Astroturfing in SBOE Place 9

(cross-posted from Blue Dot Blues)

Oy vay. We don't have enough problems in these SBOE races? The nefarious Texas EducratParent PAC has endorsed Thomas Ratliff in the SBOE 9 Republican primary (where Don McLeroy is the incumbent).

I've written about Parent PAC's involvement in Texas elections since 2006, so if you're interested in the history, check out the tag on Blue Dot Blues. According to the Quorum Report story (subscribers only) on the Ratliff endorsement, the PAC decided to get involved at the SBOE level because that's apparently where education decisions are made (who would've thought?). A simplified way of saying it, perhaps - but the PAC spent the 2006 and 2008 election seasons swatting at voucher proponents in the Legislature, and now they're revealing a much deeper agenda than some of us had heretofore suspected and not verified. They'd like to get rid of conservatives on the SBOE, and go for people who want electronic textbooks and more education spending, for instance. Their Texas Ethics Commission reports bear this out again and again.

Just in case you're curious about who gives to Parent PAC, I scour the TEC reports so you don't have to. Here's a list from the latest report, just people who caught my eye:

January Semi-Annual:

Clifford Brown (goes by "Buster" - mayor of Corsicana, lots of cash to Democrats), $1000, 11/25/2009

Elna Christopher (Texas Association of Counties, Director of Media Relations), $100, 11/27/2009

Patricia Conradt (Chief of Staff for Rep. Joe Heflin, D-Crosbyton), $100, 12/1/2009

Sandy Dochen (Public relations), $100, 11/16/2009

Laura Fowler (Lawyer), $100, 10/10/2009

Susan Griffith (Realtor), $100, 11/17/2009

Eliu M. Hinojosa (Superintendent, Dallas ISD), $100, 12/15/2009

Shanna Igo (Texas Municipal League, Director of Legislative Services), $500, 11/17/2009

Dr. Melody Johnson (Superintendent, Fort Worth ISD), $250, 12/26/2009

Sandra Kibby (Wholesale Beverage Distributor), $100, 11/24/2009

Sara Leon (Lawyer), $100, 10/10/2009

Sherrie Matula (Educational Science Consultant and former Democrat candidate for state rep), $250, 10/3/2009

Ken McCraw (Executive Director, Texas Association of Community Schools), $250, 11/12/2009

Pam(e) Noland (District Services Coordinator, New Deal ISD), $100, 10/10/2009

Blake Powell (Lawyer), $100, 10/10/2009

Pat Pringle (Executive Director, Region XIII Education Svc. Center), $100, 12/1/2009

Gwendolyn Santiago (Executive Director, Texas Association of School Business Officials), $100, 12/23/2009

Guy Sconzo (Superintendent, Humble ISD), $100, 12/1/2009

Dr. Henry Scott (Superintendent, Denison ISD), $75, 12/1/2009

Gene Sheets (Superintendent, Muleshoe ISD), $100, 10/6/2009

Wow. That's a good chunk of the contributors on the January semi-annual. I left off a couple of retirees and one or two homemakers.

What is the agenda, again, exactly? Supporting what parents want, or what school administrators want?

Will Obama try to put lipstick on the pig Wed night? Join AFP to see and comment

Did Obama get the message? Join us Wednesday to see if Obama tries to put lipstick on that pig


Remember Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, who lost his seat in New Jersey in November?

Remember Democrat Creigh Deeds who lost in Virginia’s gubernatorial race?

Remember Democrat Martha Coakley in Massachusetts who was up 30 points in the polls there in her quest for “the Kennedy seat” which she lost to Scott Brown who said he won “the people’s seat”.

Yes, Corzine, Creigh and Coakley all lost. President Obama campaigned for each of them.

Now, there’s no way to put lipstick on that pig.

The question now is – did Obama get the message that Americans are fed up with the corruption, backroom deals and vote buying?

Join us online Wednesday night for the President’s first State of the Union speech…and as we see it, there’s no way to put lipstick on that pig. Join us as we live chat (blog) the State of the Union address – and we welcome your weighing in.

Did Obama get the message Massachusetts voters sent or is Obama in denial? Some advisors’ spin this weekend indicates Obama and his White House may be sipping the Keith Obermann and Rachael Maddow kool-aide.

