Larry For the Lege

Election Eve Emotions

2006-11-06T16:11:00.001-08:00

Right now, I am feeling so very grateful for all of the support - financial, emotional, and spiritual, as well as the physical work of all of the people who made this campaign possible. I don't have words to reflect what is in my heart. I am thinking of the lady who sent me $2.00 cash, a true widow's mite. I am thinking about the many truly honorable Republicans who not only supported me emotionally in my quest, but in practical ways with money and enormous amounts of time, especially my own "Band of Brothers" who served with me in defense of our country. I am thinking about the candidates like John Courage and David Van Os who took time from their own challeges to help this rookie learn the ropes. I am thinking of those hopeful Democrats who didn't know me from Adam, but trusted enough to send some fairly hefty checks. I am thinking of the supporters who helped me become a candidate by telling me to wear a tie (I took that advice) and to sign my name more legibly (I couldn't comply with that one). I am thinking of my sisters and brothers from the Stonewall Democrats who taught me what equality before the law really means. I am thinking of the "come here" couple who, just as Diane and I were getting overwhelmed, stepped in and started to manage my campaign, which meant stuffing a lot of envelopes as well as planning strategy. I am thinking of my sisters from the Kendall County Area Democratic Women, who literally paid my filing fee. I am thinking of Loretta, who helped me articulate my position on the environment. I am thinking of the many teachers who took their sleep time to meet with me early in the morning to talk about their vision for educating our children in Texas for the new millenium. I am thinking of my community of faith which expected nothing of me this last year, except to take their loving support and rest in their embrace on Sundays. I am thinking of all the bloggers out there in Left Blogistan who cheered me on whenever I wrote my un-spell-checked diaries. I am thinking of Carla Mercado who always was there with a check, a hug, and the willingness to do even the most dull and thankless work to help me get elected. I am thinking of my employers who gave me their permission to run for this office. I am thinking of COMM-D, who is holding down a full-time job, in graduate school, a mother of two, and who managed the communications for my campaign.

Even though I am sure I am not thinking of everybody who carried me through this last year, I do want to tell y'all that I am also thinking of Zada True-Courage, who got me into this in the first place. I am glad I did it, Zada. Thanks for asking.

Larry

It's Because Of Iraq

2006-11-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

You know what to do, Make it viral.

H/T to Charlie at Pink Dome.

Happy All Hallow's Eve

2006-10-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kos.)

"It's Garbage", He Says. Global Warming, That Is.

2006-10-31T06:50:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, the Democratic Candidates Kathi Thomas and Little Larry waxed their opponents Jeffie and Frank at a Woods of Shavano neighborhood "question the candidates" event. At that event, Kathi's opponent, the incumbent, notoriously called the the idea of global warming "garbage", getting hisses and boos from the decidedly upscale audience.

Well, it turns out that global warming is not just NOT "garbage", as all but cranks and kool-aid drinkers feel free to admit; it is an economic catastrophe. The former head of the World Bank Nick Stern says so.

Texas could lead the U.S. out of this catastrophe, too. We could be leaders in solar, wind and biomass power, but we have politicians who think anything but fossil fuel energy generation is "garbage". Larry and Kathi think we should be turning our garbage into energy to light our homes and run our industries.

You know what to do. Vote Democrat.

Don't Vote (.com)

2006-10-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

Sorta reminds me of a cross between Rick Perry and Gregg Abbott:

Thanks to Charlie.

BLACKLISTED!!!!!!

2006-10-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

Just guess which Texas Legislator is on these folk's BLACKLIST?

Yup. Good Ol' Frank Corte.

"Since these folks have worked so hard to give our land to the Spaniards, I feel they deserve a vacation. Let's send them home."

10/26/06

Good Ol' Frank Corte.

Ralph Snyder
The Blackland Coalition
Copyright 2006

These politicians are the people who brought you the Trans-Texas Corridor and tolls on roads we have already paid for. They voted to confiscate our land and roads for special interest profits (HB-3588).

Good Ol' Frank Corte.

NO MATTER WHAT HE IS TRYING TO TELL YOU HE'S DONE ABOUT "IMINENT DOMAIN", HE VOTED TO CONFISCATE OUR LANDS AND ROADS FOR SPECIAL INTEREST PROFITS!!!.

You know what to do. Vote for Larry Stallings for Texas House District 122.

2006-10-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Mr. COMM-D and I both voted on Monday, him at the Semmes library and me at Lions Field off Broadway, both here in S.A. I can't speak to his polling place, but was pleased to see that while the lions were moving awful, awful slow the gentlemen and lady manning my polling place were working their tails off and running a clean show. As someone who has seen some egregious nastiness at polling places over the years, this did my heart good.

And bless them, not a one of them had stopped to eat lunch...they were so excited to see so many voters out they didn't want even one of them to have to wait longer than necessary to cast their ballot.

It's been a lesson in districting for my 9 and 6 year old as well. They don't understand why we live so close to their grandpa, but arn't able to vote for him. But the fact that they got to see their parents vote for Maya and Leya's daddy was almost as exciting.

I have every confidence that these two kids (not to mention Maya and Leya!) will be politically active their whole lives. My 9 year old was counting the years until she gets to vote for the first time. It might be a bit of a "well, duh" moment but if we want our kids to be politically active when they grow up we have to show them where to start.

Something nice every day now...

2006-10-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

The Bulldog was disappointed when the San Antonio Toll Party, after all his work in local hearings and after all his stumping their position, did not endorse him, just listed him as one of the "Good Guys" on the issue, and his opponent as one of the Bad Guys" on the issue. They said they did not want to dilute their endorsement. Their call, I guess.

But a nice surprise was in The Bulldog's inbox last night:

"TexasTollParty.com

TAKE THIS LIST WITH YOU INTO THE VOTING BOOTH.
Early Voting: Oct 23 - Nov 3 Election Day, Tuesday, Nov 7th

ACCOUNTABILITY ENDORSEMENT LIST FOR
PEOPLE FOR EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION PAC
(TexasTollParty.com)

Help stop corruption, new taxes, new layers of government, tolls on roads we've already paid for, the TTC land grab and save Texas - and $1,000's a year! We've found the best Republicans, Democrats and Independents that have already begun to fight for US (NOT the special interests). Print out this ACCOUNTABILITY VOTERS GUIDE and take it with you into the voting booth. Send this list to others now."

Governor: Carole Keeton Strayhorn
The ONLY gubernatorial candidate with alternatives for Perry's TTC and double tax toll Boondoggles! (Bulldog is voting for Chris Bell)

Attorney General: David Van Os

Agriculture Commissioner: Hank Gilbert

US Senate: Barbara Radnofsky

US Congress Dist. 21: John Courage

US Congress Dist. 23: Lukin Gilliland

State House:
Dist. 13: Lois Kolkhorst
Dist. 20: Jim Stauber
Dist. 45: Jim Neuhaus
Dist. 47: Bill Welch
Dist. 48: Donna Howard
Dist. 49: Elliott Naishtat
Dist. 50: Jerry Chandler
Dist. 51: Eddie Rodriguez
Dist. 52: Karen Felthauser
Dist. 73: Nathan Macias
Dist. 101: Tom Latham
Dist. 122: Larry Stallings
Dist. 125: Nelson Balido
Dist. 117: David Leibowitz
Dist. 118: Joe Farias

State Senate:
Dist. 14 : Robert "Rock" Howard
Dist. 19 : Dick Bowen
Dist. 25 : Kathi Thomas

Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 2: Sarah Eckhardt

Hays County Judge: Elizabeth “Liz” Sumter

Bexar County Commissioner: Tommy Adkisson

Who represents you?
http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

Texas Elections:
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/index.shtml

IMPORTANT: Both the Democrat and the Republican Parties have failed to represent us. Special interests, who fund toller campaigns, are being allowed to take our land, roads, and tax dollars for profit. This is a strategic plan to replace special interest politicians. We can no longer vote along party lines. We must shop the ballot to de-elect the looters and elect the better candidate. We must vote strategically and wisely to stop the corruption. Print out this ACCOUNTABILITY VOTERS GUIDE an d take it with you into the voting booth. SEND THIS VOTERS GUIDE OF THE GOOD GUYS AND GALS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW IN TEXAS!

Thank You
Sal Costello
Founder of People for Efficient Transportation PAC
DAILY NEWS HERE: http://salcostello.blogspot.com/
email me with questions 24/7: Sal@TexasTollParty.com
www.TexasTollParty.com"

The Bulldog thanks you, Sal.

Veeerrrryyy Interesting...

2006-10-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

A glossy magazine-sized four-page pamphlet came in the mail today (not printed in a union shop), addressed to Billy Stallings, from the Bexar County Republican Party. It must have cost a fortune. It has Susan Reed, dressed all in red with a red heart around her neck, smiling her very weird tiny teeth smile (it would be worth having Eddie Bravenec just for something good to look at, but he's smart and a doll-baby) on the cover. And lo! Just on page two, is a huge spread in red, white and blue with Texas flags and stars with the banner "Our Local Leaders Working In Austin For You". It has their Supreme Court Guy, their TX court of Criminal Appeals Gal, Ms. Tiny Teeth Big Gums, Kathi Thomas' opponent, Jeffie, Young Mr. Antuna, and Joe Straus, husband of a McCombs. No Frank Corte. No Frank Corte until the very last page, in a font probably called "Tiny", and only his name, along with every other Republican's name, for their sheeple to cut out and take to the polls, because they have to be told what to do.

Now, this pamphlet came for Billy because he is a fairly new registered voter. He wasn't old enough to vote in the Democratic primary, but was able to vote in the runoff between Barbara Ann Radnofsky and Dead Dancer. His very first vote ever was for Barbara Ann. But I know campaigns are targeting 18-20 year olds (we are!), so I guess that's why it came in the mail. I know Billy would want me to let you know that the R's are so ashamed of Frank Corte that they left him off their "Our Local Leaders Working In Austin For You" page.

He must be too extreme even for Texas Republicans to be reminded that he is one of "Our Local Leaders Working In Austin For You". So that's why in the twelve years we've lived in House District 122, we have only gotten 2 pieces of mail from him. His strategy has been to lay low, it seems. No wonder he was so cranky when he had to appear and take questions from real voters this month.

And THAT, my fellow Texans, is why we have to run a candidate in every frakkin' race. So they are forced to face us and answer our questions. So they have to fight, and so we can win.

Now, git! Go vote! And if you are in TX HD 122, you know what to do. Make sure there's a "New Leader Working In Austin For You".

One Last Endorsement - The One That Means The Most

2006-10-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

Meet Col. Bernard Dunlevy, U.S. Army (ret.):

He was Little Larry's most demanding boss, during one of the most difficult periods of our lives, and he wrote this to the San Antonio Express-News:

I have followed from afar the campaign of Larry Stallings for the Texas Legislature. I have read some of the press about Mr. Corte serving in Iraq and his welcome home. I cannot comment about Mr. Corte's soldierly qualities but I can speak of Larry Stallings.

Larry joined the unit that I commanded at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, the 400 bed, deployable, 93rd Evacuation Hospital. I had not been in command long when he arrived, as a Captain, to be my logistics officer with responsibilities for ensuring we had the supplies and equipment, properly maintained, to deploy anywhere in the world on moments notice in support of U.S. forces. I determined before his arrival that the unit had serious problems with millions of dollars of overstocked supplies and equipment and with lack of standardization of supplies in the operating rooms and wards and elsewhere. I informed him in our first meeting of my concerns and I recall that his response was that he would do whatever it took, for however long, to ensure we were mission capable. For at least six months he worked, alongside his soldiers, twelve hour days to bring the unit to the level of readiness required to perform the mission properly.

I saw in Larry not only dedication to duty but leadership qualities that allowed me to give him other responsibilities. Our unit deployed to the field locally at Fort Leonard Wood frequently, to Little Rock, Arkansas to work with a sister unit in the National Guard, and to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA for a major exercise. Larry became my point man, deploying early as commander of the advance party, that group that would ensure the smooth assimilation of the hospital into the exercise area. His responsibilities included site selection, hospital layout, arranging for resupply and support maintenance and countless other details necessary to take a 400 bed hospital off the back of trucks and trailers and out of boxes and make it a functional community hospital. His performance was magnificent.

Larry also was the officer-in-charge of the demanding Expert Field Medical Badge training and testing cadre. This badge is awarded to those who complete a rigorous program that tests one's skills as a soldier and medic. It was then the only "Expert" badge awarded by the Army other than the Expert Infantry Badge. Larry's efforts resulted in one of the highest success rates for first time candidates of all units in the Army conducting the test. What made this accomplishment even more amazing was that we accepted a large number of Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers into the training and testing and their success rate equaled the active army candidates.

Larry and Diane suffered one of the most severe tragedies that can befall parents when their three year old son, Sam, died in a freak accident while at Ft. Leonard Wood. Such an event can destroy some people but in these two it brought out a strength of character and deepness of faith I have rarely seen. We were a group of over 300 soldiers who cared for each other and, rather than providing them comfort, we became the comforted.

We have remained friends for the many years that have passed since our days at Ft. Leonard Wood but I have followed Larry's progress over these years and was blessed to have him and Diane visit as they were returning to Texas from having dropped their son, Billy, to begin studies at Harvard. I wanted to write this letter to provide my endorsement to Larry's candidacy for the Texas Legislature. He is a man of impeccable character and absolute honor. He will be a servant of the citizens of the district he represents.

Bernard J. Dunlevy Sr.
Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired)
Heathsville, VA

Colonel, the candidate is humbled by your confidence. He has run an honorable race, and if elected will serve the people of Texas House District 122 with as much loyalty and devotion as he has served his country under you. He will never let you down.

Frank Corte's Supporters Are Not Very Smart

2006-10-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

They are very easily confused, it seems.

Today, we got this email from the National Rifle Association, who has given Mr. dks their top rating, an "A" rating (he believes we need the right to bear arms more than we ever did with this group in charge)(emphasis mine):

Mr. Stallings -

I am the lobbyist for the National Rifle Association here in Texas. I need you to make a correction to your website. You have your "A" rating from NRA listed under "Endorsements" on your website. I have had calls from several members in the district who are confused by this, because the NRA-PVF endorsed candidate in the race is State Rep. Frank Corte!

I need you to take this down from your website, or move the word about the "A" rating somewhere other than under "Endorsements" because it is creating a wrongful perception about our position in the race.

I'm not accusing you of doing this intentionally, but if you don't remove or move this, I'm going to be forced to send out a press release pointing out the misinformation, and it will not reflect favorably on your campaign.

Please take care of this within the next 24 hours. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Tara Reilly Mica
NRA-ILA State Liaison
(512) 636-9314

What precipitated this confusion? Well, look at this screenshot of Mr. dks' endorsement page:

Does it say the NRA endorses Larry Stallings? As a reader of TexasKaos, I am sure you can read. It clearly states "rated", does it not?

So, to assist those Frank supporters out there in understanding the exact nature of Mr. dks' relationship to the NRA, we are taking the notification of their "A" rating of him from the endorsement page, and putting it on the front page of the website. Just so there's no confusion.

All this makes us kind of wonder just what Frank Corte is afraid of. He is running in a 70% Republican district against a guy with about 1/20th of the money he had last election when he ran unopposed.

TEXAS DEMOCRATIC VETERANS ENDORSE LARRY STALLINGS FOR STATE REPRESETATIVE DISTRICT 122

2006-10-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

TEXAS DEMOCRATIC VETERANS ENDORSE LARRY STALLINGS FOR STATE REPRESETATIVE DISTRICT 122

The Texas Democratic Veterans sincerely endorse Larry Stallings for election as the State Representative for District 122. Larry is a Vietnam era and Gulf War Combat Veteran with 30 years of military service and more than 2 dozen medals and citations including the Bronze Star and Legion of Merit. Larry has diverse and very successful business and management experience in the public and private sector.

Larry is a strong support of many Veteran Service Organizations in the District 122 area. He has his ear to the ground and listens to our issues and concerns. Larry has agreed to support the Hazelwood Legacy Act where if passed next legislative session this will help many of the children of Texas Veterans received educational benefits from our State Public universities and colleges.

We do commend his opponent for his military service to our country. What we do not understand why he voted yes on the Trans-Texas Corridor, a huge boondoggle for foreign contractors. We do not understand why in 2005 with his influence in the State House, why he let the Hazelwood Legacy Act bill die in the House Calendars Committee thus depriving some children of Texas Veterans potential educational benefits.

Larry will ensure we get quality federal and state veteran benefits. We respectfully ask you to support Larry Stallings.

Respectfully,

LAWRENCE G. ROMO, Lt Col USAFR (Ret.)
State Chairman, Texas Democratic Veterans
USAF Academy Class of 1978

A new kind of BBC

2006-10-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

In honor of Banned Books Month and local politics, Little Larry For Lege wants to give a shout out to San Antonio's Banned Books Cafe and their accompanying blog. In the short amount of time they have been open for business, the blog has been hacked and erased once already. Just like the books themselves, they perservere!

http://bannedbookscafe.blogspot.com/

Taking Bets. Will the E-N Publish?

2006-09-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

(Little Larry at the Clinton Library)

(Treasurer Terry was pretty upset by an article about Little Larrys' opponent's homecoming party/puff piece written by Mauro Robbins in the Express-News; so he wrote the following LTE. Ya think it will be published? Nah, neither do we.)

Mr. Robert Rivard
Editor

The tone of Maro Robbins piece about Frank Corte's homecoming has led to some confusion about Larry Stallings' military record. Whether it was poor sentence construction on Mr. Robbins' part, or a sneaky attempt to discredit Mr. Stallings without actually coming out and doing so, the piece seems to call Mr. Stallings' military record into question. While it is easily verified through public record, I would also like to personally attest to his military experience. Mr. Stallings, (Major, U.S. Army Ret.) has served in our armed forces for over 30 years, fought in two wars, and was awarded both the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star for his service. I can testify to this record because for a good chunk of that period I served along with him. And although I am a long-time Republican myself, I believe he is the best candidate running for District 122. I feel strong enough about it, I am not only supporting him, I am his campaign treasurer.

Larry and I, as most military men would be, are relieved and grateful to see Mr. Corte come home from Iraq safe and sound, both for his sake and for the sake of his family. And Mr. Robbins, you are absolutely right, it is no surprise that Mr. Stallings was not in attendance at Frank Corte's homecoming. He was not invited. Furthermore, he was out of the state...taking his son, a product of public education in Texas schools, to start his first year at Harvard University.

Terry Mayclin
San Antonio, Texas

Frank and Beans

2006-09-29T04:48:00.000-07:00

This is a repost of a blog entry from winter of last year. We will be reposting, here and there, some of our greatest hits for those of you readers who have joined us more recently.

I had all sorts of things spring to mind when I read the finance reports from Corte’s 2004 campaign.

Damn! That’s more than our total household income! was the first thing that came to mind.

Damn! I bet his Communications Director gets a salary”! was, admittedly, the second.

Mr. Corte brought in almost 71,000 dollars in campaign donations in 2004. For an election in which he ran unopposed.

But hey, that’s not a bad thing. We have $125.00 in our campaign coffers, so we speak from the voice of green-eyed jealousy.

But once I wiped the drool from my chin and read further along there was one thing that really stood out to me.

It wasn’t the fact that 99.8% of his donations came from business interests and .02% came from the party itself, making his grand total of labor interest donations 0.00%.

After all, Mr. Corte is a bidness man. And as Molly Ivins would say, the bidness of Texas is bidness. Mr. Corte isn’t interested in the working man and the economic interests of the labor sector. Mr. Corte is a bidnessman his ownself, so it makes sense that he votes in favor of business interests.

But the part that surprised me was the breakdown of where this business money was coming from.

Now, I don’t know nuthin bout birthin no babies, but I would think that Mr. Corte’s money would, as a general rule, be coming from Mr. Corte’s district.

About 7% (5000 of his $70,723) was from out of the state of Texas entirely (to be specific, Washington D.C. and Indianapolis, IN). And another 33% was from Austin, Houston, and Dallas. Mostly Austin, and mostly political PACs.

That still leaves at least the majority of his money coming from San Antonio, right? Well, true. It comes from San Antonio, but just not his district. When you plug in the zip codes his donations came from, three of the zips (78215 for 3000$, 78239 for 2420$, and 78205 for 2325$) are not even in his district at all. These donationas total $7745.00 for another 11% of his grand total.

So a bit over half of his money comes from out of the district.

No big deal right? At least it is all respectable donations (if’n you consider bidness money respectable), unlike the money he took from Michael Ellis and kept even after his meth lab bust became news during past election cycles.

