Recommendations on Constitutional Amendments

October 23, 2023

Thanks to Flora for all the gumshoeing she did on these Amendments to the Texas Constitution.

Prop 1 = NO  “Right to Farm”, but small farmers are worried. why: https://farmandranchfreedom.org/texas-proposition-1-right-to-farm-or-right-to-harm/

Prop 2 = YES Allows municipalities to cancel property tax on day care facilities. from Mothers against greg abbott:

  • The Texas childcare shortage is having devastating effects on early childhood education, economic growth and employment opportunities for parents.
  • The Texas economy loses more than 9 Million every year due to inadequate childcare.
  • This bill helps exempt child-care facilities for property taxation.

Prop 3 = NO  Preemptively banning any “wealth tax”. Why:  we don’t currently have a wealth tax, nor is anyone actively fighting for it in texas as far as i can see… but we should!  and the fact that they are banning it before anyone even tries is notable….maybe they think it would pass because a wealth tax is one of the few things with bi-partisan appeal?  https://2020.elizabethwarren.com/toolkit/umt

Prop 4 = NO  Homestead Tax relief at the expense of public education and local rule. Why:  https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/15/texas-constitutional-amendment-voter-guide/#d08b01bb-0e0f-4ddf-81b4-9fac48af1f50and https://mothersagainstgregabbott.com/2023-ballot-propositions/ My understanding is that this homestead tax passes every year, so CCISD made a bond to cover the loss of $ that is coming from the state, or not coming from the state.  The state is trying to cut public education funding left right and center and this is just one tool.  but that’s just my take.

Prop 5 = YES  Creating a “Texas University Fund” Why: so texas can have better state schools

Prop 6 = YES  Creating a “Texas Water Fund Why = because water main breaks are more frequent with global warming/shifting of the ground and more problematic during a drought.

Prop 7 =  NO  Creating an “Energy Fund” specifically for fossil fuel energy.

  • This amendment will provide billions of dollars in low-interest loans to support the development of new methane gas power plants.
  • It is subsidizing new gas power plants
  • Why should Texans subsidize the building of gas power plants that could cost up tot $18 Billion in taxpayer funds.
  • Will this ensure that gas power plants don’t hike rates for Texans?
  • and go on ballotpedia and see who opposes it and who is for it… https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Proposition_7,_Creation_of_State_Energy_Fund_Amendment_(2023)

Prop 8 = YES  Creating a “broadband infrastructure fund”

  • We need to expand broadband internet across Texas.
  • Internet access is a must have utility in this day and age and we need all Texans to have access.
  • This bill compliments Federal funds from the Biden administration toward the expansion of broadband

Prop 9 = YES  Cost of Living increase for retired teachers. Why:  what are you, a monster?  they haven’t had a raise in 25 yrs and some of them live on less than $1000 per month!

Prop 10 = NO  Cancel sales tax on biomedical equipment

  • Medical manufacturers will get property tax relief and cost school districts $43 Million in 2024 and 60 Million in 2028 in funds. These lost funds will not be recouped and more Texas families will have to cover the gap.
  • So medical manufacturers will get a tax break, public schools won’t get funded and you will have to pay the difference as taxpayers.

Prop 11 = YES*  Allowing El Paso to raise funds for Parks and Rec. Why: because parks and rec help the environment, mental health and they want it.  for these local bills it has to pass 50% in the whole state AND 50% in the effected county.

Prop 12 = NEUTRAL* Allowing Galveston to abolish the role of Treasurer. (note: Representive Rosenthal thinks this should be a NO).  the current treasurer in galveston who was voted in is actively trying to abolish the role and isn’t taking a salary. like el paso, it needs to get 50% in the whole state and 50% in the affected county

Prop 13 = NEUTRAL Increasing the mandatory retirement age for judges. my personal instinct is YES to term limits, but I haven’t looked through the roster of judges and their leanings.  I know that there was a joke during the trump administration that they were apppointing judges straight off the harvard conservative relay race team.  so if all the liberal judges are older, and all the conservative judges are like 30… maybe we should raise the age? 

Prop 14 = YES Creation of “Centenial Parks Restoration Fund”  why: i bet we have more parking than parks in texas.  

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Posted by johncoby

Recommendation: Vote for all 3 CCISD propositions

October 23, 2023

School funding in Texas is complicated, very complicated. Voting to support our schools, students, and teachers is easy.

