Official website of the Johnson County Democratic Party
Donkey Tales, Feb. & March 2010
Jul 18th
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Donkey Tales, February & March 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 2
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Popularity: 1% [?]
Donkey Tales, January 2010
Jul 18th
DONKEY TALES
The e-newsletter for the Johnson County Democratic Party
Issue 1, vol. 2
January 2010
Dear Johnson County Democrats:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Yeah. I know. I told you this would be out before Christmas, but were you really looking for it? Or, were you too busy getting ready for the celebrations ahead? Me, too.
It seems like only yesterday that we moved into our new digs, got a new Party Chair and started work on the 2010 elections – actually it’s been two whole months — but here we are, already, with the first Donkey Tales of 2010!
Please don’t delete it. Read it and pass it on.
The last few months of 2009 were exciting ones for Texas Democrats what with Tom Shaffer and Kinky Friedman getting out of the governor’s race, newcomer Karouk Shami getting in, Bill White switching from running for Senator to running for Governor (and immediately becoming the front runner), and Hank Gilbert moving from the Governor’s race to the Agriculture Commissioner’s.
Here in Johnson County, we have at least two Democratic candidates, including Burleson attorney John Greene, who’s running for the District 58 Texas House seat currently held by Republican Rob Orr. Of course, anybody would be better for the district than Orr. Greene, however, is an outstanding candidate with solid Democratic convictions. (Check out the story about him from the Cleburne Times-Review reprinted in this newsletter. And, while you’re at it, you might give a call to the Star Group and ask why its newspapers throughout the county refuse to cover anything having to do with Democrats.)
The annual Christmas party on Dec. 5, was a lot of fun and a bunch of us, including John Greene and his wife Julie, had even more fun taking donations of canned goods to Operation Blessing in Cleburne and Harvest House in Burleson , the week before Christmas. The food will go to help needy families throughout the county. Both groups were very appreciative. Thanks to everyone who made donations.
The new JCDP website will be online this week. You can go there to find the latest information about what’s going on, on the local, state and national political scene. The address is www.jcdemocrats.com. Check it out and, please, leave comments,
Upcoming Events
Ribbon Cutting and Photo Op
The Cleburne Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at the new JCDP office on Tuesday, Jan.. 5 at 4 p.m. The local press (at least the ones from Cleburne) will probably be there to take photos, so we need some warm bodies to be there to show that Democrats do have a presence in the county.
Monthly Pot Luck Dinner and Democrat Confab
Bring your favorite dish and join your fellow Democrats for some good conversation, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 5, at the JCDP offices, 207 S. Mill St. in Cleburne.
Executive Committee Meeting
The Executive Committee will hold a statutory meeting (meaning it’s required by election law) at 3 p.m., Jan. 25, at the JCDP offices. The committee will discuss the upcoming election and hopefully appoint new members to the committee
Deadline for Candidate Filings Looming
If you’re planning on running for a county office, contact the JCDP as soon as possible. Filing forms for local candidates are available at the office and at Party Chair Bill Conover’s law office, just down the street. A notary public is available to notarize the forms.
JCDP News
Grass Roots Annual Membership Campaign
In December, the Johnson County Democratic Party launched its Grass Roots Annual Membership Campaign. Your financial contribution, no matter the amount, is crucial to our success. Watch your mail for your personal letter from our new County Chair, Bill Conover, and a response form you can use to make your financial contribution. You can also go to actblue.com on the internet to make your contribution to the Johnson County Democratic Party.
The Johnson County Democratic Party is working hard to organize at the Grass Roots level. We are proud of our past and hopeful for our future. Please join us in this effort and give thoughtful consideration to how you can contribute your time, talent, and treasure to our work right here at home in Johnson County. Your support is vital.
Sustaining Members
Thanks to these Democrats who have already made pledges or contributions: Janet Thomas, Gary Yawn, Fair Yawn, Randy Hanna, Robert Calahan, Ken Miser, Sonya Woodall, Carl Flores, Bill Conover and Pam Humphrey
Update
Have you checked out the JC Democrats page on Facebook? Randy Hanna is overseeing the page, so if you’re a Facebooker, be sure to sign up as a fan. The page is not an official publication of the JCDP, so feel free to post your opinions, comments, etc. Getting snarky about Republicans is not out of the question.