Maybe I’m thinking about this in terms that are too straightforward and simple. Dems today tend to be all reality-based like that. But it seems to me that people donate money to you not because you’re cute or they think you are a swell guy. They donate money as a kind of insurance that you will protect their interests in the Lege. That the bills you introduce and the votes you record will support them. So all of this here? All this math, and links, and general jibber-jabber? - well, it's all thrown out in order to ask one reality-based and pertinent question.

If over half of Mr. Corte’s money comes from outside his district then whose interests are he really representing

Look At What This Man Does...

2006-09-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

When you start looking at Frank Corte's Lege record, two thoughts come to mind throughout the process. The first one is "Oh no he din'nit!" and the second is This is going to take awhile!"

But this stuff right here? Is a pretty good start.

Frank Corte’s Greatest Hits -- Part One

In March of 2005, Frank Corte proposed a bill to give pharmacists the right to refuse to give women their prescribed contraceptives.

Key Quote:

Having a choice is what prompted state Rep. Frank Corte, R-San Antonio, to propose HB 16 that would allow pharmacists not to fill prescriptions they find morally or ethically objectionable. This includes abortion and emergency contraception medication. "We have had some [pharmacists] tell us that they wanted similar protection of [the] law that doctors and nurses have for moral or ethical objections," said Corte, defending the bill's intent.

[…] Corte remains confident about HB 16. He said he thinks he can garner enough support to get the bill passed."I feel the committee is favorable. I think I can get it out of committee," he said, referring to the State Affairs Committee, which is reviewing the bill.
From: The Daily Texan

In Feb 2005 Corte went after all the judges who have been granting bypasses of the Parental Notification Law to minor girls seeking abortions with a bill that seeks to make these bypass proceedings, therefore the very lives of the aforementioned girls, be made public.

Key Quote:

“With House Bill 17, Rep. Frank Corte hopes to place a bull’s eye on every district judge in Texas who dares approve an abortion for a minor under the state’s judicial bypass law. Texas law states that a minor who does not wish to have a parent or legal guardian notified that she intends to have an abortion can seek a judicial bypass hearing. The hearing determines if she is mature and sufficiently well-informed to decide to have an abortion performed without notice to a parent or legal guardian, if notifying a parent would not be in her best interest, or if notification could lead to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Under current law, Chapter 33 of the Texas Family Code stipulates that bypass proceedings at the trial court level and at the appellate level are confidential, privileged, and not subject to disclosure, discovery, subpoena, or other legal process (that would normally be available to the public in other civil actions). However, Rep. Frank Corte wants to amend Chapter 33 to make this information public.”

From: The Texas Observer

In Jan 2005, Frank Corte introduced a bill to allow parents of underperforming kids to have a voucher of about $6000 to allow them to “escape” failing inner city schools. No matter what your position on voucher programs, the problem here is that Corte has consistently voted AGAINST measures that were designed to support the failing public schools he is now railing against.

Key Quote:

Representative Corte and other voucher advocates claim that students ought to be given the ability to escape "failing public schools." However, his record indicates that he has voted against efforts to strengthen public schools. For example, in 1997, he voted against a constitutional provision to guarantee equitable education funding for all children statewide. […] In 1995, he also opposed class-size limits in elementary schools and supported a proposal to hire uncertified and untrained teachers.

From: Blogcritics.org

In December 2002 Frank Corte decides that pre-abortion informed consent should include a full color slide show of fetuses and gestational information.

Key Quote:

When a woman decides to abort a human growing in her body, it should be assumed she has given the matter careful consideration. But in case not, let her view full-color photos of fetuses. You know, to help ground her decision. That’s San Antonio Rep. Frank Corte, Jr.’s definition of "informed consent."

The color pictures are just some of the information that H.B. 15 would require doctors to offer. More forms to sign thanks to the Limit Big Government crowd. Doctors would also make available materials that describe the gestational development of the fetus in high detail, list public and private services available during pregnancy, and remind the patient that she can get child support from the father, among others.

From: The Texas Observer

In October 2002, Lobby Watch reports that Frank Corte KEPT the $2000.00 in campaign contributions he received Michael and Monica Ellis, who have ownership in Metabolife, the makers of the weight-loss supplement that contains ephedra, a drug similar to methamphetamines known by the street name “speed.” Even George W. Bush figured this one out.

Key Quote:

After press reports recounted how Metabolife’s Michael Ellis and Michael Blevins were busted as a result of a 1998 raid on a speed lab, ex-Governor George Bush returned $10,000 that he received from the men in 1998. […] Another San Antonio legislator who carried Metabolife water, Rep Frank Corte, Jr., also appears to have kept $2,000 that he received from Michael and Monica Ellis.

Source: Lobby Watch

The real question, gentle readers, is not why Larry Stallings is running against Frank Corte, but what took him so long.

(Reprinted from 11/30/05, just in case ya missed it.)

A little levity to cleanse the palate.

2006-09-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

YOU MIGHT BE A TEXAN IF:

1. You can properly pronounce Boerne, Nacogdoches, Waco, Amarillo,
Waxahachie, Mexia, and Bexar.

2. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and
look for a funnel cloud.

3. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on Christmas Day.

4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined
by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

5. Stores don't have bags, they have sacks.

6. You measure distance in minutes.

7. Someone you know has used a football or hunting schedule to plan
their wedding date.

8. You have known someone who has had a belt buckle bigger than your
fist.

9. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

10. You know cowpies are not made of beef.

11. You actually understand this email, and you are "fixin' to" send
it to your friends.

12. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to
multiply.

13. You aren't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, bait,
and pregnancy tests all in the same store.

15. You know everything goes better with Ranch dressing.

16. A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol; a Ford F-250 Deisel &
Chevy Silverado 4x4 is.

17. Finally, you are 100% Texan if you have ever been a part of this
conversation:

"You wanna coke?"
"Yeah."
"What kind?"
"Dr Pepper"

SA Express-News Meets Larry, With Frank

2006-09-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Frank Corte and I sat side by side in a question and answer session with the San Antonio Express News editorial board. Of course, Frank knew 4 of the 5 by name as he been through this rite 6 previous times. As we were waiting for the rest of the interview team to arrive, Frank talked to one team member about the recent Texas A&M versus Army football game; apparently they were at the game together.

Luckily for Frank,this was not a debate; just question-and-answer for one hour. We both answered the same questions. We actually agreed on two questions:

1. Could we work with whoever was governor? YES
2. Did we support gambling to raise money for public schools? NO

On the others, we were nearly completely opposite:

3. What could the State of Texas do about illegal immigration?

Frank: talked a good deal about homeland security and ended stating it was a federal issue.
Larry: I stated that citizenship and national borders were a federal issue, but the state should crack down on companies that are licensed by the state and are hiring illegals at below-market wages and getting by with it.

4. Tolls: for or against?

Frank: Continues to say citizens voted in 1991 by a 70% margin wanting the state to look at alternatives for the state to fund road construction including tolls.
Larry: I talked at length about tolling an existing road, the cost of a minimum gas tax hike compared to toll fees - tolls being, on average, 7 times greater; and I talked at length about Cintra and the secret contract. I reported that most folks in the many public hearings I attended agreed that a small gas tax is preferable to toll fees.
Frank commented again, saying the Texas Legislature would not vote for a gas tax but admitted a gas tax could be regional; voted on by citizens. He too thought the Cintra contract was a bad idea. (He knows which way the wind is blowing on that issue.)

5. Vouchers: for or against?

Frank: Talked at great length about his family educational needs, claiming that Northside School District could not teach his dislexic son, so he is in a private (religious) school. (His web site, however, says his son is there so that he can pray at school.) He closed by saying he supports a pilot voucher plan.
Larry: I explained that the impact of taking dollars from public schools would guarantee the schools' failure. I continued by making a case for keeping tax dollars out of tax exempt institutions because 90% of the private schools were supported by a church. I explained how bad Texas schools are nation-wide: close to last in graduation rates, low SAT scores, etc. I explained the school-within-a-school concept and suggested careful consolidation could save millions of dollars in overhead costs. I an against vouchers, and made that very clear.

6. Health care: Should Texas provide a single payer plan?

Frank said he would have to study the issue and any supporting documentation more; then talked a lot about his father, a small business owner for 55 years, who provided health care for his employees. He stated small business should not be taxed so heavily that they could not afford to provide health care for employees. He did not indicate whether he provides health care for his own employees.
Larry: I explained that I have worked in health care for over 20 years, and Bexar County already had a single payer health plan; CareLink. CareLink is insurance with premiums based on income for the uninsured. I explained that publicly-funded preventive medicine would save tax payer money by avoiding really expensive intervention when medical conditions go untreated.

7. State income tax - for or against?

Frank is against it. He actually said it is more regressive than consumer taxes and it somehow hampers home ownership.
Larry: I am against another tax until government is accountable to citizens for the taxes it already collects. I talked about the lottery claiming to provide $8 billion to education, fuel tax dollars supposedly given to public schools, as well as the fact that state parks raise over $120,000 and only receive $37,000 to operate on. I elaborated on the “shell game” going on in Austin - that funds are not being spent on what they are generated for, there is no audit trail, and until there is accountability and an extensive audit and extensive public report, no other revenue should be collected.

Now, just who do you think the E-N is gonna endorse? My guess is that it's the guy who thinks the income tax is more regressive than a consumer tax.

(Cross-posted on TXKaos and BOR)

4500 Miles, Punctuated by TOLLS

2006-09-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

We drove 4500 miles in a car loaded with clothes, computers, skis, ice skates and unidentified objects to set up our son Billy in his dormitory and enjoy first-hand the ambience of Harvard.

This journey took us on some of the most sophisticated and well-established toll roads, tunnels, and turnpikes in the country. Our Texas Re-thugs want to toll 4000 miles of roads in Texas (including the Trans Texas Corridor) so studying carefully the well-established toll roads throughout the East Coast would be instructive.

I attended a Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) pro-toll meeting a couple of weeks ago and one of their talking points, stated repeatedly, was that there would no collection booths in the Texas version. Their plan will employ only electronic passes in the Texas design to avoid slow downs.

HOG WASH. We traveled through 20 different toll zones. Each one had more cash stands than E-Z pass lanes. Why? Because most cars are occasional, infrequent or one-time users. The location of the cash-only booths was sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right. As cars neared the toll plaza they all had to shift left or right to get in the proper toll lane; it is very dangerous. Every toll plaza had 12 or more booths to handle the 3 or 4 lanes of traffic that approached the toll. After paying the toll the 12 lanes were funneled back to three causing merging problems for all vehicles, slowing the traffic even more. We spent a total of about 4 hours sitting in traffic waiting to get on a toll road or bridge, and none of that time was rush-hour time, because we had planned the trip specifically to avoid rush-hour driving on tolled roads.

There is no way the Texas toll version can operate without cash pay tollbooths. Many travelers are occasional and infrequent visitors to our area. They will not spend $3000.00 to drive through an E-Z lane 3 or 4 times per year. There are many hard-working Texans who will not have a lump sum $3000.00 to give Rick Perry and his Corte. I promise you, cash booths will have to be installed.

Let’s summarize the problems with Rick and his Corte’s plan for Texas Tolls:
1. Tolling a road already constructed with tax dollars violates the Texas Constitution.
2. Their plan gives the profits to a foreign country (Spain).
3. It will devour family farmland, aquifer recharge land, and other private property such as hunting leases.
4. It will slow traffic down more than without tolls.
5. It will cost the average family in District 122 more than $3000.00 per year.
6. Oh yeah - lying to the public about the plan and hiding contractual obligations is also a “problem”.

Sounds very Rick Perry!!

Larry Stallings

(cross-posted on TexasKaos and Burnt Orange Report)

Princeton Students Study the Diebold Voting Machines

2006-09-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Main Findings Of The Study (as listed on the YouTube site):

"1. Malicious software running on a single voting machine can steal votes with little if any risk of detection. The malicious software can modify all of the records, audit logs, and counters kept by the voting machine, so that even careful forensic examination of these records will find nothing amiss. We have constructed demonstration software that carries out this vote-stealing attack.

2. Anyone who has physical access to a voting machine, or to a memory card that will later be inserted into a machine, can install said malicious software using a simple method that takes as little as one minute. In practice, poll workers and others often have unsupervised access to the machines.

3. AccuVote-TS machines are susceptible to voting-machine viruse! s - computer viruses that can spread malicious software automatically and invisibly from machine to machine during normal pre- ! and post-election activity. We have constructed a demonstration virus that spreads in this way, installing our demonstration vote-stealing program on every machine it infects.

4. While some of these problems can be eliminated by improving Diebold's software, others cannot be remedied without replacing the machines' hardware. Changes to election procedures would also be required to ensure security. "

Goodbye, Ms. Ann

2006-09-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

I just can't imagine any public figure that I will miss more.

Ann Richards on How to Be a Good Republican:

1. You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday's gasoline prices are all Clinton's fault.
2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own.
3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.
4. You have to believe that AIDS victims deserve their disease, but smokers with lung cancer and overweight individuals with heart disease don't deserve theirs.
5. You have to appreciate the power rush that comes with sporting a gun.
6. You have to believe...everything Rush Limbaugh says.
7. You have to believe that the agricultural, restaurant, housing and hotel industries can survive without immigrant labor.
8. You have to believe God hates homosexuality, but loves the death penalty.
9. You have to believe society is color-blind and growing up black in America doesn't diminish your opportunities, but you still won't vote for Alan Keyes.
10. You have to believe that pollution is OK as long as it makes a profit.
11. You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to Allah or Buddha.
12. You have to believe Newt Gingrich and Henry Hyde were really faithful husbands.
13. You have to believe speaking a few Spanish phrases makes you instantly popular in the barrio.
14. You have to believe that only your own teenagers are still virgins.
15. You have to be against government interference in business, until your oil company, corporation or Savings and Loan is about to go broke and you beg for a government bail out.
16. You love Jesus and Jesus loves you and, by the way, Jesus shares your hatred for AIDS victims, homosexuals, and President Clinton.
17. You have to believe government has nothing to do with providing police protection, national defense, and building roads.
18. You have to believe a poor, minority student with a disciplinary history and failing grades will be admitted into an elite private school with a $1,000 voucher."

If You Can Build On It, He Will Come

2006-09-14T04:35:00.000-07:00

This is a repost of a blog entry from winter of last year. We will be reposting, here and there, some of our greatest hits for those of you readers who have joined us more recently.

This is a really long entry, y’all. You may want to take a potty break and grab a sandwich before you start readin’.

At the risk of sounding like a commie pinko, let’s talk about aquifer restrictions and water rights for a sec.

(And before you say anything, being a Democratic doesn’t automatically make you a commie pinko. Hell, in this day and age, it represents fiscal responsibility and pragmatic decision making which used to be the Republican battle cry.)

It’s important to note this isn’t an anti-development anti-business battle cry. However, as Little Larry is wont to say, it IS an anti-stupidity battle cry.

Do y’all understand how the whole aquifer things works? Yeah, me neither. I read a lot of stuff on this great website; most of which confused my li’l ole brain and ended with me giving up and toddling off to go watch Project Runway. But the gist of it all is…the aquifer is as important as it is unique and we need to stop doing things that will run the whole system dry.

And you know what? San Antonians stepped up to the plate and voted to do more to protect the aquifer. A 1995 City Council Ordinance intended to protect the aquifer was met with thunderous applause at the time it was passed and even more recently San Antonians voted to spend 135 million dollars in two sales tax propositions to buy vacant land over the aquifer's recharge zone with the goal of stemming development and pollution.

Yet in the name of vested rights, developers avoided the ordinance in four out of five cases in the past decade. Urban sprawl continues unabated, bringing dense development over the fragile watershed that the city intended to protect.

With so many developers ignoring the local ordinance, aquifer protection is left largely to state regulators, who can enforce some pollution controls but can't limit the size of housing and commercial projects. Their budget in San Antonio has been slashed by more than half since 2002, from $324,000 to $141,000.

But a year long study by the good ole E-N found the following:

The Texas law also hit local taxpayers in the pocketbook.
In October 1997, San Antonio was poised to charge developers new fees to control storm water runoff and prevent flooding.

But the day before the drainage fees kicked in, developers flooded City Hall with nearly 200 planning documents known as plats — the most ever filed in a single day in San Antonio.

In the span of a few hours, the developers successfully exempted themselves from at least $2.3 million in drainage fees, according to an Express-News analysis of a city database.

And the 135 million dollar buy out I just mentioned?

Texas law hinders the buyout program because vested, or grandfathered, sites can turn more profit. Some owners of the exempted tracts are demanding top dollar for their properties, reducing the amount of land the city can buy.

While there are many factors that go into each land purchase, records reviewed by the Express-News suggest the city has paid an extra $2 million for grandfathered properties.

Susan Spegar, the city official responsible for the property purchases, agreed with the Express-News analysis.

"There's no doubt that vested rights contributed to an increase in land values," Spegar said.

Why is all of this happening and why is it costing us so much? Well, in a nutshell because state law trumps city council law.

A venture is considered "vested" when developers start work on a shopping center, a neighborhood or some other project. From that point on, a city can't change land-use controls on them.

For decades, courts held a high standard of vesting, usually ruling that projects weren't truly grandfathered until construction started.

But a Texas twist on vesting lowered that threshold.

The 1987 statute was written for developers who were unhappy with strict land-use rules in Austin, said Richard Suttle, a lawyer who helped lobby then-House Speaker Gib Lewis, the law's founding father.

The law had a far-reaching impact across Texas. It said a project is born when early permits such as plats or master plans are filed with a city. Construction can begin years, even decades later, but the project will fall under the codes in effect at the time of the original filing.

In San Antonio, the law encourages the development industry to blur the line between legitimate projects and outright land speculation, records show.

This can date back to the flat-out ridiculous.

The oldest permit ever used to trigger vested rights in San Antonio dates to the horse and buggy.

In December 2001, when H.E. Butt Grocery Co. wanted to expand a store on Hildebrand Avenue, the company found a hand-drawn plan for the site dating nearly a century before to 1908.

Texas law allows vesting to transfer between landowners. New owners can dig up plans filed decades ago by past owners to claim exemptions from current rules.

By relying on the old plan, H-E-B was required to follow only city codes in effect as of 1908. The company says it voluntarily followed current ordinances.

"We didn't even have stores in San Antonio in 1908," a surprised Kate Rogers, a spokeswoman for H-E-B, said when asked about the vesting case.

So it doesn’t even have to be plans submitted by the current landowner. This goes beyond blurring the line to flat out land speculation. This draws a whole new line.

And all of this affects District 122 more than any other district in the San Antonio Aquifer area.

Drive along U.S. 281 North to Stone Oak Parkway and a project appears that fits [engineer Gene] Dawson's description:

A gaping, 50-acre scar at the gateway to the Hill Country.

Earthmovers scrubbed a hillside covered with live oak and mountain cedar trees to bare limestone — wiping out a forest the size of North Star Mall.

Tract homes now are sprouting from the dusty landscape.

[…]

The trees were bulldozed to make room for Encino Ridge, a dense neighborhood by national chain Pulte Homes, one of San Antonio's largest builders. The Michigan-based company took in a record $11.7 billion in gross revenue last year.

"They worked day and night out here," nearby resident Donna Biggs said. She stretched her arms to form a wide circle. "There were oaks this big cut down."

Pulte's local president, Bart Swider, said the company wanted to grade the hill to cut down on the cost of each home.

But he admits the clearing was an environmental blunder — one that city tree preservation ordinances might have prevented.

"We did not develop in a manner that was environmentally sensitive," Swider said.

Neither did the vested developers of Bulverde Village, where 270 acres of habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler were leveled for new housing.

With no safeguards, the green hills of the North Side have been pockmarked over the years with barren clear-cuts, thanks in large part to the vested rights law.

[…]

Since 1985, San Antonio has lost 45,000 acres of dense tree cover to development, according to a November 2002 study by the nonprofit group American Forests.

The lost trees had more than aesthetic value. If preserved, the trees could have soaked up more than 3 million pounds of air pollutants a year, and saved the city $146 million in drainage costs to control floodwaters, the study found.

City Arborist Debbie Reid is certain that exemptions to the tree ordinance are responsible for much of that loss.

Yet even Reid can't say for sure how many trees are being cut down in grandfathered projects. While city rules mandate tree surveys, developers aren't required to conduct them if they're exempt.