If Obama, his czars and minions didn’t get the message, it appears some on Capitol Hill did as 12 Congressional D’s are cutting and running. But it appears Obama was blaming it on Bush.

Yes, the people have spoken, but was Obama listening?

What can we expect now? Will Congress and the Administration attempt to ramrod their far-left agenda?

Wednesday night will be our first indication of what is to come.

To view the chat and weigh in on Wednesday, just visit our site www.afptx.org and click on "State of the Union Virtual Watch Party" - a hyperlink will be on that site to comment.

-- Peggy Venable

#SOTUAFP

Michael Goodwin gets the Scott Brown election right

Boy oh boy does New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin ever nail it today:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/end_of_cowardly_lyin_mRWfJbYLRlOqRxirNUoCxO

We the people of the United States owe Scott Brown's supporters a huge debt of gratitude. They didn't merely elect a senator. They ripped the façade off the Obama presidency.

Just as Dorothy and Toto exposed the ordinary man behind the curtain in "The Wizard of Oz," the voters in Massachusetts revealed that, in this White House, there is no one there.

It's all smoke and mirrors, bells and whistles, held together with glib talk, Chicago politics, and an audacious sense of entitlement.
At the center is a young and talented celebrity whose worldview, we now know, is an incoherent jumble of poses and big-government instincts. His self-aggrandizing ambition exceeds his ability by so much that he is making a mess of everything he touches.

He never advances a practical idea. Every proposal overreaches and comes wrapped in ideology and a claim of moral superiority. He doesn't listen to anybody who doesn't agree with him.

Tea Party trumps Country Club

You may have heard the startling news: Bush 41 endorsed KBH. That’s a shocker! That’s after GW Bush, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and other old-line Republicans. What does it mean?

It appears the “old” Republican Party is hanging together. They likely don’t get the tea party movement or the voters “anger and frustration”.

At the core, I am a Reaganite. I worked for Bush 41. I escaped getting Potomac Fever.

The Bush and company endorsements are much to do about nothing. Do Texas voters care about what country club Republican is endorsing another country club Republican? No. .

I worked as a political appointee for Pres. George H. W. Bush and have great admiration for him and Barbara. I also worked for President Reagan…that was the greatest privilege of my professional life. I also volunteered in the GW Bush re-election. It was the right thing to do at the time.

But I’m a tea party activist. I was a tea party activist before it was cool.

I am supporting Gov. Rick Perry. I like Sen. KBH, but am supporting Gov. Perry because he has delivered. Texas is the #1 state for business relocation, Texas has created more jobs than all other states combined, and Texas has done better weathering Obama-nomics than any other state. That doesn't happen without strong leadership.

Perry has performed - and I want to weather the rest of this Obama Administration with a proven leader as governor of Texas. – Peggy Venable

http://townhall.com/blog/g/7ccd078f-945d-40a2-9c9f-2558b0505bcc?trackbacks=true#commentAnchor

Brown isn't the savior, voters are

I'm at the Perry Blogger Summit with a room full of political activists and bloggers. Naturally, the discussion moves to the Scott Brown victory.

It is clear the Brown victory in Mass sent a shockwave through Washington, D.C. -- to Democrats and Republicans. It changed the dunamics with that one add'l R seat. But what else did it tell us?

Americans are paying attention. Voters do care. Politics as usual (dealing behind closed doors, buying votes, granting favors to supporters, etc.) Voters heard Obama say "the negotiations will be open and transparent, CSPAN will be covering them" and he lied.

Voters are outraged and the corruption and the lies.

Political activists and bloggers get it. Do politicians? Only time will tell...

UNT Pres Advocates for new TX Transportation Tax

University of North Texas President Advocates for Transportation Tax

Just when you think you’ve been around Austin and have seen it all – something surprises you.

That’s what happened when I learned of a letter the President of the University of North Texas wrote a letter to the bill sponsor supporting his new transportation tax.

As if they aren’t busy enough raising tuition and fees, now university presidents are in the business of raising transportation taxes and providing political cover for tax-raising elected officials.

Mind you, they are doing it on official state agency letterhead, and that is an inappropriate use of your tax dollars. It may even be illegal. State statute prohibits state agencies from lobbying.