Do you know how to find the JCDP? The new office is located at 207 S. Mill St. in Cleburne and the phone is 817-558-4009 (a metro line.) Due to funding problems, we may not be able to staff the office full-time, so it’s better to call before you come. If no one is in the office, leave a message and your call WILL BE returned.
Support Your Local Democratic Candidates
Democrat Greene enters District 58 race (from the Cleburne Times-Review, www. Cleburnetimesreview.com)
By Matt Smith/msmith@trcle.com
Burleson resident John Greene recently filed to run as a Democrat in the Texas House District 58 race.
State Rep. Rob Orr, R-Burleson, the incumbent, also filed for re-election recently.
Orr will face Cleburne Mayor Ted Reynolds in the March 2 Republican primary. Candidates have until Jan. 4 to file.
“I’m running as a Democrat, but I’m very pro business, something the incumbent holds himself out as being, but he’s not done anything to generate a thriving Main Street,” Greene said.
Greene, an attorney, earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University. In between, he earned a master’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.
Greene said transportation, education and job creation are among his primary concerns.
“What prompted me to get into this race is that I feel District 58 needs more leadership and vision from their state representative,” Greene said. “The North Texas economy is one of the most powerful in the nation, and we need to work harder to get Johnson County more involved in it.
“Otherwise, Johnson County may get left behind, an afterthought. That leads to stagnant or declining property values, not enough to build a good tax base on. We need to build that base to help improve education, teacher salaries and attract more jobs.
“I understand that people like small towns and small town values. We do too. That’s why we moved here from Fort Worth. But there’s also a bad part of not moving forward. You can get in a situation where people are moving out of Cleburne and Burleson instead of moving in.
“Orr has done nothing to address these issues. It also takes imagination, which I think is lacking in our current incumbent.”
Greene said he is a strong proponent of plans calling for light rail and the extension of Texas 121 into Johnson County.
“That’s what makes the county attractive to employers and businesses looking to relocate,” Greene said. “Transportation is kind of like the body’s circulation system. If you can’t get there easily, you go somewhere else.”
Greene and his wife, Julie Greene, have two children, Virginia and Evan Greene. They are members of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth.
Precinct Chairs Needed
Johnson County has 34 voting precincts, but the JCDP has only half that number of precinct chairs. Precinct chairs are volunteers but they make up the backbone of the Party. Among some not-so-tough duties, they serve as the County Executive Committee, which is designated to make important decisions for the local party. If you’re interested in becoming a precinct chair, or assisting a sitting chair, please consider becoming a chair. The Executive Committee appoints precinct chairs to open seats between elections.
Chairs are elected by voters, however, and their names appear on the ballot during the Party primary. Filing to run ends soon and forms are available at JCDP headquarters. Candidates can file for open or filled seats
In Memory
Mrs. Pauline Boyd, longtime Precinct 10 Election Judge passed away on Dec. 23. Mrs. Boyd was devoted to God, Family, and Country and her service to Johnson County was an inspiration.
Please take a minute to visit the Obituary Notice for Pauline F. Boyd, and pay your respects.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dfw/obituary.aspx?n=pauline-f-boyd&pid=137758917
Take Action
Volunteer
For more information about any of these opportunities or to volunteer, send us an e-mail at jcdems@att.net, call the JCDP (817-558-4009) or Secretary Pam Humphrey (817-447-1403).
Election Workers: Several openings available. These are paid positions and they are crucial to the operations of our elections. You must have the time available to fulfill the job, but you do not have to live in the precinct you are assigned to. Fluency in Spanish is a plus and bilingual persons (Spanish & English) are encouraged to apply.
According to the Secretary of State’s Office, we need 30 bilingual election judges or clerks to work at the polls during the primary, March. Each precinct needs at least two workers, hopefully more, and we must fill those spots with loyal Democrats.
If you’ve never worked an election before, or even if you have, there will be training on how to do the job put on by the JC elections administrator. It really is fun, and although, it makes for a long day, the pay’s not bad. (We hear rumors of $8-10 an hour this time around.)
