Bay Area Houston

March 20, 2017

AUSTIN – Lt. Governor Patrick issued this statement today following the filing of House Bill 4260, the “Man’s right to know” bill.

“Texans have a long history of independence, free from over reaching restrictions to a man’s well being and health. HB4260, which restricts a man’s right to masturbate, is not only an insult to the freedoms men have fought for, it is an embarrassment to the House and Senate. I urge both Houses to rise up and denounce this frivolous bill as nothing more than a knee jerk reaction.”

“I want to make sure all my conservatives in the great state of Texas to know that I will lead the charge in beating this bill. What a man does in his own bathroom, bedroom, office, closet, or 2nd floor cloak room is no ones business. Regulating a man’s right to masturbate will rub many men the wrong way and will lead to a slippery and sticky slope.”

“I pledge to all the men in Texas that I will beat off all supporters of this bill with both hands. Now please enjoy the complimentary cigarettes and paper towels.”

Couldn’t happen to a more deserving jackass of a Congressman. From Channel 2 in Houston:

HOUSTON – Steve Stockman, who served two stints in the U.S. House of Representatives, spent part of Friday in federal court. Stockman, a Tea Party favorite who courted controversy thorough two congressional terms, was brought into court Thursday shackled and handcuffed.

Stockman represented the Clear Lake area for 2 years and was nothing but a jackass. He accomplished nothing. His entire 2 years was devoted to making wise ass comments on twitter, questioning Obama’s place of birth, and gun nuttery.

There is amble background for his problems. From the Office of Congressional Ethics who issued subpoenas to Stockman and his staff in 2014:

According to the preparers, Stockman offered varying explanations for the apparently illegal contributions from two employees of his congressional office, Thomas Dodd and Jason Posey. Although the contributions were initially made in the names of family members of the staffers, they were reattributed after Sunlight reported that one of the supposed donors had no knowledge of the contribution. When Sunlight pointed out that campaign contributions by congressional staffers are illegal, Dodd and Posey were fired. The OCE reported quoted Stockman as explaining he thought his staffers were “culpably gullible.”

A proud member of the texas tea party, Stockman now faces up to 5 years in jail for stealing campaign cash from a charity. His staff members probably turned on him. I bet he doesn’t have enough money to spend on a good attorney so look for a plea bargain.

And take his guns away.

I believe the new Chair of the Harris County Democratic Party must understand the rules and regulations of the Texas Ethics Commission.

One of the most important responsibilities of the Chair of the HCDP is to know the rules of the Texas Ethics Commission governing campaign finance. Ignorance could easily place the party in trouble and in the news. The GOP would pounce on it, complaints would be filed, and fines would be paid. It’s something the Party cannot afford. The Chair should have a good understanding of the rules or hire someone who does.

I searched the Ethics Commission’s website to determine if the candidates for HCDP Chair had appointed treasurers. According to the TEC, before money can be spent, including your own, a treasurer must be appointed and filed with the TEC. The TEC publishes a List of Candidates With Current Treasurers. The latest update was posted today and includes Dominique Davis (Filed 1/20/17), Johnathon Miller (2/11/17), and Lillie Schechter (Filed 1/30/17).

Missing are Chris Spellmon, are Keryl Douglas.

The Campaign Finance Guide for Political Parties states:

Candidates for county chair (or a specific-purpose committee supporting or opposing such a candidate) must file a campaign treasurer appointment and campaign finance reports with the Texas Ethics Commission. 

Maybe there is a good reason why the three candidates did not file. Maybe there is an exception for this particular race. I have not found one. I have left messages for all three and have not received a response. Candidates for the office of Chair should not only know the rules of the TEC, they should follow them.

Hopefully they did follow the law and I will be glad to admit my mistake.

The disappointment continues.

Start the video  at 47:00

A video of the candidate forum from SD13 for the Chair of the Harris County Democratic Party has been posted on Facebook. It raises questions about some of the candidates concerning the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) and those who opposed it.

Take a minute to review the video starting at 47:00. The question was asked if the candidates supports HERO followed by if as Chair would they accept money from anti-HERO donors. As I said, I was disappointed in the answers provided, especially by Eartha Johnson.

