If you are a conservative, you're not a republican

May 14, 2018

There is nothing conservative about the republic Party.

Conservatives do not mock the disabled.
They don’t create massive out of control deficits.
They don’t make jokes about those dying of cancer.
They don’t violate or ignore the laws of our country.
They don’t tolerate sexual abuse.
They don’t tolerate family violence.
They don’t interrupt people while talking.
They don’t call people names.
They don’t say racist things.
They don’t refer to Native Americans as “Pocahontas”
They don’t make fun of other peoples language.
They don’t call people of color “rapists”.
They don’t call Muslims “terrorists”.
They don’t endorse hate groups, the KKK, or white supremacy.
They don’t disrespect elected officials even those they disagree with.
They don’t lie. Every. Single. Day.
They don’t walk around with loaded assault weapons in public.

And they don’t tolerate those who do. Those who say they are “conservative” either do not know what conservative means or they are just like the republic Party and Donald trump.

A bunch of assh*les.


Vote Tuesday then have lunch!

May 14, 2018

Come and join some Democrats in the Clear Lake area and early vote and have lunch on Tuesday May 15, 11:45 AM at the Freeman Memorial Library. Our candidate for Congress, Dayna Steele, and her staff will be joining us. After we vote we will be having lunch at a local restaurant. 

Our endorsed candidates:

U.S. Representative District 22:  Sri Preston Kulkarni
Harris County District Clerk:  Marilyn Burgess
Harris County Clerk:  Diane Trautman
Governor: Andrew White or Lupe Valdez
County Treasurer: Dylan Osborne
County School Trustee: Josh Wallenstein

History of White House scandals by the numbers

May 11, 2018

After just 1 year Mike Pence has “respectfully” suggested to Special Counsel Mueller to “wrap it up” concerning the investigation into Russian collusion with the Trump Campaign. Mueller has responded to Pence with a “Yeah. Right”. Let’s look at other scandals over the last few decades.

Watergate. The scandal began from a break in to the Democratic National Committee and resulted in a cover up conspiracy. Senate Watergate Committee was formed in August of 1973. Just 1 year later Nixon resigned. The Watergate scandal resulted in 69 government officials being charged and 48 being found guilty.

Iran/Contra Affair. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo. November 25, 1986 the Tower Commission was created to investigate. Within a year there were at least 16 indictments including 16 felony counts against Oliver North.

Whitewater. Whitewater initially was an investigation into the real estate investments of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Ken Star was appointed to continue the investigate which started in 1994. 4 years later Clinton was impeached for an unrelated issue lying about a BJ.

Benghazi. The republican House investigated the Benghazi incident or over 4 years resulting in no action or indictments.

Email scandal. The republican House investigated the use of a private email server by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for over a year resulting in no action or indictments. The baseless investigation played a role in the 2016 election, as designed.

Russia Collusion. Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller was appointed in May of 2017 just 5 months after Trump’s poorly attended inauguration. (snipe) After just over 1 year, Mueller’s investigation has resulted in the following:

  • Indictments on multiple counts of Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of Trump.
  • Indictments against Rick Gates, Manaforts business partner.
  • Indictments and guilty plea by General Flynn, Trumps National Security Advisor
  • Indictments and guilty plea by George Papadopoulos, Trump’s campaign advisor
  • Indictment and guilty plea by Richard Pinedo
  • Indictment and guilty plea by Dutch attorney Alex van der Zwaan (now serving jail time)
  • Indictments against 13 Russian nationals and three Russian organizations.
Everyday there are new revelations and evidence. So Pence do us a favor and just shut the hell up until you are indicted.

Trump proposes cuts to NASA employee benefits

May 10, 2018

Someone has to pay for the tax cuts.

These cuts have been talked about for over a year but now there is growing concern and distain for government employees that may make these cuts real. Also the great tax cut for the rich has created a huge $1Trillion deficit with no end in sight. Somebody has to pay for this and it looks like Federal employees (NASA included) may end up donating $143.5 Billion to the cause. Trump justified his cuts:

“Everyone knows government employees are lazy, some are incompetent, and we can’t fire them. They do half the work the private sector does for twice as much money. They have golden retirement pensions, months of free vacation, and free health care that we all pay for. And what do we have? Nothing. It’s a disgrace. Believe me.”