For those of us who live or visit that area on a regular basis and have lived here long enough to remember what it used to look like, the visuals may not be necessary. But for anyone having a hard time really picturing what this grandfathering law did to our little section of the county, check out the before and after arial images photographed by E-N staff.

· Bulverde Village
· Encino Ridge
· The Rim

Now, Mr. Corte is a business man and big in to property management. He’s all about buildin’ up his district. Of course, like we mentioned before, there is a big difference between being pro-development and just plain stupid. And the folks in San Antonio understand the difference and have been trying to protect our water rights a little bit better.

How about Mr. Corte? How has his voting record stood up on this issue?

Well, the Aquifer Guardians rate him at a 0%.

Specifically, he voted for SB 848 (which, yes, later became law) which expanded the grandfathering of development plans by setting the date for grandfathering at the time of the mailing of an incomplete application rather than the receipt of a completed one. If you read the whole E-N article you can see how many applications were already being filed and passing through when they had to be complete and processed.

Now the terms are so undefined that a developer could grandfather a development plan with nothing more than a note scribbled on a napkin.

It also allows developers to freeze regulations merely by getting a utility to agree to provide water or wastewater services which is regularly done without any consideration of what kind or size of project can be built under current regulations, or even a development application being filed,

Well, a couple of house Dems piped up with an amendment to this-here SB 848 asking for the prevention of grandfathering for the protection of drinking water in the Edwards Aquifer, which would protect our drinking water from pollution that is allowed under these grandfathered antiquated regulations.

Corte voted against that one, nor did it become law.

Yeah, I don’t get it either. Mr. Corte is voting against the wishes of his constituency and against the interests and protection of himself and his family.

I’m a mom myself, and I can’t figure how one can claim to be a family man and sleep at night knowing he is contributing to making the water his wife and children drink, cook with, and bathe in more polluted.

I guess the money helps easy his conscience.

Yeah, folks. It’s all about money in the end.

E-N also had a nifty little chart delineating which builders and development interests gave money (and we are talking millions, natch) to state lawmakers between 2000 and 2004. These are all groups and individuals lobbied for vested rights legislation or signed up in support of amendments and you can see the complete list here.

Now, y’all know where I’m headed right about now, so ain't none of us surprised.

Here are Corte’s top contributers from just his 2004 campaign.

Texas Apartment Association for 1500.00 bucks?

Check.

Texas Association Of Builders And Contractors for 1000.00 bucks?

Check.

And if you look at the complete list of his top contributers you will see a lot of other interest groups with a hand in the development game and a reason to keep the grandfathering loophole.

I don’t know if all that money will buy him a lifetime supply of purified drinking water delivered to his door when the pollutants push us the aquifer to the undrinkable; but if Mr. Corte has his way, we may be finding out sooner rather than later.

Little Larry Cross The Country

2006-09-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Larry and Diane are roadtriping to Baaah-sten to drop off a carload of possessions to Billy in his new Harvard dorm digs. They made a stop at the Clinton Library in Arkansas today, and Diane called to tell me about all the wonderful exhibits she saw there. I think her favorite was on the books Clinton read while in office...while that exhibit isn't available to share with you, this video clip (her second choice) is.

Guess Who Made Candidate Larry Cry Today?

2006-09-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

We are trying to head out to Boston with all of Billy's stuff - including the 2 foot high ceramic gnome, the earplugs, skis, ski boots, ice skates, his coach's old Brown fencing team jacket, his donkey tie, his French dictionaries, his voltage converter, the family battery charger, a cubic yard of miscellaneous cables and the electronics that go with the cables and a contraband espresso machine. But first we have some political obligations to attend to. The funny thing is, what we sigh about going to, thinking they are necessary if dull events, turn out to have the most importance in our lives.

Today we went to the AFL-CIO breakfast in San Antonio with Chris Bell, Barbara Ann Radnofsky, and David Van Os. There was enough food for a change (hell, working people were in charge, they know if food is served and speeches are planned, everybody needs a plate and a chair). The room was full of local politicians, labor leaders, and activists. We had a 14 story high view of San Antonio, and a jazz band played.

Chris Bell was awesome. He was at his best with good imagery and lots of his trademark biting humor. He didn't talk too long, either. Barbara Ann was good, too. She has a command of the issues and their interconnection like no other politician I know. (Actually, I'd like to see President Radnofsky in about 12 years.) But it was hoarse, tired, sick, faithful David Van Os who brought tears to Larry's eyes by excoriating the TDP back-room boys for choosing to ignore most races in the state this year. David said it may be because most of the folks running this year were not annointed,they are simply Democrats that have waited too long for professional politicians to do anything about the state of the state; and they just decided to go out there and "kick ass". Now, that describes Maj. Larry Dean Stallings, USA (ret.) down to his toenails. He just wants to kick some ass on November 7th, and he is hoping a whole bunch of y'all out there are gonna do it, too. So he had tears in his eyes when David Van Os finished his short speech this morning.

Vouchers Are Flat-Out Un-American

2006-08-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Dr. Leininger, school-voucher gadfly, wrote a commentary in the August 26th edition of the San Antonio Express News that promotes the “holiness” of school vouchers. I don't want to dignify his guest editorial with a link. It's all part of a scam, along with laws like "No Child Left Behind", to put our schools in the hands of private, for-profit corporations or religious institutions. Taking public tax dollars from public schools and giving those dollars to religious schools is his agenda. But he doesn’t tell you that churches that are already tax-exempt sponsor these religious schools; he wants you to forget that. The bottom line is that it is unethical to give tax dollars to institutions that are already tax-exempt.

Let’s take a look at these private schools. I worked as a business manager for a church/school combination and here are some interesting facts:

1. The salaries of the teachers in the private school were two-thirds of the public school teacher salary.
2. The nurse, (an LVN, not an RN) in the private school was also a classroom teacher and a religious sister. She was responsible for traffic control, also.
3. There was not one blade of grass for the children to play on. There was a small gym and an asphalt parking lot with basket goals supporting the physical education program.
4. There was no transportation support for the students. Parents drove the kids to school and picked them up every afternoon.
5. There was no specialized counseling for the kids. By specialized, I mean speech therapy, reading recovery or math tutoring, or behavioral counseling.
6. There were no alternative schools. Troubled kids who broke the rules were simply dismissed back into the same school system that people like Dr. Leininger want to “rescue” them from.
7. There was, and is, no requirement for the teachers to be certified. Some were, some weren’t.
8. And there was no after-school program for these families. Working parents had to figure out a way to transport their kids to an after-school program someplace else – and figure out a way to pay premium prices, too.

I, as an involved, informed parent, would never send my child to a second-rate private school to get away from a second-rate public school. As a taxpayer and a parent, I would move heaven and earth to make that public school first-rate again, for my children and my neighbors’ children. That’s what Americans do.

Last spring Dr. Leininger admitted in public his own children were home-schooled. I am glad he has that choice, but how can he possibly understand the needs of public schools when he does not participate in the process? My daughter and son are graduates of public schools. My daughter graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Oklahoma in just over three years; and is completing a Master’s degree from UTSA leading her to a LPC license. Our son will be departing for Harvard in six days. Of course, they both worked hard. And as parents, we have been very involved. We supported teachers and administrators when our kids were not performing well; and we held those same teachers’ and administrators’ feet to the fire when they were not performing well. But the real base of our kids’ success has been the public school systems that educated them, a commitment each community we have lived in made to all children, not just ours. Why should our communities stop doing this just because some home-schoolers don’t like public schools?

(Cross-posted at TXKaos and BOR)

Candidate's Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Workshop Report

2006-08-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

I attended an Alamo Regional Mobility Authority workshop last night, held at UTSA. Bexar County Commissioner Art Hall and CD23 candidate Ciro Rodriguez listened to the formal presentations but left before the working groups were formed. There were only 15 or so citizens in attendance.

Scott Erickson, of the Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization and Terry Brechtel of the Alamo RMA gave formal presentations. The presentations were targeted towards demographics and transportation needs associated with the predicted growth over the next 25 years.

We broke into two work groups to prioritize road construction over the next 25 years. The projects we selected were based on revenue projections from the 20 cents per gallon tax. My group selected road projects that supported growth on the south side of San Antonio. Our logic was based on the Toyota plant opening this fall and the construction on a new Texas A&M campus. We ignored the north side for environmental reasons. The Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone is located on the north side so we decided to deter growth on the north side by not expanding the road networks.

The next phase of the group work was to decide if we wanted to speed up the construction phase and add more projects by tolling some roads. I explained the Cintra problem, the tie in to the Trans Texas Corridor and the 50 year commitment. After much discussion my group voted “no tolls” period. We told the facilitator that a new fuel tax of about 7 cents per gallon would solve the funding shortfall at a minimum cost. It was refreshing to see folks from other parts of the city saying NO to tolls.

The other work group was toll neutral. They did not trust the current toll plan but was open to the idea if full disclosure were available.

I was uplifted to witness folks saying no to tolls, when both sides of the issue were presented. We activists must continue to attend these meetings and speak the truth.

NPAT Revisited

2006-08-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

Little Larry's Vote-Smart Bio and complete NPAT are now available here:

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=MTX92828

Frank Corte has yet again refused to answer the NPAT:

http://www.vote-smart.org/npat.php?can_id=BS023566

We've talked about this before, so I will hush mah mouf on the subject and let Project Vote Smart provide all the commentary for me. Click away!

Tax Free?

2006-08-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

My local supercenter cashier told me this afternoon that the big tax free weekend was nothing but a big bust. The huge amount of business they were expecting just didn't show up.

Now the numbers at the end of the weekend may say something different, but I had to agree....the store just wasn't that busy and noone was buying clothes.

I have two back-to-schoolers to shop for, and I purchased all of their clothes mostly off the sales racks at Ross, Marshalls, and Target weeks ago. And got a much better deal that way.

The tax-free weekend, limited to clothes and shoes with an individual purchase price under 100.00 dollars, really does very little to help Texas families. And if LittleLarry wins in November, he is going to suggest something different.

If we really want to help people by giving them tax-free back to school purchases, lets include the real back to school expenses to the list. What about lunch boxes and back packs? School supplies? Computers and calculators? I spent 100.00 on school supplies ALONE this month. With Texas schools so underfunded that the parents are purchasing supplies for the teachers and classrooms as much as for their own children, those expenses really add up.

Texas families are stepping up to the plate and making these purchases, so let's take the tax burden off their shoulders where it really matters. Let's make the real classroom and homework tools tax-free.

The Air Car: Not a Lot of Hot Air, Just a Lot of Cool

2006-08-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Guy Negre had a great idea more than a decade ago, and its now coming to fruition. A car fueled by air-compressed air. Negre says that his compressed-air engine “could become one of the biggest technological advances of this century.”

Negres’s company Monteur development International, is based in Nice, France, with its main sales office in Barcelona, Spain. The company is developing at least three different vehicles that run on compressed air: the MiniC.A.T., a three seater geared mostly to urban driving; the CityC.A.T., a six seater for longer range driving, and a taxi version of the CityC.A.T. with C.A.T. standing for compressed air technology. The cars come in a single or duel energy mode, with the latter having a more conventional back up engine that can use gasoline, gas oil, biodiesel fuel, ethanol, etc. The CityC.A.T. uses compressed air when the speed is under 31mph and switches to fuel mode when above that. It will be available in 2, 4, and 6 cylinder versions.

The C.A.T. vehicles are no slouches when it comes to speed, with the ability to do over 130 miles per hour according to the company on line prospectus. The range of the single mode C.A.T. car is like that of an electric car, about 124 to 186 miles or 8 hours of driving. The hybrid C.A.T. has a driving range of about 1240 miles with zero pollution in cities and reduced pollution on the highway.

Tanking up with compressed air will be done at gas stations once the market is established. Refueling will take about three minutes. Refueling would be possible at home at about 6 hours. The car, when marketed, will meet the safety standards of each country where it is sold.

With little or no combustion, the motor oil needs to be changed only once every 31,000 miles, and the oil used is vegetable oil, The car’s exhaust is only pure air at sub-freezing temperatures, which will not only not pollute but will cool off our ordinary super heated roadways. The air can be rechanneled to provide air conditioning for the car.

The price of the MiniC.A.T. is expected to be somewhere around $10,000-a far cry from the high prices electric cars with the same range are getting. The CirtC.A.T. will be priced around $16,000, again low compared to hybrids like the Prius and Honda Civic.

The company says its financing comes from the sale of manufacturing licenses and patents all over the world. It ultimately wants to sell cars in every country but will start out in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The United Kingdom and Canada. If the U.S. is absent from the list of initial markets, it may be because of the powerful oil and auto industries that could try to stop the C.A.T. from coming here. It wouldn’t be the first time those entities quashed excellent ideas for fuel efficiency and curbing emissions. It seems like the car will be sold here if a U.S. company is willing to manufacture it or import it.

More information about the C.A.T. cars can be obtained by going to the MDI website: www.theaircar.com or by googling Moteur Developpment International, air car, or the name Guy Negre.

The Republican Shell Game

2006-07-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

Remember the old shell game at the circus? The hawker would show us the shells and a peanut. Then he would place the nut under one of the shells and mix them up; finally asking us to guess which shell the nut was under. He would let us guess correctly until we decided to place a bet. After we bet a little money, we never found the nut again.

Let’s take the analogy a little further. Pretend the nut is our tax dollars. Consider our state parks. Remember a few months back when they were considering selling part of Big Bend? Here’s why: they collect over $100 million dollars in revenue each year but by Texas law they are capped at receiving only $32 million of the dollars they generate. The remaining $70 million goes to the general fund. Big Bend keeps less than a third of what it takes in.

One other example, we pay 20 cents of tax for every gallon of fuel we purchase. The Lege has diverted over $1 billion of that money to the general fund and now tell us we need toll roads to maintain out highways. (Highways we already paid to build, by the way.) And like any good carnie magician, they are fantastic at diverting our attention. In this case, by holding a press conference and tell us what great managers they are by pointing to the budget surplus.

Where are the nuts?

In Austin.

Shuffling shells.

Permission

2006-07-13T15:27:00.000-07:00


Whose permission would you need to get married to the person you love? Thanks to Vivian Nelson for sending this to me!

Pride and Predjudice

2006-07-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

We should go ahead right now and let it be known that Little Larry is deeply committed to the sanctity of marriage. He believes that marriage is a sacrament, and should be honored as such. But what's a sacrament, COMM-D? you may be asking. Sometimes we toss those heavy words around without really understanding their meaning. A sacrament is a rite believed to be a means of (or visible form of) grace. And grace? Grace is just a word we use to define Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.* So to recap: God, or your Higher Power as you have come to know Her, bestows Her love and protection freely on all living things. And we share in Her grace with rites that honor Her. God is love. Marriage is love. Marriage is sacred. Which is why Little Larry believes that people who love each other, and want to share the grace of this love with the world, should be free to be married. Because how could an act, committed out of love, and bestowed by the grace of God, be anything but a blessing? How could one marriage be a threat to another? If your marriage is so weak that the idea of two women or two men marrying is threatening to you, then perhaps it is your marriage that is not sacramental? I know it scares Frank Corte awfully bad. When the 2003 Defense Of Marriage Act that he co-authored died in the house, he didn't let that stop him. He just co-authored another one in 2005 and helped pushed it through until it passed. Rather graceless, don't you think?

And our thanks to Sam Sanchez (Publisher, QSanAntonio.com) for providing the photo of Little Larry's parade march. For more photos of the event, click here.

* These are Dictionary.com definitions, I couldn't redefine these words to better prove my point if I tried.

Corteing Trouble

2006-07-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Poor Frank. He can't just help staying out of trouble. Even when he is half a planet away. But maybe that's the plan -- he can blame this latest transgression on his staff slacking off in his absence.

Our Boy Frank gots yet another failing grade. This time for not disclosing the employers and occupations of all donors who contribute $500 or more in a reporting period (a campaign finance law that was enacted in 2003 by the very Lege he is a member of) since 2004.

This confuses the LarryForLege campaign mightily for a few reasons.

1) We haven't ever gotten a donation that big. Probably wouldn't know what to do with it if we did. But judging by the money Frank raised in his last election, if every single donation was over $500 dollars it would still only be 140 entries to report. This isn't national or even state level politics, y'all. How hard could 140 be?

2) As the editorial linked above points out, there is no extra burdern here. Not even the aforementioned mythical 140 entries. The Texas Ethics Commission already requires candidates to disclose the name and address of anyone who contributes $50 or more. LittleLarry and TreasurerTerry have been following this rule faithfully...whether the donation is over or under $50.00 If these two old Army loggies can manage to keep spreadsheets, compare and contrast them, and get their reports to the Ethics Commission on time, why can't Corte's well-oiled political machine manage the same?

3) It isn't like you have to work that hard to keep the money without the information. If they don't have the employer and occupation listed, the campaign only has to document an oral or written request for the missing information some time within 30 days of receiving the contribution. Now, our own general campaign rule on missing information has been to issue a written request and if we don't hear back with the needed information we send back the money. Call us starry-eyed innocents, but we're working hard to stay as faithful to the idea on running an honest campaign. The term my counseling professors always use is aspirational ethics. And it was a question on the mid-term, dontcha know. But all Frank & Co. have to do is give it the old college try. That one was on the mid-term as well. It's called mandatory ethics.

But apparently some people think mandatory just doesn't apply to them.

The editorial put it bluntly:

The purpose of this requirement was simple: To make it easier for the public to discern what role businesses and special interests are playing in elections.

So what's Frank hidin' this time?

Where Were You Forty Years Ago Today?

2006-07-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, Candidate Larry called me up from his cell phone on the way home just now, and asked me if I knew where he was 40 years ago today. I thought a bit; I kinda got the impression it was important to him that I know this answer. As I was thinking, I kept up a bit of patter, but all the while, I was processing what I knew of his life before I met him. I realized he was 18, he had just graduated from Tascosa High School in Amarillo, and it was in 1966. Then I remembered - at the height of the Vietnamese War, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, and this day 40 years ago was his report date.

Larry is generally a cheerful, positive guy. He has a sunny disposition. No dark moods and depressions linger around that man. So I was surprised that his memory of a gloomy and fearful time would surface, and that he would mark such an anniversary. He still speaks of that time little, and can find nothing humorous to recount from those days. They ate every meal sitting at attention, there were no condiments like ketchup, not even salt and pepper. They had 2 uniforms (including underwear), that they were required to keep clean, so if they were doing night maneuvers in the mud, they came back to the barracks at 2 AM and hand-washed their clothes. He got less sleep in Marine Corps Boot Camp in 1966 than he did during the Gulf War, when he was up through the night a few times a week and was lucky to get 4 hours of sleep.

I remember when we were stationed at Army posts with basic training or AIT, and seeing those young kids marching in formation to the pay phones on Saturdays, if they were not marching off some infraction in the yard; and waiting in line with two hundred other young troops to make one 3 minute call to their loved ones. I remember seeing them break down in church, weeping from anxiety and exhaustion.

And I think of them today, gathering up the body parts of their friends, wondering why, really, they are in such a situation in Iraq. It would be understandable to me, I think, if these youngsters were fighting an entity that actually threatened the US. I would not feel the shame I feel at their predicament if I thought they were sacrificing their youth and innocence for America. But they are suffering, not on behalf of our country, but on behalf of a corrupt and careless government; on behalf of the whims of adventurers who would no more serve in the peacetime military than would Paris Hilton, let alone in actual battle. They are sacrificing for cowards playing Risk, but who are using real humans to make it more interesting, after which they go have a few martinis and a steak and plan their next golf junket.

I really wonder how they sleep at night. I know it will be a tough night for Larry, remembering how he was thrown into the Marine Corps maw forty years ago; and thinking of how corrupt chicken hawks are mis-using this generation of young men and women soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

I think I'm going to put on a bumper sticker I've been saving since Demfest last year. It says, "Draft The Twins".

True Americans

2006-07-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

The original "True American" email foward, was sent to me, altered, with the following message. And with the author's permission I'm posting it here to share with everyone. If you have any rewrites you would like to add yourself, please do send them along to Vivian's email address posted at the end of this entry!

I received another version of this in email. That version did not sit well with me, as it's statements required me to ignore the rights of someone else, in order to agree. So, I rewrote it. Send me your rewrites.

--Vivian

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the practice or non-practice of religion, anyone's religion.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You've always protested the enforcement of any religion or religious behavior on anyone..

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You accept everyone's practice of all traditional holidays, wherever they came from and whatever their family believes or has as a tradition.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You respect everyone's right to practice their religion privately and not publicly inflict your beliefs on everyone else .

