Good Times for the GOP? – Maybe Not

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The Austin American Statesman reports that the feel-good era for GOP lawmakers in the Texas Legislature may be coming to an end.  A first sign of the possible schism involved a sign that Rep. Jonathan Stickland (TP- Bedford) placed outside of his Capitol office identifying him as a “Former Fetus.”  The sign was removed by Rep. Charlie Green (who enforces chamber rules) with a reminder that the Preservation Board prohibits such displays.  Strickland viewed the removal as the first shot across the bow signaling a coming war between the Tea Party diehards and the not completely insane wing of the Republican party.

At its root, the exchange between the two members actually might be a foreshadowing of stormy times ahead in the Texas House.

“I think the Kumbaya is about to be over,” Stickland said. “It’s time to start telling the voters where we stand. I think people are beginning to get anxious.”

The divisive speaker’s race of 2015 seems long ago, and the days of celebrating, back-slapping and getting reacquainted are coming to a close, Stickland said. And if some conservative bills don’t begin to get serious consideration in committees and on the House floor, then Stickland and his band of right-wing conservative members will be calling out the House leadership, he said. “We are about to start cutting each other to shreds,” he said.

Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano echoed the sentiment as he joined Stickland in his office early Wednesday to show solidarity. “Conservative legislation might die,” he said, “but it’s not going to die quietly.”

Good times indeed.

Today in Texas History – March 12

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From the Annals of the Civil War –  In 1864, the Red River campaigned was launched under the command of Gen. Nathanial Banks and Adm. David Dixon Porter.  The grand plan was to move up the Red River from Louisiana into Texas.  It turned into one of the major military fiascos of the Civil War.   The month-long campaign was bungled from the start and achieved nothing.

The immediate strategic goals of the campaign were to control the Red River and divide Texas from the remaining part of the Confederacy west of the Mississippi.   In addition, Pres. Lincoln intended a strong move into Texas to serve as a warning to France, which had set up the Maximilian government in Mexico and seemed to have designs on territorial expansion. Union officials also wanted to capture cotton crop land to make up for shortages in the North.

Porter was to lead a flotilla of 20 gunboats up the Red River while Banks led 27,000 men along the western shore of the river. Porter’s squadron entered the river on March 12. Two days later, Fort Derussy fell to the Union forces and Porter moved upriver and captured Alexandria.  Banks, who redefined incompetency as a general,  arrived two weeks later and then slowly meandered towards Shreveport wandering too far from the river to coordinate with Porter. On April 8, Banks’ command was attacked and routed by forces under Gen. Richard Taylor, son of former U.S. president Zachary Taylor.  The easily intimidated Banks retreated back down the river  and Porter was forced to follow.  The  Red River was low his force was stuck above some rapids near Alexandria.  The gunboats would have been destroyed lest they be captured by the Rebels but for the ingenuity of Lt. Colonel Joseph Bailey, an engineer with a logging background.  Bailey built a series of wooden wing dams that raised the water level enough for the ships to pass.  Needless to say, the expedition never reached Texas.

For an excellent read on the fiasco that was the Red River campaign see Shelby Foote’s  The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3 Red River to Appomattox.

Image of one of Bailey’s dams under construction from http://www.uskidd.com

Dear Loser Who Voted for the GOP in Texas – Guess What? You’re Screwed.

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Off the Kuff responds to Erin Meredith, a self-described 5th generation Republican voter who now has health insurance coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act.  Meredith considered the Act as  just another wasteful government handout, until she desperately needed coverage because of her family’s financial situation and a debilitating medical condition.  She asked Kuffner what might happen if the Supreme Court torpedoes Obamacare, wondering “if Greg Abbott, our governor, has any plan to offer something comparable?”

Kuffner delivers a dose of perhaps too harsh reality for a voter who has been duped into voting for a party that could not care less about the fate of her and her family.

