Back to Basics PAC continued their onslaught against Rick Perry and Texas Republicans earlier today with the launch of a new website, Rick´s Dirty Deals. The site focuses on the land deals that netted Perry hundreds of thousands of dollars during his time as an elected official, many of which Phillip covered yesterday.
Back to Basics presents compelling evidence that Perry made huge profits from shady land deals involving Alan Moffatt, Michael Dell, Mike Toomey and Gary Bradley, among others. The dirty deals did not begin when Perry entered the Governor´s Mansion a decade ago, either. Two of the highly profitable deals the site profiles occurred while he was Agriculture Commissioner, establishing a disturbing pattern of using public office for personal financial gain that goes back two decades.
Career politician Rick Perry has spent the last two years in statewide elected office while simultaneously making millions of dollars. After a decade of letting him slide, the questions that were once ignored are getting a second look, and as Phil wrote yesteday, this could be the issue that ends Perry´s campaign and his ten year tenure as governor. If he does lose, it will be interesting to see if Perry´s remarkable good fortune in the real estate market continue when he no longer has an elected office to exploit.
Back to Basics PAC contracted Blue Roots Campaigns to build Rick´s Dirty Deals. Blue Roots includes Nate Walker, Aaron Figg and David Mauro, although Mauro did not have direct involvement in this particular project.
Records made available to the public make clear that Green Party leaders – particularly Executive Director kat swift and Party Co-Chair Christine Morshedi – knowingly conspired with Republican political operatives to use money from a secret donor funneled through a non-profit corporation to pay for the collection of ballot petition signatures. Green Party leaders have acknowledged publicly that they did not have the money or the organizational ability to collect the ballot signatures on their own (Source: Dallas Morning News, June 6, 2010).
Jason Embry, in his column from the Austin American-Statesman, "Third party politicking can be tricky" offers that the importance of the story extends beyond the race at the top of the ticket:
The group that helped the Greens, Take Initiative America, has a number of Republican ties. But the sexiest revelation has been that lobbyist Mike Toomey paid a University of Texas student to collect signatures for the Greens, the student says. That effort came up short.
Conventional wisdom says a Green Party candidate takes more votes away from a Democrat than a Republican, so Toomey's effort appears aimed at helping Gov. Rick Perry beat Democratic challenger Bill White. After all, Toomey is Perry's close ally and former chief of staff.
But Toomey's interest in Texas politics extends beyond the governor's race. He is a key player in helping Republicans win more seats in the Legislature, and as this whole matter moves forward, we may learn that his real target was the battle for the Texas House, which is now split between 77 Republicans and 73 Democrats.
Any person who wants to support workers, families, teachers, doctors, open government,and fighting a failing status quo, is usually a friend and ally. In this case though, the Green Party appears to have entered into an illegal alliance with partisan Republicans who stand in opposition to the Green Party platform and their publicly stated issues. The Lone Star Project did some research (as they are prone to do) and found the direct law the Green Party violated in the Texas Election Code.
Laws Broken and Penalties The Texas Election Code prohibits the spending of corporate money on anything except a very specific list of administrative expenses that includes only the following: “office space maintenance and repairs, telephone and Internet services, office equipment, utilities, general office and meeting supplies and the salaries for routine clerical, data entry and administrative assistance necessary for the proper administrative operation of the committee” (Source: Tex. Elec. Code §§ 253.100(a)(1) - (a)(6)). The gathering of petition signatures and donation of completed petitions do not fall under this narrow list of allowable expenditures with corporate money. Therefore it is clear that the Green Party of Texas, its executive committee, Take Initiative America and other, yet to be discovered conspirators are criminally and civilly liable for their illegal petition scheme. The Green Party of Texas leaders may face third degree felony charges and punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to a million dollars. (Source: Texas Penal Code )
This is a particularly tough story to watch unfold. I worked with the Green Party State Coordinator, kat swift, when I was working in San Antonio on environmental and water issues. swift was a strong ally and friend on protecting the Edwards Aquifer and fighting Frank Corte and other Republicans from pushing for horrible legislation increasing impervious cover and allowing more upstream water distribution, effectively starving downstream interests of water. We simply could not have won those battles with out the help of the hundreds of people, like swift, who devoted their time and passion to these issues. Sadly, it appears swift was the point person for the Green Party scheme to get ballot access with the direct assistance of the Republican Party.
It appears that kat swift was the point person through which the Green Party ballot/Republican money scheme was conducted. Records show that swift encouraged using partisan Republican money to fund the ballot initiative. After first cautioning against using corporate funds, swift reversed her position and accepted the illegal corporate contribution. In sworn testimony, Garret Mize informed the Court that swift said that Republican money to fund a Green Party ballot petition effort “would be fine.” (Source: Mize Testimony, June 24, 2010)
Not every member of the Green Party is interested in selling the souls and/or conscious for a short term win. Roger Baker was the Green Party nominee for Travis County Clerk. Announced he is withdrawing from the race.
Baker has admirably acted in a way consistent with Green Party stated ideals – particularly a passage from the Green Party platform stating the Party “intends to end corporate rule and create actual democracy” (Source: Green Party of Texas Platform). Baker, unlike his state party leaders, has refused to participate in the GOP ballot scam. He wrote the following in an e-mail to his supporters: “I find it very difficult to explain and defend the Green Party ballot access problems on the state level, while trying to run on a platform of Texas Campaign finance reform at the same time” (Source: e-mail to Green Party and supporters, June 28, 2010).
