The Austin Chronicle has an interesting piece out today, "Dukes Under Siege".
This is a longer story about Dawnna Dukes and her Democratic challenger Brian Thompson. Let's get some of the disclosure out of the way. I support Brian Thompson and I am not affiliated or paid by the campaign. As long as Craddick D's continue to support Tom Craddick, I will do whatever I can to defeat them in the primary.
Brian Thompson has been endorsed by the Texas Progressive Alliance and we are asking any person motivated to take back the Texas House to donate to the slate or Brian Thompson directly. And there are a lot of reasons why.
In Richard Whittaker's piece, Dukes continues to rationalize her continued support for Craddick by pointing to legislative committee appointments and Craddick's political back scratching. However, to this date, Dukes has not pointed to a single legislative achievement for House District 46 or Austin that she couldn't have achieved with out Craddick. What we do know is she does like the Republican money that has come into her campaigns because of her support for Craddick.
According to KVUE, Dukes has received over $10,000 from assorted Republicans, Craddick loyalists, and Conservative PACs.
Rep. Dukes's "top donor is HillCo PAC, which is in part funded by the largest (Republican) political donor in the nation, homebuilder Bob Perry. Perry gained notoriety for helping pay for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads against Democrat John Kerry in the 2004 presidential race. Dukes also counts among her contributions a $1,000 individual donation from Perry himself, as well as $1,000 from Bill Miller, a longtime Craddick friend and consultant.
Maybe this money is the reason Dukes continues to support Tom Craddick. Just today she reaffirms her possible support for Tom Craddick.
Even now, she says, she would not rule out backing Craddick as speaker again next session.
This loyalty and support to Craddick and his money are the reasons a site run entirely by minorities call Dawnna Dukes a Craddick D. This combined with Thompson's vision for a better Austin and strong progressive credentials are the reasons the Texas Progressive Alliance, Lon Burnam, and six democratic clubs in Austin have all endorsed Brian Thompson.
This is in stark contrast to Dawnna Dukes, who rather than embracing her own political party and House Democratic Leadership, she attacks. Colin Strother says:
[Democrats for Reform] spokesman Colin Strother says the group is simply a loose affiliation of 15 House members, committed to pursuing a progressive agenda, who signed off on a 16-point agenda to protect and extend vital services. "This doesn't have anything to do with Craddick and had some pretty ambitious and progressive goals," he said. The list was compiled, he said, because there had been no agenda set by the Democratic leadership.
Rep. Helen Giddings said in their final press conference that, "this is the reason we made the votes we made the very first day of session." A veiled quote on their vote for Tom Craddick. (Because I know it will come up, the reason I have the quote written down is because I worked at the Capitol for House Leader and MALC Chairman Pete P. Gallego during the 80th session).
The Dan Barrett campaign wants your help getting out the vote for Dan.
This weekend and next weekend the campaign will be block walking in the mornings and phone banking in the afternoons and Dan needs your help. Rep. Lon Burnam is coordinating the efforts and said all he wants for the holiday's is your help.
The information of when and where to blockwalk and phonebank is below the fold, but please contact the campaign via e-mail or by phone (817-332-2580).
For those of you that do not want to block walk there will be phone banking going on all day at several locations. In short they can put to work anyone who comes.
We can of course also provide them with ample quantities of food and drink.
Today, State Rep Lon Burnam of Fort Worth sent a judicial complaint against Judge Sharon Keller to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. He is the second state legislator to file or sign on to a judicial complaint against Keller. Rep Harold Dutton was one of the 20 lawyers who signed the first complaint last week.
In other developments, the Waco Herald-Tribune wrote in an editorial today that "if Keller cannot be removed from her position, she should be disciplined for her outrageous behavior".
The Houston Chronicle Editorial Board published a strongly worded editorial yesterday calling for removal of Chief Justice Sharon Keller from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals saying "since she will not face the voters until 2012, the miscarriage of justice perpetrated by Chief Justice Keller can only be remedied by a recommendation by the Judicial Conduct Commission to the Texas Supreme Court that she be removed from office".
More than 600 people have signed on to our judicial complaint from general public members that we will file on Oct 30. You can sign too!
Representative Kirk England's decision shows courage and commitment to his district. Time and again, Representative England has stood up against the extreme partisan Republican leadership in Austin that has continually failed our state. He's a fighter for the people who elected him to serve and I am very pleased to welcome him to the Texas Democratic Party.
-- Boyd Richie, Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party
"This decision was not made lightly, but I believe I can get more done on the issues we care about as a Democrat. Of course, I have many close friends, supporters and even family members that are Republicans. But when I went to Austin, I saw firsthand the agenda of the Republican leadership, along with the strong arm tactics used in enforcing that agenda. I realized that the leadership and the special interests they represent had very little in common with the principles and ideas I value most. At the end of the day, I decided that the ability to represent my district was more important than following a party line set by folks in Austin.