Dear Erin Meredith,

The answer is no, he does not. Although this is the rare lawsuit against the Obama administration for which Greg Abbott is not among the plaintiffs, it is his fondest wish for Obamacare to die a bloody death, and if this lawsuit helps make that happen, then nothing will make him happier. If that means that you and your family will suffer as a result, well, that’s just too bad. Greg Abbott doesn’t care, and doesn’t have any intention of helping you. You’re on your own, as far as he’s concerned. Neither do Dan Patrick or Ken Paxton, and neither did Rick Perry while he was Governor. In fact, Rick Perry recently claimed that the reason people like you didn’t have health insurance before now is because that the way you wanted it. It’s his justification for why he never pushed to provide anything like the subsidies for insurance you now receive. Greg Abbott feels the same way. It’s your fault, and you don’t deserve any assistance for it.

Ouch!

Fitz, We Hardly Knew Ye

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In the latest sign that we may be entering a new wheeler-dealer era in the NFL, the Texans are reported to have traded veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets.  The 32-year old journeyman will be reunited with former Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey, who is now the Jets offensive coordinator.  The Texans are reported to have received a late round draft pick in exchange for the oft-maligned Fitzpatrick  – who might have led the Texans to the playoffs but for his season ending injury (and the bizarre total team meltdown at the end of the first half of the Stealers game).  Houston area sports radio commentators will have to find someone else to kick around.  They have already engaged in some pre-kicking around of Brian Hoyer – the latest quarterback rumored to be headed to Houston.  It looks like they can still can kick around Ryan Mallet who signed a fairly lucrative deal for a quarterback that has played all of about 1.5 games in the NFL in 4 seasons.  And then there is  Tom Savage, who the Texans did not trust to run the offense last season after Fitzpatrick and Mallet went down.  Instead, the Texans turned to Case Keenum to start the last two games of 2014 both of which Keenum managed to win.  But Keenum is gone too – having been traded back to the Rams for another late round pick.  The merry-go-round doesn’t stop.

Image from http://www.rantsports.com

Burton Files “Liberty City” Bill

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Sen. Konni Burton (TP -Crazyville) has filed a bill that would create a new form of Texas municipality called a “Liberty City”.  Sounds great but let’s look at the details. At it’s core, a Liberty City would not be able to enact ordinances that would be unconstitutional – or at least not violate the Constitution according to Burton.  The specific references to the Bill of Rights include paraphrasing of the First, Second, and Fourth Amendments.  Here is that section of the bill.

BILL OF RIGHTS OF A LIBERTY CITY

Article 1. The residents and governing body of a Liberty City recognize the fundamental natural rights of the people as protected and preserved by the United States Constitution and the Texas Constitution. The governing body of this Liberty City shall not enact an ordinance, resolution, or similar measure, or take any action, that infringes on the basic absolute and essential rights of the people.

Article 2. The right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed.

Article 3. The right of the people to freedom of speech, including political and nonpolitical expression, and of assembly shall not be infringed.

Article 4. The right of the people to practice the faith of their choosing and to worship in both public and private places shall not be infringed.

Article 5. The right of the people to be secure in their persons and their property from unreasonable searches, including the collection of data, surveillance, and forceful search methods, conducted by an officer of the municipality without warrant, shall not be infringed.

Article 6. The rule of lenity is to be enforced in all applicable municipal proceedings.

So Burton has taken it upon herself to re-write the Bill of Rights to her particular liking, including a prohibition on warrantless searches (in contravention of decades of Supreme Court law creating exceptions for warrantless searches) and the allowance of church services in public buildings (forget separation of church and state).

A Liberty City would also not be allowed to have zoning or any form of comprehensive municipal planning, and all taxes and bonds would have to be approved by a supermajority of voters.

Red predicts that this one ends up on the Legislative trash heap where all of Burton’s offerings belong.

Daylight Wasting Time?

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Rep. Dan Flynn (TP – Canton) has filed a bill that would eliminate Daylight Savings Time in Texas.  The Daily Texan reports that among Flynn’s concerns are the hassle of having to adjust your clocks twice a year and his claim that the trouble associated with the time change outweigh any benefit.

“It was November of last year when we did the fall back, and I’m sitting there changing all of the clocks in my house and in my cars, and I’m … thinking, ‘Why in the world do we do this?’” Flynn said.

