The Red State

Mikal Watts for U.S. Senate

The Red State: Living Liberal and Progressive in a Red State will be on hiatus until November 2008.

I am currently helping Democrat Mikal Watts defeat incumbent Republican John Cornyn. I am planning for my blog's name to be obsolete. When we defeat John Cornyn, I will have to change the name of my blog because Texas won't be that red anymore.

You can see what I am up to at the new campaign website: www.wattsforsenate.com. Go and sign up for email updates.

Check out Mikal on the Issues here: www.wattsforsenate.com/issues.

Last but not least, don't forget to contribute. We are going to need every dollar to take down Cornyn.

 

Rep. Raymond's Video Blog

Yesterday, Rep. Raymond (D-Laredo) became the first Texas state representative to have a bilingual video blog. Traditionally, the Legislature is slow to adopt new technology (e.g. recording all votes) so seeing a member adopt this tool is great. He expects to film two per week but I hope he makes the time to film more. I also really dig that it is in Spanish as well.

"Technology has given us an opportunity to keep our constituents more fully informed on the important issues facing our state.  With this new tool I hope to bring more insight into the legislative process, and make it easier to stay informed even if you are hundreds of miles away from the Capitol," Rep. Raymond said.

These firsts are important because it changes our expectation's of our elected officials. Ideally, the more contact (virtual and physical) they have with their constituency, the more responsive they will become.

Hey Texas, duck your head!

The 80th Legislative Session of the House of Representatives will convene at 12 Noon, Tuesday, January 9th, 2007.

140 days of fun is about to begin.

Watch all the festivities via live video stream or Austin Time Warner Cable on Channel 6

McCall throws support to Pitts

From a press conference just held in the Appropriations committee room, McCall has given his support to Pitts. Pitts claims to have the votes to win the Speakership but will not release the names of his supporters. He didn't want to impose on his supporters the wrath and phone calls from the Speaker and his phone bankers.

Shrewd move by not releasing the names? Absolutely. Dems probably aren't too happy but it's better than Craddick. However, having a secret ballot is key to making this work. Looks like this might come to real vote on the house floor but I wouldn't put it past Craddick to start really cracking some skulls.

Fun.

Thanks God for New Mexico?

According the latest issue of Education Week, Texas is not rated as last on the Chance for Success Index (see map). We are rated number 48 (with Mississippi doing better).

The new Chance-for-Success Index, developed for the report by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, provides a state-focused perspective on the importance of education throughout a person’s lifetime. The index is based on 13 indicators that highlight whether young children get off to a good start, succeed in elementary and secondary school, and hit crucial educational and economic benchmarks as adults.

The report notes that Virginian children have the best chance of succeeding in life. If you want proof of that, just visit our Austin-based Virginian transplant, Eileen. Tell me she is not a success (ok maybe not a dancing but she is always good for a laugh and you don't need to be able to dance to be successful).

So how do you get to the bottom of that list?

Chris Swanson, who conducted the research, says in the case of the worst performers, it's not just family factors at work. " It's just a steady stream of early disadvantage followed by ineffective schools followed by limited opportunities in the labor force."

Hello? Anyone at the Lege listening?

Mary Alice Cisneros to run for SA City Council

Mary Alice Cisneros, wife of former San Antonio mayor and HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, will be running for San Antonio City Council District 1. She will be making her official announcement this Saturday, January 6.

Ok, so that seat is done. No, seriously who on earth would run against her? Not to say she isn't qualified... Given her background and history with the city, she will make a fine addition to San Antonio's city council.

One thing though, I would have them clean up their website a bit.

Why New Years is important

I think most holidays are silly. However, I think New Years is important. In spite of time being all just make believe, it is important to us as a whole have a specific start and stop point. It allows us to take an accounting and have a pause to give us the chance to change course.

You are who you choose to be. If you want to be something different, better, faster or slower, it is your choice. You are in full control. Stop being such a chickenshit. Nothing great was ever achieved by being timid.

For our Lege that will begin in earnest in one week, you have the chance to change. These past elections should be the Chuck Norris round house kick to your head that jostles you from your partisan slumber. Choose to do what is best for you district and the people of Texas because we have started to hold you accountable. Just ask Gene Seaman...

For TRS, we will be broadcasting with a more blue-state sensibility due to geographic influences. More on that later.

Happy New Year!

2007 & I feel great

Oooh, yeah...I feel great!

Mid-Campaign Break

35 days to go and TRS is taking a short break. Yes, I know... "break from what? You haven't been posting much."