It is tough to watch a party demand people pay attention to them when they actively sell themselves off to the highest bidder. Ideology should not be for sell. Win ballot access and races by having a commitment to organize and a strong message to the electorate. Instead, the Texas Green Party simply sold out and there could be real and damaging legal consequences to helping Rick Perry and Mike Toomey. All source material and more information can be found at the Lone Star Project.
Republican Tim Kleinschmidt is showing the voters of House District 17 the stark contrast between him and Democrat Donnie Dippel. House District 17 is an open seat since Rep. Cook is not seeking re-election.
This Thursday, Time Kleinschmidt will be joining Rick Perry and Mike Toomey to meet and talk big money.
Donnie Dippel be on the other hand will be meeting with ranchers and farmers in House District 17.
On Thursday, the difference between Donnie Dippel and Tim Kleinschmidt will become abundantly clear.
From noon to 2 p.m., Kleinschmidt will join Rick Perry for a fundraiser in Mike Toomey's top-floor Capital Center office, which just happens to provide a wonderful view looking down on the Capitol.
A lot of Perry's buddies - lobbyists for the Trans-Texas Corridor, private school vouchers, and other sweetheart government giveaways - will surely attend. Toomey will likely bring in his corporate clients too and maybe even his buddy Tom Craddick.
With the Governor willing to host an event, why did Kleinschmidt hold it outside district? Why is it in an Austin building that's probably taller than anything in District 17?
Maybe it's because Kleinschmidt doesn't want the voters in District 17 to know that the #1 backer of the Trans-Texas Corridor is raising money for him.
Maybe it's because Kleinschmidt doesn't want to answer questions from voters in the District about Perry's Texas Education Agency trying to bypass the Legislature and give tax dollars to private schools.
Maybe it's because Governor 39% is Governor 32% in District 17, where he ran only 2 points ahead of the vastly under-funded Chris Bell.
A few hours after Kleinschmidt is done raking in special interest cash, Donnie Dippel is holding a get-together in the district at a ranch just west of Bastrop. Everyone is invited to come meet Donnie, talk about the issues, and have a hot dog or hamburger.
Rancher Pati Jacobs, who promotes and markets certified grass-fed beef, is the host, and other area farmers and ranchers are coming by. If you'd like to attend, here are the details:
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: Home of Pati and Cleve Jacobs Address: 510 Hwy. 304, located west of Bastrop, 2 miles south of the Hwy 304-Hwy. 71 intersection
More Info: 979-246-4676
Sometime we lose sight of the contrast between our rural D's and their Republican counterparts. We can't do that. Dippel is a good man and great Democrat and we must hold House District 17 if we stand a chance at taking back the Texas House. Would you rather have Rick Perry's candidate or the people's candidate?
No doubt their investment in the organization Women in Government, who lobby and introduce legislation in states mandating HPV vaccines distributed by Merck, helped deliver those record profits.
Alarmed at the abuse of power by radical carpetbaggers after the Civil War, Texans adopted a state constitution that protected the rights of individuals and communities by dramatically limiting the power of central state government.
Now, 131 years after the 1876 adoption of the Constitution, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the governor they own and their shadow government in the lobby are attacking bedrock conservative principles of local control and citizen empowerment.
The so-called judicial modernization bill, Senate Bill 1204, should offend conservative Texans, along with liberals who stand with the individual against governmental abuse of power.
The judicial reform proposal will put the Texas Supreme Court in charge of every court case filed in the state. This is way beyond its power to review cases heard by lower courts.
How? SB 1204 would give the Supremes the power to remove any judge from any case any time they want by declaring the case "too complex" for the local judge to preside over. (Actually, the Supremes would appoint a little panel to do it -- but the panel will do what it's told.)
Now that Craddick's committees can meet, it can mean only one thing; the lobby can dig deep and feed these sell-out the finest that Austin eating establishments have to offer. In fact, they made it a committee meeting and invited everyone!
Got dinner plans tonight or tomorrow? If not, let me offer a couple of suggestions for fine Austin dining tonight, with your favorite Craddick Chair and his or her house committee.
If you're in the mood for swanky Italian, join Republican State Rep. Joe Driver and his House Committee on Law Enforcement at Carmelo's for dinner tonight. No, I'm not making this up - here's the committee posting
I'd recommend the $35 Costoletta di Vitello, "a tender 12oz veal chop filled with lobster meat and accompanied by Farro".
If $100 steaks are more your style, tonight you can join Craddick D, Ruth Jones McClendon and her House Committee on Rules and Resolutions at (the appropriately named) Ruth Chris' Steakhouse.
"When you visit Ruth's Chris, you soon understand that this is no ordinary restaurant. From the U.S. Prime steaks, broiled to perfection at 1800 degrees, to the expertly executed seafood, New Orleans-inspired appetizers, unforgettable desserts and award winning wine list, this is a steakhouse to which others aspire."
If investments and banking is more your cup of tea, you're in luck! Tonight you can join Republican State Rep. Burt Solomons and his House Committee on Financial Institutions for dinner at Austin Land and Cattle.
If tonight's a bad night for you, you're in luck because the gravy train is running tomorrow night as well. Tomorrow night you can join Republican State Rep. Rick Hardcastle and his House Committee on Energy Resources at Ruth Chris'.
Five bucks says this one is getting paid for by dirty coal plant lobbyists for TXU…
Seriously, we want pictures! Send us pictures of Craddick chairs sipping some pinot or smokin' a stoggy. Send us pictures of Buddy Jones, Bill Miller, Bill Messer, Mike Toomey, or Bill Ceverha picking up the check. They'll be front paged tomorrow!