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You respect the song and flags of the nation you are a citizen of, and those of any other nation you are visiting or hosting.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You treat all vets with the respect they earned by service wherever and whenever that service was performed..

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You see something wrong and you do not keep quiet through fear or intimidation.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You respect everyone and require your kids and friends to do the same.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You'd use your resources to help anyone in times of need.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You understand and accept that America is a free land of diversity and acceptance of the rights of everyone to make better lives for themselves and their families.

American does not mean Christian, Baptist, Islam, Catholic, Presbyterian, Pentecost, Mormon, or any other religion.
American does not mean white, black, red, brown or any other skin tone or color.
American does not mean male, female, transgendered or any other biology.
American does not mean sex, however it is enjoyed or ignored.
American is not only a choice, it is a concept, an idea, a dream.

American does not mean anything but Freedom and the responsibilities that go with that freedom.

Freedom to be the greatest nation in the world because we encourage the inventiveness and creativity that comes with diversity.
Responsibility to protect the members of those diverse groups, Americans.

Freedom to be the strongest and most respected nation in the world because with free-thinking comes wonderful ideas and possibilities.
Responsibility to protect these free-thinkers, Americans.

Freedom to celebrate the many ways of worship because with spirituality comes a respect and love for family, however that family is constructed or born.
Responsibility to protect those American families.

Freedom to agree and to disagree.
Responsibility to do this peacably and without hurt.
Responsibility to protect other's freedom to disagree with us.

Freedom to be safe, and to live and raise our families as we see best without interference.
Responsibility to be willing to protect that safety with our votes, our politics, our behavior, our selves.
Responsibility to ask for help and an expectation that help will be offered.
Responsibility to behave as thinking, reasoning, respectful adults, always, regardless the provocation or circumstance.

Freedom to associate freely and speak/write our minds about any subject we desire.
Responsibility to require these responsibilities of our friends and to teach them to our children.

Freedom is not free. We must all work every minute of every day to prevent it from becoming eroded, corroded or tarnished by the temptation to misuse a freedom in a way that might cause a limit on the same freedom belonging to someone else.

--Vivian Nelson
vnelson2@satx.rr.com

Arthur And The Witch: A Fable

2006-07-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question:
What do women really want?

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer.

But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first.

The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend! !

Young Arthur was horrified. How could he ask his friend to marry this hunchbacked and hideous woman? She had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, and made obscene noises and gestures on a constant basis. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.

He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur.

He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus:

What a woman really wants, she answered...is to be in charge of her own life

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared.

And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But the sight awaited him, was nothing like what he expected. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked how this came to be.

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would offer him a gift. She could appear as her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

Which would he prefer?

Beautiful during the day...or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch?

Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?

What would YOU do?

Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

Now, all good fables have a moral and the moral of this story is that if you don't let a woman make her own choices?

Things are going to get UGLY.

Shake It Down Now

2006-07-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a little 4th of July playlist for everyone who enjoyed the Bulldog Dem mix so much!

Living In America -- James Brown
Born In The USA -- Bruce Springsteen
American Woman -- Lenny Kravitz
Rockin In The USA -- John Mellancamp
American Pie -- Don McClean
American Baby -- Dave Matthews Band
4th Of July -- Robert Earl Keen
American Girl -- Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

Any others to add? Comments section is open!

Swinging Off The Tail Of The J

2006-07-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

Rumors
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

Have you ever heard of the Davies J-Curve theory? Yeah, me either until just recently. Essentially, and you can read a bit more about it here, the Davies J-Curve theory is a theory of revolution and uprising from a sociological perspective.

Here’s the thing about revolution and why people revolt:

It isn’t for political ideology or religion freedom or being beaten down by The Man one time too many.

Revolution occurs when a society’s citizens enjoy a time period of increased prosperity and well-being and then find it all snatched away.

Really, it’s surprising that the Bush administration’s whole Wag The Dog spin campaign clunked along for as long as it has. But, as Davies showed, Rove’s fear and terror campaign was doomed from the start; kinda like trying to create a Marxist society in an agriculturally-based economy such as Russia. No matter how hard you try, you really didn’t have the core ingredients you needed to start with.

This is why Americans are getting so damn mad. This is why I get emails from people in the district telling me they are going to vote against every incumbent on the ballot and what can they do to help support the Bulldog Dems.

People are willing to work hard to improve their quality of life. Americans are, historically and currently, known for pulling themselves up by the bootstaps and earning their prosperity. The Clinton administration understood this and made opportunities available for Americans to suceed. The Bush administration snatched them all away in order to give handouts to those who were already prosperous.

The Davies J-Curve is named such because a time of prosperity followed by sudden collapse looks like an upside down J when graphed. And here we are, swinging off the tail of the J just waiting for the revolution to begin.

And our battle cry?

November 7th Is Just The Beginning.

Ya Basta indeed, MizYucca.

Down With GoP? Yeah, you know me!

2006-07-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Free GOP: Grand Oil Party Bumper Stickers

https://political.moveon.org/stickers/?id=8163-3759825-WN4_MEBShO3Rk0AyOPxBwQ&t=1

PRO-LIFE and PRO-CHOICE

2006-07-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Can any citizen be both? Well, most citizens, in fact, are. The phrase the president loves to use is “culture of life”. I do not know many Republicans who actually promote a culture of life. To do so would require them to abolish the death penalty and to eliminate the freedom to make end-of-life decisions, such as no machines to sustain life or do-not-resuscitate orders. Three different issues that cannot be separated, if one is intellectually honest, are tied to the debate. The first is the most popular Republican talking point, birth, the second, one Republicans refuse to discuss as a pro-life issue, is the death penalty. The “pro-life” issue that most people in the United States agree about is the end-of-life decisions, Senator Frist notwithstanding.

Birth:

My wife and I know so well the grief and joy of children and family. Our daughter Faith was born in 1974, in a touch and go pregnancy, which resulted a beautiful baby girl. Never once did we think of an abortion. A few years later a baby boy was born to us who we named Samuel. We mutually decided these two children were the extent of our child bearing. But circumstances changed for us as they do for most families. During the summer of 1983 our three-year-old son Samuel was playing hide and seek with the neighborhood children. Sam crawled into a foot locker to hide and died of suffocation. We were torn apart, but later gathered the courage to attempt another pregnancy. The next summer we were expecting another baby but things went wrong and the baby was born at 22 weeks. She lived 45 minutes. She weighed less than a pound. We named her Hope and held her until her tiny heart stopped beating. We mutually decided we would forgo another pregnancy as Diane’s health and our emotional well-being were at risk. We moved to Europe, continuing my military career, and became pregnant on our 11th wedding anniversary. We were really frightened as we were near 40 years old and had a painful history. But again, we never considered abortion. Even though Diane was a high-risk patient, our son Billy was born in 1988 and is now an 18-year-old high school senior going to Harvard this fall. We know, only too well, the joys and the heartache associated with child bearing. I say again-we never considered terminated one of the pregnancies. Our circumstances in 2006 are very different. If we were to become pregnant today, in our late fifties, I would plead with Diane to terminate the pregnancy. Even though pregnancy is a shared event in our marriage, the issue fundamentally remains, that her body and health are the primary authority, not mine. For us today, the pro-life decision would be to protect the life of a wife, mother and grandmother, instead of pursuing the remote possibility of another child born to us. Being able to choose is pro-life – the lives of those who depend on and love Diane.

Capital Punishment:

This issue exposes the true hypocrisy of most Republicans. George Bush, as governor, supported the execution of the retarded, the mentally ill, women, and grandmothers. He certainly maintained an equal-opportunity death chamber. Last summer, the Texas legislature made an enlightened decision and adopted a bill that allowed juries to choose life without parole instead of the death penalty.
Clearly, a pro-choice and pro-life decision for Texas juries. Society could permanently be protected from a violent criminal and the mantra, “culture of life”, could be upheld. This bill passed almost overwhelmingly – except my opponent and about 30 of his colleagues voted against it. His vote was a pro-death vote.

End of Life:

One part of the “life” debate that Republicans are confused about is the end of life. We all demand the right to write a living will; write “do not resuscitate” orders and orders that preclude extraordinary measures taken to prolong our lives hooked up to machines. We want the dignity of these choices, and we write them down for our family members, medical personnel, and courts to follow. This matter is a pro-choice decision directly pertaining to not only quality of life, but quality of death.

We all want and deserve the freedom to make life and death decisions based on our individual circumstances - circumstances that concern health, rape, incest, age, personal religious beliefs and quality of life. We cannot cede the power to any government to decide our fate. Each person’s body is sovereign and given free will by God to make decisions. Our individual liberty shall not be taken away. Like so many Americans, I am pro-life and pro-choice.

(Cross posted on TexasKaos)

You're not from Texas

2006-06-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamed I saw Joe Hill but I woke up and found myself in the Republic of Texas. They keep telling me, “you’re not from Texas” but I’m here in San Antonio. If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with. So, I’m trying real hard to love Texas.

After 8 months here I’ve figured out my hearing is no good or I’m just a slow learner. It’s not the Republic of Texas, it’s Republican Texas, where Democratic activists and Democratic precinct chairs say they’re not voting for Chris Bell.

If you’re looking for the road to Austin, voting for Rick Perry, Rick Friedman, or Ricki Carole Strayhorn is not the right way to go. You need a new map.

Quit voting for Republicans. Ya basta, y’all. You want to take back Texas, vote for Democrats.

It’s not as though you’re voting for a jerk. Here’s a smart, articulate, decent man who’s been a city council member, a member of Congress, a lawyer, and a journalist. He’s even got a sense of humor. He’s got a little problem with showing up sometimes but let’s just forget that, OK?

Voting for R1, R2 or R3 because Chris Bell went to a Spurs game instead of the Bexar County Dems swearing - in ceremony is like impeaching Bill Clinton for a blow job. Are you jealous or what?

So, why would you vote for one of the Rick(i)s? They all voted for George Bush, one of R2s rare votes. They all voted for R1 in the last go-round. There’s no real difference between R1 and R3 except where they get their hair done. R2 just wears a hat.

R2 went to Borneo in the Peace Corps when he was younger and smarter but now he’s morphed into Jesse Ventura Jewboy. P.S. for those of you who don’t follow country music, this is not an anti-Semitic slur, it’s an allusion to R2's musical group.

Do you want a governor who doesn’t believe in government? Vote Republican - limited government is part of their platform.

I know they say that voting is important but these people don’t have to waste their own personal time on the voting thing. If you go to the polls, we’re just talking one vote. It’s more efficient to buy them or steal them in big lots. You should know that Rick Friedman votes about as often as Dick Cheney. Of course, you have to ask yourself, do you want these guys to vote?

Back to Chris Bell. Why should you vote for him?

A) He’s the best candidate. Don’t get hung up on the fact that he’s a candidate without a campaign. Did you vote for Bush because Kerry had a lousy campaign?

B) He’s the guy in Congress who filed the ethics complaint against Tom De Lay the Bug Boy. Are you a Democrat? What more do you need? Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors.

C) He’s the Democrat. Democrats should vote for Democrats.

D) If you vote for him, and I mean you, whoever you are, who’s bothering to read this little rant, he might win. I know, I know, everyone says he’s gonna lose. So what? Don’t forget what you learned in school about self-fulfilling prophecies. You want to make it come true, don’t vote for Chris Bell. Candidates can win or lose by 1 vote or 7 votes or 12 votes. It happened here in San Antonio.

Are you tired of the Republicans? Quit voting for them. Ya basta, y’all.

The race just got a little kinkier.

2006-06-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

It's official. Kinky Friedman is on the ballot having collected all the signatures he needed plus 25,000 more than the other independent canidate, Carol Cougar Mellencamp. And he was operating on 1/10th of her budget.

We are witnessing a new era here, y'all. We will no longer be governed by the comfortable few. Big bidness, big oil money isn't going to win this batch of races. They will be won on the time, talent, creativity and blessings such as these.

Doesn't it just tickle you to death that every little bit really does help?

Pros Take Over

2006-06-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, Larry For The Lege is actually moving forward - we have some pros running the campaign now, Tom Jepson and Mimi Moffat. Mimi's actually done this for a winner before, and I'm hoping she will tell the story on this blog, as well as post her recipe for cauliflower salad. Krazy Puppy over at Texas Kaos, The Blog Formerly Known As TexasKos designed and put up an ad for the campaign (about 2/3 down on the left - check it out!). Tom and Larry watched Mimi and me drink a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne while we all tossed around ideas for bumper stickers. We are all fairly OK with black on yellow or yellow on black to read: Larry "Bulldog" Stallings for Texas 122". I like the gold on black best, but since I'm not the campaign manager anymore, I'll probably not get my way, especially if the black background costs more.

We played COMM-D's Bulldog Dems Fight Back Anthem Mix going out to dinner on Sunday, and when the Beatles "Revolution" came on, I started singin' at the top of my lungs, with the windows open, embarrassing Billy to death and making him wonder what I was inhaling. (But, it was only the diesel fumes from Peter, my 2004 VW Golf TDI, which I drive altogether too fast most of the time.) "You ask me for a contree-byu-shu-un-un; we-e-ell you kno-o-o-w, we're all doin' what we ca-an-an-an..."

Read about the latest contribution here at Texas Kaos, The Blog Formerly Known as TexasKos. I sure wish we knew who sent it, so s/he could be properly thanked.

Been spending most of the week getting Billy medically checked and medically documented for the College Experience. He was dismayed to learn he needed more shots, blood drawn for a chicken pox titer, and a TB tine test, which the doc did not trust me to read, necessitating schlepping back again today. He handled it only marginally better than he did as a baby when he always screamed in outrage to the point of passing out from not breathing. Now he just, well, complains. Over and over. I must admit in this, he is My Child. Larry is more stoic when outraged. He just goes after whoever makes him mad relentlessly, but non-verbally. 'Til he wins.

Yup. He's a bulldog.

The Offical Campaign Playlist

2006-06-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

Along with his other father's day goodies, the COMM-D family burned him a CD of his campaign fight songs. Some were requested by him specifically and some were chosen by us unilaterally. Want some good tunage for your car? Burn your own "Bulldog Dem" mix today! Also makes an inexpensive father's day gift for the other bulldog Dem dads in your life!

1. Hey Bulldog -- Dave Matthews and Friends
2. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue -- Taj Mahal
3. Lookin' For A Leader -- Neil Young
4. Revolution -- The Beatles
5. Big Yellow Taxi -- Joni Mitchell
6. For What Its Worth -- Buffalo Springfield
7. War [Live 1985] -- Bruce Springsteen
8. The Times They Are A-Changin' -- Bob Dylan
9. Not Ready To Make Nice -- Dixie Chicks
10. Get Up Offa That Thing -- James Brown
11. Who Let The Dogs Out -- Baha Men

BONUS TRACK:
Bicycle -- Queen

A Candidate's First Convention

2006-06-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed parts of the convention immensely such as Wes Clark's speech and participating in my SD25 caucus. The truth is, this entire process is easily refined and made better and we must tell our SDEC representatives to promote some minor changes:

A. No more stump speeches from folks running for party chair because:

1. Delegates received e-mail, phone calls, regular mail and many handouts at the convention.

2. Each candidate received two nominating speeches and spoke themselves.

3. Many attendees at each caucus were not delegates therefore could not vote for party chair anyway. They attended a caucus because they are advocates and want to learn how to work for a cause and hear from November candidates who endorse their cause.

4. The opportunity for November candidates to connect with the grass roots was lost.

B. A 30 minute training early Friday morning for new candidates outlining how to participate in the caucus process.

C. A sign in booth for candidates with delegate and candidate badges ready for pickup to expedite their participation in a caucus. I did not have my credentials until 11:30 Friday morning.

D. Publish a schedule and live by it. Many fellow candidates had to leave to keep other commitments because of unannounced changes. I stood for a total of 4 hours waiting to be introduced and then was further delayed all the while following convention staff instructions.

E. Have credentials ready for all delegates for two hours Thursday evening and 8:00 A.M. Friday morning.

F. Publish accurate brochures. I'm running for HD 122. If you check your glossy program, you will see Mike Villarreal listed for 122. Mike is a sitting Democratic Legislator in seat 121 with no opposition this fall. When I saw the mistake my only thought was; no wonder we Democrats lose; we don't even know who is running.

G. Start the convention at 8:00 A.M. on Saturday with caucus groups.

I learned a great deal and do not regret attending for one second. Let's get better so we maximize our togetherness and build our grass roots and avoid all self aggrandizement.

On a personal note: I am asking you to contact your SDEC members and insist that they vote for the impeachment resolution at their next meeting. Speaking as a thirty-year combat veteran, I have an intimate knowledge of what it means to risk one's life for our country. The cause must be compelling if we are to keep faith with those who serve now. There was absolutely no compelling reason to enter into this conflict, and the Bush regime knows it. They are killing and maiming our children, they spy on us all, and they are personally profiting from this war. They need to be removed from office for high crimes and misdemeanors. I proudly signed the petition at the convention.

Billy's Graduation Entrance

2006-06-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

Billy's Graduation Entrance
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

LittleLarry's tiny baby boy (who measures in a good 5 inches taller than LittleLarry hisveryownself) graduated from high school this past weekend. His political science teacher is thrilled to see him go...having a well educated politically active kid in his classroom on a daily basis ~~made his a nervous wreck~~ kept him on his toes.

It is a relief to see Billy and his peers invest so much time and heart into the world around them. All of the people out there who decry our under-30 voting adults as the slacker generation (I'm looking at you Ms. Hillary!) are missing out on a chance to tap into the talents and the engery of some amazing young men and women. These kids will be voting in our next election cycle, and while this worries many people it makes me excited and proud.

Remember, the people who think they can change the world are the ones who often do.

Bookshelf

2006-06-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips

The Great Influenza by John Barry

The Great Mortality by John Kelly

Texas Democratic Party Rules

iPod:

Bonaroo - Dave Matthews

One of The Fortunate Few - Delbert McClinton

On The Road - Creole Zydeco Farmers

Rhythm of the Saints - Paul Simon

Tivo:

Last night's Criminal Intent

PBS special on Lincoln's depression

24

Last episode of Battlestar Galactica

* * * * * * * * *

Candidate Larry is still walkin' kinda slow, but I wouldn't call it limping - and he's driving his own self to work, and even been back on the bike; but he still sleeps on his left side and snores into my right ear. And I get to do the driving to Ft. Worth on Thursday. I hope to see y'all there!

Congratulations Are In Order

2006-06-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

(Posted by Candidate Larry on TexasKos)

Congratulations to TexasKos for engaging in the red-blue religion debate on a regular basis. Religion will be in play this November and we Progressives better be ready for the debate. Here is my take on the thought process of the fundamentalist religious right.

Think back to your Psychology 101 class. Remember Otto Rank? His thesis for the core driving force of life is the “fear of death”. Please keep this in mind as we examine religious ideology.
If we all have an innate fear of death then we will pursue the relief of that fear in order to live in peace. The most often used remedy to relieve this fear is religion. This religious “soul balm” is fairly new to Unites States culture. It comes in the form of the “once saved always saved” theology. In the Christian tradition, simply stated, once a person accepts Jesus as personal savior, eternal salvation is assured. Yes, guaranteed. No matter what foul and evil deeds one might do after “being saved’, heaven is still guaranteed.

This fundamentalist belief system is based on a charismatic leader who is worshiped and obeyed by the followers, and I don’t mean Jesus of Nazareth, I’m talking about the right here and right now local religious leader of the group. Don’t forget Waco, Jim Jones and the comet Kahutek folks. People will drink the kool aid to display love for and faith in the leader. The fundamentalist movement has capitalized on fear extensively in the last 30 years, primarily under the flag of the Republican Party. Preachers from all denominations preach hate, judgment; everybody is going to hell but us, etc. to the delight of their congregations who have their fear of death appeased, and their own righteousness validated. The irony is they ignore the God-given gift of free will. The same free will that tradition tells us, got Lucifer kicked out of heaven, and the same free will that saved the thief on the cross (see the Gospel of Luke)is the free will I’m talking about. Even more clear from the “Good Book’ is the story of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve lived literally in paradise, totally sin-free and in happy ignorance; but not temptation free. Adam and Eve only had one rule to live by; they could not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They did choose to eat of the tree of knowledge; human free will exists even in a perfect environment. Whether they chose well or badly is a subject for another discussion, but the basic human fact remains - free will has always been and will always be. It is what makes us human. We make free will choices every day, and hopefully we make positive choices that develop a conscience that complies with the simple rule of “love your neighbor as yourself”.

