Friday, November 18, 2011

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

#Occupy Bryan-College Station


Occupy College Station/Bryan (#Occupybcstx) is planning a protest tomorrow November 17th from 4:30pm-6:30pm at the corner of Texas and University. Bring your favorite sign, and if you don’t have one there will be extra signs.

Most of us are petitioning both the government and our fellow citizens for a redress of grievances. People feel that political and economic reforms are urgently needed. An increasingly Ann Rand style laissez-faire economic policy makes it more and more easy for money to equal power.

It appears that rapidly increasing financial inequality has channeled power into the hands of a few, as symbolized by the 1%, who are free to corrupt the political system with impunity. One person, one vote no longer describes our system. America no longer feels like a democracy. Corporate centers of power have co-opted governance to favor their own interests and not the interests of the country.
  
What kind of reforms do we want?  This is what I hear from participants in no particular order: campaign finance reform; amend the constitution to eliminate corporate personhood; rescind the effects of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, re-regulate financial sector, no immunity for criminal bankers. Stop the revolving door that allows government regulators to enter the private sector working for the corporations that they once regulated. Tax reform to increase the marginal tax rates at the high bracket to reign in corporate CEO compensation and reduce the incentives for behavior that creates systemic risk. Reform the Federal Reserve System.
  
Our goals? To paraphrase one College Station occupier, “Once we our country back, our goals will be as varied as the people involved in the movement.” Join themovement.


Monday, November 14, 2011

Texas Progressive Alliance - November 14, 2011


The Texas Progrogressive Alliance is beginning to think fond thoughts of cranberry dressing, pumpkin pie, and, um, something else it can't quite recall - oops! - as it brings you this week's blog roundup.

Off the Kuff took a tour of Houston elections from the 1990s to see how they compared to more modern matchups.

Following Rick Perry's latest gaffes, Letters From Texas explains why Perry has become such a hopeless band nerd that the crazy girl who can't get a prom date pities him.

Darth Politico commemorates Veterans Day with a discussion about the history of Red Tape and veterans benefits. Emphasis on Red.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson points out that Republicans in Texas are boxed-in. They know know taxes must be raised to run our state's government, but can't bring themselves to say it, Texas GOP's cowardice.

On the same night Houston Mayor Annise Parker celebrated barely being re-elected, a few blocks away the HPD arrested seven Occupy Houstonians for refusing to move a tarp which the police called a tent. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs doesn't think that's a great way to start a second term ... unless she plans on again representing the 1%, that is.

BossKitty at TruthHugger sees another disappointing campaign season. Inundated with Republican this and Tea Party that, BossKitty is embarrassed by what we are hearing. Republican Whack A Mole Misses the Point. Some economic guru is writing the script for each candidate to spout as the Only way to get back on track, because it is always Obama's fault. We all know it was Obama's fault even before he was born. But some of the solutions totally miss the big picture.

Bay Area Houston is remembering on Veterans Day on how we have continue to screw our Veterans.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes that BP wants the government to hide data while celebrating the end of its cleanup responsibility. This week: crony capitalists 2; regular citizens 0.

Lightseeker at TexasKaos gives a brief summary of the GOP voter suppression campaign gearing up for 2012. Check it out: Voter Suppression Update 2011.

Neil at Texas Liberal attended an Occupy Houston press conference about OH participants arrested by Houston police for covering up electrical equipment with a tarp during a rainstorm. If only Occupy efforts across the nation had the same First Amendment protections as large anonymous corporate political donations enjoy under the Citizens United case.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Runoff to Decide Which Republican Represents Brazos County in Texas House


The Brazos County representative in the Texas House of Representatives will be a Republican, but we will have to wait until December to find out which one. Bob Yancy and John Raney each received enough of the vote in District 14 to force a run-off, as none of the five candidates received a majority.

Accordingto the Bryan-College Station Eagle, Yancy received about 4,922 votes (36%) and Raney received 3,758 (28%). Democrat Judy LeUnes finished third receiving 3,060 votes (22%), Republican Rebecca Boenigk placed fourth with 1,505 votes and Libertarian Joshua Baker finished last with 266 votes.
  
I was not surprised that the election resulted in a run-off, however, I was surprised at which two candidates will be facing each other in the run-off. I expected either Yancy or Raney to finish with the highest vote total, and for LeUnes to finish with the second vote total.

There are a few reasons I think that this outcome took place. First, while there was an unusually high voter turnout (17%), there was probably lower than average Democratic voter turnout. I expected LeUnes to garner more than 22% of the vote. In 2008 Barack Obama received 35% of the vote in Brazos County, and even in the Republican wave of 2010 Chet Edwards receive 34% of the vote.

