Category Archives: Texas Politics

Texas Politics

TLCQ 2018: Tahir Javed

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In the Ninth installment of the 2018 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Tahir Javed,  candidate for U.S. House, Texas’ 29th Congressional District.

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?

TJ:  Tahir Javed

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

TJ:  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?

Government is one of the highest public goods. It is the culmination of our collective will, values, and aims. Government has done much to lift people out of poverty, improve people’s health, provide economic opportunity, and abolish reprehensible systems of oppressive slavery. It is vital to helping us continue the march of progress, however slow and imperfect it may be at times, we must continue moving forward.

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

TJ:  Increase access to affordable healthcare for all. Boost funding for schools to provide a quality education for all our students. Bring investment to create high paying jobs that pay a living wage.

First we need to stop the cuts to any funding for healthcare. If we can pick up enough seats, we need to begin pushing harder for Medicare for All. In the meantime, I will continue my work as the president and CEO of a healthcare system in Texas to provide underserved communities the much needed access to hospitals and clinics they need now.

The Texas legislature continues to kick the can down the road on adequately funding our schools. This is where we as congressman need to step up and do what we can when the state fails to honor parents, teachers, and students. Of course we need to increase the funding for education, we also need to be looking at how come up with funding amounts. States like Texas, and others who spend far less than others on education are actually punished by the allocation formulas of Title I. We need to revisit the funding formulas and find a way to make them work for those states with the poorest of students.

As a businessman I have ensured every person I employ receives a living wage. I think it is the duty of every business to pay their employees fairly because it makes sense for owners too—we should all want our employees focused on doing the best job, rather than on how to make ends meet—I will work to raise the minimum wage.

TL:  In the coming years, the state of Texas is on course to have an unprecedented boom in the state’s population. 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.

TJ:  On the federal level, the Highway Trust Fund is on track to be in a 160 billion dollar hole. The last time anyone raised the taxes on gas was in 1993. We are long overdue on making the Highway Trust Fund solvent, and ensuring it is fully funded to meet the demands growth in many states like Texas, will need now and in the future. I support measures we can take to fully fund the Highway Trust Fund.

TL:  Even as impressive growth continues in around the state’s urban centers, rural Texans are faced with a healthcare crisis.  According to Laura Garcia of the Victoria Advocate, rural communities across the state have lost 18 hospitals in less than five years, and this was before any additional challenges worsened by natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.  Without hospital services in or near their local communities, the medical and emergency care is at an increasing risk our citizens.  As a legislator, how would you plan to address this issue and help Texas’ vital rural healthcare facilities stay open?  

TJ:  As a president and CEO of a healthcare system in Texas I have seen many under-served communities lose hospitals and clinics. My work has been concentrated on helping those communities losing access to healthcare by turning around failing facilities, and building more hospitals and clinics. I will continue this work in our community if I am elected. We need to continue the work of public-private partnerships to help bring these hospitals and clinics back to these communities. Our federal government needs to work to improve Obamacare and move to a single-payer system. We need healthcare for all.

TL:  In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn an Obama-era rule which classifies internet service providers as public utilities, and thereby governed under the 1934 Communications Act.  This decision essentially erases the principle that Internet Service Providers should treat all online content equally without giving preference to particular sources, otherwise known as Net Neutrality.  Please describe your views on this decision, and whether or not you would support legislation at the State or Federal level to uphold the principle of Net Neutrality.

TJ:  The decision by the Chairman of the FCC and the vote that followed to repeal Net Neutrality will have a negative effect on the market, and is an assault on the freedom of the internet. Given the current Trump administration’s stance on the issue, and the likelihood it would be hard to overturn, states should lead on protecting consumers till a change can be made at the federal level.

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

TJ:  I am uniquely qualified not only as someone who has come to this country as an immigrant who worked his way from nothing to success, but because my professional experience compliments the problems our district faces.

Healthcare coverage in Texas, especially in our district, continues to be the lowest among the states, and the cost of it continues to rise. As CEO and president of one the fastest growing healthcare systems in Texas, I have spent time building hospitals and clinics, and turning around failing hospitals in the most rural and poor areas. I know how we can achieve affordable healthcare for all and lower cost.

Our graduation rates, college achievement, and overall school success is at an all time low. The state continues to do little to assist the poorer districts with the necessary funds to do more for our kids. They deserve a world class education. I was at a time a teacher. I eventually opened up my own school for underprivileged children where I grew up. My mission to help those around me started early in my career. It helps me understand what we need to be successful—more funding, higher teacher pay, smaller class sizes, and less focus on standardized test.

