Unpaid fines issued by the Texas Ethics Commission over the last 10 years

December 29, 2023

Dang. It is hard to get away from this guy.

Through an open records request the Texas Ethics Commission provided an excellent list of unpaid TEC fines over the past 10 years. The complete list can be viewed here. Leading the field of those who have refused to pay is Harris County Department of Education Trustee Eric Dick.

Dick was fined $30,000 and $10,000 for two different violations. The $30,000 fine leads the field of 47 that are unpaid. (Note Sharon Faye Keller is the Presiding Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. She was fined a whopping $100,000 but settled with the TEC for $25,000 and paid it. More later) Dick’s $30,000 came from a Final Order issued by the TEC. The $10,000 came from an agreement by the TEC and Dick. I expect the $10,000 to be paid. The $30,000 fine has been referred to the Texas Attorney General for collection.

The TEC provided a great 13 page list of those who have been fined over the last 10 years. Their summary of the data is as follows:

It’s an impressive list with an 88% rate of collections. Of the 367 sanctions by the TEC 43 were referred to the Texas Attorney General for collections. More on that later. Only 4 of the 43 have been collected.

There needs to be a deeper look into the 43 fines referred to the Texas AG.


Who is running in the 2024 Democratic Primary

December 27, 2023

Here are the candidates running in the 2024 Democratic Primary in our area. Some do not have a website running yet. This list does not include judicial races. Some notes:

I’m not sure why anyone would challenge our incumbents except for the District Attorney race. Menefee has performed very well for the county. So has Ed Gonzales. Tax Assessor is an open seat with Ann Bennett declining to run again. Should be an interesting race. The winner will go against a well known former Republican Commissioner. We have a primary for railroad commissioner. Every election we field a very well qualified candidate but cant seem to break through. In the Senate race we have 10 candidates. There seems to be two top candidates that will end in a runoff between Allred and Gutierrez.

CandidateWebsite
District Attorney
Kim Ogghttps://www.kim-ogg.com
Sean Tearehttps://seanteareforda.com
County Attorney
Christian Menefeehttps://www.menefeeforhc.com
Umeka UA Lewis
County Sheriff
Ed Gonzaleshttps://edgonzalez.com
Joe Inocenciohttps://www.inocencioforsheriff.com/
Vergil /ratliffhttps://www.ratliffforsheriff.com
Dana M. Wolfe
Tax Assessor
Danielle Keys Bess
Desiree Bradnaxhttps://www.broadnaxforhc.com/
Claude Cummings
Jerry Davis
Annettee Ramirezhttps://www.electannetteramirez.com
JP Place 1
Jo Ann Delgado
Oscar Salazar Jr
Constable Pct 2
Jerry Garciahttps://jerrygarciaforconstable.com
David Garzahttps://www.votefordavidgarzaconstablepct2harriscountytx.com/
Railroad Commissioner
Bill Burchhttps://burch4trrc.com/
Katherine Culberthttps://katherine4texas.com
US Senate
Colin Allredhttps://colinallred.com/
Aaron Arguijohttp://www.aaronarguijo.com/
Meri Gomezhttps://merigomez.com/
Mark Gonzalezhttps://www.markagonzalez.com/
Roland Gutierrezhttps://rolandfortexas.com/
A Robert Hassan
Steven Keoghhttps://www.keoughforsenate.com/
Heli Rodriguez Prillimanhttps://www.helifortexas.com/
Carl Oscar Shermanhttps://www.carlsherman.com/
Thierry Tchenkohttps://www.tchenkofortexas.com/



Mexican MAGAt to challenge State Representative “Little Baby” Briscoe Cain

December 8, 2023

It’s like laughing and throwing up at the same time.

“Little Baby” Briscoe Cain, pictured here at the annual Take your Child to Work Day, has a challenger in the Republican Party. Bianca Gracia, founder of Latinos for Trump, claims Briscoe is a pro-Democrat which is laughable. Cain is so far right he is wrong. Maybe the PAC Defend Texas Liberty known for meeting with a white supremacist is funding her campaign. Cain was one of the many Republican House members to vote to impeach Ken Paxton. Even right wing wackos have their limits. The PAC has vowed to primary these members.

Gracia is best known for meeting with Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, and founder of the Oath Keepers Elmer Stewart Rhodes in a garage a day prior to the Jan 6 insurrection. Tarrio and Rhodes were convicted of seditious conspiracy against the United States and are serving 20 year prison sentences. In 2020 Gracia ran for the Texas Senate and won 7% of the vote in the primary. If fundraising is an indication of future success she should quit while she is behind.


Texas GOP votes to continue relationship with Nazi sympathizers

December 5, 2023

It’s 2023. It wasn’t a hard vote.

You just can’t make this stuff up. The Texas State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) members declined to ban associations with the PAC Defend Texas Liberty by a close vote of 32-29. I wonder how CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen voted.

The Texas Tribune sums up the vote:

Two months after a prominent conservative activist and fundraiser was caught hosting white supremacist Nick Fuentes, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas have voted against barring the party from associating with known Nazi sympathizers and Holocaust deniers.