The pay is $8.50 per hour for 14 hours, totaling $119.00 for a day’s work, plus the chief judge will be paid an additional $15 for picking up and dropping off the ballot boxes and materials.
Online Clearinghouse for Democratic Action: http://www.actblue.com/
Home Work:
- Make telephone calls for volunteers and reminders
- Update and maintain databases.
- Prepare lists and information for voter contact activities
- Plan events.
- Join or support a candidate’s campaign.
Keep in touch with your federal elected officials and let them know how you feel about the issues that are important to you, especially Democrat Rep. Chet Edwards. Texas’ senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn are probably lost causes … but call anyway. Rep.Edwards – 817-645-4796, 202-225-6105; Cornyn – 972-239-1310; Hutchison – 214-362-3500.
Campaign for Health Care:
OFA (Organizing for America), the local groups that worked for the Barack Obama presidential campaign are holding phone banks for health care throughout the month, in Tarrant County. For more information, visit the website: www.my.barackobama.com/page/group/Obama-TarrantCountyTexas.
Texas Democratic Party News
Itching to Get More Involved?
Check out the new TDP website at www.txdemocrats.org and follow the Texas Democratic Party on our newest social media applications. The 2010 elections are just around the corner and we want to make sure you have access to every tool necessary to gear up, localize and elect Democrats.
There’s plenty of online training available, as well as inspirational videos, candidate information, volunteer opportunities, resources for candidates, links to the TDP’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages, and lots more. It’s especially important to give your opinion about the “Texas Two-Step” process for electing delegates to the county and state conventions. A committee of the Texas Democratic Executive Committee has recommended changes, since there were so many complaints after the 2008 presidential election. Let the leadership know what you think.
2010 Election Calendar
PRIMARY ELECTION – March 2, 2010
PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTION – April 13, 2010
GENERAL ELECTION – November 2, 2010
Just for fun
How to Tell If You’re a Natural-Born Republican
By Ken Kupchik, Air America Radio
Since almost no one is willing to identify with the GOP these days, it can be difficult to diagnose GOP conservatism. Here are some tips to help determine if you are a Republican at heart:
10) You refused to share your toys in kindergarten, saying it would put you on a dangerous path to socialism.
9) You get angry when there are choices for languages on an automated call because you still don’t have a good grasp on English.
You hate those “elite Hollywood liberals” but refuse to cancel your Netflix account.
7) You go to tea bagger rallies because you have no job thanks to the recession that “started under Obama.”
6) You watch Fox News, but unlike most people actually take it seriously.
5) You become absolutely livid about imaginary tax increases.
4) You are against wasteful programs like Medicare, but also against cutting waste from programs like Medicare.
3) You criticize Michael Moore for his weight, without being able to refute a single claim that he makes in his documentaries.
2) You can enter any collective noun into the following sentence “The ______ are screwing everything up” except for the correct ones.
1) You find yourself saying “no” even to things that you actually want, like ice cream, and health care.
Here’s to a Wonderful, and Progressive, 2010!
Popularity: 1% [?]
GOP’s Jobs Ideas: Keep Bush Tax Cuts, Freeze Regulations
Jul 18th
Friday 16 July 2010
by: Gail Russell Chaddock | The Christian Science Monitor | Report
via Truthout
House GOP leader John Boehner. (Photo: republicanconference / Flickr)
Employers won’t create jobs until they have a clear sense of what comes next in taxes and regulation, say Republicans. House GOP leader John Boehner proposes a moratorium on new government regulations for a year and keeping the Bush tax cuts.
Washington — As President Obama prepares to sign the second historic reform bill of his administration – health care in March, finance reform next week – Republicans are offering their own answers to why jobs have not recovered and enlisting business groups to help make their case.
Above all, employers need something they’re not getting from Washington these days, Republicans say, that is, reasonable expectations about what’s coming next in taxes and government regulation.
