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9/10/07 Newsletter
Citizen Journalism Focused on Liberty, Conservatism and Independent
Thought
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Dear Joe,
The Truth About Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright Commentary by Joe Solis/Director/South Texas Republicans
The truth about Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright is simple.  (Photo by Al Adcock/State Bar of Texas)Texas has one of the finest jurists in the nation and we need to do a better job promoting this fact.
Okay, what is the purpose of this headline story?
Who cares if Justice Dale Wainwright is a good man?
You should. Every Texan should care.
Conservatives, Republicans and Independents are flustered about assorted state and national issues right now.
Perk up folks.
Let us not forget our silent leaders. It is time to celebrate and raise them up right now. That is why I am focusing on Justice Wainwright.
Think about this. The Republican Party of Texas has one of the most charismatic, intelligent and dynamic black jurists in the entire nation.
Yes, he is in our club. (If that wasn't good enough, our Chief Justice is another majestic black man who is widely admired throughout this state and nation.)
Why aren't we telling the world we have such amazing talent in our party?
Why aren't we doing a better job celebrating the fact that these individuals have risen fabulously in our party? We are cultivating and electing these talented men and women now.
Let the lefties call us racists and bigots because some of us believe we should have secure and not open borders. They should show us their record at this level in government.
Let me close by backing up my initial statement about Justice Wainwright.
What makes him so good?
That is an easy one. It is grace wrapped about core that is focused on duty. It is authentic devotion to interpreting the law according to the Constitution and not making law based on a personal political agenda or mandate. "The judge's job is to apply and interpret the law," he said. "Judges who decide to follow their own political agendas may violate the statutes, which are written by the elected legislature and governor, and represent the will of the people. There are things in statues that I personally may not agree with, but it is not my job to write or rewrite the statutes. I think it is very important to apply the law fairly and consistently as written. That's the kind of judge I am." Justice Dale Wainwright (Source: State Bar of Texas)
I'm also talking about duty to God, family and country.
This passion to serve the public, in my opinion, is a sacrifice. (The private sector pays more for his kind of talent.)
A good man like Justice Wainwright embraces all Texans: Republicans, Democrats and Independents. (He proudly addresses groups ranging from the Republican Party of Texas to the NAACP on the beauty of the law. The man is passionate about his work and it shows.) It is not about party and it is not about partisan politics with this man.
Justice Dale Wainwright is up for re-election in 2008.
All Texans should sit and count our blessings.
A good man needs your support next year.
Yes, it is time to celebrate.
Now and forever.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 - Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright Fundraiser. 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. at TBA. Contact for information: Melynda Gulley at 210-828-9162 or melynda_gulley@sbcglobal.net Disclosure: I am proud to be part of the Justice Dale Wainwright Bexar County Steering Committee by invitation. ____________________________________ |
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Tina
J. Benkiser,
Republican Party of Texas Chairman "I truly appreciate the South Texas Newsletter informing grassroots activists on the variety of Republican events being held in its area and on the numerous current issues being addressed by our elected officials."
Mon, 20 Aug 2007 |
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Commentary about Dr. Robin Armstrong, Republican Party of Texas Vice Chairman by Joe Solis/South Texas Republicans One more reason we should be "tooting our horn"!!! In my opinion, very few people in this state know that grassroots Republicans elected Dr. Robin Armstrong as Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas at the last state convention.  Is the media going to tell you? I don't think so. We get stuck with these nasty labels since we do not speak up. It is our job NOW to tell the world that all talented, smart and ethical men and women are welcome in this party. If this is not true, can you please explain why the Vice Chairman of the party is a black man? Can someone explain why Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, another talented black Republican, is a quasi rock star in our party? (This man really rocks the house with his energy, enthusiasm and love of public service. It is grassroots Republicans that adore this man.) The next time some left-winger tells you that the Republican Party is made up of bigots just ask them one question. How many black men in your party are serving as our Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court Justice, Railroad Commissioner and Vice-Chairman of the state party? We have a record. It is time to spread the good news.
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Fred Thompson For President Information:
Fred08 Security - Unity - Prosperity Texas FredHeads The South Texas Organizational Updates by Joseph Dalton Leatherwood (gopchair@sbcglobal.net)
Sign up today to
SUPPORT A TRUE CONSERVATIVE VOICE, NOT AN ECHO:
NAME: _________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________ CITY, STATE, ZIP: ________________________________________________________ CONTACT PHONE: _(______)________-______________________________________ EMAIL: __________________________________________________________________ BLOG: ___________________________________________________________________ COUNTY: ________________________________________________________________ LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: __________________________________________________ SENATORIAL DISTRICT: __________________________________________________ CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: ______________________________________________ Cut and past the information and email to gopchair@sbcglobal.net
Commentary by the Editor: Mr. Leatherwood publishes the informative Texas FredHeads newsletter.
