Donkey Tales, February & March 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 2

The e-newsletter of the Johnson County Democratic Party

207 S. Mill Street

Cleburne, TX

www.jcdemocrats.com

817-558-4009

Dear Johnson County Democrats,

It’s almost that time again. Tuesday, March 2, is primary day and while we don’t have any contested local Democratic Party races, the campaign to see who will be the party’s nominee for Texas Governor ought to be sparking your interest. Although there are some other candidates, the front-runners appear to be Bill White and Farouk Shami. (You can find out more about them both at the Texas Observer website, http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/the-chosen-one.) Whichever one you choose, be sure to vote.

The race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination has turned really nasty (check out this link, http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/the-chosen-one) and it ought to be even more fun for us political junkies to see how it turns out. A run-off for that nomination would be good news for our candidates.

Are You a Discouraged Democrat? … Don’t Be.

We know … a Republican is sitting in the Senatorial seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy! Hate spewing teabaggers are holding rallies in our county; we don’t have a full slate of Democratic candidates; Republicans don’t even bother to note their party affiliation on their campaign signs. Yes, we live in what may be the most “conservative” section of the country.  Are you freaked, yet?

Those of us who can remember when Johnson County (and every elected official in the county) was Democrat — until the radical transition in the 1990s — probably aren’t. In politics, we know anything can happen.

The Bush recession has frayed the nerves of the American people and it hasn’t been easy or quick to turn it around.  President Obama and the Democratic Congress, including our own Rep. Chet Edwards, have made great strides to solving the problems, however.

Voters vote their pocketbooks and the only way many see to vent their frustration with the slowness of the recovery, right now, is to “vote the bums out.”

Remember, though, that the “bums” who are in power in Texas are Republicans. And, they are the same ones who enthusiastically supported the GOP as the Bush Administration drove the country to almost ruin. Texans need to be reminded that it is the Republican leadership of Texas — with Gov. Rick Perry at the helm — that has failed the people of Texas.

The general election is not until November. We’ve got plenty of time to do that.

What we must do, here at the grassroots level, is not let them get away with blaming Democrats for their mistakes. We need to unite, organize and get out the vote like never before. We have to be out there block walking, holding house parties and talk, talk, talking to our friends and neighbors about our candidates. Get to know John Greene, who is running for state representative, and Angela Ecord, who is running for Johnson County constable in commissioner’s pct. 4. Donate to their campaigns, volunteer.

You can help turn Johnson County blue (remember when no one thought Dallas County would be run by Democrats?) by volunteering, becoming a sustaining member of the JCDP and helping to organize your precinct. It’s time to be proud to be a Democrat. — Pam H.

What Else You Need to Know About Primary Day

PRECINCT CONVENTION: As most of you are aware, the night of the March 2nd primary (after the polls close), there will be a precinct convention in each precinct statewide. By Texas law (Election Code-174.021-174.027), we are required to hold a precinct convention in each voting precinct. The precinct convention materials must be available at each of the voting sites whether someone attends or not.

It is at the precinct convention that delegates to the county convention and eventually to the Texas Democratic Party Convention are selected. The convention is in Corpus Christi, this year, on June 25 & 26. If you’ve never been to a state convention, now is the time to become a delegate. It ‘s an experience you won’t forget.

The precinct convention is where our precinct chairs come in. If you’re a chair, it is your job to convene the convention, fill out the provided forms and make sure that a convention chair (usually the precinct chair) is elected to preside over the meeting. For those precincts that don’t have chairs, an attendee who voted in the Democratic primary may convene the convention.

After the precinct convention is over, the convention chair will gather all of the materials that evening and return the materials to the county chair (in person or mail) as soon as possible.

Even though several precincts are combined into one polling location, each one should hold a separate pct. convention.

Just FYI, the number of delegates each precinct will send to the county convention is based on the number of votes Chris Bell, the Democratic candidate for Governor, received per precinct in November 2006.

For precinct chairs who haven’t held a precinct convention before, and even for those who have, there is valuable information about how to conduct it online.

A webinar on the Precinct Convention process has been posted to the Grassroots Resources page of the Texas Democratic Party website, http://www.txdemocrats.org/resources/grassroots-resources.

This is a secure page

Username:  txdemocrats Password:  demswin

Take Action

Volunteer

Precinct Chairs: 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 live in one of these precincts, 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 for this office has already begun and forms are available at JCDP headquarters. Candidates can file for open or filled seats.

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

*Call your elected officials and let them know about the issues. (Calling Hutchison or Cornyn will probably be futile, but at least they’ll know that all Texans are grazin’ with the herd.)

Chet Edwards * 817-645-4796, 202-225-6105.

John Cornyn * 972-239-1310.

Kay Bailey Hutchison * 214-362-3500.

Online Clearinghouse for Democratic Action: http://www.actblue.com

We Need Your Help to Make This Primary Successful!

