This is an unauthorized and independent point of view. I’m ringing a big warning bell for all Texans on the first day of 2007. The Democrat victories last year, in my opinion, have bolstered and empowered the left. They want more. (Read the Republicrat below if you need more convincing.)

Starting today, I suggest that we mentally start the Senator John Cornyn re-election campaign. 2007 is the time to build the grassroots infrastructure for his victory in 2008. Why am I suggesting this? Read the following….

The politicos in Austin are now floating the name of former Comptroller John Sharp as a potential opponent. (Mr. Sharp is the father of the awful “Margin Business Tax” signed into law in 2006 by Governor Rick Perry.) God knows there will be others names floated and financed.

Some of you may think this is nonsense. Okay. Consider this for a few moments. This newsletter will be published at 6 a.m. on the 2nd of January. At 5 p.m. Monday, Ciro Rodriguez was sworn in as the new Congressman of the 23rd district. Prior to this race, he lost TWO races for Congress in his previous district. He took out Bonilla AFTER 14 years of incumbency and with millions of dollars in the bank.

The unthinkable is now possible in South Texas. That is why I am ringing the bell for Senator John Cornyn. It is my belief that he has been a classy, intelligent and even-keeled U.S. Senator for all Texans. He was talking about immigration issues and solutions before it became a hot national issue. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Let me conclude by saying that you can decide what you can do for the Senator. Will you help raise money? Organize your neighborhood? Collect e-mail addresses for his web page? It is up to you in the end.

An argument can be made that conservatives and independents stayed home for Henry Bonilla. You made your point. “Lead like a conservative or we will fire you.” Senator John Cornyn has been there for us and it time to be there for him.

Addendum:  Senator John Cornyn and South Texas Republicans

After every Cornyn commentary, I get at least 3 pieces of hate mail from Republican readers. “How can you be nice after you were critical of the senator 2 years ago?” Good point. We argued that Senator Cornyn should make more Republican grassroots appearances in South Texas. 

What occurred? Aside from general visits, he addressed 3 different Republican grassroots organizations in Bexar County in 2006. There were other visits in the surrounding areas. He was out there even though he was not on the ballot.

What is my point? He listened and he took action. 

That is what leaders do.

Bravo to the Senator.

Enough said.

(Please stop with the nasty e-mails in 2007 on this tired issue.)
 

If the 149 Members of the Texas House of Representatives choose either Brian McCall or Jim Pitts as the new Speaker of the House on January 9, that will be a Landmark Election: The first ever RINO – Republican In Name Only – Speaker. 

Indebtedness to the Democrat Caucus

Both men, currently vying to replace Tom Craddick, would further cement their RINO status by relying on the block of liberal Democrats in the Texas House to cobble enough members to support their selfish and misguided attempts to take the reigns of power in the House. On the heels of the 2006 Elections, which resulted in Republican departure power in Washington D.C., McCall and Pitts would surely deliver the very thing that Republicans throughout Texas worked so hard to avoid – Democrat control of the Texas Legislature. Simply stated, if either McCall or Pitts wins the Speakership, they will be beholden to the Democrat caucus and the liberal agenda they espouse after relying on more than fifty Democrats to ensure his ascendancy.

Anti-Life Vote Records

 Both McCall and Pitts both have weak records in the Texas House. Neither man has received a grade of higher than a “C” by Texas Right to Life during the 77th or 78th Legislature.[1] More curiously, Mr. Pitts was noticeably absent from every critical pro-life vote during the most recent session, while Mr. McCall voted to weaken Texas’ ban on 3rd trimester abortions.[2]

Tax and Spend Liberals

 Both McCall and Pitts avoided and failed to sign the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” that would assure the citizens of Texas of their support for limited government and fiscal responsibility.[3]  Additionally, McCall received an “F” on the 2005 Taxpayer Protection Legislator Report Card[4] and was designated a member of the “Taxpayer Hall of Shame for 2005" by Americans for Prosperity[5].