Our district has one of the lowest average incomes in southeast Texas. If we hope our hardworking families have the resources they need to achieve their own American Dream, we need high paying jobs that pay a living wage. I have created over 20 businesses, and with that thousands of jobs. It has been a belief of mine since I started my companies to pay my employees a living wage, and to ensure they had the best possible benefits. I think all businesses should lead by example. In the absence of their action, we should fight to raise the minimum wage.

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

TJ:  I love to volunteer and donate to progressive causes, as well as those in need. I also enjoy reading poetry. My favorite thing is spending time with the love of my life, my wife, our beautiful children, and cooking a big meal for them all.

 

Thanks to Mr. Ashley for the responses.

 

Texas Primary Election Day is Tuesday March 6th, and Early Voting begins February 20th.  For the Primary, you must register to vote no later than February 5th (if you’re unsure of your voting status, here’s where you can check your registration).  Early voting procedures can differ depending on your county, but here are helpful links to some: Harris County, Fort Bend County, Brazoria County, Montgomery County, and Galveston County. 

For other areas, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s Elections Page for your county information.

(if you like this Texas Leftist post, please consider a donation!  Help us encourage Progressive, common sense ideals in the Lone Star State!!)

Texas Politics

TLCQ 2018: Kevin Nelson

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In the Eighth installment of the 2018 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Kevin Nelson,  candidate for U.S. House, Texas’ 10th Congressional District.

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?

KN:  Kevin Nelson

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

KN:  No, this is my first run for office.

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

KN:  I believe the government must protect everyone’s rights, must serve as a counterbalance to powerful private interests, and must give a helping hand to those who need it. Unfortunately, it has recently been doing a poor job with all of those tasks. I would like to do what I can to help turn things around.

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

KN:  My top priorities are affordable healthcare; tax fairness; and addressing general political dysfunction. With regard to healthcare, my top priority would be to improve and extend the Affordable Care Act. In particular, I would like to see the original ACA public option put into law. With regard to taxes, I would like to make the overall tax system more progressive. The top two or three percent can afford to shoulder more of the burden, and working people deserve a break. Ideally, I would like to add a progressive component to the payroll tax. With regard to political dysfunction, there are many steps we could take such as better regulation of so-called SuperPACs. I also support abolition of the Electoral College.

TL:  In the coming years, the state of Texas is on course to have an unprecedented boom in the state’s population. 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.

KN:   Improving infrastructure is something both parties should be able to agree on. We need more funding for upkeep of existing roads, bridges, and many other items. One of my own priorities would be more support for public transportation, which would help us develop our cities in a more sustainable and livable fashion.

TL:  Even as impressive growth continues in around the state’s urban centers, rural Texans are faced with a healthcare crisis.  According to Laura Garcia of the Victoria Advocate, rural communities across the state have lost 18 hospitals in less than five years, and this was before any additional challenges worsened by natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.  Without hospital services in or near their local communities, the medical and emergency care is at an increasing risk our citizens.  As a legislator, how would you plan to address this issue and help Texas’ vital rural healthcare facilities stay open?  

KN:   One immediate step we can take is to expand Medicaid, which will help patients both directly and indirectly, by providing more revenue to hospitals. Though the decision on Medicaid expansion is currently left up to individual states, the federal government should use its leverage to encourage Texas and other states to go forward with it. I would also support the proposed Save Rural Hospitals Act, which would make more Medicare funding available and help hospitals to keep providing vital services. In the longer term, I would like to expand and extend the Affordable Care Act, most importantly by returning to the public option that was part of the original proposal for the Act.

TL:  In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn an Obama-era rule which classifies internet service providers as public utilities, and thereby governed under the 1934 Communications Act.  This decision essentially erases the principle that Internet Service Providers should treat all online content equally without giving preference to particular sources, otherwise known as Net Neutrality.  Please describe your views on this decision, and whether or not you would support legislation at the State or Federal level to uphold the principle of Net Neutrality.

KN:   I support writing net neutrality into law. Internet service providers often enjoy near-monopoly status, and they should not be able to take advantage of that status by giving special treatment to whatever online content they favor. In the long run, I believe we should work towards an internet environment with more choice and competition, which would benefit ordinary consumers in many different ways. One idea I like that would help us move towards that goal is something called “local loop unbundling.” It is possible that we might eventually create enough competition to make net neutrality unnecessary, but we are still a long way from that day.

