The following is a link to a aTexas Monthly article http://www.texasmonthly.com/2008-11-01/webextra7.php about the candidates. Burt Solomons R-Denton is not mentioned in the article. He just recently declared his candidacy. Solomons (chair of Financial Institutions) and Keffer (chair of Ways & Means) are the most likely to defeat Craddick.
Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland:
Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine:
Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston:
Rep. Delwin Jones, R-Lubbock
Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland:
Rep. Tommy Merritt, R-Longview:Rep. Alan Ritter, D-Nederland:
Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston:
Speaker Pro Tem, Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston:
None of the Democrats have a snowball's chance so you can mark them off. Maybe Gallego. Gallego is an even keel somewhat non-controversial guy, but he's fighting a 76-74 R/D disadvantage so he has to convince some R's to vote for a D and convince the 10 Craddick-D's to abandon their privileged position and hope for a victory, neither R or D scenario is likely for Gallego.
Senfronia is a loose cannon and a crazy woman. Ritter is still too small time and new and can't marshal the support needed to win. Hochberg is the smartest of the bunch but seems a bit too weak-willed to hold the big gavel. His intelligence and sense of fair play will doom him. Sylvester is almost certainly a shill for Craddick and will throw all of his support to the current speaker.
Of the remaining R's (other than Keffer and Solomons), Delwin Jones is 84 years old. His time has passed. Merritt is a bit of a clown who no one takes seriously and he's not the sharpest tack in the drawer.
Keffer and Solomons would have to combine whatever support they might have to have enough votes to topple Craddick. However, if they did that then one or the other would have to kneel and kiss the other's ring. Keffer isn't likely to kneel to Solomons because Keffer already is chair of the Ways & Means committee which is second in power to the Appropriations Committee. All Keffer can do is take one step up. It might not be worth the risk to fall so far if he fails since he would almost certainly lose his committee chair for challenging the king, whether directly in an attempt to be speaker or in support of another challenger.
It's a similar scenario for Solomons. He already has a moderately powerful committee chairmanship which he would lose if he fails to defeat Craddick. To fall from fairly close to the top of the pack to the bottom of the R's may not be so appealing.
Some of these speaker challenges may simply be a trial run for the next session. It's possible that Craddick will be signing out after this session. He has been in the Texas House for 40 years. What more can he do? Keffer and Solomons could be testing the waters for a battle next session. If Craddick retires, you can add Brian McCall R-Plano and maybe Jim Pitts R-Waxahachie to the mix, and whatever D's may want to play depending upon the split among the 150 members.
I just don't see the Craddick-D's giving up their chairs just to take a chance on a different R. I don't see the top R's losing their position to take a chance on another R. And, many of the freshman R's have already committed to Craddick.
What else to say? Those who talk, don't know. And those who know, don't talk.
mejores deseos, paz, y tranquilidad
Raphael Hythloday
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Random Thoughts on Politics
I have worked in politics for 16 years in various roles.
All politicians do is ~carry water~ for corporations. All we did was whatever Time Warner, SBC/AT&T, and TXU (the biggest utility company in Texas ) wanted us to do. It was disgusting. (among others -- HEB, a grocery store in Tx. which employs tens of thousands of people that became upset when a certain tax proposal was offered. So, we dropped that tax item.)
I could go on with examples but there is no point in that.
One of the state representatives for whom I worked said that the train is on the tracks and that if you stand on the tracks all that will happen is that you will be run over.
I will add my statement that US policy will not change whether a D or an R is sitting in the big chair in the Oval Office.
It is funny since I live in Texas that people seem to care about the presidential election. The R will win. It was 61%-38% R/D in 2004. It won't be any different this time.
So, I'm not going to waste my effort promoting Obama or Hillary; although my preferred choices would have been Bill Richardson or Joe Biden.
A wise octogenarian for whom I worked told me to ~fight battles that you can win~. Sun Tzu said something similar.
Everything will always be tweaked a little bit regarding health care, abortion, social security, taxes, national security, immigration, religion, and other issues; but things won't change much.
Regarding immigration, I couldn't give a rat's behind. All of those people who are crossing the border simply want a better life for themselves. They are NOT terrorists. They are NO threat to you.
I speak Spanish every day. I don't care. I'm not preoccupied with "English only." It's just words, words, words (Hamlet). I would love to be fluent in 10 languages.
I think it's a myth that people can't learn languages when they are older. I think that the problem some people have is they aren't trying. I also think there is a fear of a cultural change, but I will use whatever words I need to accomplish my objectives.
ok, random rant is now over.
All politicians do is ~carry water~ for corporations. All we did was whatever Time Warner, SBC/AT&T, and TXU (the biggest utility company in Texas ) wanted us to do. It was disgusting. (among others -- HEB, a grocery store in Tx. which employs tens of thousands of people that became upset when a certain tax proposal was offered. So, we dropped that tax item.)
I could go on with examples but there is no point in that.
One of the state representatives for whom I worked said that the train is on the tracks and that if you stand on the tracks all that will happen is that you will be run over.
I will add my statement that US policy will not change whether a D or an R is sitting in the big chair in the Oval Office.
