Time for this week's edition of the Texas Progressive Alliance weekly blog round-up, wrangled as always by Vince from Capitol Annex.
As a special note, the TPA is preparing to announce the 2007 Texan of the Year. This year's process will be a little different than in years past: we have a full slate of Texas Silver Stars (Honorable Mentions), four runners-up (Texas Gold Stars) and of course a Texan of the Year. We'll begin by announcing the Texas Silver Stars on Friday, December 7. Then each day from December 10 through December 13 we'll announce a Gold Star, followed by the Texan of the Year on Friday, December 14. So be sure to check your favorite TPA blog starting this Friday to see the picks for Texans of the Year!
What happens when it rains and containers holding lethal chemicals overflow into creek beds? See How Are Injection Well and Gas Coupling Inspections Alike? for another example of RRC negligence that puts Texans at risk, brought to you by TXsharon at Bluedaze.
Refinish69 from Doing My Part For The Left shares his memories of a loved one lost to AIDS in his World AIDS Day diary and podcast.
Gary at Easter Lemming Liberal News observes the devolving of Texas Education.
Jaye at Winding Road asks "What if abortion is outlawed in a Republican administration?"
Xanthippas at Three Wise Men informs you that when it's the National Football League versus Big Cable, the only loser is you.
Vince at Capitol Annex takes a look at the interim charges for committees of the Texas House in the 80th Legislature in three posts, as well as Tom Craddick's views on the charges.
The Texas GOP is gearing up a sophisticated voter suppression effort for the 2008 elections. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs forwards the Lone Star Project's comprehensive report.
The Texas Cloverleaf tells us that TxDOT can no longer plead poverty! It just received a Christmas gift of $3.197 Billion from NTTA for the rights to build the SH-121 toll road.
Hal at Half Empty reports that the Republican Party of Fort Bend County has taken a radical shift to the right as neoconservative evangelicals have taken over their leadership.
Lightseeker at Texas Kaos looks at the mess Texas Education Agency has become with TEA: We must remain neutral on junk science theory. This should be enough to make parents either vote or move to get their kids out of the Texas school system.
Matt Glazer at Burnt Orange Report talks about the Texas Internet Revolution and the good publicity TexBlog PAC has been getting recently.
Stunned about the tuition increases at UT Law? So was Closet Purist at McBlogger who takes a detailed look at how UT law compares to Harvard and Yale and asks, what do you get for the money?
You may have heard the right-wing echo chamber saying that the surge is working in Iraq, or that things are going better now. Texas Toad at North Texas Liberal gives us the real deal in "Some Perspective on the Surge."
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes that federal rules allow ferry
security guards to sleep on the job. Republicans say they care about security, but prove they don't.
Off the Kuff exercises his privilege as a blogger to nitpick an article about the rise of the netroots in Texas.
Eye On Williamson takes a look at the retirement of his statehouse representative in Why We Won't Have Mike Krusee To Kick Around Anymore.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query texan of year. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query texan of year. Sort by date Show all posts
Monday, December 03, 2007
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Best-of-2007 Wrangle
Last year was a seminal one for the blogosphere, nationally as well as locally.
In recognition of the excellent work done by the Texas Progressive Alliance and its many member blogs and bloggers, here's a special New Year's edition of the TPA round-up.
Eye on Williamson has been one of the state's leading blogs when it comes to covering toll road issues and state representative Mike Krusee's career. EOW's top posts of 2007 included The "New Way Forward" On Tolls, the coming demise of Krusee in Krusee's Influence And Credibility Are Gone, Time For HD-52 To Start Over and a post on the ongoing battle between the citizens and the county government over a new landfill contract, The Landill, TCEQ Hearing & More Gattis Shenanigans .
The most popular posts from The Texas Blue included coverage of the 2008 Senate race. We kicked everything off with one of our inaugural pieces analyzing Cornyn's potential vulnerability in '08, in a piece picked up by the Washington Post. We then broke the code on Kos' "mystery candidate," revealing that it was Rep. Rick Noriega that Kos had in mind with his draft movement, and interviewed the representative shortly before he declared his official candidacy. And we published some of the first information examining Mikal Watts' candidacy in what became the most read story on the Blue this year; in what was also one of our most-read pieces, we analyzed the role of money in statewide Texas campaigns, looking at the efforts taken by the statewide campaign of David Van Os to illustrate the need for money in politics, the proper role of a nascent state party organization, and the limits on the effectiveness of a political message that come from the inability to spread that message due to the lack of funds. That article led to a dialog with David Van Os, and to an interview with him shortly afterward where he voices his side of the issue. And finally our "Who's Blue" audio interview series also included a number of other fascinating figures in Democratic politics, both statewide and across the nation. Some of the more notable interviews have been with four-star general and 2004 presidential candidate Wesley Clark, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, and current presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.
John Coby of Bay Area Houston documented what a team of anonymous citizens have researched to expose the Texas Ethics Commission as incompetent in the series Spending Campaign Cash. Their work uncovered $3 million in undisclosed expenditures by Texas legislators. KHOU-TV featured their work in late December with their report Activist: State's campaign finance oversight out-of-focus.
Easter Lemming Liberal News's topics covered this past year include Pasadena politics, the Joe Horn shooting and our national So-Called-Liberal-Media.
News items covered by TXsharon on Bluedaze: An attempt to shame a Texas Granny who received the Peacemaker of the year award. The depletion of and pollution of our water due to the irresponsible and shocking use by the oil and gas industry including an explanation of Groundwater Conservation Districts and how they can help that was published in two Texas newspapers, and the attempt by oil and gas to sabotage the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. The failure of the Texas Railroad Commission to protect Texans. The protection money breakdown paid to Texas Railroad Commissioners by the oil and gas industry.
WhosPlayin's favorite posts of 2007 were all about ideas: Universal Health Care - You're Soaking In It which explains that we're already paying for universal health care. Why Democrats Oppose "Voter ID" Bills was an explanation for our conservative friends. Lastly, Fiscal Conservatism with a Broader View.
Hal at Half Empty hemmed and hawed. How to decide which three of this year's postings merited special recognition? Then it dawned on him to mention the posts about three singular events that he attended and took photos. Priceless! In reverse chronological order: The Fort Bend Democrats Have a Booth at the Fair. Then a summer fundraiser featuring TDP Chairman Boyd Richie. And last February the Fort Bend Democrats held a love fest for Rick and Melissa Noriega.
Off the Kuff submits his top posts of 2007: David Dewhurst and Voter ID. Property Tax Cuts Uber Alles, the mantra of the 80th Lege, and Drafting Rick Noriega for Senate.
BlueBloggin', another new blog to the TPA in 2007, submitted these: nytexan wrote on The Christian March Against America; BossKitty has a poignant OpEd: All Answers Are Selfish And Shallow; and nytexan discusses how Mexico Get Texas Land Through Border Fence.
Doing My Part For The Left took a look back and is still disgusted with Hypocrites, Toe Tapping Senators, and Knee Pad Presidents. And who can forget Ann Coulter proving what a witch (usually spelled with a capital B) she is. Refinish69 also looked at Gay Pride and World AIDS Day again to explain some history about himself and the continuing need for Gay Voters to speak out.
One of Grand Moff Texan's too-rare diaries is always a special delight for us at Texas Kaos. But a standout piece inspired by the ignorance of the beltway punditry really broke down Why We Blog, Or Broderism in my Rear-View Mirror. Read it, and be inspired as we kick off the 2008 election cycle. As the wilder-than-usual Texas Legislative session came to a close, Boadicea highlighted a few items of interest in Personal Courage, Political Vendettas, and an Unexpected Outbreak of Spine. With his usual sharp eye and incisive writing, Krazypuppy noted the REAL importance of the Larry Craig scandal in Why Another GOP Sex Scandal Matters--It's Not the Queers, Either.
It was a wild year at McBlogger. We've heard about 39%'s trip to meet the Bilderburgers. We've also had exclusive one-on-one interviews with the Democratic candidates. We also took time to call out some of our friends to be quiet. Because they're being a pain in the ass. This year McBlogger turned two and like all two-year-olds you can expect tantrums mixed with an even larger dose of mischief. Like all children, you'll want to kill us but won't be able to because killing kids is wrong (so very, very wrong). You'll also find us precocious and irresistibly cute.