This is a no brainer. You can get a substantial tax cut AND help our school district! Let me explain as if I am an idiot when it comes to Texas school funding, and I am. (I tried to take the online class provided by CCISD. I failed.)

Texans are going to vote in favor of the Texas Constitutional Amendment 4 which will lower their taxes by a substantial amount. This is going to pass even though it is actually a bad idea, but that doesn’t matter. The CCISD Propositions include a VATRE (Voter Approved Tax Rate Election) and two bond elections. Voting for the VATRE will take a small portion of the large tax cut and put it back into CCISD schools. The proposed upgrades to CCISD are detailed extensively here. (Go ahead and read it. I’ll wait.)

In the end it is a win-win situation. We get a tax cut and CCISD gets needed improvements to campuses across CCISD. Remember these improvements were studied by a group of individuals from the community, provided to the CCISD Board and were recommended to the voters for approval. That approval begins tomorrow.

The propositions are supported by the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. It’s a good deal. Let’s take it.

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Recommendations for Nov elections

October 23, 2023

In a nutshell. I’m working on why I would vote this way for each listed below. I have posted my reasoning for City Races.

Houston City Council
Mayor: John Whitmire
Controller: Dave Martin
District E: Martina Lemond Dixon
At Large 1: Conchita Reyes
At Large 2: Nick Hellyar
At Large 3: Richard Cantu
At Large 4: Leticia Plummer
At Large 5: Sallie Alcorn

Houston Propositions
Prop A: Yes
Prop B: No

CCISD Propositions:
1 Yes
2 Yes
3 Yes

Texas Constitutional Amendments:
1 No
2 Yes
3 No
4 Yes
5 Yes
6 Yes
7 No
8 Yes
9 Yes
10 No
11 Yes
12 Neutral
13 Yes
14 Yes

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Posted by johncoby

Houston City Council recommendations

October 22, 2023
From The Houston Chronicle

Let’s just jump in. Early voting starts tomorrow, Oct 23.

Mayor: Senator John Whitmire. I’m not happy that Whitmire received support from MAGAt Mattress Mac but we are at a time where the constant bickering needs to stop between various parts of the city. I believe Whitmire can make progress on that issue. He has the experience to do the job. He has a record of successfully reaching across the aisle to make progress, something many “Progressives” forget to do. Whitmire has championed progressive causes and has delivered throughout his career again something “Progressives” seem to have forgotten. I’m hoping his experience will result in a stronger police force while providing protection for all the citizens of Houston. I’m hoping for fair pay for our Firefighters. I’m also hoping that my recycling bin is picked up on time!

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has the experience to run the city. Unfortunately, like it or not, deserving or not, the Congresswoman is a lightning rod for the right much like Ted Cruz is for the left. But unlike Ted Cruz I doubt she would get boo-ed at a parade. Lee comes from a Congressional district that she can and has won by simply putting her name on the ballot. Houston is different, diverse, and unfortunately she will drive out the crazies to vote against her and will work against her if elected. If she doesn’t win I have to wonder if she would put her name on the ballot for re-election in her Congressional district. She would win.

Controller. Council Member Dave Martin. I’ve said my peace about the candidates. I initially thought the Deputy Controller, Shannon Nobles, was the best candidate and on paper she still is but she had an opportunity to screen with the Houston Chronicle but declined. It’s bothering enough for me to tip to Dave Martin. Martin has what it takes to be Controller. He has the formal education in accounting, the accounting background in the corporate world, and 8 years serving as Chair of the Budget Committee for the city of Houston. As I have said before, if you need someone to represent you in court hire a lawyer. If you need someone to manage your $6 Billion budget hire an accountant. Martin is an accountant. Chris Hollins is a lawyer. QED

District E (Clear Lake): Martina Lemond Dixon. She has the experience. She is well qualified to be a Council Member. She is a Republican but one that I believe everyone could work with in a non partisan way. She is by far the most qualified of the two running. Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle.

At Large 1: Conchita Shelly Reyes. An excellent candidate. Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle. Young, energetic, experienced. She is a great candidate running against other great candidates like Leah Wolfthal.

At Large 2: Nick Hellyar. There are some great candidates in this race including Holly Vilaseca, Marina Coryat and Danielle Bass but Nick, not only has a slew of endorsements, he has the applicable experience to be productive on day one. He is endorsed by the Chronicle.

