Category Archives: Texas Politics

Texas Politics

Texoblogosphere: Week of September 8th

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The Texas Progressive Alliance commends Sen. Wendy Davis for her courage as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff thinks all the statewide candidates should engage in at least one public debate and applauds Sam Houston for pursuing the matter in the AG race.

Libby Shaw now posting at Daily Kos is both shocked and pleased that the Houston Chronicle’s editorial board spanked Greg Abbott hard for his disingenuous and exaggerated claims about voter fraud in Texas. Texas: “Voter Fraud? What Fraud?”

In a state with a rapidly growing population and the mounting set of challenges associated with that growth, Texas Leftist can’t even believe how much money Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and other TEA-publicans are leaving behind in their refusal to expand Medicaid. Trust me, you won’t believe it either.

From WCNews at Eye on Williamson. If you’re in the “coverage gap” – someone who doesn’t have health care because Perry and the GOP declined to expand Medicaid in Texas – and don’t vote, then you’re choosing not to have health care coverage. To Expand Medicaid in Texas, Those Without Insurance Must Vote.

The disclosure by Wendy Davis in her forthcoming memoir of her pregnancy terminations pushed a reset button in the Texas governor’s race. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs says that whether it more greatly mobilizes her support or her opposition is something still to be determined.

Neil at All People Have Value said you should consider helping the Davis/Van de Putte ticket even if you are not a political person and if you have great skepticism about Democrats and our political system. The Abbott/Patrick ticket is a very extreme ideological team. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants you to know that cutting Medicaid reimbursements has shut down pharmacies in Texas. Cheap, short-sighted, heartless Republicans to blame.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Grits for Breakfast reflects on Rick Perry’s criminal justice vetoes.

Lone Star Ma reminds us that Texas law protects a woman’s right to breastfeed in any place where she would otherwise be allowed to be.

Nonsequiteuse blazes with fury at the “Greg Abbott crushes Houston Votes” story.

Texas Clean Air Matters wants a Clean Power Plan that rewards Texas, not Wyoming coal interests.

BOR issues the #TacosOrBeer Challenge.

The Texas Election Law Blog dismisses the lesser arguments in favor of voter ID.

 

 

(photo credit:  Thomas McConnell)

Texas Politics

Wait… How Much Is Texas Losing By NOT Expanding Healthcare?

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This is something that I’ve written on previously, but now some professionals have given more comprehensive numbers to prove what we know to be true. Texas is losing out big time by not taking any form of the ACA Medicaid expansion.  Here’s more on this shocker from the Dallas Morning News…

We’ve heard the arguments before. Advocates of expanding Medicaid, with the federal government picking up at least 90 percent of the tab, say it’s the humanitarian thing to do — and makes good sense, as the new billions of federal Medicaid matching money will generate new jobs. Opponents such as Gov. Rick Perry and state GOP leaders say there’s no guarantee the feds can make good on their promise down the road, given Washington’s big budget deficits. They also cite fears that once an entitlement’s offered, it’ll be hard to yank back. That could imperil state finances, warn the critics, who also fret about fostering more government dependency.

What’s new is someone has put a price tag on what taxpayers in the 23 holdout states, such as Texas, will pay to expand Medicaid in 27 other states and the District of Columbia.

The bottom line: Between 2013 and 2022, federal taxpayers in Texas will cough up $36.2 billion for the expansion’s cost elsewhere.That’s in addition to forgoing $65.6 billion of new federal Medicaid matching money, which would’ve generated $34.3 billion in additional Medicaid reimbursements for Texas hospitals, according to Urban Institute researchers.

So basically… by not expanding Medicaid or creating an alternative option, the state of Texas will lose over $136 billion dollars.

That’s worth repeating in a bigger font.

By not expanding Medicaid or creating an alternative option, the state of Texas will lose over $136 billion dollars.  

