As the GOP Presidential primary continues, the amount of Tea Party infused, economic Dogma that is mandatory for GOP candidates to accept, but that is wholly unrelated to economic reality, continues to grow like Pinocchio's nose. In saving Capitalism Part 2, we discussed how the Stimulus actually worked and saved between 2-3 million jobs.
This week, we will discuss how TARP and the bailouts of GM, Chrysler, and AIG, literally saved American Capitalism as we know it, prevented the loss of over 1 million jobs, stopped a depression from occurring, and since the loans are being repaid with interest, will make the taxpayers a profit.
In this entire Light of Truth series, my goal is to frame good economic policy in accordance with Mainstream Capitalism, not by the current misguided notions of Tea Party driven Laissez Faire Capitalist Dogma. Mainstream Capitalism is defined by what works in the real world, not by what is good dogma. GOP Dogma today is that Capitalism is always good. Therefore, any government interference with Capitalism is bad. The historical reality is quite different. Smart government actions can save jobs, save industries, and if done properly make taxpayers a return on investment.
Recent GOP Statements Against Bailouts
Mitt Romney: "They [GM/Chrysler] needed to move into a managed bankruptcy process rather than getting money up front by President Bush or President Obama. They wasted a lot of money."
All 8 GOP Candidates at recent debate: Answered in the negative "Is there anyone here who, given that prospect, and President Bush started the program, given that prospect, anyone here who would have stepped in and said, 'I don't want to do this, but this is the backbone of American manufacturing, I'll do something?'"
L.A. Times: AIG on schedule to repay all loans with a profit for taxpayers.
Capitalism is Not Divine; Government Intervention is a Part of Mainstream Capitalism
Even though Capitalism is the best economic system the world has ever known, it is merely a man-made system. It is not divine The reality is that the flaws of Capitalism are many, and well known. The goal of a government in a Capitalistic economy must be two-fold.
First, in a Capitalistic society, it is the economic and moral duty of government to create the infrastructure needed by Capitalism that Capitalism cannot or will not provide for itself in an efficient manner (roads, justice, police, education, fire, social safety nets.
Second, it is the economic and moral duty of government to intervene in the market place to prevent the unnecessary and socially unwanted extremes of unregulated or Laissez Faire Capitalism. These extremes include boom and bust cycles, depressions, banking instability, monopolies, trusts, and yes- entire industries facing economic failure when the business cycle has temporarily failed.
Past and Current Bailouts Were Effective, Saved Jobs, Turned Profits, and Were Bi-partisan
What is most amazing about these bailouts is that although being initially bipartisan, and are successful by almost any measure (often making a profit for taxpayers), they remain politically unpopular in many circles - especially in the Dogma-driven GOP. Indeed, despite savings jobs and industries, and despite a past history that shows they have become necessary about once a decade in the past 50 years, future bailouts appear to be politically untenable unless Mainstream Capitalists start speaking the truth.
(Below the fold is detailed data on how the current Auto and AIG bailouts, and the past bailouts of Airlines in 2001, of the S&L industry in 1989 and of Chrysler in 1979 were succesful and often made money for taxpayers).
As the battle over who will represent Democrats in the battle over District 35 gets closer than ever, it's a given that details will get lost in the smoke. This is especially the case given the extensive resumes of the two candidates. However, voters need to recognize important distinctions that separate our two candidates will ultimately affect how the people of the 35 corridor will be represented in Austin. Those distinctions ultimately boil down to one question: who will stand up to the far right-wing extremism of the Republican Party and who will end up siding with the right-wing establishment for the sake of "compromise" and "not rocking the boat?"
Other writers have pointed out that Joaquin Castro was one of the 52 Texas representatives in 2003 to leave the state in response to Tom DeLay's attempts at carving the state into a more Republican landscape. This, they say, forgives (or even dismisses) whatever role he may have played in working with Republicans to create an equally unfair set of maps in 2011. They even go so far as to say that Castro was "risking his political future," despite the fact that Democrats have safely won his district with near 60% of the vote in every general election since at least 1992 (src: http://www.texastribune.org/di... How, then, was Castro risking his political future by doing what few if any would consider a risk at all?
