Kerrville Daily Times and Gerard MacCrossan, Assistant Managing Editor, and toured Mooney Aircraft Company, an important Hill Country business located in Kerrville. She was met by BOR’s Karl-Thomas Musselman and his parents, Fredericksburg City Councilman Tom Musselman and Kelley Musselman, and attended a reception hosted by Gillespie County Democrats. In addition to speaking with Fredericksburg residents at the reception about critical issues facing Texans and in particular Hill Country residents, and with Tom, who teaches government and history at Fredericksburg High School, about education issues, Barbara and Kelley shared thoughts about how each could avoid the motherly instinct to clean their son’s college dorm rooms – Karl-Thomas and Max are safe for now! After the reception, Barbara and Ed returned to the Hanger Hotel and spent the rest of the evening strolling through the Gillespie County Fairgrounds.

Friday, August 26, 2005, Barbara will ride in the Gillespie County Parade in Fredericksburg at 10:00 a.m. She will attend the Gillespie County Fair at noon. Barbara will tour the important Kerrville Veteran’s Hospital at 3:00. At sundown, Barbara and her husband, Ed Supkis, will attend a private Shabbat service for members of her faith from across the Hill Country hosted by Kerrville resident Nancy Banks.

On Saturday August 27th, Barbara will attend a luncheon hosted by the Kerrville chapter of Texas Democratic Women from 11:00 to 12:30 at the Riverhill Country Club, 100 Riverhill Club Lane, Kerrville, Texas 78028. At 1:00, Barbara will attend a reception hosted by Kerrville TDW, Kerr County Democrats and Schreiner University Young Democrats at Schreiner University. Theater, 2100 Memorial Blvd, Kerrville, Texas 78028.

On Sunday August 28th, Field Director Robert Andrews of Austin will be representing Barbara at the LBJ Birthday Party held by the Hays County Democrats at the Salt Lick Pavilion in Driftwood, Texas, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Charlie Thompson
Charlie is a retired Naval Flight Officer exploring a run for Congress in CD-5

David Harris
David Harris is running for Congress in CD-06.

David Harris will be attending the UAW march on Joe Bartons's office on August 31st, at 4 PM in Arlington to support their effort to protest attacks against Social Security and soaring gasoline prices. Everyone interested is encouraged to attend.

On September 2nd, David will be attending petition signing events in Waxahachie, Corsicana and Centerville, ending in Houston for radio and press events. (Anyone interested in assisting in the south county events, please email Michelle at FM2DC@aol.com or call 817-706-2521)

The family will take a well deserved break from the madness to celebrate the Labor Day holiday in Galveston with friends.

Shane Sklar
Shane Sklar is running for Congress in CD-14.

John Courage
John Courage is running for Congress in the CD-21.

On Friday August 26th at 7:00 PM in San Antonio, John will be participating in the Platica with Suzanne Pharr. Participants will discuss the role of racism, sexism, and homophobia in right-wing political organizing. The event will be at Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 922 San Pedro [near SAC @ Evergreen].

On Saturday August 27th in Crawford, John will be making a bus trip to Camp Casey in Crawford with a group of San Antonio Democrats and Activists to show his solidarity with Cindy Casey and the other Gold Star mothers. John Courage, a former member of the US Air Force, has been a long time opponent to the Iraq War.

On Sunday August 28th from 3:00 to 6:00PM in Driftwood, John will be participating in the Hays County annual LBJ Birthday Celebration and Fundraiser. The locations will be at The Saltlick BBQ Pavillion in Driftwood.

On Monday August 29th at 6:00PM in San Antonio, John will speak at the San Antonio Democratic League Meeting. The meeting will be held at The Picante Grill (on Broadway across from the Witte Museum).

Nick Lampson
Nick Lampson is running against Tom DeLay for Congress in CD-22.

Mary-Beth Harrell
Mary-Beth Harrell is running for Congress in the CD-31.

Andy Brown
Andy Brown is seeking the nomination for State Representative in District 48.

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.

Donna Howard
Donna Howard is seeking the nomination for State Representative in District 48.

Dan Barrett
Dan is runing for State Representative in District 97.

Diane Henson
Diane is running for the 3rd Court of Appeals

Charles Baird
Charles is running for the 299th district court here in Austin. Let's get behind him and Keep Austin Blue.

Desis For Texas Endorses Chris Bell for Governor

By Damon McCullar

Desis For Texas, a South Asian PAC, has endorsed Chris Bell for Governor.