We at The North Texas Liberal had some trouble deciding on which posts were our absolute favorites, but we decided on a few that seemed worthy of mention a second time. First, a series on Shaquanda Cotton, a fifteen-year-old African-American girl from Paris, Texas. She was sentenced to up to seven years at the TYC for pushing a hall monitor at her school (the same judge gave a white girl probation for burning down the family home). Our coverage of Shaquanda got the attention of someone at the Lamar County DA's office, who used some recycled talking points to trash Cotton and her mother. Despite that, after the mainstream media broke Cotton's story, she became a candidate for early release. By March it was official that she would be released from the TYC, and in April we showed a video of her reunion with her mother. (Cotton has returned to school and wants to study to become a lawyer so she can fight future injustices.) We continued our global warming coverage with our Planet Purgatory series, parts One and Two. In May, we heard that the global warming tipping point could be in only ten years' time. NASA scientist James Hansen, a tireless environment advocate who testified about global warming before the Congress back in the 1980s, explains the tipping point theory as the point of no return. But he also believes in prevention rather than adaptation. Lastly, we gave Sen. John Cornyn the credit he deserved when he finally stood on the right side of an issue. Despite a year of flops and fabrications, he said he would support seasonal workers through the H2-B visa program. But despite the efforts of Sen. Barbara Mikulski, the fix wasn't finalized before Congress adjourned for the winter holidays, leaving thousands of small business owners out of luck this holiday season. When we spoke face-to-face with a legislative expert at Cornyn's DC office, we were told that the Texas senator would like to see comprehensive immigration reform and wouldn't lobby for the H2-B visas, though he supported seasonal workers, because he didn't want a piecemeal fix for the problem. So even though he stood with his constituents on the right side of the issue, in the end he let us down again.
Edmundo Rocha of Para Justicia y Libertad wrote about two protests against the prison industrial complex used here in Texas to detain undocumented immigrants -- the Houston
Processing Center and the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor. Prior to those postings, he reported on the suicide of David Ritcheson of Spring, the Latino teen who was brutally beaten, tortured, and sodomized with a plastic pole by two white racist teenagers, David Henry Tuck and Keith Robert Turner.
Marc G. of Marc's Miscellany analyzed Tom Craddick's preposterous claim that the speaker of the house can only be removed by impeachment. Marc also discussed Gov. Perry's controversial decision to veto the health insurance appropriation for community college employees.
Israel Behar-Ojalvo, PDiddie's father-in-law, passed away in March and Brains and Eggs had a post with photos in tribute. The Texas Youth Commission remains the worst scandal in Texas history, and that was apparent in April of last year. And in the matter of a few hours just before Labor Day, Alberto Gonzales, Phil Garner, and Tim Purpura all lost their jobs. Good riddance to a big bunch of losers. More like this in 2008, please.
2007 was a heck of a year for Capitol Annex. Vince Leibowitz at Capitol Annex is most proud of his ground-breaking coverage of the saga surrounding the insurgency in the Texas House and Speaker Craddick's power grab, including Terry Keel's Troubling Memo (a smoking gun, for sure), and the saga surrounding the resignation of parliamentarian Denise Davis, which earned him a mention in (among other publications), Texas Lawyer. Coverage of the 80th Legislature was also a major event for Capitol Annex, including a mind-numbing Liveblogging of debate on the General Appropriations Act, and a special video: Jodie Laubenberg Is Screaming.
It has been another exciting year at DosCentavos. I wrote about my expectations for the 2007 Lege Session. Beyond La Politica, we also know DosCentavos enjoys writing reviews on the latest releases in the Tejano and Mexican American music genre. This year, he received the honor of being asked by Los Lobos to rate their most recent release, The Town and The City. Finally, during the last Lege session, some Senators attempted to take up the debate on legalizing gambling to pay for education. DC tells us a few realities about higher education funding in the process.
Musings started the year concerned about science education in Texas (see: Warren Chisum, R-Dark Ages) and ended the year with some commentary about her friend, Chris Comer, who was fired as Director of Science at the Texas Education Agency over her stand on evolution. In between it was all about Melissa and Rick Noriega.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes a church in El Paso falls victim to manipulation by a right wing cadre bent on world domination. CouldBeTrue then wonders what would have happened in a perfect Republican world when the Minnesota bridge collapsed. South Texas Chisme covers the wedge'em and hate'em campaign, also known as the Republican immigration strategy. Hispanics have taken note.
The series The Texas Cloverleaf is most proud of since forming in the summer of 2007 was the continued exposure of the outright lies and misleading statements coming from the pro-toll road crowd in Dallas during the Trinity Vote effort. Even though the referendum failed, we feel we did our part to help Dallas voters make an informed decision. Read the series here, here, here, here and here.
Best wishes for a happy 2008 from all the blogs and bloggers of the Texas Progressive Alliance.
In recognition of the excellent work done by the Texas Progressive Alliance and its many member blogs and bloggers, here's a special New Year's edition of the TPA round-up.
Eye on Williamson has been one of the state's leading blogs when it comes to covering toll road issues and state representative Mike Krusee's career. EOW's top posts of 2007 included The "New Way Forward" On Tolls, the coming demise of Krusee in Krusee's Influence And Credibility Are Gone, Time For HD-52 To Start Over and a post on the ongoing battle between the citizens and the county government over a new landfill contract, The Landill, TCEQ Hearing & More Gattis Shenanigans .
The most popular posts from The Texas Blue included coverage of the 2008 Senate race. We kicked everything off with one of our inaugural pieces analyzing Cornyn's potential vulnerability in '08, in a piece picked up by the Washington Post. We then broke the code on Kos' "mystery candidate," revealing that it was Rep. Rick Noriega that Kos had in mind with his draft movement, and interviewed the representative shortly before he declared his official candidacy. And we published some of the first information examining Mikal Watts' candidacy in what became the most read story on the Blue this year; in what was also one of our most-read pieces, we analyzed the role of money in statewide Texas campaigns, looking at the efforts taken by the statewide campaign of David Van Os to illustrate the need for money in politics, the proper role of a nascent state party organization, and the limits on the effectiveness of a political message that come from the inability to spread that message due to the lack of funds. That article led to a dialog with David Van Os, and to an interview with him shortly afterward where he voices his side of the issue. And finally our "Who's Blue" audio interview series also included a number of other fascinating figures in Democratic politics, both statewide and across the nation. Some of the more notable interviews have been with four-star general and 2004 presidential candidate Wesley Clark, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, and current presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.
John Coby of Bay Area Houston documented what a team of anonymous citizens have researched to expose the Texas Ethics Commission as incompetent in the series Spending Campaign Cash. Their work uncovered $3 million in undisclosed expenditures by Texas legislators. KHOU-TV featured their work in late December with their report Activist: State's campaign finance oversight out-of-focus.
Easter Lemming Liberal News's topics covered this past year include Pasadena politics, the Joe Horn shooting and our national So-Called-Liberal-Media.
News items covered by TXsharon on Bluedaze: An attempt to shame a Texas Granny who received the Peacemaker of the year award. The depletion of and pollution of our water due to the irresponsible and shocking use by the oil and gas industry including an explanation of Groundwater Conservation Districts and how they can help that was published in two Texas newspapers, and the attempt by oil and gas to sabotage the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. The failure of the Texas Railroad Commission to protect Texans. The protection money breakdown paid to Texas Railroad Commissioners by the oil and gas industry.
WhosPlayin's favorite posts of 2007 were all about ideas: Universal Health Care - You're Soaking In It which explains that we're already paying for universal health care. Why Democrats Oppose "Voter ID" Bills was an explanation for our conservative friends. Lastly, Fiscal Conservatism with a Broader View.
Hal at Half Empty hemmed and hawed. How to decide which three of this year's postings merited special recognition? Then it dawned on him to mention the posts about three singular events that he attended and took photos. Priceless! In reverse chronological order: The Fort Bend Democrats Have a Booth at the Fair. Then a summer fundraiser featuring TDP Chairman Boyd Richie. And last February the Fort Bend Democrats held a love fest for Rick and Melissa Noriega.
Off the Kuff submits his top posts of 2007: David Dewhurst and Voter ID. Property Tax Cuts Uber Alles, the mantra of the 80th Lege, and Drafting Rick Noriega for Senate.
BlueBloggin', another new blog to the TPA in 2007, submitted these: nytexan wrote on The Christian March Against America; BossKitty has a poignant OpEd: All Answers Are Selfish And Shallow; and nytexan discusses how Mexico Get Texas Land Through Border Fence.
Doing My Part For The Left took a look back and is still disgusted with Hypocrites, Toe Tapping Senators, and Knee Pad Presidents. And who can forget Ann Coulter proving what a witch (usually spelled with a capital B) she is. Refinish69 also looked at Gay Pride and World AIDS Day again to explain some history about himself and the continuing need for Gay Voters to speak out.
One of Grand Moff Texan's too-rare diaries is always a special delight for us at Texas Kaos. But a standout piece inspired by the ignorance of the beltway punditry really broke down Why We Blog, Or Broderism in my Rear-View Mirror. Read it, and be inspired as we kick off the 2008 election cycle. As the wilder-than-usual Texas Legislative session came to a close, Boadicea highlighted a few items of interest in Personal Courage, Political Vendettas, and an Unexpected Outbreak of Spine. With his usual sharp eye and incisive writing, Krazypuppy noted the REAL importance of the Larry Craig scandal in Why Another GOP Sex Scandal Matters--It's Not the Queers, Either.
