Precinct 381
Precinct 381
Chairperson Kay Walker, 864-2874
…
May 2010 Newsletter:
The Senate District Five Democratic meeting is to be held in Lexington, TX on May 15, and will be attended by Jane Yendell, Rochelle Margolis, Kay Walker and Keith King and possibly other delegates to the State Convention in June. At this May 15 meeting, plans for the State Convention will be laid. Each Senate District consists of several counties, and ours consists of fourteen, with Williamson being the western edge.
January 2010 Newsletter:
March 2010 Primary
The March 2010 Primary is beginning to “heat up”. I hesitate to say that any particular person is running for any particular office before the filing deadline of January 4, but since I attended the Williamson County Democratic Party executive council meeting last night, I did pick up some pieces of interesting news:
First of all the WCDP will open an office in Round Rock from which to run the Democrat Primary (March 2, 2010). This is funded by the office of the Secretary of State, and cannot be on the same site as the WC Campaign Headquarters. For one thing, there cannot be any campaign literature in the Primary Office. The WCDP Chairperson, Richard Torres, will be the director of the Williamson County Democrat Primary. His budget will cover election personnel and training, supplies such as ballots, and rent for the site. As you may know, election judges in general elections in Texas are selected from the party that won the most recent governor election in each precinct. In the past, these were almost entirely the Republican Party. However, in the last election, Democrats in Williamson County won in 26 precincts. So in those 26 precincts, a Democrat is selected as election judge. This is important because the judge selects the clerks. The judge is directed to select an even number of Democrats and Republicans as clerks, but if she/he cannot find enough Democrats, then she/he may select Republicans. You are probably beginning to get the drift of where this might lead. This is not a problem in primary elections.
At any rate, the Primary Election in Sun City will be held at the SC Social Center as usual. Remember in a primary, you must choose which party’s ballot you wish to mark. You cannot choose some candidates from each party. In fact there will be rooms or areas marked off for the Democrat Primary and other areas marked off for the Republican Primary. So if you want to vote for Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican Primary, you will not be able to vote for any Democrat candidate in the Democrat Primary. Also, if you vote in the Republican Primary, you will automatically be ineligible to run for any Democrat office in the next election, should you wish to do so.
However, if you decide anyway to vote in the Republican Primary (Texas has open primaries), this has absolutely no effect on how you may vote in the General Election next November.
Important Dates:
February 1, 2010 – last day to register to vote
February 16-26, 2010 – Early Voting
February 23, 2010 – last day to apply for ballot by mail
Okay, enough civics. What about the candidates?
Federal Office
US Senate – there will be no race because Kay Bailey Hutchison has not resigned her seat and has stated she will not do so until after the primary.
US House District 31 – Democrats: ___________ / Republicans: John Carter
State Office
Governor – Democrats: Bill White, Farouk Shami / Republicans: Kay Bailey Hutchison, Rick Perry, Larry Kilgore, Deborah Medina
Texas Third Court of Appeals – Democrats: Kurt Kuhn (This is the Court for which the Democrats successfully elected as Chief Justice, Judge Woodie Jones two years ago. It represents 24 counties)
Attorney General – Democrats: Barbara Ann Radnofsky / Republican: Greg Abbott
State Senate District 5 – Democrats: ____________ / Republicans: Incumbent is Steve Ogden, but he has talked about switching places with Dan Gattis, Jr.
State House District 20 – Democrats: ______________ / Republicans: Incumbent is Dan Gattis, Jr., but he recently decided not to run. We’ll have to wait til Jan. 4 on these two.
State Board of Education District 10 – Democrats: Dr. Judy Jennings / Republicans: Brian Russell (Incumbent Cynthia Dunbar declines to run and indicates that she wants Brian Russell in her place–does she think this is Mexico?)
County Office
District Attorney – Democrats: ___________ / Republicans: John Bradley is the incumbent
District Clerk – Democrats: ______________ / Republicans: Lisa David is the incumbent
County Court #1 Democrats: Teresa Duffin / Republicans : Suzanne Brooks
County Court #3 – no one for either party.
