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Join the BOR Team: Staff Writers and Interns Wanted!

Burnt Orange Report — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:01:20 GMT

Staff Writers and Interns Wanted!

Do you love progressive politics and want to play a role in promoting efforts to Turn Texas Blue? Do you want to help elect more and better Democrats? Do you love to write, research, or Tweet about politics? Then apply to join the team at Burnt Orange Report!

Founded in 2003, BOR is the most widely read progressive blog in Texas, and one of the biggest progressive state-level blogs in the country. Staff members have gone on to work in the Legislature, manage political campaigns, and make an impact across Texas. Any and all interested individuals are encouraged to apply.

Full details below the jump.
Staff Writers Wanted

BOR is looking to add staff writers to our team of bloggers focused on the following specific areas:

* Elections (Congressional, legislative, local)
* Immigration
* Women's health and reproductive justice

The ideal candidate is a strong writer, has a basic knowledge of HTML or is willing to learn, has strong time management skills, and possesses a genuine passion for Democratic politics. Writers with past campaign experience are welcome. Writers are paid based on output and traffic. For more information, see "How To Apply" below.

Digital Media and Marketing Intern Wanted

BOR is looking for an intern to run social media programs promoting BOR content on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr. Additionally, this person will help prepare materials and promote BOR to potential advertisers and advertising agencies to increase revenue. This is an internship with substantial responsibility, and is a great way to gain solid experience in digital media.

The ideal candidate will have experience with at least three of the aforementioned platforms, and have the drive to increase BOR's presence on all four. Feel free to include samples of past digital work in your application.

Position requires 10 hours a week in the office, 5 hours a week independently. Monthly stipend is competitive.

Research and Operations Intern Wanted

BOR is looking for an intern to conduct research on an array of topics, from legislative voting records to election returns to campaign donations. This person will also assist in tracking internal BOR data and support a wide array of BOR projects. If you are interested in gaining skills to work in opposition research or operations, this is a great opportunity to gain real hands-on experience.

The ideal candidate will be extremely detail-oriented, self-motivated, and curious almost to a fault. OCD spreadsheet formatters welcome. Feel free to send an example of your extreme attention to detail in your application.

Position requires 10 hours a week in the office, 5 hours a week independently. Monthly stipend is competitive.

How To Apply

Send a resume, cover letter, two writing samples (totaling no more than 3000 words), and three professional / political references to katherine (at) burntorangereport.com with APPLICATION in the subject line.

Deadline to apply: June 18th

Weekly Wrap: Craig Eiland, Jeff Leach, Rick Perry, and Austin's Growth

Burnt Orange Report — Sat, 25 May 2013 22:04:01 GMT

If it's the last Saturday in May of an odd-numbered year and you work at the Legislature, you're still at work! For the rest of our readers, we hope you're enjoying the Memorial Day weekend.

In the meantime, The Democrats have been busy winning at Facebook:

Below the jump, get caught up on Craig Eiland, Jeff Leach, Rick Perry, Austin's growth, and a harbinger of what's to come.

Craig Eiland's retirement is a blow. It's a blow to the legislature, because he's one of the better legislators, period, regardless of ideology. And it's a blow to the Democratic Party -- in a district won by Mitt Romney, Democrats are going to need a strong candidate.
--Michael Hurta

Led by Rep. Jeff Leach, the Texas House this week approved an amendment to SB 7, creating an effective block to Medicaid expansion. The amendment bars HHSC from broadening the scope of Medicaid eligibility without prior approval from the legislature. This would stop Medicaid expansion and potentially claw back current funding for Medicaid. Fortunately it may not to survive the conference process.
--Edward Garris

Rick Perry will likely soon be running for President on the low tax, low regulation, "Texas Model", but Texans paying attention know it's merely a mirage. Not only are the fastest growing areas -- "the Texas Triangle" and South Texas -- the bluest, but not every state can offset lower taxes by pumping more oil and gas from the ground. Dallas Morning News lays it out in their article "Suburbs, oil and gas fuel Texas population growth."
--Joe Deshotel

I don't care if everyone seems to have already seen or heard this, but Austin is the 11th largest city in America with no signs of letting up. That's up from 14th just a couple years ago, now having passed San Francisco, Indianapolis, and Jacksonville, FL.
--Karl-Thomas Musselman