AFP has been the lead organization opposing taxpayer-funded lobbying. (That’s when federal, state or local tax dollars are used to lobby – usually for more of our tax dollars.)

It appears a taxpayer-funded lobbyist asked the university president to chime in. No, that’s not helping her case any.

Thanks to the good investigative reporting of Will Lutz, with the Lone Star Report, that correspondence is now public.

To read the letter and the article (where I am quoted expressing appropriate outrage on behalf of all taxpayers), go to: http://tinyurl.com/ygc69a8

-- Peggy Venable

Reps Al Green, Sheila Jackson-Lee want government takeover

Two Texas congressional members have admitted it – they want a total government takeover of our healthcare system.

HR676 is the straight-up Canadian-style single-payer system that puts everyone in a government plan. It is also called "Medicare for everyone". It's dead-on-arrival, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi supposedly agreed to allow a floor vote on it as an amendment to the health care reform bill. Cong. John Conyers (D-MI) is the sponsor and he has 86 co-sponsors, two of them being from Texas. Let’s face it: nobody on the co-sponsor list can deny that what they really want is a total government takeover of 1/6th of our economy, and to deny you the opportunity to choose your own healthcare coverage. Here is the list of the most liberal members of Congress:

Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] - 2/11/2009
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 1/26/2009
Rep Becerra, Xavier [CA-31] - 3/17/2009
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] - 1/26/2009
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] - 2/23/2009
Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] - 2/11/2009
Rep Brown, Corrine [FL-3] - 3/3/2009
Rep Capuano, Michael E. [MA-8] - 2/23/2009
Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI] - 4/21/2009
Rep Chu, Judy [CA-32] - 7/31/2009
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] - 1/26/2009
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 1/26/2009
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] - 2/23/2009
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 1/26/2009
Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] - 2/3/2009
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 2/23/2009
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] - 1/26/2009
Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] - 1/26/2009
Rep Dicks, Norman D. [WA-6] - 6/15/2009
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 1/26/2009
Rep Edwards, Donna F. [MD-4] - 1/26/2009
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 1/26/2009
Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] - 1/26/2009
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 1/26/2009
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 2/11/2009
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 2/11/2009
Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 1/28/2009
Rep Fudge, Marcia L. [OH-11] - 6/2/2009
Rep Green, Al [TX-9] - 2/23/2009
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 1/26/2009
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] - 1/26/2009
Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] - 6/11/2009
Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] - 2/23/2009
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 1/26/2009
Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] - 2/23/2009
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 6/12/2009
Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15] - 2/11/2009
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] - 3/5/2009
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] - 1/26/2009
Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [GA-4] - 2/3/2009
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 1/26/2009
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] - 2/23/2009
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 2/23/2009
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] - 1/26/2009
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] - 1/26/2009
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 1/26/2009
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 3/17/2009
Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] - 3/24/2009
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] - 5/20/2009
Rep Lujan, Ben Ray [NM-3] - 3/24/2009
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] - 2/23/2009
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] - 6/12/2009
Rep Massa, Eric J. J. [NY-29] - 1/26/2009
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 1/26/2009
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 3/3/2009
Rep Meek, Kendrick B. [FL-17] - 3/24/2009
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6] - 1/26/2009
Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 3/19/2009
Rep Moore, Gwen [WI-4] - 2/11/2009
Rep Murtha, John P. [PA-12] - 7/9/2009
Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] - 1/26/2009
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] - 1/26/2009
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 5/20/2009
Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] - 1/26/2009
Rep Pastor, Ed [AZ-4] - 3/19/2009
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 3/3/2009
Rep Pingree, Chellie [ME-1] - 1/26/2009
Rep Polis, Jared [CO-2] - 1/28/2009
Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille [CA-34] - 3/30/2009
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] - 2/23/2009
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - 3/5/2009
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 2/23/2009
Rep Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [VA-3] - 2/23/2009
Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] - 6/9/2009
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2] - 2/23/2009
Rep Tierney, John F. [MA-6] - 1/28/2009
Rep Tonko, Paul D. [NY-21] - 1/26/2009
Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] - 3/31/2009
Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12] - 2/23/2009
Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35] - 3/19/2009
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] - 1/26/2009
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] - 7/9/2009
Rep Welch, Peter [VT] - 2/23/2009
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 2/11/2009
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 1/26/2009
Rep Yarmuth, John A. [KY-3] - 2/23/2009

Brown brings New Day to America

It is a new day in America - and people are ready to Take Back America one state at a time: Virginia, NJ, and now Mass.

