Tag Archives: governor

Beto O’Rourke Files for TXGov As 2022 Dem Primary Filing Period Begins

Posted on November 16, 2021 | Comments Off on Beto O’Rourke Files for TXGov As 2022 Dem Primary Filing Period Begins

Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke announced his candidacy for Governor of Texas on Monday morning which caused sighs of relief everywhere.

“I’m running to serve the people of Texas, and I want to make sure that we have a governor that serves everyone, helps to bring this state together to do the really big things before us and get past the small, divisive politics and policies of Greg Abbott,” O’Rourke said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. “It is time for change.”

Texas Tribune

Yes, I am among those who are relieved, too. We knew it was coming, but I’m glad he did it early in the filing period. Also, while he’s running to win, it is my hope that his candidacy will drive up participation and excitement, particularly in Democratic strongholds and areas affected by Republican redistricting in which many are losing representation.

Greg Abbott’s response was to parade around his newest minion, Ryan Guillen, a state rep who represents South Texas’s HD31 and who switched to the GOP after being squeezed by right-wingers during redistricting. The Trib calls it a blow to Democrats, but I see it as finally getting rid of an ineffective member who has always been part of the republican’s bigoted culture war. New representation has been needed for a long time. Dems in the Lege stated that Guillen chose to buckle after his district was made tougher for a Dem to win. Pobrecito el chaquetero. Good riddance. And that should be the Dems’ attitude while recruiting a good candidate.

Meanwhile, the Harris County Democratic Party began taking candidate filing applications this last Saturday. The filing deadline is December 13. Hopefully, the party will have a running list of filings on their website soon. They do have some admin work to do while folks file. Of course, there’s also the Erik Manning list of folks with campaign treasurer appointments.

Prospective judicial candidates have been hard at work for months collecting signatures that will allow them to forgo the filing application and become part of the coordinated campaign which pools resources for countywide GOTV. Thus far, I haven’t signed any petitions, but that is because I’m keeping myself safe from unmasked events. Anyway…

Some are expecting surprise announcements as the deadline nears. We shall see what happens.

Here’s the video of Beto O’Rourke’s announcement, while Kuff expands on the story.

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Posted in 2021, Democratic Stuff, Elections, Republinuttiness, Texas Lege

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Greg Abbott Is Evil…The Next Chapter

Posted on October 13, 2021 | Comments Off on Greg Abbott Is Evil…The Next Chapter

It’s all a show, really. Greg Abbott’s death mandates to ban vaccination mandates are all for show. At this point, even with slowed vaccination rates, all Greg Abbott is doing is speaking to what’s left of his base that is yet to get vaccinated. I’m pretty sure most of his actual campaign check-writers are vax’d, since they all enjoy taking advantage of the stupid and right-wing.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued another executive order cracking down on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this time banning any entity in Texas, including private businesses, from requiring vaccinations for employees or customers.

Abbott also called on the Legislature to pass a law with the same effect, promising to rescind the executive order once that happened. The Legislature is in this year’s third special legislative session, which ends Oct. 19.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, & our best defense against the virus, but should always remain voluntary & never forced.”

Gee, Greg, you’re talking out of both ends of your body.

I agree with Kuff that it seems like a childish tantrum to whine and moan about President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccination order affecting companies with 100+ employees. The reality is that there is no whining when it comes to all the other vaccines children are required to obtain.

While GOP officials are pushing back against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the state has allowed other kinds of vaccine mandates in public schools and universities for years.

Texas public schools require K-12 students to get vaccinated for tetanus; polio; measles, mumps and rubella; hepatitis B; chickenpox; meningitis and hepatitis A. College students are required to receive a meningitis vaccination, too. Health care and veterinary students are required to get additional vaccines for rabies, tetanus-diphtheria and hepatitis B.

For Abbott, this is all a response to Biden winning the election, proving again that he is a failure as a governor. Meanwhile, the State of Texas is only 52% vaccinated against COVID-19, over 68,000 have died under Greg Abbott’s failed leadership, and people are still getting sick and suffering.

This is a reminder that, in Texas, since Day 1, we have been on our own. I’d also add that there’s an election in 2022, but we need an announced viable candidate to get excited about that.