Sorry for yelling, but this blog can’t even describe how simply surreal the Texas TEApublican attitude is about Obamacare.  But even beyond the loss of money, Texans will suffer a greater loss by not improving our healthcare system… the loss of lives.  By refusing expansion, TEApublicans will voluntarily cripple hospitals all across the state once the ACA funding cuts kick in. Many hospitals may be forced to close down entirely.  That’s fewer hospitals to serve a rapidly growing state… growth which is propelled predominantly by low wage, no benefits employment.  Under these circumstances, Not expanding Medicaid means more Texans are going to die.

Despite all of these mounting factors, Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and a bevy of other TEApublicans have vowed to never, ever, ever take the ACA expansion.  It’s an ill-fated stance, but they have stuck with it anyway throughout this election season.  Eventually, Texans must take them at their word that they do not have the state’s best interests at heart here.

Meanwhile if Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte are elected, they have every intention of finding a way to expand healthcare in the state of Texas.   They will not leave our state’s hard-earned tax dollars to be given away to people in other states.  Now that we finally have a monster price tag with this issue, let’s hope that it gains more traction during the remaining parts of election season.

Here’s the main point… This is 2014, and Obamacare is real. No longer do we have to banter about some “boogeyman bill” that’s going to kidnap your  doctor like a thief in the night. Texas doesn’t have to wonder what would happen if we expand Medicaid… We can see for ourselves by just crossing the state line. People in Arkansas are living the reality of healthcare expansion right now, and the system, while not perfect, is working pretty darn good. So it’s time for the TEApublicans to make a choice. Either put Texas first now, or get out of the way. This November, I’m hoping for the latter.

Politics, Texas Politics

Leticia Van de Putte Launches TV Campaign

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State Senator Leticia Van de Putte continues with another huge step in her historic campaign to be Texas’ first Female, Hispanic Lieutenant Governor. Today the Democratic candidate released her first major statewide TV ads.  Here’s more from the Van de Putte campaign via press release…

San Antonio, TX — This weekend, Leticia Van de Putte is releasing her first two television ads, one in English and a separate ad in Spanish. The 30-second spots are a significant buy in multiple major media markets, as well as markets with a dominant Latino population.

In “Twice,” Leticia Van de Putte directly calls out Dan Patrick, who voted twice against our kids. Patrick’s cuts to our neighborhood schools in 2011 resulted in the loss of 11,000 teacher jobs. In 2013, Leticia worked across the aisle with many Republicans to put Texas first and support our students. Despite bipartisan support for our neighborhood schools, Dan Patrick voted against our kids — again.

In “Respeto,” Leticia Van de Putte shares about the respect that every Texan deserves. Leticia introduces her immigrant grandmothers; as well as the service of her mother, a teacher, and that of her father, a veteran. Texans never give up, and Leticia — a mother of six, grandmother of six, pharmacist and a State Senator — commits to continue the fight to protect the future of our kids.

The aspirational nature of “Respeto”  speaks deeply to a community whose voice has long been lacking in Texas statewide politics.  “Twice” does a great job of straddling the lines of presenting negative information on the opponent, while managing to be a net positive ad. Touting her strong bipartisan record and unique family story, these ads seem to have all the right ingredients for success.

With six weeks to go before the first votes are cast, it’s impossible to predict just what kind of impact will be had from these spots.  But by getting out ahead of her opponent Dan Patrick with strong ads, Leticia has assured that the first “big move” is hers.

Texas Politics

TLCQ 2014: Laura Nicol

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In the First installment of the 2014 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Laura Nicol, candidate for the Texas State Representative, District 133.  She is a Democrat.

Please note: Responses have been received directly from the candidate, and have been posted ver batim from the email received. This is done out of fairness to all candidates. Publishing these responses does not constitute an endorsement, but will be considered during the endorsement process.

TL:  What is your name, as it will appear on the ballot? 

LN:  Laura Nicol

TL:  Are you a current or former elected official? If so what office(s)? 

LN:  No

TL:  As a political candidate, you clearly care about what happens in certain levels of government. In your own words, why is government important? 