The real measure of a spiritual life is continual growth and a constant search for truth and the courage to change. That is where a fundamentalist and a progressive, Christian or otherwise, part ways. The progressive continually searches for truth and makes decisions based on enlightenment, not fear. Sometimes the truth forces people make drastic personal changes; but change they must, because they are enlightened by truth and propelled by free will.

If numbers don’t lie, there approximately 60 million fundamentalists in the United States which is about 20% per cent of the population and they do vote. Our job is to understand the issues, the religious questions, and share truth with the undecided. Then we will turn TEXAS BLUE.

Two Baby Bulldogs

2006-05-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

Two Baby Bulldogs
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

We need some more Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in political office now don't we? With all the excitement of finding out that scuba gear is now a necessary inclusion in the Tour De Cure biking events, we forgot to tell y'all that LittleLarry went to his grandson's (COMM-D's littlest baby) bridging into Cub Scouts as a Tiger Cub (Growl, Momma!) As you can see by the photo, LittleLarry was a cub scout hisveryownself back in the day, along with his brother Eddie Lee, and their mom Delores as their troop leader. LittleLarry loved scouting, and not just because it was a family affair. It taught him many of the principles that he holds dear today and we are hoping it will do the same thing for Baby Sam.

And you gotta love a man in uniform.

Bulldog Off The Bike

2006-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well, Little Larry probably doesn't want me to tell you this - but he is showing his age. He no longer walks purposefully, he walks carefully and slowly. His wounds are so bad that he can't even drive right now. I have the fun of getting up at 6AM and keeping his hours, driving him to work, and fighting the 6 PM traffic to pick him up at work. He comes home, gets the bags of ice in the freezer, and sits on the sofa surrounded by them. After about a half hour he is up to eating a little dinner. (Another funny thing about this man - he refused to eat in front of the TV - even if the weather channel has something terrible compelling on, he still wants to eat his dinner at a real table, sitting in a real chair.) He takes a Benadryl, some Advil, and then very carefully gets into bed, with more ice. This morning Bubby set his alarm to drive his dad to work, so I could sleep a little longer. We are getting ready for the State Convention early in June. Our delegation chair is having a meeting next week, and has invited the candidates for State Party chair. It seems 2 of them will be coming. And graduation is almost upon us, and our Last Baby is ready to leave San Antonio for a new adventure. Since he was at a fencing tournament the day Josten's came to school, it is now an incredible circle-jerk getting his cap and gown. Josten's is pain to deal with, even if it ends up costing them money - thank goodness bubby didn't want a class ring - I would have hated to give that company any more money than absolutely necessary. So, I have to go to their HQ in San Antonio, promptly at 3:30 PM, and wait with "cash, exact change only" to try to get him a cap and gown for Sunday's graduation. A friend said it would be a nice statement if he was in the procession without one, to protest the war in Iraq. Talk about a blast from the past - I remember graduation protests of the Vietnam war. I seem to remember black armbands on those big sleeves, and hand-lettered signs being carried under the gowns for coordinated display, though - not doing without the cap and gown. The whole graduation thing seems so anti-climactic to us after the drama of college applications and acceptances. Bubby said it will be his first summer in 6 years without summer academic assignments.

Well, gotta go put those ice packs back in the freezer, and start gettin' ready for the graduation festivites. Best wishes to all graduates and thanks to those who sacrificed so they could succeed.

Bulldog On A Bike ( Semper Fi )

2006-05-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Well, you may remember that Candidate Larry agreed to ride the Tour de Cure with Treasurer Terry back in January. He has been training ever since, first on Bubby's bike, then on his very own, which we bought around St. Patrick's Day. Yesterday was Leg One, the first 50 miles of the ride. Man, did the candidate feel fantastic after the first day! He wished they had gone ahead and done 80 miles instead of 50, even though COMM-D and Treasurer Terry convinced him the 50 would be far enough; besides, Terry's knees have been acting up so bad lately, he has been limping. So they felt like Big Dogs, indeed, at the end of yesterday's ride. They participated in the first day's festivities in San Marcos, slept in a dorm at TSU, and got up bright and early this morning for the last 58 miles of the ride. They felt great.

At about the 8 mile mark, a support van (driven, evidently, by a real rookie) ran the Candidate off the road, on a bridge, and into a river. Larry doesn't know which one, but doesn't think it was the San Marcos. Anyway, he and the bike went sailing into the air and dropped about 12 feet into a river. He doesn't remember the impact, just the split second before he went sailing, and then came to trying to get out of the water, with folks all around him. Terry went in after the bike, and the medics swarmed Little Larry. The bike was damaged, so the rookie van driver took it to the next stop, and the medics took Larry there; where they were astounded that he insisted on finishing the ride. After the mechanic made the bike rideable, he and Terry took off, losing about an hour and a half.

I expected him at the finish line at Akins H.S. in south Austin just after 11 this morning, but he wasn't there at 11, nor 11:30, nor 12, nor 12:30. He had called me to tell me that his phone no longer worked, but that was all I knew. Finally, at about 12:45, he and Terry rode slowly to the finish line, very slowly. Larry was white as a ghost, the Chickasaw in him bleached beyond recognition. He veeeerrrry slowly got off the bike, limped over to the water station, and got his water bottle filled. Terry then told us the story of the trip off the bridge, the medic swarm, the waiting for the bike to be fixed, and the notariety it all created. The fact that Larry Stallings stayed true to his nickname, "Bulldog", and finished the ride, did not surprise Treasurer Terry in the least. He served with Larry in the Army, and knows that the size of the fight in the dog is what makes a good soldier. Everybody else along the way was really surprised, though. When they saw his number, they all said, "Oh, you're the guy who went over the bridge! Why are you still riding?", not believing anyone would finish the ride with his injuries. His whole right side is one bloody abrasion from his knee to the side of his head, he is nicely bruised from the middle of his back around to the front, and he seems to have badly bruised ribs. But he finished the frakkin' ride.

When I called COMM-D on the way to Dr. Derrek's who lives nearby (I wanted to know if I should take him to the ER, or just go home), she went nuts. I told her to go blog it because I didn't know when I would be home and she said, "I don't feel like blogging this. I feel like calling the Tour de Cure organizers and going F****in' nuts with them! Larry is an old man! The guy that ran him off the road needs to be bitch-slapped! This was supposed to be a fun ride, not a combat zone! He's an old man!"

Well, to a 31 year old daughter, he may look like an old man. He is rather grey haired, and has a lot of laugh lines. But he's really a bulldog. A bulldog who is currently taking a nap, but still a bulldog.

Now, this episode tells us something important about this candidate. For those of you that need a little hint - this is the kind of guy you want representing you in the Lege. This guy isn't the four-hour-lobbyist-lunch guy. This guy isn't the type who will have aides do all his reading and all his work. This is a guy made in the mold of Jim Hogg, who does what he says he will do. This is the Bulldog of 122, who puts the job before himself, puts his people before himself. Isn't this who you want sitting in that chair and making those votes in the Lege?

Semper Fi, yes indeedy.

Gettin' Out, Meetin' Folks

2006-05-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

I was invited to a Hills and Dales barbecue and business meeting that was held last Saturday. (Valerie Corte, Frank’s stand-in, was invited as well, but did not reply to the invitation or attend.) This was my first invitation to an event where I knew no one. Diane and I decided to go together; it was pot luck, so we brought a side dish like everybody else. We wondered all week what this event would be like, remembering that all the pundits say HD 122 is any where from 70% to 75% red. We drove to the location and found a small lake surrounded with picnic tables and a pavilion the association built with their own labor. They have a 40-year-old swimming pool, which was full of kids under the watchful eye of adults. The organizers who invited me were delightful, and provided us a history of the association and how they maintained their park area. I had several other interesting conversations about the neighborhood. One gentleman was a Korean War vet so we talked a great deal about the military and our personal experiences. We found we are both against the current war in Iraq. A woman veterinarian was very anti-toll and disgusted with urban sprawl. We talked at great length about the housing developments going up in their area. She said there was no green between the homes and I commented that the builders wanted to build as many houses as possible to maximize profit regardless of the environmental consequences. After a short business meeting, where the new officers were introduced and a discussion of speed bumps and traffic problems ensued, I was introduced and talked about two minutes; I explained that I am adamantly against tolling our freeways, against school vouchers, for gender equality in health care and very much in favor of protecting our drinking water. One gentleman asked me for a campaign card (I actually gave out a couple of dozen) and told me he was against public school vouchers and a member of the Sierra Club. He stated point blank he would vote for me in November. I shook hands with all of the association officers and thanked them for the invitation. Being a born and bred Texan, I found the cook and praised him for the great barbeque. More importantly, we were invited to their Labor Day celebration which normally has over 200 attendees. These folks are really aware of the serious issues facing HD122, and the further environmental damage and harm to public schools Corte and his sidekicks have planned for them and their neighbors. I can’t wait for the next meeting with strangers. They won’t stay strangers long, we all want to protect what we have – our schools, our freeways, and our rights. The issues are clear, the solution simple; VOTE BLUE.

Why I Served

2006-05-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

As have many other citizens, I served in the military for 30 years; twice being deployed to combat zones. I also took advantage of the benefits available from military service such as education; but the overarching reason most of us served was to protect the Constitution "against all enemies foreign and domestic". To connect this philsophy to the current reality I offer these thoughts.

I served to safeguard:

Free private religious expression for all.

Good public schools.

The right to privacy.

Confidential and unrestricted medical care.

Fiscal policy that is good stewardship of our tax dollars.

Safe and accessible public transportation.

Environmental protections.

The right to vote on policies that affect me and my family.

Freedom to make end of life decisions.

Trial by jury, not by Legislature.

I could list a lot more, but these are important because they are being taken away by Republican politicians and cowardly Democrats. The national debt, undeclared war, eavesdropping, CIA leaks, a military general chosen to lead the CIA, school vouchers, toll roads, tax cuts for the wealthy and many more elitist matters make me livid. These same elitists threaten and harm us all, and tell us we are not Christian or patriotic if we don't march in step with them. My message is simple: my military service speaks of my patriotism; and my values declare my religious faith. Both lead me to vehemently disagree with the current Republican politicians from D.C. to Austin to HD122.

VOTE BLUE and restore Democracy!!!

On Thin Ice

2006-05-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

On Thin Ice
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

This is my new favorite t-shirt y'all. Mr. COMM-D has one, and I have two of them plus the apron. I wear mine all over town when I'm working and all over campus when I'm going to school.

This is the official campaign shirt for David Van Os (better known in our household as Maya and Leya's daddy) bid for Texas Attorney General.

You can gitcher own right here.

Is Frank Corte Really Safer in Iraq than in D. C.? No, Not Really.

2006-05-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

I should be studying for my finals right now but this crap makes me so DAMN MAD that I had to take a moment to ~~rant~~ discuss the following little tidbit that some Republican punk cooked up and has been spreading around the Internet like wildfire.

Have you seen this yet?

60,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the last 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000.
The firearm death rate in Washington D.C. is 80.6 per 100,000. That means that you are about 30% more likely to be shot and killed in our Nation's Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, than you are in Iraq.

Conclusion: We should immediately pull out of Washington D.C.

Oh, hahahaha! See? War is safer than stateside urban living! You are much more likely to get killed in D.C. than in Iraq! Our soldiers don't have it that bad...so everyone kwitcherbitchin!

While I can agree that pulling out of D.C. (at least out of the Beltway) isn't the worst idea I have ever heard, it is really time to stop believing everything we read. So when someone sends this crap to you, or you see it in someone's blog, send them this back:

This email/blog posting has been going around for a few months so I'm not sure what period the 22 months pertains too. So let's just look at the total numbers current to date, alrighty?

=======================================

1) In the actual theatre of operations, there are actually only 30,000 American soldiers in the theatre at any time and this number has been consistent for over 2 years. Not 60,000.

2) The number of American deaths in Iraq is also wrong. To be fair, it may have been accurate at the time of the orignal email. But since we are checking all the numbers, the number of American military casulties is currently 2405.

3) If we use the actual theatre of operations numbers like the original email suggested the American military death ratio is actually 8016 per 100,000 in a two year period. So, that averages to 4008 per 100,000 a year. Wow. Ok. Let's play fair again. It's easy to play fair when the other side is so incredibly wrong that you can give them every benefit of the doubt and have them STILL be wrong. Our total "boots on the ground" troop numbers right now is about 130,000. Not in theatre, but total in the country in any capacity. This is actually, from all my research, probably a high estimate; but it is the number given by the same site that lists 30,000 in theatre so let's stick with it for consistency's sake. If the number of deahts (2405) is taken out of the 130,000 total number instead of the 30,000 in theatre number we get a rate of death of 1850 American US Military per 100,000 in a two year period. Or 925 per 100,000 per year on average.

34ncludes suicide let's aim for accuracy again and look at the homicide numbers instead. Again with the fairness. I know. Using the city per capita murder rate (which is higher than the rate for the greater metro region...fair is fair) and figure it based on D.C.'s population of 553,523, you get a rate of 35.8 murders/100K population (with 198 murders total).

5) Too many numbers and links? Ok, here is the simple version. 925 versus 35.8. Oh hell, let's make it 36 just to keep it nice and even. 925 per 100,000 American troups dying in Iraq each year and 36 US Citizens dying in Washington DC by homicide each yet. The email seems less and less funny now, doesn't it?

6) Stay with me. We have more.

7) Nowhere in this little blurb do we discuss the number of Iraqi citizens that have been killed. Just the US Military troops. That's kinda like basing the DC Homicide rate solely on the number of tourists that were killed instead of the number of citizens, isn't it? Made harder by the fact that our current administration isn't releasing Iraqi death toll numbers, and where these deaths are occuring; I did figure the following: the minimum, MINIMUM, number of civillian deaths so far is 34,711. The higher estimate (albeit still a conservative one) is 38,861. The population of Iraq is
22,219,289. This is the whole country. Not just certain urban areas that are showing the most fighting. Total. Even using the MINIMUM number of civilian deaths throughout the WHOLE COUNTRY OF IRAQ, we have a 175 per 100,000 homicide rate.

8) Short and sweet again. 36 in DC based on the HIGHER metro homicide rate. 925 American troops based on the TOTAL number of soldiers. And 175 Iraqi citizens based on the TOTAL number of citizens.

=======================================

While I realize these kinds of emails are kinda funny, especially if you don't think about what we are making fun of too deeply, this kind of misinformation is really dangerous. This is war and these are human lives. We don't have control of the White House, the Senate, or the House of Representatives. All we have is the truth.

The truth is contagious. Pass it on.

Outsourcing: More Republican Stupidity

2006-05-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Good Hair and his Corte are sending millions of dollars overseas to foreign companies and placing hard working Texas citizens in the unemployment line. He is conducting secret negotiations with Cintra of Spain concerning toll road management; and has already awarded a $899 million contract to Accenture of Bermuda. The Accenture contract is eliminating union jobs in the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. These idiots tell Texas citizens that it is cheaper to outsource work: nonsense. Here is how contractors calculate charges. They start with the salary, add overhead, add fringe, add management fee, and finally add their profit. Yes indeed, we citizens pay for their corporate overhead and the benefits, if any, their workers get. Here is how the math is done on a $10.00 per hour salary.

$10.00 X 1.35 = salary and fringe: $13.50

$13.50 X 1.20 = salary,fringe,overhead: $16.02

$16.02 X 1.10 = plus management fee: $17.62

$17.62 X 1.20 + above plus profit: $21.14

In the case of Accentrure, we also paid $300 million for a new software program called "TIERS".

Deloitte was given the software contract.

The actual cost for a state employee is about $17.00 per hour.

The legislature has also contracted out a large portion of our state prison system. Now ask yourself this question. Why would a contractor want to rehabilitate prisoners, find work for the unemployed, or reduce entitlement programs? They would put themselves out of work! In fact, contractors would want to see poverty and unemployment increase so their contract would get bigger. And Republicans accused Dems of creating a culture of dependency!

We need neighbors helping neighbors; not foreign countries or corporate giants making money on folk's poverty and misfortune. Instead, we need to support the Texas State Employees Union which has won three separate awards for dedication and expertise. We need to stop paying $21.14 for a $10.00 per hour job.

Tax and spend Republicans-get out of Austin. You are too expensive for us to support.

The Emperor's New Political Platform

2006-04-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

You know sometimes I feel like the little kid hollerin’ out that the emperor ain’t got no britches on and people are lookin’ at me like they plumb forgot what britches even are.

Here we are with fools like Frank Corte, more worried about what I do with my girlie parts than I am and other politarded activties when really, the man is runnin’ around without a stitch of clothing on his body.

Metaphorically speakin’, naturally.

What I am talking about, yet again, is the fact we have lost sight of the fact that the government was designed to take care of us and protect us.

Or as Andrew Greeley put it so breathtakingly elegantly in this article about immigration:

The American theory is not that we bestow rights on humans by legislation or constitution. Rather, we affirm what is part of our common humanity. Many countries do not acknowledge the existence of such rights. You have only the rights that the law gives you. In America we believe that laws exist to sustain and protect human rights without regard to race, creed or color.

This bears repeating, dunnit?

The American theory is not that we bestow rights on humans by legislation or constitution. Rather, we affirm what is part of our common humanity.

Where is our common humanity? What happened to the simple things like making sure people don’t go hungry or stay sick, and seeing that their kids get educated?

Fortunately, there are two simple things we can do about it. We can start demanding candidates address real issues.

And we can stop voting for the naked people.

The Master's Tools

2006-04-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Democrats can be such wimps.

Yeah, I said it.

And you know I’m right.

La Familia de Little Larry spent a lovely Easter with David Van Os and his fun family. All the discussion about campaigning and politics in general with the Os-Man has given me enough material for several blog entries.

But one thing we talked about that has been resonating with me all week. We were talkin' about how we, as Democrats, continue to try to beat the Republicans using their strategies and their systems of discourse.

If they spend a ridiculous amount of money on consultants and exit polling so do we.

If they focus on stupid issues we get right in there and muck around in the stupid right along with them.

If they say we are mean, we get all worried about our image and we try to be nicer.

And then we wonder why more people vote for the next American Idol than the next American president.

Everyone is so disgusted with our current political system that just runs in circles chasing its own tail. Even though the majority of Americans want nationalized health care and feel that war with Iraq is wrong, they don’t vote for the Democrats who are platforming, theoretically, on these issues.

All they see is two parties playing the same game and only one party doing is successfully. So we do a mental shrug and think well, at least the Republicans are good at it and they buy a ticket for the agenda juggernaut that Al Franken termed “fear, smear, and queers.”

It’s time to stop it. Right now. Just stop it. Don’t play this game with them one more minute.

As David says, you can’t blame them for doing what helps them win. We can only blame ourselves for playing along. It’s time to take our ball and go home, y’all. We are not going to play on this field anymore.

Don’t engage in pointless debate that we can’t win and doesn’t matter. When someone brings up gay marriage to you? Call them on it. Tell them that it is bullshit and not worthy of discussion when we are losing family members in Iraq and it costs a day's salary just to fill your car with gasoline to get to work.

Whether or not the bible says “Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve” doesn’t matter when you don’t have insurance and can’t afford to go to the doctor when you are sick.

Who is the better legal guardian for Terri Shiavo doesn't matter in relation to the indentured labor and forced abortions happening in our own US Commonwealth Marianas Islands .

Stop playing their games and stop playing by their rules. It is time for us to reclaim our democracy and bring forth the real issues that are affecting our daily lives.

Anyone else who has ever taken a Women’s Studies class may be thinkin' now of the same essay I remembered when talking to David last week. In a speech given more than twenty years ago, Audre Lorde warned us that the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.

It’s a lesson that bears repeating until we learn it.

Those of us who are poor, who are lesbians, who are Black, who are older - know that survival is not an academic skill. It is learning to stand alone, unpopular and sometimes reviled, and how to make common cause with those others identified as outside the structures in order to define and seek a world in which we can all flourish. It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths. For the masters tools will never dismantle the master's house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.

--Audre Lourde (From The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House from Sister Outsider: Essays And Speeches)

Bush's Brain Sighted In San Antonio

2006-04-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

(Cross-posted atTexasKOS)

It's been confirmed by a Trinity University source that Karl's Kid will be matriculating at Trinity University this Fall, and was accompanied by his Mum and Da to the pre-frosh weekend at Trinity going on as I type.

So, what will we call him when there are Baby Rove sightings at local watering holes? Baby Brain? Karl's Kid?