Liberal Front Group Support

Both McCall and Pitts are beholden to liberal organizations that worked tirelessly to defeat Republican incumbents and derail the conservative movement in Texas. Specifically, Pitts accepted $1,000 from the liberal Texas Trial Lawyers Association to fill his campaign coffers in 2006,[6] while McCall is using Louisiana political consultant and lawyer Roy Fletcher in his current run for Speaker. The employment of Mr. Fletcher is telling because of his former association with Weil-Strother, a firm that once employed Clinton Operative James Carville, and because he was paid over $5,000 by Texas Parent PAC[7], an organization that defeated six incumbent Republicans in 2006.[8]

By John Merrifield,
Professor of Economics
Director, Entrepreneurial Conservatism Institute
December 25, 2006

Minimum wage hikes are popular. To some public officials that’s all that matters. Never mind analysis and the evidence. Give the people what they want. That’s not leadership; at least not the kind that anyone should be proud of. A significant number of public officials are even willing to leverage public support for the minimum wage to help special interests at the expense of the poorest of the poor (see below).

There is significant evidence that setting a minimum wage above the prevailing market wage for some kinds of labor eliminates the jobs of the least advantaged members of society. And there is evidence that such disguised attacks on the least advantaged are often intentional (see below). Mandated wage hikes reduce hiring, and increase the number of people seeking employment. The resulting surplus is called unemployment. So, mandated wage hikes reduce the economy’s output by causing employment to be less than it otherwise would be, especially among the workers with the least skills. Less total output means less total income. That means that minimum wage-induced raises are more than offset by reduced income growth elsewhere in the economy.

The unskilled labor surplus facilitates increased selectivity by employers. And even the most common, indeed entirely rational basis of selectivity, has a dark side. Since employers hire the best applicant, the least skilled and least experienced become the persistent leftovers. They fall further and further behind. And there is an even darker side: To some employers, there is more to ‘best applicant’ than likely productivity. Sadly, for all the progress we have made against bigotry, skin color and ethnicity is still an issue for some employers. The unskilled labor surplus created by minimum wage hikes lets bigots be bigots at a lower cost to them; something that costs society and the least advantaged a lot. They have so many applicants to pick from that for the minimum wage that they can quickly hire a qualified applicant satisfying any prejudice they have.

So, minimum wage hikes disemploy the labor that is worth the least. Though that disemployment effect is not well understood by the general public, the loudest proponents of minimum wage increases do understand it, and employ it their selfish advantage. The minimum wage law arose nearly 100 years ago to discourage businesses from substituting child labor for adults in some simple tasks. There isn’t space here to debate the pros/cons of minimum wage as a child labor deterrent; other ways may have been more effective. The point here is that minimum wage laws are well-worn tools to benefit some at the expense of others. Three specific examples from the December 18 National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) Digest: 1.) “The 1931 Davis-Bacon Act was supported by the idea that it would keep contractors from using ‘cheap colored labor’ to underbid contractors using white labor; 2.) Apartheid South Africa enacted a minimum wage to price low-skilled black workers out of selected trades; and 3.) In the 1950s, New England textile makers supported Sen. John F. Kennedy's efforts to increase the federal minimum wage to prevent competing mills from starting up in the low-wage South.”  NCPA concludes that, “Today, the biggest backers of minimum wage hikes are unions.  Their intent -- similar to the past -- is not to raise the incomes of the poor. Rather, they seek to block low-wage workers from competing with higher-skilled, but also higher-priced, union members.”
(http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/?page=article&Article_ID=13974) 

The beneficiaries of minimum wage hikes are middle class teenagers and union labor with low-skill competition. They gain at the expense of society’s least advantaged people, low skill members of groups most likely to suffer discrimination. Leadership on this issue means explaining those poorly understood effects, fighting the demagogues exploiting the popularity of bad policies, and advocating policies that are known to benefit the working poor.
 