The second important point to note is that 2003 was not the 2011 session. Whatever actions Castro took in 2003 do not excuse or dismiss any role he may have played in colluding with Republicans this past session. If it's true that Castro threw his Democratic colleagues under the bus by helping Republicans carve districts into the current maps in exchange for getting a congressional district that he can use to advance his own goals and ousting a true Democratic leader who has dedicated his life to protecting and defending the hard-working families from far-right wing extremism in all its flavors, it is something that the voters of this district must take into account when casting their ballot. Once again, do we want someone who only makes the bold decisions when it's easy or politically advantageous only to ultimately break under pressure? Or do we stay with Lloyd Doggett, the only one with a proven track record of representing the the people of Central Texas? When you break it down like this, the choice is anything but murky.
Is Immigration About Jobs, Humans Or Business? - We asked a panel of professionals from different walks of life about the varied colors of the immigration issue, from a business, political and humanitarian standpoint.
Juggling Optimism & Pessimism In U.S.-Mexico Relations - A discussion of pessimism and optimism revolving around the U.S.-Mexico relations in Texas, as well as interviews with Laredo Mayor Raúl G. Salinas and El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar.
Latina Volunteerism Often Manifests Off The Beaten Path - A recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Latinos volunteer at lower rates than other ethnic groups but Laura Donnelly Gonzalez, co-founder Latinitas, tells us that Latinas not only "get" volunteerism, but have taken ownership of their volunteerism in ways that will immensely benefit the U.S.
Report: Widespread Abuse By Patrol Agents Along Border - The group No More Deaths released a report detailing widespread abuses by Border Patrol agents of people in their custody. The report, "A Culture of Cruelty," includes information gathered over two-and-a-half years from over 12,000 individuals in more than 4,100 interviews conducted on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, and concludes that there exists "an institutional culture of abuse within Border Patrol."
One Immigrant Son Tries To Be A Border Patrolman, Is Rejected - A story from Brownsville about a young man, the son of an undocumented mother, who graduated from college and then entered the Border Patrol to provide for the rest of his family. Ultimately, though, he found out the Border Patrol was not for him.
(Former Judge of the 299th District Court, Charlie Baird is running for Travis County District Attorney against Rosemary Lehmberg. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
If you haven't seen the ads our campaign ran in the Austin Chronicle and The Villager this week-and if you haven't, you can see the ad here-let me tell you what our campaign is doing that has everyone talking.
We're asking you, the voters of Travis County, what you believe would make the administration of justice better in Travis County. What ideas or innovations would you propose to help bring about justice that works for everyone if YOU had the chance? Please take a moment and tell us.
Once you've had a chance to do that, I encourage you to take a few more minutes and take our brief online survey about the justice system in Travis County.
What you think-and your ideas-are very important to me and to this campaign. In a system of government such as ours, we need to listen to what citizens have to say and not just brush it off, but rather take action and welcome good, new ideas. As I prepare to make my final decision on whether or not to file for a place on the March primary ballot, your input is critical.
Together, I believe we can bring reform and change to the criminal justice system in Travis County and bring about justice that works for everyone.
With 644 days left until the 2012 election welcome to Lone Star Left! This is the very first post so lets get started with a number that will make even the staunchest Corporate Republican pour their tea on themselves!
$27,000,000,000.00
That's the amount of money Texas is in the hole for. Boss Perry and the other Corporate Texas Republican's ran their most recent elections on how great the economy was here in Texas and how our conservative policies have kept Texas's unemployment numbers lower than other parts of the country. Those are great talking points, but what will happen to Texas when our legislature has to deal with a twenty seven billion dollar reality?