All of the antibusiness rhetoric coming out of Washington scares employers, said House Republican leader John Boehner, after meeting with 16 business groups in the Capitol Friday morning. It’s also not knowing whether the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts will be allowed to expire on Dec. 31, as mandated by current law, or how the new employer mandates on health care or financial regulation will affect their business, he adds.
“It’s clear that the path we’ve been on the last 18 months has not worked and is not working,” said Mr. Boehner at a briefing with reporters. These are the barriers to job creation, and if the Obama administration is serious about private-sector job creation, it needs to listen to the private sector, he added.
Responding to a reporter’s question, Boehner endorsed a proposal at Friday’s meeting to have a moratorium on all new government regulations for a year.
Boehner: Moratorium on Regulations “A Great Idea”
“I think having a moratorium on all new federal regulation is a great idea,” he said. It would be “a wonderful sign to the private sector that they’re going to have some breathing room.”
In response, Speaker Nancy Pelosi fired back in a blog on Friday afternoon: “Instead of standing up for American workers, their families and small businesses who have been burned by Wall Street, Big Banks and Big Oil – Boehner wants to give ‘breathing room’ to the special interests. The Bush-Republican decision to take the referee off the field is what led to the most serious fiscal crisis since the Great Depression.”
The moratorium on regulations would derail new rules to protect children from unsafe bassinets and cradles, new consumer protections for air travelers, and establishment of a public website disclosing federal contract information, she said.
Boosted by recent polls giving them a shot at taking back the House in November elections, Republicans are convinced that a 10 percent unemployment rate will eclipse all other aspects of the Obama agenda. GOP candidates are focusing their campaigns around jobs and the economy – an issue they say Democrats have sidelined in their rush to overhaul health care and Wall Street regulation.
“I’m on the House Ways and Means Committee, and the tax code for 2010 is not yet completed,” says Rep. Peter Roskam (R) of Illinois, who attended the Friday session. “When people don’t know what the government rules are, they’re reluctant to create jobs or put capital at risk.”
On Tuesday, Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee called on Chairman Max Baucus (D) of Montana to begin marking up legislation on the expiring 2001 and 2003 tax cuts before Congress leaves for the August recess. That panel held its first hearing on the expiring tax cuts on Wednesday.
Trillions of Dollars Waiting to Be Invested
“Businesses are sitting on more than a trillion dollars of cash waiting to be invested,” wrote the 10 Republicans on the Senate Finance panel in a letter to the chairman released Thursday. “Until businesses and consumers can be confident that their taxes won’t rise next year, they will continue to refrain from investing, job growth will be stagnant, and as a result consumer spending will remain subdued,” they wrote.
House and Senate Democratic leaders have discussed letting the tax cuts expire for the highest earners, that is individuals earning more than $200,000 or families earning more than $250,000 a year. But Republicans and business groups often make the case that many small businesses would also count in that higher-income bracket and would face stiff losses if the law is allowed to expire.
“We could be looking at the biggest tax increase in history,” said Bruce Josten, top lobbyist for the US Chamber of Commerce, after Friday’s meeting.
In a letter to President Obama on July 15, Boehner and Republican whip Eric Cantor called on the White House to listen to the small-business owners who are the engine of job creation in this country.
“The biggest obstacle to economic recovery and job creation is the policy uncertainty created by Washington,” they wrote. “Small business owners don’t know what their effective tax rate will be in January. Business owners of all sizes don’t know what to expect from the next wave of government regulations. Investors and lenders, who are essential to getting credit moving again, don’t know what the new rules will be and cannot calculate their return on investment.”
All republished content that appears on Truthout has been obtained by permission or license.
Popularity: 1% [?]
RETURN OF THE KATRINA TRAILERS
Jul 16th
Thursday, July 15, 2010 | Posted by Jim Hightower
They’re baaaack. The Creepy Creatures from Hurricane Katrina are reappearing on the Gulf Coast, having been raised from the dead.
These creatures are the infamous contaminated trailers that federal emergency officials bought and set up in 2005 for tens of thousands of families who had lost their homes in the devastating storm. Unfortunately, the house trailers turned out to reek of formaldehyde – a toxic industrial preservative that can cause such unpleasantness as nasal cancer and possibly leukemia. The formaldehyde levels were so high that the government banned the trailers from ever again being used to house people.