County Judge – Democrats: _____________ / Republicans: Dan Gattis, Sr. is the incumbent
County Treasurer – Democrats: _____________ / Republicans: Vivan Wood is the incumbent
County Clerk – Democrats: ______________ / Republicans: Nancy Rister is the incumbent
Justice of the Peace, Precinct Three – Open for both parties: This is our precinct and a candidate from Sun City would be appropriate. Salary is about $73,000 per year. Candidate need not be a lawyer.
Democratic County Chair – Paul Stempko
If the above blank spaces look dismal for the Democratic party, note that the Republicans hold every office, but I do not know if all or any of the incumbents have filed for the March Primary Election. Also, the WCDP Chairperson and a candidate search committee are making every attempt to fill the Democrat side of the ticket. Some of these blank spaces have a Democrat considering filing. It is difficult, mainly because it is almost impossible for any Democrat to win any election in Williamson County. On the other hand, Williamson County is slowly turning “Blue”, and sooner or later we will begin winning a few of these elections.
If you are interested in running for office, contact County Chairperson, Richard Torres at torg@aol.com or at the WCD Headquarters 512-388-1993 to see what positions you would be eligible for and the amount of the filing costs.
Until then get ready for the fun. As Molly Ivins used to say, ” Texas politics is always great entertainment”.
November 2009 Newsletter:–November 2009 Newsletter
It’s time to amend the Texas Constitution again. Texas has one of the longest constitutions in the country, but a move to revise has never passed. So we just keep on adding amendments. For example, the US Constitution has 7 articles and 27 amendments. The Texas Constitution has 17 articles and 456 amendments. Only Alabama and California have longer constitutions.
Tuesday, November 3, you will have the opportunity to vote on 11 more amendments. These have already passed the Texas House and Senate, but must be ratified by the voters. Here is a brief summary of the amendments. You can also go to www.lwvtexas.org or to www.tlc.state.tx.uspubsconamend/analysis09 for more in-depth descriptions and analyses of the amendments. But if you are pressed for time, here is a short list:
Proposition 1 would allow the legislature to let cities and counties issue debt in order to acquire buffer areas, infrastructure right-of-way, and open space next to military installations.
Proposition 2 requires that Texans’ homestead property – the home where they live – be appraised only as a home. This stops appraisal districts from appraising a homeowner’s property based on a shopping mall or office building.
Proposition 3 strengthens state oversight of a property appraisal board’s practices and procedures. This should reduce the wide variations in the way appraisal districts set property tax values.
Proposition 4 would dedicate more than $400 million, which we already have, to turn seven existing Texas universities into “tier-one” public research universities.
Proposition 5 allows adjoining appraisal districts or similar entities to consolidate their review board functions so they can be more effecient.
Proposition 6 would let the Veterans’ Land Board issue more debt than it does now to help Texas veterans acquire land or get a mortgage loan.
Proposition 7 would clarify that members of the Texas State Guard and other military personnel could hold civil offices such as justice of the peace or county commissioner.
Proposition 8 would clarify that the state can contribute money, property or other resources for a veteran’s hospital. Most immediately, this would allow the state to help build a veterans hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, as required by a law that took effect earlier this year.
Proposition 9 would strengthen the state’s Open Beaches Law by putting it in the constitution and clarifying that the public has the unrestricted right to use public beaches.
Proposition 10 would lengthen the term of Emergency Services District Board members from two to four years.
Proposition 11 builds on a current law limiting the ability of the state, or any other jurisdiction, to condemn and acquire property for economic development purposes through the use of eminent domain. And it would require a two-thirds vote of the state House and Senate before the legislature could grant the power of eminent domain to a Texas entity.
Voting place is the CA Ballroom. Early voting is October 19-30 minus the middle Sunday. Times are 8:00-6:00 the first week and 7:00-7:00 the second week. Election Day (Nov. 3) is in the CA Ballroom 7:00-7:00. There are no human candidates in this election.