We at TRS hit a major pothole quite unexpectedly and are desperately trying to realign the steering. Until then please enjoy Eileen's work at In the Pink Texas (nothing quite like having a public fight with Kinky's Press Secretary..*cough* he's a racist *cough* /what? ) , BOR's new Burnt Orange Political Report and for the big, big picture go to Sean Paul's The Agonist.

And one more thing, when you pick power over protecting children, you should, at the very least, resign Mr. Speaker.

Martha Wong lies in first TV spot; cuts health care to the needy

Link: Lawmaker's ad touts programs she voted to cut.

As contemporary of the Wohlgeumuth, Rep. Martha Wong (R-Houston) began her television campaign by lying through her teeth.

State Rep. Martha Wong says in her first TV ad of the season that she helped expand health care to the poor, but the two-term lawmaker has cast several votes to cut such programs.

As the ad shows scenes of children, an announcer says that Wong "helped the truly needy gain access to government health care programs like Medicaid, Medicare and the Children's Health Insurance Program."

During her first term in 2003, the Houston Republican voted for a
state budget that cut almost $1 billion from health programs. She also
supported a major restructuring of the popular CHIP program that
included new asset tests, increases in co-payments and premiums, and a
requirement that families reapply every six months instead of once a
year.

Programs like CHIP were gutted by making it harder and more expensive for the working poor to get health coverage for their children. By cutting the CHIP program, Texas left hundreds of milllions of dollars of federal matching fund on the table. We has a chance for our federal tax dollars to come back to Texas but people like Wong voted to allow the federal government to keep the matching funds.

Thanks for making Texas a donor state. That is not fically responsilble. It is mean and stupid.

Fact check

In 2003, Wong voted for a state budget that cut $1 billion from health care programs. She also voted for a bill that changed the qualifications for CHIP and authorized private eligibility call centers that have been plagued with problems this year and caused some children to be wrongly denied coverage. There are about 200,000 fewer children on the program now than in 2003....

Good thing Wong has a real opponent in Ellen Cohen. Why don't you all check her out, volunteer some time and donate to Cohen so she can get the truth out.

 

Kinky Racist

Via AP Newswire

A Houston-area lawmaker said Tuesday that she is "vehemently insulted" by independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman's derogatory comments about Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

Friedman last week attributed a spike in Houston's crime rate to the "crackheads and thugs" who evacuated New Orleans.

"He has demonstrated a total lack of human sensitivity," said state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston. "The people of Katrina have lost everything and are suffering not only from the loss of loved ones, but the trauma of the event itself. What has precipitated from this tragedy is behavior that results from a disastrous event."

What a dirtbag! It reminds me of the comments about Katrina victims by Barbara Bush:

Almost everyone I've talked to says, 'We're gonna move to Houston.' What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas... Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality, and so many of the people in the arenas here, you know, were underprivileged anyway. This is working very well for them.'

The philosophical question is "do racist people know they are racists" or are they just too stupid to breathe.

The time is nigh. We must help Chris Bell win this one. Here is how you do it: Talk to your friends and family if they have a pick for Governor yet. Convince them why Chris Bell will be the best choice for them and Texas. Make sure they are registered to vote. If not, get them. Rinse. Repeat.

Robert, Kathy — Kathy, Robert. You two should talk

Here's an idea that will make Republicans foolish and greedy if they oppose it: Increase the minimum wage.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Bell yesterday said that as Governor he would push for increasing the state minimum wage to $7 an hour over three years and indexing it to the Consumer Price Index thereafter. Mr. Bell introduced similar legislation in Congress.

Congress has not raised the federal minimum wage since 1997. Since then, 18 states and the District of Columbia have raised their state minimum wages. Four states—Florida, Oregon, Vermont and Washington—have indexed their state minimum wages to provide for automatic annual increases.

According to the Center for Public Policy Priorities, 198,000 workers make the minimum wage in Texas, more than any other state. Most—87.5 percent—are age 20 years or older, and 40 percent are the sole breadwinners for their families. Ten percent of the state’s workforce—900,000 workers—would receive a pay raise if the minimum wage rose to $7 an hour.

When the Perry's campaign was approached with this idea, their response sounded like this: flippity-flop. Perry Press Secretary Kathy Walt said "eh maybe." Perry Campaign Mouthpiece Robert Black said "hells no!" [paraphrasing mine]

Let's do the math. Minimum wage is $5.15 per hr x 40 hr work week x 4 weeks in month = a whopping $824.00. That is $824.00 before taxes. If increased to $7.00 an hour, worker would a 36% increase in their salary. Now, the $296 (before taxes again) may not seem like a lot of money but it would if it takes you over a week to earn it.