Karl must be really glad to be back in mufti, hangin' with the wife and kidddie, trying to blend in. Too bad the overseas snark just keeps drawing attention to the Mini-Me of W. Check it out:

KARL ROVE is another faux-Texan wheeler-dealer sometimes described as Bush's brain, a courtier most often seen superglued to the presidential right ear. Pink and pudgy, he looks like one of Disney's three little pigs, although infinitely more smug.

Rove was shunted sideways this week in a shuffle of the White House deck chairs which also saw Dubya's press secretary lose his job. His new assignment will be to divert the Republican Party from the coming train wreck of the Congressional mid-term elections this November.

It will be interesting how the MSCM treats The Architect this time around. Can't wait.

Under The Sign Of The Cross

2006-04-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

We of the new Democratic vintage have observed an interesting Spring so far; watching conservatives out-conservative each other. Recall the Leininger 5 who Doctor Jim dumped $3 million into the Republican primary to unseat, incumbent Republicans all, to be replaced by Republican candidates who were even more conservative. And of course, God was brought into play more times than I could count. You cannot claim to be a conservative politician unless you are a hard core fundamentalist right wing religious zealot. I guess if they all claim to be the most conservative, we can easily set up a score card to determine a winner. If one conservative boots 200 children out of the CHIP program and another boots 250 out of CHIP, clearly the 250-booter-outer conservative wins. A better conservative would increase the national debt that W has currently at $9 trillion, to $10 trillion. A better conservative would make war on another country that poses no threat to the U.S. The war in Iraq would, of course continue, because two wars would be more conservative than one. The only condition is that the second country must have oil reserves which exclude North Korea. This contest would be a great reality show sponsored by FOX News.

A couple of lessons in history are worthy of thought. Ten centuries ago humanity went through a time strangely named the “Crusades” – called that because the battles were fought under the sign of Christ’s cross. Powerful Christian rulers put aside their fights with each other and decided the Muslim infidels occupying the Holy Land should be removed by force. The rulers raised armies of thousands and sent them off to fruitless battles to conquer the same land mass the United States is fighting in today. Thousands and thousands of lives were lost over several “crusades” and nothing changed. The ruling elite thought conquering a foreign land more virtuous than protecting the lives of the soldiers, many of them children, who were slaughtered in the effort. This is hauntingly familiar today. Europe was not threatened by the Muslim world when the crusades began, either.

The good ol’ conservative folks need to take another look at the good book. Jesus spent all his public time healing, feeding and teaching. If metaphors have value, then we, who claim Christianity, should be devoted to health care, nutrition and education, crusades worthy of the cross of Christ.

A Convoluted Way Of Saying We Have New Position Papers Available

2006-04-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

You know, people piss me off on a regular basis. I’m not talking about the huge gaping sucking wounds that the current administration has caused in our psyche. That’s a whole other entry. I’m just talking about the daily, stupid crap that people do on a regular basis that makes me just bonkers. The stuff that makes me thing Well, if I was in charge… then the Laws According To COMM-D are born. Such as:

· People who tear across lanes of traffic nearly causing accidents because they are about to miss their turn due to the fact that they were too busy talking on their cell phones to pay attention to where they are going? If it were up to me, you could immediately place them under citizen’s arrest and smash their cell phones to bits with a huge Wile E. Coyote ACME sledgehammer.

· Speaking of traffic? You know the people in the church parking lot who never let anyone else in and won’t stop for people trying to cross the street? Isn’t that irony at its greatest? They have their right to call themselves Christian revoked for 30 days.

· People who call you on the phone then demand to know who you are? Get a small shock delivered through the phone line. Two shocks if they woke you up.

· People who smoke in smoke free zones? You are legally entitled to extinguish their cigarette for them…on their backsides.

See? There is a reason that people like me don’t run for office. Given the chance I would trounce all the people who annoy me on a daily basis. Maybe in a way that is more Robin Hood than Tom Delay (or even Frank Corte) but still not the mature solution to a problem.

Fortunately we do have people running that can provide mature, thoughtful responses to the actual problems and issues that we face on a daily basis. If you want to read Little Larry’s stances on 4 key issues, please click here to download his position papers. And if you are wondering why the 5th issue isn’t yet available, it’s because a key campaign staff member (namely, LittleLarry's 18-year-old son Billy) accidentally deleted it, and it has to be rewritten.

And thus we usher in a new era…one of real political positions and planning. And more importantly? The willingness to admit mistakes.

Especially when we can blame 'em on the Harvard kid.

Bulldog

2006-04-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Amarillo, Texas, Larry's family always had bulldogs. I think their favorite was Fifi, the only one they ever bred. She had a pup that Larry's brother Eddie Lee named "Marine", because both he and Larry enlisted in the Marines in 1966, the year Marine was born. When they were in bootcamp, Sgt. Jiggs, the Marine Corps mascot, reminded them of home, of Fifi and her pup.

The bulldog as a symbol of the Marines is perfect - a bulldog is faithful, tenacious and unafraid. And the bulldog is a perfect mascot for Larry Stallings in the same way. He will not let go of a problem until it is fixed. I should know, I'm the one who always is waiting for him to come home for dinner while he stays at work grappling with a problem that most folks would gladly leave until the next workday. As an Army officer, he was faithful to his soldiers, always putting their safety, comfort, and dignity before his own. And he has never backed away from a fight, ever. One of his nicknames is "Little Larry", because everywhere he goes there are always at least two Larrys, and he is always the shoter one. But he never loses a fight because, as he says, "It's not the size of the dog in a fight that matters, it's the size of the fight in a dog that matters."

Now go look at this picture. If that ain't a bulldog, I don't know what is.

Five Smooth Stones Of Democracy, Part II

2006-04-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

Now that Election Season has started to go from a simmer to a boil, we candidates realize that we are going into a real bad fight, and we want to have all the weapons and armor we can beg, borrow or steal at our disposal.

My campaign can't afford much of the weaponry modern politics seems to require. It took us weeks to get enough money to print push cards, and months to get to where we can even think about bumper stickers. I have to be my own general in this fight - I can't afford consultants. And, after encountering some of the consultants that Dr. Leininger hired to take out folks in his own party, I'm glad.

The fight we all face this election season is probably the most important political fight of my lifetime. Everything we have counted on as Americans is under attack every minute of every day, every day of every week, and every week of every month. It has been since George W. Bush took office, and it will continue long after he is gone. The Destructo Machine he has created will be put on automatic pilot, even as he, personally, gets marginalized. We will be fighting this machine for the rest of my lifetime, anyway. And I have promised to fight it in Texas.

I am taking into battle the equivalent of David's five smooth stones. I am bringing with me Five Smooth Stones of Democracy - my bulldog tenacity, my honor, my ideas, my faith, and most precious to me, my supporters. As my own general, I have nobody else but myself to plan my strategy. As the general of a campaign based on honor rather than on money, the tactics I must use are tactics suited to going into battle with a well-utilized slingshot against a Destructo Machine powered by the rocket fuel of unlimited money.

My campaign has no paid staff of any kind. Nor can I afford much technological assistance. For that, I have the family computer, my 1995 Izuzu truck, and a cell phone. I certainly can't afford a campaign office. I have taken over a bedroom in our modest home for that. My only consultants are my family and friends, who instead of making money from helping me in this fight, are giving me money.

Recently, my "campaign staff" (myself, my wife, and our 17-year old) did a mailing asking for donations to my campaign. We sent out about 300 envelopes with a small donation envelope inside, a letter, and a push card. Diane helped me compose the letter and hand-addressed the envelopes; Billy collated the letters and envelopes to make sure the right letter got into the right envelope, and I stamped and licked the envelopes for mailing. It took us a couple of weeks; but some of those people who got a letter believed in me enough to send a little money, for which I am deeply grateful.

When I go to a political event, the money does not come out of the campaign treasury. It comes out of my pocket. When we must eat on the road, I pay for those meals, not "the campaign". Oh, and those road trips to visit folks in 122? I pay for the gas, not "the campaign'. I have no IT company managing this blog or the website, our daughter does all that in her spare time between her full-time job, her full-time Master's program, and being a mom.

I do not use the hard-earned contributions from my beloved supporters to make campaigning easier for us, I use them to make winning possible.

We have joined every Democratic or progressive group in Bexar County, and the dues come from my pocket. Those clean shirts I have to put on when I go speak before a group are laundered at my expense, not the campaign's. The phone lines I use are the ones I pay for every month, not the campaign. All the oppostional research we have done (and you would be amazed what we have found out) has been done by family members using Google. Our high-speed internet is paid for from my pocket, not the campaign treasury. We have spent our campaign money on literature, postage, and office supplies like file folders and inkjet cartridges.

I am very happy to be going into this fight with the five smooth stones I have. The primary numbers have indicated that, as far as the House District race is concerned, this is not really a 75-25 district as all. It is more like a 57-43 district. If I use those five smooth stones well, I will win it back for the parents and kids, small business owners, teachers and health care workers, the senior citizens and newborn babies of this district. The odds look pretty good to this bulldog soldier.

Shhhhh...Don't Tell The Republicans (A Bexar County SD 25 Report, For Your Eyes Only)

2006-03-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Bexar County Democrats are actually getting pretty well-organized.

That's right, sisters and brothers, we are actually meeting when we are supposed to, and the big news is that we are actually getting things done, all the while being not just civil with one another, but actually courteous and thoughtful toward each other.

Yesterday Candidate Larry and I went to our local Senate District 25 Convention. I, as chair of the Rules Committee, duly prepared for my task by reading the rules of the Democratic Party in Texas. I had only a draft copy, but figured it would do for a primer. Our Temporary Chair, Ian Strauss, was really organized, with packets for every committee. He was quickly voted Permanent Chair. Because not all the Rules Committee members were able to be present, I called for volunteers, and we made quick work of our Convention rules, praying the two we brought before the Convention would be adequate and favorably accepted. Guess what? Not only was our report quickly heard and accepted, so were all other committee reports. Questions were asked that were germaine, they were expeditiously dealt with, and we moved along at a nice brisk pace. I was holding my breath, however, for the resolutions to be discussed. I know Democrats, you see. I know how passionate we all are about justice, fairness, honor, and the concern we have for the marginalized; I was waiting for the Heat, sort of half-holding my breath.

The Resolutions Committe Chair, Larry Balser (one of The Three Larrys), evidently shepherded his committee well, for the resolutions were reasonably clear, and generally took little discusion; indeed, many were dispatched quickly and unanimously. Those that were questioned were done so courteously, and argument proceeded without defensiveness and with a welcomed courtesy. Afterward, everyone congratulated each other on the tone of the discussion. What I experienced yesterday at the SD 25 Convention was a gathering of Democrats for a new era, Democrats who are clear in their purpose to bring democracy back to America.

We had over 80 delegates present, and every one has a place as a delegate or as an alternate to the State Convention. And about 90% of those present wore Glen Maxey for State Chair stickers. And Charlie Urbina-Jones, our local candidate for that position, came and spoke to us most passionately - not about his own candidacy, but about our capacity, as the grass roots, to take charge of our own convention and chose our own Chair. He said we are organized and prepared enough to give up having everything and every body spoon-fed to us. We are no longer window dressing, we are true Democrats. God bless Charlie.

I am hopeful. For Texas, and for America. But please, don't tell the Republicans. Let it be our little secret.

Really REALLY Past Little Larry's Bedtime

2006-03-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

Really REALLY Past Little Larry's Bedtime
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

This is Day Two of the Austin filibuster in which Little Larry masters the art of sleeping with his eyes open. Big Billy at far right is digging through people's bags of trash for dregs of coffee. COMM-D was home in her comfey little house, quite possibly still alseep.

Cowboys Tee Spells Voter Fraud

2006-03-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

This is what voting fraud looks like to Republicans, this is what it looks like to the reality-based community.

Erin's Seed Always Takes Root

2006-03-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

In the young Ireland disorders, in Ireland in 1848, the following nine men were captured, tried, and convicted of treason against her majesty, Queen Victoria; and were sentenced to death: John Mitchell, Morris Lyene, Pat Donohue, Thomas Mcgee, Charles Duffy, Thomas Meagher, Richard O’Gorman, Terrence Mcmanus, and Michael Ireland. Before passing sentence, the judge asked if there was anything that anyone wished to say. Meagher, speaking for all, said; “My lord, this is our first offence, but not our last. If you will be easy with us, this once, we promise, on our word as gentlemen, to try to do better next time. And next time, sure – we won’t be fools to get caught.” Thereupon, the indignant judge sentence them all to be hanged from the neck until dead, then drawn and quartered. Passionate protests from all over the world forced Queen Victoria to commute their sentences to transportation for life to the far wilds of Australia.

In 1874, word reached the astounded queen that Sir Charles Duffy, who had been elected Prime Minister of Australia was the very same Charles Duffy who had been transported 25 years before. The queen inquired as to the records of the rest of the men, and this is what she was told:

Thomas Francis Meagher became governor of Montana; Terrence Mcmaus was a brigadier general in the U.S. Army, as was Patrick Donohue; Richard O’Gorman was governor general of Newfoundland; Morris Lyene was attorney general of Australia, in which office he was succeeded by Michael Ireland. Thomas D’Arcy Mcgee was a member of Canada’s parliament from Montreal, Minister of Agriculture and President of the Council Dominion of Canada; and John Mitchell was a prominent New York politician, who was the father of John Purroy Mitchell who became mayor of New York at the outbreak of World War One.

This is so Larry...

2006-03-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

He lives by Ronald Reagan's dictum, that when you find a pile of horse***t, if you dig far enough, you will find a pony:

I was ranting the minute he stepped in the door just now about Tennessee's new "choose life" license plates. He waited the smallest beat, then asked me, dryly; "Oh, so they're against capital punishment in Tennessee?"

Liberal U

2006-03-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

Liberal U
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

Oy the ~~big~~ little brother cuteness is just not to be borne! Nothing else to say really, just posting this filibuster picture because Billy commented that the other one makes his eyes look weird. Besides, he's the only eye candy in the family so another picture of him never hurts.

Erin Go Braugh (Translation: Texas Goes Blue)

2006-03-17T08:11:00.001-08:00

St. Patrick, that fine, fine Democrat, has worked a miracle for Celtic History Month, sorta like driving the snakes from Texas:

Lookee here - watch Texas go from red to blue. In terms of Bush's job approval ratings, Texas is no longer red. Check it out, it's fer real.

Although as one of the Irish wimmin who runs LittleLarry's life, I'd prefer, today, that the graphic show Texas turning away from the Orange, and into the Green; just for today.

Way Past Little Larry's Bedtime

2006-03-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

Way Past Little Larry's Bedtime
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

Little Larry his veryownself at the Van Os Austin filibuster. This is about as dressed up as Little Larry gets. Word of caution, y'all. Larry's idea of dressing up means NOT wearing the paint stained sweat pants with the shorts over them (because he still needs pockets, yo!). And that's only because Dksbook won't let him out of the house like that anymore. If you are used to your politico's being all spit-polished and purty, Little Larry might give you a bit of a shock.

Is 6% The Canary In The Coal Mine? Desperate Housewives Need To Know

2006-03-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Geez, I was depressed by Digby today. In a long entry discussing whether Feingold was right or wrong both strategically and tactically to introduce his censure, at the end Digby writes:

I said this yesterday and I'll repeat it. This image of "powerlessness" at a time when the Republicans are on the ropes is the biggest problem we face for the fall elections. If Democratic pols don't understand that they are flirting with terrible grassroots defeatism, then they are going to lose. They must take action (and I don't mean boring press conferences and 10 point plans) or it won't matter a damn if the Republicans are on the ropes --- demoralized Democrats are not going to bother with them. Come on. Speak for us. If not now, when?

Defeatism: acceptance and content with defeat without struggle. The term is commonly used in the context of war: a soldier can be a defeatist if he or she refuses to fight because he or she thinks that the fight will be lost for sure or that it is not worth fighting for some other reason.

I might just point out that in the few primaries so far, the Democrats have not had an exceptional turn-out. Maybe it means nothing. But it might also be a canary in the coal mine.

And I left this little comment:

You bet low turnout is a canary in the coal mine. In Bexar County, Texas, the turnout for both parties for the primary last week (and this number includes 10 days of early voting) was 6% - yes, 6% of registered voters. 6 freaking percent. We are tired, we have given up hope, and nobody is standing up for us, expecially not the Democrats. I think we have given up on Democracy and are settling for religion. Pretty soon we won't be able to choose our religion anymore, they will all be some variation of fundamentalist, whether Christianity, Islam or Judaism. Hell, even my Hindu next door neighbors are sending their 8th grader to a radical fundie "tradional" papolatrous Roman Catholic school for its "values".

So is low turnout the canary in the coal mine of the Republic? You tell me.

Actual AP Government Assignment, Completed With Update

2006-03-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

( Update - The bill passed the student Senate of Mr. Magadance's AP Government Class, just frakkin' barely, but it did pass. If only Mr. Magadance's class really were in charge...)

Committee:
Rules and Administration

Principal Author:
William Stallings

Bill No:
S 1965

Title of Bill:
An Act To Secure Democratic Elections in the United States

BE IT ENACTED BY THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

Preamble:

Whereas a significant number of direct-recording electronic voting systems have failed thus far and

Whereas these systems do not provide voter-verifiable ballots, Congress must act to defend the foundation of our Democracy, our right to vote.

SECTION 1: Electronic voting machines may not be used for any elections on any level of government.

SECTION 2: All votes in every election will be cast upon a paper ballot with a voter-verifiable receipt.

SECTION 3: The obligation of the government to ensure proper voting procedure is defined by some states’ constitutions (i.e. “In all elections by the people, the vote shall be by ballot, and the Legislature shall provide for the numbering of tickets and make such other regulations as may be necessary to detect and punish fraud and preserve the purity of the ballot box…” Texas Constitution: Article 6, Section 4).

SECTION 5: Citing the intent of a January 20th Inauguration Day, all votes will be counted by hand with an observer from each political party in the election present.

SECTION 6: The cost deemed necessary by the states and approved by Congress to satisfy this bill will be paid by the federal government.

SECTION 7: This bill will take effect on October 1, 2006 to ensure voter-verifiable ballots for the 2006 fall elections.

Religion And Lawnmowers

2006-03-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

I am beginning to think differently about this whole Religion and Politics Thing. I am beginning to think the real war is not between religion and politics, but between religious visions of the world. That's right, sisters and brothers, it appears to me that politics is just a weapon in the religious wars, not the other way around as conventional wisdom holds; and that's why politics is not working like it's supposed to.

Now, my religious vision is way different from Nancy Jacobs, state senator of Maryland, who introduced this senate bill, another one of those bills designed to "protect marriage". I guess in her world view, the world is so morally threatening, and her God so weak, that the State of Maryland has to protect the institution of marriage from what she thinks are non-believers out to destroy it by entering into it, like this family obviously is. You remember - back in November last year, folks like her in Texas felt the need to actually change the venerable constitution of the great State of Texas to protect religious marriage from women like these who are obviously secret 5th column infiltrators of marriage who want to destroy religious marriage and scatter its ashes gleefully into the streets of Sodom.

I am one of those religious types that believes Ol' Yahweh rather likes the world, so much so that He embraced it by sending His Son to it. Remember Yahweh? He's the Guy Who said the world was "good" when He made it? If He made it and called it "good", it must be, well, good. That's where I stand, firmly in the good world, finding God Sign everywhere in it; and more to the point, that is Candidate Larry's stand.

But the real point is this: politics does not serve religion, just as religion does not serve politics. Politics is a tool to create a space for the free exercise of religion, sort of like a lawnmower that mows the weeds, stickers and twigs out of the way so we can all sit down in the meadow and praise the Creator in our own language.

And this guy is pushing the lawnmower for us. Nancy Jacobs was questioning him at hearings regarding her bill to protect religious marriage in Maryland because God is unable to. She asked, "Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about that?" The guy pushing the lawnmower answered, "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You didn't place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible".

Now, that's what I'm talkin' about.

D-Van Os-Man

2006-03-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

D-Van Os-Man
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

David Van Os is the coolest kid on the block. You know him. He's the one who always shares his matchbox cars and his basketball. He always lets the girls play too, and stands up to the neighborhood bully when he picks on the little kids. Did we mention Greg Abbott is the aforementioned bully? I bet you figured that part out already.

Here is David at the filibuster. He and Little Larry were the only two politicos who lasted the whole 24 hours. Rock on, Os-Man!

Billibustering

2006-03-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

Billibustering
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

Little Larry's son Big Billy filibusters (or is it billibusters?) in Austin. We have to put him to work as much as possible before he takes off for the North Easy this Fall.