The debate about toll roads continues to be a red hot one. We have been publishing articles about this issue for at least 2 years. Funding for our future transportation needs is a big issue because it affects every Texan. Both sides of this debate continue to duke it out because they are so passionate about the issue. This is healthy in a democracy.

The advocates of toll roads have one major problem that no one really likes to talk about. Their leadership continues to be awful. Let me explain.

These leaders have this attitude that is breathtaking. 

Here are 3 components of this attitude:

1.) You are dumb if you are not for toll roads.

2.) You are unsophisticated if you are not for toll roads.

3.) You are my enemy if you are not for toll roads.

You feel this when you are around these leaders. They have an aura of elitism and arrogance when they roll their eyes and cross their shoulders at public meetings. These leaders have no idea how their attitude annoys ordinary Texans. This is fuel that drives our Toll Party friends.  They couldn’t ask for better opponents.

Just once I would like to see a Latino small business owner in Leon Valley stand up and say, “Please add to a toll road to Bandera Road.” That would be refreshing in this debate. Where are the small business owners in favor of toll roads?

The pro-toll leadership will not be changed and that is a shame. Why? We need their point of view without the attitude. 
 

We are proud of the following:

* We have no membership dues or fees for our online services including our weekly newsletter. 

* 100% of our grassroots meetings are free and open to the public. Many of our guests are seniors and students. 

* We sponsored over 20 students at the 2006 Republican Party of Texas grassroots training in San Antonio.

* We were the most proactive grassroots P.A.C. in support of our judges and judicial candidates in South Texas.

All of this has been accomplished without staff or brick and mortar overhead. All of our operating expenses are devoted to grassroots support of our candidates/officials and web-based support services. Our extensive and sophisticated online political services can be found at SouthTexasRepublicans.com at no charge. 

This January, we have to cover our biannual $1,250 bill for all of our licensed web services. We need your help and support. Can we please count on your support? 

We have the following sponsor levels for your consideration:

Platinum:  $250

Gold:  $150

Silver:  $75

Bronze:  $35

Friend:  $10 - $25

You can donate online through our secured server at this link:

http://www.southtexasrepublicans.com

Donations can also be mailed to:

South Texas Republicans, P.A.C.

Attn: Joe Solis/Director

10004 Wurzbach, Suite 269

San Antonio, Texas 78230

(Please include your, phone number, occupation and name of employer.)

Thanks for your ongoing support!!! 

Joe Solis/Director/ South Texas Republicans, P.A.C.
 

This is a wonderful place to find out what local Democrats are up to. It is common knowledge that this newsletter is actively read by many Democrats in South Texas. We salute Steve for producing a high quality blog for Bexar County.

http://www.walkerreport.blogspot.com/
 

Original Source for this information: http://lamarsmith.house.gov/ConstituentServices.asp

The following are some of the subjects that may be of interest:

Education and Federal Financial Aid Workshops

Learn more about the Education and Federal Financial Aid Workshops for area high school students, parents, counselors and teachers interested in learning about the application process for college tuition assistance.

Staff Information

Contact information for both the District and Washington, DC offices.

 21st Congressional District Map

 A map of the 21st District, including counties, cities, and major highways.

Help with Federal Agencies

Information including frequently asked questions and contact information for those who need assistance contacting a federal agency or office.

Help with Federal Grants

A guide to Federal grants and nonfinancial assistance as well as private foundation funding is available.

Freedom of Information Act

Learn more about your right to know what the government does in your name.

Flag Requests

Information and a PDF form for constituents who wish to order flags.

Mail Alert!

Current security measures have delayed all mail delivery to Congressional offices in Washington, D.C.

Service Academy Nominations

Information detailing the requirements and process for obtaining a nomination to one of the service academies.

Stop Unwanted Solicitations

Privacy in the home can be protected. If you receive unwanted solicitations, call or visit one of the websites listed here.