With education already in their cross hairs, the same good ol' boys who brought us Tuition Deregulation (and the skyrocketing college costs to follow) are now ready to cut pre-school programs across the state!
Talk about a slippery slope! If educating Texans early isn't important then do you really think that Boss Perry will have a conscience when it comes to teacher salaries or programs like Art, One Act Play, Band, and dare I say but would not put it past him FOOTBALL?
Don't forget that with those cuts hard-working Texas educators and building staffs will be out of work, and do you really think that they are just going to stay here in the Lone Star State waiting patiently for Boss Perry and the rest of Stupor Majority to brainstorm a plan? WRONG!
At some point Texans are going to have to suck it up and start funding education in this State, but instead Corporate Republicans are pushing through Voter discrimination legislation, mandated Perrycare which force sonograms into the decision of how a woman should handle her body, and the ever popular attempt of getting guns in the hands of Texas students instead of new, cheaper, and unbiased text books. So as we head into this new session remember that Boss Perry and his compatriots in the Corporate Republican party have a vision for Texas:
POOR AND STUPID!
Until next time, keep your chin up and your chest out - it's great to be a Liberal!
Texas College Democrats Applaud Senate Vote to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Austin, TX - Texas College Democrats President Ryan Lofton Payne released the below statement today, following a vote in the U.S. Senate to move forward on critical legislation that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The legislation would allow Americans to serve in the military regardless of their sexual orientation.
"The Senate did the right thing today for our country and our military by voting to move forward with legislation that would repeal the outdated and discriminatory 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy. President Obama pledged to overturn this policy when he campaigned for office, and today, US Senators cast critical votes to move toward achieving this goal. The repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' which is supported overwhelmingly by the American people, will ensure that brave men and women who wish to serve in the military can do so regardless of their sexual orientation. It is the right thing to do, will be a boost to our national security, and would be a major victory for equal rights in America."
Other members of the Texas College Democrats board had this to say:
"The repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is a victory for all Americans who believe no soldier, or anyone for that matter, should have to hide who they are."
-Vice President Garrett Hall
"Our military exists to protect our nation and all its citizens. It's only fair that our armed forces reflect the American spirit of unity, equality, and tolerance."
-Secretary Oscar Boleman
"This is great news! It's about time! This is a historic step towards an inevitable full breadth of equality in all facets of life for gays in America."
-Development Director Dallen Terrell
"Finally! The repeal of DADT was long overdue."
-Programs Director Dancey Glover
"By ending this unjust law, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer be discharged for being true to themselves and living lives of integrity. This is a triumph not only for civil rights but also for national defense."
-Communications Director Alexander Clark
"The repeal of DADT marks a turn in LGBT relations. Just a half decade ago, the Senate was voting whether to discriminate against the LGBT community in our Constitution and now at the end of the decade we see our military become truly open to all Americans."
-Political Affairs Director David de la Fuente
"The repeal of DADT, which has cost this nation hundreds of millions of dollars stands as a true victory for fiscal conservatism within our federal government and further allows our nation to stand as champions for our brave, selfless men and women in uniform."
-Membership Director Kendall Scudder
"This courageous action by the Senate allows so many to continue to serve their nation. DADT repeal continues our nation's tradition of expanding equality for all."
-President Emeritus Andy Jones
The fight for civil rights, a struggle that continues, will no longer include this one. While we celebrate, there is still much to do.
The Great Recession has affected everyone's budget. From the federal government to the millions of Americans unemployed, budgets across the nation have been affected by the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. State budgets have been also hit hard by the recession. A recently released survey by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers found that states currently face a combined $41 billion in budget shortfalls for fiscal year 2012. According a report by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, state tax revenues were 8.4% lower in the 2009 fiscal year than in 2008, and an additional 3.1% lower in 2010, while the need for state-funded services did not decline.
