Want More Latino Voters? Try Online Voter Registration

by: SaraChicaD

Thu Mar 28, 2013 at 00:11 AM CDT

Authors Lisa García Bedolla and Verónica N. Vélez found that 22.6% of all of the 829,297 online voter registrants in California in 2012 were Latino, compared to 59.8% who were white and 11.1% who were Asian.

The study was titled "Differences among Latina/o, Asian American, and White Online Registrants in California" from the Center for Latino Policy Research at the University of California at Berkeley.

Latinos and Latinas were the most likely to register online of any group, according to the study. This makes sense, if you think about the fact that online voter registration also sweeps up potential young voters, but also the fact that Latinos' online behavior in other areas such as social media, video consumption, smartphone use, etc., indexes higher than other groups, too.

Interestingly, the authors also found that, among Latino and Asian online registrants in California, there was a strong tendency towards Democratic party affiliation. (Funny given the recent house bill trying to make mail ballots in Harris County English-only unless the voter requests otherwise. Also, Latinas were more likely to register online than Latinos, to the tune of 55%.

If we think about the 1.5 to 2.1 million unregistered Latino voters in Texas, and just think about how many online voter registration could be generated in Texas -- we're talking about between 345,000 and 460,000 newly registered Latino voters (in a perfect world where everyone eligible to register did so).

Then there's that whole matter of Rep. Mark Strama's House Bill 313, which would: "allow a person who has a valid driver's license or personal identification card issued in this state to complete a voter registration application over the Internet from the official website of this state and the websites of the secretary of state, the Department of Public Safety, and counties participating in the program."

To read more about the California study click here.

The Implications of State Senate Terms on 2014 Statewide Races

by: Burnt Orange Report

Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 10:23 AM CST

The draw has some major implications for our 2014 statewide races here in Texas on both sides of the aisle, starting, of course, with State Senator Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, a tireless campaigner who drew a 2-year term.

Many Democrats were eyeing Davis as a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2014 owing to her fundraising prowess and staunch support of education. Had Davis drawn a 4-year term, thus giving her a "free pass" to run statewide in 2014 without giving up her senate seat, she would have had tremendous encouragement to take the leap and run for governor. Now, her decision becomes somewhat more complicated.

Here are the results from SD-10 in the 2010 and 2008 statewide elections, courtesy of the Texas Legislative Council:

Davis won election in 2008 by 2.4% over a Republican incumbent, and won re-election in 2012 by 2.3% over a former State Representative.

Below the jump, find out why Democrats should still be optimistic about Davis in 2014, and what the implications are for the Republicans.

Dallas Municipals: Where's the Money?

by: jvansickle

Wed Jan 16, 2013 at 02:26 PM CST

In the interest of full disclosure, I am working with Delia Jasso (District 1) and Bobby Abtahi (District 14) as Data Manager and Technology Consultant.

Article Update (1/21/13): The original problem with Councilors Tennell Atkins and Carolyn Davis reports have been fixed so they are now visible online.  I have updated the table in this article to list their report totals.  City Hall Blog from the Dallas Morning News also published an article today stating that Ori Raphael is continuing his campaign.

Find out who's running and how much they have in the bank below the jump.

Most Important Election You Have Not Heard About

by: jvansickle

Mon Nov 12, 2012 at 00:50 PM CST

Darlene Ewing has served as County Chair for the Dallas County Democratic Party since her election in 2005 after what many observers consider the disastrous tenure of Susan Hays.  During Darlene's tenure, the DCDP has gone from a county party mired in financial problems to one that controls all 60 countywide offices plus a super-majority (4 out of 5 seats) on the Dallas County Commissioner's Court.  In early 2012, Darlene announced at a County Executive Committee meeting that this would be her final term.

Many party insiders have suspected that Darlene would resign her position sometime in early 2013.  This would lead to Precinct Chairs electing a new County Chair who would then serve through the upcoming 2014 Democratic Primary and possibly beyond.  The goal would be to give the newly elected chair time to settle into the position and get their staff onboard before either the Primary or General Elections begin.  This is the same path that Dallas Republicans chose in 2011 when former County Judge candidate Wade Emmert took over as County Chair.