Scott Brown’s amazing upset in MA tonight – winning The People’s Seat in MA - removes the speed bump to take back America, as the American people’s voices are heard. No more LA purchases, Cornhuskers bribes, union buy-outs, corrupt back-room dealings and big-government steamrollers.

The overwhelming victory in Massachusetts is a game-changer.

Obama’s broken promises were the referendum vote. Sen-to-be-Brown's right, we CAN do better.

Will the leadership get the message? Time will tell, but the American people spoke today.

America can do better – and Americans are willing to take to the streets to take back our country.

Texas can be a model to the rest of the country to create jobs, put more money in people’s pockets, and jumpstart the economy.

Kill the health care bill, stop cap and trade, stop the tax and spending, running up the national debt, raising taxes, and corrupt closed-door dealings.

It is indeed a new day in America.

Strings, what strings? says Arne Duncan

It has been reported that U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY SAYS RACE TO THE TOP PROJECT IS NOT ABOUT FED TAKEOVER OF PUBLIC ED (Quorum Report today).
“Arne Duncan responds to recent statements by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and says that states would not be mandated to follow national common core standards”

Well, if you believe there’s no coercion in the federal government dangling dollars in front of the states and providing “points” in an application for the number of organizations in your state that agree to federal curriculum standards….then you likely also buy the concept that C-SPAN will be in all the deliberations, dealings and vote-buying meetings on health care.

You bet it’s about control. And TX Gov Perry is right to take a pass on the Race to the Top federal dolalrs. The strings are attached to it even when Arne Duncan protests they are not…

Texas will be first to recover

Fort Worth Star-Telegram - January 18, 2010

ECONOMIST SAYS TEXAS WILL BE 1ST STATE TO RECOVER

Texas will be "last in, first out" among states battling the recession, although a recovery that has already started will require patience, a leading economist says.

The Lone Star State proved resilient because of advantages such as weather, stable home prices and a political climate favorable for companies seeking new places to do business, said Ray Perryman, head of the Perryman Group and a longtime Texas economist. Still, Perryman said Texas has seen its share of difficulty since the state got caught up in the national economic downturn in the summer of 2008. Job losses mounted last year, and the outlook remains bleak for commercial real estate.

http://www.star-telegram.com/texas/story/1900487.html

We should mention it is also due to tort reform, a rational business regulatory climate and relatively low taxes...go to www.GoodNewsInTexas to read more.

Texas Strong thanks to good leadership

Texas will experience a budget “shortfall” next session which begins Jan 2011. But we do have money in the bank (the “rainy day fund”) and though we would not propose using it all, we do have that as a cushion. How does the state budget look for next year? We could not have said it better ourselves, so we have left it to Rep. Ken Paxton (R-Dist 70) who wrote which appeared in the Frisco Enterprise:


Statewide budget cuts address financial shortfall - piece By Ken Paxton, St. Rep., District 70 (R-McKinney)

Published: Monday, January 18, 2010 6:14 AM CST - Frisco Enterprise
The Texas Legislative Budget Board, the committee of the Texas Legislature that develops budget and policy recommendations for legislative appropriations for all agencies of state government, projects an $11-12 million budget deficit for the 2012-2013 biennium.


The last time we faced a budget shortfall was in 2003 during the 78th legislative session. As they did in 2003, the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker are once again asking state agencies to cut their budgets by five percent in order to address our budget

shortfall by reducing dedicated appropriations for the 2010 – 2011 biennium.

In a letter to all state agencies and public institutions of higher learning, our State leadership is calling for prudent, efficient reductions that minimize the impact on direct service and is requesting that each of these entities analyze the necessity of all

administrative expenses and purchases.

Reducing direct services should be an option of last resort to eliminate the possibility of

reductions to benefits or client eligibility levels in the Medicaid program, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and foster care programs.

Additionally, they are requesting budget cuts that will not affect eligibility staffing, so people in need may access these programs in a timely manner. The programs exempt from this request include the Foundation School Program, Social Security contributions, Teacher and Employees Retirement Systems' pensions, contributions to the Higher Education Fund and debt service for previously issued obligation.

