Republicans ushered in totally unregulated free-market enterprise in every business and public interest quarter while they controlled all branches of government. Unregulated free markets simply means there is no rulebook and no referees to enforce rules of fair and honest play. That permitted corporations to grab monopolistic control over markets and drive reckless speculative excesses, thus overriding the power of free market competition.
As Republicans eliminated the regulatory guidelines of prudent business and banking practices, unscrupulous home mortgage lenders were free to unfairly prey on both American home buyers and securities investors. Mortgage lenders were free to aggressively market risky sub-prime home mortgages to unsuspecting home buyers and then speculatively trade those risky sub-prime loans in banking and securities markets to such unrestrained levels that the financial system was at the brink of collapse.
The resulting financial system "crisis of credit" froze business and consumers out credit markets literally freezing the flow of business transactions, particularly in the housing and auto industries. The U.S. government was forced into bailouts of banks, securities companies and "too big to fail" corporations to avert economic disaster.
An unregulated free-market system is like asking professional football teams to play a season without a rulebook and without referees to enforce the rules of play. The game of football would be reduced to chaos and a lot of casualties on the field of play.
Over the last eight years we have seen what happens when the free market rulebook is scrapped and the referees leave the free market field of play. Democrats want to restore healthy free market competition, which naturally drives innovation and economic growth, by making sure that American business and financial institutions follow some basic rules of fair and honest play.
To this idea that business must have a rule book of fairt play and referees to enforce the rules Conservative Republicans cry "Socialism."
Refering to Democrats as members the "Democrat Party" rather than the "Democratic Party" is not derogatory enough for Republican National Committee conservatives.
In an e-mail sent to the 168 voting members of the RNC committee, RNC member James Bopp, Jr. is urging the membership to adopt a resolution that requires Republicans to always refer to Democrats as members of the “Democrat Socialist Party.”
While RNC Chairman Michael Steele does not strongly support a RNC resolution to officially rename the opposing party, he supports the idea of "branding" Democrats as socialists for supporting the concept that a healthy free market system needs business to follow some basic rules of fair and honest play. “The Democrats are indeed marching America toward European-style socialism, and I will continue to criticize their dangerous policies in that regard,” Steele wrote in a memo to RNC members.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Organizing for America Office Coming To Collin Co.??
The Dallas Morning News TrailBlazersBlog:
On January 15th Barack Obama announced the formation of a new group known as "Organizing for America" to continue the grassroots advocacy organization that supported his run for the presidency.
The key idea behind "Organizing for America" — is that the 20th century model of communicating with and motivating supporters has given way to a 21st century Internet media model of communication channels built around YouTube, Social Networking, Twittering, etc. — as was evident during his campaign and as is already evident in the White House’s media strategy. (see White House YouTube video channel bar in the right sidebar of this blog)
Organizing for America is now operating under the umbrella of the Democratic National Committee. The organization is looking at ways to leverage thousands of trained field organizers and tens of thousands of neighborhood coordinators to provide valuable grassroots support for Democratic candidates committed, or thinking about, running for office in the 2010 mid-term and 2012 election cycles. And not just national and state office candidates, but also local county and city office candidates - even in Republican strongholds like Collin County.
Related Postings:
Some news from suburbia this week... Word on the street is that President Obama's new grassroots issues campaign -- Organizing for America -- is kicking the tires on putting an office in conservative Collin County.While running to become the President of the United States, Barack Obama's campaign recruited millions of campaign supporters and contributors through online social networks. Over two million joined myBarackObama.com, a website fusing social networking with volunteer political organizing, while more than 5 million supported Obama's profile across other social websites like MySpace and Facebook. More than a million people asked for campaign text messages on their cell phones and yet more kept up with campaign information on Twitter. Most importantly, over 13 million voters signed up for regular e-mail fundraising pitches and other communications.
The chatter coincides with activity elsewhere. Earlier this month, the group [announced Luke Hayes as the Texas State Director for Organizing for America.] Now, Hayes is embarking on a Texas-wide "listening tour" to chat with and recruit volunteers.
When asked about the possibility of a Collin office, Natalie Wyeth, a Democratic spokeswoman in Washington, said in an email that nothing has been decided.
"We've asked local supporters and volunteers for suggestions on where it would be useful and convenient to have an OFA office in their area. Right now, Luke is working out of the Democratic Party headquarters in Austin. Anything else folks are saying about office space is speculative," she wrote.
Establishing an official campaign office in Collin County, of course, would be a bold move for Obama. Republicans have dominated the affluent suburban area for decades.
Still, experts say that the last few elections have revealed subtle Democratic shifts. Stay tuned.