"I was born and raised in Grand Prairie, and I have lived here my whole life. My wife Marcy and I raised our two sons, Sam and Charlie, in this community, and I own a small business here. I trust the voters in District 106, and I am confident that my friends and neighbors agree that doing what is right is more important than partisan politics.
"I am prepared to roll up my sleeves and work hard to be reelected in 2008. I am confident that the voters in our district want a representative who will fight for public education and the Children's Health Insurance Program and who believes that the folks struggling to pay skyrocketing utility bills every month are more important than TXU's profits. I am committed to returning to Austin to keep the promises I made to citizens of District 106."
But clearly actions speak louder than words. Lucky for us, we can look at the 80th session and see how Rep. England acted to make Texas a better place for everyone. As the Lone Star Project points out, Rep. England will be a valuable member and asset to Democratic caucus.
Stood Up to Craddick: In an extraordinary display of courage, England broke with GOP freshmen and voted with centrist Democrats against Tom Craddick on the defacto "Vote of No Confidence" against the Speaker.(Source: H- 1047 Motion to Sustain the Ruling of the Chair)
Strongly Supported Educators: Showing the courage to stand with children and educators over partisan party leaders, England voted with centrist Democrats to raise teachers salaries by $6,000 to reach the national average. (Source: H- 1157 Motion to Table Amendment #3 by Dunnam)
Protected Our Ballot: To protect the sanctity of the ballot and senior voters in HD106, England voted with centrist Democrats to exempt elderly voters from Voter ID requirements. (Source: H- 604 Motion to Table Dunnam Amendment to B Brown Amendment #1)
Acted to Stop Child Abuse: Breaking with Republicans who refused to aggressively investigate child sexual abuse at Texas youth facilities, England voted with centrist Democrats for a special prosecutor to investigate the TYC. (Source: H- 147 Motion to Table Amendment by Dunnam)
Fought for Clean Air: Taking action to improve air quality and promote energy conservation, England voted with centrist Democrats to provide taxpayer-funded incentives to build clean energy projects. (Source: H- 706 Motion to Table Amendment #2 by Vaught)
Kirk England is going to be a fantastic representative for HD-106 and for the rest of Texas. His courage to stand against Craddick and his top lieutenants (Chisum, Brown, Howard, etc.) shows his commitment for a better Texas. We aren't the only ones happy to see him join our party, for that, you will have to read below the fold.
Most of you know by now that the Texas progressive blogosphere has put together and launched TexBlog PAC. The inaugural fundraiser is September 24th in Austin and the sponsors are a who's who of Texas luminaries from all over the state.
With sponsors like Jim Dunnam, Pete Gallego, Lon Burnam, Eddie Rodriguez, Valinda Bolton, Mark Strama, the Texas Democratic Party, House Democratic Campaign Committee, and Texas Progress Council PAC, blogs are taking online action offline. We are ready and prepared to shake up the '08 election cycle.
What does the Republican Party think of this? In a Fort-Worth Star Telegram article out today, Hans Klinger the political director of the Texas Republican Party dismisses anyone working to take back Texas.
Hans Klingler, the political director of the Texas Republican Party, is not convinced. Texas voters have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office since 1994, and Republicans have been steadily whittling down the Democrats' advantage at the county level, the one stage in Texas that they still control, Klingler said.
Klingler also suggested that the Democratic bloggers are less of a grassroots movement and more of an echo chamber, where the handful of writers and readers talk almost exclusively to one another.
"Maybe they're a majority in the virtual world," he quipped.
When September 25th hits the number one question bloggers will get is, "so how much did you raise?" There is no way we can let the Republican Party get away with calling us an echo chamber and a virtual majority. In the last four years we have worked for candidates like Carlos Uresti, Juan Garcia, Valinda Bolton, Boris Miles, Ellen Cohen, and many many more.
House Democratic leader Jim Dunnam already knows we are an agent of change.
"I think the blogosphere is giving voice to what a lot of ordinary Texans are thinking, and that is that we need a change of leadership in Austin," said Dunnam, of Waco. "I think they are really helpful in spreading the message that it's Democrats who are going to be the agents of change in 2008."
Prove Jim Dunnam right and come by the home of Kurt and Amy Clark Meachum on September 24th. We are going to be celebrating the beginning of TexBlog PAC's journey to help win back the Texas House at 5103 Cedro Trail Austin Texas 78731 from 6 to 8 p.m. and saying thank you for your support.
Steve Smith of the Pegasus News has a good round up of last night's forum about Chesapeake Energy's' effort to bulldoze and drill in the old urban forest area of Trinity Park in downtown Fort Worth.
Two stars of the forum were State Representative Lon Burnam, who took Fort Worth based Union Pacific to task for not being a good "corporate citizen," and newly declared Senate District 10 candidate Wendy Davis.