It was a wild year at McBlogger. We've heard about 39%'s trip to meet the Bilderburgers. We've also had exclusive one-on-one interviews with the Democratic candidates. We also took time to call out some of our friends to be quiet. Because they're being a pain in the ass. This year McBlogger turned two and like all two-year-olds you can expect tantrums mixed with an even larger dose of mischief. Like all children, you'll want to kill us but won't be able to because killing kids is wrong (so very, very wrong). You'll also find us precocious and irresistibly cute.
We at The North Texas Liberal had some trouble deciding on which posts were our absolute favorites, but we decided on a few that seemed worthy of mention a second time. First, a series on Shaquanda Cotton, a fifteen-year-old African-American girl from Paris, Texas. She was sentenced to up to seven years at the TYC for pushing a hall monitor at her school (the same judge gave a white girl probation for burning down the family home). Our coverage of Shaquanda got the attention of someone at the Lamar County DA's office, who used some recycled talking points to trash Cotton and her mother. Despite that, after the mainstream media broke Cotton's story, she became a candidate for early release. By March it was official that she would be released from the TYC, and in April we showed a video of her reunion with her mother. (Cotton has returned to school and wants to study to become a lawyer so she can fight future injustices.) We continued our global warming coverage with our Planet Purgatory series, parts One and Two. In May, we heard that the global warming tipping point could be in only ten years' time. NASA scientist James Hansen, a tireless environment advocate who testified about global warming before the Congress back in the 1980s, explains the tipping point theory as the point of no return. But he also believes in prevention rather than adaptation. Lastly, we gave Sen. John Cornyn the credit he deserved when he finally stood on the right side of an issue. Despite a year of flops and fabrications, he said he would support seasonal workers through the H2-B visa program. But despite the efforts of Sen. Barbara Mikulski, the fix wasn't finalized before Congress adjourned for the winter holidays, leaving thousands of small business owners out of luck this holiday season. When we spoke face-to-face with a legislative expert at Cornyn's DC office, we were told that the Texas senator would like to see comprehensive immigration reform and wouldn't lobby for the H2-B visas, though he supported seasonal workers, because he didn't want a piecemeal fix for the problem. So even though he stood with his constituents on the right side of the issue, in the end he let us down again.
Edmundo Rocha of Para Justicia y Libertad wrote about two protests against the prison industrial complex used here in Texas to detain undocumented immigrants -- the Houston
Processing Center and the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor. Prior to those postings, he reported on the suicide of David Ritcheson of Spring, the Latino teen who was brutally beaten, tortured, and sodomized with a plastic pole by two white racist teenagers, David Henry Tuck and Keith Robert Turner.
Marc G. of Marc's Miscellany analyzed Tom Craddick's preposterous claim that the speaker of the house can only be removed by impeachment. Marc also discussed Gov. Perry's controversial decision to veto the health insurance appropriation for community college employees.
Israel Behar-Ojalvo, PDiddie's father-in-law, passed away in March and Brains and Eggs had a post with photos in tribute. The Texas Youth Commission remains the worst scandal in Texas history, and that was apparent in April of last year. And in the matter of a few hours just before Labor Day, Alberto Gonzales, Phil Garner, and Tim Purpura all lost their jobs. Good riddance to a big bunch of losers. More like this in 2008, please.
2007 was a heck of a year for Capitol Annex. Vince Leibowitz at Capitol Annex is most proud of his ground-breaking coverage of the saga surrounding the insurgency in the Texas House and Speaker Craddick's power grab, including Terry Keel's Troubling Memo (a smoking gun, for sure), and the saga surrounding the resignation of parliamentarian Denise Davis, which earned him a mention in (among other publications), Texas Lawyer. Coverage of the 80th Legislature was also a major event for Capitol Annex, including a mind-numbing Liveblogging of debate on the General Appropriations Act, and a special video: Jodie Laubenberg Is Screaming.
It has been another exciting year at DosCentavos. I wrote about my expectations for the 2007 Lege Session. Beyond La Politica, we also know DosCentavos enjoys writing reviews on the latest releases in the Tejano and Mexican American music genre. This year, he received the honor of being asked by Los Lobos to rate their most recent release, The Town and The City. Finally, during the last Lege session, some Senators attempted to take up the debate on legalizing gambling to pay for education. DC tells us a few realities about higher education funding in the process.
Musings started the year concerned about science education in Texas (see: Warren Chisum, R-Dark Ages) and ended the year with some commentary about her friend, Chris Comer, who was fired as Director of Science at the Texas Education Agency over her stand on evolution. In between it was all about Melissa and Rick Noriega.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes a church in El Paso falls victim to manipulation by a right wing cadre bent on world domination. CouldBeTrue then wonders what would have happened in a perfect Republican world when the Minnesota bridge collapsed. South Texas Chisme covers the wedge'em and hate'em campaign, also known as the Republican immigration strategy. Hispanics have taken note.
The series The Texas Cloverleaf is most proud of since forming in the summer of 2007 was the continued exposure of the outright lies and misleading statements coming from the pro-toll road crowd in Dallas during the Trinity Vote effort. Even though the referendum failed, we feel we did our part to help Dallas voters make an informed decision. Read the series here, here, here, here and here.
Best wishes for a happy 2008 from all the blogs and bloggers of the Texas Progressive Alliance.
Monday, December 29, 2008
End-of-2008 Wrangle
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ... and if you remember the rest of the song, you're doing one better than we are. At any rate, it is the last Monday of the year and that means it is time for the Texas Progressive Alliance's End-Of-Year Round-Up for 2008.
This was a hell of a year for Texas progressives. The presidential primary came to Texas (for real); we caucused, conventioned, challenged, credentialed, voted, elected, counted and re-counted; we brought Netroots Nation to Texas, watched Tom Craddick fight for his life, said farewell to legends, got a head start on the race to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison and more. A lot more.
It is in that spirit that we bring you the final round-up of 2008, with most contributors offering their five best posts of the year by participating blogs. Enjoy.
(Coming shortly: the 2008 Texan of the Year.)
jobsanger has posted on a variety of subjects, including the popularity of George Bush in 11% Of Americans Are IDIOTS, the Ku Klux Klan in The Klan Is Still Stupid, a plan to steal water from the Panhandle in The Coming Rape Of The Ogallala Aquifer, the fall of a county sheriff in Potter County Sheriff Indicted On Felony Charges and Potter County Sheriff Convicted, and the 2010 governor's race in Who's The Dem In 2010 Governor Race?
John Coby at Bay Area Houston blogged issues concerning Bob Perry's home building industry, the Texas Ethics Commission, insurance deregulation, electricity deregulation, as well as some humorous posts. One of his favorite series is Spending Campaign Cash, which has resulted in a number of stories in the corporate media and contributed to a bill to be filed by state representative Senfronia Thompson.
South Texas Chisme covered entertaining South Texas stories, from the original DA Hissy Fit to his poor imitation, various ethics problems including a few felonies to helping Republicans recover and Democrats to prosper. And we never forget about that Republican monument to racism and fear otherwise known as that d*mn fence!
As he approaches his seventh anniversary as a blogger, Off the Kuff decided to look forward rather than back on the year. My thanks to my TPA colleagues for all they do, and my best wishes to all for a great 2009.
The Texas Cloverleaf looks back on 2008 as its first full year on the blog scene comes to a close. The DNC got things started by picking the Jewish-named donkey over the black one for its mascot, in what would become the ultimate irony of the political season. Adding to the ironies, cash-strapped TxDOT gave away $20 million for a Dallas park. We were introduced to GOP family values: 16 US Senators, including our own from Texas, voted against funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, leading to more deaths, and the Palin clan popped out more replacements as part of God's will. Don't forget to carve the backwards B on your face for posterity. 2008 was a whirlwind and couldn't have been more dramatic. Here's to a 2009 with the same kind of flair!
Neil at Texas Liberal wishes everyone good luck in the New Year. Here is his post on controversy regarding what may or may not be the world's largest potato.
Compelling circumstances have limited Refinish69's access to his own blog, Doing My Part For the Left. He's nonetheless written a compelling series hosted on various national and local blogs that shares what it is to be homeless in Austin. Homeless in Austin-An Insider's View is a four-part series so far and Refinish69 wants to thank all those who've helped him get this story more attention. Part 1 at Momocrats. Parts 2, 3, and 4 at Texas Kaos.
Texas Kaos front-pagers have covered a wide variety of issues both national and Texan. Krazypuppy wrote a cautionary tale of how far Republican hubris can go in All Southerner's Should Know Don Siegelman's False Imprisonment Story". Refinish69 shared one man's story of unexpected impact of the historic Democratic extended primary in A Trip to the Gas Station: No it's not a Curious George book. Lightseeker reported on the convention for SD-15 and the contrast between previous years. He also gave great pointers on political discourse with the neighbors. SCCS did a series on the congressional races all over Texas, and was our correspondent in the Big Tent at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Txsharon's contributions keeping us abreast of what Big Dirty Oil and Gas are up to are so valuable it's hard to pick only a few, but proving that a picture is worth a thousand words, Barnett Shale Sludge Pond Pictures is a must see (and read).