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Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, Terri Hall (www.TexasTURF.org) Hutchison intros bill to STOP TxDOT triple tax buyback scheme, prompts calls for resignations!With the Nation abuzz with the disgraceful activities of a U.S. Senator prompting a resignation (scratch that, he withdrew his resignation), Texas had some disgraceful news of its own concerning its highway department that's also prompting calls for resignations. A report called Forward Momentum given to Congress by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reveals the true motives of this widespread shift to tolling our highways. MONEY! TxDOT lobbied to TRIPLE TAX our citizens to drive on EXISTING INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS. It asked Congress to remove ALL limitations on tolling, and to pass a law that would allow them to buy back segments of tax-funded federal interstate highways with state gas tax dollars, for the purpose of taxing motorists AGAIN to drive on them! That's TRIPLE TAXATION! Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison responded by immediately filing a bill, S 2019, to prevent the tolling of existing highways built with federal dollars and that would prevent the State from buying back interstates for the purpose of tolling them. "My bill will protect drivers from paying tolls on roads that were already paid for by taxpayers," Senator Hutchison said. Though the story broke statewide recently, we reported the news of TxDOT's plans, which also includes their buy back scheme that would give private corporations tax breaks on toll income, in January. The Legislature was briefed on it in February! So all the arguments we've been hearing that tolls are to accelerate the construction of roads and to provide congestion relief are BALONEY! It's a money grab and a NEW, unaccountable, runaway tax on driving. TxDOT is attempting to become its own taxing district of sorts, and many lawmakers like the idea of a new slush fund for their pet projects...what else explains their total failure to rein in TxDOT when they had the chance? Well, we feel vindicated as news of what we've all known since Ric Williamson uttered this now famous quote, "In your lifetime, most existing roads will have tolls" (Houston Chronicle, Oct. 11, 2004) has hit the mainstream...the plan is to turn all our existing roads into toll roads and DOUBLE TAX, even TRIPLE TAX us to use them. What's most shocking in this media frenzy is the pretense of outrage on the part of elected officials. Gimme a break...TxDOT has been tolling highways built with gas taxes (121 in Dallas, 183 in Austin, and 281 in San Antonio) all over the state, with two interstate highways slated to be tolled (I-35 and I-10), and they have done NOTHING to stop it! Many lawmakers hide behind tough rhetoric, then give the green light to TxDOT to play a game of semantics and pretend that if they bulldoze our existing highways and do an elaborate and ghastly expensive re-arranging of the pavement, that they are somehow not tolling existing roads. It would be laughable were it not so serious. Radio Talk Show Host Joe Pagliarulo of WOAI called for the dissolution of TxDOT and for the leadership's immediate resignation on August 31. We concur and echoed the call for TxDOT's top brass to resign at our press conference last week (link #2). The jig is up and the PEOPLE want to return to rational transportation policy that they can trust. This tolling interstate report may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Toll Talk in the News:William Lutz takes on Perry, Bush toll proliferation policies, says Perry raising taxes to benefit road contractors!
He says: Borrowing money and deficit spending are called "innovative financing techniques." The term "public-private partnerships" is used to describe mortgaging public property. Tax hikes are called "market-based" or "value-based" tolling or "market valuations." Government-sanctioned monopolies are referred to as "introducing competition to transportation financing."
Commissioner Lyle Larson says dealing with TxDOT is like "dealing with a snake oil salesman.": Link.
Houston Chronicle's scathing editorial against tolling existing highways: Link.
It states: "Texas and other states have embarked on public-private collaborations that have raised eyebrows and questions about cronyism, transparency, accountability, public control and fair value."
More TxDOT lies: Joe Krier goes on WOAI radio promising no existing lanes will be tolled and then two days later, the same radio station breaks the story that TxDOT is lobbying to do just that! Tolls and Trans Texas Corridor a money grab! Express-News blogger writes Trans Texas Corridor Obituary in light of TxDOT report revealing plan to toll existing interstates (Link).