Since I've been in Houston, Congressman Bell has been a voice of responsibility, prudence and good sense. I remember watching the news when I first went to college, and seeing him campaign for the City Council elections. Right there, in that first bid for public service, were the seeds of what grew into his political ethos. He was telling Houstonians about how their government needed to be more efficient, more transparent, more honest about how they were spending the tax revenues and more accountable to the people. He demonstrated that we could have a better, stronger and more progressive city government without having to raise taxes, and in fact, by cutting them. He also authored legislation that made it more difficult for former municipal employees and servants to parlay their service into lucrative lobbying contracts, lining their pockets with monies exacted from hard-working Houstonians. I had never seen a politician talk that talk, much less walk that walk. At the time, I was just beginning to question my involvement in the Republican party, and I remember thinking that if this is what Democrats were like, perhaps I should switch parties.

To read the entire endorsement, check out the Chris Bell Blog.

Donna Howard- HD 48- Hat in the Ring

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

It's official. From the press release...

DONNA HOWARD TO RUN FOR TEXAS HOUSE 'DO-NOTHING' LEGISLATURE NEEDS 'CAN-DO' SPIRIT

(AUSTIN) -- Austin public education advocate Donna Howard today confirmed reports that she is planning to run for Texas House District 48 and will formally announce her campaign next month.

"This "do-nothing" Legislature has let our public schools slip to the brink of bankruptcy," Howard said. "I will be offering voters a "can-do" spirit to solve the real problems our communities face."

A former Eanes ISD board member, Howard was born and raised in Austin, graduated from Reagan High, and has spent her adult life working to help strengthen the community. She was a co-founder of Advocates for Eanes Schools, a parent organization that monitors the activities of the school board, and helped start the Texas Education Crisis Coalition, a grassroots group of parents and community leaders.

Certified as a Master School Trustee by the Texas Association of School Boards, Howard has previously run as a Democratic candidate for the State Board of Education.

"Partisanship and special-interest pandering aren¹t getting the job done," Howard said. "I will push for a united effort across party lines and ideologies to fix our public schools."

Howard earned a bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's in health education, both from the University of Texas. She has worked as a critical care nurse at Brackenridge and Seton hospitals, served as the first hospital-based Patient Education Coordinator in Austin history, and helped get the Seton Good Health School off the ground. She has also been president of the Texas Nurses' Association (District 5) and a Health Education instructor at UT.

Married to Austin attorney Derek Howard, the couple has three children, all educated in Austin public schools. Howard and her family are active in their neighborhood and in their church, where she has served on the board.

So it will be a primary between Donna Howard and Andy Brown (assuming no one else jumps in). I've been impressed with both candidates though Donna holds a special place for me as she was one of the candidates that was running in a SBOE District that included Fredericksburg four years ago when I came politically aware and active with the first John Courage campaign. My only hope is that this will primary will raise awareness of our candidate in HD 48, battle test them, and will be one that's clean and not down on the level of Rick v. Carol.

Kinky Spam

By Damon McCullar

If nothing else, it's cool to have Kinky running for governor for all the play on words that can be created. Seriously though, earlier today on Perry Vs World there was a spam attack that kept posting comments from seemingly different folks and they all had the same content: "www.kinkyfriedman.com". While I'm inclined to think this was the work of some overzealous supporter with some net knowledge, Kuff makes a good point about the future of the blog and bloggers:

I'm sure it's just a fluke, but the thought has occurred to me that this sort of thing could be a tempting dirty trick for some upcoming Karl Rove wannabe. Spam a bunch of blogs with an opponent's campaign URL so that the blog owners ban the URL and bitch about it to their audiences, thus not only generating a lot of badwill for your enemy among some opinion leaders, but maybe even getting some regular press coverage out of it just for the sheer novelty factor. It shouldn't be too hard to cover your tracks - I'm pretty sure the originating IP address for comments can be spoofed.

We've also had that kind of problem here at BOR with "Kinky" folks commenting with different "names" but all of the comments coming from the same IP address, although our comments like that have been more "human".

When I started blogging, I looked forward to having the power to spur debate amongst a common audience, but more and more the audience is becoming polluted with people that distort the debate for their own purposes instead of people that are content to bring their unique prospective to the debate. Blogs grew because the "Crossfire-ization" of cable news left a vacuum for honest debate. If we're not careful and can't find ways to police ourselves against these kinds of manipulation, the voice of honest debate will once again be lost and, barring the advent of another communications medium, could be lost altogether.

The Rumors of Summer

By Phillip Martin

I'm not one to indulge rumors that much, but our friends at Pinkdome have pieced together a set of tea leaves that peaked my interest.

Seems Paul Burka of Texas Monthly, Mike Hailey of Capitol Inside, and Ross Ramsey of Texas Weekly have all made mention of a possible swell to replace Speaker Craddick come January 200