BossKitty at TruthHugger sees no other options ... Retirement or Exile, Show Bush The Exit.
At Eye On Williamson the election took up much of our time on the blog. From candidate filings, to the massive turnout for the Williamson County Democratic Party primary and convention, all the way through to electing the first Democratic state representative in Williamson County since 1992 -- Diana Maldonado. There were still the same local issues popping up like road projects that are bad deals for the taxpayers, the county landfill, and the T. Don Hutto family prison in Taylor.
It's been a year of excitement at McBlogger. We've looked deeply at medical tourism and James Dobson's fear of homos. We've also occasionally talked about the meltdown in the financial sector. And Mr. The Plumber.
WhosPlayin shared his experience working the Democratic Primary and then the Denton County Democratic Convention back in March. In May, the Earth opened up and swallowed part of Daisetta, TX. In September he suggested how a financial industry bailout could work and be transparent. Over the Christmas holiday, he rolled out a new Congressional Campaign Finance research website.
Over at Capitol Annex, Vince Leibowitz had a difficult time trying to select his favorites out of 2,470 posts published (so far) during 2008, but finally settled on a few. After a long prima-caucus season and hair-raising state convention, he posted some Random Thoughts on the 2008 TDP Convention. As the election cycle went on, he pondered why anyone would want to re-elect state rep. John Davis (R-Clear Lake), and told the world about a racist mailer that had been sent out against state rep. Allen Vaught. After the election season, he memorialized "The People's Lawyer," Jim Mattox, and noted that Tom DeLay's wife was trying to quash a subpoena in a civil lawsuit related to the now-defunct Americans for a Republican Majority.
Mean Rachel started off 2008 with An Open Letter to Who She Was in 2007, and proceeded to write open letters to just about everyone, including Mark Strama and Elliot Elliott Naishtat. She met Barack Obama, got Obama license plates, and subsequently had her tires slashed because of them. She also wrote for the Texas Observer in Denver and daydreamed about Republican pornography. Finally, in June Mean Rachel asked for serenity now, and wondered if Americans would ever have the wisdom to change. By November, she had her answer.
This was a hell of a year for Texas progressives. The presidential primary came to Texas (for real); we caucused, conventioned, challenged, credentialed, voted, elected, counted and re-counted; we brought Netroots Nation to Texas, watched Tom Craddick fight for his life, said farewell to legends, got a head start on the race to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison and more. A lot more.
It is in that spirit that we bring you the final round-up of 2008, with most contributors offering their five best posts of the year by participating blogs. Enjoy.
(Coming shortly: the 2008 Texan of the Year.)
jobsanger has posted on a variety of subjects, including the popularity of George Bush in 11% Of Americans Are IDIOTS, the Ku Klux Klan in The Klan Is Still Stupid, a plan to steal water from the Panhandle in The Coming Rape Of The Ogallala Aquifer, the fall of a county sheriff in Potter County Sheriff Indicted On Felony Charges and Potter County Sheriff Convicted, and the 2010 governor's race in Who's The Dem In 2010 Governor Race?
John Coby at Bay Area Houston blogged issues concerning Bob Perry's home building industry, the Texas Ethics Commission, insurance deregulation, electricity deregulation, as well as some humorous posts. One of his favorite series is Spending Campaign Cash, which has resulted in a number of stories in the corporate media and contributed to a bill to be filed by state representative Senfronia Thompson.
South Texas Chisme covered entertaining South Texas stories, from the original DA Hissy Fit to his poor imitation, various ethics problems including a few felonies to helping Republicans recover and Democrats to prosper. And we never forget about that Republican monument to racism and fear otherwise known as that d*mn fence!
As he approaches his seventh anniversary as a blogger, Off the Kuff decided to look forward rather than back on the year. My thanks to my TPA colleagues for all they do, and my best wishes to all for a great 2009.
The Texas Cloverleaf looks back on 2008 as its first full year on the blog scene comes to a close. The DNC got things started by picking the Jewish-named donkey over the black one for its mascot, in what would become the ultimate irony of the political season. Adding to the ironies, cash-strapped TxDOT gave away $20 million for a Dallas park. We were introduced to GOP family values: 16 US Senators, including our own from Texas, voted against funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, leading to more deaths, and the Palin clan popped out more replacements as part of God's will. Don't forget to carve the backwards B on your face for posterity. 2008 was a whirlwind and couldn't have been more dramatic. Here's to a 2009 with the same kind of flair!
Neil at Texas Liberal wishes everyone good luck in the New Year. Here is his post on controversy regarding what may or may not be the world's largest potato.
Compelling circumstances have limited Refinish69's access to his own blog, Doing My Part For the Left. He's nonetheless written a compelling series hosted on various national and local blogs that shares what it is to be homeless in Austin. Homeless in Austin-An Insider's View is a four-part series so far and Refinish69 wants to thank all those who've helped him get this story more attention. Part 1 at Momocrats. Parts 2, 3, and 4 at Texas Kaos.
Texas Kaos front-pagers have covered a wide variety of issues both national and Texan. Krazypuppy wrote a cautionary tale of how far Republican hubris can go in All Southerner's Should Know Don Siegelman's False Imprisonment Story". Refinish69 shared one man's story of unexpected impact of the historic Democratic extended primary in A Trip to the Gas Station: No it's not a Curious George book. Lightseeker reported on the convention for SD-15 and the contrast between previous years. He also gave great pointers on political discourse with the neighbors. SCCS did a series on the congressional races all over Texas, and was our correspondent in the Big Tent at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Txsharon's contributions keeping us abreast of what Big Dirty Oil and Gas are up to are so valuable it's hard to pick only a few, but proving that a picture is worth a thousand words, Barnett Shale Sludge Pond Pictures is a must see (and read).
BossKitty at TruthHugger sees no other options ... Retirement or Exile, Show Bush The Exit.
At Eye On Williamson the election took up much of our time on the blog. From candidate filings, to the massive turnout for the Williamson County Democratic Party primary and convention, all the way through to electing the first Democratic state representative in Williamson County since 1992 -- Diana Maldonado. There were still the same local issues popping up like road projects that are bad deals for the taxpayers, the county landfill, and the T. Don Hutto family prison in Taylor.
It's been a year of excitement at McBlogger. We've looked deeply at medical tourism and James Dobson's fear of homos. We've also occasionally talked about the meltdown in the financial sector. And Mr. The Plumber.
WhosPlayin shared his experience working the Democratic Primary and then the Denton County Democratic Convention back in March. In May, the Earth opened up and swallowed part of Daisetta, TX. In September he suggested how a financial industry bailout could work and be transparent. Over the Christmas holiday, he rolled out a new Congressional Campaign Finance research website.
Over at Capitol Annex, Vince Leibowitz had a difficult time trying to select his favorites out of 2,470 posts published (so far) during 2008, but finally settled on a few. After a long prima-caucus season and hair-raising state convention, he posted some Random Thoughts on the 2008 TDP Convention. As the election cycle went on, he pondered why anyone would want to re-elect state rep. John Davis (R-Clear Lake), and told the world about a racist mailer that had been sent out against state rep. Allen Vaught. After the election season, he memorialized "The People's Lawyer," Jim Mattox, and noted that Tom DeLay's wife was trying to quash a subpoena in a civil lawsuit related to the now-defunct Americans for a Republican Majority.
Mean Rachel started off 2008 with An Open Letter to Who She Was in 2007, and proceeded to write open letters to just about everyone, including Mark Strama and Elliot Elliott Naishtat. She met Barack Obama, got Obama license plates, and subsequently had her tires slashed because of them. She also wrote for the Texas Observer in Denver and daydreamed about Republican pornography. Finally, in June Mean Rachel asked for serenity now, and wondered if Americans would ever have the wisdom to change. By November, she had her answer.
Monday, January 02, 2017
A 2017 Wrangle of 2016 progressive Texan news
Democrats are going to need a better plan than this toon represents. The week's blog post roundup gathers the best from last week to start your 2017 off on the right (left) foot.
Off the Kuff pointed to Brazoria County as a potential and necessary opportunity for Greater Houston Democrats going forward.
Socratic Gadfly takes a look at Cozy Bear, Fancy Bear, et al, and while rejecting Trump's flippancy, expresses skepticism toward the mainstream narrative.
Texas Republicans expose themselves by making the lives of women, children, and prisoners as miserable as possible. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees Donald Trump is not the only white nationalist.
The Brainiacs of 2016, formerly the TPA's Texan of the Year and awarded solely by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs, are The Democrats.