Good! However, rather than destroying these contaminated creatures, the emergency agency decided to sell them in 2006, and more than 100,000 of them went to various buyers in public auctions. Each buyer was to inform any subsequent owners of the housing ban, and a formaldehyde warning label had to be prominently and permanently attached to the trailers.
But now they’re cropping up on the Gulf Coast again – not as tool sheds or some such, but as housing for workers involved in the clean up of BPs oil disaster. Yes, many of the trailers still reek of the toxic preservative, and, no, the workers living in them were mostly not informed of any danger, nor are the required warning labels still attached.
“These are perfectly good trailers,” asserts one contractor who’s selling them to workers who brought their families with them to the coast. “You know that new car smell,” asks the contractor? “Well, that’s formaldehyde, too. It’s not a big deal,” he says. Of course, he and his family aren’t living in one.
Meanwhile, federal health authorities have not even started the study they promised in 2006 on the health dangers faced by children who live in the trailers. So the disaster on the coast just keeps creeping along.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Johnson, Hood, and Somervell County Update: Edwards Leads Fight for Loan Guarantees to Expand Comanche Peak Power Plant & Create Thousands of Jobs
Jul 16th
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Popularity: 1% [?]
THIS JUST IN FROM “OBAMA FOR AMERICA”:
Jul 16th
The Senate just passed Wall Street reform. The bill will become law the moment President Obama signs it.
This reform represents the boldest financial regulations since the aftermath of the Great Depression — and the strongest consumer protections in history.
Every door you knocked in Iowa, every phone call you made in Ohio, every dollar you dug deep to give — it’s all for this. The Recovery Act, health reform, and now Wall Street reform, on top of everything else. In a year and a half, this administration has made bigger, bolder progress than any president’s in decades.
We have a president who fights for all of us, every day. We have you, the best organizers this country has ever seen, who flooded Congress with calls and letters, had millions of conversations with friends and neighbors, went toe-to-toe with the country’s most powerful special interests — and won.
And we have members of Congress who bravely stood with the President, even as right-wing groups have pledged $200 million to defeat them in November’s elections.
First, take a moment to celebrate. This is an achievement that will make American lives better and protect our economy for generations to come, and it absolutely wouldn’t have happened without you.
Then, take a moment to thank the members of Congress who stood with us and supported these landmark reforms. In the coming days, they’ll be taking a lot of heat for defying Wall Street — and they need to know they have our gratitude.
Organizing for America supporters are signing a note of thanks to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and all of the allies in Congress who stood up for reform.
Will you add your name?
http://my.barackobama.com/WSRVictory
We’ll deliver these signatures to leaders in Congress who supported reform, after the President signs this into law.
Thanks for all you did to get us here. I’m so grateful to be making history with you, and I know the President is as well.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Message from TDP Chair Boyd Richie
Jul 16th
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Dear Fellow Democrat,
Betty and I want to thank everyone who participated in the 2010 Democratic Primary and particularly the Delegates and Alternates to the recent TDP Convention in Corpus Christi.
Largely due to the efforts of our enthusiastic Delegates, tireless volunteers and dedicated staff the Convention was a great success. We crafted a platform our Party can be proud of, heard stirring speeches from our candidates and office holders, and departed in high spirits, united and ready for the upcoming campaign.
In preparing for November, I encourage you to visit our TDP website where you will find our Party’s position on issues, press releases–with great talking points–and other resources to help local parties and candidates reach our goals. While you’re there I urge you to become a Texas Majority Builder. Our Democratic Party works best when it is democratically financed and you can help a lot for only $10 a month.
Thanks again for your commitment and participation and thanks for supporting our Party and our candidates. Let’s work together to turn Texas blue in 2010.
Your friend and fellow Democrat,
Boyd L. Richie
Chairman
Texas Democratic Party
Popularity: 1% [?]