Election Workers:

We need some standby clerks to work at the polls throughout the county, on primary day, to fill in for workers who don’t show up.

Each precinct needs at least two workers, hopefully more, and we must fill those spots with loyal Democrats. You do not have to live in the precinct you are assigned to.

Please consider volunteering. It really is fun, and although it makes for a long day, the pay*s not bad, the company is good and it*s interesting to watch the Republican voters glare at you from across the room.

To volunteer, call Chair Bill Conover (817)  or Pam Humphrey (817-447-1403).

Upcoming Events

Return Watchin’ & Pizza Eatin’ Party

When: Tuesday, March 2, after the polls close

Where: JCDP headquarters

Why: We’ll have pizza. Bring your favorite drinks. Watch the returns with the area’s loyal Democrats for some conversation and fun. All Democrats are invited.

JCDP Executive Committee Meeting

When:  Saturday, March 11, 6:30 p.m.

Where: JCDP headquarters, 207 S. Mill St., Cleburne.

What: This is a statutory meeting to canvass the votes from the March 2 primary. It is important that all members of the committee attend.

Agenda:

Order of Business

(1) Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance;

(2) Call to Order;

(3) Roll Call;

(4) Statutory Business;

a) Canvas of the JCDP Primary Election Votes;

b) Appointment/Elections for Vacant Precinct Chair Positions;

(5) Old Business;

(6) New Business;

a) Discussion and Action on Holding the JCDP 2010 Primary Run-Off Election;

b) Discussion and Action on Holding the JCDP County Convention on Saturday, March 20, 2009;

c) Appointment of County Convention Committees:

i) Preliminary Credentials Committee;

ii) Rules and Procedures Committee;

iii) Platform and Resolutions Committee;

iv) Fundraising and Awards Committee;

v) Other Committees, as necessary or required.

(7) Announcements; and

(8) Adjournment.

JCDP County Convention

This year’s county convention will be held on March 20, at the Student Union building at Hill College in Cleburne.

Delegates elected at the precinct conventions should be there. If you want to be a delegate to the state convention, be sure to sign up.

Fun & Fundraising

Precinct Chair LuAnne Leonard is in charge of planning a fundraising dinner/party/fandango to follow the county convention.

We are also accepting nominations for the first annual JOHNSON COUNTY DEMS’ DONKEY DUNG AWARDS – for Republicans in three categories: local, state and national.

Yep, as LuAnne says, a “heapin’ pile of Donkey poo for the biggest right-wing losers. Nominations are being taken, now.

Already nominated:

Local – Dan Hunt, State – Darren Yancy, and National – Virginia state delegate Bob Marshall.

Voting will take place at the end of the precinct conventions.

We still need speakers for the event, items for the silent auction, and eager Democrats ready to lay out our plan to take Johnson County back (for the Dems) one voter at a time!

To volunteer to help out, contact LuAnneat : luanneleonard-cp@att.net.

Grass Roots Annual Gift Campaign

The JCDP has begun its Grass Roots Annual Gift Campaign.  Your financial contribution, no matter the amount, is crucial to our success, so if you haven*t responded, please do so.

You’ll find a form at the bottom of this newsletter that you can use to make your financial contribution.

You can also go to www.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 grassroots 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.

Election Calendar

March 2, 2010  -  PRIMARY ELECTION

March 20, 2010 * JCDP County Convention, 1:30 p.m., Hill College campus, Cleburne (site is tentative)

April 5, 2010  -  First Day of Early Voting in Primary Run-off

April 9, 2010  -  Last Day of Early Voting in Primary Run-off

April 13, 2010  -  PRIMARY RUN-OFF

June 25 & 26, 2010 — Texas State Democratic Convention, San Marcus. (Can you say ALLLLLLRIGHT?”)

Some things never change:

The Republicans have a "me too" candidate running on a "yes but" platform, advised by a "has been" staff. -Good ol’ Adlai!

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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!

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Friday 16 July 2010

by: Gail Russell Chaddock  |  The Christian Science Monitor | Report

via Truthout

House GOP leader John Boehner. (Photo: republicanconference / Flickr)

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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.