I am proud of Governor Perry, Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst and Speaker Straus for taking proactive steps to reduce government spending when budget constraints are on the horizon. Legislators must also exercise restraint next legislative session and look for additional ways to reduce spending on extraneous programs and services.

I look forward to once again proposing legislation next session to implement a tax and expenditure limitation to further protect our State from the consequences of unbridled spending that has driven California and other states to the brink of bankruptcy.

AFP note: regarding the Spending limit

Texas AFP has long advocated for a spending limit (at all levels of government) which would allow for spending increases equal to the increase in population and inflation, with voter approval needed to exceed the limit. Gov. Perry has embraced the limit, and we are pleased to see Rep. Paxton is again committed to carrying the legislation in the House.

States Rights Rally a success

Saturday in Austin, around 3,000 people showed up for a states rights rally. A number of speakers -- including Americans for Prosperity Texas Director Peggy Venable, Reps Leo Burman and Wayne Christian, along with grassroots organizers spoke.

The event was non-partisan though a number of speakers commended Gov. Perry and AG Abbott for their challenging the corrupt dealings (the constitutionality of ObamaCare and Texans paying for programs in Nebraska), and a number of folks there had Medina signs.

Debra Medina is pushing for Gov. Perry to call a special session to nullify the health care bill. It's not passed yet, and depending on what happens in Mass. today, it may not.

Texas is not slated for another legislative session until Jan 2011.

But everyone there wanted to assert state rights and remind the federal government that they work for us and that the rights not enumerated in the Constitution belong to the states.

Republican Primary Candidate Gubernatorial debate

Hutchison claims that she knows how to balance a budget, but we haven't see it. Washington’s lack of fiscal restraint has lead to a national debt of over 12 trillion dollars, which equates to a debt burden of over $39,000 for every man, woman, and child in the US.

In fact, for FY 2009, Washington ran a deficit of over $1.4 trillion dollars, three times that of FY 2008’s deficit. With her record of “balanced budgets” how can we let her take control of the helm in Texas? We must protect Texas from Washington's irresponsible spending practices.

Tonight's gubernatorial debate doesn't appear to be a game-changer.

Facts remain that Texas is the number one state in the country for job creation, the only large state without a budget deficit, and the number one state for business relocation. For the first time in the Texas' history, we have more Fortune 500 companies than any other state.

While Washington, D.C. and other states are deep in debt and increasing taxes, Texas is a beacon of fiscal sanity. Gov. Rick Perry has been a fiscal conservative and has lead some of the battles like tort reform which have helped made the Lone Star State the envy of the rest of the country.

Closing statements

Medina - gun ownership, private property rights, state sovereignty, TX must stand strong and defend its sovereignty. Must address illegal immigration and respect the rule of law.

Perry - thanked US military for their service and their service allowing us the freedom we have. Simple truth: TX is the land of opportunity. TX is in a unique place compared to other states, and TX has made disciplined decisions to put us where we are today. Leadership

Hutchison - TX is the best place in America. Doesn't think Gov Perry has prepared us for the future. Criticized TXDOT, claims she'd provide border security. Property rights - she'swong that Perry vetoed the bill tha t would provide that. Doesn't want toll roads, mandated unproven vaccines...

Illegal immigration question

In the gubernatorial debate (Republican primary candidates), Hutchison claims TX doesn't use "E Verify".

Perry said Hutchison votred for sanctuary cities - we should fine anyone who hires illegals. DC has done an abismal job securing our borders.

Medina - both are giving lip service to this problem. Should assist local law enforcement and stand up to DC.

what about a projected budget shortfall?

Medina - "the new kid gets the toughest question of the night". Proposes eliminating property taxes and going to a broad-based sales tax, which will grow prosperity and look for accountability. Opposes raising taxes. But doesn't want to tax food and medicine.

Hutchison - claims we'll have a $17 billion deficit. Blames TX for taking stimulus money, $4 billion in recurring costs. Consolidate some state agencies. TXDOT lost $1 billion in an accounting error.

Perry - we've cut the budget. In 2003, handled a $10 billion budget deficit. Told Hutchison that she's voted to raise the debtlimit in DC and voted for 95% of the federal budgets. Said Hutchison is criticizing R's in TX.

