I had the amazing privilege of meeting and talking with Charlie Kirk on May 1, 2021. As the president of Lost Pines Republican Women, I had reached to Charlie’s organization in 2019 to see if we could have him speak at one of our events. At that time, he was filling in for various radio hosts. I knew immediately that I liked what he had to say and he’d be an impactful speaker.
Due to Covid, our event was rescheduled to 2021, one week before his marriage to Erika. That night, and every time I saw Charlie speak after that, I noted that he did not use any notes. Charlie didn’t stand at a podium with his speech on paper or teleprompter in front of him. Charlie had an amazing grasp of the Bible and knowledge of history. He was an incredible strategist. Best of all, Charlie spoke from the heart and mind.
Deep gratitude to Chase Bradshaw who asked me to help with the planning of this tribute to Charlie. Deep gratitude to every person I called and asked to help. Every single one said yes. Gratitude to Thomas Nutty, a Bastrop resident, who put together this video of the event. And, most of all, gratitude to Charlie Kirk who gave his love and his life to our Country.
Twenty-four years ago, the Twin Towers and those working within were destroyed. People who woke up that morning like any other day and went to work. Two thousand, nine hundred, seventy seven people, innocent people. Now we have other killers amongst us, killers who target their political opponents or those with whom they’re angry or those they blame for life problems or just random people.
We’ve lost our humanity, our respect for others, our faith, our belief in something greater than ourselves.
We can all cry out that this must stop. We can call for coming together. But that won’t do it. We are facing evil and there’s no “coming together” with evil. There is only defeating it.
Charlie Kirk’s way was to openly discuss anything with those who disagreed with him. “Ask Charlie Anything” podcasts were just that. So American. Ask. Discuss. Exchange ideas. Learn.
Charlie may be gone. The 2,977 who died on 9-11 may be gone. And we’ve all been greatly affected by the loss. The question now is what will we do with it?
Give them 48 hours to return during which time the Speaker should fine them. If they don’t return, declare their seats vacant. Then vote with the lower quorum.
You may have seen that. Just like y’all, these people ran for office and that means doing the job. When the Governor leaves Texas, Dan Patrick assumes that position. If Trump were in the hospital, JD Vance would assume that position. When these people leave the state ON PURPOSE TO THWART THE BUSINESS OF THE STATE, there isn’t anyone to assume their positions, so they should be declared VACANT.
The key here is intent. They didn’t leave to attend a relative’s funeral or wedding. They didn’t leave because they are reservists and were called up to active duty. They didn’t leave during a called session for a vacation. They left to prohibit the Texas House from doing its work, the work of the people.
They could vote no. They could vote present, not voting. They could abstain. But what they can’t do is flee to stop business altogether. Doing so and remaining in-State calls for arrest. Doing so out-of-State to avoid arrest is grounds for removal.
Stan, you are my representative. You won a Republican primary. You won the General election with predominantly Republican votes. You need to represent Republicans in this matter, supporting fines, arrests if they return in-State after 3PM today, and adding your voice to the calls for the Governor to declare the State-fleeing Democrat seats vacant.
You claim to be endorsed by President Trump. President Trump has called for, wants and needs this map, which is appropriate for Texas to have proper and reflective representation. If you accept the endorsement of President Trump and his America First agenda, you must support fines, arrests and the Governor declaring the state-fleeing Democrat seats vacant.
Don’t confuse friendship with duty. These people are not your friends. You’ll know that when you leave office. They’d stab us all in the back in a heartbeat, which is exactly what they’re doing by fleeing the State. Take a stand!
Addendum: Governor Abbott says he’ll declare Dem seats vacant if those Dems aren’t in them at 3PM today.
[Comments will be taken online at this link https://comments.house.texas.gov/home until the committee meeting is adjourned. The bill number is HB4 and the map is Plan C2308.]
Is it illegal to redistrict now? No. Is Texas growing significantly? Yes. Do the districts as drawn by Plan C2308 comply with applicable law and court decisions? Yes. Other than politics which enters into everything the legislature does no matter the bill number or issue, is there any reason this should not be done? No.
