carol@stormzero.com – Carol A. Spencer

Stuck between a rock and a hard place

HD-17 House member Stan Gerdes has been a constant supporter of former House Speaker Dade Phelan and now his think-alike Dustin Burrows. Both either got, or are attempting to get, elected as House Speaker by courting a majority Democrat vote.

Republicans will control the Texas House with 88 of 150 members. Last session, the Paxton-impeachers (including Gerdes) and those who worked to stall Republican legislative priorities had the Speakership. The Phelan Speakership was obtained with Democrat votes in a House with a similar party split: 86R, 64D.

Burrows, with Gerdes support, seeks to do the same thing in 2025. If he can get those 64 Dems to back him, he only needs 12 Republicans to win the Speakership. But, by rule, Republicans are committed to vote for the Caucus choice. If they don’t, what a slap to Republicans who worked hard for them.

Don’t believe any text messages or comments saying Burrows does not support Democrat chairs. He says he’ll support the members making the rules. But if a majority of Dems vote for him as speaker, they will also vote for rules that give them chairmanships. So, Burrows can waffle all he wants in his commentary about rules, but the bottom line is that if we get a speaker elected with more Democrat votes than Republican votes, we’ll have Dem chairs, thwarting the will of Republicans across Texas.

Gerdes appeared in all the lists of supporting votes for Dade Phelan until Phelan dropped out. (His mentor, Rick Perry, was hired as an advisor to Dade Phelan in September.) Then Gerdes’ name appeared in all the support lists for replacement Dustin Burrows. Gerdes was one of the “walk-outs” on December 7 when Burrows didn’t win the Republican caucus vote to be the next speaker. He has yet to state his support for the choice of the Republican caucus: David Cook.

Rumor has it that Gerdes (with Perry support) is eyeing higher office.

Congressman Michael Cloud co-signed a letter stating “We urge you to stand with the Texas House Republican Majority and support the Texas House Republican Caucus nominee for Speaker.”

Gov Abbott (who endorsed Gerdes for re-election based on his pro-school choice vote) recently posted on X “I worked this entire year to elect conservative candidates who will pass conservative laws, including school choice. To achieve that goal we need a Texas House Speaker chosen by a majority of Republicans in accordance with the Republican Caucus Rules.”

TexasGOP Chairman Abraham George has called for all House Republicans to support the choice of the Caucus. And, on Saturday, the Bastrop County CEC will meet to decide if they’ll sign on to a letter urging House Republicans to support the will of the Caucus, a letter already signed by over 100 GOP Chairs.

So, does Gerdes heed the advice of conservative Michael Cloud and support the will of the Republican caucus and Republican voters, or does he support Democrat chairs? Does Gerdes heed the advice of Gov Abbott and support the will of the Republican caucus and Republican voters, or does he support Democrat chairs? Does Gerdes support the voices of his constituents and the GOP, or does he support Democrats in power? Will Gerdes stay loyal to Perry and those who join with Democrats to thwart the will of Republican voters?

It seems Stan Gerdes has put himself between a rock and a hard place. We’ll see where his loyalty lies on January 14.

Turmoil in the City

Wow. The City of Bastrop attorney has resigned. And, his resignation letter should be front page reading for every City of Bastrop resident and taxpayer.

BojorquezResignation

“Given the current climate at City Hall, I have determined our present relationship is not sustainable,” he stated.

He continued, “the time has come to acknowledge that the irreconcilable
differences among the city’s leaders have placed me and my team in an untenable position.”

According to Community Impact, his seven years of service included “a period of ‘tremendous’ change, including five city managers, four chiefs of police, three judges, three mayors pro-tem and two mayors […].”

This isn’t change. It’s turmoil. This isn’t governance. It’s chaos.

His letter opines “While we continue to have confidence in our expertise as Municipal Lawyers, Bastrop is engaged in a transition that is best left to proceed without my staff’s involvement (and without me overseeing your legal matters).”

Translation: The City Council doesn’t listen to expert legal advice and goes off in whatever direction the majority sees fit whether or not it’s appropriate and to the benefit of the residents and taxpayers. In my experience, even if there are major differences of opinions and/or personality conflicts, as long as an entity is following sound legal advice, the lawyer stays on. But when a highly qualified legal advisor steps away saying they are going to “redirect [their] energies” and “allow [the City Council] the opportunity to continue upon [their] trajectory”, that should terrify every taxpayer and resident of the City.

My guess? The City Council will hire in-house counsel, a lawyer who will do what they say because his or her livelihood depends on it. That person will walk the proverbial fence, legally, trying to mold the law into the quest of this City Council majority for power. That lawyer will stay silent while the rights of the minority members, and thus their constituents, are trampled.

This is exactly how corruption takes seed. There is no one outside the circle of power minding the store. Bojorquez’ letter is a warning shot across the bow. Bastrop residents best beware.

Don’t be Fooled

The current attack on Bastrop City Councilwoman Cheryl Lee is nothing more than retribution and payback. Her City Council opponents say the concerns raised in her 42-page detailed memo aren’t worth investigating. Instead, they wanted to limit her access to information and want her off the Council.

