2007 Revised STR LOGO

9/24/07 Newsletter

Citizen Journalism Focused on Liberty, Conservatism and Independent Thought

 

 

Big Business Comes Out Swinging For Senator Zaffirini (Exclusive)

Report and Commentary by Joe Solis/South Texas Republicans

 

 

 

HE Butt picture
Picture of Howard Butt (Picture source: MySA.com/

 

San Antonio Express-News Staff photographer.)

 

The verdict is in.

 

The San Antonio business TITANS have spoken.

 

The Senator from Laredo stays in POWER. Period.  End of story.

 

Are you a Laredo citizen or a constituent of Senate District 21?  Call 1-800-Get Lost if you have a problem with this.  ("Do you hear me now?")

 

The fundraising letter for Senator Zaffirini went out on September 18, 2007. 

 

It is from Charles Butt, the Billionaire owner, of the H.E.B. grocery chain and AT&T Super Lobbyist, and former State Senator John Montford.  They are co-chairing a fundraiser for Senator Judith Zaffirini on October 11th in San Antonio.  It is being held in the historic King William district at home of grocer king Charles Butt.  (You only make 2 pennies off each dollar? Whatever!)

 

The letter is crystal clear: 

 

"Senator Zaffirini is a strong advocate for the Greater San Antonio area."

 

"She supported the A&M System South San Antonio Campus."

 

"The Senator faces a challenging re-election campaign with two well financed primary opponents."

 

The financial appeal is endorsed by Tom Frost of Frost Bank, Republican lobbyist W. James Jonas III, USAA Employee PAC, Valero Employee PAC and Toll Road King Bartel Zachry.  There are several others onboard.

 

Fellow political junkies, I predict the battle for Senate District 21 will be fought on two fronts:  North versus South Texas.  It will be the grassroots of the Democrat party against the special interests who want no change since 1986.

 

Let there be no doubt, the "opponents" will be challenged by those who know better.  A couple of wannabe Senators from the South Texas have no business rocking the boat according to the lords of business.  How dare they?  Do they know who they are messing with?  These boys picked the wrong woman to mess with. 

 

Think about this:  Will we see a repeat of a recent state Senate election in San Antonio?  Two years ago, State Representative Carlos Uresti took down former (and recently deceased) State Senator Frank Madla.  How did this happen?  The moderate Democrat Senator was accused of voting too often with Republicans.  It was claimed he was out of touch by those in the district.  The San Antonio Express-News hit him over the head because he was spending too much money on non-political expenses from his campaign account.

 

The message from the grassroots was clear: We want change.

 

Senator Judith Zaffirini has a very close relationship with Republican Lt. Governor David Dewhurst.  She chairs the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee and is Vice-Chair of the Senate Finance Committee.  She is also pro-life Democrat in a party that is not. This is not a Moveon.org Democrat from what we have seen.  Her potential loss would not be good for Republicans and conservatives in Austin.

 

Do not expect Dewhurst to campaign for her in Laredo or other parts of the district.  It would be interesting to see her attack him if the she gets accused of being Republican Lite.  Oh, this is going to be fun!!

 

What will grassroots Democrats do?  Will history repeat itself?

 

I sense grassroots of both parties are itching to take down our representatives who have become power hungry, arrogant, domineering and unresponsive to the general population since they are so busy attending cocktail parties hosted by billionaires like Mr. Butt in San Antonio and lobbyists like Mr. Montford at the Austin Club in the state capital.

 

Do you need proof?  Look at Congressional District 23. The voters retired our Republican congressman who had been in power for many years.  He was backed by all the usual icons of industry.  (Ironically Senator Zaffirini was a major supporter of Congressman Henry Bonilla last year.  She really picked a bad horse in that race.)

 

What an exciting time in South Texas politics.  Expect South Texas Republicans to provide timely and inside information about this specific race.  As we grow our readership base in South Texas, we couldn't find a better political battle to cover.  Let there be no doubt about one thing.

 

The San Antonio KINGS have been rudely awakened. 

 

"The MAN" has spoken and he means business.

 

The Senator stays in power.

 

Got it?

 

Good.

 

Next.