Eartha rambled on referring to the “bathroom” issue which was just a very small part of the ordinance. The HERO opposition successfully branded the ordinance the “bathroom” bill and distracted their mindless followers from the real purpose of the HERO. Johnson clearly was ignorant of the issue and would have been better off just stating so. Following the lead of Keryl Douglas, she  stated she would follow the “will of the people”.

Following the will of the people is good for deciding a budget or whether to have a cake sale, but not for deciding equal rights. This showed an incredible amount of ignorance on those who used the “Will of the people” excuse including Johnson, Lark, and Douglas.They also said they would accept money from anti-HERO donors including the most hateful of them all Dave Wilson, Jared Woodfill to name a few. It’s much like accepting money from the KKK.

Our gay community has supported the Democratic Party with their money, ther time, and their extrodinary effort on many campaigns. They are are friends, our relatives, and our fellow Democrats. They deserve our respect, gratitude, and friendship.

And we all deserve a Chair of the Harris County Democratic Party who respects this.

Note: Lille Schechter and Johnathon Miller were the only candidates who were clean on their support for HERO and said no on the donations. Dominique Davis did not answer because she was late.

First the niceties:

Kudos to Sherrie Matula and those who conducted this forum. It was very well done! And kudos to the candidates and especially the standing room crowd who were respectful to the moderator and the candidates. Great job Democrats!

Now let’s get down to it:
This forum whittled down the competition to two young women, Dominique Davis and Lillie Schechter. (Notice, I am  biased but lets give credit where credit is due.) Precinct Chairs should look closely at their resumes and experience.

The others bring their own lists of accomplishments and experience but fall short of being able to successfully manage the Democratic Party of the 3rd largest county in the nation. It is hoped, if they are not selected, they will volunteer their services to move the Party forward.

Lark and Spellmon. Neither have the necessary experience within the party or the understanding of responsibilities of the Chair. Hopefully they will use their experience to volunteer for the party and help us move forward, if not elected.

Johnathon Miller. Young and energetic is a great key to leading the party but it’s not enough. Miller has a full time job, has little experience in the skills needed for the job. The job requires being able to respond to issues and incidents with little or no advanced warning. It also requires extensive knowledge of the running of a campaign and ethics laws in Texas. This is not a position for on the job training. Hopefully his enthusiasm for the party will continue as a Precinct Chair and volunteer for the Party.

Eartha Johnson. I was impressed with her resume but I was very disappointed in the lack of participation in Party politics. Well spoken and well financed (I hope she has filed the correct ethics reports) she presented herself well, but the glaring lack of experience in the Party was overwhelming. Before running for chair of the Party, you really should be part of the Party and know what the Party is responsible for. Again, let’s hope she will use her experience to move our Party forward.

Keryl Douglas. Keryl passed out a very lenthy, 8 page resume. It was too long to read. Her past experience with the GLBT community during her run for Chair in 2012 is very troubling and should disqualify her.

That leaves Lillie Schechter and Dominique Davis. As Mr Lark said, “Do the google” and vote March 6th.

NOTE: I have endorsed Lillie Schechter for Chair.

When I first heard Lillie Schechter was considering running for the Chair of the HCDP I said “You can’t go wrong with Lillie”. Today I can still say it.

Pic From Off the Kuff

Democrats concerned about the continuing success of the Party in the 2018 and 2020 elections cannot go wrong with Lillie. I hope precinct chairs, who are responsible for selecting a new chair, would strongly consider her.

Against a couple of very well qualified candidates Lillie stands above the rest for a number of reasons. Her activism in campaigns starting on the ground turned into a successful political consulting firm helping progressive candidates on all levels of a campaign. The Party will be served well by a Chair that understands campaigns including planning, strategy, technology, activism, and compliance with election laws. What stands out to me is her experience in fundraising and her vast connections with the Democratic community. HCDP has the responsibility to run a coordinated campaign which demands experience in campaigns it also requires money and someone who has the ability to raise significant amounts of it. Lillie has this experience.