LN:  Government’s job is the protection and empowerment of ordinary people and their communities. Protection from natural disasters, accidents, and predators (animals, people, and businesses). Empowerment via infrastructure, institutions, and programs that anyone can use to achieve success.

Workers need a living wage, humane working conditions, and affordable housing near public transportation. Families need wholesome food, health care, and social services within their community. Neighborhood schools need full funding and the freedom to teach. Immigrants need legal options and an efficient path to citizenship.

TL:  If elected, name your top 3 priorities you hope to accomplish for 2015 legislative session.  Describe how you plan to accomplish them. 

LN:  As State Representative for Texas House District 133, I will fight for full restoration of funding for neighborhood schools, and distribution of resources according to need, not test scores.  I will champion legislation to require every job to provide a living wage, decent working conditions, and regularly scheduled days off.  I will fight to protect communities from endangerment and exploitative business practices by enforcing regulations, requiring independent inspections, and imposing crippling penalties for repeat infractions.  If necessary, I will push for a state income tax to fund these measures.

TL:  A 2013 survey found that 54 percent of Texas voters support Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act.  Expansion is also supported by the Texas Hospital Association.  Without Medicaid Expansion or an alternate solution, Texas Hospitals are having to provide over $5 billion dollars annually in uncompensated care to patients who lack insurance.  This leaves Texas taxpayers paying not only for the uncompensated care of our residents, but also paying for expanded healthcare benefits in other states. If elected, would you support Medicaid Expansion or an alternate solution for the state of Texas, so we can bring our tax dollars back where they belong?  If not, please explain why.  If so, please explain how you would work to pass such a measure

 LN:  Yes. If there is suitable existing legislation, I will vote for it.  If not, I will submit a bill.  In addition, I will join other advocates in publicizing the benefits and debunking the feared consequences of Medicaid expansion.

TL:  In the coming years, the state of Texas is projected to have a population boom of historic proportions.  But with more people and more opportunities comes an ever-increasing strain on Texas roads and infrastructure.  Describe your thoughts on what needs to be done to improve Texas infrastructure now so we can plan for a bright future for the state.

LN:  Infrastructure is what individual prosperity is built upon.  But infrastructure rests upon the foundation of environmental health. Water, air, and soil are our most fundamental and essential assets.  Environmental protection regulations must be enforced and continually updated to include new data. Natural resources must be managed for the good of all, not the profit of a few. Once the foundation of environmental health is secure, civilization’s infrastructure can be addressed:  education, health care, housing, transportation, etc.  All must be addressed with the intent to provide the most good for the most people in the long run.  There are fact and evidence based solutions already working out in the rest of the world; we should not let profiteers call the shots.

TL:  What makes you the best candidate for this office? 

LN:  The incumbent is a business man, not a public servant.  He is wealth oriented, stuck in the profit paradigm where money matters most.  He brags about how many private schools are in his district, and voted to both reduce and divert public education dollars, starving our neighborhood schools for the benefit of exclusionary institutions.

I am committed to the health and well-being of all Texas residents; I believe every neighborhood needs good public schools, affordable housing, accessible health care & social services, reliable public transit, and a variety of small businesses providing goods, services, and living wages.  We all do better when we ALL do better.

TL:  When not on the campaign trail, how do you like to spend your free time?  

LN:  Although I no longer sing in a choir, I still lead hymns at my UU church every Sunday.  I read a couple of hours a day.  The exception is when my children coax me into trying out a new video game, which I will play for a couple of months before losing interest.  Several times a year I like to spend a day in the garden, focusing on plants and dirt; it puts everything else into perspective for me.

Thanks to Ms. Nicol for her participation.

Texas Politics

Greg Abbott Ordered Armed POLICE RAID of Houston Voter Group

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Many across the nation were shocked to see the heavy-handed techniques employed by the police department in Ferguson, Missouri.  In a series of protests, American citizens were routinely threatened by the very officers that were sworn to protect them. No matter what one’s opinion of the case, any time a situation degrades to that level in the United States, it is something that must be investigated to the full extent of the law.