The Apache oil company's "generosity" and speaking with forked tongue caught up with them in regard to their fracking plans in Balmorhea, as detailed by Txsharon at Bluedaze.
In a welcome relief from charting polls and stockpiling objections to Trump, jobsanger posts a survey of the most dangerous drivers in the United States, and finds Texas is tied for first -- or worst -- with Louisiana.
Neil at All People Have Value took a picture of train tracks at a Houston light rail station. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
Dos Centavos listed his top-trafficked posts for the year.
And in Lewisville, vandals shot through a homeowner's windows and knocked the head off of his front-yard Santa Claus, reports the Texan-Journal.
More of the best of the left of Texas from the end of last year!
Leah Binkovitz at the Urban Edge has a rundown of the bills that have been filed to date for the coming legislative session (opening on January 10). And Ross Ramsey at the Texas Tribune perceives that Austin and Washington out of sync in the early transitioning.
The Houston Press follows up on the Blue Bell ice cream company's continuing troubles with listeria, speaking with a food safety litigator who suggests the company is foolishly requesting of federal authorities that they be allowed to abandon the stringent -- and expensive -- poisonous bacteria testing imposed after previous tragedies.
Grits for Breakfast says the top criminal justice story in Texas -- and possibly the United States -- from last year is easy to spot, but the rest are more obscure.
The Hearne city attorney abruptly resigned last week, and Lawflog says 'good riddance'.
Members of Austin Jewish Voice for Peace held an ecumenical Chanukah vigil at the Capitol, and the The Rag Blog has the photos and story.
The Bloggess eulogized Carrie Fisher as an inspiration to people who struggle with mental illness.
Lone Star Ma urged people to email the Chemical Safety Board.
The Great God Pan Is Dead highlighted the art that moved him in the past year.
Swamplot presented its annual awards for real estate in Houston.
And 2016 was the year that Pages of Victory decided had weaned him off the Democrats.
Off the Kuff pointed to Brazoria County as a potential and necessary opportunity for Greater Houston Democrats going forward.
Socratic Gadfly takes a look at Cozy Bear, Fancy Bear, et al, and while rejecting Trump's flippancy, expresses skepticism toward the mainstream narrative.
Texas Republicans expose themselves by making the lives of women, children, and prisoners as miserable as possible. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees Donald Trump is not the only white nationalist.
The Brainiacs of 2016, formerly the TPA's Texan of the Year and awarded solely by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs, are The Democrats.
The Apache oil company's "generosity" and speaking with forked tongue caught up with them in regard to their fracking plans in Balmorhea, as detailed by Txsharon at Bluedaze.
In a welcome relief from charting polls and stockpiling objections to Trump, jobsanger posts a survey of the most dangerous drivers in the United States, and finds Texas is tied for first -- or worst -- with Louisiana.
Neil at All People Have Value took a picture of train tracks at a Houston light rail station. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
Dos Centavos listed his top-trafficked posts for the year.
And in Lewisville, vandals shot through a homeowner's windows and knocked the head off of his front-yard Santa Claus, reports the Texan-Journal.
=====================
More of the best of the left of Texas from the end of last year!
Leah Binkovitz at the Urban Edge has a rundown of the bills that have been filed to date for the coming legislative session (opening on January 10). And Ross Ramsey at the Texas Tribune perceives that Austin and Washington out of sync in the early transitioning.
The Houston Press follows up on the Blue Bell ice cream company's continuing troubles with listeria, speaking with a food safety litigator who suggests the company is foolishly requesting of federal authorities that they be allowed to abandon the stringent -- and expensive -- poisonous bacteria testing imposed after previous tragedies.
Grits for Breakfast says the top criminal justice story in Texas -- and possibly the United States -- from last year is easy to spot, but the rest are more obscure.
The Hearne city attorney abruptly resigned last week, and Lawflog says 'good riddance'.
Members of Austin Jewish Voice for Peace held an ecumenical Chanukah vigil at the Capitol, and the The Rag Blog has the photos and story.
The Bloggess eulogized Carrie Fisher as an inspiration to people who struggle with mental illness.
Lone Star Ma urged people to email the Chemical Safety Board.
The Great God Pan Is Dead highlighted the art that moved him in the past year.
Swamplot presented its annual awards for real estate in Houston.
And 2016 was the year that Pages of Victory decided had weaned him off the Democrats.
Friday, December 31, 2021
Wrangling 2021
I suppose the best we can say about the year ending today is that we lived through it, if only because so many who should have did not.
— kristaps minerov (@samuel_sneed1) December 27, 2021
If the Texas Progressive Alliance had selected a Texan of the Year for 2021, my vote would have gone to Dr. Peter Hotez.
Not getting discussed enough: Dr. Hotez and his colleagues at Texas Children's have done what Pfizer and Moderna won't— developed a safe and effective #COVID19 vaccine, then transferred the patent to manufacturers in the developing world. For free. https://t.co/ovlgEUYriX
— Jorge A. Caballero, MD (@DataDrivenMD) December 29, 2021
This was an effort of a team of 20+ scientists @TexasChildrens @BCM_TropMed co-led by me and my brilliant science partner for the last 20 years @mebottazzi pic.twitter.com/BQzVaEupLV
— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) December 28, 2021
InnovationMap had Houston's top three COVID research stories. I hope the 'rona and its latest mutation is not the most important story next year. The climate crisis should be. Maybe it will.
Floods, hurricanes, wildfires and droughts. Protests, lawsuits, summits and executive orders. See climate change in the year 2021. https://t.co/E09BTDiayc
— Inside Climate News (@insideclimate) December 27, 2021
A look at what’s to come for Texas in the 2022 energy markethttps://t.co/W2FofWlfx3 pic.twitter.com/kPiWaAFOaE
— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) December 27, 2021
Texas is now # 1 wind generator in USA & almost 20% of all electricity generated in Texas in 2021 was WIND. Picture is of Wildorado Wind Ranch west of Amarillo, today. https://t.co/4IiFhTwIHn pic.twitter.com/TmYZct1I1I
— Scott Uhl (@ScottUhlTX) December 27, 2021
SocraticGadfly noted that Ronny Jackson and other Texas wingnut Congresscritters want to fight the effects of climate change, but only when it affects cops, and without admitting that the likes of Winter Storm Uri are connected. The Concho Valley Homepage reported that the USGS recorded one of the largest earthquakes ever in the Permian Basin last Monday. And Earth911 offers ten green living New Year's resolutions.
Melting glaciers, deadly floods, record high temperatures and more pleas for help. AP journalists look back at a year when the effects of climate change were felt around the world. #2021Notebook https://t.co/ZX7OCyP6MR
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 27, 2021
Texas will be changing enormously in the years to come. All of us -- wherever we fall on the political spectrum -- are hoping the changes favor our points of view.
Population changes, April 2020-July 2021:
— Sewell Chan (@sewellchan) December 29, 2021
NY: -365,366
CA: -300,387
IL: -141,039
AZ: +124,814
FL: +242,941
TX: +382,436
https://t.co/MWTauNBxXI
1,000 new people arrive in Texas every day; half are newborns — Every three minutes, a child is born somewhere in Texashttps://t.co/I1yPyQlVMg
— Alfons López Tena (@alfonslopeztena) December 27, 2021
Texas was No. 2 most moved to and most moved away from state in 2021, report says https://t.co/ACBNSAjuwH via @KVUE
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 28, 2021
"Send in the Californians," says associate editor @ben_c_rowen. "Then send in more. Don’t stop until everyone here is cuffing their boot-cut jeans and Beto O’Rourke is treating national politicians to a local meal of a Double-Double Animal style."https://t.co/4UCHMri9RM
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) December 30, 2021
But the San Antonio Current quotes a recent report that advises liberty lovers to move somewhere else, ranking Texas 49th in personal freedoms.
Whatever the evolving demographics portend for the Lone Star State, we'll still have to deal with those who are stuck on stupid. COVID isn't going to kill 'em all.
An A-to-Z list of 25 Lone Star State residents who disgraced themselves last January 6. For embarrassing our state, they've been awarded a 2022 Bum Steer designation. https://t.co/kSJyEwatzv
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) December 31, 2021
After the Del Rio News-Herald shuttered last year, Frank Lopez Jr., who broadcasts as "US Border Patriot," found a national audience. https://t.co/6LBY9KEGCA+
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) December 22, 2021
Democrats’ 2022 choice: Govern or lose — Democrats have a narrow window to get a lot done, facing a unified GOP opposition and the slimmest of majorities. In 2022, they need to act for working people, the climate, and voting rights
— Alfons López Tena (@alfonslopeztena) December 27, 2021
By @EJDionne https://t.co/mMAIqFuxxd
Anecdote: Very nice counter person at an Austin CVS explains the 3 (!) types of available home #COVID tests they had, recommends the ones made by “Greg Abbott labs”. #txlege
— Jim Henson (@jamesrhenson) December 29, 2021
I'll be surprised if this remark does not cost Chairman Padron his job.