 

Perry McClendon of San Antonio Salutes South Texas Republicans

 

Perry McClendon of San Antonio Salutes South Texas Republicans

 

I stumbled on to the South Texas Republicans news letter while browsing the net and liked what I read.  I subscribed to the STR news letter and ceased a lot of my browsing.  With so much of our talk radio going toward the syndicated programs I was losing touch with local news and activities.  The South Texas Republican news letter is well written and the clear thinking exhibited demonstrates an integrity that I'm comfortable trusting.  In addition to the clear thinking, the STR news letter allows contributing writers (some with opposing views) an opportunity to speak out on issues they believe in or are of interest to the south Texas region.  The editor (Joe Solis) doesn't focus on, only, the south Texas area but shares some insight on the entire state and national issues.  There is a news service that uses the tag line "Fair and Balanced,,,, that's exactly what I've found in the South Texas Republicans news letter.  I find myself watching the "in-box" for the next edition of The South Texas Republicans news letter and any updates Joe may feel a need to send out to those of us hungry for something relevant.  

 

Thanks Joe, for the service you provide

 

Perry McClendon

 
Enviromental Republicans

"The Republican Environmental Leadership Conference is being held in San Antonio at the Hyatt Riverwalk October 5-6. The conference line up includes several nationally known speakers and will offer candidate training to local, state, and federal candidates and office holders on conservative approaches to conservation. Republicans for Environmental Protection, the organizer, believes that Republicans must claim the leadership role on conservation issues in order to take back seats in Congress. Any person who signs up for the conference and mentions this newsletter will have their conference fee discounted to $200 from $300. Call Rob Sisson at 269-651-1808 or visit REP's website at www.rep.org  to sign up."

Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, Terri Hall (www.TexasTURF.org)

 

 

 

Lawsuit to stop TxDOT's illegal lobbying 
on path to fast track appeal

 
TxDOT didn't want this case heard before a judge whose community is deeply affected by the Trans Texas Corridor (Seguin, TX). Every day this case isn't heard is another day TxDOT spends taxpayer money on a toll road ad campaign.
 
 
 
There's a BIG reason Giuliani is raising so much money in TX, the Trans Texas Corridor:
 

Lawsuit to stop TxDOT's illegal lobbying on path to fast track appeal:


 
"TxDOT didn't want this case heard before a judge whose community is  deeply affected by the Trans Texas Corridor (Seguin, TX). Every day  this case isn't heard is another day TxDOT spends taxpayer money on a toll road ad campaign."

 

Readers Slam Joe Solis of South Texas for Commentary Related to the Catholic Church  (The letters are unedited and complete.)

 

RE: "This is the new Hispanic "Rosa Parks": Elvira Arellano" article.

 

Joe,  I am writing you to comment on your "This is the new Hispanic "Rosa Parks": Elvira Arellano" article. As a Catholic I am disappointed at your misconceptions about Marian devotions.  Theologically you could not be further from the truth.  While your ignorance of Catholic theology is excusable, spreading such nonsense is irritating to me to say the least.  It is this kind of rubbish that has plagued our Party from the very beginning. 

 

When the remnants of the American Party ("Know Nothing Party") and other anti-immigrant (anti-Irish and anti-German), nativist and anti-Catholic parties joined the GOP in the mid to late 1800s, they pushed away the CONSERVATIVE immigrant class to the Democrat Party.  To this day, this antagonism towards Catholicism has continued within a sub-strata of our party and has the same effect that it had 100 years ago. In our era of secularism and godlessness of the left, it is plain ignorant to alienate any conservative religious faithfrom our Party. 

 

The Catholic Church may conflict with GOP politics on certain areas, but by and large, it has far more in common with the GOP than the Dems, and does not conflict any more than other Christian faiths. Absent from your article was a theological critique of Methodism and the Pietist movement from which it comes.  They were the denomination that harbored thisalien.  Why mock Catholic mysticism and Marianism, and remain silent on Evangelical literalism, millennialism and whatever Protestant ideas that lead them to harboran alien within their Church.  Clearly, you felt at liberty to criticize Catholicism, and probably never thought about criticizing Methodism. 

 

Why not just leave religious mockery out of a political debate? I believed the South Texas Republicans were above this type of rhetoric and that was one reason why I have supported the organization.  Are Catholics welcome inthe South Texas Republicans?  The political reality of Texas and the USA is that Hispanic people are the fastest growing segment of the population.  Either we can alienate them by openly ridiculing their culture and dominant faith or we can embrace them asconservative Christians with family values and bring them into our party.  

 

I hope we choose the latter.  Like many in our party my religious faith is the source of my conservative values.  Why would I want to be a member of a party that has disdain and contempt towards my faith?   Think about it. Better still write about it.  