Hutchison claims Perry has raised taxes on businesses

The truth is hard to recognize when you have been in Washington for 16 years - tough line, Gov. Perry. But he's right that TX is pro-business.

Hutchison "there you go again" (using the Reagan line)...and claims his ad that business taxes have been cut are lowered is a lie.

GOv.Perry to Hutchison - are you going to resign? Good question - but she didn't need to answer, as his question was to be directed to Medina. He asked about legalizing drugs and her position.

Medina asks Hutchison constitutional issue

Medina said Hutchison has not been bound by the federal constitution, why should we beilieve she would be bound by the state constitution?

Likely only Ron Paul has consistently voted in Congress against unconstitutional bills.

candidate questions

Perry - went after Hutchison on "consistency" for the bailout votes.

Hutchison explained the first bailout vote - wrong as it may have been. Said Perry asked for the bank bailout - saying he was for it before he was against it.

Perry said that his letter was telling Congress to cut spending and cut taxes.

Medina: GOv Perry was a Democrat before he was a Republican. He's been Governor for 10 years, and upheld Republican party platform ideals. We should not criticize anyone for moving from D to R in TX.

Medina said per capita taxes have increased under Perry.

Hutchison asked Medina (not Perry) if she agees that property taxes have not remained lower after the property tax cut. Is this Hutchison/Medina partnership to go after Perry? Why didn't Hutchison ask the question of Perry?

Perrry on property rights and eminent domain

I agree that the Perry in vetoing the "property rights/trial lawyer" bill two sessions ago.

The bill passed this session as the "Kelo fix" was improved and wasn't a tool of trial lawyers.

Medina on gun control

Debra Medina understands her -- and our -- constitutional rights. Property rights and gun ownership are essential to a free society.

Hutchison on abortion

Limiting and lowering abortions - is that acceptable to the prolife Texans?

Not support overturning Roe vs Wade? Hutchison's "concerns" don't make sense to me...reasonable restrictions that "are the law of the land."

WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT???

Hutchison

Hutchison is on thin ice criticizing Texas ... she appears to be creating problems.

Cut business taxes, she says.

Medina claims jobs have been created in government, not in the private sector. Then why is TX number one in business relocation and now is the #1 state for Fortune 500 companies.

Texas is considered a relatively low tax state.

Hutchison claims the business margine tax is the largest tax increase, she should also point out that the property tax was the largest tax cut in history.

She's right that the appraisals weren't controlled - they are local taxes (and we think there should e safeguards in place to protect property taxpayers.)

Unemployment

Medina is claiming that Hutchiswon and Pery consider government is the answer to unemployment. WRONG

Texas has worked hard to keep unemployment well under 2% below the federal unemployment rate. Businesses are moving to Texas - the top state for business relocation.

Perry can and did defend his record there. Perry has created a track record - Texas has lead the nation in job creation - creating more jobs that all other states in the country combined.

He's right - Texas rules!

Medina

Debra Medina is not just an average citizen - she has stepped up to run for Governor.

What federal government program does she like? She's right that the feds are doing more than they should be doing, and not handling the constitutional responsibilities well.

Hutchison

The US military does do a great job. So TX gets 92 cents of each highway dolalr sent to DC. We should end the highway trust fund.

end support for ACORN? right!!!

Succession?

Perry's right - the government has a limited role. Nullification? Heatlh care isn't the only issue that we should be working to keep our federal government in check...not just what to do IF theheatlh care bill passes. Obamacare should die, and that should be our focus - kill the bill.

Stimulus funding? You bet we should be open to getting as much of Texans' hard-earned tax dollars back. Just no stimulus funding with strings attached.

I'll be blogging the Gubernatorial debate tonight

stay tuned - I'll be blogging real-time.

ObamaCare is middle-class tax hike which unions are exempted

It stinks, but it looks like unions are getting their rich benefits plans exempted from the proposed tax on higher-dollar health insurance plans. Even so, lefty orgs like the Campaign for America's Future are messaging against a "middle-class health tax" -- not exactly what Dems want their people to be saying! The fact is, it stinks to high heaven. More corruption, leaving average taxpayers holding the bag.