Mr. Hinojosa’s comments must stop. His misogynistic comments are out in full force against @KimOlsonTx. "This Woman" Colonel Olson, stands with every woman who gets degraded, pushed aside or belittled because she wants to make a difference. https://t.co/DATUaD1xx6
— Democrat For Rockwall Co. Commissioner Pct. 4 (@ErickaLedferd) December 30, 2021
Flipping Texas is a massive task & I don't have the answers but I know misogyny when I see it! The women quoted in this article @KimOlsonTx @JulieOliverTX should NOT be dismissed. TX is lucky they're persevering after the treatment they received from the nat'l party on down.🧵 https://t.co/HQ6Yqs4afE
— Cari Marshall (@CariMarshallTX) December 30, 2021
Still think they're both losers.
Here's a few criminal and social justice updates.
.@Forbes recognizes the accomplishments of 95-year-old Fort Worth resident Opal Lee, who achieved her lifelong goal of getting #Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday this year. #Forbes50over50 #OpalLeehttps://t.co/qoPCg0Sifd
— Fort Worth (@VisitFortWorth) December 26, 2021
Texas has banished hundreds of prisoners to more than a decade of solitary confinement. Many of these prisoners aren’t sure how—or, in some cases, if—they will ever get out. https://t.co/svbcMQcafN
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) December 29, 2021
Many Texas traffic stops end in death, even when police don't pull the trigger. Is it worth it? — @Dexinvestigates and my last story of the year, and the last chapter in our ongoing investigation into the costs of everyday traffic enforcement in TX. https://t.co/8tdCHT7DMW
— St. John Barned-Smith ⚔️ (@stjbs) December 29, 2021
houston-area courts have *1,102 eviction cases* scheduled for the first week of january
— Jen Rice (@jen_rice_) December 30, 2021
the texas rent relief program is closed/out of money. the houston/harris county rent relief program is mostly closed/almost out of money.
A father and his 14-year-old son have been charged with capital murder in the killings of three teenagers at a convenience store on Dec. 26, according to Garland Police Department in Texas. https://t.co/j1xsEK5O11
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) December 31, 2021
BREAKING: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis reduced the sentence for Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, the Houston truck driver who was convicted in the 2019 I-70 crash that killed four people, from 110 years to 10 years: https://t.co/uGzrPCl54A #khou11 @9NEWS with the report
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) December 30, 2021
Fifth Circuit sets hearing date in Texas abortion case https://t.co/znDcGO5M4e #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 28, 2021
Mark Pitcavage presents some random facts about white supremacist tattoos. Mandy Giles is now blogging at Parents of Trans Youth. And as promised, some lists.
The Texas Observer submits its ten best longform reads of the year. Politico collected the worst predictions of 2021. The San Antonio Express News had all the spooky and strange things. And Texas Freedom Network rounded up the ten best and worst from the Lege.
A few political items, and the soothers to close out the year.
Kuff covered a couple more redistricting lawsuits; a new one filed by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer over CD35, and an earlier one filed by a state prison inmate objecting to the practice of counting inmates where they are incarcerated rather than where they live. IPR opened a time capsule:
Prohibitionist Andrew Jackson Houston, son of the legendary Sam Houston, the hero of San Jacinto and first president of the Lone Star Republic, died in a Baltimore hospital on June 26, 1941.
Two months before his death, the 87-year-old Houston had been appointed to the U.S. Senate by Gov. “Pappy” O’Daniel to fill a vacancy created by the death of Democratic Sen. Morris Sheppard, who died of a brain hemorrhage on April 9.
Houston, who authored several books on Texas history and taught military science at St. Mary’s University on Trinity Bay, had been the Prohibition Party’s candidate for governor of Texas on two occasions. He also briefly challenged popular 1908 nominee Eugene W. Chafin for the dry party’s presidential nomination in 1912 -- the same year Roosevelt himself had snorted and thundered against the two-party establishment on his newly-formed Bull Moose ticket.
Houston was a Democrat at the time of his surprise Senate appointment on April 21, 1941.
Essential inside look into how Texas schools are choosing which books to ban, by @TaliRichman.
— Lauren McGaughy 🌟 (@lmcgaughy) December 29, 2021
The district gathered groups of parents and teachers to review challenged books. The debate is so fierce, participants are asked to sign NDOs. https://t.co/eOJnrZUbIO #txlege #tellEWA
Reform Austin introduced us to some school librarians who are fed up with and fighting back against book bans. And Susan Hays and nonsequiteuse eulogized Sarah Weddington.
The weather forecast in Texarkana this week probably didn't predict light showers with a chance of fish.https://t.co/hM3PRtliAS
— Chron (@chron) December 30, 2021
The "Old 300" was the group of colonists who settled under the terms of Stephen F. Austin's first contract with the Mexican government. They are "The Old 300" because the first contract was for the introduction of 300 families. A list of the families: https://t.co/NLIDc3Yng8 pic.twitter.com/B1sPpnZuTj
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) December 26, 2021
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Annise Parker is TPA's "Texan of the Year"
With the election of Annise Parker as mayor of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States signaled that they pay more attention to qualifications than to sexual orientation. This news reverberated around the globe and brought positive attention to the city of Houston and the state of Texas. National Democratic groups took note of a more progressive Houston than they assumed, and the talk and speculation turned to the possibilities of Texas turning blue sooner rather than later.
The Parker win was no accident. She put together a talented campaign team that ran on the strength of the grassroots rather than City Hall insiders. Key Houston-area progressive bloggers aligned themselves with Parker and were embraced by the campaign. Blogs became an effective messaging strategy, emphasizing Parker’s qualifications and her opponent’s weaknesses.
In the runoff, several third parties -- including one longtime right-wing operative who endorsed Parker's opponent -- launched a series of homophobic attacks against her, but they failed to do her any serious damage because voters recognized her distinguished service as a member of Council and City Controller and valued her experience and financial acumen.
Voters knew who she was and what she was about because she had always been open and honest about it, and that was more important than anything some agitator could say.
For her historic victory, for making the rest of the world re-evaluate its opinion of Texas, and for running a truly modern grassroots campaign, the Texas Progressive Alliance is proud to name Houston's Mayor-Elect Annise Parker its Texan of the Year for 2009.
“Gold Star Texans” for 2009
Ramey Ko: Ko is an attorney and activist in Austin. He should be best known for his work in Asian Americans for Obama, but Republican stupidity assured us he will be best known as "the guy who held his cool while on the receiving end of a massive dose of both ignorance and racism from Betty Brown." With extreme professionalism, he tried to help Brown understand why it would behoove her that voting rights for Asian Texans (and all Texans) not fall prey to bureaucratic errors creating name mismatches. Brown's ignorance/racism and Ko's cool reasonableness drew worldwide media attention. Watch the video of their exchange: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9hdVUzMeDw
Calvin Tillman: Tillman is mayor of a tiny town at the epicenter of the Barnett Shale. Several industry giants seized DISH land and installed a several huge compressor stations and processing plants right next to neighborhoods. They built a crisscross of pipelines all through the town and on private property. He has taken a hard line with industry, crafting a strategy to get the most bang for his press releases.
Tillman and the DISH City Council spent 10% of their yearly budget for a private ambient air study. This is the first such study where the results were made public so that all citizens in the Barnett Shale area might benefit. The levels of toxins were amazingly high, and many DISH residents are seriously ill, but they are poor and do not have health insurance. Tillman worked with TDSHS and finally got them to agree to test DISH residents. This is the first time a state agency has tested residents for drilling toxins. Tillman travels to other areas and speaks about these issues. He has offered to speak and assist others and refuses any compensation for travel or time.
Tillman is largely responsible for TCEQ's revised policy in response to Barnett Shale air emissions. He is also a blogger.
State Rep. Elliott Naishtat and his Capitol staff: While he may not be a native Texan, the work that Naishtat has done for the state of Texas earns him a spot on the Texans of the Year List for 2009. Even with voter ID legislation putting a choke-hold on progress, Naishtat and his Capitol staff worked diligently to pass more legislation than any other member of the House during the 81st session. The Representative from Queens, who just completed his 10th session, has consistently proven himself to be an advocate for the sick and elderly, passing legislation that will create the Legislative Committee on Aging and ensuring Texas receives $15.2 million in Violence Against Women Act grants. We would be remiss in acknowledging Elliott Naishtat -- as he is always quick to remind people -- without also recognizing his longtime staffers (Dorothy Browne, Nancy Walker and Judy Dale) who work tirelessly behind the scenes to help make Texas a better, safer place to live.
