news – Page 10 – Carol A. Spencer

Gotta Love SCOTUS

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, What a Difference One Vote Makes, today’s announcements by SCOTUS hammer home the point. I’ll discuss today’s opinion on union dues a bit later, but want to first focus on this: the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Justice Kennedy has served 30 years on the Court and is now 81 years old.

When Donald Trump ran for President, he was assailed by both sides of the aisle about what kind of judges and justices he would appoint. There was already an opening on the Court with the death of Antonin Scalia and rumors were rampant that Justice Kennedy would retire. Retirement discussions also included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is now 85 years young. Was Donald Trump truly a conservative? Was he a liberal in Republican clothing?

To alleviate these concerns about his judicial appointments, candidate Donald Trump issued a list of 21 potential US Supreme Court appointees. As President-elect, on November 17, 2017, he reissued the list, which now can be found on Whitehouse.gov. With so much time to do “opposition research” on each of these individuals, Democrats are likely prepared to go to war over each and every one of them. It will be interesting to watch.

As for today’s announced decision about mandatory payment of union dues by government employees who are not members of, but are represented by, employee associations or unions, it’s about time! According to SCOTUSBlog,

In an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, the court concluded today that the fees violate the First Amendment. No one would doubt, Alito wrote, that the First Amendment bars a state from requiring its residents to “sign a document expressing support for a particular set of positions on controversial public issues.” Requiring someone to pay for speech by someone else also raises First Amendment concerns, Alito noted.

In 2016, SCOTUSblog reveals, “the justices heard oral argument in a challenge by a group of California public-school teachers, but Justice Antonin Scalia died before the court could release its opinion, leaving the eight-member court deadlocked.”

Once again, Justice Neil Gorsuch made the difference, voting with the majority. Now, these employees will have additional monies in their pockets each month. They’ll no longer fund a union that doesn’t represent their views. And, they’ll no longer fund political speech that is diametrically opposed to their own stance on issues, basically funding opposition to themselves.

What a Difference One Vote Makes

This fall, Bastrop County voters have the privilege of voting for four Third Court of Appeals justices. A total of six justices make up the Third Court. Votes for the four Third Court of Appeals justices are likely the most important votes you will cast in November 2018.

We’re lucky in Texas to be able to vote for our judges and justices. Votes matter! Some justices are appointed, for example, US Supreme Court justices. Appointees matter! Appointing authorities matter!

US Supreme Court building

I recall answering one “what are your three most important issues” poll prior to the November 2016 presidential election with “Supreme Court. Supreme Court. Supreme Court.” I know many who felt that way. Prophetic.

Today, President Trump’s “Travel Ban” was upheld, by a 5-4 vote. It held “The President has lawfully exercised the broad discretion granted to him under 8 U. S. C. §1182(f) to suspend the entry of aliens into the United States; respondents have not demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of their claim that Presidential Proclamation No. 9645 violates the Establishment Clause.”

Yesterday, by a 5-4 vote, our Congressional District 27 map was upheld by the Supreme Court. It determined “The District Court disregarded the presumption of legislative good faith and improperly reversed the burden of proof when it required the State to show a lack of discriminatory intent in adopting new districting plans;[…].”

And, last Friday in another 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court determined that government needs a warrant to seize historical location data from cell phones. It ruled “The Government’s acquisition of Carpenter’s cell-site records from his wireless carriers was a Fourth Amendment search; and the Government did not obtain a warrant supported by probable cause before acquiring those records.”

In each case, Neil Gorsuch was among the five jurists in the majority. Would the majority have ruled the same way if a Barack Obama appointed liberal jurist were sitting in the seat occupied by Neil Gorsuch? I doubt it.

Your votes for the Third Court of Appeals will have similar impact. Don’t let this incredible opportunity to have an impact on your own day-to-day lives pass you by.

“No Borders. No Walls.” Incrementalism

While President Trump is being slammed for separating mothers and children, it’s important to take a step back and remember historically how we got here, and it was not President Trump that brought us to this point.

In 1997, it was Democrat President Bill Clinton’s court settlement in the Flores case that set a 20 day limit on detaining children who illegally enter our country.

It was a court order in July 2015 that slammed the Democrat Obama Administration’s immigration policies on family detention, and applied that 1997 decision to children who enter with or without parents.