National Journal's CongressDaily reported:

Unions Tentatively Strike A Deal Regarding Excise Tax

Unions tentatively struck a deal Tuesday to exempt collectively bargained healthcare plans from a tax on high-cost plans expected to be used to help raise revenue for the healthcare overhaul.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger met with House Speaker Pelosi Tuesday, a day after labor leaders met at the White House to express their opposition to the excise tax.

Gov. Perry says "no thanks" to fed funds, national curriculum standards

Americans for Prosperity commends Gov. Rick Perry for drawing a line in the sand and announcing today that he would not apply for specific education stimulus dollars which could have led to an arbitrary mandate requiring Texas to adopt national curriculum standards and tests.

“Accepting stimulus dollars comes with federal strings attached. As a former official at the U.S. Department of Education, I agree with Gov. Perry that we don’t want the federal government setting standards for Texas schools,” said Peggy Venable, Texas director of Americans for Prosperity and former White House Liaison for the Department of Education early in the Reagan Administration.

“Education should be left to the states and should not be a top-down but a bottom-up process,” said Venable. “Texas has an open, collaborative process including public hearings and input. The Lone Star State has invested considerable time and millions of dollars into curriculum development and has set some rigorous standards to which we are committed. We don’t need Washington to tell us how to run our lives here in Texas.”

The Race to the Top program is part of the stimulus plan, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The Governor’s decision is consistent with the decision not to accept Unemployment Insurance stimulus dollars. All those bailout programs have set states up for even bigger budget deficits in the future.

“Gov. Perry has been vindicated for not taking the unemployment insurance dollars last year, and is right to take a pass on these education dollars as well,” said Venable.

Under the Race to the Top program, states will likely have to demonstrate their commitment to the new standards without having a chance to closely examine the first draft. But those states could be living with these standards for the next six to ten years.

The Texas Education Agency has estimated that the state would expend $3 billion to purchase new textbooks and align the Texas curriculum to the national standards. The anticipated Race to the Top funds would provide from $350-700 million, or as little as $75 per student.


Read Gov. Perry's comments today here: http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/14147/

Students should be taught American Exceptionalism

The Texas elected State Board of Education (SBOE) are responsible for creating the essential knowledge & skills public school students K-12 in Texas with input from educators, citizens, parents, business leaders and industry representatives.

The SBOE is currently reviewing new social studies textbook standards as part of the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) curriculum update and is scheduled to hear more public comments today prior to adopting the final standards in March 2010.

Around 150 citizens have signed up to testify today on social study standards. While many will advocate teaching the truth, some on the Left are lining up to suggest the term American Exceptionalism is a myth or a theory.

Last year, while attending the UK summit of the Group of 20 major economic countries, the president was asked if he believed in American Exceptionalism and he reportedly said, "I believe in American Exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British Exceptionalism, and the Greeks believe in Greek Exceptionalism."

Perhaps he was speaking to an international audience, or he was again dissing the US abroad, but those views are in stark contrast to most Americans.

American Exceptionalism is grounded in the founding of the United States upon an idea, a concept that America would be a nation of laws, built on the concept of individual liberty and equal justice before the law, with freedoms ranging from speech to worship, and rights from gun ownership to assembly.

The Founding Fathers institutionalized these freedoms so we would be safe from a too-powerful government. Our government works for us, not the other way around.
America was founded as the land of opportunity.

Liberty provides that opportunity, which is why in just over 200 years; America is the greatest democracy in the world, the most productive engine of economic growth, the most influential culture and the most far-reaching inventions and innovations.

Even in extremely difficult times, American Exceptionalism has survived. Faced with the civil and foreign wars; recessions and economic depression; lackluster leadership at home or aggressive, hostile leadership abroad; the American people have benefited from the uniqueness of our democratic experiment. America’s Exceptionalism.

The following guidelines should be employed when reviewing the curriculum standards:

• The United States occupies an exceptional position in world history as a representative democracy. Students should learn how our government was designed to operate by our Founding Fathers to maximize individual liberties, religious freedom and economic prosperity.

• The United States was founded on the principles of freedom, both religious & economic. Texas students should learn factual, balanced and unbiased accounts of the events and individuals that represent these traditional American values.

• Our education system should provide students a positive view of their heritage as Americans that includes accounts of leadership and innovation in science, medicine, literature, economics, arts, religion, agriculture and technology.