In an exchange with a senior executive with Chesapeake energy, who is obviously salivating at the thought of poking another hole in the ground to pump up his wallet, Davis had this to say:
Colonial and Union Pacific stand to benefit greatly from this, yet the community will bear all of the burden."
So true. I haven't participated in the dialogue locally on this important subject but I do believe a compromise can be struck on the ability to drill for natural gas and preserve historic parts of our communities. That said, I cringe at how many natural gas derricks are crowding the horizon across North Texas. They are EVERYWHERE! They are in our neighborhoods, they are lining our highways, they are near our schools, and I've seen no reports on the health risks, or even safety risks for having these massive rigs near these community icons.
These energy companies pocket a great deal of money from this effort at the expense of the health and safety of our communities. It's time they become good neighbors and realize that citizens aren't going to compromise beautiful historic sections of our cities to make millionaires more rich.
Kudos to Representative Burnam for leading on this effort and raising awareness about the lack of corporate citizen cooperation in preserving what is left of our communities minus holes being poked in every five miles of earth across North Texas.
I attended State Representative Lon Burnam's Birthday fundraiser last night at the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth. Lon cutely reminded everyone that it was his 4th, 50th, birthday celebration. Happy B-day my friend.
With that said, there were a number of his colleagues from the state house in attendance, including: Pete Gallegos, Roberto Alonzo, Paula Hightower-Pierson, Marc Veasey, Allan Vought, and Rick Noriega.
Last night Burnam officially endorsed Representative Noriega as his candidate of choice for the US Senate Democrat Primary and yielded the floor to him for remarks.
For the second time now I've had the opportunity to hear Rick Noriega speak, the first being at our Mid-Cities Democrats picnic, and I continue to be highly impressed. It is obvious he is a military officer because the manner by which he commands the audience is overpowering. He is cool, calm, collective, and methodical with his thoughts. He comes across very genuine and very caring when he speaks and you can tell he puts thought into what he wants to say. There is a sense of realism and genuineness that is unique and likeable. I say unique because too many politicians now days come across as sleazy car salesmen but there isn’t any indication you are about to be sold a bill of goods. He has immense passion for service to his country, something he noted numerous times.
Last night wasn't about Rick Noriega and he knew that. Instead he paid honor to his friend and colleague Lon Burnam. He reminded the audience that it was in 2003 that one man and one man only who had the foresight and vision to vote no against Tom Craddick; something Noriega termed "a Texas profile in courage."
There were no policy speeches or anything of that nature, but Noriega is obviously passionate and excited about running and I felt that came across smoothly last night.
(My thoughts opinions and observations are mine alone. Anything I write is not to be misconstrued as an endorsement.)
“I’ve traveled all over the state doing town halls and meeting with individual organizations, but I’ve never seen a crowd this large, this enthusiastic, and with this much energy in the entire state of Texas.”
TDP Chairman Boyd Richie
100 for $100 Kickoff Saturday, June 30th
The only one way to define success that matters to the Mid-Cities Democrats was our successful 100 for $100 kickoff fundraising party we held Saturday night in Southlake, Texas. The Timarron Bent Creek Neighborhood Center had a max capacity of 96, but somehow we managed to stuff 75 into a standing room only clubhouse deep in the heart of Republican Territory to ask donors to embrace a vision the Mid-Cities Democrats had adopted when we were founded in 2004. What is that vision you ask?
Lon Burnam (D-Ft Worth) filed HB 1937 today, which seeks to bring serious attention to the excessive energy rate's in Texas, as well as the disproportionately large salary's of executive's at firm's like TXU.
Rep. Lon Burnam (D - Fort Worth) filed HB 1937 today. The bill would require electric companies with rates above 125% of the national average to pay their executives minimum wage. The national average is currently 10.2 cents per kilowatt/hour (kWh); TXU, for example, charges 15 cents for their standard rate offer. They would need to shave approximately two cents per kWh in order to continue paying their executives hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
It's time for Texas' electric companies to act more responsibly," said Rep. Burnam. It is simply unconscionable to pay a CEO over $50 million in a year when low-income people are struggling with all-time highs on their electric bills. The Legislature could send a clear message to TXU's new owners that the state of Texas will not tolerate this kind of corporate greed.
I assume most of you have seen the stats, nevertheless I think it's always good to keep this conversation on our agenda. Each time we read that the average CEO is earning 431 times that of the average employee, we are reminded of how important this issue really is. As long as so many Texas families are struggling to pay their ridiculously-priced energy bills, it is necessary that we expose the excessive salaries that are very much to blame for current costs. And though I believe strongly in the power of a free capitalistic and profitable society to encourage innovation, I feel we must establish a limit to which we are willing to allow our financial superiors to take advantage of the rest of us.