At Large 3: Richard Cantu. Cantu has an excellent list of endorsements including Sheriff Gonzalez, Commissioners Garcia and Briones, Congresswoman Garcia, and many, many more. He has excellent experience with the City of Houston and is currently an elected official with the Harris County Department of Education. Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle.

At Large 4: Council Member Letitia Plummer. She is the incumbent. The Houston Chronicle has recommended another term. As do I.

At Large 5: Council Member Sallie Alcorn. The best candidate of the entire bunch of candidates running for At Large Positions. Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle because she is just an awesome City Council Member. By far one of the best!

So, to my 5 readers, go vote.

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Secretary of State makes it official: No fraud in 2022 Harris County election

October 20, 2023

Whomp. Whomp.

Texas Secretary of State, Jane Nelson, a Republican issued a 147 page report on the audit of the 2022 election in Harris County. In short the Republican said “The allegations of election fraud in the 2022 Harris County election are total bullshit.”.

I suggest reading the Conclusion and Finding of the audit which can be read here. There is no mention of fraud or anything that could support the allegations and multiple lawsuits made by MAGAt Mattress Mac and Alexandra del Moral Mealer. (BTW Mealer dropped her suit just prior to this audit being released.) There is nothing. At all. It just didn’t happen.

It really is strange that Mealer dropped her suit. Why didn’t she wait for the audit to be released so she could use the results in her suit claiming election fraud? Instead she drops her lawsuit. Why? Probably because she got a preliminary preliminary report. She probably was given early access to the results and did what any idiot would do, drop the suit. According to the Houston Chronicle MAGAt Mac had been vocal about the timing of the release. From the Chronicle:
Nelson has been under pressure to complete the Harris County audit after receiving public criticism on social media from prominent Republicans, including former Harris County judge candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer and donor Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.

Well, Nelson has released the report and there is no mention of fraud. Nothing. At all. The word “fraud” isn’t even in the audit. As I have said before Mealer should be sanctioned for filing a frivolous suit concerning the 2022 election and she and MAGAt Mac should just shut the living hell up and quit whining about losing the election.

You lost. Get over it.

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Leader of Defend Texas Liberty is out after meeting with a white supremacist

October 18, 2023

The Texas Tribune scored a huge story with some great gumshoeing.

The Tribune received a tip that a known white supremacist, Nick Fuentes, was meeting at the offices of Pale Horse Strategies, operated by former Texas Representative Jonathan Stickland. Stickland is/was the leader of Defend Texas Liberty, the PAC funded by 2 Texas billionaires and who have spent millions in campaigns including a race in CCISD.

Stickland didn’t meet with Fuentes for a quick cup of coffee. According to the Tribune he met with Fuentes for 7 hours and it has cost him. From the Tribune:
Luke Macias, a longtime conservative political consultant, is listed as the new president of the conservative PAC on its website. Jonathan Stickland, the former president, met with Fuentes for nearly seven hours.

Looks like Stickland is out of Defend Texas Liberty and replaced by a Mexican MAGAt. Being associated with a known white supremacist isn’t good for your resume. Campaigns tend to shy away from working with your company or taking campaign donations, except for Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick who stated he will keep the $3 Million he received.

It will be interesting to watch who will want to be associated with Stickland, Pale Strategies, or Defend Texas Liberty in the coming elections.

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Posted by johncoby

Nick Fuentes, Defend Texas Liberty, and CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen

October 12, 2023

CCISD Trustee Bowen needs to speak up.

It’s hard to stay quiet without looking like I don’t like Scott Bowen, but I don’t like Scott Bowen anyway especially with his ties to the Defend Texas Liberty PAC. The leadership of DTL had a 7 hour meeting with Nick Fuentes a known white supremacist. According to The Texas Tribune:

White supremacist and antisemitic leader Nick Fuentes has been thrust into the state political spotlight after he was hosted by the president of an influential group that has donated millions of dollars to top Texas Republican officials.

On Sunday, The Texas Tribune published photos of Fuentes at the headquarters of Pale Horse Strategies, where he spent nearly 7 hours on Friday. Pale Horse is owned by Jonathan Stickland, a former state representative who also leads Defend Texas Liberty — a political action committee that two West Texas oil billionaireshave used to give millions of dollars to right-wing candidates, including Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

What to know about Nick Fuentes. The Texas Tribune

I’ve looked at DTL campaign finance reports. They have spent almost $8 Million in just a couple of years on extreme far right candidates including State Representative Bryan Slaton, who was removed from office after providing alcohol to a minor and having sex with her. DTL claims they are now targeting Republican House members who voted to impeach Ken Paxton, the same guys who voted to remove Bryan Slaton from office.