Already during the last fiscal year those states dramatically cut their budgets, raised taxes, and relieved heavily on the $43 billion in federal Recovery Act funds to close those budget gaps. Over the past three fiscal years, states have closed $230 billion in budget gaps, and they done it by making significant budget cuts in education, social services and public safety, the state workforces and reduced aid to local governments. These cuts are having a disproportionate affect on the working and middle class, as services that they depend on are being either cut altogether or dramatically scaled back.
Despite the rhetoric of Texas Governor Rick Perry describing Texas as being relatively unaffected by the Great Recession, the state is facing a significant fiscal crisis. There is a debate about the actual size of the budget shortfall, and the numbers vary from anywhere between $15 billion and $30 billion depending on who is making the estimate. Governor Perry is touting the estimates of State Senator Steve Ogden (R-Bryan) which predict a budget gap of $15 billion or less.
The Legislative Budget Board has adopted a plan to cap the growth in the discretionary spending in the state budget at 8.92% in the budget that will be written in the next legislative session. Cuts of 5% from state agencies produced about $1.2 billion in savings in the 2010-11 budgets, although certain agencies were exempt. It appears that agencies will be expected to cut their budgets by another 2-3%. Reportedly approved cuts from earlier this year, together with the agencies' proposals to reduce spending by 10 percent in the next budget, would produce an estimated $4.2 billion in savings in the 2012-13 budgets.
While Texans are opposed to raising revenues through new taxes and want lawmakers to cut the budget to address the shortfall, a Texas Tribune poll also finds that Texans do not want lawmakers to cut the budgets of popular programs. Texans want to protect public and higher education, health care services for children and elderly, and the prison system from budget cuts. However, in all likelihood at least two out of three of those programs are going to face massive budget cuts. This seems to be consistent with the current American political character: we want to keep popular government programs but we don't want to have to pay for them.
Unlike some I believe in the idea of the county party. I believe that the county party can and should serve as an essential organizational structure for the Democratic Party; the problem is that they do not perform as well as they could or should perform. Like many organizations county parties MAY (your county may differ) suffer the same limitation that many volunteer organizations suffer from..... volunteer fatigue/drama.
I believe that the county party should be the nexus of Democratic politics in any given county in Texas. Very early in working with my county party I was advised to view the county like a high school with the leadership of the party like the student council and all of the various constituent groups as cliques. In the end the person advised me that the student government was irrelevant and it was better to rally the cliques to get ideas moving. I patently rejected this idea. We as Democrats should not hold the view that the individual is greater than the group The party structure is not something to bypass or regard as a roadblock. We as must recognize that the party should reflect our ideas and our complexion. It is incumbent upon us to demand that our county party perform effectively and reinforce that conviction by giving of our time, talent and money.
Being part of the structure we must look at ourselves critically and expect ourselves to perform in an efficient and effective manner and implement innovative solutions to challenges that the organization may face. In volunteering to make up the organization we become the organization and the wins and losses are our wins and losses. It is far easier to stay on the sidelines and complain about a party running an election cycle poorly but just like my 7thgrade football coach use to say... don't complain.... do something. If you think something is not performing well get involved; just complaining never solved anything.
From the party perspective an individual's time and talent should be viewed more important than their money. A party may find it easier to view people as a source of revenue rather than a reliable work force but this is short sighted and incredibly ineffective. A person's worth is found in what they can do and not in how much money they can give. A volunteer is more persuadable than a paid operative for a campaign. Now obviously fundraising is important because the world does not run on goodwill and sunshine, I submit that utilizing individual's willingness to serve will produce more in the way of fundraising than palliative pleas for donations.
A county party is a volunteer organization, from the precinct chair to the county chair. Most county parties are staffed by determined volunteers that share a commitment to democratic principles and electing democratic candidates. Along with volunteer organizations come volunteer bullies. These are the friendly faces that we all face in planning meetings who's default setting is NO. They come in all fashions, shapes, sizes and demeanors. Generally their critiques are prefaced by the sentiment that whatever is being proposed has never been done. These agents of sediment can be the biggest impediment to an organization progressing. Rather than serving as a reasoned response they morph into stalwart of refusal; boohooing any idea. While their reasons and rationales for being this way are far more varied than their responses they do far more damage to the organization than they help. There isn't much than can be said about these fine folks but again drawing upon my 7thgrade football season... if you ain't tackling something you are helping the other team.
