Democratic Blog News

Monday, April 20, 2009

May 9, 2009 Municipal Election Early Voting Locations & Times

May 9, 2009 General Election Early Voting for

The City of Plano and the Plano ISD,
The City of Frisco and the Frisco ISD and
The City of McKinney

will be conducted at several early voting locations in those cities (see table below) on behalf of those municipalities by the Collin County Elections Office. Early Voting will run from 8:00 AM Monday, April 27, 2009 through 7:00 PM Tuesday, May 5, 2009.

Early voting for Allen, Anna, Celina, Lovejoy ISD, Lowry Crossing, Melissa, Princeton, Prosper, Wylie is available at the Collin County Main Elections Office in McKinney and at a designated municipal or ISD building in your city. Click on the city name to find more early voting information for that city.

What are we voting on?
City Council and Mayor Seats - depending on the city
City ballot initiatives and bond issues (some cities)
School Board Trustees (Most ISDs)

As a general rule, if you are registered to vote in Collin County and live in Plano, Frisco or McKinney, you can vote the ballot for your particular city, council place and school district location at any of the Early Voting Locations located within those cities.

MAY 9, 2009 Election Early Voting Locations for Frisco, McKinney and Plano:

POLLING PLACE	ADDRESS	CITY
Collin County Elections Office (Main Early Voting Location)	2010 Redbud Blvd., Suite 102	McKinney
Carpenter Park Recreation Center	6701 Coit Rd.	Plano
Christopher A. Parr Library	6200 Windhaven Pkwy.	Plano
CCCCD – Central Park Campus	2200 W. University Dr.	McKinney
CCCCD – Spring Creek Campus	2800 Spring Creek Pkwy.	Plano
CCCCD – Preston Ridge Campus	9700 Wade Blvd.	Frisco
Frisco Fire Station #4	4485 Cotton Gin Road	Frisco
Haggard Library	2501 Coit Road	Plano
Harrington Library	1501 18th Street	Plano
McKinney Fire Station #5	6600 W. Virginia Pkwy.	McKinney
McKinney Performing Arts Center	111 N. Tennessee	McKinney
Murphy Municipal Complex	206 N. Murphy Road	Murphy
Plano ISD Administration Center	2700 West 15th Street	Plano
Renner-Frankford Library	6400 Frankford Road	Dallas

The dates and hours designated for early voting are as follows:

Dates	Hours
Monday, April 27, 2009, through Wednesday, April 29, 2009	8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 30, 2009	8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday, May 1, 2009, and Saturday, May 2, 2009	8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, May 4, 2009 and Tuesday, May 5, 2009	7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Absentee Voting and Ballots By Mail

All currently registered voters in Collin County are eligible to request a ballot by mail if any of the following conditions prevents them from voting in person during the early voting period or on election day:

Expected absence from the County during both the early voting period and election day.
The ballot must be mailed to an address outside the county.
Disability
65 years of age or older
Confinement in jail and not finally convicted of a felony

Applications for ballots by mail must be received and processed by the Collin County Elections Administration, 2010 Redbud Boulevard, Suite 102, McKinney, Texas 75069. Applications must be received no later than May 1, 2009. Contact the Collin County Elections Administration at 972-547-1900 to request an application for a ballot by mail. More information on Ballots By Mail

To find May 9, 2009 election ballot and voting locations for other cities in Collin County, not list here, please contact your local city hall.

Texas Sec. Of State May 9, 2009 Election Law Calendar

Friday, April 17, 2009

I Pledge Allegiance To The Flag

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God, indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.

Republicans, now largely reduced to a regional party south of the Mason Dixon Line, have found their issue to regain national power -- abandon their pledge of allegiance and build up a head of steam to secede from the republic altogether. Texas Gov. Perry hinted that Obama's programs to save the nation from economic disaster may be such a blow to the constitution that the people of Texas may raise up to secede from the Union.

Texas Republican conservative icon Tom DeLay, who also thinks secession is a valid option, said on Hardball Thursday he thinks Governor Perry is "standing up for the sovereignty of Texas."

If the situation were reversed, if a Democrat suggested secession when Pres. Bush was still in office and Republicans controlled congress, that Democrat could well have been "renditioned" to Git'mo as an anti-American terrorist, or at the very least pilloried by Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the conservative media. To Perry's suggestion of secession Rush says,

"In light of all that's happening, Obama's speech on the economy justifying the basic destruction of the US... [Perry's] Support of States' Rights... is great stuff..."

Some other prominent Texans sum up my thoughts better than I can manage:

Texas state senator Rodney Ellis:

“It was only 12 years ago that Texas had a deadly stand-off with those [Republic of Texas movement] urging secession. Governor Bush stood up to those fringe elements. I urge Governor Perry to ramp down the rhetoric and state unequivocally — as Governor Bush did in the 1990s — that secession is not only not an option, it isn’t going to be part of the political discussion.

“In the last week, we’ve seen an extremely troubling escalation of rhetoric. Talking about state’s rights, the oppressive hand of the federal government and secession brings up some pretty bad memories in this state. It was not all that long ago that those were the exact words used by those who opposed desegregation and the civil rights movement. The top elected official in the second largest state with our history simply cannot be so loose with his comments. He’s not a radio or cable TV talk show host."

Texas State House Democratic leader Jim Dunnam, had some words for the governor as well:

Every Texas elected official takes an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. I take oaths seriously, and that one most of all. And every day during the legislative session we pledge "allegiance" to the flag of the United States.

We even require every public school child to recite the pledge -- every day. That is "one nation, under God, indivisible."

"Indivisible."

Yesterday, our Governor had the opportunity to disavow anti-American rhetoric of secession. He chose not to, and instead he chose affirm those who believe and actually contemplate that our nation is divisible.

What do I say to my youngest daughter when she asks "why do I recite the pledge every day at school, if our Governor doesn't believe it?"

Hopefully Gov. Perry simply made a mistake; a mistake I call on him to correct by unequivocally declaring that our nation is one and indivisible, and that talk of secession from the union is thoughtless and reckless.

Perhaps he did not understand that words are important and that talk of secession carries heavy meaning.

Some hear this talk and associate it with racial division - an issue that caused over 600,000 Americans to lose their lives in a Civil War.

Others are incited by this kind of reckless rhetoric. I believe that the role of Texas Governor is to lead us to a better place, not stoke the fires of divisions.

Talk of secession is an attack on our country. It is the ultimate anti-American statement. Serious discussion that we would even contemplate dividing our country, the greatest country in the world, shows lack of judgment -- and any words from the Texas Governor will be taken seriously. Finally, such statements -- particularly in a time when we are at war overseas, with over 4,000 American lives lost, and thousands in combat as we speak -- are both offensive, irresponsible and not the words of a patriot.

I am surprised that Governor Perry would reinforce a sentiment that is so clearly anti-American. He should choose his words more carefully unless they are intentional, and if his words were intentional, they should be condemned.