Retribution. Retribution is common in the political world. This attack on Councilwoman Cheryl Lee is nothing more than retribution for her support of ending the vicious attack on Mayor Nelson. It’s retribution for her call for the shenanigans to end and a return to the business of the City and its residents.

Payback. Payback is common in the political world. If citizens didn’t know it existed before, the lawfare thrown at President Trump is proof positive. Take on the establishment, those who want power and control, and as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, they have “six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.” That’s true for not only the intelligence community, but politicos and their funders / supporters.

Cheryl Lee and I are in opposite political parties. But, the first time I heard her speak (it was about the wastewater treatment project), I knew she knew her stuff and spoke from a position of being well informed. You see, I was a councilwoman and mayor of a town that had been under a 20 year sewer ban, one that built a 4-phase, 1400 home, sewer project, and dealt with all the issues associated with that. It was quite obvious that Cheryl Lee does her homework.

To the public: Don’t be fooled. From my experience, when council members vociferously attack other council members, it’s a sign of either corruption or of ignorance. Far too often, elected officials just go with whatever the city administration has to say, not wanting to do the detailed homework necessary to do their jobs and cast informed votes. Less often, they are actually part of the game and don’t want anyone around who might be looking into the details of complex transactions.

Administrators work for the Council. Thus, it is the Council’s job to be sure they are doing what they’re supposed to do, ensuring contracts are properly scoped and administered, bills are properly paid, employees and contractors are fully qualified for their work, contracts aren’t thrown to unqualified friends, and projects come in on time and as budgeted. If Council people aren’t asking informed and detailed questions, how can they possibly claim to represent the people who elected them?

Cheryl Lee should be thanked, not vilified, for her work and effective representation. Beware those who do otherwise.

The Emperor Has No Clothes

Today, Mel Cooper who serves as chairman, treasurer, and person calling the shots at Bastrop County Conservatives, sent out an email to his list asking people to show up at the Bastrop City Council meeting tonight.

Emperor has no clothes Why? He says it’s to “demonstrate what kind of leaders and citizens we want in our public offices”. Is it that, or is there more to the story?

Among the list of alleged accomplishments of the city manager was that she “Maintained flat tax rates, the only jurisdiction in the county to do so, while other areas raised theirs.”

Tax Rates. Politicians point to tax rates all the time saying they lowered them or kept them stable. Pointless. Of course the tax rate will be stable or lower in a city growing like Bastrop. More and more dollars pour in as more and more buildings are built and taxed.

SPENDING is the key. I note that Cooper didn’t comment about spending. It doesn’t fit his narrative.

So what about double-digit raises? Paying a temporary employee the equivalent of a 6 figure salary. Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a witch hunt against a duly-elected city official. Having the authority to spend up to $50,000 on any given item without Council oversight and approval. Accepting waivers from the City Council to buy a house outside the city limits when the City Charter demands living within those limits (a charter provision just reinforced by a public vote in November).

I note Cooper’s email mentions none of those.

It makes sense, though, that he comes to his Council buddies and Carillo’s, defense. After all, they voted to donate $25,000 to Cooper’s pet project last year, the “Festival de la Cultura”. And, it seems Carillo and crew went out of their way to make that happen. Here’s the timeline:

The staff report is undated, however the supporting census information for this line item was created 10/19/2023.
October 19, 2023: Sylvia Carillo’s staff report says “Festival de la Cultura” is a 501(c)(3) under Federal IRS guidelines. The application for 501(c)(3) status had not even been filed with the IRS on this date.
October 20, 2023: City Council agendas go live the Friday before a meeting, meaning the $25,000 donation was already on the 10/24 agenda on 10/20, the date the Texas non-profit was formed.
October 20, 2023: Texas Secretary of State records show the non-profit was formed effective October 20, 2023 with Mel Cooper as one of 3 directors.
October 24, 2023: The agenda item itself, and the agenda item presentation at the meeting, were by Sylvia Carillo, the same City Manager now so strongly supported by Mel Cooper.
October 24, 2023: The $25,000 taxpayer funded donation was approved by the Bastrop City Council. Cynthia Meyer made the motion. John Kirkland seconded it. It was unanimously approved. (Mayor Nelson does not have a vote.)
April 27 & 28, 2024: Festival de la Cultura was held at Mayfest Park in the City of Bastrop
July 1, 2024: The IRS approval letter was issued and posted online a full two months after the April 2024 event. Approval was retroactive to October 23, 2023.
The organization is required to file 990s with the IRS. They are due 5 1/2 months after the fiscal year end date. If Festival de la Cultura has a fiscal year that ends on December 31, 990s were due on May 15, 2024. No 990s have been filed. They’re late.
Minutes on subsequent agendas at the City of Bastrop show no discussion items regarding the Festival or the expenditure of these tax monies.
March 5, 2024 – Cultural Arts Commission meeting – no minutes online
April 2, 2024 – Cultural Arts Commission meeting – no minutes online
May 7, 2024 – Cultural Arts Commission meeting – “Approximately 5,000 attendees. Attendance was lower due to weather.”
These are the only comments in City minutes. No financial accounting anywhere.