Now believe it or not that saying people always throw around that is credited to Will Rodgers "I am not a member of any organized party - I am a Democrat" (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Will_Rogers) is NOT something to be proud of. Cleaning to this as a punch line or a dismissive statement to be flung around when something does not get done because of disorganization is not an endearing or cute sentiment; it is counterproductive and again helps the other team.
In the end if any of us have the feeling that a county party is an organization of derision there is something wrong. The party should act as the organization focal point for democratic politics within a county and if it doesn't it should be changed to do so. Just as an individual campaign has a focused organizational structure so too should the party.
On Election Day, I turned down the offer to make calls to out of state voters on behalf of Organizing for America. I didn't even make any calls to Bill White supporters reminding them to vote. I figured that if they didn't know by now from all my previous block walks and phone calls that November 2 was Election Day, they were pretty hopeless and it was time to give up on them and concentrate on our important local races.
My husband and I spent Election Day at our precinct's polling place, standing in the cold rain handing out push cards for a candidate you've never heard of, Judge Jeff Rosenfield, Dallas County Criminal Court of Appeals No. 2, reminding people to vote for him and all the Democratic incumbent judges that we worked so hard to sweep into office in 2006.
Would a bunch of Rethuglican't trolls come out from under bridges all over Dallas County in large enough numbers to vote out some excellent incumbents as part of some misguided slap at "Obama Pelosi?" Not if I could help it...
The mainstream media is mostly ignoring Texas elections, except for an occasional reference to our governor's race. State legislative races are getting almost no attention at all, but they are a crucial part of the larger battle for control of the state legislature , which is where the real fireworks will be come January, when the state legislature convenes, and redistricting will be the main item on the agenda. At stake are U.S. Congressional districts, which could change dramatically if Republicans gain control of the Texas House. This diary focuses on one of the most competitive Texas House races, District 17, where a feisty Democratic challenger, Pati Jacobs, is turning up the heat on her freshman incumbent Republican opponent over the issue of water.
Last time redistricting came up in the Texas legislature in a controversial mid-decade redistricting in 2003 , outnumbered Democrats fled to New Mexico in a futile attempt to block Tom DeLay's plan to disenfranchise Democrats and elect Republicans. Remember the infamous "fajita strip" congressional district which stretched one county wide from Austin to the Mexican border that Lloyd Doggett was placed in? Fortunately this egregious example of Republican gerrymandering was eventually thrown out by the courts, but if Republicans are in control when redistricting happens again in 2011, we can expect to see similar shenannigans. Ever since the last round of the resdistricting battle, Democrats have been fighting to increase the odds, and the number of Democratic legislators has been growing steadily. Democrats are currently within 3 seats of a majority in the Texas House, but the election of 2010 could change all of this.
This diary will focus on a swing ditrict, Texas House District 17, a race that has been named one of the most competitive Texas House races. The Republican freshman incumbent, trial lawyer Tim Kleinschmidt, won this previously Democratic seat in a close election in 2008. This time around he faces a feisty Democratic challenger, local rancher Pati Jacobs who is running a smart, effective grass-roots campaign, and may just pull this off.