Perry Campaign Consultant Tied to Green Party Signature Campaign
Jul 6th
(From the Lone Star Project):
A document surrendered under court order identifies Rick Perry campaign consultant, Anthony Holm, as a key person working with Green Party leaders to use Republican money to fund a signature gathering campaign to qualify Green Party of Texas candidates for the 2010 ballot. Holm is a principal of the Patriot Group , which is a well- known GOP political consulting firm that lists Republican Governor Rick Perry as its client. During the current election cycle, the Rick Perry Campaign has paid the Patriot Group at least $90,000 (Source: Texas Ethics Commission). Holm also worked as an aide to Rick Perry calling himself, “Special Projects Director for Texas Governor Rick Perry” (Source: Patriot Group Website ).
Anthony Holm is the spokesperson for millionaire Texas homebuilder and Republican financier, Bob Perry (Source: Dallas Morning News, March 5, 2009). Bob Perry has long been one of the nation’s largest contributors to Republican candidates and causes, particularly those in Texas. Bob Perry helped pay for the infamous Swift Boat attack ads in 2004 (Source: Dallas Morning News, March 3, 2010). He has contributed millions of dollars to the Republican Governors Association, various Rick Perry campaigns and to current Republican members of the Texas Supreme Court (Source: FEC, Texas Ethics Commission).
Perry-Green Party Connection
Green Party of Texas Statewide Coordinator kat swift reports via e-mail to the party’s executive committee that she can finally identify an individual who can help provide signature gathering funds. In her email, swift says, “So I just got a call that a republican in texas [sic] wants to give us 40% of the cost of petitioning…I got his name! Anthony Holm.”
A copy of the document can be seen here.
Ultimately, more than $500,000 was received from a secret donor and then funneled through a nonprofit corporation to pay for the Green Party signature gathering effort.
The Rick Perry campaign has adamantly denied involvement with the Green Party of Texas. However, Anthony Holm is the third – and most direct – connection between Rick Perry and the Green Party/GOP ballot scandal. The Lone Star Project previously reported that Rick Perry’s top campaign strategist, Dave Carney , has worked closely with the Republican political operatives who facilitated the Green Party/GOP ballot scheme. In addition, former Rick Perry Chief of Staff, Mike Toomey , was secretly paying an individual to convince Green Party leaders to accept Republican money to finance the signature gathering effort.
It is no longer credible for Rick Perry to deny his campaign’s involvement in the ballot scandal. At least three of his closest political associates have been connected to the scheme. Court documents have shown that two of these individuals – Anthony Holm and Mike Toomey – were in direct contact with the Green Party of Texas. Anthony Holm is a paid consultant to Rick Perry’s campaign.
Efforts are currently underway to obtain sworn depositions from both Anthony Holm and Mike Toomey. So far, both individuals have avoided being served subpoenas.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Ethics Complaint Filed Against Gov. Rick Perry
Jun 18th
ETHICS COMPLAINTS FILED: PERRY FAILED TO DISCLOSE $202,400 DEBT ON COLLEGE STATION HOUSE IN 2007, 2008, 2009
July 6th, 2010
Perry Also Failed to Report Rental Income from House He Claimed as Residential Homestead While Living in Rental Mansion
Last Friday, Texas Democratic Party Executive Director Ruben Hernandez filed two complaints with the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) regarding Rick Perry’s failure to properly report required information on his personal financial statements in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Perry failed to report the identity of the person who had an interest and to whom he paid notes on a house he bought in College Station, Texas in April, 2007. Perry also failed to report rental income on the house on his 2007 and 2008 PFS.
“For three years, the Governor failed to report over $200,000 in debt he owed on a house in College Station, as well as over $11,000 in rental income he received from the property,” Hernandez explained, noting that Perry’s reporting failure involved the same house he tried to claim as his residential homestead on January 1, 2008, while he was living in a taxpayer funded rental mansion west of Austin before the Governor’s Mansion caught fire, according to Associated Press reports from August 12 and 13, 2009. The Texas Constitution requires the Governor to live in Austin.
“While Rick Perry was living in a taxpayer-funded rental mansion, he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar when he claimed a residential homestead exemption on a College Station house where he never lived,” Hernandez said, “and for three years, the Governor didn’t report his debt on that same house, as required by law.”