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CHRIS MILAM For
Bexar County SHERIFF CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF
Come meet the Candidate
... MILAMPARK ... Saturday, September 15th * 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. * 500 W. Houston Street 78207 Downtown across from the Santa Rosa Children's Hospital
******************************************* Join the Chris Milam for Sheriff Supporters at one of the following levels:
The 100Club - $5000 and up GOLD Star Supporters - $ 2500 to $4999 Star Supporter - $1000 to $2499 BLUE Star Supporter - $ 500 to $999 Friends of Chris Milam - up to $500
** Personal Contributions - no limit * PAC Contributions - $5,000 **
Please make check(s) payable to: " Milam for Sheriff Campaign " % Melynda Gulley * 215 Blue Bonnet Blvd - San Antonio, Texas78209 Contact information: Melynda Gulley, 210-828-9162 or melynda_gulley@sbcglobal.net
Paid for by the campaign of Chris Milam for Sheriff
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Code Red [Ink] Revisited: Hidden Assumptions, Unhealthy Statistics
By John Merrifield, Professor of Economics Director, Entrepreneurial Conservatism Institute
September 10, 2007
A year ago, I commented on the Code Red report on the just-released "Code Red" report that alleged a health care crisis in Texas because 25.1 percent of us are without health insurance. In the meantime, the Presidential campaigns have cited similarly misleading statistics. Now that the federal purse is at issue, more than ever the path to tyranny and poverty is paved with good intentions and misleading statistics.
The Texas 25.1% uninsured and the supposed national figure of 47.2 million uninsured are a constantly changing set of people. Many of those counted as uninsured are under no duress whatsoever. Many are briefly between jobs, and others have simply made an economic decision to not spend their limited funds on expensive health insurance and pay out of pocket if necessary. Based on a quick internet search, I estimate that only about ten percent of Texans lack non-emergency room access to health care for an extended period; a much less scary number than 25.1%. We need to demand that our leaders - the people with their hands in our pockets - deliberate on the basis of relevant numbers, not sensationalist, misleading numbers. The much more informative, rarely published number is the long-term uninsured.
With a clearer picture to work from, we can discuss the underlying assumptions. Many people equate 'no insurance' with 'no access' because health care and health insurance has gotten very expensive. Because of past government interventions, prices have shot up because hardly anyone directly pays for their own health care. Do it doc, someone else is picking up the tab. Now that our policies have driven up the prices to those outside the 'someone else will pay' club, many people demand additional government intervention to address the impact of that. More government intervention is not the solution to failed government intervention. The only additional intervention that makes any economic sense is a more level playing field - equal access to the 'someone else will pay' club - by eliminating favored tax treatment of employers over individual purchasers of health care. Support the candidates willing at least to do that much.
Many assume that the earnings of the successful should be taxed to pay for care for those who do not earn enough to buy it for themselves; that those who earn little should not have to rely on charity. As we expand 'rights' to the earnings of others, we move towards socialism; certainly with good intentions, but the effects are the same. Liberty and prosperity retreat across the board. Even our poor are better off than the average citizen in the socialist paradises of North Korea and Cuba.
Do we want the same political process that created 'Nation at Risk' quality public schooling to have a larger role in the delivery of our health care? In so-called single-payer, Government-controlled health care systems around the world, patients have lost freedom of choice, and the sick are literally dying while on wait lists for critical care.
It's going to take exceptional leadership to separate sympathy and politics. Increasingly, as medical technology advances, it is impossible to promise universal access to everything that we know how to do. Attempting to do so, or just failure to face this economic reality, will reduce the efficiency of the entire system. That means longer wait times, higher prices, and lower quality care. |
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"The
Republicrat PLUS" (A Moderate Viewpoint)
And as always to my
fellow Democrats, Republicans and those somewhere lodged between the
political spectrums, I say greetings.
Since the South Texas Republican Newsletter failed to make it to the readers the last two weeks, the late breaking news I wrote both times is now old news with the local rag detailing the information this past weekend and beyond.
We now know that former Bexar County Commissioner Robert Tejeda is definitely going to challenge current Commissioner Chico Rodriguez in the March Primary. The rumor has been around for months but now reality is setting in. The grudge match continues between the Rodriguez family and the Tejeda family. Robert Tejeda actually thinks he can regain his former seat and depose Chico Rodriguez. Obviously, Robert has lost touch with reality. Remember the old TV show, "FantasyIsland?"