Travis County FEMA Floodplain Map

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released new floodplain maps that identify risk areas associated with heavy rains in the Austin-Hill Country region.

Beware of E-mail Hoaxes

Click here for information on how to identify and protect yourself from Internet hoaxes.

Washington DC Visitor's Guide

A listing of tourist activities in the Washington DC area and an online form those constituents can use to request tours to some of the more popular sites.

New US Passport Requirements for Travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean

Information including the new requirements for travelers under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

Privacy Release Form

Source: Congressman Lamar Smith Web Site: lamarsmith.house.gov
 

Even as Congress held numerous immigration field hearings during the summer to determine the extent of security failures at the U.S. border, private corporations, local and federal government officials and international investment corporations were planning for trade expansion.

Those plans include finishing the Trans-Texas Corridor, which would open the highways to future shipping of cargo from Lázaro Cárdenas, whose biggest investors are Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings Group and Wal-Mart. Those two firms already have invested more than $300 million to expand the container port.

For many business and political leaders, the economic growth promised by Gateway to the Pacific and the Trans-Texas Corridor outweighs any perceived danger about national security or increased drug trafficking...

Read complete article here: here

AAA taking heat for doing a 180 on TX toll roads that motorists view as a betrayal!

In what can only be called propaganda for the establishment and a total 180 from AAA's previous position on Governor Perry's version of toll roads, its article in the Jan/Feb issue of Texas Journey touts Ric Williamson's ilk about as friendly and uncritical as Joe Krier.

This is a total betrayal of AAA's former mission as advocates for motorists and consumers. Increasing our cost of transportation 300% is not in the best interest of motorists and we all know that Perry's version of toll roads won't solve congestion but manipulate it for profit and enrich select corporations in the worst example of corporate cronyism in recent memory. See how HB 3588 grants only certain companies the right to bid on these public-private toll road deals and pays the LOSING BIDDERS up to $1 million a pop.

In fact, just months ago AAA Mid Atlantic was side by side with politicians OPPOSING the DOUBLING of toll rates on a Macquarie-owned toll road. Apparently, AAA has been co-opted and is supportive of turning over our new and existing highways to these same companies for a public fleecing.  Also, AAA Mid-Atlantic is now touting AAA's new "survey" that says a majority of respondents favor tolls over gas tax increases. Something smells ROTTEN in Denmark!

Some of our supporters have already cancelled their membership in disgust.

Here are some of the choice quotes from the article:

"My role is whatever Governor Perry defines for me,"--Governor-appointed Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson.

"For the next 15 years, they're (Texans) going to see orange cones everywhere--says Williamson. Does that sound like congestion relief or proper urban planning to you?

"So let me understand this: I got this road moving through downtown Dallas, the apportioned taxes for this road are paying only [part] of the cost of the road, but somehow we shouldn't toll that existing road? Tell me why. Explain to me why we shouldn't do that. And really, the only valid answer is because, by God, we just don't want to,"--touts Williamson.

Williamson also claims in the article that a gas tax increase of $1.40 a gallon would be required to solve our "road crisis" over the next 25-20 years. Apparently Anne O'Ryan didn't bat an eyelash at such obvious scare tactics nor did she do her homework since A&M's Texas Transportation Institute released a report recently for the Governor's Business Council that says we not only DO NOT NEED TOLL FINANCING but we also DO NOT NEED TO RAISE THE GAS TAX. We could simply index it to inflation. The report also shows how Williamson's agency bloated their supposed "highway needs" by $30 billion to come up with their outlandish figures.

Also, O'Ryan took this dishonest agency's word that they're not tolling existing highways. All she has to do is read news reports in both the Austin-American Statesman and the San Antonio Express-News to find out that's precisely what TxDOT is doing. It's DOUBLE TAXATION and an OUTRAGE!  O'Ryan and AAA also seems to have neglected to read the December Texas Monthly article that clearly outlines the deep trouble non-compete agreements in these toll contracts mean for our public freeway system. AAA members like me do not want our public freeway system to be hijacked by special interests who will have the power to increase toll taxes ad nauseum in 50 year monopolies, especially ON ROADS WE'VE ALREADY BUILT AND PAID FOR! This point seems to have escaped AAA's O'Ryan.