State Senator Kirk Watson suggests that all amendments are worth voting “yes” on. He adds that the ones which will most directly affect our lives are numbers 2,3,4,5 and 11.
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Important dates to remember:
October 16 (5:30) will be a potluck supper at the Oaks sponsored by the Sun City Democrat Club. Bring a salad, vegetable, entree or dessert. No politics here; just fun and conversation.
November 3 Election Day (see above)
November 7 Sun City Democrat Club will meet at 9:30 in the Activity Center Atrium.
November 11 (5:30) Precinct Pre-election Event at the Oaks. Definitely politics here. If you are concerned with the machinations of our present State Board of Education in the areas of science and sex education this last year and in the area of history education next year, this is for you. Two candidates for the March 2010 primary election of a new State Board of Education member will state their cases for you and then mix and mingle with the crowd. Drs. Judy Jennings and Lorenzo Sadun are vying to be the Democratic candidate to oppose Cynthia Dunbar later in the General Election. This event is sponsored by Sun City’s four precinct chairpersons. RSVP to me so that we can have some idea of the number expected to attend.
March 2, 2010 – Primary election. This is when you will choose between Bill White (former Chair of Texas Democratic Party, US Deputy Secretary of Energy, Mayor of Houston) and John Sharp (former Texas House of Representatives, Railroad Commissioner, and State comptroller) for Democratic candidate for the US Senate, as well as choosing a Democratic candidate to face the winner of the Hutchison-Perry contest over the Texas governorship.
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And speaking of the March Primary Election, there are several county positions without a Democrat candidate. If there are any would-be-politicians out there, please contact Lindsey Ellerbach, executive director of the Williamson County Headquarters or Richard Torres, county chairperson for Williamson County Democrats (512-555-1212) for filing forms and information. The filiing deadline is January 3, 2010.
The following offices need Democrat candidates:
US Representative, Dist. 31, now held by John Carter
State Senator, Dist. 5, now held by Steve Ogden
State Representative (Dist. 20) now held by Dan Gattis
District Clerk
County Judge
County Clerk at Law, precinct 3
County Clerk
County Treasurer
County Surveyor
Precinct Chair, precinct 381, now held by me. This position is not empty, but this is the time to file if you wish to be on the ballot.
June 2009 Newsletter:
MAY 9 ELECTION:
Local and county elections took place on May 9th, although not many people voted. Approximately 350 Sun City citizens voted, though to be fair, I must point out that anyone living in Jarrell School District did not have anything on their ballot and so could not vote at all. Congratulations are in order for Patty Eason for winning re-election to the Georgetown City Council District 1. Democrats also won a Round Rock city council place and a school board position. In addition, Democrats won a Taylor city council place and are in a run off for a Leander school board position. Against these 4.5 wins, we had three losses in the nearby area, so that is a plus for our total.
TEXAS LEGISLATURE:
The legislature is coming to a close without a great deal of progress. Here is the outcome on a few bills, though Governor Rick Perry can veto any of the passed bills as you know.
1. Elective Bible courses in public schools upon request – pass
2. The words, “Under God” added to the Texas pledge of allegiance- pass
3. Require truth and accuracy in sex education materials – fail
4. Two year moratorium on Texas Transportation Commission – pass
5. Protect journalists’ right to protect their resources – pass
6. More money for border security – pass
7. Lower insurance rates for Texans – not much
8. Lower electricity rates for Texans – fail
9. Require different tests (than TAKS) for Texas public school students – pass
10. Put a 5% cap on tuition increases in state colleges – pass
11. Require biology classes to encourage questioning the veracity of evolution and climate change – pass
12. Expanded voter identification requirements – undecided
To check on the final outcomes, google Texas Legislature scorecard 2009. Although the Republicans have had a few set-backs over the spring, such as a new and more compassionate house speaker and today a Perry appointment rejected, they will pretty much have their way. As Molly Ivins used to say, “The Texas Legislature is the best entertainment in town!”