On the same day the Texas legislature passed a bill to allowing teachers to become "School Marshals" by carrying guns on campus after only 80 hours of training, a Port Arthur teacher was charged with one count of "injury to a child" after claiming self-defense for a physical altercation in the classroom.
Yep, it could be much worse.
--Joe Deshotel

May 2013 Election Results Liveblog and Open Thread

Burnt Orange Report — Sat, 11 May 2013 23:12:21 GMT

9:53 pm: Looks like Ramos Jr. will go to a run-off against Vasquez in Fort Worth. A citizen-led effort in Grapevine to add term limits to the City Charter has unfortunately failed.

Equality scored a victory in Pflugerville, where two incumbents who voted for domestic partner benefits for employees as members of the Pflugerville ISD board have been re-elected. A local Baptist Minister preached against voting for the two incumbents because of their support of domestic partner benefits.

No E-Day votes have come in from Farmer's Branch yet. We'll keep hitting refresh on those county and city clerk sites for now.

9:19 pm: AISD Props 1 and 3 now over 50%. Props 2 and 4 within 2%. In other news, YNN reported that all bonds had failed when only 366 Election Day votes had been counted. As Rick Perry said, "Oops."

8:44 pm: Confusion abounds about AISD vote totals due to the switch to vote centers on Election Day. From the Clerk's website:

ATTENTION: Because voters from all precincts can vote at any Election Day polling location, all reports issued throughout the night will show 100% of precincts reporting, even though not all polling locations have turned in their results. Once all locations have turned in their results, you will see an advisory that says ALL TRAVIS COUNTY VOTES ARE COUNTED.

Results not final yet. Stay tuned!

8:29 pm: The AISD bonds are rebounding on Election Day, with all four over 55% in votes cast today. Will it be enough to close the gap and pass the bonds?

7:40 pm: Down in San Antonio, Mayor Julian Castro is cruising to an easy re-election with 66% of the early vote despite six challengers. Place 5 has all candidates under 50% with Shirley Gonzales (33%) and David Medina (40%) leading the pack. In Place 8, Ron Nirenberg (49.82%) is facing close competition from Rolando Briones (44.9%).

7:25 pm: A big surprise up in Fort Worth ISD: challenger Jacinto A. Ramos Jr. is currently leading incumbent Carlos Vasquez. BOR readers may remember Vasquez from his failed primary challenge to Democratic State Rep. Lon Burnam in 2012. The race has plenty of local drama.

7:20 pm: Early Vote totals are coming in. All four AISD bonds are currently below 50%. Ana Reyes is up big percentage-wise in Farmers Branch, though only 383 votes were cast early. Up in Grapevine a charter amendment election to institute term limits is down.

6:50 pm: In Farmers Branch, a community in northwest Dallas County, Ana Reyes has the opportunity to become the first Latina on the City Council. Farmers Branch has had a turbulent recent history emerging from an anti-immigrant ordinance that passed and was upheld by voters. After a successful Voting Rights Act lawsuit, the DOJ forced Farmers Branch to institute single-member districts. Read more here.

Earlier updates below the jump.
6:45 pm: Two ISD races in Pflugerville have become a referendum on same-sex partner benefits. The Pflugerville ISD board voted to extend the benefits, and as a result, two incumbents, Carol Fletcher and Mario Acosta, are facing challengers from the religious right. Texas Freedom Network has endorsed the two incumbents. Read more here.

6:10 pm: Less than an hour to go until the polls close! (Less than two in El Paso.) There are local races on the ballot across the state, from City Council and ISD board races to local bonds and ordinances.

We'll have early voting results from races we're watching across Texas after the polls close. What races are you watching? Tell us in the comments!

Friday Wrap: County Judge, Lotto Numbers, Socialism, and the Future of Humanity

Burnt Orange Report — Fri, 03 May 2013 21:30:00 GMT

It's Friday afternoon, time for your Burnt Orange Reporters to close some browser tabs and touch on the issues of the week.

Vote for Joe!