Texas Watchdog: Texas Watchdog (http://www.texaswatchdog.org/) had a role in breaking stories in the just-completed Houston city elections. Though their work can at times be controversial, we welcome another online news organization to the Texas media landscape with our nomination of the group.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
TPA's Texans of the Year are the Tar Sands Blockaders
The Texas Progressive Alliance, a consortium of Lone
Star-based liberal weblogs, has selected the protesters of the Tar Sands Blockade as Texans of the Year for 2012.
The award has been given annually to the person, or persons or organization, who had the most significance influence -- for good or ill -- on the advancement of progressive interests and causes over the past twelve months.
"As
with previous winners (like Fort Worth city council member Joel Burns
in 2010, the Harris County Democratic Party's coordinated campaign in
2008, and Carolyn Boyle of Texas Parent PAC in 2006), the Tar Sands
Blockaders represent what progressive Texans strive for: correcting
injustices through direct action. Sometimes that takes place at the
ballot box, sometimes in the courtroom, and once in a while it happens
in the streets. In 2012, it happened in a handful of pine trees in East
Texas," said Vince Leibowitz, president of the TPA.
The Tar Sands Blockade began when TransCanada, the company constructing the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, began seizing property from East Texans via eminent domain to connect the pipeline, which will transport tar sands oil from Canada to refineries in Houston and Port Arthur. Despite the fact that the pipeline hasn't yet been approved by the US Department of State,TransCanada and other operators have been busily cutting down swaths of forest, appropriating the land along the route as necessary, and when challenged by the small group of people protesting, responded with threatening measures and occasionally brute force.
When petitioning, lobbying, and public hearings failed to slow the construction of the pipeline, concerned citizens took to non-violent protests, risking arrest in order to demonstrate the will and demands of Texans concerned about the environment, about the nation's continuing dependence on dirty fuels, and the collaboration of government officials with the corporate interests. A group of protestors climbed into a stand constructed in a grove of pine trees and halted construction for weeks.
The movement began in June of 2012 with the formation of the Tar Sands Blockade, and the first lawsuit was filed in July.
As construction began in August, protestors began putting themselves on the line. Seven protestors were arrested in Livingston, Texas just before the Labor Day holiday. Even as a judge allowed TransCanada to seize a swath of farmland in Paris, Texas, more protestors chained themselves to construction equipment in rural Hopkins County.
The New York Times and the Washington Post picked up the story in October.
Along with the property owner, actress and activist Daryl Hannah was arrested as the two women physically blocked a piece of heavy equipment and its operator from clearing land for the pipeline. Even as the number of arrests climbed past thirty, the protests grew. A few days before the November election, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested at the construction site in Winnsboro. In Cherokee County, sheriff's deputies pepper-sprayed protesters. All of this occurred while the legal battle went back and forth -- in December, a judge granted, then vacated, his temporary restraining order on pipeline construction.
And the efforts to stop the pipeline continue today, even as its construction proceeds apace. On November 29, Bob Lindsey and prominent environmental activist Diane Wilson were arrested by Harris County sheriff's deputies outside Valero's refinery in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, where the pipeline will terminate. They chained themselves to tanker trucks outside the gates, were promptly taken into custody, and continue a hunger strike to this day that adds the humiliating and disgusting conditions of Harris County's jail to the list of outrages.
With training and mobilization of additional protests and protestors scheduled for early January, 2013, there will be more to report on this action.
The Texas Progressive Alliance salutes those who have sacrificed so much of themselves to underscore the seriousness of America's fossil fuel addiction, and how the system of corporate and political corruption has come to manifest itself in the controversy surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline.
Runners-up for this year's Texan of the Year included the following...
-- The emerging scandal of the Texas cancer research organization, CPRIT;
-- The spectacular failure of Governor Rick Perry's presidential campaign;
-- Attorney General Greg Abbott's woeful losing record in court in his many lawsuits related to the federal government, including redistricting, voter ID, Obamacare, etc.;
-- Senator Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, who defied conventional wisdom and was re-elected to the Texas Senate despite the best efforts of Republicans to deny her;
-- The expansion of the Texas Congressional delegation to 36 as a result of the 2010 census and apportionment of extra seats based on population growth in the Lone Star State. New Texans in Washington DC include former Democratic state representatives Pete Gallego and Marc Veazey, but also -- and unfortunately -- ultraconservatives Randy Weber and Steve Stockman.
The award has been given annually to the person, or persons or organization, who had the most significance influence -- for good or ill -- on the advancement of progressive interests and causes over the past twelve months.
The Tar Sands Blockade began when TransCanada, the company constructing the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, began seizing property from East Texans via eminent domain to connect the pipeline, which will transport tar sands oil from Canada to refineries in Houston and Port Arthur. Despite the fact that the pipeline hasn't yet been approved by the US Department of State,TransCanada and other operators have been busily cutting down swaths of forest, appropriating the land along the route as necessary, and when challenged by the small group of people protesting, responded with threatening measures and occasionally brute force.
When petitioning, lobbying, and public hearings failed to slow the construction of the pipeline, concerned citizens took to non-violent protests, risking arrest in order to demonstrate the will and demands of Texans concerned about the environment, about the nation's continuing dependence on dirty fuels, and the collaboration of government officials with the corporate interests. A group of protestors climbed into a stand constructed in a grove of pine trees and halted construction for weeks.
The movement began in June of 2012 with the formation of the Tar Sands Blockade, and the first lawsuit was filed in July.
As construction began in August, protestors began putting themselves on the line. Seven protestors were arrested in Livingston, Texas just before the Labor Day holiday. Even as a judge allowed TransCanada to seize a swath of farmland in Paris, Texas, more protestors chained themselves to construction equipment in rural Hopkins County.
The New York Times and the Washington Post picked up the story in October.
Along with the property owner, actress and activist Daryl Hannah was arrested as the two women physically blocked a piece of heavy equipment and its operator from clearing land for the pipeline. Even as the number of arrests climbed past thirty, the protests grew. A few days before the November election, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested at the construction site in Winnsboro. In Cherokee County, sheriff's deputies pepper-sprayed protesters. All of this occurred while the legal battle went back and forth -- in December, a judge granted, then vacated, his temporary restraining order on pipeline construction.
And the efforts to stop the pipeline continue today, even as its construction proceeds apace. On November 29, Bob Lindsey and prominent environmental activist Diane Wilson were arrested by Harris County sheriff's deputies outside Valero's refinery in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, where the pipeline will terminate. They chained themselves to tanker trucks outside the gates, were promptly taken into custody, and continue a hunger strike to this day that adds the humiliating and disgusting conditions of Harris County's jail to the list of outrages.
With training and mobilization of additional protests and protestors scheduled for early January, 2013, there will be more to report on this action.
The Texas Progressive Alliance salutes those who have sacrificed so much of themselves to underscore the seriousness of America's fossil fuel addiction, and how the system of corporate and political corruption has come to manifest itself in the controversy surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline.
Runners-up for this year's Texan of the Year included the following...
-- The emerging scandal of the Texas cancer research organization, CPRIT;
-- The spectacular failure of Governor Rick Perry's presidential campaign;
-- Attorney General Greg Abbott's woeful losing record in court in his many lawsuits related to the federal government, including redistricting, voter ID, Obamacare, etc.;
-- Senator Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, who defied conventional wisdom and was re-elected to the Texas Senate despite the best efforts of Republicans to deny her;
-- The expansion of the Texas Congressional delegation to 36 as a result of the 2010 census and apportionment of extra seats based on population growth in the Lone Star State. New Texans in Washington DC include former Democratic state representatives Pete Gallego and Marc Veazey, but also -- and unfortunately -- ultraconservatives Randy Weber and Steve Stockman.
Monday, January 04, 2021
The Weekly Wrangle from Far Left Texas
You don’t expect the top executives in the state attorney general’s office to turn on their boss, telling the agency and law enforcement that Ken Paxton has been doing favors for a political donor that have crossed the line into bribery and abuse of office. But it happened in 2020.
You wouldn’t expect the most popular politician in the state’s majority party to get in trouble with members of his own party’s self-styled liberty wing. But Greg Abbott is in fact out of tune with that bunch, including the Texas GOP’s chairman. And 2020 brought some non-political news with it too, finally bringing some light to Texans who, for reasons of technology and money, don’t have access to the high-speed internet they need to go to school, to work and even to the doctor during a pandemic.
Read more from the TexTrib's Ross Ramsey at the link above about the things he -- and the rest of us sane Texans -- did not anticipate in 2020, not including the coronavirus (generallly). Or look forward to the convening of the 87th Legislative Session ... and secession, among the many other lunatic-fringe bills to come.
Texas stayed red in 2020. It didn’t lose any Republican Congress members, in spite of a huge and costly push by Democrats. And in a critical year, Republicans held on to a majority in their state legislature, ensuring control over redistricting in 2021.
So what the heck has gotten into the Texas GOP? In the span of one week, the attorney general filed a seditious lawsuit with the Supreme Court and state GOP leaders are announcing they think it’s time Texas secedes from the nation.