May 2009 Newsletter:
On April 17, 2009 THE TEXAS SENATE PASSED SB362, the Voter Photo ID Requirement bill. All Republicans voted for and all Democrats voted against. This goes now to the Texas House. This bill has primarily been a ploy by the Republican Party to keep the legislature from attending to important needed legislation.
Two Elections are coming up in May: The Georgetown Independent School District (GISD) Board Members and the Sun City Community Association (SCCA) Board Members.
First on May 9th is election day for Municipal, County and School Board positions. However, the only candidate for whom Precinct 381 residents may vote are two GISD Board Members. Residents in Jarrell School District have no one for whom to vote. Early voting will take place on May 4th and 5th. On all dates, you may vote at the Sun City Ballroom. For early voting, you may vote at any polling place in Williamson County, but on election day you can vote only at the Sun City Ballroom. Regardless of where you vote, your precinct number printed on your voter card will indicate which ballot you are to use.
As this election is classified as non-partisan, you will not see the political party designated by each candidate. Here is the ballot:
Georgetown ISD, Trustee, Place 6:
• Linda D. Larsen (Incumbent & Board Secretary)
• Gregory B. Eady
Georgetown ISD, Trustee, Place 7:
• Bradley D. Smith (Incumbent & Board President)
• Nicholas B. Brumder
Second is the Election of three new board members for the Sun City CA Board of Directors. Pulte appoints the majority of board members, but the residents get to elect four other members. A board for managing a community association is somewhat like a board running a corporation. With a transition from being under the control and guidance of Pulte to taking sole charge of our community, the situation becomes much more complicated. We need to look for appropriate experience in these three new board members, and we can ill afford to select an amateur. To help you determine who has the best qualifications for this job, there will be a Candidate Forum on May 7th at 9:00 a.m. in the Sun City Ballroom (or you can view it live on channel 79). To read campaign literature for each candidate, go to www.sctxca.org and then select CA Board Campaign. You will immediately see that some candidates list myriad positions of experience in the SCCA, such as Neighborhood Representative, Emergency Management Committee member, Home Warranty Committee, Finance Committee, Special Projects Committee. Others have lobbying experience or have served on boards of Pulte Communities in other parts of the country. If a candidate does not list experiences such as these, you might deduce that they have none. Just as in the School Board Election described above, this election is designated as non-partisan, so you will not see a political party designated by each candidate. Your household will get three votes. Your ballot will arrive in the mail about April 22, but you have until May 29th to submit it to the SCCA office.
The candidates for Sun City CA Board are:
• Bill Cobb
• Earl Kilbride
• Kim Moran
• Diane Nagy
• Bill White
JS 05/20/2009
April 2009 Newsletter:
The Williamson County Democratic Party met Thursday, March 12, in their headquarters at I-35 and Highway 620. The Search Committee recommended a candidate (out of 36 who applied) be confirmed as our new Executive Director. You may recall that this person’s salary is to be paid by a PAC connected to Annie’s List on the condition that our organization raise enough money to pay the rent on the headquarters. This candidate was confirmed, and her name is Lindsey Ellerbach. She is from Oklahoma and has political experience in Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington DC and Iowa. She will begin work about the first of April.
After this business was taken care of, Billie Reaney of the Fundraising Committee reported that the number of sustaining members needed to pay the aforementioned rent is now at 110. One hundred thirty are needed. These sustaining members are people willing to pay $10/month to the Williamson County Democratic Party. Contact Billie Reaney or me if you are willing to step up
to this volunteer effort.
County Chairperson Richard Torres introduced five Democrat candidates for the May election. We in Sun City do not get to vote for any of these, but you may want to support them in some way such as with money or your time.
1. Patti Eason (incumbent) will run for a third term in the
Georgetown City Council. She does have an opponent. Her campaign has already kicked off at the Harper-Chesser Inn Bed and Breakfast in Georgetown.