The AAA article is supposedly going to be available at this link (here).
 

We start the new political New Year by discussing Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Carla Vela’s racist comments about immigration and her comparing the round up of illegal workers to the rounding up of Jews during the Nazi regime in Germany. We are off to a fast start.

It happened last week, but the news hit the media after last week’s deadline for submitting my column to Director Joe Solis. Apparently, she was a part of a press conference with various Hispanic organizations confronting the issue of the recent raids on illegal workers. A national wire service quoted her saying, "This unfortunately reminds me of when Hitler began rounding up the Jews for no reason and locking them up," Democratic Party activist Carla Vela said. "Now they're coming for the Latinos, who will they come for next?" The quote was the topic of liberal and conservative bloggers across the country. Word is that it her quote made the conservative Fox News channel.

Compare Carla’s quote to one that LULAC president Rosa Rosales said at the same press conference. “We are demanding an end to these immigration raids, where they are targeting brown faces. That is major, major racial profiling, and that cannot be tolerated." Rosa made no comparison to the Nazi’s or the Holocaust like Carla did. What I find interesting is that they referred to Carla as a Party Activist, not the Bexar County Democratic Party Chair. Is that a demotion?

It seems that Carla is on a political suicide mission. Open mouth and insert foot. Her penchant for inappropriate remarks and behavior over the past year is noteworthy and I have chronicled some of it.

In last week’s walk down memory lane, I mentioned the July 10 issue referencing Carla, when I wrote, “Scuttlebutt is now emerging that a number of disenchanted Democrats are already complaining that Democratic Party Chair Carla Vela seems highly disorganized, disaffected and disinterested.”

I should have included the September 26 issue quote that read, “September is almost gone and a pending implosion in the ranks of the Bexar County Democratic Party is about to erupt. Word is that certain party activists accuse the Party Chair of acting like a dictator, hiding money, throwing temper tantrums and censoring one of the Democratic organizations for not kowtowing to her every whim.

“The Party Chair in turn accuses her detractors of deliberately undermining her authority. Accusations are flying on both sides of the controversy. This is a classic case of, ‘He said, she said.’” 

It sounds like we have a problem in the Democratic Party. It seems that it is getting worse every time Carla opens her mouth. However, you have to give her credit. She does have her staunch supporters like Party Executive Director Madeleine Dewar who claims she is not a dictator, and doesn’t suffer from low self-esteem etc. To think that early on, I thought Carla would make a great Party Chair. I really missed that one.

The question arises: who is running the asylum?

Now it is leaking out from the political grapevine that Madeleine, Carla and a Deputy Chair named, Diana Stallings, are attempting to circumvent the Party rules and pull a Rudy Casias on the Party. For those of you who haven’t followed the Democratic Yellow Brick Road this past year, Rudy was the previous Party Chair who ruled like Attila the Hun. Now we have Attila the Hun-eee in a dress!

It appears that nothing has changed much since Carla took over the reins of Chair. That same source says that Madeleine has taken over full control of the goings on in the Party headquarters and has run off more volunteers who don’t kowtow to her decrees.

I am confused. Which one of the three is the real dictator? Behind door number one, we have Carla who can’t even make a decision without Madeleine telling her what the decision should be. Behind door (rock) number two, we have Madeleine proclaiming her liberalism and accusing me of being a “he.” Then we have hidden behind door number three, the one called Diana. I am informed that Diana has at least been open about taking over control of the Party, the website and everything else. She too has successfully run off volunteers out of the office and the Party who don’t subscribe to the Attila the Hun-eee agenda.

We now have the three political stooges running the Democratic Party. The question arises, which one is Moe, which one is Larry and which one is Curley? You decide that one.