Councilwoman Cynthia Meyer very pointedly stated at a Council meeting that she would watch every single dollar of taxpayer monies spent by the City. And, that is, after all, the job of City Manager Carillo.

The emperor has no clothes.

Freedom Released

A lot more than re-electing Donald Trump happened as a result of Tuesday’s election. Freedom was released! You can feel it, hear it, see it in just two days.

I’ve been out and about in Bastrop, keeping my Trump “Fight. Fight. Fight.” hood cover on my car and still wearing my Trump gear. No one whispered their like of my shirt or car decoration. In fact, they were forthright, open, smiling, chatting, and acknowledging out loud their support of Trump. They openly acknowledged their feeling that we finally have our country back. They seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief that they can express opinions again with out fear of being cancelled, of being fired, of being denigrated… in just two days.

Donald J. Trump was right every time he said “They’re coming after you. I’m just standing in their way.” And, “They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you.” And, now, there he stands strongly and proudly with plans to prevent them from silencing us…. in just two days.

The proof will be “in the pudding”, as they say. Personnel matters. Who he chooses to make this happen at the Executive level of government matters. But surrounding himself with Elon Musk who proved his commitment to open discourse with his purchase and privatization of Twitter, with RFK Jr who proved his commitment to a healthy population, is a good start. Putting strong people in place who are committed to the job they’re about to do is critical to the success of this administration, and to our freedom, now released.

The Way it Should Be

Yesterday, November 2, 2024, just 3 days before Election Day, we held another one of our pop-up rallies. We had already done them in Smithville and Elgin, so it was Bastrop’s turn. Where else but the beautiful and iconic Bastrop Bridge? We met at 9 and started our flag waving.

Shortly thereafter, we were greeted by a Bastrop police officer who told us that (1) we needed a permit if more than 4 or 5 of us were going to stand in one place, and (2) we needed to stay on the protected side of the barrier. Not being our first pop-up on this very bridge, we knew we did not need a permit (it’s a public sidewalk) and we also knew we could not block that sidewalk and could not venture into the road. After some discussion, everything was settled and we resumed our flag waving to very receptive passers-by.

About an hour later, a huge number of Democrats arrived, probably 50 – 70. Most ventured down to the other end of the bridge. A few decided to surround us by staying where we were. The attempt to intimidate was, frankly, funny. There were only 8 of us.

Pretty much everyone was pleasant. We exchanged “good mornings” and our joy at the cloudy day versus the hot sun burning down on us. A few were obnoxious as they passed us by, made snide comments, but we just ignored them and kept waving our flags.

The vehicle response was tremendous. Just like at our other pop-ups, the ratio of thumbs up to thumbs down was probably 50 to 1.

Sign in the road Later in the morning, after taking a much needed break, we drove across the bridge. People in the road There was a huge campaign sign and multiple people in the breakdown lane and probably 15+ sitting on the barrier swinging their legs on the traffic side. Very, very dangerous. Had anyone slipped, they’d have fallen into traffic. Had those been our folks, I would have immediately told them they needed to be out of the road and behind the barrier. But they weren’t. So, yes, I admit it, I called the police to ensure everyone’s safety. The police arrived and politely asked everyone to be behind the barrier and safety returned.

Republicans and Democrats CAN get along! But, apparently, someone wants to stir the pot. Someone has started rumors that there was some altercation between the Dems and the Republicans. Fake news. Just not true.

For me personally, I have many friends and family members who are Democrats. In fact, this summer one of my favorite Dems attended the Trump rally in Wilkes-Barre PA with me. We had a blast.

Yesterday was one of the best examples of how people can support the candidate(s) of their choice and do it in one location. Again, my opinion, but I like seeing people out and active, not sitting at home and doing nothing but complain. Perhaps the photo at left will help everyone remember that we’re all Americans first and foremost. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful day!

VOTE

Texas offers a lot of opportunities to vote. We have early voting for 2 weeks. Of course, we have election day voting. We have mail-in voting for those over 65 and out of county or state during the election season. We have overseas voting for both military and ex-pats. And, for those who cannot get into the polling place safely, we have curbside voting.

There are no excuses for not voting.

It’s a simple thing to do: express your opinion. Most of us do that at every opportunity. So why don’t people vote? Some think it doesn’t matter, but we’ve seen slim margins in so many races lately, it’s hard to believe people still think their vote doesn’t count.

I think that it’s just that people get busy with their every day lives and forget. I heard just a few days ago that 20% of those who say they’re going to vote on Election Day itself, don’t vote.

So, I got a voter registration list for my precinct. I sorted it by those who voted in the 2020 or 2024 GOP primary. Here in Texas, the list of daily voters is published on the Secretary of State’s website. So, I printed the primary voter list and, if they voted already, I crossed them off the list.

I sent a post card to each voter reminding them to early vote.

Results? Just shy of 50% of those people voted in the next 3 days.

Today, those who still haven’t voted are getting another card to remind them that Tuesday is their last chance.

Let’s hope this works to get out the vote. The future of our country is determined by those who vote. If you stay home because politics isn’t your “thing” or you’re disgusted with the tone of discourse, you have no right to complain if things don’t go the way you had hoped. VOTE!