Democrats Rally In Amarillo

It was a hot 95 degree day yesterday afternoon in Amarillo, but nearly 200 area Democrats showed up at Memorial Park anyway to kick off the 2010 election campaign (and yes, I know it's over 100 in the rest of Texas, but we've had a very mild summer in Amarillo this year and 95 feels pretty hot to us). Fortunately, there were plenty of shade trees and cold beverages to make things bearable.

There was also some great free food. The wonderful folks at El Braceros Restaurant provided beef fajitas for the crowd (with all the fixings -- rice, beans, pico de gallo, salsa, chipotles, sour cream, etc.). And it was all cooked on their outdoor grill -- simply scrumptious!

Abel Bosquez followed some folks running for local office with the first speech on the day by the major candidates. He is running for the Texas House District 87 seat being vacated this year by Republican Rep. Swinford (which covers a four-county area). He talked about the need for stimulus funds to both save and create jobs in Texas. Then he touched on the need for quality and affordable education for all Texans -- both in local schools and on the college level. As he said, the future of Texas will be determined by the education it affords its citizens.

Linda Chavez-Thompson (pictured), the candidate for Lt. Governor, showed up early and went through the crowd meeting folks and encouraging their efforts to return Democrats to office. The tiny lady with the big voice, as she calls herself, then gave the best speech of the day (in my opinion). She asked the crowd to help get Bosquez elected so Democrats could take control of the Texas House (they just need three more Democrats to do that). She blasted the Republicans for their poor leadership, which has taken Texas from an exalted position to the bottom in far too many categories.

Bill White, candidate for governor, came late and had only time for a quick interview with local media before taking the stage for his own speech. I was able to get him to stop for one question though -- Since you are known as a conservative, why should progressives vote for you? He said that although he was a fiscal conservative, he had the best record on the environment of any Texas politician and had worked for civil rights for many years.

In spite of the heat, it was a great rally and area Democrats were in high spirits -- including the donkey provided for the event. The high-spirited donkey didn't like being penned up and escaped at least twice -- dashing across the park on his second attempt. But he was captured before getting out into traffic and everything ended well.

But yesterday was the easy part. Now area Democrats have to get to work and see if they can help to get some Democrats elected this Fall.

Secret Endorsements ?

The late great Molly Ivins once said, "Good thing we've still got politics in Texas -- finest form of free entertainment ever invented." She went on to say Texas politics was, "Better than the zoo. Better than the circus." I think she was referring to the endless stream of nuts and truly weird people who run for public office in this state.

And it looks like that tradition is still intact. The funny and very insightful Juanita Jean (proprietor of The World's Most Dangerous Beaty Salon, Inc.), has found one of these nuts running for Congress in her congressional district -- CD22 (Tom DeLay's old district). Sadly, I can't even write this candidate's nuttiness off to being a Republican, because he's running in the Democratic primary.

The candidate in question is the Reverand John Weider. Weider is a real estate and insurance salesman who decided God wanted him to be a preacher. He was only ordained last May, and he is already willing to leave the pulpit for a job in Congress. I guess god was disappointed in his ministerial skills and has now told him to run for Congress. His main issue is his anti-choice stance (which should prove to be popular with Democratic voters -- NOT!).

But Rev. Weider (pictured) revealed his true nuttiness with a rather peculiar post he put on the Brazoria County Democratic Party Facebook page. Weider said, "Hello, I have received several endorsements in the last few days but an agreement was reached to keep them secret to the ballot box." What??? Secret Endorsements? Doesn't that completely defeat the only purpose of an endorsement (to help you get more votes)?

In her own inimitable fashion Juanita Jean hits the nail on the head when she says, "Well, don't that just jar your preserves? I mean, until this very moment I thought the word endorsement meant being public about your support. Can't you just see his endorsement list? Forty-five listings of 'Anonymous', God, and his mother. Unless, of course, God and his mother would prefer to stay anonymous, too, which is probably pretty darn likely."

Think those "secret endorsements" will get him a lot of votes?