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Posted in 2021, Health Care, Republinuttiness, Texas Lege

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Republicans Blame Brown People for COVID-19

Posted on July 30, 2021 | 1 comment

Thus far, the governors of two failing states, Texas and Iowa, have blamed brown folks for the rise in the COVID-19 rate. They don’t blame the fact that half of their states have yet to be vaccinated or that they are run by anti-mask republicans, though.

In Texas, Greg Abbott has given orders to his state police to commit racial profiling to stop any car with suspected migrants from leaving South Texas in the name of COVID-19. Meanwhile, we don’t know the vaccination rate of his state police, county police who are happily assisting him, or his national guard members. We also know that more than half the state is unvaccinated because of him.

In Iowa, its governor blames brown folk, but the Iowa State Fair goes merrily on with no mask mandate while the medical experts worry about the kind of COVID-19 outbreak that will occur.

You can use a term like “culture war” all you want, but this is downright racist public policy. And those running for office need to call it what it is because the republicans sure as hell aren’t playing nice. Why should we?

The Attorney General of the United States spoke up and threatened to sue Abbott for his policy which violates civil rights of noncitizens in federal custody. Unfortunately, the Biden’s administration position has more to do with defending its right to transport captured migrants, rather than changing immigration and detention policy altogether.

Anyway, we are seeing what the republican platform will be in 2022.

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Posted in 2021, Cultura, Elections, History, Media, Republinuttiness, Sensible Immigration Reform, Texas Lege

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So, Who’s Running in 2014?

Posted on April 4, 2013 | Comments Off on So, Who’s Running in 2014?

For Governor, it will not be SA’s Mayor Julian Castro, and now, not Senator Wendy Davis.

Texpatriate and Kuff talk a little bit about the names that are out there. Of those mentioned by the two and that I’ve heard of, I must say I like Mike Villarreal the most. Rep. Villarreal has made a name for himself on many issues that I support, whether it be education equity, woman’s right to choose, or other issues with a liberal/progressive bent. But, frankly, given political realities, I don’t usually feel like sacrificing good Mexican American talent.

So, perhaps we should push draft the one mentioned by Kuff–Henry Cisneros? That’s if he’s back in tip-top health, of course.

Here’s my take. The guy has amassed some good wealth post-Clinton-era, so, win or lose, he stands to gain. Sure, we lib-labs complain about millionaires getting elected to office, but hell, I wouldn’t mind hearing Republicans complaining about a Mexican American millionaire-“lib’rul.” And he’d rile up Latino voters, for sure.

Just a thought.

Now, this is just me taking political realities about 2014 into consideration, rather than being a Zombie-Dem cheerleader like I usually am. (Not being really involved in any clubs lately has done that to me.)

Of course, that leaves us with a whole bunch of statewide positions to seek, including the need for a good, strong candidate for Land Commish to beat “Little Brown One.”

There’s no doubt we have some good people on deck, especially folks working hard like State Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer, long one of my favorites, as well as others like State Reps. Armando Walle, Ana Hernandez Luna, Rafael Anchia, etc. Surely, Dems can build a list of up-and-comers to get some statewide name ID in 2014 for the run-up to bigger victories in 2016, 2018, and beyond.

I’m sure we’ll be having more conversations about this in the near future. For now, we’ve got 2013 City elections! I’m still trying to get excited about those races.

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Posted in 2013 Categories, Elections

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Term Limits Bill: DC is Not a Fan

Posted on March 20, 2013 | 1 comment

The Texas Senate approved a term limits bill by a huge margin. 

The Senate advanced the proposed constitutional amendment to the House with a vote of 27-4. If approved by voters, the amendment would apply to governors, lieutenant governors, attorneys general and state agency commissioners. It would not apply to judges or the legislators themselves.

I don’t care if I’m not a fan of Rick Perry-types, I think it is undemocratic to place limits on elected officials. If the voters can’t get rid of them, then the opposing party isn’t doing a good job of educating voters on issues and candidates.

Who says DosCentavos can’t play well with Republicans?

On the other hand, limits on political (and donor-based) appointments isn’t a bad idea. Appointments should go to well-qualified individuals, sure, but not to the highest bidder.

What we need more of is campaign finance reform, but I doubt there would be much support for it. Campaigns seem to be temporary job creators nowadays.

Update:  Kuff and I agree.

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Posted in 2013 Categories, Elections, Texas Lege

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