But similar excessive uses of force have been enacted in Texans too, and in their case, they weren’t protesting or putting anyone else’s life in danger.  At the direction of Attorney General Greg Abbott, Houstonians were subjected to a frightening armed police raid, all because they were trying to register voters.  Here’s the exclusive story, as reported by James Drew of the Dallas Morning News…

On an overcast Monday afternoon, officers in bulletproof vests swept into a house on Houston’s north side. The armed deputies and agents served a search warrant. They carted away computers, hard drives and documents.

The raid targeted a voter registration group called Houston Votes, which was accused of election fraud. It was initiated by investigators for Attorney General Greg Abbott. His aides say he is duty-bound to preserve the integrity of the ballot box.

His critics, however, say that what Abbott has really sought to preserve is the power of the Republican Party in Texas. They accuse him of political partisanship, targeting key Democratic voting blocs, especially minorities and the poor, in ways that make it harder for them to vote, or for their votes to count.

A close examination of the Houston Votes case reveals the consequences when an elected official pursues hotly contested allegations of election fraud.

The investigation was closed one year after the raid, with no charges filed. But for Houston Votes, the damage was done. Its funding dried up, and its efforts to register more low-income voters ended. Its records and office equipment never were returned. Instead, under a 2013 court order obtained by Abbott’s office, they were destroyed.

And the dramatic, heavily armed raid never was necessary, according to Fred Lewis, president of Texans Together, the nonprofit parent group of Houston Votes. “They could have used a subpoena,” he said. “They could have called us and asked for the records. They didn’t need guns.”

To be innocent citizens subjected to a police raid, only to have the charges of any illegal activity dropped is nothing short of persecution.  And to make matters our, the would-be Suppressor-In-Chief doesn’t seem to regret the turmoil endured by Texans working with Houston Votes.  Just recently in the Dallas Morning News, Greg Abbott actually defended the police raid directed from his office…

Attorney General Greg Abbott said Tuesday that his office’s investigation of a Houston voter registration group that netted no prosecutions but left the organization in tatters was justified.

The 2010 investigation, which included an aggressive raid, targeted a group called Houston Votes, which was accused of voter fraud.

“We have a division that focuses on issues like this, and they operate very professional,” he said. “They undertook an investigation of allegations that were made.”

Even those that support Abbott should be taking pause from this. If Greg Abbott’s idea of an “investigation” always means armed cops forcing their way into a home via warrant, there is much to fear for the future of Texas if he gets elected.

The whole situation doesn’t bode well for Abbott’s stated political philosophy either.  There was nothing “Conservative” about the Attorney General’s actions here.  In a city where real criminals roam the streets waiting for their next victim, who could ever conceive that sending an armed law enforcement team to go after a few voter registration forms as an appropriate use of Texas tax dollars?

Before Texans go to the polls this November, they must stop and ask… if Greg Abbott is capable of raiding Texas voting groups, what else is he capable of??  Let’s hope it doesn’t take an armed police raid to find out.

For more, see Brains and Eggs, Nonsequiteuse, Texpatriate and Off the Kuff.

Abbott Suppressor In Chief

Texas Politics

Sam Houston Challenges ‘Invisible’ GOP Opponent To Debate

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In most statewide election cycles, the typical focus is going to be on some key races… the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and state legislature.  The first two because they are the highest elected officials in the state, and the legislature because they are the ones who represent constituents at capitol, and those who make the laws.

But in Texas, there is another race that sometimes matters more than any of these others, especially for citizens that have to deal with a court of law.  Once elected, the Attorney General set important and far-ranging legal procedures that have a huge effect across the state.  It’s an Attorney General that chooses how and to what extent that punishment for law breakers (or convicted of being a law breaker) will be pursued.  Will the person caught with an ounce of hash have to pay a fine not unlike that associated with a traffic ticket, or will that ounce mean that they have to lose their job, their home, and completely change the trajectory of their life after serving a prison sentence?  More often than not, these life-altering decisions are made by attorneys, and the Attorney General is the most powerful amongst that group.