Hernandez noted that just a few weeks ago, a non partisan organization, Texans for Public Justice, filed a TEC complaint because the Governor failed to itemize expenditures related to his rental mansion. He also observed that Perry surely understood the debt reporting requirement, because Perry has reported similar debts during his twenty five year political career, including a car loan on a Mercedes Benz.
“Apparently Rick Perry has a problem following ethics laws when it come to housing, and it makes you wonder what he’s trying to hide,” Hernandez concluded.
#####
Brief description of complaint attached. View complain at txdemocrats.org
Summary of TEC Complaints
1. Complaint: Perry Failed to Disclose $202,400 in Debt on Personal Financial Statements in 2007, 2008, 2009
Rick Perry violated Texas Government Code, Sec. 572.022(c)(2) because he failed to disclose the identity of a person who retained an interest in real property that he owned and he also violated Sec. 572.022(b)(5) because he failed to identify a person to whom notes were due in his Personal Financial Statements for 2007, 2008 and 2009.
- According to the records of the Brazos Co. Appraisal District, on April 11, 2007, Perry bought a house at 1016 Leopard St. in College Station.
- According to the Brazos Co. Abstract Company, the property was subject to a deed of trust executed in favor of PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company, dated April 11, 2007, securing a note for $179,900 and a subordinate deed of trust executed in favor of the same lender, dated on the same date, securing a note for $22,500 until February 9, 2010.
- According to copies of tax returns, Perry claimed a deduction from his federal income taxes based on the interest he paid on the mortgage for this house.
- Although Perry disclosed his ownership of the house on his Personal Financial Statements in 2007, 2008 and 2009, he did not disclose the associated debt or the identity of the lender who retained an interest in the property via deeds of trust during each of those years.
Texas Government Code Sec. 573.022(c)(2) requires the disclosure of PrimeLending -PlainsCapital as “persons retaining an interest in the property.” Perry also should have disclosed the notes pursuant to Sec. 572.022(b)(5), which requires the “identification of each guarantor of a loan and identification of each person or financial institution to whom a personal note or notes or lease agreement for a total financial liability in excess of $1,000 at any time during the year, and the category of the amount of the liability”
2. Complaint: Rick Perry violated Texas Government Code Sec, 572.022(b)(4) because he failed to disclose rental income of his Personal Financial Statements in 2007 and 2008.
- According to Pick Perry’s 2007 and 2008 tax returns, he received rental income of $5,200 and $6,240, respectively for a house at 1016 Leopard St. in College Station. Perry did not disclose this rental income on his Personal Financial Statements for 2007 and 2008.
Texas Government Code Sec. 572.022(b)(4) requires the disclosure “of each source and the category of the amount of income in excess of $500 derived from each source from interest, dividends, royalties and rent of this rental income.”
Popularity: 2% [?]
Green Party Fighting for Place on Texas Ballot
Jun 18th
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| Follow us: On the Web | Facebook | or Text LONESTAR to 388873 | |
| June 16, 2010 Contact: Matt Angle (202) 547-7610 – Fax (202) 547- 8258 Green Party Chair Hires Infamous GOP Lawyer Andy Taylor
Any doubt that the Green Party of Texas is willingly being used by high profile Republicans with connections to Rick Perry can now be set aside. With an ethical cloud hanging over the Republican-Green Party petition collaboration, notorious GOP attorney Andy Taylor has signed on to represent a Green Party of Texas Co-Chair. As Greg Abbott’s assistant, Taylor earned his spurs as a Republican legal henchman, and since has represented prominent Republicans Tom DeLay and David Dewhurst, and even an ethically troubled back bench Republican like Rep. Dwayne Bohac. As the Lone Star Project has reported, the Green Party of Texas allowed out of state right wing activists to funnel money through a secret donor to a nonprofit organization in order to finance a signature gathering operation and qualify for candidates to appear on the Texas ballot. The Texas Democratic Party filed suit in order to force disclosure of the secret donor and block the improper use of corporate or other illegal funds to finance a ballot petition effort. Who is Andy Taylor?