In the political world where the average age of participants is about 60, Lillie can’t be consider a young upcoming political activist. She is young but she has been involved and active for many years and has the experience and knowledge necessary to carry this Party in the next elections.

Precinct Chairs have a great opportunity to continue and expand the success of our Party with Lillie Schechter as the Chair of Harris County Democratic Party.

John “I turn 61 in March” Coby

It’s a sad day for our country. Trump is the most unqualified person in the history of the United States to become President. He is also unqualified to be considered a decent human being.

In 2008 President Obama campaigned on a promise of hope for America. Faced with the greatest downturn of our economy since the great depression, Obama called upon all Americans to rise, as we have before, and work together to rebuild our economy and restore faith in our government.

In contrast Trump campaigned on a promise of hate towards Americans. Faced with an economy that has created 11 million jobs over the last 8 years, an unemployment rate cut in half to 4.6%, a stock market that has solidified retirement accounts,  and a nation healing from the unnecessary wars of the last republican in office, Trump resorted to simple minded attacks towards specific and vulnerable Americans. And it worked.

The list of those he attacked and blamed for America’s short comings was long. He started on day one with his racist remarks against Latinos followed by his attacks on our press, African-Americans, Muslims, Gold Star family members, the Gay community, Hollywood, teachers, government employees and women. If that wasn’t enough, he then mocked a disabled American.

He instigated hatred towards other Americans at times calling for physical harm. His words and actions encouraged the racists and those with hate in their hearts to come out into the open. All while the republican leadership did nothing just like they did when Joe Wilson yelled “You lie” to the President of the United States during a State of the Union Address.

Make no mistake about Trump’s campaign. Trump only yelled what the republican party has whispered since Obama took office. The hatred for Americans Trump successfully used to win the Presidency was endorsed by the so called “conservatives” of the republican party and those who voted for him. They endorsed his racists remarks. They endorsed his mocking of a disabled American. They endorsed grabbing women. They endorsed his hatred towards Muslims. They endorsed targeting of specific Americans based upon religious beliefs and color of the skin. They endorsed this filthy excuse for a human being just in order to win. And they won. This is the new “family values” of the so-called conservative party.

In just a few hours Trump will asked all Americans, even those he attacked, to put aside our differences, let bygones be bygones, and to join hands to sing Kumbaya. It’s like kicking someone in the whatnots then expecting them to shake your hand to work together.

I can’t do it. I’m still on the floor trying to get over his mocking of a disabled human being.

Inquiring minds what to know.

Lane Lewis is stepping down as Chair of the Party. I’ve heard a couple of names being kicked around and confirmation of a few. The Chair has a number of responsibilities such as raising significant amounts of money for the Party, finding and training candidates to run for office, and my favorite, running a coordinated campaign concentrating on straight ticket voters.

I personally would like to see a coordinated campaign with all volunteers trained to use the latest technology. I would like to see the satellite offices being run as if they were an extension of the Party HQ. I would like to see a plan for the campaign with analysis, goals, schedules, and everyone knowing where we are going, how we are getting there, and how we know when we get there.

The position of the Chair has a huge responsibility. It’s not a position for a rookie. It requires experience in the field, behind the desk, and the ability to reach out to the diverse community of the Democratic Party.

It’s early but here is my blunt and uninformed take on those who are running or rumored to be running:

Lillie Schechter. Lillie brings a lot of experience to the table in fundraising capability, field, and politics in general. She should be seriously considered.

Eartha Jean Johnson. I haven’t heard of Eartha before but based upon her resume she recently sent via email she has some good credentials. Another one to watch.

Rony Escobar. This is not an office for a rookie. There is little if any on the job training. You have to love his enthusiasm but this is a very serious position that requires a very serious candidate.

Dominique Davis. I believe Dominique has worked at the HQs before but she might want to consider running for the Executive Director before jumping onto the Chair. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Chris Spellman. I do not know Chris.

Art Pronin.  Art was great as the Club President for Meyerland Democrats but the jump to Chair might be a bit too big.

Anyone else running? Charles Kuffner has his own take on it. Maybe the party will have a candidate forum in the near future.