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

KN:  We have a great field of Democratic candidates this year, and I will be happy to support whoever the eventual nominee is. That being said, I believe there are two things that make me stand out. First of all, I place a high priority on procedural reforms. We can’t just look at what decisions need to be made–we need to look at how the decisions are made. And there’s a lot of work to be done there. For example, the congressional leadership should have less power to block bills that are favored by a majority of the members. Second, if nominated I will be able to concentrate one hundred percent on my general-election campaign. The tenth is an uphill district for any Democrat, but I believe it is winnable.

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

KN:  I enjoy reading, movies, and getting out and walking on hiking trails or just around the city.

 

Thanks to Mr. Nelson for the responses.

 

Texas Primary Election Day is Tuesday March 6th, and Early Voting begins February 20th.  For the Primary, you must register to vote no later than February 5th (if you’re unsure of your voting status, here’s where you can check your registration).  Early voting procedures can differ depending on your county, but here are helpful links to some: Harris County, Fort Bend County, Brazoria County, Montgomery County, and Galveston County. 

For other areas, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s Elections Page for your county information.

(if you like this Texas Leftist post, please consider a donation!  Help us encourage Progressive, common sense ideals in the Lone Star State!!)

Texas, Texas Politics

Planned High Speed Rail Selects Houston Terminus

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Even in the face of uncertainty and some fierce opposition, the bold plan for a high-speed rail line connecting Texas’ two largest metros marches forward.  In fact, as Dug Begley of the Houston Chronicle reports, yesterday’s news on the project represents a rather significant leap forward…

Once a Houston destination for shopping, movies and visits with Santa, the site of Northwest Mall is poised for revival as a bullet train terminal, with local officials and train backers seeing dollar signs from the sales tax growth potential.

Texas Central Partners and Houston-area elected officials on Monday announced that the company, which is seeking federal approval for a 240-mile high-speed train line, has chosen the mall’s 45-acre tract near Loop 610 and U.S. 290 as its preferred site for the southern terminal.

Mayor Sylvester Turner called the announcement further proof of a dramatic change in how — and where — people will travel in the Houston region.

“We are moving to a new phase in this city,” Turner said at a Monday ceremony announcing the site selection and releasing renderings of the proposed station.

The station would alter mobility for miles around it, as Houston — with some yet-to-be-determined help from Texas Central — aims to connect the location to downtown, both Houston-area airports and other major job and entertainment centers.

Here’s a clip of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Press Conference announcing the preferred site…

Last week, Texas Central Partners in junctions with Dallas city leaders, made a similar reveal of the Dallas terminus, to be located just south of the cities’ Downtown.

The announcements come on the heels of a whirlwind round of contentious public hearings by the Federal Railroad Administration, where many residents shared concerns, complaints and a few praises about the project.  Even with these large steps forward, the high speed rail line still faces major hurdles.

But if completed, this project could be the catalyst for what Mayor Turner calls a “Transportation Reformation”, especially for the Houston region.  Though still a ways from reality, plans for local light rail projects which would connect downtown, the Galleria and to Houston’s airports have been accelerated.  These associated projects could prove a major leap for Houston’s many complex transportation needs.  Of course, funding them would require some serious buy-in from Houston voters, so it remains to be seen.

That’s the latest news.  Off the Kuff has more excellent coverage.

(from the Mayor’s announcement, a rendering of the proposed station at the Northwest mall site)

(GPS view of the proposed station location)

 

Houston Politics, Texas Politics

TLCQ 2018: Fran Watson

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In the Seventh installment of the 2018 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Fran Watson,  candidate for the Texas State Senate, District 17.

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?

FW:  Fran Watson

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

FW:  No.  I am a first-time candidate.

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

FW:  Government is important as it exists to provide protections from injustice and oppression for the community at large.  This is done by implementing laws, policies, and accountability measures for actions or inactions of the residents.

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

FW:

  1. Access to inclusive healthcare.
  2. Proper funding of public services, (state services, public education)
  3. Economic Empowerment for Disenfranchised Communities. (living wage, non-discrimination laws).

By working in coalition with members of both chambers who are already in Austin that have begun the work and developing a plan even before legislation is drafted.  For instance, to provide access to healthcare, part of the solution already exists- Medicaid expansion.  The more members aligned with ensuring billions of dollars are not left on the table and Texans are continuing to be uninsured, the more likely, Medicaid expansion in Texas can happen.