For all of those listed reasons, it is imperative that Texans know their candidates for the state’s highest legal official.  But as Democratic candidate for Attorney General Sam Houston points out, it’s been quite difficult to locate his Republican opponent Ken Paxton in 2014. Here’s more from Lauren McGaughy of the Houston Chronicle…

Democratic candidate for attorney general Sam Houston wants his opponent, state Sen. Ken Paxton, to agree to a debate ahead of the November general election.

Houston is expected to issue the challenge Wednesday at a news conference in Austin, demanding his Republican opponent “quit hiding from the media and the voters,” spokeswoman Sue Davis confirmed.

“To me, this is fair. He’s either going to debate me or explain to somebody why he hasn’t,” Houston said Friday. “How is this guy going to be attorney general if he won’t even address the issues?”

Houston contends his opponent hasn’t made a public appearance in months, ever since Paxton admitted to repeatedly soliciting investment clients over the last decade – a service for which he pocketed up to a 30 percent in commission – without being properly registered with the state as an investment adviser representative.

Paxton’s campaign called Houston’s demand for a debate “desperate”.  But what is so desperate about wanting Texans to know your views on particular issues?  Just like Greg Abbott last week, Ken Paxton’s excuse to avoid a debate sounds like it’s motivated purely out of fear that if Texans learn the truth about him and his views, they won’t agree.

The art of debate and argument is critical to being a lawyer.  If Ken Paxton can’t agree to one debate, then he doesn’t deserve to be the state’s top lawyer. Let’s hope the Sam Houston campaign and Texas Democrats keep up the pressure.

 

Texas Politics

Texoblogosphere: Week of September 1st

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The Texas Progressive Alliance hopes everyone had a good Labor Day as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Like many people, Off the Kuff was cheered by the ruling in the school finance lawsuit.

The TXGOP had a really lousy week, and it only got worse for Greg Abbott as the Labor Day holiday weekend began. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs doesn’t wonder why the attorney general is running away from debating Wendy Davis, because he can’t say ‘no comment’ when asked about his many scandals in a debate.

Libby Shaw now posting at Daily Kos notes that this week has not been particularly good for Republican lawmakers. The bad includes Texas Attorney General and 2014 Gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott. Not a good week for Republicans, including Greg Abbott.

From WCNews at Eye on Williamson. The economy in Texas has never been miraculous. Bleeding the people dry while stockpiling cash is no miracle, Neglect and Greed.

Make no mistake, Republicans are waging a war against public education. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is glad that the Texas constitution is standing in their way.

Texas Leftist applauds the Leticia Van de Putte campaign for catching Dan Patrick in a bold-faced lie. He cannot hide from the 2011 education cuts. Plus, we reveal the true reasoning behind Greg Abbott’s ‘Debate and Switch’.

Neil at Blog About Our Failing Money-Owned American Political System asked why Texas Democratic Lt. Governor Leticia Van de Putte would look the other way at vocal supporters of her campaign who voted for the state-mandated rape of the forced sonogram law.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Beyond Bones has everything you need to know about sharks but were afraid to ask.

Nancy Sims examines the feminism of Beyonce.

Newsdesk introduces us to the widely discredited “expert” who coached the state’s witnesses in the HB2 lawsuit.

Ben Sargent solves the GOP’s Latino outreach problem.

The Lunch Tray asks if using junk food tactics to sell vegetables to kids is a good idea or not.

TransGriot has good wishes for the new school year.

Better Texas Blog analyzes the school finance decision.

Nonsequiteuse reacts to the story of Greg Abbott’s partisan witch hunt against Houston Votes.

And finally, the TPA congratulates The Great God Pan Is Dead for its fifth blog anniversary.

 

 

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