 

 

Sincerely, Art Martinez de Varamartinezdevara@yahoo.comPrecinct Chair, BexarCounty 1064Tri-County Republicans, President

________________________

 

Re: "Hispanic 'Rosa Parks'"

 

I am not sure who to address this to since the article I am writing about is unclear as to who the author is.   Catholics do not worship, the Virgin Mary.  The Catholic Church has never condoned this practice nor is it allowed.  I do not dispute that there may be some people, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, who may worship her, but that is not a Catholic practice, ans is not condoned by the Catholic Church.  Should you care to research this, please see paragraph 971 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church available on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' website.  

 

Best Regards,

 

Roland Garcia

 

Dear Mr. Solis, Your assertion that Catholics worship Our Lady of Guadalupe is not correct.  Catholics worship the Holy Trinity that includes the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Salvation is through the son our Lord Jesus Christ.  While we ask Mary to pray for us we do not worship Christ's mother.  If you do not believe me ask a Catholic priest if you know one.  While I agree with many of your comments, I cannot let your statements about the Virgin Mary stand without challenge.  Please consider correcting your statement. 

 

Thanks for listening. Mike Schill

 

Joe, Regarding the new "martyr" for the Hispanic community. Of course this lawbreaker is not. It's ridiculous that a march is being organized for her. But I am actually writing about your remark that "Catholics pray directly to the [Virgen de Guadalupe]."  You need to be careful making blanket statements about an entire group of people. Some Catholics pray to the Virgin of Guadalupe, not all. That's it.

 

Good job, as always. A True Republican

 

 

Betraying Americaby Gene ChapmanDel Rio, Texas   

("We do have one cancer in our midst-Soros is the biggest donor to Congressman Ciro Rodriguez to the tune of $163,000.") 

 

There's a lot of BETRAYING going on, but it's George Soros's MoveOn.org doing the betraying.  They are betraying every sacrifice of America's finest as they risk life and limb giving Iraq a chance at a thing we take for granted-Freedom within a constitutional government of their own making.

 

Moveon.org founder, George Soros, rated as the 80th richest man in the world with a paltry 8.5 billion, blames the worlds problems on market fundamentalism as practiced by Milton Friedman, noted economist and a big part of the Reagan supply side economic revolution.  George Bush continues to follow the lower taxes philosophy of government to the great consternation of the MoveOn.org crowd and their Democrat cohorts in Congress who believe that ever bigger government is the answer to every problem.  The net worth today of Americans is at an all time high, sixty trillion with low unemployment which should make a lot of folks happy.  There is a well covered blimp in the housing industry which will correct itself in time, but most clear eyed economist feel the economy is on a stable foundation, ready to meet the future with optimism.

 

George Soros, James Carville, and many democrats are working hard to bring our prosperity to an abrupt end.  They believe in taxing you when you earn it, when you invest it, and when you die.  They believe in ever bigger government!    

 

In a Washington Post interview, Soros said, "Removing George Bush from office is the central focus of my life" and "a matter of life and death."  He further stated that he would sacrifice his entire fortune to defeat Bush," donating $23,581,000 to various 527 groups bent on destroying the President.  Twenty Three and one half million buys a lot of hate in any language.

 

Soros has also spent millions pushing Gay Rights and legalization of drugs.  I don't think he understands apple pie America.  I am also convinced that just plain rascally Texans will never willingly go down a path of stagnant, permissive European style government of no growth, one size fits all socialism.  Massachusetts seems eager to slip on the noose.  We won't miss them much.    

 

We do have one cancer in our midst-Soros is the biggest donor to Congressman Ciro Rodriguez to the tune of $163,000.  Ciro is constantly telling the Military how much he loves them all the while in the employ of his handlers who despise everything about the military, and the projection of strength across the world.  I think you will find that the new Congressman consistently votes with the MoveOn crowd against America's best interest.  We will soon see if he returns his funds, and joins the strong entrepreneurial, free market chorus of Texans depending upon personal initiatives to build an ever greater nation, or floats downstream with the "give them everything they want for nothing crowd."

Gene Chapman  

 

 
 
"The Republicrat PLUS" (A Moderate Viewpoint)

This is a series by 3 anonymous political insiders in BexarCounty. The views of this section do not represent the views of South Texas Republicans PAC. 

And as always to my fellow Democrats, Republicans and those somewhere lodged between the political spectrums, I say greetings.