Does Rick Perry Even Have A Moral Compass ?

After this latest entry in ethically-challenged politics, I really believe that when it comes to his political career, Rick Perry simply does not see any right or wrong. Anything is OK as long as it results in dollars being funneled into his campaign coffers. How else could this story be explained?

Governor Rick Perry told a group of San Antonio realtors that he saw nothing wrong with the chairman of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), Jose Cuevas, Jr. (pictured), soliciting campaign donations for Perry's reelection. After all Perry said, the people donated the money "for no other reason than they think I'm the best person for the job."

If Cuevas had just been soliciting donations from his friends and neighbors, I would have to agree with Perry that there is nothing wrong with it. But that is not what was happening, and Perry knows it.

Cuevas was soliciting donations of $5000 and above from Texas restaurants. The same restaurants who serve alcohol and are subject to the awesome power of Cuevas' agency -- the TABC. They must be licensed by the TABC, and the agency has the power to fine the restaurants thousands of dollars or even close them down completely.

When the chairman of an agency with that much power over your business asks for a donation, how do you turn him down? Even if he didn't say so, there would be the fear or perception that the business could start having TABC problems if it upset the TABC chairman by refusing to donate.

I find it hard to believe that neither Cuevas nor Perry can see the ethical problems here. It is simply wrong for a government agent to solicit funds for any person or cause from those over whom his agency has power. Period. It doesn't matter that he did it as a private citizen instead of as an agency chairman. He's still the agency chairman and the perception by donors that the agency's power could be used against them is implied.

Let me give an example of this. Before my retirement, I was a juvenile parole officer working for the state of Texas. There would be nothing wrong with my soliciting funds for a candidate or cause while I was employed by the state -- as long as I did not solicit the funds from the parents or relatives of any parolee on my caseload.

Approaching these parents or relatives would give the perception that action could be taken against the parolee if they did not contribute. It would not matter that I would never do such a thing, because I simply weilded too much power over these people.

The same is true of Cuevas. His motives may have been pure, but he simply weilds too much power (through his state agency) over these businesses to be soliciting them for funds for any reason (even for a charity).

I and my fellow state employees knew this would be wrong (and could result in disciplinary action). How can the state's Republican leadership, especially Rick Perry, not be able to see it is wrong?

This is just another reason why Rick Perry should be removed as governor.

Texas House Must Hate Women

I couldn't believe my eyes today when I read that the Texas House voted today to overturn the governor's edict to immunize Texas women from cervical cancer caused by the human papilloma virus. Do they hate the women of Texas? Or even worse, do they care so little for Texas women that they are willing to play politics with their lives?

While the legislature of our sister state to the west moves swiftly to protect its women by mandating use of the vaccine, Texas has just taken a step backwards by refusing to protect its own female population. Why should New Mexico be the progressive state and Texas the regressive one?

I've heard the arguments against using the vaccine, and they just don't make sense to me. The author of the ridiculous bill says the vaccine hasn't been tested long enough, and wants to wait to see the "effect over time". How much time must pass and how many lives must be lost before he is willing to act? Would he EVER be willing to act?

Some question the governor's motives in moving to protect Texas women. They wonder if he was paid off by the drug company. If he was, then go after him. Don't punish Texas women.

Others say Perry doesn't have the authority to mandate use of the vaccine. These people are willing to use the health of Texas women as a cudgel with which to beat the governor in their political fight.

Some on the right have said that protecting women from this virus will make them more likely to have premarital or extramarital sex. They must think that all Texans are as stupid as they are!

One right-wing columnist from the Panhandle even had the gall to say it was not needed because all one had to do was wait until marriage to have sex, and then not have sex with anyone else. Obviously, he has never heard of the multitude of women in this state and country who are raped each year, or the many wives who are given diseases by their philandering husbands.

No matter what his motives, after years of selling Texas out to corporate interests, our governor finally did something good for the citizens of Texas. Today, the Texas House turned back the governor's one good deed, and chose to play politics with the lives of Texans.

Once again, I am ashamed of our elected officials.