Actually he didn’t say that but he will. Believe me. In typical trump fashion he will demonize federal employees and turn the public against them to justify his cuts. The proposed cuts will affect current employees, future employees as well as those who have retired. From the Washington Post:

  • Eliminating supplements for Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuitants who retire before being eligible for Social Security benefits. [affects early retirees]
  • Reducing federal pensions by basing them on workers’ basic pay five-year averages instead of three years. [less pension]
  • Increasing employee retirement contributions with no increase in benefits. The plan would sharply boost the 0.8 percent of basic pay most FERS employees contribute. The letter makes the impact on federal retirees clear. “Under this proposal, FERS employee deduction rates will increase by 1 percent per year until they reach 7.25 percent of basic pay. … This proposal would require FERS employees to fund a greater portion of their retirement benefit.” [7.25 cut in pay with less pension]
  • Reducing or eliminating retirement cost-of-living adjustments. The administration plans “to reduce the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) by one half of one percent and to eliminate COLAs under the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) for current and future retirees.” [no COLA for retirees]
So think of it as a 7.25% reduction in pay to fund the retirement system with no added benefits once retired. No cost of living increase for retirees so the pension will not increase over your retirement years which could be 20+ years. Other cuts to federal employee benefits that have been discussed include:
  • Reduction in sick leave
  • Reduction in vacation days
  • End of flex days
And yet NASA employees will continue to vote for republicans. You have to wonder how we will ever get back to the moon.

Spending Campaign Cash: Former Commissioner Jerry Eversole

May 9, 2018
From the Houston Chronicle

NOTE: If you steal from a bank wouldn’t it be nice if you could use that money you stole to pay your legal bills for the crime of stealing money from a bank? Here is a quick update on former Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole. Lions, and tigers, and bear with me.

Back in 2009 an ethics complaint was filed with the Texas Ethics Commission against Jerry Eversole for converting campaign donations to personal use including purchases for antique books, antique western wear, golf, and a steady stream of coffee from Starbucks for a total of about $250,000. The complaint was reviewed, accepted, and an order was issued fining Eversole $75,000 and ordering him to repay his account over $40,000 from personal funds. From the Texas Ethics Commission, complaints SC-2712236 AND SC-2712237  :

After considering the seriousness of the violations described under Sections III and IV, including the nature, circumstances, and consequences of the violations, and after considering the sanction necessary to deter future violations, the commission imposes a $75,000 civil penalty, contingent upon the respondent reimbursing $41,357.10 to his political funds by July 9, 2009. Any reimbursements to political funds made pursuant to this order and agreed resolution shall be made from the respondent’s personal funds and shall be reported on Schedule G (used for reporting political expenditures from personal funds) of the respondent’s campaign finance reports and indicate that no reimbursement is intended. The respondent must provide sufficient evidence that the reimbursements have been made in accordance with this order.


Besides using his donor’s money for personal use, Eversole was under investigation by the FBI and plead guilty to lying. After his probation period was over he became a lobbyist. From the Houston Chronicle:,

Accused of taking $100,000 in cash and gifts from friend and real estate developer Mike Surface in exchange for steering county contracts and appointments to Surface and his companies, Eversole resigned his office in October 2011 and pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents, a felony.


He is now a paid lobbyist for the Harris County Department of Education. Go figure. From the ABC13:


HOUSTON — Did you know your tax dollars will help pay the salary of a convicted felon? And it’s not just any convicted felon. Just one year after a federal plea deal forced long-time Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole to resign, we have news that he will again serve the Harris County Department of Education as a paid lobbyist.


Go figure. But…back to the bank. In July of 2009 Eversole had about $1.6 Million in his campaign account. Elected officials who leave office cannot convert their remaining balance to personal funds. Instead they can donate to other campaigns, charities, pay off campaign debt, or pay legal bills. This is what Eversole did.

Eversole paid $75,000 to the Ethics Commission (using his donors money. He paid his legal counsel, Rusty Hardin & Associates, over $1.2 Million for his legal bills stemming from the FBI investigation. He also paid Haynes and Boone over $92,000.

On top of pleading guilty to lying to the FBI, paying his legal bills with his donors money, using your tax money for his lobbying effort, and probably retaining his County pension and health care benefits, Eversole is seeking a presidential pardon.

#NoPlaceButTexas and Harris County.



Loaning Campaign Cash: Angela Paxton

May 8, 2018

If conservatives in Texas Senate District 8 didn’t like Bill and Hillary Clinton, they are going to absolutely hate Ken and Angela Paxton.

From https://politicspaysforpaxton.com
Angela Paxton is the wife of our current Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, who is mired in a felony trial due to security fraud. Paxton (Ken) has loaned $2.6 Million to his wife’s campaign for Senator District 8 and has guaranteed the loan with his campaign account. $2 Million has a 3.6% interest rate while the $500,000 loan has an 8.5% rate. The latest loan from Paxton’s (Ken’s) campaign is for $100,000 with a rate of 8% but does not have a guarantor. 
Dan Patrick has donated $75,000 in cash and in-kind contributions for advertisement. He has a boner for Angela for her anti-public education stance. Look for her to be a solid supporter of school vouchers.

I seriously doubt Angela intends to pay any of loans back leaving Paxton’s war chest with a bit less money to pay his legal bills. If Angela, by chance, loses in November it will be a bit hard to raise money to pay off your debts, especially if you are NOT in office! Imagine the call “I didn’t win but could you donate $5000 to help me pay off a loan from my husband’s campaign?” Yeah. Right.