TL:  In the coming years, the state of Texas is on course to have an unprecedented boom in the state’s population. 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.

FW:  It is a multi-layered approach.  While it is necessary to construct highways to relieve congestion, it is an expensive endeavor.  Focusing on public transportation, including dedicated biking lanes. Additionally, working on a plan for affordable housing, as many people are having to move further out from work, school, and other daily endeavors, which puts a strain on Texas roads.

TL:  Even as impressive growth continues in around the state’s urban centers, rural Texans are faced with a healthcare crisis.  According to Laura Garcia of the Victoria Advocate, rural communities across the state have lost 18 hospitals in less than five years, and this was before any additional challenges worsened by natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.  Without hospital services in or near their local communities, the medical and emergency care is at an increasing risk our citizens.  As a legislator, how would you plan to address this issue and help Texas’ vital rural healthcare facilities stay open?  

FW:  Rural areas make of a large part of District 17, and with access to inclusive healthcare and funding being one of my top priorities, having a plan to provide proper funding will be the first step to ensure the facilities not only stay open, but are not always in threat of closing.  I plan to bring in advisers that can come up with innovative ways to provide long-term services to rural residents in addition to ideas such as telemedicine and mobile clinics.

TL:  In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn an Obama-era rule which classifies internet service providers as public utilities, and thereby governed under the 1934 Communications Act.  This decision essentially erases the principle that Internet Service Providers should treat all online content equally without giving preference to particular sources, otherwise known as Net Neutrality.  Please describe your views on this decision, and whether or not you would support legislation at the State or Federal level to uphold the principle of Net Neutrality.

FW:  My entire platform is about access.  The decision to overturn net neutrality has the potential to shut down voices as it gives ISP the authority control content.  As we’ve seen over the last few years, organizers and activists have been able to fight oppression and injustice using Social Media.  Overturning Net Neutrality could once again attempt to mute the voices of the unheard.  Therefore, I would support legislation to uphold Net Neutrality.

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

FW:  I am an attorney, intersectional activist, advocate, and community leader, and my approach to problem solving ensures that when elected I will be looking to hear from all constituents whose voices are missing from the conversation and how disenfranchised communities are impacted by current policies and proposed solutions.

I had an untraditional childhood.  I grew up in poverty with a single mother who passed away early.  When I lost my mother, in many ways, I inherited her role as caretaker.  I was expelled from high school due to missing too many days and it took some time to get back on track to getting my GED and eventually graduating from law school.   My past is a driving force for the work that I do and the communities I serve because I understand what it is like not to have access.  And I use my skills, talent, and experience to work to ensure we all have equal access.

I have leadership experience.  After serving less than a year on the board of a nonprofit that serves homeless youth, I was entrusted to be the president after its founding board member and first president resigned.  I was elected the first black woman president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus after being a member of the organization within three years. I’ve served in leadership in several organizations in and around Houston.  Through the many and varied experiences, I have been asked to speak on many panels and provide thoughtful leadership on a myriad of topics.

And I show up. I have been involved in various progressive causes.  I lead when I need to lead and support when I need to support.

Finally, representation matters.  The government should reflect the make-up of the people of Texas.

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

FW:  Laughing with friends and family.  Traveling.  Reading.

 

Thanks to Ms. Watson for the responses.

 

Texas Primary Election Day is Tuesday March 6th, and Early Voting begins February 20th.  For the Primary, you must register to vote no later than February 5th (if you’re unsure of your voting status, here’s where you can check your registration).  Early voting procedures can differ depending on your county, but here are helpful links to some: Harris County, Fort Bend County, Brazoria County, Montgomery County, and Galveston County. 

For other areas, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s Elections Page for your county information.

(if you like this Texas Leftist post, please consider a donation!  Help us encourage Progressive, common sense ideals in the Lone Star State!!)

Texas Politics

TLCQ 2018: Matt Harris

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In the Sixth installment of the 2018 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Matt Harris,  candidate for the U.S. House, Texas’ 10th Congressional District.

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?

MH:  Matt Harris

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

MH:  No.  This is my first run for elected office.

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

MH:  Civilization requires the creation of some privileges such as natural resource control.  Participation in government and wielding it’s powers is itself a privilege.  The creation of privileges will create inequality of wealth and power among citizens.  Unless government steps in to check the powerful, they will simply exploit everyone else. Government is not doing a good job of this at present.