What a dull week in BexarCounty politics.  What is this a girl to do?  There is really nothing going on in BexarCounty right now. There was that roast of District Attorney Susan Reed this past weekend by the Leagues of Women Voters that had a so and so turnout.

 

Word is that her indictment of Sheriff Ralph Lopez had something to do with the low turnout. Since the League of Women Voters tend to be more Democrat than Republican, it is understandable. My friend tells me that one of the roasters handed her a tee-shirt that read, "I am a friend of Ralph Lopez."

 

Democrats are holding endless fundraisers including one that former President Bill Clinton attended last week to raise money for Hillary at the home of Henry Munoz, the ultimate political insider.

 

 I wish I could go to many of these events but you have to have serious money to attend most of them. Even the Democrats play exclusivity when it comes to Presidential candidates. Republican Fred Thompson was in town and it was off limits to the grass roots activists on the other side. Fred is long in the tooth. He would be older than Reagan was when he won the White House. He looks older than dirt!

 

 God, if I had only dated multimillionaire Mikal Watts before he married his bombshell blonde wife, things would have been different for me. Of course I am a wee bit older that Mikal.   Am I obsessed?  This darn mortgage situation has me bummed out. I have taken a hit since I was recently in the industry. 

 

These darn banks are not letting money out for low-end homeowner buyers.  Did you know Henry Cisneros sits on the board of Countrywide Mortgage?  I hope he can explain that one away. I need to get a job. Unfortunately, Editor Joe Solis doesn't pay me anything for these articles. 

 

Let's talk about Mikal Watts this week.  He is doing a good job visiting with assorted grassroots groups in San Antonio and the state.  Christian Archer, his campaign manager, knows where to take Mikal.

 

Unfortunately, something is seriously wrong.  What is it?  I think Democrats enjoy being wined and dined by Mikal, but they do not really know him. Let me tell you that it really takes time to win the hearts and minds of most Democrats.  It is an emotional battle that one has to wage.  I get the impression that folks will eat his food and enjoy his drinks, but in the end, they are going over the Rick Noriega.  (Old man Congressman Gonzalez had it right when he said, "eat their tacos and drink their beer and vote for me." 

 

In the end, they come back to the place where they are comfortable. Mikal can spend $20 million, but you cannot buy Democrats that easily.  I can't say that for Republicans though.

 

Democrats like and admire Mikal, but deep down inside, they know it is not his time.  He has no name ID.  What is Mikal thinking? This takes years of preparation to run a statewide campaign.  Look at Tony Sanchez.  Money is not everything except to those who feed off the well-to-do candidates like Tony and Mikal. Actually, some of the staff Mikal hired were also on the Tony Sanchez campaign. Who would have guessed it?

 

 Myths, Realities and Roorbacks in District 21

Dear Republicrats Readers,

The question is still out there, will Senator Zaffirrini be able to hold on to her Senate District 21 seat? We don't think so. It looks like grassroots folks in D-21 are already saying it is time for a change.  The word is out that she has forgotten most of us is evident by her selective performance for District 21. She presently represents 17 counties. They are Atascosa, Bee, Bexar (only certain sections of it), Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Jim Hogg, Karnes, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala. The total population for these as per the 2000 census is 639,521 constituents. 482,362 persons live in non-rural areas and 157,160 live in rural communities. Only 68,722 of the population live in BexarCounty but it seems according to our lead report that these are the ones that are running her agenda.  Zaffirini has held on to her seat for 20 years, obviously during her tenure she has managed to create a list of favorites and we aren't on it.

Louis Bruni has set-up his website and it is impressive.  Go to louishbruni.com and look at the TV commercials.  He has 3 so far and they call Zaffirini a hypocrite for supporting a bill that is in favor of the Tobacco industry and then taking money from the Trial Lawyers Association that sued the same Tobacco industry for millions (by the way, this is the Trial Lawyers Association that sponsored the "Dan the Horse" roorback ads when Bruni was running for County Judge. The Trial Lawyers did this for Z. who was then supporting Bruni. )  Bruni also challenges her voting against property tax relief, a sore subject for us. The 3rd ad speaks of tuition de-regulation and the skyrocketing cost of higher education due to her votes in favor of this issue 2 sessions ago.  

Barrientos is still quiet.  His man Collin Struthers continues to affirm he will be in this District race and we should be hearing from him very soon.

That is all for now, that is the moderate view, I am 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  (SolisJoe@sbcglobal.net)