[...]
And Paxton isn’t the only Texan willing to sink to new political lows. Recently, Republican state Rep. Kyle Biedermann announced that he will introduce legislation to allow Texas to secede from the nation. His reason? “The federal government is out of control and does not represent the values of Texans.”
There is no chance that Texas will secede from the United States. Just as with Paxton’s Supreme Court ploy, the law is not on Texas’ side. Secession is simply not legal, and Biedermann should know that.
But also like Paxton, Biedermann’s real goal may be more personal. Perhaps he is looking to raise his profile with a new speaker of the GOP-controlled Texas House of Representatives. Moreover, earlier this year he resigned from the Texas Freedom Caucus, citing backroom deals and a lack of transparency surrounding who would become the next speaker of the Texas House. By introducing legislation with such fanfare, he further shores up his conservative credentials, which could help him secure more influence in the state Capitol. Then again, he may just be trying to bury all of the Google search results of him dressed as “gay Hitler.”
Reform Austin looks ahead to education-related bills in the Legislature. The Statesman will run down its ten legislative points of focus with a series starting today on the Confederacy. And Jasper Scherer at the HouChron writes about the contentious issue of local control that the Lege and muni governments will be grappling with.
The 2021 redistricting cycle may mark the first time in nearly 50 years that Texas can create new legislative and congressional districts without having to prove that the maps don't undermine voters of color. Reporting by @TexasTribune via @VotebeatUS.https://t.co/McAf6xBmUt
— Scalawag (@scalawagmag) January 4, 2021
Longshot legislation: Some Texas lawmakers have high aspirations as they seek to push state toward marijuana decriminalization, legalization in 2021, @alex__briseno reports. #txlege #marijuana #decriminalization https://t.co/HwepuTJSdP
— John Gravois (@Grav1) December 29, 2020
Last year, a 61-year-old woman standing in her Houston driveway with family and friends was killed by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve. A state bill to criminalize celebratory gunfire died in a Texas legislative committee. #txlege
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) December 29, 2020
https://t.co/PVuiRR9k0Z
Since I mentioned Ted Cruz and Louie Gohmert in the Saturday edition, I'd like to skip them for now and wait for what will surely be the midweek episode of "Lifestyles of the Ignorant and Seditious".
No? Okay then.
WATCH: Radical extremist Republican @replouiegohmert calls for “violence in the streets” after his absurd lawsuit to overturn the election gets thrown out. pic.twitter.com/K3nqtd0M8p
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) January 2, 2021
Notice the wording:
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) January 2, 2021
Cruz does not even allege that voting fraud happened, only that U.S. democracy can be upended if enough people make those “allegations,” however meritless. https://t.co/IaNJN8kFuN
When I repeatedly asked about reports that President Trump called Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State yesterday to ask him to find more than 11k votes to reverse election results, @SenTedCruz repeatedly declined to comment and insisted he’d only talk about the #GArunoffs. pic.twitter.com/Yidp6Kzd0T
— Sarah McCammon📻 (@sarahmccammon) January 3, 2021
Enough. Please. And no Greg Abbott.
*Sweet Baby Jeebus on a Xmas tree crutch*
Gov. Abbott says a "significant portion" of vaccines in Texas might be sitting on hospital shelves.@TexasDSHS vaccine dash shows that 163,700 doses have been administered out of 611,850 doses received by providers: https://t.co/Q0duPKFGeE https://t.co/ogvzB7KpXy
— Nicole Cobler (@nicolecobler) December 29, 2020
Government has maxed out? Between a river of executive orders, AG Lawsuits, different plans at every county line, and the current vaccine distribution disaster, we were probably maxed out before we got started. With all due respect what a clusterf$%k! #epicfail https://t.co/kD6cXCuVlj
— Terry Canales (@TerryCanales40) December 31, 2020
Captain Obvious Kuffner observes that the COVID vaccine rollout is pretty bumpy so far. The SAEN op-ed board pointedly advised the governor to slow his roll; the city of Austin isn't a war zone, and Texas is not a police state.
Could we please talk about some of the other TXGOP lowlifes now?
Please sign up for an Intro Economics course at your local community college, @RepKevinBrady.
— Scap 🌹 left turn at Albuquerque (@scapelliti) December 29, 2020
You have no understanding of the subject. https://t.co/toAZzNzgZD
Mask protest melee at Texas mall yields one arrest https://t.co/JEPMYORr1O #KHOU
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) December 29, 2020
#ResignGreg #ByeGreg look at this misogynistic racist go... 👀 https://t.co/ASM108nC57
— Ashton P. Woods (@AshtonPWoods) December 31, 2020
Here comes a bunch of social and criminal justice updates:
The Root has the story of the 30-year-old Black woman, a Fort Sam Houston drill sergeant, found dead of multiple gunshot wounds on New Year's Day. Grits for Breakfast posts about the stunning allegations of hazing at the Austin police academy. Liberation News details the state of Texas prisons, where some of the worst negligence associated with COVID-19 is occurring. Living Blue in Texas wants to know if slaves are still buried under the Parker County courthouse. And Reese Oxner at NPR wonders why there are so many places in the Lone Star State with the word "Negro" in their names, despite there being a law against that.
Each year, thousands of Texas children are placed in residential treatment centers, or RTCs. According to former foster youth and attorneys, Texas children have been repeatedly retraumatized by behavior at the hands of RTC staff. https://t.co/RSCSVDQmD8
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) January 2, 2021
Note: This is the entire state, not just the city. (And the bill is not signed yet).
— Sarah Smith (@sarahesmith23) December 28, 2020
Texas has a few jurisdictions (like Austin) that have enacted an eviction grace period. Despite advocates' efforts, Houston has not https://t.co/5iUDmeSdQ9 https://t.co/jMbhyoaFd2
PROBLEM: of 607 TX cops dishonorably discharged last year from various police agencies, 170 got new jobs at other agencies. SOLUTION: give @TCOLE power to take licenses from bad cops. Good to see @whitmire_john favors reform. #txlege ACT! https://t.co/QlQ9l3qgGM
— Josh Schaffer (@JoshSchafferLaw) January 2, 2021
The family of Mike Ramos, a Black and Latino man who was killed by an @Austin_Police officer in April, is suing the City of Austin, the Austin Police Department and the officer responsible in federal court. https://t.co/kOcfZMe7uM
— KUT Austin (@KUT) January 1, 2021
After years of building political inroads, Chas Moore and the @AtxJustice are converting city-wide protests into generational policy reform.https://t.co/68XkeaCSc2
— austin_monthly (@Austin_Monthly) December 29, 2020
Black family works to restore roughly 200-year-old cemetery in Texas to reclaim legacy, honor ancestors https://t.co/5ZcFqWMtaW pic.twitter.com/EU7dwNASDz
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) December 30, 2020
And a few environment pieces.
Inside Climate News has a map of the Eagle Ford shale graphing citizens' complaints about their pollution woes. Oilprice.com posts the industry's POV on why nobody can solve Texas' flaring crisis (it's illuminating, pun intended.) And James Osborne for the Chron asks if the state could become an electric vehicle hub.
Texas is close to finalizing a years-long effort to wrangle control of coal ash pollution from the EPA, a move that could, for a time, keep coal companies insulated from tougher rules expected from the Biden administration. https://t.co/lw6wBN0GHu
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 3, 2021
Sixteen-year-old climate organizer Chanté Davis on how change could start with young people in Texas.https://t.co/u2zUkNTNvd
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) January 4, 2021
And to end today ... a few of the news items on the lighter side.
The NYT profiles The 830 Times; a 16-page, ad-supported weekly tabloid launched in Del Rio in November by a PR veteran after the city's last paper shut down. And for you fans of old-school blogging, Vagabond Scholar presents the Jon Swift Roundup for 2020.
Why do conservatives keep posting pictures of awful food? https://t.co/PYbxEfORtz
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 31, 2020
"If the smell of the brisket in the oven was the $2,000 stimulus check you were hoping for, the flavor of the finished product was the $600 you’re really getting."
— Lara Korte (@lara_korte) December 31, 2020
Long live @TexasMonthly https://t.co/w1y9kxlN9T
Everything is bigger in Texas, even the challenges! Think you can complete this almost 15 mile route? https://t.co/Bizqby0sAY
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) January 1, 2021
On this day 99 years ago, E. King Gill stood on the sidelines ready to serve if his team needed him. And with that, the tradition of the #12thMan was born! https://t.co/rUrMtDCtPT 👍 #tamu pic.twitter.com/7RsL3gw49W
— Texas A&M University (@TAMU) January 2, 2021
LBJ howls with his dog Yuki as his grandson looks on in befuddled wonder. Taken at the ranch near Stonewall, Texas. pic.twitter.com/QvJlaZXSRS
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) January 3, 2021
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