BOR staff writer Joe Deshotel is in the running for a Democracy for America scholarship to attend Netroots Nation in San Jose this summer. The top five vote getters win. Help send a Texas progressive to the blogger convention!

Vote for him here, and please share the link on Facebook and Twitter!

Below the jump, catch up on the race for Travis County Judge, get your lotto numbers, name that Socialist, and explore the future of humanity.

If it wasn't already, the County Judge race is officially on. Sarah Eckhardt has announced and Andy Brown, who is resigning from the Travis County Democratic Party in just about two weeks, is bound to officially announce any day, too. For those counting, that's 10 full months of full-throttle campaigning that we're about to endure.
--Michael Hurta

Today's numbers: 1,737; 1,038; 2; and 5. 1,737 and 1,038 are the days that 2 federal judgeships have been vacant in Texas. 5 is the number of other vacant federal judicial slots in Texas. Play those numbers in your Texas Lottery, folks.
Wait - we still have a lottery, right?
--Edward Garris

Guess who said it?
"Not paying a just [wage], not providing work, focusing exclusively on the balance books, on financial statements, only looking at making personal profit. That goes against God! "

Some Lefty socialist? Some labor organizer? Guess again.
--Katherine Haenschen

Take a dive, ok a long dive, into the deep future of humanity.
--Karl-Thomas Musselman

Burnt Orange Report Endorsements: YES on AISD Bonds 1-4

Burnt Orange Report — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:31:00 GMT

Burnt Orange Report endorses a YES vote on AISD Bonds 1-4 to support desperately needed infrastructure improvements to our public schools.

These bonds will address a number of pressing needs faced by AISD, from building new elementary schools to address overcrowding to funding basic repairs to our existing infrastructure. Our children deserve the best educational environment we can provide, and this bond project

Furthermore, AISD will keep 100% of the bond money (rather than return a share to the state via the Robin Hood recapture rule, as it does with property tax revenue) and will enable the district to take advantage of low interest rates. Bonds also allow districts to fund one-time maintenance projects that are currently going undone due to systematic efforts to defund public education at the Legislature.

There are four propositions, each of which addresses critical infrastructure needs.

Prop 1 -- Health, Environment, Equipment & Technology: provides food service campus improvements, facility maintenance and equipment improvements, transportation district-wide, technology district-wide, classroom and science lab fixtures and equipment, energy conservation district-wide.

Prop 2 -- Safety and Security, Relief from Overcrowded Schools: including New Schools and New Construction: safety and security district-wide, additions to several schools, three new elementary schools, land acquisition, feasibility and design of a new high school, fine arts and gymnasium additions.

Prop 3 -- Academic and Building Infrastructure Renovations to Safeguard Investments in District Campuses: facility systemic repairs, individual campus plans, libraries campus improvements.

Prop 4 - Academic Initiatives, Fine Arts and Athletics: new career and technical eduction programs, fine arts, physical education and athletics, special education, School for Young Men.

Burnt Orange Report unanimously endorses a YES vote on all four propositions.

Early Voting: April 29-May 7 | Election Day: Saturday May 11
Click for maps of voting locations

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.

Join Us This Friday for Burnt Orange Report's 10th Anniversary!

Burnt Orange Report — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:30:00 GMT

Just a quick reminder: please RSVP for tomorrow night's big event celebrating 10 years of Burnt Orange Report! We hope to celebrate with you.

Burnt Orange Report's
10th Anniversary Party

Friday, April 26 | 6:00-8:30 p.m.

~ on the patio at ~

McGinnis, Lochridge, & Kilgore LLP
600 Congress Avenue, 26th Floor

Suggested Donation: $50
Activist / Staffer Rate: $25

RSVP on Facebook
Purchase Tickets Securely Online via ActBlue

Thanks To Our Generous Sponsors:

Senator Kirk Watson
Senator Leticia Van de Putte
Jade Chang Sheppard

Rep. Rafael Anchia * Rep. Joe Deshotel * Rep. Dawnna Dukes
Rep. Donna Howard * Rep. Elliott Naishtat * Rep. Joe Moody
Rep. Mark Strama * Rep. Chris Turner * Rep. Hubert Vo
Judge John Lipscombe & Judge Jan Breland
Hon. Sarah Eckhardt * Hon. Mike Martinez * Hon. Chris Riley
Hon. Andy Brown * Hon. Ramey Ko