How does Scott Bowen fit into this picture? Well, out of 1207 school districts in Texas, Defend Texas Liberty PAC donated to multiple candidates in only 1 district, just 1 out of 1207. Guess which one? DTL donated almost $2,000 for text messaging services for Bowen’s 2022 campaign. Then they donated to two candidates in 2023, one a political friend of Bowen for $5000, and another who returned a $5000 donation.

How did Defend Texas Liberty pick CCISD out of 1207 districts to meddle in? How did they know who was running? Why would two billionaires care about CCISD? It’s pretty clear that Bowen invited them. He has some association with this organization and brought them into our school board.

And the leader of that organization, former State Representative Jonathon Stickland, met with a known white supremacist for 7 damn hours. Stickland is silent. So is Bowen.

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Posted by johncoby

Raising Campaign Cash: Buzbee vs Huffman District G

October 11, 2023

District G is in the River Oaks area.

The last time we saw Buzbee running for office he was trampled by Mayor Turner. Buzbee spent around $12 Million of his own money to get a Texas sized ass whooping. Now he is at it again challenging the incumbent Mary Nan Huffman.

As with his other campaign, Buzbee is self financing. So far he has reported raising $17,383, spent $259,946, has $7,437 COH, and loaned his campaign $250,000.

Mary Nan has reported raising $31,100, spent $37,937, has $99,398 COH with no loans.

The voters in Houston sent Buzbee’s rich ass packing 4 years ago. Hopefully the rich ass voters in District G sends his rich ass packing in November.

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Posted by johncoby

White supremacists, Defend Texas Liberty, and CCISD

October 10, 2023
Texas Monthly

Thanks to the voters of CCISD we dodged a white supremacist group.

Former State Representative Jonathon Stickland is the lead of the Defend Texas Liberty PAC, an extreme right wing organization funded by two Texas billionaires. (background here) DTL donated $5000 to fund Peter Lauzon’s campaign for CCISD Trustee. (he lost) They also attempted to donate $5000 to fund Glencora Rogers campaign. (She returned it) CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen had something to do with these donations. He has ties to DTL. He should be speaking up about the following issue.

The Texas Tribune received a tip and seemed to have staked out the DTL headquarters. Guess who they saw. From the Tribune:
FORT WORTH — Jonathan Stickland, the ultraconservative leader of a group that has donated millions of dollars to high-profile Texas leaders, hosted prominent white supremacist Nick Fuentes and other right-wing activists for several hours on Friday.

Other white wing activists included Kyle Rittenhouse, the kid who killed two Black Lives Matter protestors. Also in attendance was Matt Rinaldi, the chair of the Republican Party of Texas although he claims he had no idea Fuentes was there. The building is the headquarters of Pale Horse Strategies a consulting firm owned by Stickland.

This is who was trying to infiltrate our school board. Thanks to the voters of CCISD we beat back the billionaires and defeated their candidate. I doubt Lauzon would have accepted money from Stickland if he had known that he was meeting with a known white supremacist, but others have accepted money from him including Lt Gov Dan Patrick for $3,000,000 just days before the Paxton trial. Elected officials have called upon him to donate the money to charity.

CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen should be denouncing his buddies at Defend Texas Liberty.

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Posted by johncoby

Elected officials in Clear Lake who supports vouchers

October 9, 2023

Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. So who’s in favor of school vouchers? Teachers aren’t. The vast majority of parents aren’t. Their constituents aren’t but that doesn’t matter to them and for good reasons.

Senator Money Mayes Middleton has self financed his campaigns. He owes no one not even his constituents. he recently wrote an op-ed supporting vouchers claiming that parent know what’s best for their children (they don’t). He is all in for vouchers.

Representative Dennis Paul. Paul isn’t going to upset the apple cart for fear of being primaried. Abbott has him by the nose. he is a solid vote.

Representative Terri Wilson out of Galveston is exclusively funded by Texans for Lawsuit reform [sic]. She knows who butters her bread and it’s not teachers. She is another solid vote.

CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen. Corporal Chaos is too much in bed with the party to be against vouchers even though CCISD is clearly against it. Will he travel to Austin and testify? We will be watching.

Tony Buzbee. Tony is running for Houston’s city council and doesn’t know what the fuck he is doing. I threw him in because Scott likes him.

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Posted by johncoby

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