Tony Dale is the Grassroots Organization Director for the Williamson County Republican Party. Tony gave us information on how to be a Precinct Chair, how to be State Delegate, and a National Delegate. We need conservatives involved in our county Republican parties.
There are numerous get out the vote techniques that can be used. The identification and use of Precinct Captains is one of the most effective.
Steve Koebele, Principle of Texas Counsel, gave us a run-down on down ballot contested Republican State Legislative races. Those in danger in the State Senate are Kim Brimer and Mike Jackson. Also, Senator Kyle Janek has announded in retirement in Houston.
In the Texas House, there are a few State Representatives in danger in their primary. These are Phil King, Nathan Macias, and Betty Brown. These Reps have challengers funded by gambling interests. Bill Zedler is also in trouble in Arlington. In the open House seats, Mike Pearce, Randy Dunning, and Bryan Daniel are the conservatives.
The Speaker's Race is very important in the State House races. There are many well funded candidates that are consulted by Kelly Fero. Craddick is in trouble.
We need Bill Keffer back! There is consensus!
We just heard from Rod Martin, the President of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies about getting involved in your local Republican Party.
Kelly Shackleford is speaking off the record at this point.
What happens when winning becomes the only principle? We lose our core values and principles and continue to elect un-pricinpled politicians. This is a problem. When winning is the only principle, we lose all of our other principles. Principles are more important than winning, and those elected officials that are principled need grassroots support to win their races. Kelly started the Texans for Conservitive Principles PAC recently to evaluate what our principles are and to prioritize them.
Most Republican elected officials will never have to make decisions on right-to-life. But all will face economic decisions. We must demand fiscal responsibility in conjuction with pro-life principles. Republican Texans are anxious to make a decision in the Presidential race.
Kelly is now speaking about the Free Market Foundation and its goals.
The Free Market Foundation is a non-partisan organization to promote issues and to give the citizens of Texas how their elected officials and candidates view the issues that are important to the voters. The best way to do this is through their Voter Guide which asks questions, based on the party platforms, to determine which candidate upholds the platform.
The Free Market Foundation also lobbies the Texas Legislature on particular issues that relate to their pro-family ideology. The Free Market Foundation worked to pass the religious liberties legislation in the Texas Legislature in 2007, on the last day of Session.
Liberty Legal works for securing individual liberties and religious liberties throughout Texas. They have worked many cases and lawsuits to allow for religious liberties, specifically Christian liberties.
Cynthhia Dunbar, a State Board of Education Member, is running for Congress in CD 22. CD 22 is Tom DeLay's former seat in SW Houston and Fort Bend County.
Mrs. Dunbar is giving a tremendous speech on judical activism, Constitutional Law, and the direction of the Republican Party with respect to activist judges. I decided not to write much on this topic as she is facsinating to listen to and I did not want to distract myself.
She also mentioned some of the battles of the State Board of Education with textbook cirriculum. What the children of the present learn today, they will become later in life. Because the children are learning entitlements, big government, and poor skills to achieve success, we will turn out a generation that looks to the government to solve all of our problems.
I encourage all to talk to Cynthia Dunbar about Constitutional Law and judicial activism. She is fantastic!
I missed Robin Armstrong's speech as I needed a bathroom break. He is always very good as a speaker and as an advocate for Republican values. I am proud that he is the Vice President of the Republican Party of Texas.
Peggy Venable, the Texas Director for Americans for Prosperity is now speaking.
Peggy is a leading taxpayer advocate in Texas. She is speaking on the TaxPayers Bill Of Rights (TABOR). Taxpayers need transparency and accountability among our elected officials. Government entities are spending lots of money with no restraint.
County governments are spending money on lobbyists, through the Texas Association of Counties and the Texas Municipal League, to lobby the Legislature for additional money. Taxpayer funded lobbyists is a major problem in that the money that is spent on lobbyists is usually going to advocate for additional tax money wasted by our government entities. This is a blatant violation of the Texas local government code. Peggy Venable has sued Williamson County for spending money on the Texas Association of Counties to illegally lobby for additional funding. Peggy Venable won the lawsuit, but Williamson County has not pulled out of the Texas Association of Counties.
We need elected officials to stand up for spending constraints at the state and local government level. Over the past 30 years, local government spending has risen 4 times from what is was in the early 1980's. The debt of local governments has increased 5 times from the early 1980's. The total amount of interest on debt that local government pays statewide, as of 2007, is greater than the amount of money that local governments spend on fire and police departments statewide. More money is spent on interest payments than on the necessary functions of local governments.
The government is run by those who show up. Inform yourselves and get active in lobbying your elected officials for spending restraints, appraisal caps, and transparency in government. Only through a grassroots efforts can we lower spending and limit the growth of government spending.
Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson led off the Texas Conservative Conference today in Austin, TX. As always, Commissioner Patterson is full of jokes. Today, he told the Republican Assembly members from outside of Austin to watch out for Leslie, the infamous Austinine transvestite who has run for Mayor.
Jerry Patterson mentioned that he is still very proud of authoring and passing the concealed carry law in 1995 while he was a State Senator. We have not had mass shootouts like at the OK Corral because of law abiding citizens having a concealed handgun. In fact, the concealed carry law has given us additional protection to preserve our most precious right...life.
On a personal note, we need to extend this law to universities and government offices to allow law abiding college students and government employees to defend themselves. In seeing the horrible tragedies on our college campuses recently, the concealed carry law needs to extend to all of our law abiding citizens as a means to protect themselves.
Today, Feb 16, is the Texas Conservative Conference, hosted by the Texas Republican Assembly in Austin, TX. This is the 2nd Annual Texas Conservative Conference which is highlighting grassroots efforts within the Republican Party.
I discovered that I have wireless here at the hotel in Austin, so, as long as the wireless connection holds up, I plan on live blogging the convention.
A little background on the Republican Assembly. The National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) has chapters in nearly 30 states. The Republican Assembly is a grassroots efforts to put conservatives in place in the Republican Party, conservatives that uphold and believe in the GOP platform. The goal is to place conservative leaders in place all the way from Precinct Chair to County Republican Chairman to National Committee Person to RNC Chairman.
The Texas Republican Assembly is led by Mike McNamara from Austin. The Central Texas Republican Assembly is led by Tim Bradberry and consists of Travis, Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop Counties.
Currently, there is a National Board Meeting going on. The first speaker is on stage at 10AM. I'll be back then, wireless and weather permitting.
The schedule of events for today:
Master of Ceremonies: Texas National Committeeman Bill Crocker
10 AM: Jerry Patterson: Texas Land Commissioner and Founder of the Texas Republican Assembly
10:15 AM: Dr. Robin Armstrong, Republican Party of Texas Vice Chairman
10:45 AM: Peggy Venable: Texas Director at Americans for Prosperity
11:15 AM: Cynthia Dunbar: Texas State Board of Education Member
12:00 Noon: Lunch with Congressman Michael McCall (R-TX, Dist 10)
2:00 PM: Congressman John Carter (R-TX, Dist 31)
2:30 PM: Rod Martin: NFRA President
3:00 PM: Kelly Shackleford: Texas Free Market Foundation
3:30 PM: Steve Koebele: Texas Counsel
4:00 PM: Tony Dale: Williamson County Republican Party Organization Director
6:00 PM: Dinner with Ambassador Alan Keyes and the Honorable Tom DeLay
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