Some goods and services simply cannot be provided by free markets but are still important, and even necessary, for civil society.  Government must provide these services which include a justice system, transportation infrastructure, external protection, education, healthcare, currency creation, and environmental protections, to name just a few.  These needed services must be supplied in a way that meets the needs of all citizens.  Government is crucially different from private business in this aspect.  The current government is failing in these responsibilities for much of our population.

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

MH:  Our dysfunctional economy – We need a high-wage, entrepreneurial economy.  The enduring way to accomplish this is to shift our tax system away from work and productive investment and onto monopoly power, particularly natural resource monopolies.  Monopoly power is at the root of the absurd, unnatural, and unsustainable distribution of wealth in the U.S. and much of the world.  The unusual nature of monopoly income has gone by several names in economic history:  “The rent of land” (Adam Smith), “economic rent (classical economists), “surplus value” (Marx), and “Unearned income” (U.S. Income Tax code).  We need to redirect our tax code to collect economic rent (my preferred term) and stop taxing wages and productive investment.  We also need to break up the big banks and restore a modern version of Glass-Steagall.

Sustainability –   Climate change is real, is man-made, and requires our urgent attention. I favor taxing carbon extraction and rebating it back to the public on a per-capita basis.  Incentives matter.  I also favor large increases in federal research money for carbon-neutral fuels.  We must require patent sharing as a condition of participation.  Our agricultural practices are also not sustainable.  We are depleting soils and degrading our water.  These are the result of policy choices and these practices can be reversed.

Reclaiming the language – Our public discourse is profoundly degraded.  Tax shifts are not tax reduction.  Science is not a matter of casual opinion.  War is not peace and empire is not defense.  Talk of “free markets” without addressing monopoly power is a ridiculous conversation.  Unlimited political spending is not free speech.  Corporations are not people.  I favor a constitutional amendment abolishing corporate personhood.

TL:  In the coming years, the state of Texas is on course to have an unprecedented boom in the state’s population. 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.

MH:  We need a holistic approach to transportation that will include many elements.  The total costs and impact must be considered, including run-off, maintenance, and ongoing public services.   We need better urban design and we need to more energy efficient, and multi-modal forms of transportation.   Well designed infrastructure always raises land values in the areas served.   We need to recapture these increases as a means of paying for infrastructure.  I think it is crucial that we link the benefit of infrastructure (increase in land value income) to the building of infrastructure (flow of costs).    If we do not create this linkage then the new infrastructure becomes another means to redistribute wealth, mainly from poorer to richer.

TL:  Even as impressive growth continues in around the state’s urban centers, rural Texans are faced with a healthcare crisis.  According to Laura Garcia of the Victoria Advocate, rural communities across the state have lost 18 hospitals in less than five years, and this was before any additional challenges worsened by natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.  Without hospital services in or near their local communities, the medical and emergency care is at an increasing risk our citizens.  As a legislator, how would you plan to address this issue and help Texas’ vital rural healthcare facilities stay open?  

MH:  This healthcare crisis was created by the Texas legislature when they refused to take the Medicaid expansion funds.  It was unspeakably irresponsible and ideologically driven.  There is no free market in medical services and we need to plan accordingly.  I favor returning to a policy of funding public hospitals.   Medicaid expansion is the most expedient route, but it will require a new state legislature.  If the Texas lege will not cooperate then other funding methods must be found.

TL:  In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn an Obama-era rule which classifies internet service providers as public utilities, and thereby governed under the 1934 Communications Act.  This decision essentially erases the principle that Internet Service Providers should treat all online content equally without giving preference to particular sources, otherwise known as Net Neutrality.  Please describe your views on this decision, and whether or not you would support legislation at the State or Federal level to uphold the principle of Net Neutrality.

MH:  This was a corrupt decision that will result in the major telcos raising rates, providing mediocre service, and squeezing millions of small businesses that operate on the internet.  It is an excellent example of the terrible power of monopoly.  The ruling will simply re-distribute wealth from productive people (many millions) to the shareholders and executives of the big telcos (a few hundred people).  Monopoly power must be neutralized in all of its forms.  I favor congress requiring net neutrality and overruling the FEC.  I also favor going further and shifting the telco taxes to direct them at the telco natural resource base rather than the transactions.  This would further neutralize the telco power and possibly break them up into more responsive, smaller entities.

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

MH:  My understanding of real economics is a perspective no other candidate is bringing to the table.  If elected, I will fight for real economic change.