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July 16, 2010 Read more about Chet’s fight to create thousands of jobs and expand clean affordable energy in Johnson, Hood, and Somervell counties in today’s Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. uly 16, 2010 Read more about Chet’s fight to create thousands of jobs and expand clean affordable energy in Johnson, Hood, and Somervell counties in today’s Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Edwards Leads Fight for Loan Guarantees to Expand Comanche Peak Power Plant & Create Thousands of Jobs (Waco, TX) – U.S. Representative Chet Edwards today hailed $25 billion approved by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development for federal loan guarantees that are critical for nuclear power nationwide and the planned expansion of Comanche Peak in Somervell County, which will create thousands of jobs for Somervell, Hood, and Johnson counties and increase the power supply to millions of Texas homes. Congressman Edwards, vice chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee said, “This is great news for our district and country because it will help create thousands of jobs and provide our country with affordable, safe and clean energy while making money for taxpayers.” On June 24th, the 2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill hearing was postponed after Edwards objected to the elimination of funding in the bill for the Energy Department’s nuclear loan guarantee program, which could have delayed the expansion of Comanche Peak. The original draft omitted the $36 billion loan guarantee authority requested by the Administration. In addition to the $25 billion for nuclear loan guarantees included in the 2011 Energy and Water bill, approximately $9 billion for nuclear loan guarantees has also been included in the 2010 Supplemental Appropriations bill, which has passed the House recently and is awaiting action in the Senate. Edwards continued, “We are at the dawn of a nuclear power renaissance in the United States, which will create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and the clean energy our nation needs.  To eliminate or dramatically cut the funding for nuclear loans would be devastating for the jobs and economic growth our country desperately needs.  A clear bipartisan majority of House Members favor the expansion of nuclear power in America, and I will do everything I can to work in partnership with them to support this effort going forward.”     It is estimated that 5,000 jobs would be created during 5 years of construction and over 500 permanent, full-time jobs would be created at Comanche Peak once construction is completed according to Luminant, who manages Comanche Peak. Luminant estimates that the Comanche Peak expansion would provide power to an additional 1.7 million Texas homes in addition to the 1.2 million homes currently served.   The loan guarantees for new plants are fully financed by the nuclear industry at no cost to the taxpayer. Companies applying to receive a Department of Energy loan for developing nuclear power projects must pay a fee called the credit subsidy cost that covers the federal government’s risk in providing the guarantee. Luminant is planning to expand operations at the Comanche Peak plant and has applied to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build two new 1,700 watt reactors. Comanche Peak currently employs 1,100 jobs in Somervell County and surrounding counties and supplies energy to 1.2 million Texas homes annually. Luminant estimates it will spend $15 billion for expansion, which would provide power to an additional 1.7 million homes.  Luminant plans to begin construction on the new units at Comanche Peak by 2013 once loan guarantees are approved. In 2008, Edwards supported Comanche Peak’s expansion application by writing to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stressing the “important role of the expansion in creating many new highly-skilled jobs”, and supported the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that created the Nuclear Loan Guarantee Program, and has strongly supported funding for nuclear loan guarantees. Washington Office 2369 Rayburn Building Washington, D.C. 20515-4311 Phone: 202-225-6105 Fax: 202-225-0350 VIEW GOOGLE MAP Waco Office St. Charles Place 600 Austin Ave, Suite 29 Waco, TX 76701 Phone: 254-752-9600 Fax: 254-752-7769 VIEW GOOGLE MAP Brazos Valley Office 4001 East 29th St., Suite 116 Bryan, Texas 77802 Phone: (979) 691-8797 Fax: (979) 691-8939 VIEW GOOGLE MAP Cleburne Office 115 south Main Street Suite 202 Cleburne, Texas 76033 Phone: (817) 645-4743 Fax: (817) 645-4796 VIEW GOOGLE MAP To Unsubscribe, Click Here.

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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.

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Dear Fellow Democrat,

Your friend and fellow Democrat,

Boyd L. Richie
Chairman
Texas Democratic Party

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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Green Party Chair Hires Infamous GOP Lawyer Andy Taylor
Taylor hiring confirms Green Party/Republican connection on ballot access scheme

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?
Andy Taylor is called the “the go-to lawyer for Republicans,” by the Austin American Statesman. (Source: Austin American-Statesman, March 4, 2005) His clients have included Republican statewide officeholders, Republican State Representatives, Republican donors, and big corporations looking to weaken campaign finance laws. His client list includes

• Republican AG Greg Abbott
• Republican Senator John Cornyn
• Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst
• Republican Tom Delay’s Group TRMPAC
• Republican Mega Donor Bob Perry
• Republican State Representatives Dwayne Bohac, Talmadge Heflin, and Bill Zedler
  (Sources: Texas Ethics Commission; Austin American-Statesman, March 4, 2005; Fort Worth Star Telegram, September 21, 2003; Corpus Christi Caller-Times, September 20, 2003)

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
Green Party leaders still have an opportunity to rescue some level of credibility and avoid criminal prosecution by abandoning this ballot scam and refusing to formally certify their candidates. However, it is a sure bet Andy Taylor won’t give them that advice because his interest is protecting Rick Perry and the covert Republican operation that engineered the petition drive. It’s unlikely the Green Party can afford Andy Taylor, and it’s a safe bet that Taylor will advise his new Green Party “clients” to take actions that benefit Republicans, regardless of the legal risks to Green Party officers.

Comments from Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle
“The Green Party has made a deal with the devil and hired the devil’s advocate. Andy Taylor will sell out the Green Party as soon as it is necessary and convenient for the Republican Party.”

“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.”

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