The key idea behind "Organizing for America" — is that the 20th century model of communicating with and motivating supporters has given way to a 21st century Internet media model of communication channels built around YouTube, Social Networking, Twittering, etc. — as was evident during his campaign and as is already evident in the White House’s media strategy. (see White House YouTube video channel bar in the right sidebar of this blog)
Organizing for America is now operating under the umbrella of the Democratic National Committee. The organization is looking at ways to leverage thousands of trained field organizers and tens of thousands of neighborhood coordinators to provide valuable grassroots support for Democratic candidates committed, or thinking about, running for office in the 2010 mid-term and 2012 election cycles. And not just national and state office candidates, but also local county and city office candidates - even in Republican strongholds like Collin County.
Related Postings:
- Can Texas Go Blue Like Colorado?
- Republican Brand Growing Weak In Texas
- The Incredible Shrinking Republican Base
- Politics Is No Longer Local - It's Viral
- Texas voters increasingly unhappy with GOP - DMN
- Poll's shocking SOS for Texas GOP - DMN
Monday, April 20, 2009
May 9, 2009 Plano City and ISD Election
The Dallas Morning News: Plano city and ISD elections will be held on May 9th with backdrop of economic downturn.
For the City of Plano the mayor's office and two of the City Council's seven seats are contested. The mayor and council members serve three-year terms.
Plano Mayor (Place 6)
The Plano City Ballot includes several bond propositions totaling nearly nearly $130 million:
Plano ISD Board of Trustees Place 6
Yet this is hardly a typical year to run for Plano City Council. Tax collections are down. Property values are flat or even falling. And service cuts and tax increases could be in the city's future.Plano City Website Election Info Page: Click here
That is the dour backdrop as one of North Texas' largest, most affluent suburbs prepares to choose a new mayor, a new City Council and the fate of a nearly $130 million bond package. The election is May 9.
Cuts of all kinds – from park upgrades to middle school police patrols – are already on the table. Even with those reductions, the City Council may choose to increase the property tax rate, raise city fees or both as they seek to craft a new budget by Oct 1.
Municipal elections typically draw low voter turnout. But with the next mayor and council set to decide the course of a mega suburb that is both cash-strapped and aging, voters have much at stake.
For the City of Plano the mayor's office and two of the City Council's seven seats are contested. The mayor and council members serve three-year terms.
Plano Mayor (Place 6)
- Phil Dyer Age: 57
Occupation: bank executive
Community highlights: former City Council member; former planning and zoning commission member; former parks and recreation board member; former board chairman of Plano Chamber of Commerce - David W. Fincannon Age: 48
Occupation: CEO of pest control firm
Community highlights: community volunteer; involved with Preston Meadow Homeowners Association
- Ben Harris Age: 30-something
Occupation: pharmaceutical sales
Community highlights: former parks and recreation board member; board of directors, Plano Youth Leadership - Susan Plonka Age: 51
Occupation: owner of Web business
Community highlights: former chairman of parks and recreation board; former chairman of Plano Metro Rotary Club
- Lee Dunlap (I) Age: 58
Occupation: architect
Community highlights: City Council member; former chairman of planning and zoning commission; former chairman of transportation advisory committee - Imran Khan Age: 27
Occupation: teacher
Community highlights: community volunteer - Greg Myer Age: 37
Occupation: information technology manager
Community highlights: former chairman of library advisory board; Republican Precinct Chair; Self describes as a Conservative Republican
The Plano City Ballot includes several bond propositions totaling nearly nearly $130 million:
- Proposition no. 1 - The issuance of $11,368,000 general obligation bonds for public safety improvements
- Proposition no. 2 - The issuance of $8,000,000 general obligation bonds for renovations to municipal facilities for technology services purposes
- Proposition no. 3 - The issuance of $34,754,500 general obligation bonds for street improvements
- Proposition no. 4 - The issuance of $1,750,000 general obligation bonds for library facilities
- Proposition no. 5 - The issuance of $48,650,000 general obligation bonds for parks and recreation improvements
- Proposition no. 6 - The issuance of $24,100,000 general Obligation bonds for recreation centers
- Proposition no. 7 - The revocation of $3,500,000 general obligation bonds for an overpass project to provide grade separation at preston road and legacy drive
Plano ISD Board of Trustees Place 6
- Marilyn Hinton
- Nathan Barbera
- Steve Navarre
- Rama Lavu
Plano ISD Board of Trustees Place 7
- Missy Bender (incumbent)
- Robert Canright
May 9, 2009 Municipal Election Early Voting Locations & Times
May 9, 2009 General Election Early Voting forwill 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?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.
- City Council and Mayor Seats - depending on the city
- City ballot initiatives and bond issues (some cities)
- School Board Trustees (Most ISDs)
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
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