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

MH:  My main recreation is swing dance.  I also read a lot.  I have four children spanning the millennial generation and time with them is golden.  I also enjoy long walks in the Austin greenbelts.

 

Thanks to Mr. Harris for the responses.

 

Texas Primary Election Day is Tuesday March 6th, and Early Voting begins February 20th.  For the Primary, you must register to vote no later than February 5th (if you’re unsure of your voting status, here’s where you can check your registration).  Early voting procedures can differ depending on your county, but here are helpful links to some: Harris County, Fort Bend County, Brazoria County, Montgomery County, and Galveston County. 

For other areas, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s Elections Page for your county information.

(if you like this Texas Leftist post, please consider a donation!  Help us encourage Progressive, common sense ideals in the Lone Star State!!)

 

Texas Politics

TLCQ 2018: Margarita Ruiz Johnson

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In the Fourth installment of the 2018 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Margarita Ruiz Johnson,  candidate for U. S. House, Texas’ 22nd Congressional District.

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?

MRJ:  Margarita Ruiz Johnson. District 22, US House of Representative.

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

MRJ:  Retired.  Will work full time on District 22, Community issues making progress in economic and social issues impacting our community.

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

 MRJ:  Goverment is by the People and of the People and for the People.  Our representatives, when elected need to truly represent the needs and dreams of its community at the local level, the state level and the federal level, in a fair manner.  Government is needed and can be helpful to solve many of the problems the citizens and the local communities have to make their lives better and to help them fulfill their dreams to improve the lives of their children and grandchildren to have  a better future and to retire with dignity.  The representative is to work for its community and not to get himself or herself rich.  They should represent their communities with dignity and respect.

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

MRJ:  I will, work  daily to reverse many of the dangerous bills and laws passed by President Trump affecting the lives of individuals in our communities.  I will draft legistation and will spend most of my time doing this to repair the damage done in enviromental laws, climate change, taxation of the rich, tax code, salaries, jobs, health care, senior and veterans benefits, children care and benefits, community health centers, senior care and benefits in nursing homes, middle class jobs and salaries, pensions and retirement funds, and the regulation of wall street, to include the protection of the consumer protection agency.  We need to do this, right away, to get us back on track to have a better economic future for our children and grandchildren.

TL:  In the coming years, the state of Texas is on course to have an unprecedented boom in the state’s population. 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.

MRJ:  Texas infrastructure needs to be improve to accomodate the larger population and congestion problems that we are having.  We are beginning to convert our roads into toll roads, but most of these contracts are going to “entities from foreign governments”, the funds will leave our communities and will not be reserve for repairs, nor to improve  traffic congestion.  This is wrong and most people don’t know about this “glitch” that will drain money from transportation to other countries…. We need to reverse this to insure that the moneys stays local to help improve transportation. In addition, the transportation of the future can shift to more speed trains using green energy and fewer cars to help with the environnment and the traffic congestion.

TL:  Even as impressive growth continues in around the state’s urban centers, rural Texans are faced with a healthcare crisis.  According to Laura Garcia of the Victoria Advocate, rural communities across the state have lost 18 hospitals in less than five years, and this was before any additional challenges worsened by natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.  Without hospital services in or near their local communities, the medical and emergency care is at an increasing risk our citizens.  As a legislator, how would you plan to address this issue and help Texas’ vital rural healthcare facilities stay open?  

MRJ:  There has to be a true commitment to our rural communities in health care, education and technologies in order to have a rural healthcare that provides quality health care at a fair price for our citizens.  What I have noticed is that the state and federal representatives in this rural areas are committing  and pleadging alligiance to the gun lobby, to the oil lobby and to large corporations and that’s how they get re-elected and make a career of being senators and congress representatives.
After the election, there is very little contact with the community and the rural areas are left fending for themselves in dealing with very complex issues that require coordination and funding from the state and the federal level.  We need to change this and we can only change it at the local level by monoring exactly what the representative and senators are doing to help the rural areas and hold their feet to the fire.  If it does not work and the representative is working for the lobbiest, they need to be sent home packing. We need to” empty” our Congress and start all over again.  It is corrupted and not functional.

TL:  In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn an Obama-era rule which classifies internet service providers as public utilities, and thereby governed under the 1934 Communications Act.  This decision essentially erases the principle that Internet Service Providers should treat all online content equally without giving preference to particular sources, otherwise known as Net Neutrality.  Please describe your views on this decision, and whether or not you would support legislation at the State or Federal level to uphold the principle of Net Neutrality.

