Bay Area Houston

From WikiMedia Commons

CNN recently aired a show, Deep in the Pockets of Texas, which highlighted the unlimited money donated to republican causes by just two billionaires. Galveston County has their own oligarch in State Representative “Money” Mayes Middleton.

Over the last 8 years Money donated $8.1 Million to various organizations and candidates, including himself. In 2018 he spent nearly $2 Million of his own money to win a State Representative seat that should have cost $400,000 if it was competitive. (It wasn’t). As of today he has spent over $5 Million on his own campaigns.

Money Mayes considers himself a Christian Conservative but donates money to State Representative Lacy Hull. According to Texas Scorecard, Hull’s husband filed for divorce right after her election claiming she had and affair with State Representative Cole Hefner. Money donated $10,000 to her campaign. He also donated $30,000 to State Representative Valerie Swanson who was also caught up in this sordid affair.

Then there is State Representative Tony Tinderholt. According to the Houston Chronicle Tinderholt has been married FIVE times! So much for the “sanctity of marriage” bullshit. Money donated $7,500 to his campaign. 

Other interesting donations include $13,000 to True Texas Project a conspiracy theory group promoting the “Big Lie”. $50,000 to a home school PAC, $100,000 to Texans for Lawsuit Reform, $186,000 to State Representative Carrie Isaac for her reelection campaign, $300,000 to Louie Gohmert in his failed attempt at the Texas Attorney General race, $76,000 to the Galveston County Republican Party to keep it afloat, $302,000 to the now defunct Empower Texas

He also gave over $151,000 to the Texas Windstorm Action Committee which is strange and over $53,000 to Little Baby Briscoe Cain for various activities.

I’ve posted the entire list here.

Pic from the Dallas Morning News

As they say after eating sushi from a gas station, this too shall pass. 

Gilberto Hinojosa retained his position running on his record. His opponents also were running on his record. Carroll Robinson of Houston hammered Hinojosa and his record everywhere he spoke. He criticized his record of just “maintaining” in 2020 when we ran against one of the worst human beings on the top of the ticket. We gained no ground. He criticized his record in the Valley where we lost in districts we should never had lost. He criticized his loss of Hispanic voters. He and others stated when you take credit for the gains of 2018 you must also take responsibility for just maintaining in 2020. He said it was time for something to change. Maintaining was not enough. It was time to win. He was right. He is right.

All of that changed after Robinson came in third place after the 1st vote. He addressed the delegates and instead of supporting the other change candidate he urged a vote for the very person who he criticized the day before. Instead of a change, as he was advocating for, he asked to maintain the course. The 2nd vote was taken and Hinojosa won. So here we are…..maintaining. Again. 

Many delegates were very disappointed especially those who are on the street knocking doors and doing the hard work looking for help and guidance from the state party. Needless to say Olson supporters were disappointed as they should be. In the year of the Woman, we voted for a man. In the year of change, we voted to maintain.

Hinojosa has a few months to prove us all wrong. Our state has moved backwards on every issue important to Texans, gun massacres, teacher salaries and respect, women’s rights, immigration, voting rights, the electricity grid, home insurance, property taxes, home prices, etc etc etc. What is he going to do? How are we going to make progress? How is the party going to help those willing to work especially those in the rural areas and in the Valley? These are good, valid questions.

Maintaining is not an option. Winning is. It’s the only option now. Congratulations to the chair. Let’s unite and move on. Let’s progress. Let’s move forward.