Category: republican

I was here before you came. I’ll be here when you leave.

In the late ’90s, I served as mayor of a town of 16,000 people. One day, as I sat in my office with an employee discussing her lackluster job performance, she looked at me and said “Mayor, I was here before you came. I’ll be here when you leave.” And, she was.

Her comment was in defense of not wanting to participate in automating work in her office. You know, the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality. But, it was a philosophy that was pervasive in local government among union employees who could not be fired except for “cause” (basically, provably, breaking the law).

People don’t like change. And, for government employees, every four years can bring a new chief executive with his/her own campaign promises, philosophies of governance and management, and policy implementation. If they wait long enough, that elected leader will be out of office.

Drain the Swamp

Nothing compels employees to support and implement the policies of a new leader. I was undermined by employees who were loyal to former mayors. I was undermined by employees who were loyal to my political opponents. How? Submit required paperwork without signatures. Send legal documents to the wrong address so they don’t arrive where they need to be by their due date. Promise others funding that I specifically earmarked for a totally different project, leaving that project without funding. Cancel contracts without asking me first, contracts that could not be reinstated. Commit to tentative agreements, agreements I had clearly stated I would not approve. And, I could go on.

It is through that lens that I watch the impeachment hearings. It is through that lens that I am suspect of those testifying. It is through that lens that there isn’t one iota of doubt in my mind that there is a swamp, bureaucrats actively working to destroy the Trump presidency. It is through that lens that I believe the Democrats, and some Republicans, are working hard to keep the status quo that made some of them and their friends rich. It is through that lens that I support the President, believe there was no quid pro quo, and trust that Trump is doing the right thing by investigating the swamp dwellers.

Facebook is at it again.

Imagine my surprise when I found a warning in my FB timeline about a “photo” a friend had shared. I can’t think of anything, EVER, that has been shared with me that had “violent or graphic content”.

Read the POST below (though it was put up as a graphic file format). Just what exactly about it is “violent or graphic content”? NOTHING. It applies to anyone moving anywhere because they like what they saw, and then when they get there, trying to change the new location so it mimics where they came from. That’s reality whether it’s from city to city, state to state, or country to country.

Facebook strikes again.

We don’t want a CAVE. We want a WALL.

This morning, I wrote my congressman and the White House.  You should too.  Here are the web addresses and what I wrote:

The White House
Congressman Michael Cloud (CD-27)
Congressman Michael McCaul (CD-10)

To Congressman Michael Cloud:
Trump can’t cave on this. YOU can’t cave on this. DO NOT vote for a CR that doesn’t include at least 1/2 of what Trump needs for the “wall”. Any rational person knows the “wall” includes technological efforts as well as a physical wall where possible. Any rational person knows Mexico was never going to outright pay for the wall, but the reduction in immigration costs for those coming in through that country would pay for it, an improvement in balance of trade would pay for it…. Republican messaging is horrible and never says that. But, we NEED the wall. TRUMP needs the wall or he’ll lose his base. He’ll be likened to GWB about whom many only remember “Read my lips…” and then HE caved. We voted for Trump to clean that swamp, to do what he says he’ll do, and for you to back him up. I’ll support him, and you, as vociferously as possible if he does what he said he would do. Those of us with children know the most important thing we can do is to MEAN WHAT WE SAY, to DO what we said we would do. TRUST falls if that doesn’t happen. Pelosi and Schumer will run the show from now to 2020 if Trump and the House cave on this. Thank you, and Merry Christmas to all of you.

To President Trump via The White House:
We DO NOT WANT A CAVE. We WANT A WALL. Messaging is critical. Of course a wall isn’t always a physical wall but also a technological wall. Of course Mexico isn’t going to pay outright dollars but through lower costs of illegals entering the US and in balance of trade. Republican messaging stinks, but the FACT is that we need the wall. We need you to STAND STRONG. We voted for you to get something different, your business acumen. Please don’t be GWB who is remembered for “Read my lips…” and then caving. Please!!!

Leave ALL signs alone. Don’t trespass. Don’t steal.

A few days ago, some Democrat signs in Tahitian Village were apparently destroyed by someone driving through the neighborhood. This prompted a post on the Republican Party’s Facebook page condemning the action and forcefully stating that when the perpetrators are found, they’ll be turned over to the authorities. Because the signs were on Democrat properties, the Bastrop County Young Republicans went so far as to blame the Alt-Right for this wrong-doing.

It’s interesting to me that these two Republican organizations have been silent in the face of trespass and sign theft of Republican signs. Not a peep out of either organization as Cruz signs have been stolen from private property in more than a few cases. Perhaps they didn’t know, you say. Well, maybe, but that’s really hard to believe in the face of property owner reactions, some like the one at left.

It is inappropriate to point fingers at anyone, call out any group without proof, laser focus on only one instance of this type of behavior when it’s happening across the county to all sides.

No one should trespass on private property to remove or destroy anything, including political signs.  It doesn’t matter what candidate from what party a person is supporting, they have a right to display signs supporting that individual or party.  TXDOT regulations require signs to be on private property so anyone taking or damaging a sign is violating trespass and destruction of personal property laws.

Business Continuity or Outright Coup

I ask you: do you know one successful corporation that is lead by a steering committee without a powerful executive at the helm?  (And let’s face it, political parties ARE corporations.)

Think GE under Jack Welsh, a company that now, under weak leadership, has lost its place on the Dow. Think JP Morgan Chase under Jamie Dimon. Study the difference in IBM under Lou Gerstner and Jack Akers. Remember Chrysler under Lee Iococca? Apple – Steve Jobs. Microsoft – Bill Gates. I could go on naming recognizable corporate names.

Yet, in Republican political organizations the recent push seems to be to overthrow strong, successful leaders, allegedly to “empower the grassroots”, to change a top-down organization to a bottom-up organization, implementing a weaker committee leadership style instead of a strong chief executive.

First, it was Travis County which created the roadmap on how to emasculate a county chair. Using the same technique of bylaw modification, Bastrop County, Montgomery County, Galveston County followed suit. At a minimum, these four counties have seen controlling interests among Republican precinct chairs completely strip the duly elected county chairs of their power. Only time will tell how successful this move is in growing the Party, getting out the vote and Keeping Texas Red, but I have my doubts.

Business continuity planning or outright coup?  What’s the best way to manage an organization, to successfully move it forward?  In my opinion, these people would do better to recognize the accomplishments of their predessors, learn from them, get experience in all facets of life (including life outside the political world), determine the appropriate management style for success, and then make their mark on the future of the Republican Party by appropriately modifying bylaws. Doing so would ensure Texas’ red status for years to come.  But a coup, just because the votes are there, is not the quick fix they anticipate it will be.

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.

“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.