Raising Campaign Cash: Commissioner Pct 3 Candidates

February 5, 2020

Michael Moore leads the field in money raised and cash on hand. I could not find any reports for Zaher Eisa. It just boggles the hell out of me. How can you possibly run a race for County Commissioner if you cannot or will not raise money? Money isn’t everything but you cannot get your message out if you do not have funds for literature, exposure, etc.

Commissioner Pct 3
Michael Moore $199,052 $209,391 $13,248 $0
Kristi Thibaut $45,761 $51,180 $4,536 $5,000
Morris Overstreet $15,925 $17,950 $2,025 $0
Diana Martinez $6,507 $9,425 $1,013 $0
Zaher Eisa $0 $0 $0 $0
Erik Hasson $0 $750 $4,442 $4,442

USAA increases home insurance by 25%

February 5, 2020

I’ve been with USAA insurance for over 25 years. That ends today.

USAA claims to “support the troops” and to be loyal to those who served and their families. It’s hard to believe when you receive an increase of 25% after being a loyal customer who paid their premiums on time and had only 1 claim in 11 years.

Back in 2003 the great Republican Party reformed the insurance industry to allow more competition and remove those pesky restrictions set by the State. Insurance premiums have since skyrocketed. USAA took complete advantage of the reforms. (See below) My premiums have risen according to the chart below. After 2015 the premiums seemed to have stabilized. Looking for a competitive alternative was not easy and I eventually stayed with USAA not willing to risk a new company. It was easy to stay with USAA. So easy a caveman could do it. I did. That ends today.

I’m done with USAA. On the bright side they create a Subscriber Savings Account for every new member. After 25 years that account grew and I will be able to cash it out when I leave. It will fund a very nice trip to Italy.

Arrivederci USAA!

Year  Premium  Deductible Increase Notes
2000  $          783  $500 0.00% Before insurance became an issue
2001  $          862  $500 10.09% Removed mold, no decrease in premium
2002  $       1,060  $500 22.97% Became an election issue
 $       1,375  $500 29.72% Use of HO-A Policies
2004  $       1,589  $500 15.56% Removed Water, foundation and sewer  
2005  $       1,352  $500 -14.92% No change in policy
2006  $       1,363  $2,400 0.81% Deductible increased
2007  $       1,600  $2,400 17.39% Increased rebuild cost by 50% 
2008  $       1,900  $2,400 18.75% Tier II classification
2009  $       2,300  $2,400 21.05% No change in policy
2010  $       2,800  $4,800 21.74% Deductible increased
2011  $       2,973  $4,800 6.18% No change in policy
2012  $       3,296  $4,800 10.86% No change in policy
2013  $       3,296  $4,800 0.00% No change in policy
2014  $       3,800  $4,800 15.29% No change in policy
2015 $4,300 $5,200 13.15% Rate increase
$3,517 $4,700 449.17% Difference between 2000 and 2014


Sander's volunteers: He isn't a Democrat

February 3, 2020

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Bernie Sanders is not a Democrat. Never has been. Never will be. He joined the party in 2016 just to run under the Democratic banner and to use the resources the party built and the donors paid for. Its typical Bernie.

Bernie’s volunteers are at least honest about his affiliation with the Democratic Party. They continue to be dishonest about his popularity and some of this policies. Claiming that Bernie is popular when all he could get was 35% of the Democratic vote in Texas is stretching it. Maybe they polled people in New Hampshire.

When asked if he was a Democrat the answer was clear. From a text msg:

Bernie is an independent socialist. He was allowed to infiltrate our party bringing a cult like following that will all tuck tail, whine, and quit once he loses the nomination. Again. Like Trump he could damage the party for decades.


Raising Campaign Cash. Texas Senate race

February 2, 2020

MJ Hegar leads the pack of Democrats with $3.2 Million raised. Cornyn raised $16M with $12M in the bank.

These are totals for the 2019-2020 period ending 1/31/2020.

Candidate Raised Spent COH
MJ Hegar $3,225,842 $2,269,671 $1,003,653
Royce West $956,593 $430,887 $525,706
Amanda Edwards $807,478 $476,485 $330,993
Cristina Ramirez $807,023 $577,782 $229,240
Chris Bell $206,629 $94,894 $111,734
John Cornyn $16,228,531 $7,023,655 $12,116,658

A Socialist wins LGBTQ endorsement

February 2, 2020

If there was any doubt the socialist party has infiltrated the Democratic Party yesterdays endorsement of Audia Jones for Harris County District Attorney by The Caucus should have wiped that out.

The LGBTQ PAC, The Caucus, endorsed Audia Jones for DA. Jones is a member of the Socialists of America Party as is her husband who is now a sitting judge. Besides being a socialist, Jones can’t raise money. She is being supported by a PAC called the Real Justice PAC solely funded by another socialist from California. They have donated over $50,000 to Audia Jones which includes in-kind donations of over $20,000 for staff. Jones has $29,000 cash on hand.

The Caucus has an excellent endorsement process. The candidates are screened, interviewed and vetted. The screening committee makes a recommendation to the membership which can accept or override. It really is a good process and one that should be copied by other clubs.

This endorsement though is a head shaker. If by chance Jones advances to the general the seat will probably go to the Republicans. The last two socialist candidates running in the area, Bernie Sanders, and CD7 candidate Laura Moser lost in the primary by 65/35 and 70/30 after raising millions of dollars. The republicans would have a field day with this race in the general election.

