This is called a Texas sized whoopin. From CCISD:

On May 6, 2017, the Clear Creek Independent School District community approved the CCISD bond referendum, with 63.59% percent voting for and 36.41% percent against the $487 million bond, based on unofficial election results. “We are appreciative of the community’s support of our schools, our teachers, and our students,” said Dr. Greg Smith, Superintendent of Schools. 

The tea party challenge came from Citizens for CCISD, a Special Purpose Committee (SPAC), chairman Dale Huls. In their two reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission they listed a total of about $4700 in contributions with $550 coming from their treasurer and $3000 from one donor, Mr Middleton II who lives outside of the district in Houston. Mr. Middleton is the President of Middleton Oil according to the ethics reports. About $1700 was spent on various items.

Over 2/3 of the money raised came from one person, someone who does not live in the CCISD district, and who is a board member of multiple right wing organizations like Empower Texas.

His money went to good use. The bond passed with over 63% of the vote.

From 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.

It’s not Mexico’s Independence Day. That is September 16th which is not generally celebrated in the United States but it is a national holiday in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in the United States but not generally in Mexico. It is a holiday in the State of Puebla.

Cinco de Mayo is a celebration honoring the courage of those who fought against a heavily armed, large foreign enemy. They were outnumbered 6000-2000 but forced the French army to retreat. They stood up when necessary putting their lives on the line.

Maybe the Mexican Americans here in the United States will do the same by registering to vote and voting in the next election. It doesn’t take losing your life to vote. It’s easy. It’s important. It’s not your right, it’s your duty.

The republicans leading this state and nation have authored bills that will target those who look “illegal”. They have made fun of our language. They have called us rapists and murderers. They say we bring disease and have “calves the size of cantalopes”. And they keep doing it because there are no consequences. We, as a group, do not vote. Every other group does. The Muslim, African American, the gay community, and others vote. We don’t. If we would simply vote our power, this invasion of our community would stop. Immediately.

So we can either lay down our arms and just give up or we can simply go vote.

I was invited to a meeting of the Bay Area Democrats Resistant Movement last night and it did not disappoint. There were a large number of new people who were anxious to “do something”. They are off to a very good start.

As the meeting progressed they monitored the election in Kansas, discussed Texas Senate Bill 522, and reviewed the many controversies surrounding the White House. Clearly many in the audience were very serious about getting involved and were already educated on the issues.

One of the speakers, Imam Ibrahim Ezghair from the Clear Lake Islamic Center talked about the local Muslim community and their commitment to be involved and to vote in local elections as well as on the national level.

Pic from the Houston Press

Dayna Steele addressed the crowd announcing she was considering a run for Congress against Brian Babin. Dayna is currently getting her ducks in a row, researching the district, and doing her homework, something every candidate should do when considering a run for office. She started by saying she wanted to talk about some of the controversies surrounding the White House but there were just too many. As she said “It is only day 82!”. Dayna “is a radio and television personality, entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker.” Her enthusiasm and positive outlook for a better district and country is contagious. She is expected to make a decision within the month.

The leader of the group, Kim, didn’t let everyone leave before handing out assignments of contacting their election officials on specific issues to attend various rallies and protests in the area such as the Tax Day protest and the March for Science. The next meeting is May 9th Tuesday. If you are interested in a positive group of women (and men) this is a group to be involved with.

I’m looking forward to becoming a part of this organization. There was a lot of positive hopeful energy ready to be put into action. As Governor Ann Richard said “Honey get over it and get on with it!”.

They have. They are.

What a bunch of losers.

Maybe someone should have reminded the republican party they had won the election back in November. Or maybe they should have paid a few more protesters to show up to at least make it look legit. Or maybe someone should of at least brought donuts or breakfast tacos to enlist more protesters. Or maybe they should have devoted their time to something more productive like protesting John Kerry for his loss to George W. Bush back in 2004. Or maybe protesting Al Gore.

Next up for the Harris County republican party? Their Lincoln/Reagan/Trump dinner featuring some has been in republican politics. Protesters are not invited since it will cost money.

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.