Second, LeUnes was probably hurt by a poor showing by Boenigk. During the campaign Boenigk was highly criticized by her fellow Republicans and participated in a significant amount of negative campaigning. After spending well over $100,000 on her campaign, each vote cost her nearly $100. This hurt LeUnes because the votes that Boenigk lost went to Yancy and Raney.

The run-off election is nearly impossible to predict because the voter turnout will likely be very low, and it is difficult to determine how the vote will shift. Will Boenigk supporters swing their vote to either Yancy or Raney, and will LeUnes supporters choose between two Republican candidates or stay home?

The most interesting part about this election is that unless either of the candidates is reelected in 2012, they will not actually ever cast a vote in the Texas Legislature. In Texas the legislature only meets for 140 days once every two years, since we don’t want to give them too much time to screw up the state. Although after the 82nd Texas Legislature, I think we may have given them too much time.

What the run-off is about is whatever candidate that wins being able to position themselves as the incumbent. There’s always a chance that another Republican will challenge them in March during the primary, in which case voters would literally be voting for state representative three times within a year. There is a possibility that LeUnes will challenge whatever candidate wins during the general election in 2012. Either way, the results from yesterday’s election appear to be just the first chapter in this saga.  

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Texas Republicans Don’t Get Occupy Wall Street

"It's interesting for them to argue against capitalism and at the same time be walking down the street with a BlackBerry or an iPhone, which would not have happened had we not had capitalism to drive those innovations." That’s what Congressman Mike Conaway told the San Angelo Standard-Times, in yet another illustration of how members of the subsidiary of corporate America otherwise known as the Republican Party have no idea what the members of the 99% movement are protesting in lower Manhattan.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is not about protesting capitalism. This movement is about protesting capitalism for the poor and socialism for the rich. This movement is about protesting the corruption of our government by corporate and other special interest. The movement is about protesting our democracy being turned into a corporatocracy.

Conaway later in the article said that Occupy Wall Street hasn't as much effect on the national dialogue as the Tea Party. Really? Considering that for the last month the national conversation has been almost exclusively about the Occupy Wall Street protest, I think he might be somewhat out of touch with reality.

Congress Mac Thornberry told the Standard-Times that “most people who are frustrated at not getting a job are out there looking for a job, not living in a park." I suspect that Thornberry is ignoring the fact that there are 5 job seekers for every one job in America, and that millions are a part of the long term unemployed who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. When there is nothing left to do but take to the streets, what do you expect?

Look at District 14 Campaign Finance Reports: Big Spenders

A look at campaign finance records has revealed that two candidates are spending significant amounts of money on the campaign for Texas House of Representatives District 14. Republicans Rebecca Boenigk and Bob Yancy, who have also traded barbs in candidate forums, are out spending the other two candidates and are doing so with mostly their own money.

According to Texas Ethics Commission records, as of the most recent filing deadline Boenigk has reported $81,191 in political expenditures. Records show that as of that filing deadline Yancy has reported $70,312 in political expenditures. Those records show that both candidates have made significant loans to their campaigns, as Boenigk has reported a total of $140,000 in loans and Yancy has reported a total of $65,000.

Democrat Judy LeUnes and Republican John Raney are spending far less than the other two candidates, and neither of them have loaned any money to their respective campaigns. According to Texas Ethics Commission records, as of the most recent filing deadline LeUnes has reported $10,145 in political expenditures, and records show that Raney has reported $13,892 in political expenditures.

Yancy has reported the most in total political contributions to his campaign, however, a significant amount of the total has come from a political action committee. TREPAC Texas Association of Realtors has contributed $12,500 of the $23,400 he has reported. Other political action committees that have donated to his campaign include Friends of Clint Hackney & Company PAC ($1,000), HILLCO PAC ($500), One Call Concepts PAC ($250), and Texas Association of Crane Owners PAC ($250).

Boenigk has reported $14,624 in political contributions, of which $1,500 came from the Texas Apartment Association Political Action Committee. Also of note, Boenigk received a $5,000 contribution from Annette Taddeo of Miami, Florida. Raney reported $13,018 in political contributions, of which he received contributions from NFIB-Texas Safe Trust ($1,000), Brookshire Brothers, PAC ($750), Texas Academy of Audiology PAC ($500), Texas Retailers Assn. PAC ($500), and Radio Shack Government Fund ($100). LeUnes reported $9,362 in political contributions, and received a $1,942 from Texas State Teachers PAC and a $500 contribution from Joaquin Castro for State Representative Campaign.

In the final week of the campaign Boenigk has by far the most cash on hand with $95,497, while despite his aparrent attempts to keep pace with her spending Yancy has only $13,600 cash on hand. Raney has reported $19,089 cash on hand, and LeUnes has reported just $2,937 cash on hand. As the final week of the campaign expect a barrage of advertising from Boenigk as she attempts to overcome negative perceptions of her campaign.