MRJ:  Everyone knows that Mr. Trump and his administration made promises to middle and poor Americans and then he hired the wealthiest people he could find and went about the business to destroy our communities and to make changes that will benefit AT@T, Comcast, Verizon. Apple, Microsolf, Oil and the Big Corporate Giants, that at any time can slow down our internet lines, can stop our access to the internet, and can raise the prices charge to middle America.  This corruption from the highest level of government, and we need, via legislation support NET NEUTRALITY AND REVERSE THE DAMAGE CAUSE BY PRESIDENT TRUMP.

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

MRJ:  I prepared for this position for the last two years by learning all the issues impacting our local communities, how to fix the problems and I am retired and can promise my community that I will work full time for them.  I don’t have any debts, the work will be for them and them only. I don’t have any minor children at home that will depend on me, I will be working full time for you.  I have no sckeleton’s in my closet that you would have to worry about when you sent me to Congress to represent you.  I do not smoke, drink, nor mess around.  You will not be asked to pay for legal fees for my misbehavior, there will be none.
I am the best educated candidate in finance, accounting, strategic planning, budget, health care, mediation, working in groups, expert in the education field, worked in the past in human resources therefore, I know all the federal laws that deal with employment and consumer goods. I served in the US ARMY and know military financing , accounting budgets, therefore, I can represent our veterans well and with dignity.  I come from a trully military family committed to our family, our community and our country.  I have a Bachelors in Languages (English, Spanish, Portuquesse).  My Masters is in the Behavioral Sciences,  I am an expert on Mental issues and group behavior dynamics.  I am well verse on all currents events that impact our communites.
The competing candidates have economic(large amount of bebt) issues, social issues(drinking issues), commitment issues and lack of knowlege issues( not ready for the jobs that will take a long time for them to catch up with my excellent and special qualities needed for this job.  I am the only candidate ready to address the issue of impeachment, if presented to me, when you send me to Congress. Finally, I will never tell you a lie…. The last panel that I attended, the candidates were telling you, exactly what you wanted to hear, and that is how Mr. Trump was elected. Be aware of know it all, fast talking salesman….there is trouble ahead…

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

MRJ:  As I said earlier, my commitment is to my family, my community and my country. I am retired with no bebt.  Since all I need is your vote to continue to help you dealing with a complex system at the federal and state level, you will not find me raising money to get me re-elected.  I don’t believe nor trust packs, so you will not find me searching them out to get me re-elected.  I will be talking to you and your problems to see how I can help to make things better.  I will respond to your questions, via e-mails, letters, one on one and any other way you want to communicate that is easy for you to help resolve the problems of our community in coordination with state and federal partners.  I can do this and I can do it well.

 

Thanks to Ms. Johnson for the responses.

 

Texas Primary Election Day is Tuesday March 6th, and Early Voting begins February 20th.  For the Primary, you must register to vote no later than February 5th (if you’re unsure of your voting status, here’s where you can check your registration).  Early voting procedures can differ depending on your county, but here are helpful links to some: Harris County, Fort Bend County, Brazoria County, Montgomery County, and Galveston County. 

For other areas, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s Elections Page for your county information.

 

(if you like this Texas Leftist post, please consider a donation!  Help us encourage Progressive, common sense ideals in the Lone Star State!!)

Texas Politics

TLCQ 2018: Mike Collier

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In the Third installment of the 2018 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Mike Collier candidate for Texas Lieutenant Governor.

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?

MC:  Mike Collier 

 

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

MC:  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?

MC:  We simply cannot do for ourselves in all things.  We must band together as a community and help one another.  And government is precisely that.  Moreover, government is an expression of the values we cherish. The quality of our life is profoundly influenced by the values our leaders display in their work in government.  

 

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

MC:  We are in the grip of a fiscal crisis in Texas, which means we are struggling to invest in the things that matter to us like public education, healthcare, transportation, Child Protective Services, mental health services, and on and on.  Of course, we CAN invest in these things; our fiscal crisis is the result of Republican fiscal orthodoxy that says, “I’ve got what I want.  Good luck getting what you want.”  We can resolve this crisis specifically by turning our relationship with big corporations into a partnership wherein they help us invest in the things that matter to us. The Republican idea that we need to enrich corporate shareholders while our services and infrastructure collapse, and while our values of compassion and empathy are thrown out the window, is what I am campaigning against.  In my first legislative session as Lt Governor, I intend to close the big corporate property tax loophole that robs our state of $5 billion per year (based on the last estimate, from 2006, adjusted for inflation) and use that money to increase our investment in public education.  There is more work to do in reforming tax policy and investing in our state, but this is my first-session objective.