I think its very fair to bump up the minimum wage. Don't let people Bill Hammond of the indicted Texas Association of Business scared you into to thinking otherwise. 22 other states and the District of Columbia have increased their minimum wage because they are tired of Congress ineptitude and corruption. If I have to pay a few pennies more so peoples lives can be a little less harder, then I have no problem with that.

The folks at the Center for Public Policy Priorities have done all the heavy lifting on issues of poverty and low wages. Check them out. They are very good at what they do.

Rick Perry in college

I ran across this video on the internets and immediately thought of Gov. Rick "Goodhair" Perry. I wondered if Rick was like this guy during college. I think he probably was....

       

Ciro Rodriguez bows out

A little birdie just told me that potential CD 23 candidate and former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez will not run for Congressional District 23. This was announced at the local AFL-CIO meeting tonight by Ciro himself.

I suspect it has something to do with the inability to raise enough money in a short period of time. It looks like this race will be between Lukin Gilliland and Henry Bonilla.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems we have a horse race.

UPDATE: The Quorum Report is confirming that Ciro is out of the race. The question now becomes will his name be removed from the ballot. If Rodriguez' name remains on the ballot, then it puts the Southside (of San Antonio) vote in flux. There will be two known names, Uresti and Rodriguez, that will pull votes away from Bonilla. However, to win you will need crossover votes from the more conservative parts of the district. Will Gilliland be able to capitalize from this situation? Maybe.

I tend to think this will help Lukin Gilliland. This should be fun race.

Perry wants to sell off Texas parkland

After the flap over Black Gap, you figure Perry would learn a lesson or two.... guess not.

Gov. Rick Perry’s office worked aggressively behind the scenes to facilitate the auction of 400 acres of state parkland in Tarrant County to the highest bidder — despite growing outcry over the loss of Texas parks — according to documents obtained by the Star-Telegram.

While publicly distancing itself from the dealings, the governor’s office appears to have privately pushed for an auction that would guarantee that only one-fourth of the property remained green space, according to e-mails and documents obtained through the state’s open-records law.

The governor’s proposal would also set aside several gas well drilling sites on the 400 acres, according to the documents. The property is at Eagle Mountain Lake, just northwest of Fort Worth, and has become the subject of intense interest by several residential developers.

“This is a terrible deal for Texas parks,” said Luke Metzger, an advocate with the Austin-based Environment Texas. “Clearly, the governor’s office is talking out of both sides of the mouth — on the one hand, Governor Perry says he wants to create a world-class parks system, but then behind closed doors he’s pushing to develop and drill this natural treasure.”

What is it with these Republicans and desire to sell off parkland. First, they promise to protect and expand state parkland and then they cut off spending and put the land on the auction block.

Parents: Take your children to our parks soon. Who knows how long we will have them at this rate.

Possible Candidate for CD 23?

There has been lots of talk of who will run against Republican Henry Bonilla for Congressional District 23. The list includes Ciro Rodriguez (much to many people's chagrin), Rick Bolanos, Kyle Kincaid, former San Antonio mayor Ed Garza, state Rep. Pete Gallego, Julian Castro, "City Councilman Richard Perez, who represents the Southwest Side; Richard Gambitta, a political scientist and chairman of the political science and geography department at the University of Texas at San Antonio; and Albert Uresti, a retired San Antonio Fire Department district chief and brother of state Rep. Carlos Uresti."

A new and interesting name has popped up. Local restaurateur Lukin Gilliland Jr. is reported to be expressing an interest.

"I'm kicking this around," he said this week, but declined to comment further.   

Several Democratic activists said Gilliland, 54, had been making the rounds of potential supporters for days. "Lukin's talking to a lot of people, making a lot of phone calls," local Democratic consultant JoAnn Ramon said.

Gilliland is not shy in giving money to Democrats and their causes. The Texas Ethics Commission reports that Gilliland has given over $31,000 in the past 6 years. The Federal Election Commission reports that he has given over $100,000 in the past 9 years. Given that the Bonilla has $2 million in the warchest, being able to self fund early on is important. Unfortunately for Ciro Rodriguez, I think people are tired and burned out giving to Ciro whose last race against Henry Cuellar was a complete failure, in spite of some impressive netroots support.