The diatribe coming from those in the opposing political party is no different than the diatribe that comes from any opposition party, unhappy with the fact that they don’t have the majority and can’t stop adoption should the proposing party stick together in their votes. Wipe away the political posturing and there is no reason this bill and map should not be adopted.
Voters ultimately get to choose by casting votes. Adopting this Big Beautiful Map and HB4 does not guarantee any outcome at the polls. That’s clear from the outcome at the polls in many elections. They’re called upsets. They happen in every election.
So, take a vote and pass the map immediately upon the end of public testimony. There will be a quorum and no reason to delay that vote. I doubt any member of the committee is going to change his/her vote, so get the job done. Do not adjourn until the vote is taken and the map is adopted!
ADDENDUM: Every member of this committee with the exception of Tom Oliverson and Hillary Gail Hickland voted to impeach Ken Paxton. They voted based on data provided with less than 24 hours notice. Now, the Committee Dems are whining about only having the bill and map 48 hours before today’s hearing. Yet, on Ken Paxton: silence! Disingenuous!
Chair: Rep. Cody Vasut (Y on Paxton, Rep) Vice Chair: Rep. Jon E. Rosenthal (Y on Paxton, Dem) Members: Rep. Josey Garcia (Y on Paxton, Dem) Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (Y on Paxton, Dem) Rep. R. D. “Bobby” Guerra (Y on Paxton, Dem) Rep. Ryan Guillen (Y on Paxton, Rep) Rep. Cole Hefner (Y on Paxton, Rep) Rep. Hillary Gail Hickland (N/A, Rep) Rep. Jolanda Jones (Y on Paxton, Dem) Rep. Christian Manuel (Y on Paxton, Dem) Rep. Tom Oliverson (absent, Rep) Rep. David Spiller (Y on Paxton, Rep) Rep. Carl Tepper (Y on Paxton, Rep) Rep. Terry M. Wilson (Y on Paxton, Rep) Rep. Gene Wu (Y on Paxton, Dem)
UPDATE: June 24 Council meeting at 1:35:46. City Manager and Mayor referenced my comments. Mayor stated that “she is in opposition of the retreat, agenda item…. it’s not an item. She is just in opposition of the retreat.”
NOT TRUE. I expressed my opposition to my estimated cost of $7,473 by doing this retreat in Rockport. My estimate was low. See the City Manager’s slide showing the actual estimated cost to be $11,730. There is NO REASON to spend that much money and hold this event outside of Bastrop County. Why Rockport? Why on a Friday? This is a taxpayer-funded boondoggle clear and simple.
If you plan meetings for any organization, you are well aware that there are plenty of locations to do so both in the County and the City of Bastrop. So, why is the Bastrop City Council meeting in Rockport?
My guess? So you can’t attend or comment. And, quite cynically, perhaps some of them want a weekend at the beach with transportation paid by you.
So much for transparency.
[Will it be broadcast live? We don’t know yet. And, when meetings are broadcast live, live public comment isn’t available so you must comment ahead of time using the Council’s online form.]
It’s very disingenuous to hold a meeting more than 3 hours, 175+ miles, each way, for an all day meeting that is allegedly open to the public.
Tell the City Council if you like (or not) spending $7,473 of your tax dollars on a Friday public meeting in Rockport.
If you don’t agree with the City Council spending this much money and holding a Friday off-site meeting 175 miles away, email them today.
Calculating the Cost of this Offsite Meeting: $7,473
Gas cost: At 22mpg and $3/gallon, the cost each way is $24.27. Will they car pool? Perhaps a couple will but we have to assume not. If just the 5 council people, mayor, city manager, city secretary drive, that is $388.32. OR, if they use the IRS mileage rate for reimbursement, that’s 70¢ / mile or $245 per person. For 9 people, that’s $2,205 in mileage reimbursements.
Hotel cost: What’s the hotel cost for the City Council, City Manager, City Secretary, select staff, and consultant? Hotel prices according to Hotels.com run from $151 to $269 per room no including taxes and fees. Taxes? 8.25% sales tax and 7% hotel occupancy tax.