Garry Brown * Chantal Eldridge * Vincent Harding * Kelly & Tom Musselman
Richard Jung * Randall Slagle * Jan Soifer & Pat O'Connell * Brian Thompson
Brad Urrutia * Todd Wong

For more information about sponsorships, please contact
katherine@burntorangereport.com

Please Join Us Friday, April 26 and Celebrate 10 Years of BOR

Burnt Orange Report — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:30:00 GMT

Please join Burnt Orange Report staffers past and present as we celebrate 10 years of keeping our eyes on politics.

Burnt Orange Report was founded in April 2003, and since then over 40 bloggers have helped write over 13,000 posts and rack up over 12 million page views. We have a lot to celebrate, so please join us next Friday, April 26th.

Burnt Orange Report's
10th Anniversary Party

Friday, April 26 | 6:00-8:30 p.m.

~ on the patio at ~

McGinnis, Lochridge, & Kilgore LLP
600 Congress Avenue, Suite 2100

Suggested Donation: $50
Activist / Staffer Rate: $25

RSVP on Facebook
Purchase Tickets Securely Online via ActBlue

Thanks To Our Generous Sponsors:

Senator Kirk Watson
Senator Leticia Van de Putte
Jade Chang Sheppard

Rep. Rafael Anchia * Rep. Joe Deshotel * Rep. Donna Howard
Rep. Elliott Naishtat * Rep. Joe Moody
Rep. Chris Turner * Rep. Hubert Vo
Judge John Lipscombe & Judge Jan Breland
Hon. Mike Martinez * Hon. Chris Riley
Hon. Andy Brown * Hon. Ramey Ko

Garry Brown * Kelly & Tom Musselman * Richard Jung * Randall Slagle
Jan Soifer & Pat O'Connell * Brian Thompson * Todd Wong

For more information about sponsorships, please contact
katherine@burntorangereport.com

Friday Wrap: Fundraising Schemes, Global Warming Denials, and Fetal Pain

Burnt Orange Report — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:00:00 GMT

It's Friday afternoon, time for your Burnt Orange Reporters to close some browser tabs and touch on the issues of the week.

Vote for Joe! BOR staff writer Joe Deshotel is in the running for a Democracy for America scholarship to attend Netroots Nation in San Jose this summer. Vote for him here, and please share the link on Facebook and Twitter!

Also if you're in Austin, head on over to tonight's Austin Young Democrats happy hour at Shangri La, starting at 5:30 p.m. Details are on Facebook.

Below the jump, catch up on this week's Republican wrongdoings of biblical proportions.

We know Republicans seem to have a fetish for making the lives of working people harder. If SB 21 passes, those down on their luck and who were fired through no fault of their own will have to submit to a drug screening.
Amendments by Democrats made sure there was a prescreening questionnaire that would be given first and the actual drug test would only be administered if red flags indicating drug use were raised. Applicants who fail will also be eligible to receive benefits as long as they enroll into a drug rehab program within 7 days.
Another bill, SB 11, would target those seeking TANF benefits as well. These bills amount to simply to wasting more tax dollars through targeting people who are already down on their luck. Neither bill will ensure people are getting the skills training needed to find self-sustaining employment. While other states are finding ways to dismantle and reform our wasteful and archaic drug policies, Texas Republicans are doing what they do best, doubling down.
--Joe Deshotel

Who's responsible for killing the PC market? It was Windows 8. In the Office. With a touchscreen.
--Karl-Thomas Musselman

Republican Congressman Joe Barton is investing his campaign money in the market. And he's making some cash. His campaign warchest gained about as much money via investment this last quarter as it did through traditional PAC and lobbyist donations. I have absolutely no idea what to think of this, other than: whoah.
--Michael Hurta

The Texas House is currently considering House Bill 2364 known as the Preborn Pain Bill or Fetal Pain Bill, which is designed to ban abortions in Texas after the 20th week of pregnancy on the theory that a fetus can feel pain as early as 20 weeks after fertilization.
This is contrary to a 2005 study by the American Medical Association, stating that fetuses cannot feel pain until the 29th or 30th week after fertilization. Presently, Texas law prohibits abortions beginning with the 28th week of pregnancy.
On the theory that pain can be felt early in life, perhaps the legislature should consider a bill banning circumcisions.
--Edward Garris