Wait just minute, readers. We haven’t even addressed the other side of the political coin. Did you think I was going to give the Republican side a pass? I don’t think so. Now it is the Republicans’ turn in the barrel. 

Democrats are probably thinking that my extensive coverage and critical commentary of the Bexar County Democratic Party is lopsided and unfair. I have to be an equal opportunity political basher.

Therefore, here goes. I can only speak from personal knowledge when it comes to the Bexar County Republican Party Chairman Richard Langlois. I have interacted with him on many occasions at the Courthouse where I spend some considerable amount of time. (Clue) The courthouse is a unique place. In my opinion, there is more gossip, backstabbing and intrigue at the courthouse than a single issue of the National Enquirer. Plant a piece of juicy gossip with any Bexar County Assistant District Attorney and it will spread like wildfire in a New York minute.

Bexar County Republican Chairman Richard Langlois is an interesting person for a couple of reasons. As a Republican, he is pro-choice and he is a moderate Northeast Republican. Over the past few months, he has been privately complaining to friends and politicos about his frustration to bring change to the Bexar County Republican party.

My sources tell me that his powerful office staff politely smiles when he issues directives, but they fail to carry out his orders. His Executive Director runs that office in Alamo Heights with an iron fist. Sounds like shades of Democratic Party Executive Director Madeleine Dewar. Extremists are extremists even if they are from two opposite extremes!

Richard acts flustered and is obviously not shy to tell close friends. I really feel sorry for him because he is in tough situation that has not improved in 3 years. This is no secret at the courthouse.

Richard has nothing but disdain for the ideologues in his party. He thinks they are crazy religious right-wingers who are out of touch with reality. These folks are totally obsessed with the abortion issue. They oppose a state income tax when property taxes are crushing real estate investors like Richard and young couples.

Democrats are probably thinking right now, why are you being so nice to the Republican Chairman who is our opponent? Let me explain. The current Republican Party leadership is no threat to the Democrats. It is my belief that Richard will serve as Republican Party Chairman for at least 10 more years if he wants to serve. This is due in part to the fact that the moderate Republican elites in Alamo Heights are comfortable with him in the saddle. His willingness to distance himself from the fascist, right wing, and angry Ken Mercer types is just what the doctor ordered.

You may remember that Mercer was recently elected over a moderate Republican for seat on the State Board of Education due to the fact that he sold himself as a true right-winger.

Here is my overall analysis of the Bexar County Republican Party from the Democratic point of view.  We love the status quo. In the recent election cycle, four district court judges and Henry “the Horrible” Bonilla were wiped off the map by our side.

I saw Richard recently and I wanted to give him a big hug and a kiss for all the new judges. The fact that Republicans couldn’t keep a safe and popular judge like Rene Diaz speaks volumes.

Now I will get nasty. Theses losses show how pathetic and lame the Republican Party in Bexar County has become. Democrats are having the last laugh this time around for a change despite our problems with our County Chair.

We will finish off the Republican Party at the Bexar County Courthouse with the exception of the 4th Court of Appeals, due to the conservative Hill Country counties in the next 3 election cycles.  They will be worse than those loser Libertarians. My sources tell me that even popular Republican judges will be on the hit list in the next cycle. This Democratic Tsunami is washing over you Republicans. 

Just ask former Judges Richard Price and Mark Luitjen. Keep having your fancy fundraisers in Terrell Hills with those elite millionaires. They are not going to save you. As an addendum to my comments, Democrats voted out 44 Republican Judges in Dallas County in the recent election.

Let me thank the local Republican Party for its awesome leadership in this County. You are heading for the political trash heap of history, as Reagan liked to say about the Soviet Union.

Richard, please stay healthy as long as possible. Democrats in Bexar County need to you preside over the death of the Republican Party of Bexar County. Rest In Peace.

And that’s the moderate view; I AM the Republicrat.