If just the 5 council people, mayor, city manager, city secretary, and consultant go, and they stay in the cheapest hotel, the room cost would be $1,208 plus 8.25% sales tax and 7% HOT tax. The meeting starts at 8:30AM so they have to stay over the night before. Drive home 3 hours afterwards? Not likely. So, for just the 9 people, taxpayers are paying $3,133 at a minimum for hotel.
[I had a summer cottage exactly 150.3 miles from my primary home, 3 hour drive. While not preferable, I periodically drove up one day and back the next, a one night stay. Preferable was driving up on Friday night and back on Sunday evening, a two night stay.]
Meal cost: Using GSA rates for meals, the allowable per-day expense is $63. Using lunch and dinner for Thursday, all 3 meals on Friday, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday, the estimated cost per person for meals is $145/person for meals. That, times 9 people, is $1,305 taxpayer dollars.
Consultant cost: Leadwell is from Austin. So, gas, hotel, meals and their fee will be paid by taxpayers. According to https://consultants.promatcher.com/cost/texas.aspx, the cost of business consulting in TX is $158.13/hour. My guess is that this contract is likely $2,000+-. When I was a business consultant, I charged half rate for travel time, client paid hotel and meals, and a flat overnight fee.
Total taxpayer estimate: $2,205+$3,133+$1,305+$2,000=$7,473taxpayer dollars.
Your cost if you want to comment in person? Gas, one night hotel, 3 meals costs: $285 minimum.
But your City of Bastrop City Council plans on holding a meeting 175+ miles, each way, and calls it an open meeting with public comment.
Will it be broadcast live? We don’t know yet. And, when meetings are broadcast live, live public comment isn’t available so you must comment ahead of time using the Council’s online form.
Let them know TODAY what you think about this!
If you don’t agree with the City Council spending this much money and holding a Friday off-site meeting 175 miles away, email them.
There was a long discussion on Nextdoor a while back about development in the City of Bastrop and this election. NO, some shouted. It isn’t about the Gateway development. That’s over. Some of that land is up for sale, they said, so it won’t come back.
Now this article, from Thursday night’s P&Z meeting, by the Independent Texans PAC. NOTE: I’ve refrained from suggesting who you should vote for since I don’t live in the City and I continue to do so. The title on this post is that of Independent Texans PAC, not mine. Article reprinted with permission to reprint in full from Independent Texans PAC.
Great read this morning from JoAnn Fleming of Grassroots America-We The People regarding the utter failure of Texas House Republicans to move GOP priority bills, to protect Texans and our Constitutional rights. Instead, we have Democrat bills moving quickly through the Texas House. Personally I’m hopeful most of them die in the Senate.
There are just 31 days left in this legislative session. More than 3 times that number have passed. And what does the Texas House have to show for it? Nothing except school choice and that was forced on them by the TX Senate and Gov Abbott. They’re going wring their hands and tell you they just ran out of time. HOGWASH!
The most important two words, I told my daughter, to be successful in college are “time management”. TX House leadership are masters at doing just the opposite and squandering time so important legislation fails to see the light of day. STOP electing these do-nothing House members. Next year, we have a chance to again clean House (literally) and elect conservative Republicans who will act like Republicans, govern like Republicans, and pass legislation that Republicans sent them to Austin to pass.
You may have seen that. Just like y’all, these people ran for office and that means doing the job. When the Governor leaves Texas, Dan Patrick assumes that position. If Trump were in the hospital, JD Vance would assume that position. When these people leave the state ON PURPOSE TO THWART THE BUSINESS OF THE STATE, there isn’t anyone to assume their positions, so they should be declared VACANT.
The key here is intent. They didn’t leave to attend a relative’s funeral or wedding. They didn’t leave because they are reservists and were called up to active duty. They didn’t leave during a called session for a vacation. They left to prohibit the Texas House from doing its work, the work of the people.
So, take a vote and pass the map immediately upon the end of public testimony. There will be a quorum and no reason to delay that vote. I doubt any member of the committee is going to change his/her vote, so get the job done. Do not adjourn until the vote is taken and the map is adopted!