2. Carl Wake will run for Place 2 on the Leander City Council.
3. Dr. Victor Villareal will run for mayor of Leander. He asked for volunteers to be at early voting and election day there. vicforleander.com
4. John Moman will run for Place 5 on the Round Rock City Council. johnmoman.com
5. Antonio Chapman will run for a place on the Round Rock School Board.
Additional candidates in Georgetown are:
Georgetown City Council, District 1
• Patty Eason (i)
• Ric Spencer
Georgetown City Council, District 5
• Pat Berryman (i)
Georgetown ISD Trustee, Place 6
• Greg Eady
• Linda Larsen (i)
Georgetown ISD Trustee, Place 7
• Nicholas Brumder
• Brad Smith (i)
JS04/05/2009
March 2009 Newsletter:
On the State level:
If Kay Bailey Hutchison’s US Senate seat comes available, two prominent Democrats have already started campaign funds:
1. John Sharp (former State Comptroller, member of Railroad Commission, and State Legislator)
2. Bill White (Mayor of Houston, former Chairperson of the State Democratic Party and US Deputy Secretary of Energy).
The Texas Board of Education is concerned with evolution in the biology textbooks this spring. In a January preliminary vote, the TBOE agreed to refrain from watering down the science textbooks with requirements to add intelligent design or creationism to biology textbooks. However, this was not the final vote. The final vote will be in March, and the religious right is coordinating vast call-ins to board members against the teaching of evolution. If this is important to you, contact your board member. For more information, google TBOE.
Cynthia Dunbar, TBOE Chair
Telephone: 512-463-9007
E-mail: sboesupport@tea.state.tx.us
The Texas Legislature has begun its 81st session, and as Molly Ivins said, “There is no better entertainmet to be had”. More recently, Texas Observer editor Bob Moser said, “In the Texas legislature, gridlock is not necessarily a bad thing.”
1. The Senate Republicans are planning to file a bill to require voter ID at the polls. There was not one single case of voter fraud proved last year in Texas. This bill is part of a nationally orchestrated effort to discourage and suppress turnout among low-income, minority and elderly voters who are more inclined to support Democrats.
2. Sex Education. Identical senate and house bills were filed in January with the purpose of requiring accuracy in sex education materials for the public schools. The opposition, again is organized and intent. It is time to let our legislators know what we expect of them. Google the bills for their complete content and authors.
State Senator, Steve Ogden (R) re: SB 515
Telephone: 512-463-0105
Email: steve.ogden@senate.state.tx.us
State Representative, Dan Gattis (R) re: HB 741
Telephone: 512-463-0309
E-mail: dan.gattis@house.state.tx.us
On the County Level:
At the last Williamson County Executive Committee meeting, Larry Yawn, of Round Rock, gave a report on the search for an executive director for the headquarters. Thirty two people have applied, and the search committee hopes to make a choice by March.
Billie Reaney, of Sun City, gave a report on ad hoc fund raising committee, which has as the goal to raise enough money to pay the Headquarters’ rent. She has 100 of the 130 needed sustaining members needed, so please help. Call me.
The third item on the agenda was to approve a Strategic Plan made by the strategic planning committee. This included items such as:
a. Grow the WCDP grassroots and volunteer programs.
b. Grow a stable funding base for the WCDP.
c. Develop a communications program that provides
information to voters, precinct chairs, and candidates.
d. Develop a political research program (includes a systematic opposition research program)
e. Improve the process for recruiting Democratic candidates.
f. Employ year round professional staff
g. Increase the number of trained, active precinct chairs.
The Williamson County Commissioners Court:
1. They renewed the T. Don Hutto contract with Corrections Corporation of America for two years to imprison immigrant children and their families while they wait for their ICE hearings. Several groups of concerned citizens and the ACLU have been working to prevent this renewal.
2. They renewed the no-bid land fill contract with Waste Management over objections by many who wanted time to study the danger to residents nearby and to groundwater.