Perhaps most interesting is his relationship with Rick Perry. Andy Taylor has such a close relationship with Rick Perry that when Perry was looking to fill vacancies on the Texas Supreme Court, he asked Andy Taylor to interview, “potential candidates and [assess] their strengths and weaknesses.” (Source: Texas Monthly, February, 2005) Deal with the Devil Comments from Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle “The Republicans have invested at least a quarter million dollars to get Green Party candidates on the ballot. Now, they’ve brought in their legal hired-gun to protect the investment.” “Andy Taylor stands for everything the Green Party says it is against. He will ultimately betray them.” |
Popularity: 4% [?]
A Message from TDP Chair Boyd Richie
Jun 17th
Dear Fellow Democrat,
Texas summer is here, and it’s already a scorcher! It’s the perfect time to Turn Up the Heat on Texas Republicans, from the Governor’s rental mansion on over to the State House. We have a real chance this year to take the People’s House back from tone-deaf Republicans whose agendas don’t align with Texans’ priorities.
Help the Texas Democratic Party turn up the heat on House Republicans. Help us raise another $15,000 before our State Democratic Convention on June 25th to spread the word – Texas Democrats offer a real alternative to extreme right-wing policies, and real hope for the future.
Help us Turn Up the Heat on Texas Republican Legislators like Leo Berman from House District 6. Berman is known for pushing hard right policies and was recently quoted saying that President Obama was “God’s punishment on us.” He also joined Debbie Riddle from House District 150 in announcing plans to introduce an Arizona-style immigration bill, adding that he did not “care if we’re racially profiling or not.” And representing House District 144, controversial Republican extremist Ken Legler once spoke vehemently on the House floor against paying into the Texas Veterans Fund, and even voted against installing fire sprinklers and emergency power generators in nursing homes.
These Republicans believe that government doesn’t work – and then, once elected, they prove it. It’s time to throw the bums out. Contribute today to support the Texas Democratic Party in our bid to return common-sense values and honest priorities to our government.
Your support allows the Texas Democratic Party to provide Democratic candidates up and down the ballot with the resources they need to win. Raising $25,000 by June 25th will allow us to fund the Texas voter file, candidate and campaign training, and an experienced full-time Party staff. Contribute today to our efforts to turn Texas blue – and help us put a stop to the reckless and extremist behavior of House Republicans like Riddle, Berman, Legler, and others.
Thank you for all your support and for all you do to Move Texas Forward. We couldn’t do it without you.
Your fellow Democrat,
Boyd L. Richie
Chairman
Texas Democratic Party
Popularity: 2% [?]
Stop British Petroleum Now
May 7th
01 May 2010
Reader Supported News | Perspective
An absolute environmental catastrophe is unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico right now. British Petroleum (BP), with their “international headquarters” listed as 1 St James’s Square London, has opened up the sea floor 40 miles off the Louisiana coast allowing millions of gallons of crude oil to erupt into the Gulf. The scope of the discharge is far worse than being reported in the main-stream-media.
The Gulf of Mexico is not a petroleum production facility, it is one of the most significant life-sustaining ecosystems on earth. The impact on wildlife there is unimaginable. This disaster threatens to destroy not only the vast, complex, life-sustaining ecosystem that exists there, but all of the human industries that thrive in the region as well. What that means is the conversion of everything environmentally, economically and socially to an oil production-based paradigm.
This is not just an oil spill or a cleanup – this is a disaster. No different than Hurricane Katrina or the earthquake that leveled Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It must be declared a Disaster Area by the Federal Government, and there must be an immediate Emergency Declaration. It is by every measure an emergency and a disaster.
British Petroleum must be removed immediately from the process, and held fully responsible for everything that follows. If that means freezing their US assets, then they must be frozen and if necessary, subject to seizure.
Let the Army Corps of Engineers bury the damaged and spewing spout under granite boulders and concrete, or whatever other effective emergency measure is needed to bring a stop to this madness at once. BP is buying time in an attempt to find a solution that does not derail their production. That needs to be shut down now.
A massive environmental rescue effort must be undertaken under the Disaster Declaration and it must happen quickly. This is a big problem that requires a big response. Show BP the door now and get busy with serious disaster relief.
Popularity: 2% [?]