District 17 encompasses 5 counties, most of which are rural, and most of the economy here is based on agriculture- cattle ranching. The largest county is Bastrop, one of the fastest growing counties in Texas. Largely Democratic, Bastrop is one of the "donut counties" that border Democratic Travis County, and many Bastrop County residents actually work in nearby heavily Democratic Austin. District 17 has been mostly represented by Democrats until it was narrowly won by a Republican in 2008. Since then freshman Republican Tim Kleinschmidt has distinguished himself mainly by being chosen by Texas Monthly magazine as a recipient of its Furniture Award which is given to
lawmakers with a level of participation that was well below average, indicating that they were indistinguishable from their desks, chairs and inkwells
Besides the fact that he has little to show for his time in the legislature, Kleinschmidt has another problem this time around, and it involves water. Water is evolving as a key issue in Texas, and about to become big business, as water marketers try to buy up and lease water rights from areas that have abundant water to sell to thirsty cities along the I-35 corridor like San Antonio. Bastrop and Lee Counties sit right on top of the Simsboro Aquifer, which local ranchers rely on water they get from wells for their ranching operations, and local communities rely on for household water. It's no surprise that water marketers have their sights on the Simsboro. If they get their way, taxpayers will be paying to construct a water pipeline to ship water sucked from the Simsboro to sell to cities like San Marcos. Many fear the Simsboro pipeline is a forerunner of a trans-Texas water highway of pipelines. Not surprisingly, many residents here are furious.
If you add up all the numbers, the pipeline would take virtually all the water that's currently permitted - leaving everyone high and dry
Pati Jacobs is a rancher who raises grass-fed beef on the Bastrop County ranch where she grew up. Since early in the campaign she has emphasized the importance of protecting resources in order to allow for future economic development in our district, and has pledged to fight the Simsboro Pipeline. Kleinschmidt on the other hand has tried to waffle on this issue, probably because, unlike Pati Jacobs, Tim Kleinschmidt leased out his water rights to a water marketer. At a recent forum on water, Tim Kleinschmidt was booed by contituents when he avoided answering questions on how he would protect the aquifer.
The reason for Kleinschmidt's reluctance to declare his position on the water pipeline becomes clear after looking at who is supporting him. Special interests who stand to benefit from the Simsboro Pipeline have contributed generously to the Republican campaign, and Kleinschmidt is raking in cash from lobbyists. Remeber homebuilder Bob Perry who was a funder of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth? Bob Perry gave $30,000 to Tim Kleinschmidt's campaign. Another prominent donor, who is Trevor Reese Jones, one of Forbes 400 richest Americans last year, who might also be familiar as one of the 7 figure donors to Karl Rove's American Crossroads. Trevor Reese Jones gave $10,000 to Tim Kleinschmidt's campaign , which so far has raised 2 1/2 times what Pati Jacobs has raised- a cool $378,000 for a job that pays only $7,200 a year.
Kleinschmidt has been running a smear campaign similar to the one he waged against his previous opponent. He's even using the same talking farm animals on his flyers he used last time, falsely accusing Pati of not paying her county taxes. In fact, Pati has receipts to prove these charges are untrue, and attacks don't seem to be gaining much traction with voters. One constituent even complained in a letter to the editor in the Bastrop paper that she would never vote for Kleinschmidt because he was wasting so much money on sending out multiple flyers that he couldn't be trusted to use taxes wisely.
What Pati Jacobs' campaign has that Kleinschmidt's doesn't is grassroots support. She is running a smart, effective grassroots campaign. Yesterday I helped with phone banking at her headquarters on Bastrop's historic Main Street, right across from the Bastrop County Republican headquarters. She has been endorsed by the Sierra Club, the Texas Federation of Teachers, and Annie's List, and Independent Texans, and her campaign attracted energetic volunteers from a very active Bastrop Democratic Party who are blockwalking and doing phone banking. So far her campaign has made over 24,000 phone calls, and voters have even been surprised to get a call from Pati herself. She has been campaigning tirelessly since the primaries, her bright little yellow and green trailer with her instantly recognizable PJ brand appears all over the district.
That said, special interests are pouring in the cash to elect Kleinschmidt. if you want to help send a great candidate to the Texas Legislature to stand up for the people of Texas, and help us stop Tom DeLay style redistricting of congressional districts in 2011, you can find Pat on Act Blue or on her website at patijacobs.com