• Additionally, our free market economy, outstanding leadership, and unique freedoms have all contributed to making the United States the most prosperous nation in the world.

Students deserve to know how exceptional America is.

Benjamin Franklin, when asked what type of Government they had established responded, "We have given you a Republic madam - if you can keep it."

We are here today fighting to keep it.
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Peggy Venable spoke at a press conference at the Texas Education Agency building at a State Board of Eduation meeting and public hearing on social studies curriculum standards.

Texas #1 in relocation - AGAIN

Texas is #1 AGAIN…

Texas may be well known for its tasty barbeque, rowdy cowboys and friendly nature, but it also boasts a solid employment base, low tax rates and some of the nation’s most affordable housing. And in these challenging economic times, those qualities can look particularly attractive to families and businesses looking to move to a place where they can plant some roots. So it’s no surprise that more people chose to relocate to Texas in 2008 than any other state, according to Allied Van Lines’ 41st Annual Magnet States Report released this month.

This is the third year in a row that Texas has topped the list for relocation in the US. And it’s no wonder. Texas leaders have worked hard to keep Texas citizen-centered, and to make sure that we keep more of our hard-earned money in our pockets.

It’s thanks to folks like Americans For Prosperity members who support policies which keep state government from taxing, spending and regulating us too much. And thanks to the Texas leaders who promote good fiscal policies.

Washington, D.C., and the rest of the states would do well to follow Texas’ strong lead.

Read about it here: http://www.allied.com/news.nr-allied-magnet-states-2009-1-13-09.aspx

Even the Far Left doesn't support Obamacare: KILL THE BILL

It’s not too often we would agree with the Daily Kos.

But now, Markos Moulitas of the Daily Kos is not happy with the current incarnation of Obamacare. He writes at his site that if the current Senate Bill is stripped of the public option but includes an individual mandate, then the bill should be "killed".

“My take is that it’s unconscionable to force people to buy a product from a private insurer that enjoys sanctioned monopoly status. It’d be like forcing everyone to attend baseball games, but instead of watching the Yankees, they were forced to watch the Kansas City Royals. Or Washington Nationals. It would effectively be a tax — and a huge one — paid directly to a private industry.”

We agree, Markos! And thanks for pointing that the current bill does not have any mechanisms to control costs.

But Marcos isn’t alone on the Left. AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka has issued statements against the bill.

Welcome to the world of reality – ObamaCare is a bad bill and should be killed.

Here is a link to Kos' site: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/15/814776/-Remove-mandate,-or-kill-this-bill

World Wildlife Fund ads are a lie

I just saw a World Wildlife Fund ad on Fox news claiming polar bears are becoming extinct – and will do so in our children’s lifetime.

“If we don’t act now, it could be too late for polar bears – it’s all up to us – please call or go online and give to WWF…” the ad claims.

Fear mongering. It’s shameful.

Most of us would support something like the “world wildlife fund”. After all, who doesn’t like wildlife? But anything as important as the survival of a species deserves an honest vetting. And a group which pretends to be focused on saving wildlife needs to be credible.

Instead, WWF should be sued for false advertising.

Actually, polar bear populations are not declining throughout their range. The total population is about 22,000 and stable. Dr. Mitchell Taylor, a biologist with the government of Nunavut, in Canada's Northwest Territory, says, "Polar bears are not going extinct" and do not even "appear to be affected." In fact, the Nunavut government continues to allow hunters to kill up to 500 polar bears a year to keep populations under control and preserve other wildlife species the bears feed on. According to Taylor, of the 13 separate polar bear populations in Canada, 11 are stable or increasing in number.

Sea ice loss so far has not meant fewer polar bears, Even a 30 percent decline in the total population of polar bears within 35 to 50 years, as predicted by the polar bear group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the world's largest conservation network, is not enough to warrant a listing. Such a drop "does not result in a population that is threatened with extinction," they contend.

Polar bears have survived two historic periods of warming and likely can do it again.
Now, should consumers be subject to the World Wildlife Fund’s lies?

So if it is not about saving polar bears, what is it about? WWF is a
soliciting money under false pretenses. It has nothing to do with polar bears, but has everything to do with power and pushing a radical environmental agenda.