On Wednesday, Republican Rep. Joe Barton acknowledged climate change but denied that it's industry-caused. "I would point out that if you're a believer in the Bible, one would have to say the Great Flood is an example of climate change and that certainly wasn't because mankind had overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy," he said.
I would point out that the myths of any religion have no bearing on science, and if you think they do then you belong somewhere very different from Congress. History may one day consider people like Rep. Barton who actively prevent humans from addressing climate change as even more harmful than the Nazis were. Many millions more people will likely die as a result of climate destroyers and their advocates than died in the Holocaust.
And I say this as a Jew.
--Ben Sherman

Friday Wrap: Marriage Equality, More Ted Cruz, The Economy, Water, and Not the Onion

Burnt Orange Report — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:45:11 GMT

It's time for the Friday Wrap, when your Burnt Orange Reporters note the important things they didn't write full blog posts about.

But first, Facebook did some nifty analysis about users changing their profile pictures in support of marriage equality. Look at the map below, and note the deep red dot Deep in the Heart of Texas, Travis County!

Below the jump: Marriage Equality, More Ted Cruz, The Economy, Water, and Not the Onion!

Ted Cruz is featured throughout a new video for Sarah Palin's PAC. "She is fearless, she is principled, she can pick winners," Cruz says in a clip from his introduction of Palin at CPAC this month. He later says he that he "would not be a U.S. Senator" if it weren't for Sarah Palin. In other words, the actionable Republican base can't help itself but nominate extreme, divisive candidates, most of whom lost in 2012. Cruz has aligned himself, both literally and ideologically, with one of the least popular people in the country. These are the actions of someone who won't ever be president.
-- Ben Sherman

Good news for the economy: 22 states had decreases in unemployment in February, with Texas posting one of the largest job gains of 81,000 new jobs. Only eight states actually lost jobs in the past month. Nationally, the unemployment rate slid to a four-year low of 7.7 percent in February, down from 7.9 percent in January.
-- Emily Cadik

The House overwhelmingly passing its water bill, HB 4. It's a big deal. There were only 2 nay votes, and they were from Tea Party stalwarts.
-- Michael Hurta

I'm so tired of reading Rick Perry and other R's responses to gay marriage and it not being an onion article.
-- Chaille Jolink

Supreme Court this week heard two landmark cases concerning gay marriage. Smart money says that the Court will 1) not ban gay marriage at the federal level, and 2) allow states to legislate it at the state level. Texas, wanna bet how much companies prefer human rights over tax incentives?
-- Edward Garris

Ted Cruz is joining a growing list of Republican senators pledging to filibuster any new gun restrictions. Texas Democrats should be planning ads slamming Cruz for his opposition to gun control measures that have the vast majority of Americans' support.
-- Ben Sherman

Save the Date for our 10th Anniversary Party!

Burnt Orange Report — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:00:00 GMT

When Burnt Orange Report was founded in 2003 in a UT dorm room, who could have imagined that the site would last this long? Ten years later, Rick Perry's still governor, redistricting is still a mess, and our rate of uninsured Texans keeps climbing.

But wait! All is not lost. Democrats have demonstrated that we can fight and win in major races across the state. We have rising stars in our party, and a renewed investment in Texas Democrats that promises a better 10 years ahead.

Save the date and please join us Friday, April 26 as we celebrate the 10th year of Burnt Orange Report keeping our eyes on Texas politics!

Burnt Orange Report's 10th Anniversary Party
Friday, April 26 | 6:00-8:30 p.m.
~ on the patio at ~
McGinnis, Lochridge, & Kilgore LLP
600 Congress Avenue, Suite 2100
Sponsorship Levels:
$2000 | $1000 | $500 | $250
For more information contact katherine@burntorangereport.com
Suggested Donation: $50
Activist / Staffer Rate: $25

We're excited to mark the first 10 years of Burnt Orange Report, and we're committed to keeping our eyes on Texas politics for the next decade.

Save the date for Friday April 26 and celebrate with us!