And, still more from the Republicrat on the Southside that didn't get read last week. Apparently R.G. Griffing from the San Antonio Lightning continues to stir up the waters again by publishing updated information that the old rumor that State Senator Carlos Uresti was involved with an under age woman is coming back to haunt him
R.G. won't let it die. Can't say as I blame him though. Carlos has a long and dark record on that issue. Currently Carlos is in the midst of a messy divorce and Griffing reports that he is dating a woman who is not under age, thank God. My support goes to Yolanda Uresti, a really, decent woman.
The rumors continue to swirl that an indictment will be forthcoming soon and that the lawyer supposedly hired by Carlos is a heavy-duty trial lawyer that will surprise many, including me. But, haven't we heard this all before? I am starting to feel sorry for Carlos. Now we get word that Carlos is hosting a ten year in service celebration and asking donors for mega bucks. Everybody is struggling to raise money for the next cycle and he is asking for astronomical amounts of money. Stay tuned.
Councilman Kevin Wolff is not backing off his intentions about running for the Lyle Larsen seat. The new rumor du jour is that former District 9 candidate Westin Martinez who ran against Wolff the first time is in major contention to replace Wolff for the duration of his unexpired term. Other sources say Martinez will NOT replace Kevin and it isn't about to happen. Civil Engineer Elisa Chan's name is also circulating around for the appointment. Apparently, there is another dark horse in the race as well. No one knows that name yet.
The Ralph Lopez saga is getting pathetic now that he has officially resigned as Sheriff. We await the Commissioner's Court to replace him soon. It is going around that it will not be any of the now candidates. I fully expect to see more candidates coming out of the woodwork. Rumors abound that there may be more than one Republican candidate to jump into the race.
Now that Nancy Lopez is in the spotlight as well, those in the know are placing bets that Ralph will take the fall so his sick wife won't do any time. He is not out of the woods despite the deal he made to pay a fine and receive no jail time for the misdemeanors. Insiders say that Nancy will only do jail time if Ralph doesn't sell out John Reynolds and name others. Some say he already has sold out John.
Even Sheriff's candidate Amadeo Ortiz's name is surfacing. That could spell disaster for him as well, since he was close to Ralph in another day.
Is it possible that a Republican candidate could snatch this race? Republican candidate Chris Milam thinks so. There is also another unannounced Democratic candidate in the shadows waiting to declare. He has run two or three times before and has even run as a Republican. His name is Larry Ricketts. He is persistent. That race is going to be an interesting one to say the least.
Senate District 21 Update
Myths, Realities and "Roorbacks"
An unfortunate reality: This last legislative season was a "pork barrel" fiasco for Senator Judith Zaffirini. She planned on sending 5 million $$ to our TexasA & MInternationalUniversity in Laredo. Gov. Perry didn't agree and vetoed it. This impacted brick and mortar plans, however, the University received the necessary monies to continue providing the excellent education now available to our area, any cutbacks were across the board to all Texas institutions of higher learning. Zaffirini and her supporters claim the reason for the veto is that the Governor is anti-Hispanic. The unusual aspects of these claims are that many millions of $$ that will benefit Hispanics throughout the entire state were approved by the Governor. It is noteworthy to comment that the area most affected was our Laredo- she can't seem to bring it home anymore. Maybe he was giving us a not very subliminal message: is it time for a change for someone who can work with both Republicans and Democrats? My opinion is that we need someone who can focus only on our needs and not on their income producing business that is generated by using their titles while holding public office. Is this ethical?
An absent reality: Powerful district democrats and statewide conservativescontinue to encourage Atty. Rene R. Barrientos to throw his hat in the ring. Barrientos has hired Colin Struthers of Austin as his campaign consultant. Struthers is also part of Congressman Henry Cuellar's campaign staff. Barrientos is by all accounts described as a "Briscoe Democrat," much like Henry Cuellar. Colin Struthers has assured us that he will respond to our inquiries by next week- we are waiting to hear from them! Republicans, Democrats and Republicrats, this seems to have all the makings of a Madla-Uresti campaign re-run. Iutlid-21
An Unfortunate mistake: This August newsletter, with the original Senate 21 article, lost the truth when edited- Mr. Bruni's opponents did not create the "roorback" ad with Dan the horse- Mr. Bruni and friends made the ad thus using the lie to the advantage of Mr. Bruni's campaign against the incumbent county government leaders who had managed the monies $$$ within Texas Government Code requirements.
On that note, that is the Moderate viewpoint, I AM also the Republicrat PLUS! |
| Thanks for reading the new edition of South Texas Republicans. We welcome your comments, complaints and suggestions. Joe Solis, Founder and Director |