It is funny since I live in Texas that people seem to care about the presidential election. The R will win. It was 61%-38% R/D in 2004. It won't be any different this time.
So, I'm not going to waste my effort promoting Obama or Hillary; although my preferred choices would have been Bill Richardson or Joe Biden.
A wise octogenarian for whom I worked told me to ~fight battles that you can win~. Sun Tzu said something similar.
Everything will always be tweaked a little bit regarding health care, abortion, social security, taxes, national security, immigration, religion, and other issues; but things won't change much.
Regarding immigration, I couldn't give a rat's behind. All of those people who are crossing the border simply want a better life for themselves. They are NOT terrorists. They are NO threat to you.
I speak Spanish every day. I don't care. I'm not preoccupied with "English only." It's just words, words, words (Hamlet). I would love to be fluent in 10 languages.
I think it's a myth that people can't learn languages when they are older. I think that the problem some people have is they aren't trying. I also think there is a fear of a cultural change, but I will use whatever words I need to accomplish my objectives.
ok, random rant is now over.
The Failure of the US Education System
Regarding the reason why America is losing its economic and educational edge ...
My primary point is that the US has a "culture problem." We have become fat and lazy from our wealth and the kids seek instant gratification, which they receive through their iPods, cell phones, expensive clothing, social sphere, and such. The parents have abandoned them and mollified them by giving them expensive toys for which they don't have to work to obtain. Many parents are not involved in the lives of their children and are simply giving them baubles to keep them out of their hair. Of course, that is a generalization but I do think it is primarily true.
One of the professors I respected at UT mentioned the increase in the use of the term self-xxxx (absorbed, possessed, image, interest, etc.) in our language. Having just looked in my Webster's, there are 4 pages of definitions for words that contain self-xxxx. Make of that comment what you will but my professor seemed to think that it connoted selfishness and the willingness for people to simply accept creature comforts.
When I was a substitute teacher, many of the students didn't care about education at all. When I was in high school, our cumulative gpa's were posted on a bulletin board near the principal's office. And yes, our names were posted next to our gpa's. Most of us wanted to be near the top.
Regarding privatizing schools, most of those options still require a large infusion of tax dollars -- oh, but we live in Texas with all of the conservatives and we don't want to pay taxes.
Charter schools have mostly been failures, vouchers require government money, private schools are expensive and leave the poor to fend for themselves.
Taxes are what you pay to live in a civilized society (Oliver Wendell Holmes). I don't mind paying taxes. It makes my country a better place to live in. I'm not so selfish that I'm not willing to give.
The other problem is that state of Texas is unwilling to provide excellent education for its populace.
Texas has 2 Tier One universities (UT and A&M). California has 10. New York has 8. Massachusetts has 5. Illinois has 4.
If the population of Texas has any pride, then they will nut-up and spend the money to make Texas Tech and U Houston (yeah, I know it's derogatorily referred to as Cougar High and is somewhat of a commuter school but they have a huge population base on which to draw) into Tier One universities. You could also throw UTSA and UT-Dallas into the mix of schools that Texas should be willing to increase them into Tier One universities.
But, so many people are not willing to Help out a Brother in need; and that will be the downfall of our country.
My primary point is that the US has a "culture problem." We have become fat and lazy from our wealth and the kids seek instant gratification, which they receive through their iPods, cell phones, expensive clothing, social sphere, and such. The parents have abandoned them and mollified them by giving them expensive toys for which they don't have to work to obtain. Many parents are not involved in the lives of their children and are simply giving them baubles to keep them out of their hair. Of course, that is a generalization but I do think it is primarily true.
One of the professors I respected at UT mentioned the increase in the use of the term self-xxxx (absorbed, possessed, image, interest, etc.) in our language. Having just looked in my Webster's, there are 4 pages of definitions for words that contain self-xxxx. Make of that comment what you will but my professor seemed to think that it connoted selfishness and the willingness for people to simply accept creature comforts.
When I was a substitute teacher, many of the students didn't care about education at all. When I was in high school, our cumulative gpa's were posted on a bulletin board near the principal's office. And yes, our names were posted next to our gpa's. Most of us wanted to be near the top.
Regarding privatizing schools, most of those options still require a large infusion of tax dollars -- oh, but we live in Texas with all of the conservatives and we don't want to pay taxes.
Charter schools have mostly been failures, vouchers require government money, private schools are expensive and leave the poor to fend for themselves.
Taxes are what you pay to live in a civilized society (Oliver Wendell Holmes). I don't mind paying taxes. It makes my country a better place to live in. I'm not so selfish that I'm not willing to give.
The other problem is that state of Texas is unwilling to provide excellent education for its populace.
Texas has 2 Tier One universities (UT and A&M). California has 10. New York has 8. Massachusetts has 5. Illinois has 4.
If the population of Texas has any pride, then they will nut-up and spend the money to make Texas Tech and U Houston (yeah, I know it's derogatorily referred to as Cougar High and is somewhat of a commuter school but they have a huge population base on which to draw) into Tier One universities. You could also throw UTSA and UT-Dallas into the mix of schools that Texas should be willing to increase them into Tier One universities.
But, so many people are not willing to Help out a Brother in need; and that will be the downfall of our country.
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