On the Local Level:
Meanwhile, the City Council has been busy:
1. They terminated the trial bus service from Sun City to Georgetown, over requests by many citizens to keep it.
2. They placed a $5. cap on per person expenditures for children and other charitable funding.
May 9, 2009 Local Elections:
There are some 40 offices coming open in Williamson County. If you think you would like to run for office, contact County Democratic Chairperson Richard Torres at torgr@aol.com or at the WCD Headquarters 512-388-1993 to see exactly what positions you would be eligible for and the amount of the filing costs.
JS 02/23/2009
February 2009 Newsletter:
County/State news: At the Williamson County Democratic Party meeting on January 8th at the WCDP Headquarters, Diana Maldonado spoke at this meeting and unveiled her five-point plan:
1. Grow a Stable Funding Base for the Party
2. Hire a Full-Time Staff for the Party
3. Develop a Research & Communications Operation.
4. Substantially Grow the Grassroots Support for WilCo Democrats.
5. Institute a Targeted & Coordinated Campaign Program.
These are the broad strokes of the plan but working together we need to fill in the details of how we are to accomplish these goals. It is a new day in Williamson County and if we seize the opportunity in front of us today, we can keep WilCo moving forward.”
Texas State Board of Education election watch. I have been told that when Cynthia Dunbar runs for re-election to this board (2010), the Democratic Party will have a candidate–unlike in 2006. One person in Williamson County and two in Travis County, so far, have expressed an interest in being this candidate. At least one of the Travis County prospects is a professor at UT Austin.
January 2009 Newsletter:
Texas School Board Watch
The Texas State Board of Education consists of 15 members–5 Democrats and 10 Republicans. This year, 2009, is crucial because the board is to consider science textbooks for the state.
There is a block of 7 extremely conservative members that wishes to add creationism to the science curriculum and textbooks. Our school board representative, Cynthia Dunbar, is one of this block. The chairman of the board is Don McLeroy, who is also part of the block. He was appointed chairperson by Governor Rick Perry. The other five conservative block members are Barbara Cargill, Gail Lowe, Terri Leo, Ken Mercer and David Bradley. The three remaining (swing?) Republicans are Patricia Hardy, Geraldine Miller, and Bob Craig. The five Democrats are Rene Nuñez of El Paso, Mary Helen Berlenga of Corpus Christi, Rick Agosto of San Antonio, Lawrence Allen of Houston, and Mavis Knight of Dallas.
Our Board of Education district is #10 and consists of 16 counties in the middle of Texas that string from the Gulf of Mexico to the Red River. They include Austin, Bastrop, Brazoria, Burleson, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Ft. Bend, Gonzales, Lavaca, Lee, Milam, Travis, Waller, Washington and Williamson. Cynthia Dunbar, of Richmond, was elected in 2006. She is up for reelection in 2010. The Austin Statesman, Houston Chronicle and Ft. Worth Star-Telegram have written scathing editorials about her and strongly recommend her defeat.
Some people have belatedly asked, “How did we get in this situation?” Well, it began in the early 1990’s and coincided with the rise of the radical religious right throughout the country. It was funded (in Texas) in great part by Dr. James Leininger of voucher fame; Bob Perry of Perry Homes and Swiftboat infamy; Bo Pilgrim of Pilgrim Chicken Co.; and Don O’Neal, a beer and wine distributer. Other contributors and supporting organizations are listed at texasfreedomnetwork.org. Perhaps we should boycott Perry homes and Pilgrim chicken. In 2006, when Cynthia Dunbar won her election, the Democratic Party did not put forth a candidate. Her only opponent was Libertarian Martin Thomen, who took 30% of the vote.
Keep up to date on this and other developing issues at
Texas Freedom Network, http://www.tfn.org,
http://www.wiliamsoncountydemocrats.org, and
http://www.eyeonwilliamson.org.
I also check out http://www.scotthochberg.com. He is my favorite to displace Tom Craddick and has a great newsletter/site.