Maybe Jones stacked the crowd in order to win the endorsement. If so, she should win other endorsements based solely on the membership dues and not ability to win.


Raising Campaign Cash: CD22 12/31/2019

February 1, 2020

Sri Preston Kulkarni raised $1.1 Million leading the other Democrats almost 10-1.
Reed raised $142,458.
Moore raised $142,528 with a $35,596 loan.

Bush raised $663,097 who is now probably the front runner although his reports are very strange. Camarillo is a republican wannabe Hispanic. He raised $61,092. Troy Nehls the rabid trump loving, foaming at the mouth, sheriff raised $108,747 second to Bush. Kathaleen Wall raised only $4700 and is having to depend on $1.6 Million of her own money to win.

Hill raised $345K.

Candidate Raised Spent Loans COH
Kulkarni, Sri 1,149,783 515,958 $0 $661,592
Moore, Nyanza $142,528 $141,373 $35,596 $1,154
Reed, Derrick $142,458 $104,196 $2,005 38,261
Bush, Pierce $663,097 $22,246 $0 $640,850
Hill, Greg $345,310 $166,879 $40,000 $178,430
Nehls, Troy $208,747 $79,506 $0 $129,241
Steele, Howard $68,481 $67,702 $67,181 $659
Camarillo, Jon $61,430 $43,662 $1,970 $17,767
Aaloori, Bangar  $61,092 $41,144 $19,947
Phan, Shandon $39,250 $20,510 $20,000 $8,739
Morgan, Clint $21,760 $21,760 $3,000 $0
Walz, Thaddeus $20,801 $15,820 $13,460 $4,964
Miller, Diana $20,624 $10,993 $20,000 $9,630
Mathews, Dan $14,025 $10,529 $12,700 $3,495
Haggard, Douglas $10,000 $5,071 $10,000 $4,928
Hermes, Aaron $7,605 $44 $3,125 $7,560
Wall, Kathaleen $4,700 $1,604,387 $1,600,000 $0
Hammel, Schell $4,176 $0 $0 $4,176
Chevalier, Keli
Harris Hoss, Felicity
Hinton, Mathew
Reddy, Bangar

Raising Campaign Cash (illegally?) Pierce Bush

February 1, 2020

There is a limit of $2700 per person for a candidate running for a federal office. $2700 for the primary and $2700 for the general election. So what is going on with the Pierce Bush campaign?

According to his latest campaign finance report Bush raised $663,092 most coming from donors donating over the $2700 limit. As an example:

According to his reports Nuad Fares has donated over $92,000 in this period, a tab bit over the $2700 limit. The Fertitta family has donated $84,000, with Tillman giving $42,000. The Bush family each gave $8400 for a total of $142,000.
The Alvis family out of Austin donated over the limit but there is a note on their donations redesigning the donations to the primary and to other family members. 
This is new to me, literally. I’ve seen many reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission but not many with the FEC. It’s strange, but then again, it’s a Bush.


Loaning Campaign Cash. Kathaleen Wall. Again

February 1, 2020

The gun nut, trump loving, ass kissing, Kathaleen Wall is at it again.

In her latest campaign finance report Wall has put $1.6 Million of her own money into her primary campaign for Congressional District 22. She is up against about 19 other (R) rotten bastards. She joins others rotten bastards like Tony Buzbee, Gary Gates and Money Mayes Middleton who are wealthy enough to self finance their election. Maybe this time she will win. LOL.

When she was running for CD 2 in 2018 she spent $6 Million of her own money and came in 3rd place missing the run off even after being endorsed by Greg Abbott. Kathaleen gave Abbott a boat load of money. Imagine that.

Wall raised only $4700, spent $1,604,387, and has $0 COH.


Why are you running: CC Phillips, Robert Morales

January 30, 2020

Once again we need to ask: “Why are you running?” to CC Phillips and Robert Morales both challenging Judge Julia Maldonado. Judge Maldonado won her race for the 507th District Court in Harris County in 2016. There is absolutely no reason to change our Democratic nominee for 2020.

From a campaign finance perspective Morales and Phillips are lacking in funds so say the least.

Candidate COH Raised Spent Loan
Judge Maldanado $152,054 $72,174 $26,808 $0
CC Phillips $34 $3,100 $8,783 $2,000
Robert Morales $1,735 $1,735 $738 $3,805

.

Vote for Judge Maldonado for the 507th District Court.


Why are you running? Dawn Rogers for District Judge District 334

January 30, 2020

There are a number of challengers against well established incumbents especially in judicial races. Dawn Rogers is one who is challenging Judge Steven Kirkland. It makes you wonder: Why are you running?

There really is no reason Judge Kirkland should be challenged except for maybe one thing. Back in 2017 Judge Kirkland ruled against Landry’s Restaurant. The Houston Press wrote:

Landry’s must pay an animal welfare organization it sued for defamation $450,000 in sanctions, a Harris County District Judge ruled Wednesday, upon dismissing the case. Judge Steven Kirkland dismissed Landry’s suit with prejudice and wrote that the sanctions were necessary “to deter Plaintiffs from filing similar actions in the future.” Kirkland also ordered Landry’s to pay more than $170,000 in legal fees.

So this case cost Landry’s $620,000. Kirkland’s opponent raised $9,395 with $5,000 coming from Landy’s Restaurant PAC. Coincidence? Kirkland has served the community very well. Let’s keep him on the bench.

Candidate COH Raised Spent Loan
Judge Kirkland $105,141 $50,271 $23,846 $0
Dawn Rogers $2,865 $9,395 $10,715 $0

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