The bill, if passed, would mean Texas could opt out of the twice-a-year time change, which the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established.   In 1966, the Uniform Time Act set nationwide start and end times for daylight saving time — the last Sunday in April and October. Since the act’s implementation, daylight saving time has been moved to the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November.The act also allows states not to follow daylight saving. Currently, Hawaii, Arizona and some parts of Indiana do not practice the time change.

Flynn said he has found that removing daylight saving time in the state would not negatively impact farmers or increase energy usage. Additionally, he said mothers have expressed concern about leaving their children at bus stops when it is darker in the mornings because of daylight saving time.

“I think the trouble that [daylight saving time] causes far outweighs any benefits that it could possibly have,” Flynn said.

Put Red down as opposed.  If there is one thing Red likes it is being able to hole out on No. 18 at 9:30 p.m. in the fading twilight of a warm summer evening.

Today in Texas History – March 11

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From the Annals of the Civil War –  In 1861, rebel delegates meeting in Montgomery, Alabama representing  South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas adopted the Constitution of the Confederate States of America.  Not surprisingly, the Confederate constitution in form resembled the U.S. Constitution.  But it contained the critical flaw of a weakened federal government more in line with the rejected Articles of Confederation.  The document delegated  extensive powers to the states and the power of the central government was sharply limited by its dependence on state consent for the use of any funds and resources.  This was a continual problem in the administration of the rebel government in that concerted action was almost impossible at critical points in the war because of dissension among the various states.  Of course, it provided that slavery was “recognized and protected” in slave states and territories, but foreign slave trade was prohibited.  The document is a now a relic of history. The Confederacy never achieved nation status because no foreign country ever recognized it as an independent government.

Republicans Against Big Government and for Local Government – Except When the Democrats Might Actually Control Local Government

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Sen. Don Huffines (TP – Dallas) has introduced Senate Bill 343 which would strip the ability of Texas local governments to enact ordinances that exceed what regulation and rules the Legislature deems appropriate.  The bill has the at least tacit support or Gov. Abbott who indicated his support for such a measure in one of his first public statements after his election.  If passed, the Legislature will have the last word on every element of Texas public policy that it touches.  The short but powerful bill reads:

Sec.A1.006.AACONFORMITY WITH STATE LAW. (a)Where the state has passed a general statute or rule regulating a subject, a local government shall restrict its jurisdiction and the passage of its ordinances, rules, and regulations to and in conformity with the state statute or rule on the same subject, unless the local government is otherwise expressly authorized by statute.

(b)AAUnless expressly authorized by state statute, a local government shall not implement an ordinance, rule, or regulation that conflicts with or is more stringent than a state statute or rule regardless of when the state statute or rule takes effect.

This usurpation of local government control contradicts everything that the GOP supposedly stands for, i.e. local control.  But what is principle when you have larger interests (rewarding donors and getting re-elected with their money) to serve?  Principle must give way to partisanship when many of the largest counties and cities in Texas are controlled by the Democrats.  The Texas GOP has consistently complained about the Federal government (read Pres. Obama)  imposing its will on Texas.   But when the tables are turned and Texas local governments turn out to be more progressive than the GOP can tolerate, then the all powerful “State” must take control.  Does the GOP believe in the will of the people or is it only interested in serving the interests of their donor base?

We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Healthcare – But We’re Getting it Just the Same

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The Dallas Morning News reports that Texans are continuing to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Health Care Act (aka ObamaCare).  Does the Texas GOP give a hoot about the more than one million Texans getting coverage under the Act?  Certainly not your esteemed Senators Cornyn and Cruz who are committed to revoking health insurance coverage for more than a million of their constituents.

Even as they await the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, federal health officials continue to praise the people who signed up for insurance coverage, including a record number of Texans. On Tuesday, the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced that 11.7 million people across the nation selected or were automatically re-enrolled for coverage through the federal law as of Feb. 22. That includes 1,205,174 Texas consumers. In 2014, 733,757 people enrolled in the program throughout the state. It represents a 64 percent increase statewide.