It was then 120+ Democrat legislators who, in 2015, penned a letter to President Obama, demanding the FAMILY facilities be closed .

While President Trump may have (finally) decided to treat illegals as illegals to stop the inflow of illegals, he wasn’t involved in any of the prior decisions that now cause parents and children to be separated.

Congress could have fixed this problem any time they wanted: when they had both houses and the presidency during the Obama Administration, or while they had both houses and the presidency during the Trump Administration. But many in Congress don’t want to; the optics against President Trump are just too good to pass up by the “Never Trumpers” on both sides of the aisle.

And, once again, the operative word is ILLEGAL. Every day, parents are separated from their children if they are a mom or dad and are arrested for doing something ILLEGAL.

Perhaps under President Trump’s “let’s get it done” leadership, Congress will finally act to fix all this, but I doubt it. Listening to Chucky Cheese Schumer, he has no intention of doing so. He had no intention of fixing DACA either, and those brought here as children still linger in limbo. The Democrat Socialists of America use the optics to creep closer to their goal of “No border. No walls. Sanctuary for all.”

The optics of both of these make such nice issues for Dems to use in their campaigns. They’re users, not problem solvers. That’s why pragmatist, solution-seeking, “Art of the Deal” President Trump scares them so much and they’ll do anything to get rid of him. And, it’s why the American public likes him so much and wants the swamp drained of obstructionists.

Political Activism or Community Activism

The current CD 27 Special Election is critical! Republicans need a 50%+1 win on June 30 to avoid a September runoff that will be costly to Texas voters, costly to our candidate, and potentially costly to the balance of the House of Representatives if not won by a Republican.

Political strategists would expect the Bastrop Republican County Executive Committee (BRCEC) as a whole to be working hard to get out the Republican vote for this election. Sadly, that’s not the case.

Community organizing is apparently more important. The Republican chair has asked for volunteers for an Elgin community event all day on Saturday, June 23, exactly one week before Election Day.

Elgin is not part of CD 27. In fact, Elgin sits at the most northwestern tip of Bastrop County, far away from CD 27. It’s in Congressional District 10, Mike McCaul’s district.

But getting known in the community is important, you say. Yes, it is. But when the balance of the U.S. House of Representatives is at stake, political activism trumps community activism every time.

For those in my precinct, look for this postcard in your mail this week. It has information about the Special Election, how to contact me, and where to find Bastrop County Republican information online. Even if you’re not in my precinct, but are in CD 27, please share with your friends, and be sure to early vote or vote on June 30!

Intro Postcard - Front with contact information

The Perils of Posting Rumors

Posting rumors on Facebook as facts is dangerous. All Facebook pages are public, and all posts on them are public. Posting false information at the very least is unfair to the subject of that, and at worst can be legally libelous or physically dangerous.

I teach the use of social media. I speak at conferences internationally on the use of social media during disasters. Anyone authorized to publish posts on a Facebook page posts as that page. That means administrators and editors don’t show by name on a post. The reading public only knows the entity posted. For example, ABC Corp may have 2 admins and 3 editors, but all posts show as coming from ABC Corp.

Imagine the consequences for publishing a shelter location during a category 4 hurricane because you “hear” one is open at a particular location. Imagine, again, that a family takes off for that shelter and a tree falls on their car, injuring the occupants. Imagine, as well, that the information was incorrect.

This example may sound extreme, but short of the injuries, it’s happened. It happens all the time in the political world, too, but there’s no reason for it. Just today, two days after I became a precinct chair, the Bastrop County Republican Party published lies about me. I have no way of knowing who the admins are on the page, nor who posted the lies. So, I called them on it. Only then, did someone acknowledge he was the author. You would not have known that had I not cried foul. And as I write this, the lies remain.

As president of the Women’s Republican Club, I do not endorse publicly when more than two Republicans are in a race. The Republican Chair is a member of a women’s Republican club, so should know this. I’ve previously told Mr Weller this. And, I had emailed the candidate on May 4, asking her to remove my name as an endorser. So posting that I am supporting this candidate or that is false. As I write this post, I am at the Texas GOP convention, purposefully not wearing a sticker for either candidate in the TX GOP chair race for just this reason.
Response to Facebook false post

This is not a good way to start a precinct chair term. If the new Chair really wants to turn over a new leaf, she’ll take this post down ASAP.