Tale of Three Mollys

2006-03-10T15:33:00.000-08:00

OK, my favorite Molly is this one; she's related to me. I also love this Molly; which is probably going to get me in a whole bunch of trouble. But she reminds me of Jane, who helped a lot of women and girls in a heap o' trouble back in my day. You see, I remember coathanger days, I remember reading about women and girls dying from unsafe abortions. I remember in particular, a girl in the local high school who committed suicide because she was afraid to tell her parents she had gotten pregnant.

It kinda sucked, "back in the day", being female. We were supposed to be attractive, yet modest; seductive, yet virgins; clever, but not smart. We were supposed to be, in a word, popular. It was a very fine line we had to walk, "back in the day"; and if we slipped by being too attractive or being too much in love, well there was that trip down the 101 to Mexico.

So I have a heap of admiration for Molly #2, born of my memory.

Then, today I read this from my second favorite (living) Molly; a woman I not only admire and repect, but love. And she is doing a little poorly lately, with an illness she'd rather not us talk about; so I was thinking it would be a great tribute to her if we just go out and win a bunch of elections this cycle. If we can take some seats back, everywhere, (including 122), we may have enough juice for the DLC and LMNOP and whatever other roll-over Dems there are in DC who think they run the party to stay the hell out of the way, and let real Democrats nominate a real Democrat in '08.

Well, a girl can hope...

Where In The World Is Little Larry?

2006-03-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

Where In The World Is Little Larry
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

Karl-T brings his Little Larry* push card to the Austin filibuster.

*Little Larry portrayed in actual size.

Five Smooth Stones Of Democracy

2006-03-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

Well, it turns out that Little Larry is not running against Frank Corte, after all. Frank Corte is just a rich kid whose main claim to fame is he played in the Aggie Band (which I admit is a pretty cool claim to fame for a 22-year-old), and who owns some trailer parks and apartment buildings, and dabbles in legislation. Nope, Larry isn't really running against Frank Corte. He is running against this guy who has given so far $3.2 million to pro-school voucher candidates in Texas; and who, because he is so religious, no school was pure enough for his kids, so he home schooled them - and that was "back in the day". The public schools, in his deranged opinion, are so bad, so corrupt, that the underperforming ones are unsalvageable no matter how much money they get; so he wants to give Texas education money from your school to folks who want to send their kids to those pure, wonderful, nearly perfect private religious schools. He wants to do it by means of what is so innocently known as school vouchers. He offers no studies, no scholarly papers, no measureable data at all to convince you and me that public schools are broken beyond repair and that vouchers can fix the education system (whether it's "broken" or not in your district).

Little Larry's kids are no strangers to private schools, nor is the candidate himself. Hell, I, the underperforming campaign director, am completely a product of the best private schools money could buy in the '50's, '60's and even into the 1970's. My parents sacrificed so my brothers and I could go to parochial schools - they bought one new car the whole time I was living at home, a stripped-down Studebaker "Scotsman" station wagon. That model didn't even have a radio, fer cryin' out loud! Back then, in California, folks were trying to get tax breaks written into the California tax code for families that had kids in parochial schools. Now, it wasn't as direct as "vouchers", but it would have given my dad a bit of a deduction on his California state income tax every year. But my dad, honorable man that he was, was against such a plan. I came home from the nuns one day, excitedly telling him about this tax proposal the good sisters wanted us to encourage our parents to vote for. My dad very calmly told me that he knew all about it, and was against the measure. Shocked, I asked him why, and he said it was his and my mom's choice that we went to St. Pius School in Redwood City, California; and they would pay for that choice. He was afraid that this so-called proposed "tax break" would be a slippery slope in which the public schools would gradually lose more and more money. His attitude was, "We can afford the choice of parochial schools, but many people can't. We shouldn't be taking money away from parents who have no choice". He also thought that public schools needed all the money they could get, because they had to educate everyone, not just the kids who could pass an entrance test, like we had to. Also, the public schools, even back then in the "golden age", had to educate the kids with behavior problems, kids who had a hard time learning, kids who came from homes with no books, kids who had unstable families - and there were plenty of them, even when Donna Reed was a mom, and Father Knew Best.

Larry graduated from a private, Catholic college in 1976. Our daughter, COMM-D, went to one semester of parochial school, but we took her out because it was the most joyless, anxiety-producing experience of her young life. She finished her education (through her BA) in public schools, many of them considered at-risk, and she graduated #7 in her high school graduating class. She got a full-ride honors scholarship to a state-supported university. She's a proud product of public schools. Our son Billy went to a private, Catholic school here in San Antonio for one semester also. That school was too rigid to deal with his curiosity and his Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, and he was miserable there, so we approached our local elementary school about admission. They weren't thrilled to get another difficult child, but they had to take him. And he drove his teachers crazy. He was so challenging to his second grade teacher that for a field trip she talked her husband, also a teacher, into taking the day off just to keep track of Billy. He drove most of his teachers and administrators crazy, and I spent a lot of time talking to teachers, overseeing homework, and having many "come-to-Jesus" conversations with Billy. But you know what? That kid, who has had more teachers tear out their hair than most kids I know, got accepted early action last December to Harvard's class of 2010.

This discussion isn't bragging about either our kids or our efforts to motivate them - it is a discussion about the quality of public education. Now, I don't know if Leininger's home-schooled kids went to Harvard or Oral Robert's University, and it doesn't matter, if they got the education their parents wanted and they needed. The point is, our Texas schools can prepare kids for any type of college. Kids don't need to go to voucher-supported schools to get into the college that's best for them. And I am just so frakkin' sick of the rhetoric about crappy public schools and the vouchers we need to save kids from them. Our kids don't need to be "saved" from our schools, our schools need to be saved from the likes of Leininger.

Make no mistake - these folks don't want public education at all. They don't want kids to be educated in reading, writing, math, history, science, art and music from a basic, broad point-of-view of western liberal arts education. No, they want your kids to be educated from the same perspective theirs are - a narrow, neo-Christian philosophy called Dominionism. I use the word philosophy deliberately. This has less to do with religious faith than it does a faith in capitalism. Personally, I place my faith in the Lord God Yahweh, who Jesus called "Father"; but hey - that's just me. I certainly don't want you to have to follow me in faith, and neither I nor Candidate Larry want our faith being propagated in our public schools. Larry knows that kids from all faith traditions can freely study what they need to be successful in life in our public schools, because each of their traditons is respected there - not just Leininger's. And folks that think God Himself is not free to touch the hearts of students in public schools any time He pleases don't think very highly of Him, do they?

Now, all this discussion is to highlight a sobering fact - Little Larry has a heck of a lot in common with the shepherd boy, David. You know, the one who took five smooth stones and his slingshot into battle against the giant Goliath who was armed with the finest weapons money could buy? Larry Stallings For Texas 122 has a little less than $400.00 in the campaign treasury; but Little Larry has the faith of David. He is not afraid to go into battle against the Goliath of vouchers with five smooth stones of Democracy.

I'm So Tired I'm Not Even Going To Have A Margarita

2006-03-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are at Doc's, after a 24 hour filibuster marathon, and I am so tired, I can't trust myself to drink and drive. I had fun today with David Van Os, Little Larry, Billy and the Girl Posse. I got to read some blog entry from Thereisnospoon at Kos with lots of dirty words, which was great 'cuz I did't have to take responsibility. I'll come back later and post the link to it, I am struggling to do this entry in a crowded Austin drinkery on a strange computer, contorting myself to do so. How do these youngsters do this all the time? I much prefer my desk by the window looking out into the oak tree. But, to sum it all up for ya real quick - I had more fun this past 24 hours than I have had since my last trip to Paris in 1988. Thanks, David and Rachel, for making it happen - and a special thanks to CandidateLarry, who hung in there, did not sleep or leave the capitol steps until 6:02 on Saturday evening, and didn't even fall asleep in the car on the way home. This is a guy who will do what he says he will do. He told David Van Os he would be there for 24 hours straight, and he was. No wonder that golden retriever loves him so much!

Goin' Back To Austin

2006-03-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

in a minute or so. The golden retriever got a bit of a walk, I got about 4.5 hours sleep, and things are looking good at the Filibuster for Independence at the Capitol. I guess I'd better call to see who needs fresh skivvies, allergy meds, or new filibuster material. See y'all later.

Snarko Speaks

2006-03-04T00:57:00.000-08:00

From the Van Os campaign blog, that is. He has better eyes, I guess, and a lot less trouble getting the wi-fi to heed him. So this entry from earlier in the evening is kinda cute, and Very Larry:

The Sun Goes Down but Not Enthusiasm

Larry Stallings, candidate for House 122, took the steps to criticize the chickenhawks in Washington, and the need for REAL energy and economic independence, not just lip service and ports sold off to outsourcing. "What, are we all going to be living in independent glass bubble houses?"

But my favorite quote was in explaining why he was running for office. He'd remembered Howard Dean speaking about how we cannot let a Republican run uncontested in any seat anywhere. "I'm running because one person asked me to, and my wife gave me permission."

It's nearly three AM, and I am back in San Antonio, because our golden retriever cannot cross her legs for 24 hours at a time - 12, for sure; but then it gets dicey. But I know 2 girls who are hangin' - Amanda and Aurora Keeler, who went up to Austin with Larry and Billy at 4;30 on Friday, and refused to come home with me this morning. They are no longer political rookies, I tell ya. Way out of their comfort zone, they are engaged, alert, and sleepy. These are the women of the Texas Farm Team, people - be looking for them in the Lege in about 15 years.

More after a bit of a nap and a pot of coffee.

Thanks to all y'all who are participating in the Filibuster. It's a gas with you there!

Live Blogging the Filibuster for Independence with David Van Os and Little Larry

2006-03-03T21:45:00.001-08:00

I am sitting on the steps of the Texas State capitol. The wi-fi signal is, well, iffy, I am trying to balance Billy's laptop on my ample lap, and it is almost midnight. I am having the time of my life. David, Larry, Billy, and about 30 folks who care about Democracy are engaging in a conversation about saving America by having Texas, which spawned the opression we currently live under, leadAmerica out of it. Billy spoke for about 20 minutes about energy independence. He spoke of his dream of Texas leading not only America, but the world, in new ways of powering progress. He pointed out that Texas is blessed with at least 350 days of sun a year and enough wind to power the state. He expressed his hope that the damage to the environment from our dependence on fossil fuels could be reversed.

Well,it must be midnight - the lights of the capitol grounds just went out, and my bi-focals are useless. I have to hold the computer about six inches away to see the frakkin' keyboard. And I need to pee. So I'll post more later.

Showing The U.S. Senate How It's Done

2006-03-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

“Here is a chance to study AP Government in the flesh”, said the mother to the son. “Forget about the sterile AP government class with the right-wing Texas-approved text. Forget about the frakkin’ AP test! Forget about the canned classroom discussion about DPW, school vouchers, the cost of the Iraq war. Go and actually DO Democracy with your dad and David Van Os this weekend. Go participate in the Filibuster For Independence in Austin this weekend. Be prepared to filibuster, be prepared to defend Democracy. Don’t sleep for 24 hours. Do, instead of study”.

So, the boy says “OK”. Suddenly, to his mother, he is no longer a boy. He is actually putting his time where his considerable mouth is. He is going to practice Democracy in the august presence of some new-age Dems who are going to wrest Texas away from the knee-jerk stupidity of those lock-step radical right-wing freaks, and help Texas become independent once again. And he is dragging some friends along, too. It is no surprise to this mother that the guys in his class are too chicken to join him, but the women said, “Hell, yes! We’re goin’ too!”

So Billy Stallings, from the International School of the Americas in San Antonio, along with his female posse, is going to be participating in his first filibuster, helping show the U.S. Senate Democrats how Democracy is done. And this mother couldn’t be prouder.

Where In The World Is Little Larry?

2006-02-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

Do y'all remember the garden gnome subplot from the movie Amelie? Amelie kidnaps her father's garden gnome and has her friend the flight attendent take pictures of her father's garden gnome all over the world and sends the pictures back to her dad. After his gnome is finally returned home, her father is finally motivated to go see the world himself.

Little Larry's push cards have been really popular. So many people are so excited to see him run and see his first printed media that the cards have been elevated to the status of actual politial swag.

Which, of course, gives us an idea. Where could all these push cards go? As we travel about with the cards we will snap photos to share with the rest of you. We are also hoping y'all will get in on the act and snap pictures of where your Little Larry swag cards end up and send them in. Will will send (ridiculous, cheesy) prizes to some of our favorite submissions and post them all on the blog. Once we have several, I will also add them to the photo gallery on the campaign website.

So let the games begin!

Granddaughters For Larry!

2006-02-20T15:53:00.000-08:00

Granddaughters For Larry!
Originally uploaded by faithwearspurple.

Little Larry's granddaughter may almost be taller than him at age 8, but since she can't vote for another 10 years she needs you to hit the polls for her!

Don't forget the early voting for the primaries starts tomorrow!

Early Voting. Go On, Git...VOTE

2006-02-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

Vote early in the primary election! For your convenience, we have included a link to a PDF file, which contains the addresses of the early voting locations in Bexar County. Also below, we have taken the liberty of listing the candidates in the Democratic primary that we are personally endorsing, and we hope you consider them as you vote.

US Senate: Barbara Ann Radnofsky

US Representative district 128: Ciro Rodriguez

Governor: Chris Bell

Lt. Gov.: Ben Grant

Ag. Commissioner: Hank Gilbert

State Senate, District 19: Carlos Uresti

State rep. District 118: Larry Ricketts

Bexar County Commissioner Precinct 2: Enrique Barrera

225th District Court: Peter Sakai

County Court 6: Phil Meyer

County Court 8: Karen Crouch

County Court 9: Oscar Kazen

JP Precinct 4: Linda Penn

Democratic Party Chair: Carla Vela

Welcome To A New Era

2006-02-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Candidates in do-it-yourself campaigns who are not independently wealthily go to work, then go to work again; to meetings, rallies, speaking engagements and other handshaking opportunities. Politics is, after all, about people. So last night after a 12 hour workday, I went to another meeting. It was a refreshing Democratic event - a meeting and hosted by the New Era Democrats. The usual Bexar County party rhetoric was disallowed. Candidates from all over talked a few minutes about their campaigns and strategies from one common theme - "United we can win". Chris Bell drove up from the valley en route to his home in Houston, and David Van Os drove in from the Hill Country to speak. They, and the “Three Larrys” - Noll, Ricketts and Stallings, all spoke of unity, peace pipes and hatchet burying. Just in case of disorder, the New Era team had Judges Karen Crouch and Phil Meyer to ensure order. The New Era Dems’ agenda is pure and simple; moving forward free of history, past political battles and cronyism. Their charter is based solely on Democratic principles. David Van Os spoke eloquently of veteran politicians such as himself, John Courage, Larry Noll and Chris Bell staying in the fight the last couple of election cycles, in spite of defeats at the polls, in the Lege, and in spite of Texas’ illegal re-districting plan. David thanked new candidates such as yours truly, who stepped up to the plate in faith, after understanding Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy.

So what will Larry and Diane do now? We have completed two applications to become Charter Members of the New Era Democrats and put the check in the mail.

Will Somebody Please Just Do A Cookbook?

2006-02-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

In the heady days after Larry decided to run for HD 122, we were giving little thought to a campaign strategy. We were trying to set up this blogsite, get a website up, inform family and friends of our foolish decision, and generally get used to the idea. Well, we found out in politics, there is no time to get used to the idea. You've got to register with the Texas Ethics Commission, for one thing. This was a line thrown out, almost as an aside, by Zada True-Courage shortly after she signed Larry on the dotted line (Larry's word is his bond). It was followed by the phrase, "...so you can start taking money". My experience political up to that moment had been as the giver, not the givee, so that caught me up a bit short. I thought that since this was Texas, registering with the Texas Ethics Commission should be, well, not onerous. It hasn't been for me, just for Treasurer Terry. Texas or not, there are folks up in Austin who actually want to see where the campaign gets and spends its money.

Registering doesn't bring dollars to your door, though. Enough said.

After a while, you figure out that you are supposed to actually do stuff to try to get elected, at least of you are not Frank Corte. (Hell, even W has to actually get off his bike, put on a tie, and wave at folks. He even has to read a teleprompTer now and then.) But what stuff to do?

I was fortunate enough to attend a DFT training late last year that helped clarify the roles of tactics, message, and organization somewhat. For dessert, we got to listen to Glenn Maxey's war stories late into the night, and that even helped me understand how to begin thinking about a real campaign. But how does a baby candidate figure out how to actually do the nuts and bolts of running for office, and cannot afford to hire Glenn Maxie or even one of the bright young things graduating Trinity with their idealism intact, student loans that intrude on their young lives with the speed of light, and a laptop?

I was relieved today to learn that even smart people who write books about politics found that they did not know the answer. They set out to figure this stuff out all over again, and share it with baby candidates like us. Of course, they do it for candidates in the state of Massachusetts, not Texas.

Now is the time for some of those bright Trinity kids to actually write a cookbook on how to get elected in Texas - yes, a cookbook, a "take an egg and break it, putting the contents in a bowl and throwing away the hard white shell" kind of cookbook. A cookbook with descriptions of offices, requirements for running for them, how many petitions signatures are needed to get on the ballot without paying a filing fee, demographic information, filing requirements, how to decide on a strategy for winning and how to make tactical decisions, the qualities of a good campaign staff, how long it takes to leaflet x number of houses - just really simple stuff like that.

In the meantime, Candidate Larry keeps plugging along every day, going to work by day to pay our mortgage, and then going to work for the folks of HD 122 by night. And that is why we are trying to run a credible campaign - to make Texas a better place for everybody, starting with HD 122.

But right now? Well, the campaign, in the form of yours truly, is going to empty the campaign coffers to pay for - are you ready for this? - our pushcards, that are finally ready to be picked up.

The Amoral Majority

2006-02-14T15:59:00.000-08:00

*Note*
This is the inaugural post of the candidate's 17-year-old son, who was given free reign, short of profanity or pornography, to post at will. Enter with caution:

The press took the liberty of informing us that we lost the ‘04 races on values. Of course, we Democrats realize that the "moral high-ground" really is ours, yet how do we define it? Sure we oppose war, torture, and gender/sexuality discriminations (to name just a few of the Administration’s moral transgressions), but the fundamental difference between Liberals and Conservatives in this country has always been the level of community responsibility we deem necessary.

Republicans (and many moderates) often argue from the "individual responsibility" viewpoint, apparently out to subjugate the "welfare state." Yet, does God not command us to aid those less fortunate? Seriously, what would Jesus do? And for those lovers of hard-core Old Testament harshness, the 15th Chapter of the book of Deuteronomy clearly explains how we should approach "personal responsibility:

15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
15:8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
15:10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
15:11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

For more brevity, one can look to Proverbs. To those of the Christian Right who believe the bible to be inerrant fact- swallow this:

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. -Proverbs 28:27

I may be wrong, but it seems as though we have a pretty clear command from God to be responsible for our community. How can a nation with over 12.7% of all its people living in poverty (over 17.8 of its children, totaling more than 37,294,418 people), be entitled to suggest, let alone impose, its clearly imperfect system upon others?

Not only has God provided reason to prioritize aiding the poorer in the country, economic trials have proven the benefits as well. We have seen the clear failure of the so-called "trickle-down" system of economics time and time again. The last two presidents who tried to implement this method, Reagan (although in his time it was called "supply-side" economics) and Bush Sr., both abandonned it. During their terms as presidents, Reagan and Bush Sr. tried to keep taxes low and cut government services, hoping to boost corporate expansion for the economic benefit of the country. In the end, however, both raised taxes, abandonning their initail goals in favor of cutting the deficit and in turn the national debt.

So, we have already seen by trial and error in this country that providing government serivces to aid those in poverty will boost the economy by encouraging the purchase of goods and services in all markets (including medical, housing, and automobiles, to name some of the largest). In addition, we are encouraged by the teaching of our predominant religion(Christianity) via the very word of God, to do the same. Unfortunately, neither economic sense or moral obligation seem to have pursuaded Republicans to actually do anything to promote the common good. Maybe they really are just plain selfish?

Godspeed

2006-02-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

It is an honor to serve one’s country in any capacity; to do so deployed as an active duty member of the military is a particular honor.