Dallas is the second largest Democratic county in Texas with 52 local countywide offices (47 of them judges) up for re-election in 2014.  All held by Democrats.   The chief concern among party insiders is that a potentially contentious County Chair primary battle and subsequent turnover of county party staff in May 2014 could negatively affect the DCDP's ability to run an effective Coordinated Campaign in the 2014 General Election.  These were similar concerns voiced in 2010 and 2012 when Sean Hubbard and Lymon King were respectively considering a run for County Chair.

What does the County Chair do in Dallas?

1) Hire or fire the Executive Director who oversees day-to-day functioning of the local county party
2) Hire or fire the Campaign Manager who oversees the Coordinated Campaign during partisan election cycles
3) Run the County Executive Committee meetings that meet once every quarter
4) Run the local Democratic Primary election for Dallas County
5) Be the face of the DCDP to local media and county functions

So how will this County Chair transition work?

If Gromer is correct, it is likely that would put the election in either May or June to give candidates time to campaign among Precinct Chairs, Democratic clubs, and organizations.  Once the new County Chair is elected, they will then hire an Executive Director, which is currently an open position after Steve Tillery resigned in September 2012.  The DCDP also employs a Bookkeeper and Office Manager who work at the pleasure of the County Chair.  The County Chair and their staff will then have roughly 6 months to settle in before filing begins for the 2014 Democratic Primary.

The County Chair who wins must then also run in the 2014 Democratic Primary, ironically, also while running the Primary itself.  If there is a contested Primary and the newly elected County Chair loses, then the DCDP gets to have the transition of office staff all over again, but this time taking place in the middle of the 2014 General Election while also trying to heal possible wounds opened from a contentious primary fight.

What about past County Chair elections?

An argument can be made that changing demographics and anger at Republicans on a national stage helped local Democrats win in 2006.  However, the fact that Dallas Democrats have expanded that initial success, even in disastrous years like 2010, shows why having a strong and competent County Chair is important to future successes in Dallas County.  The election also has wider implications for Democrats across Texas.  Statewide candidates need the strong turnout of Democrats in Dallas to have a chance at winning.  If Dallas is disorganized and uncoordinated in its GOTV efforts, then up-ballot candidates for statewide office will feel the pinch just as badly down-ballot candidates do.

So what comes next?

James Van Sickle
james@darwood.us
Darwood Technology
Darwood Facebook Page

St. David's Puts Corporate Profits Over Community Health In Opposing Prop 1

by: Katherine Haenschen

Wed Oct 24, 2012 at 02:00 PM CDT

St. David's Healthcare, a private, for-profit hospital system, is now campaigning against Central Health Proposition 1 because its passage would hurt their corporate bottom line. The Austin American-Statesman reported today that St. David's has come out against the local ballot proposition to raise funds to support bringing a medical school to Austin. Sadly, their motivation is all about putting their corporate profits above our community health.

The Seton family of hospitals, which are the one of the major providers in the Travis County healthcare district, are non-profit healthcare providers, and thus are more concerned with healthy patient outcomes than corporate bottom lines.

St. David's has been involved in discussions about Prop 1 and efforts to bring a medical school to Austin since the very beginning of the process. But now that they're not going to make enough money if it passes, they've decided to come out against it during the first week of early voting. It's a cruddy move that could very well result in preventing Travis County residents from accessing the healthcare that they desperately need.

St. David's is controlled by HCA, a gigantic corporation that controls 163 hospitals across the country and is owned by -- wait for it -- Bain Capital, the private equity firm started by Mitt Romney.

St. David's parent corporation is raking in record profits as healthcare costs spiral out of control. HCA-controlled hospitals like St. David's have increased their profits by finding ways to squeeze more money out of private insurance corporations.

So let's get this straight. A private, for-profit hospital system (St. David's) owned by a private equity firm (Bain Capital) that was founded by Mitt Romney is campaigning against a ballot measure (Central Health Prop 1) that will expand non-profit healthcare and provide increased access to healthcare for all Travis County residents, especially the neediest.

Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents in the country. It's a disgrace. Even Travis County has 200,000 uninsured residents, many of whom are working families. Central Health will expand access to healthcare for the uninsured, and support a broad network of providers to address a wide range of healthcare needs.

But since its passage will mean that St. David's won't be able to profit as much off providing healthcare to the poor, they're opposing Prop 1.

This doesn't quite pass the smell test. St. David's can't get a big enough piece of the financial pie to make it worth their corporate backers' time, so they want to make sure no one else can provide expanded healthcare options either.

Prop 1 shouldn't be about whether a big corporation can make enough money off of sick Travis County residents, but thanks to St. David's craven political move, the election may well now hinge on their last-ditch effort to put their own profits above our community health.  

Don't be fooled. Vote FOR Central Health Proposition 1 and help bring much-needed healthcare access to Travis County.  

Burnt Orange Report Endorses Gina Hinojosa for AISD At-Large Seat

by: Burnt Orange Report

Mon Oct 22, 2012 at 04:00 PM CDT

Hinojosa, a civil rights and employment lawyer, became actively involved in the Save Our Schools movement when her family's neighborhood school was slated for closure. A 20-year resident of Austin and graduate of UT's Plan II Honors program, Hinojosa has a broad background in volunteer community service and a history of working well and listening to others.

We have serious qualms about Hinojosa's opponent, Mary Ellen Pietruszynski, who works as executive director of the Sooch Foundation, an educational foundation that supports charter schools. Her campaign is being bankrolled by her employer, Nav Sooch, and his business partner at Silicon Labs. Given the volume of money they have invested in this race, there are concerns that the tech duo are trying to buy a seat on the AISD.

The two candidates also differ in their perspective on working with embattled AISD superintendent Meria Carstarphen, who has rankled many community members by  insufficiently considering public input -- particularly from East Austin -- in district decision-making. Pietruszynski seems content to simply let Carstarphen do as she pleases with our public schools, and wrote a Statesman Op-Ed to that effect. Pietruszynski also wrote an op-ed supporting the IDEA charter school in East Austin, which took over a neighborhood public school and turned it into a charter against the wishes of the students' parents, who opted out in such numbers as to curtail the program.

Hinojosa is an extremely capable, impressive woman who will listen to parents, and bring a valuable citizen activist voice to the school board. She is the best choice to both hold the AISD superintendent accountable and engage the public in the continued effort to improve our public schools. We unanimously and enthusiastically urge AISD voters to support Gina Hinojosa for the At-Large seat.

Early Voting: Monday October 22 - Friday November 2 --- Election Day: Tuesday, November 6

Click here for a map of Travis County Early Voting Locations. For all other counties, please contact your County Clerk's office.

Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.

Vote FOR Travis County Central Health Proposition 1

by: Burnt Orange Report

Mon Oct 22, 2012 at 03:30 PM CDT

This is one of the most important measures on our Travis County ballot this year, and we strongly encourage voters to learn about the many excellent community benefits Prop 1 will provide, starting with world-class medical care. Austinites who currently must travel out-of-town to seek cutting-edge care will instead be able to receive care here. It will create 15,000 permanent jobs and generate $2 billion in economic activity each year.

Prop 1 will expand access to care, especially for the 200,000 uninsured Travis County residents. 60% of those folks work and don't have or can't afford employer-provided insurance. Prop 1 will save taxpayer money by helping people without insurance avoid the emergency room. Preventative healthcare is more cost-efficient and less expensive than a visit to the ER.

Importantly, Prop 1 does not pay for construction of a physical medical school -- instead, it funds access to healthcare by funding and expanding healthcare programs. The University of Texas has contributed $25 million in perpetuity and $5 million per year for the first eight years to fund maintenance and operation of a medical school. Additionally, the Seton family of hospitals has pledged $250 million towards construction of a teaching hospital. All of that funding for the medical school disappears if Prop 1 does not pass.