2. We also need to eliminate corruption, and in the first session I will propose the creation of The Texas Audit, Performance and Integrity Commission (“APIC”) which will have a highly innovative structure that will completely eliminate political influence.  Every politician and trough-feeder will fear APIC. Every Texan will love it!

3. We also need to kill gerrymandering for good before gerrymandering kills our democracy.  We can do this by adoption a Redistricting Commission, similarly designed to be completely free of all political influence, which I will introduce in my first session as Lt Governor.

 

TL:  In the coming years, the state of Texas is on course to have an unprecedented boom in the state’s population. 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.

MC:  As discussed above, we need to change our relationship with big corporations in Texas and bring them back into partnership with us to invest in infrastructure. We MUST invest infrastructure, and we MUST NOT land every penny of this on the backs of homeowners and renters.  Republican fiscal policy has been shifting the burden of investing in infrastructure, including education, away from the big corporations and onto the backs of homeowners and it has led to property taxes that are way too high and services and investment that are not keeping up. Reversing these unwise fiscal policies will produce the revenues we need to invest in infrastructure without raising taxes on ordinary people.

 

TL:  Even as impressive growth continues in around the state’s urban centers, rural Texans are faced with a healthcare crisis.  According to Laura Garcia of the Victoria Advocate, rural communities across the state have lost 18 hospitals in less than five years, and this was before any additional challenges worsened by natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.  Without hospital services in or near their local communities, the medical and emergency care is at an increasing risk our citizens.  As a Lieutenant Governor, how would you plan to address this issue and help Texas’ vital rural healthcare facilities stay open?  

MC:  Rural healthcare is indeed a crisis in Texas and I hear it everywhere I go.  We should expand Medicaid and reform it so that it marries well with the requirements of healthcare providers including rural healthcare providers. And we should support and improve ACA, not destroy it. In the end, we must treat healthcare as a basic human right, including for those living in rural Texas, and we need to be prepared to invest. We should attempt to do this by working in concert with federal policy.  If we lose confidence that this is possible, Texas is large enough, smart enough, and prosperous enough to design and implement our own healthcare system, one that gives rural Texans confidence that they too will have access to high quality healthcare.

 

TL:  In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn an Obama-era rule which classifies internet service providers as public utilities, and thereby governed under the 1934 Communications Act.  This decision essentially erases the principle that Internet Service Providers should treat all online content equally without giving preference to particular sources, otherwise known as Net Neutrality.  Please describe your views on this decision, and whether or not you would support legislation at the State or Federal level to uphold the principle of Net Neutrality.

MC:  I think we should adopt a pure common carrier system, which would be even better than net neutrality as it has been recently debated. Every Texan should be able to access any ISP and switch as often as they like. The physical infrastructure that makes this possible should be completely separated from ISPs and work on a simple fee structure. And while we are at it we should invest in high speed internet in rural Texas.

 

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

MC:  Many of the issues we face in Texas require investment. So the Lt Governor has to find the money, without raising taxes on the people who live and work here and without drowning our state in debt.  I make my living diagnosing complex financial situations and recommending solutions. I have a very clear idea as to how to raise the money without raising taxes on people, without increasing debt, and without choking our job-creation machine.  In short, we need to reverse the decades-long trend of shifting the tax burden away from big corporations and onto the backs of homeowners and small businesses. We can do this by closing the technical loopholes in the Equal and Uniform (property tax) law, and we need to reengineer the 2006 tax swap and this time do it right. We can live in a state that is great for creating jobs, and that is also compassionate and welcoming.  But it will take considerable financial and commercial expertise to do it, and I bring both to this endeavor.

 

 

Thanks to Mr. Collier for the responses.

Texas Primary Election Day is Tuesday March 6th, and Early Voting begins February 20th.  Early voting procedures can differ depending on your county, but here are helpful links to some: Harris County, Fort Bend County, Brazoria County, Montgomery County, Galveston County.  For other areas, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s Elections Page for your county information.

(if you like this Texas Leftist post, please consider a donation!  Help us encourage Progressive, common sense solutions in the Lone Star State!!)