This shouldn’t have been a hard vote. The leader of Defend Texas Liberty was caught meeting with known nazi sympathizer Nick Fuentes and exposed their associations with other white supremacist organizations and individuals. But the executive committee pulled out every excuse they could think of, much like they did when defending George Santos, Donald Trump, Ken Paxton and others. The Speaker of the House, Dale Phelan tweeted:

Despicable. @TexasGOP/SREC can’t even bring themselves to denounce neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers or cut ties with their top donor who brought them to the dance. There is a moral, anti-Semitic rot festering

As noted earlier, CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen also has some uncomfortable ties to the individuals The Texas Tribune reported on. I’ll find out how he voted.


Local Elected Officials vote in support of vouchers for rich kids

November 20, 2023

They are voting against the wishes of the community.

State Representatives Dennis Paul of Clear Lake, Terry Wilson of Galveston, and Little Baby Briscoe Cain of Deer Park joined a handful of State Representatives and voted against an amendment to strip vouchers out of an education bill. Paul and Wilson also voted to not impeach Texas Attorney General Paxton. At least Baby Briscoe had enough common sense to be sensible. Only 23 House Representative voted to give Paxton a pass.

The amendment to remove vouchers from the bill was supported by 63 Democrats and 21 Republicans. Vouchers would give parents $10,000 of your tax dollars to send rich kids to a private school. It’s not a popular idea especially in the rural areas where schools are significantly underfunded. In Clear Lake the district is against vouchers. The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce is against vouchers as is the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.

For me I can’t see how this is even constitutional. If someone is paying $2000 in school taxes, why should we give them $8000 more from our taxes just so their kids can attend a private school? Why should they get more than they put in? If vouchers were going to pass they should get no more than they put in. You put in $2000? You get $2000 and nothing more.

Private schools are not cost efficient and most parents can not afford the tuition or the transportation even with the voucher. Vouchers have nothing to do with school “choice”. It is nothing more than give away to rich kids.


Houston’s KLOL rock star to challenge Brian Babin in Texas CD 36

November 15, 2023

She has a plan. She doesn’t want your money. She wants you to just vote.

Dayna Steele ran for congress back in 2018 in Congressional District 36. CD 36 is a blood red district. Literally. After 19 children were slaughtered in Uvalde Congressman Babin did what every other republican did. Nothing. He is one of the absolute worse congressman to ever hold the office even surpassing Steve Stockman who was convicted of 23 felony counts of money laundering and served 3 of 10 years in jail. On queue Trump pardoned him. Babin is worse. He does nothing. He has accomplished nothing. He, like trump, spews lies. And he asked for a pardon from Trump.

For those who were around in the 80’s you will remember Dayna from KLOL 101 the rock station of Houston. She rocked. I remember driving to work listening to Tejano Music on 101 FM. I called the station and was told KLOL was now a Tejano station. Ay Dios Mio!

Dayna has a plan. Watch her video below on Facebook. She explains it. Dayna is fun, exciting, very interesting and accomplished! He husband is a former NASA pilot. She ran back in 2018. As I said, it is a deep, deep, red district so gerrymandered that Babin doesn’t have to work to get elected. But, as I said, she has a plan. She is doing it her way this time.

More to come. It’s time to join her team, the Steele Workers.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=1080338612969464&external_log_id=2545baea-708f-4318-8dfd-6a3ffaa36b44&q=dayna%20steele


Defend Texas Liberty recruiting more donors

November 1, 2023

The president of Defend Texas Liberty met with Nick Fuentes a known white supremacist. Go ahead. Google Nick Fuentes.

Fuentes often praises Adolf Hitler and has publicly fantasized about marrying a 16-year-old. Last week, he visited the office of a Texas operative who runs a deep-pocketed political group.

That deep-pocketed political group was Defend Texas Liberty the same guys who meddled in our CCISD elections. Over the last year Defend Texas Liberty has raised over $4.6 Million. $2.8 Million came from Texas billionaire Timothy Dunn and/or Hexagon Partners (Dunn is the registered agent) $1.5 Million came from another billionaire Timothy Dunn. New comers to the PAC include Alex Fairly the registered agent for DealOn LLC out of Amarillo. He donated over $222,000. New comer Carol Adams of Princeton Texas donated $50,000. Wind Grimes and her husband has donated over $500,000 since 2022. In 2023 she donated $25,000.

Here are the top donors that made up 99.4% of the total donations.

Dunn ,Timothy1,500,000.00
Wilks ,Farris & Jo Ann1,500,000.00
Dunn ,Timothy316,000.00
Hexagon Partners250,000.00
Dunn ,Timothy200,000.00
Hexagon Partners200,000.00
Dunn ,Timothy175,000.00
Fairly ,Alex145,850.00
Dunn ,Timothy140,000.00
Adams ,Carol50,000.00
Grimes ,Windi25,000.00
Dealon LLC20,000.00
DEALON LLC19,500.00
Dealon LLC15,000.00
Fairly ,Alex12,000.00
Morrison ,Peter10,000.00
DEALON LLC10,000.00

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.  


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.


White supremacists, Defend Texas Liberty, and CCISD

October 10, 2023

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.