Proposition 1 will fill critical gaps in our healthcare delivery system, improve healthcare and access to healthcare for Travis County residents, and result in a healthier community. We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse a vote FOR Central Health Proposition 1!

Early Voting: Monday October 22 - Friday November 2 --- Election Day: Tuesday, November 6

Click here for a map of Travis County Early Voting Locations. For all other counties, please contact your County Clerk's office.

Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.

Burnt Orange Report Endorses Diane Trautman for Harris County Department of Education

by: Burnt Orange Report

Mon Oct 22, 2012 at 03:00 PM CDT

Trautman is clearly the better choice for Harris County schoolchildren and would be a welcome improvement over conservative ideologue Michael Wolfe, the incumbent. Voters would be wise to turn out Wolfe, who has stated that he would abolish the very Department of Education on which he serves! The HCDE board previously tried to remove Wolfe from office because he simply does not respect the governing body or its procedures. Wolfe pledged to adhere to ethical practices and begged for a second chance, but since then has continued to miss meetings.

Wolfe is a severely partisan Republican who has earned endorsements from some of the most extreme conservatives who threaten to derail our public education system. Wolfe has been endorsed by two of the greatest anti-science advocates in Texas, SBOE member Barbara Cargill and Dr. Steve Hotze. Cargill wanted to put the age of the universe up for a vote, while Hotze believes disease is caused by "sin"... perhaps as opposed to viruses or bacteria? With friends like these, it's impossible to imagine that Wolfe will support scientifically accurate, reason-based education for our Harris County students.

The city that is home to NASA should not re-elect Board of Education members who fundamentally do not believe in science!

Trautman has been endorsed by the Houston Federation of Teachers, owing to her experience in many of the area's public schools. She is the former principal of Tomball Junior High School, and assistant principal while at Moorhead Junior High School in Conroe ISD. She also taught education administration at Stephen F. Austin State University. Her hands on experience will be a valuable asset to the board.

Burnt Orange Report urges Harris County voters to reject Michael Wolfe's ideological extremism and vote in a real educator to the Harris County Department of Education. We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse Diane Trautman for HCDE At-Large Place 3.

Early Voting: Monday October 22 - Friday November 2 --- Election Day: Tuesday, November 6

Click here for Harris County Early Voting information.

Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.

Vote FOR San Antonio's Pre-K 4 SA Initiative

by: Burnt Orange Report

Mon Oct 22, 2012 at 02:30 PM CDT

As the Legislature slashes and burns public education to the ground, the task of educating the next generation of Texans -- all of them -- increasingly falls to local governments. We applaud Mayor Julian Castro for his commitment to picking up the slack and supporting critical Pre-K programs that prepare our children to excel in school.

The proposal will create access to early childhood education in San Antonio, and help thousands of local children who lack access to full-day Pre-K programs. The measure will also support professional development for teachers across the district, thus raising the quality of education across the city. The Pre-K 4 SA program will close achievement gaps between some of the most disadvantaged children in San Antonio, and result in greater educational attainment across the community.

The measure has broad support from across the community, and represents only a modest sales tax increase. San Antonio's public schools are some of the worst ranked among major urban areas. The Legislature clearly will not fund access to competitive, 21st century public education for all Texans. This is a critical investment in the future of San Antonio and future of Texas, and merits support from San Antonio voters.

We enthusiastically endorse the Pre-K 4 SA program and urge San Antonio voters to vote for it.

Early Voting: Monday October 22 - Friday November 2 --- Election Day: Tuesday, November 6

Click here for the Bexar County Elections Division website.

Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.

Vote FOR Lakeway Proposition 1

by: Burnt Orange Report

Mon Oct 22, 2012 at 02:00 PM CDT

The bonds will provide $4.3 million for sidewalks, streets, curbs, gutters, and drainage improvements. This is a worthwhile investment in the community. We encourage voters to support these bonds and vote FOR Lakeway Prop 1.

Early Voting: Monday October 22 - Friday November 2 --- Election Day: Tuesday, November 6

Click here for a map of Travis County Early Voting Locations. For all other counties, please contact your County Clerk's office.

Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.