While this a winnable district, it only can be won with the Democrats uniting behind one candidate. Give Ciro's track record and missed opportunities, many are looking for someone else to climb this mountain. I hope people's hubris will not get in the way of a Democrat winning this seat (ahem, you know who you are...). There is nothing wrong with taking one for the team.

As of Friday, August 18, only Bonilla has filed. The deadline to file with the Secretary of State for CD 23 is Friday, August 25, 2006 at 5:00 p.m.

Anti-FOIA study exposed & stalled

Link: MySA.com: St. Mary's grant in limbo.

Who has the money? Who's giving the money? What's happening to the money?

Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. ~Thomas Jefferson

After the negative press from the announcement that St. Mary's Law School was receiving $1 million from the DoD to study "how to limit the Freedom of Information Act," the Air Force Research Laboratory suddenly admits is won't administer the project.

The laboratory states that the project is more of a "policy project than bona fide research."

Shocking!

<-- Here we have the Air Force Research Lab saying that its a poilical push rather than an academic endevour.

The research group manages all basic scientific research funded by the Air Force, soliciting proposals from academic institutions for work in fields such as chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science, according to its Web site.

The St. Mary's proposal "doesn't fit with the information research and development that we do," Emlin told Secrecy News.

So, why would we trust the director, Addicott, or the Center to have a true research study when the Air Force doesn't believe it can? Frankly, I do not trust him or the Center to protect our freedom nor the good name of my alma mater.

I hope the University and it's president, Dr. Charlie Cotrell, see the error of allowing such a controversial and wrong headed-project to continue.

To help, read the petition (pdf) and sign it by sending your name to giveitbackstmarys@gmail.com

How about a little James Madison to cap the post? I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.

Wanna help a Congressional campaign?

The Lloyd Doggett Re-Election Campaign is seeking volunteers and interns that can assist Congressman Doggett and the campaign staff with a range of responsibilities. Join our team and show the Republicans how hard we Texas Democrats fight and persevere despite their partisan redistricting efforts.

Volunteers are needed to help with mailings, phone banks, canvassing, office/computer needs, and other necessary tasks. Interns would work directly with all levels of campaign staff on important tasks and would receive invaluable experience on a US Congressional race. As an intern, you would need to be able to commit 15-20 hours a week until the election. If you are interested in either opportunity, please e-mail me at john@votedoggett.com with your interests, availability, or any questions you may have. What no one can accomplish alone, we can achieve together.

San Antonio candidate, Barbara Scharf-Zeldes, unveils 1st deaf accessible campaign in US

Barbara ScharfZeldes, candidate for Probate Court #2 in Bexar County (San Antonio), recently unveiled the "first website of a political candidate in the nation to be deaf and hard of hearing accessible." The site will offer sign language for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors.

Members from the deaf community, who have felt disenfranchised from the political process, will also be registering to vote as part of the announcement. By registering, they hope to send a message that they will support candidates who believe in equal access to the political process for all people. In San Antonio, an estimated 116,000 people are deaf or hard of hearing.

Most people mistakenly believe that if one communicates information in writing to a person who is deaf, they will understand what is being written. Statistics indicate that sign language is the primary vehicle for communication for the deaf and that most people who are deaf only read on a second or third grade level. This misinformation has been a major obstacle to participation in the electoral process for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Now, that is really reaching out to all the voters. I guess it is also the nature of the court. Probate courts deal with will & estates, appoint guardian ad litems for a orphaned children, address eminent domain issue (i.e. when the government wants to condemn your private property for public use) and determines  who get committed to get help for mental health problems.

For the last 13 years, Barbie has been an attorney for San Antonio police officers and firefighters and their familes. She has guided them through the difficult issues surrounding wills, their estates, and guardianships for seniors and children.

I can personally vouch for Barbie. She very qualified and thoughtful person. If you ever in probate court, it is usually because of a life altering event. I can't think of a better person to fill such an important judicial position in the community. (See biography here)

Check out her website and help her out: www.voteforbarbie.com

 

Care Package: Destination Iraq

Around the liberal progressive blogosphere, we try to keep the administration honest (I know, big task) about what is going on in Iraq. However, we are grateful to the men and women who serve in the military, especially those in the hell-hole that is current-day Iraq.

Charlie, over at Pink Dome, has made some friends over there and will be sending a care package to his Marine buddy in Iraq. He is now accepting contribution/donations. You can send DVDs, music, games, magazines, newspapers, books, and stuff like that. As long as it doesn't melt, it's good to go.

To help, feel free to email him.