Angela like Kathaleen Wall and State Representative Dennis Paul is basically buying an election. Kathaleen loaned herself $6 Million for a losing effort for Congress. Dennis Paul raised over 75% of his funds from his own engineering firm for a total of $156,000. He won. 

It would be funny to watch Angela lose. And her husband go to jail. 

Raising Campaign Cash: Dennis Paul Texas HD129

May 6, 2018
From the Houston Chronicle

This isn’t pretty. It’s ugly. It includes a raid by the FBI!

Dennis Paul, endorsed by the NRA, can’t seem to raise money except from his own company and another engineering firm that was raided by the FBI. Paul owns Paul Engineering which has loaned his campaign over $150,000. His current ethics report has his loan balance at $156,000 with a cash on hand balance of only $37,089.32. He only raised 47,237.93 during his last period which included $5000 from James Dannebaum, his biggest contributor.


According to the San Antonio Express and News Dannenbaum has a “controversial history along the Texas border” which included a raid from the FBI. From the Express News:


Dannenbaum Engineering has stirred a lot of controversy as it has grown into one of the dominant engineering companies in South Texas over the past 30 years. On April 26, the FBI executed a broad raid of its offices across the state, including in San Antonio, to gather records related to the company’s pursuit of infrastructure projects in the Laredo area. A decade ago, reports from the El Paso Times and other media outlets linked the company to another FBI corruption probe in El Paso County.


Ouch. I guess engineers stick together. Other donors include a number of PAC’s including $1000 from the USAA Employee PAC. (USAA is an insurance company) But….back to the $156,000 loan. Paul is one of the few individuals who bought his nomination to represent the Republic Party. Much like Kathleen Wall who put over $6 Million of her own money to buy the nomination for CD2. She lost. Paul didn’t.

Dennis might want to remember nothing good comes from an FBI raid. Ask Paul Manafort. Or Michael Cohen. He might want to considering returning the $5000 and borrowing from his company again.

Cinco de Mayo. Maybe it's time to start voting?

May 4, 2018

I’ve said it beforeFrom History.com:

During the French-Mexican War (1861-1867), an outnumbered Mexican army defeats a powerful invading French force at the small town of Puebla de Los Angeles. The retreat of the French troops at the Battle of Puebla represented a great moral victory for the people of Mexico, symbolizing the country’s ability to defend its sovereignty against a powerful foreign nation.

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican independence day and it is not a day celebrated in Mexico. Many in the United States will put on a multi colored sombrero, a sarape, eat a taco salad, and drink margaritas at their favorite Mexican restaurant thinking its Mexican Independence Day. They know not what they are doing, but they are at least having fun.

Maybe some day the Mexican Americans in the United States will honor those who died in Puebla by simply putting down their TV remote and take a few minutes to vote. The party of trump doesn’t care if Latinos vote or not. They expect about 20-30% of their vote no matter what they say about them. They do not intend to reach out to Latinos unless it is to grab them by the throat and throw them back across the river. They will continue to insult them, their heritage, and their language because they know there will be no consequences for doing so. None. At all. Because Latinos do not vote.

It’s sad. All we ask is for a little help so we can have common sense immigration reform without the racism of the republic party. Its not that hard. If Latinos would just simply vote their strength no elected official would ever make a derogatory remark towards them.

Because if they did….they would get their asses kicked. Just like the French.


How to follow Bay Area Houston by Email

May 3, 2018

You too can be full of wit!

As I said last week, I will be blogging on a regular basis. If you are interested in following my blog, then subscribe and you will receive an email every time I post something new. Its easy.

Look at the left sidebar. Enter your email address in the box titled “Follow my posts by email”. You will be asked to verify your selection. Once completed every time I post, you will receive a copy of the post in your in box.

If you are using your phones browsers, scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Select Web Version” then look at the left side bar.

Thanks for following! I hope you enjoy my posts!


Houston Congressman nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

May 3, 2018

#NoPlaceButTexas

Louie Gohmert got out played. Congressman Brian Babin, who recently claimed the men and women of the FBI was locked into a conspiracy to remove the president, has nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Here is the letter:

This letter wasn’t signed by Louie Gohmert. He knows better. Others include Congressman Matt Gaetz from Florida who has also called for an investigation into the “deep state” of the FBI. The other signatories are a bunch of nobodies looking for traction with their rabid, racist, base. Babin has nominated Trump for the Peace Prize because:

“President Trump has accomplished what no other President has ever accomplished in the history of the United States. He has forced a dictator to his knees by calling him names such as “Little Rocket Man” while squinting his eyes mocking his looks. Trump truly represents the morals, strength, and racism of the republican party.”

Well, he didn’t actually say that but you get the idea. Besides calling Kim Jung Un “Little Rocket Man” Trump hasn’t really done anything. He is getting played. We are getting played. 
At least Louie Gohmert had a sewer plant named for him.