Just a few months before the Gulf War, I was transferred from my job as S-4 of the medical battalion of the 7th Light Infantry Division (The Rag Tops) to an Army Hospital. The 7th had just finished up Operation Just Cause in Panama for which I had been deployed with 3 hours notice. I had gone to work one day, and went to Panama instead of home at 5 P.M. That night, dinner was MRE’s sitting on the floor of a C-5. But I was finally back with my family after being in Panama for the invasion and its aftermath. Life was sweet, I was wearing Class “B” uniforms, not BDU’s, getting a shower every day, and eating my wife’s good cooking. The jungles of Panama were behind me.

As I watched the news about Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait unfold on T.V., I knew instinctively that even though the jungle was behind me, the desert was in front of me. Even though I was now sitting behind a desk in my own office in a hospital, I would sooner or later be in a tent in the desert. And I was right. A few weeks later, I got orders to leave my nice hospital job and fly to the Persian Gulf to set up field hospitals for the expected 10,000 casualties. My wife, Diane, started to pack my TA-50, my field gear. She knew to leave out the sleeping bag, to put the 30-cup coffee pot and 9 pounds of coffee in the bag instead. She bought me some cheap cigars and some extra skivvies. There was no desert cammo available to buy on post, so I took my woodland flak jacket and a couple pair of BDU’s, and got on a commercial flight to 3rd Army Headquarters at midnight, with my wife, my 16 year-old daughter and my 2 year-old son waving tearfully as I crossed that black tarmac. It would be the 2nd Christmas in a row I was at war.

Within 6 days I was in the Gulf, flying all over 3 countries, setting up field hospitals, signing contracts with local governments and businesses for supplies and services to be ready for the Reserve units that were going to be staffing those hospitals. It was called Operation Desert Shield at that time. I briefed General Pagonis weekly about the state of medical logistics in the theater of operations. After I had been there about 4 months, Operation Desert Storm began. I heard the news in Muscat, Oman, and I caught a military plane back to HQ in Saudi Arabia. I slept 3 hours a night for 4 months. After the 100-hour war, I was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq to set up street clinics for locals and field hospitals for workers putting out oil well fires. I traveled the “Highway of Death” leading from Kuwait to Iraq. It was literally a 100 mile charnel house and garbage dump.

Things slowed down some - I was able to sleep 6 hours a night for a few weeks.

After the U.S. military had entered the nation-building phase of operations in the Persian Gulf, a terrible typhoon hit Bangladesh. The State Department tasked me with managing the U.S. relief effort for Bangladesh. I was given 1 million dollars and told to have 75 tons of food and medical supplies ready for “wheels-up” at the airport within 36 hours. I had to locate the necessary supplies in Saudi Arabia, coordinate delivery to the airport for palletizing, weighing and staging to be loaded onto to C-5 Galaxy planes. 75 tons. In 36 hours. I hitched a ride on one of the planes and personally delivered the supplies to the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh.

I got a day off when I returned from Bangladesh. I slept in ‘til 7 AM, ran 10 miles around the compound, and finally found a makeshift PX where I could buy some souvenirs for my family. The next day I was tasked with the re-deployment for echelon above Corps level for the entire theater of operations. I moved to Daharan for that mission. It was back to 3 hours of sleep a night, because every unit that wanted to go home had to go through me, and I wouldn’t let them go until their equipment was on a ship or a plane. They didn’t move until Little Larry accounted for everything they had, had it inspected for contraband by some of the 60 FDA inspectors I had working for me, saw it loaded and secured on the correct vessel. That was a 24/7 operation, because everybody, including me, wanted to go home.

After everybody else got home, so did I. I arrived on a commercial plane to an airport full of people there just to meet me. They were dressed in red, white and blue and wearing yellow ribbons; except for my now-three-year-old who was wearing desert cammo shirt and shorts. Thanks to my wife Diane, he recognized me, and fell asleep in my arms as soon as we got home from the airport, surrounded by a crush of well-wishers filling our tiny on-post house.

It is, indeed, an honor to serve one’s country wearing a military uniform. I did it for 30 years. It has been the most meaningful experience of my life; and I am sure it is the same for Mr. Frank Corte, who is soon to deploy as a member of the Marine Corps Reserves. I wish him Godspeed.

Our Neighbors Are Beginning To Wonder

2006-02-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

We have had 2 parties in three days, with cars clogging the streets, and no parking available for other residents' visitors. One old neighbor guy keeps walking his dog past our house, back and forth, back and forth. The doors are open, and candles are flickering on tables in the back yard and even on the front porch. Food smells abound, laughter can be heard. All the cars have some variety of Dem bumper stickers. Our friends come in political tee shirts - hell, even the life-sized George Bush cut-out on the front porch is wearing a "Courage For Congress" lapel sticker. Candidates give pitches, money goes into the basket, war stories are told, and even new love blooms. The Democrats Are Coming, The Democrats Are Coming - and boy, are my neighbors scared.

Scare your neighbors, too. Don't wait for Halloween, do it now - have a fund-raising party for a Democratic candidate fo your choice.

The Elite Yellow Elephant Brigade

2006-01-30T20:08:00.001-08:00

I was planning on waiting until after the State of the Disunion speech but could not hold back my venom concerning W asking kids to volunteer and fight his war. Remember for a minute the BRAC process which demolished our Armed Forces. The first BRAC(Base Realignment and Closure Act) law was signed by Reagan and he presided over the first round of closures. The next two rounds were under the Bush, Senior administration. The fourth round was signed into law by Reagan but executed during the Clinton administration. Then, low! and behold!, Little Boots W pushes through another BRAC with Rummy at the point - while we are at war. This wasn't about closing bases, this was always about re-aligning the services.

When I served in Desert Storm, we had 16 Army Divisions on the ground. We now have only 10 divisions left in the entire Army. Remember - both BRAC laws were signed by by Republican presidents. It is Republicans who are ruining the Army of the United States. I don't think it could have been any worse under Kerry, even if he does speak French.

Here are some thoughts, Mr. President, from a combat veteran and proud Bronze Star recipient. You still owe 6 months of National Guard service- why don't you serve the rest of your time in Iraq? You can drive those vehicles on your ranch pretty well - you could drive trucks in the streets of Baghdad.

Your Vice-President dodged the draft 5 times because he "had other priorities". He needs to serve a full tour. Others in your administration might volunteer if you take the lead. I'm sure they trust your leadership and would go to war with you! You could be the YELLOW ELEPHANT BATTALION. Under your leadership, there would be no shortage of college Young Republicans to enlist. Think about it. I think somebody has already designed the unit patch:

Texas Has A Grand Canyon, Too (And It Isn't Palo Duro Canyon, Either)

2006-01-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

If I wasn't so crazy in love with Candidate Larry, I might just chase Phillip over at Burnt Orange Report. He has been writing some incredibly good, well-sourced stuff lately, and I always seem to be linking to it. His latest is on Texas' very own Grand Canyon - a Grand Canyon of income disparity, even within a country of growing incoming disparity.

Now, this is not only bad for those families whose income is shrinking - it is bad for our whole economy. I though we learned this lesson when Henry Ford taught it to us by paying good liveable wages so his workers could afford his product. I guess things are different now?

Go read my Fair Haired Boy Phillip. And if anybody has a picture of him I can tape up on my fridge, send it to me.

TV Shows and Strep Throat

2006-01-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

Well, we are all caught up on the doin's of our youngest and family TV watching, too. Billy came back from a tournament in Quebec (obviously, we must be Dems, because they speak French there, don't they?) with a nice case of strep throat. So after a trip to the doc and a bag of meds, and a nice nap, he talked us into watching the recorded family shows. First we watched this week's episode of Commander-in-Chief, which I am beginning not to like. Geena Davis' clenched-teeth look and her fake (even for her) man's voice is really beginning to grate on me. I know they cast her because she is an Amazon with a naturally deep voice - why make her sound like she is on male hormones? And that clenched-teeth look pisses me off even in a man. She does not have to be Clint Eastwood to run the country - Golda Meir wasn't, Benazir Bhutto wasn't, and neither was Margaret Thatcher. Margaret had her own annoying mannerisms, didn't she, though? Her slippery mumble-mouth Britishisms and her Tory-ness rankled me almost as much as McKenzie (see? even the name has to be a guy's name!) Allen's clenched-teeth manliness. And what really makes me tear out my hair is those kids of hers! They act like Republican kids, so self-absorbed and whiney. Only the little girl seems like a kid of Democrats, with her hopefulness and generous nature. But those teenagers, I swear! If any of mine acted like that, they'd be sent off to Outward Bound or to do do missionary work in some third world country so they could see what real problems are.

So then we watched the last two episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Geez, I love that show! And the themes are getting more hopeful, now, as the thick black line between humans and cylons is getting thinner and fading to a more charcoal color. I am disturbed and exhausted by the tension of being human in this show, the constant moral re-evaluation that goes on inside the main human and the cylon characters. It's just like my life as a Democrat. Life events as well a world events are always forcing me to re-evaluate my choices in light of new information and my own moral bottom line. Obviously, the Republicans are the earliest models of cylons - the ones that simply destroy and do not think with their brain and their soul, like the Sharon model does. Nothing changes for them, they are never wrong, they never feel shame, remorse, or transformative love. Just like some Republicans we know.

And now, a word from our sponsor:

Little Larry is getting ready to order some push cards, known in polite society as "campaign literature". But he needs bucks to do it, so we are asking for some wampum to make it happen. Hope y'all can help.

BTW, Billy got up feeling a bit better today. Antibiotics and sleeping 11 straight hours will do that.

Secrecy, Cronyism and Graft - Right Here In River City! - With Update

2006-01-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

I had a unique experience Saturday morning at Ancira Jeep on 281 North. A group of citizens joined together over a common issue: Toll Roads. Terri Hall of the Texas Toll Party chaired the event and was a delightful and energetic host. A number of candidates spoke about toll roads from a variety of perspectives, including Carole Strayhorn, Chris Bell, David Van Os, Tommy Adkisson and others. The legal issues, the economic effects, and general impact of toll roads on our lives were addressed very well by these fine candidates. Terri Hall graciously introduced me as the candidate running in HD 122 against toller Franke Corte. My own observations were these:

1. There are some hospitals, and many doctor offices and pharmacies located on the 281-1604 corridor. If Perry, Corte and their TXDOT buddies have their way, a resident of district 122 would have to pay a toll tax to take a family member to the doctor or to fill a prescription; or, even worse, pay the tax and waste precious time entering and exiting the toll system to get someone seriously sick or injured to the emergency room.

2. There are many churches located on 1604 and several others sit on or are near 281. Literally thousands of us drive these roads to pray on the Sabbath. Do you want to pay a tax to pray?

This issue of toll roads, brought to you by secrecy, cronyism and graft, just may well be the issue that really starts bringing Texans together again. Yup - secrecy, cronyism and graft are the common enemy of the Common Good.

C'mon y'all, let's rumble.

**Update**

My wife went to the Metropolitan Planning Organization's Transporation Policy Board meeting yesterday. She was very interested in two particular questions brought up by 2 different commissioner's court judges - Mr. Adkisson from Precinct 4 and Mr. Larson from Precicnt 3. They both seem to have their fingers on the pulse of the community regarding this issue, and they both addressed it, in different ways. Mr. Adkisson ruminated on the very makeup on the board, noting that it was made up of many more appointed officials and community members than elected members. He suggested it may be difficult to hold the Board accountable with so many appointed positions on the Board, and hoped that the Board itself could visit the issue of its own makeup in the near future.

Mr. Larson was more direct - he asked if the synchronization of the traffic lights on 281 north of 1604 may have been altered recently, as he noticed a change in how they operated during peak traffic hours, and noted this traffic flow pattern had changed rather recently. A city official was asked about the issue (sorry we don't have her name) who was not direct in her answer, stating that different lights were on different systems. After some discussion in which Mr. Larson noted that this sort of questions feeds community conspiracy theories, the Board agreed to request the city check on the synchronization of the lights in question and report back to the Board at the next meeting. It was all very civilized, even the clapping from the audience when Mr. Larson mentioned the apparent lack of synchronicity at peak hours; but there was definitely an undercurrent of emotion on both sides of the room. Could it be that the traffic light patterns were altered recently to cause more congestion on 281 at peak hours to enhance TXDOT's claims about the need for toll roads?

Stay tuned, sisters and brothers. This issue is getting legs, and fast.

Perry's Low Profile Item

2006-01-19T05:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Phillip over at BOR for this item from DM-N regarding Perry's attempt to slither past the real issue close to the heart of RWR's - school vouchers. In true Republican fashion, I expect a new name for the idea to surface after the special session - maybe "Equal Opportunity Rebates" or "Fresh Start Grants" or some other, I am sure, more confusing name. Here's what I'll do - I'll offer Candidate Larry's famous "Fish Killer" hat to anybody who correctly identifies the new Republican voucher meme before it first appears in the main stream media.

What does “God-fearing” mean anymore, anyway?

2006-01-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

This blog is, generally (and obviously) speaking to local politics. Specifically, it's about the workings of the Texas Lege and how that affects the lives of those of us who live in South Texas, and what one candidate wants to do to make it better.

Andrew Greeley's latest column, while focused on the Bush administration, has a message that resonates for those of us who follow local politics, even though its focus is national. It is an article about government-sanctioned torture, but on a bigger scale, it is about the role of morality in government.

And Father Greeley is not referring to this new faux fundamentalist morality of the Religious Republican Right, such as Frank Corte sending his children to a First Baptist school because he “want[ed] them to attend a school where they can study the Bible and be able to pray", as if they couldn't read the bible or pray at a public school. I did a whole lotta prayin' in public school, believe me.

It is, I suppose, a commendable sentiment, this one of Frank's; until you realize the man consistently sells his vote to the highest bidder. His record has shown time and time again that the only principles he holds dear are the ones that directly effect his own pocketbook. Is it more moral to value cheap property development over toxin-free drinking water for all of us? Or to say that the life of a child is less valuable than the life of a CEO?

It's the most un-christian style of leadership I can think of.

Fr. Greeley put it much more elegantly.

”Unfortunately for the theory of the separation of religion and politics, many political issues are fraught with religious and moral implications. It may be that the religious heritages of those who complain about my condemnation of the present administration have no teaching in their religion about issues like just wars, lying to the American people, kidnapping and torture. They have every right to complain when a clergy person from another heritage comes along and condemns torture and denounces an administration that condones and even encourages it. I would appreciate it, however, if they'd tell me the name of their denomination.”

Or, to put it more succinctly, if you are going to call yourself a Christian, it is time to start acting like one.

As someone who was raised by real Christans, I say these politicians, so called God-fearing men, from the White House down to the Texas Lege, just make me sick. I can just imagine Jesus kicking them all out of the temple.

And since their real temple is money and power, working to unseat them all from office seems an awfully appropriate metaphor, dud'n it now?

As for religion and, more importantly, morality in politics?

It isn’t rocket science.

When I was growing up, Larry always said the following:

“Jesus told us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And when we realize that the whole world is our neighbor, the rest is easy.”

Now, About That Cynicism...

2006-01-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

Ain’tcha had ’nuff?

Gov. Goodhair has been conducting secret negotiations to tax us more with tolls on roads we already bought and paid for. The average cost per family is three grand a year. Did you get to vote for that?

Here’s the deal – it all works by keeping stuff secret until there are already facts on the ground, like the 281 corridor between 1604 and Evans Road stripped of all vegetation, and sewage draining into the Edwards Aquifer, our drinking water, for one month. Then we begin to wonder how this happened – we hadn’t heard about it before. We scratch our heads, get a little mad. Then life takes over – that fender bender, that lost job, the 16 year-old getting a few “F’s” on her report card; and we lose sight of the common danger. All it means right now is some trees bulldozed and more chlorine in the water. Then, before we know it, there’s more bulldozing, more sewage leaks, or maybe a fire caused by a spark from one of those big machines on the dry grass, and we are both mad and resigned to being had again, and we’re mad as hell at all politicians, as usual.

But wait – not all politicians are so cynical. There actually are some who want sunshine in government, who want us all to have the chance to vote about such vital issues. It just happens that right now, most of them are Democrats; and I am one of them, even though to call me a politician is a stretch. I’m a Texan just like you – I just want the Lege to do what’s right for all Texans, and I want some sunshine in government. It’s real simple.

And while I’m on the subject of politicians, a note about Frank Corte who wants vouchers for private schools – vouchers paid for by you and me so that some kids can go to private schools on our nickel. Now, I’m actually sort of a fan of private schools; I graduated from a private religious college, and my wife went to parochial schools through high school. Our kids went to private schools at one time or another. But those handy vouchers, so nice for parents of kids in private schools, will take money from our public schools. If just 15 kids from each public school take state-funded vouchers and leave, each school would lose funding for three teachers. How would your kids’ school look with three less teachers? And Frank Corte thinks this would fix broken schools? Yup, the same way you fix a chair with a cracked leg by cutting off the leg.

Now that’s what cynical looks like.

What's So Important About MLK, And Why Are We Stoppin' Work Over It?

2006-01-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

So, today we find ourselves as a nation more divided than we have been since before the Civil Rights Era. We find ourselves more divided today than we were when women were finding their collective and individual voices. We find ourselves more economically divided than we have ever been. And we are at a crossroads. Do we capitulate to the power of greed and fear? Do we just try to enjoy what we have, hoping it will not be taken away by the vagaries of fortune or politics? Do we risk what we have to find that place of amity which we used to value called the quaint name "Common Good"?

Maybe.

If we heed these words:

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

Maybe.

Martin Luther King spoke those words about 43 years ago, and each year they resonate in the hearts of those who remember "Common Good", especially on this, his birthday.

Maybe. If we can find, again, that faith.

Thanks to Matt for this link to the whole speech.

Larry For the Lege

Election Eve Emotions

It's Because Of Iraq

Happy All Hallow's Eve

"It's Garbage", He Says. Global Warming, That Is.

Don't Vote (.com)

BLACKLISTED!!!!!!

Something nice every day now...

Veeerrrryyy Interesting...

One Last Endorsement - The One That Means The Most

Frank Corte's Supporters Are Not Very Smart

TEXAS DEMOCRATIC VETERANS ENDORSE LARRY STALLINGS FOR STATE REPRESETATIVE DISTRICT 122

A new kind of BBC

Taking Bets. Will the E-N Publish?

Frank and Beans

Look At What This Man Does...

A little levity to cleanse the palate.

SA Express-News Meets Larry, With Frank

4500 Miles, Punctuated by TOLLS

Princeton Students Study the Diebold Voting Machines

Goodbye, Ms. Ann

If You Can Build On It, He Will Come

Little Larry Cross The Country

Guess Who Made Candidate Larry Cry Today?

Vouchers Are Flat-Out Un-American

Candidate's Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Workshop Report

NPAT Revisited

Tax Free?

The Air Car: Not a Lot of Hot Air, Just a Lot of Cool

The Republican Shell Game

Permission

Pride and Predjudice

Corteing Trouble

Where Were You Forty Years Ago Today?

True Americans

Arthur And The Witch: A Fable

Shake It Down Now

Swinging Off The Tail Of The J

Down With GoP? Yeah, you know me!

PRO-LIFE and PRO-CHOICE

You're not from Texas

The race just got a little kinkier.

Pros Take Over

The Offical Campaign Playlist

A Candidate's First Convention

Billy's Graduation Entrance

Bookshelf

Congratulations Are In Order

Two Baby Bulldogs

Bulldog Off The Bike

Bulldog On A Bike ( Semper Fi )

Gettin' Out, Meetin' Folks

Why I Served

On Thin Ice

Is Frank Corte Really Safer in Iraq than in D. C.? No, Not Really.

Outsourcing: More Republican Stupidity

The Emperor's New Political Platform

The Master's Tools

Bush's Brain Sighted In San Antonio

Under The Sign Of The Cross

A Convoluted Way Of Saying We Have New Position Papers Available

Bulldog

Five Smooth Stones Of Democracy, Part II

Shhhhh...Don't Tell The Republicans (A Bexar County SD 25 Report, For Your Eyes Only)

Really REALLY Past Little Larry's Bedtime

Cowboys Tee Spells Voter Fraud

Erin's Seed Always Takes Root

This is so Larry...

Liberal U

Erin Go Braugh (Translation: Texas Goes Blue)

Way Past Little Larry's Bedtime

Is 6% The Canary In The Coal Mine? Desperate Housewives Need To Know

Actual AP Government Assignment, Completed *With Update*

Religion And Lawnmowers

D-Van Os-Man

Billibustering

Tale of Three Mollys

Where In The World Is Little Larry?

Five Smooth Stones Of Democracy

I'm So Tired I'm Not Even Going To Have A Margarita

Actual AP Government Assignment, Completed With Update

Secrecy, Cronyism and Graft - Right Here In River City! - With Update