Diverting Resources Loses Elections

The most qualified candidate for a position can easily lose an election by running a poorly planned campaign, by losing focus, or by letting the opposition distract or divert attention to things that don’t matter to the outcome of the race.

A perfect example of this is happening right now in Bastrop County.

Bastrop Democrats

Early voting for a critical special election starts in just a few days, but the Republican chair-elect has spent her time over the past few weeks with the Democrats, planning a joint fundraiser for a local civic group. On May 19, while the Republican Chair-elect was at a CEC meeting convincing Republicans to do a joint fundraiser with the Democrats, Democrats were on the bridge in Bastrop publicly supporting their candidates.
While support for local organizations is a worthy endeavor, the number one priority of a political organization is to win elections, and winning takes time and money.

It’s sad, but apparent, that the possibility of giving the Democrats two opportunities in two months to defeat our Republican candidate doesn’t matter to Bastrop Republican leadership. They’d rather fraternize with the Democrats than defeat them.

With such a short window before early voting in the CD27 Special Election, this wasn’t the time to divert Republican resources away from Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts. We’ve yet to see any Bastrop County Republican Party emails or postal mails regarding the June 30 Special Election, the impact of this special election on the November general election, or the candidates involved.

I am fully supportive of raising money and awareness for local civic groups. A cursory review of my bio shows a long history of civic engagement. But right now, Republicans should be laser focused on GOTV efforts to win the CD27 Special Election with more than 50% of the vote.

If our primary winner, Michael Cloud, doesn’t get over 50% of the vote and is forced into a September runoff, it gives CD27 Democrats two chances to defeat him in a two month time span. It’s sad, but apparent, that the possibility of giving the Democrats two opportunities in two months to defeat our Republican candidate doesn’t matter to Bastrop Republican leadership. They’d rather fraternize with the Democrats than defeat them.

More Hogwash

For more than thirty years, my focus has been growing the Republican Party and having fun while doing so. During my ten years in elected office, my focus was always implementing smaller, more effective, conservative government. It pains me to call out particular Republicans. That’s not my style. But if I am the subject of direct attacks, I will respond.

Mr. Namken: I’d welcome a conversation with you. My husband and I would be happy to take you to lunch. You have my email address and phone number. The ball is in your court. If you truly believe what you write about open discourse and civility, I’ll hear from you to arrange a lunch. If I don’t, that will speak volumes.

I have never met Jarrett Namken. I have never talked to Jarrett Namken. Jarrett Namken has never discussed my political philosophy with me, nor asked my opinion on any issue. Yet he has, in writing, defamed me and my profession, lied about me, and hurled false allegations at me. He has cited laws in his posts that don’t exist and has shown a complete ignorance of copyright law. As the subject of his direct attacks, I must respond.

My “crime” is to be friends with the former chair. Another “crime” was to have the audacity to start two Republican clubs: the Bastrop County Republican Club and the Lost Pines Republican Women, organizations have raised significant funds, had fun doing it, and expanded the opportunities to participate in Republican politics. For some unexplained reason, this infuriates Namken.

In a May 29 email (which someone else just sent me since I’m blocked from those as well), Namken once again states that he wants “more discussion, civility” without “fear of indimidation”:

Our political movement strives to achieve the vision that positively impacts the manner and nature of political discourse in Bastrop County. This effort will be spearheaded to foster more discussion, civility and positive benefits for local republicans.

We will strive to bring more conservatives to engage and participate in their political institutions without fear of intimidation.

Odd words from a man who blocks people from his Facebook page while writing accusatory, false posts about them. Odd words from a man who attempts to intimidate others on an almost daily basis. Odd words from a man who has brought his negativity to campaigns and to the County Executive Committee. Odd words from a man who vilifies and attacks others, even people he’s never met.

Mr. Namken: I’d welcome a conversation with you. My husband and I would be happy to take you to lunch. You have my email address and phone number. The ball is in your court. If you truly believe what you write about open discourse and civility, I’ll hear from you to arrange a lunch. If I don’t, that will speak volumes.