Rick Perry vs World

27 July 2005

Strayhorn campaigning against toll roads in South Texas

Strayhorn was down in San Juan, speaking at a rally against a planned 9 mile toll road between Military Highway and US 83. Here's the McAllen Monitor's take.

Ramona Gonzalez’s limited English didn’t allow her to fully understand what Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn — a 2006 Republican candidate for Governor — was saying at a campaign rally Tuesday, but she believed every word of it.

"I think she spoke well," Gonzalez of San Juan said. "She appeared strong."

Strayhorn rallied support at San Juan fire station No. 2 with about 50 residents, outlining her agenda: no toll roads and come March, after the Republican primary election, no Gov. Rick Perry.

Campaigners passed out Strayhorn for Governor bumper stickers and pledge cards, while many audience members held anti-toll road signs and cheered at Strayhorn’s opposition.

"It’s a land grab being crammed down our throats," Strayhorn said of a possible nine-mile toll road slicing through San Juan from Military Highway to U.S. Expressway 83. "Mayor (San Juanita Sanchez of San Juan), you just give me a holla’ and I’ll come lay down in front of a bulldozer with you and stop toll roads."

The Monitor quotes Strayhorn being surprisingly candid about a strategy to get Democrats to vote for her:

Focusing on her campaign for Governor, Strayhorn pledged to work for support in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the few strongholds for Democrats in the State of Texas.

"I’m not trying to make Republicans out of everyone," said Strayhorn, though she invited everyone to vote in the Republican March 7 primary. Texas has open primaries, meaning voters can participate in either party’s primary.

San Juan resident and democrat Arnoldo Cantu said Strayhorn could win over the always-Democrat friendly Valley.

"If she can come along and offer something new," said Cantu, she might win. "The Democrats are standing still."

Comptroller Strayhorn obviously needs to convince some Democratic leaners to vote for her in the Republican primary for her to win. So she's trying to be as subtle as possible in pursuing Democratic votes.

Related: Harlingen Channel 4's report is here.

Posted by Evan @ 07/27/05 01:46 PM | Comments (1)

Kinky's immigration plan catching on?

Senator John McCain was on Fox News' Bill O'Reilly last night. He said this:

There's a guy that's running for governor of Texas named Kinky Friedman. He says, 'You give the Mexican generals $1 million and for every illegal that gets across, you take away $10,000.' Maybe we should try that.

I don't know if he was being serious or just joking. Or jokingly serious.

Posted by Evan @ 07/27/05 12:55 PM | Comments (1)

26 July 2005

Perry's statement on the failure of HB2 and HB3

The House defeated HB2 and HB3 -- the bills for how tax revenue is generated and spent on school finance -- tonight.

Governor Perry, who arguably has more at stake politically than anyone else in the process, issued this statement.

"Today I share the disappointment and frustration of millions of Texans that the House has voted against providing a property tax cut for homeowners, more money for the classroom, and additional funding for teacher salaries and textbooks.

"Legislators now have a decision to make. There are 24 days left in this special session. Either they can give up on pay raises for teachers, funding for textbooks, and a property tax cut, or they can join me over the next few weeks in fighting for what the people want.

"The people demand property tax relief, more education for their money, and continued classroom reforms.

"The special interests want to protect the education status quo, their tax loopholes, and their market share of tobacco addicts. Why should the special interests win at the expense of schoolchildren, parents and taxpayers?

"Last Thursday the leadership of both houses said they were close to an agreement on a property tax cut in a joint news conference. In fact, the measure the House voted on today was quite similar to the property tax cuts both chambers passed just a couple weeks ago.

"I still believe where there is a will there is a way.

"And the fact of the matter is I called them into special session because their work was unfinished and nothing has changed.

"Legislators cannot pass this great challenge to another day or another venue.

"I know they are frustrated and tired. So are taxpayers...so are teachers hoping for a pay raise...and so are families looking for better schools. I ask them to come back tomorrow, set aside rancor and partisanship, and get back to work."

The deadline for this session is August 19th. Will it get done?

Posted by Evan @ 07/26/05 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

Perry picks up firefighters union endorsement

Governor Rick Perry picked up the endorsement of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters. This is the first time they've ever endorsed a Republican.

Governor Rick Perry today proudly accepted the endorsement of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters (TSAFF).

”Texas fire fighters are proud to unanimously back Governor Rick Perry for re-election, ” said Guy Turner, President of the TSAFF. “His performance on public safety issues this session is proof that he cares about the health and safety of those men and women who protect the lives and property of the citizens of this great State, and endorsing Governor Perry for reelection was an easy choice for the members of our association.”

The Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, founded in 1938, represents over 13,000 professional fire fighters across Texas, with 152 affiliated associations in cities, counties, emergency service districts as well as the fire fighters stationed at the Dallas – Fort Worth Airport. This is the first time the association has endorsed a republican candidate for Governor.

Posted by Evan @ 07/26/05 07:03 PM | Comments (0)

Lance Armstrong

Although he's still listed at Step Up Texas and John Kerry thinks he should go into politics, Lance Armstrong says he's not running:

Asked Monday by NBC-TV's Ann Curry whether he has political aspirations, the 33-year-old Austinite said: "No, no."

Curry: "You're saying you have no political aspirations?"

Armstrong: "I'm not..."

Curry: "You're not saying you have no political aspirations?"

Armstrong: "I don't know what I'm saying. We're going to elect a new (Texas) governor next year -- I'm not running next year."

As far as I can tell, most are assuming he's a Democrat by virtue of the fact that his girlfriend Sheryl Crow was stridently anti-war (remember the rhinestone "NO WAR" guitar strap at the Grammy's?)

Posted by Evan @ 07/26/05 06:59 PM | Comments (0)

24 July 2005

Weekend roundup

* Strayhorn takes a whack at Perry over school finance.

* School finance takes: Dallas Morning News.

* The Dallas Voice -- the "community newspaper for gay & lesbian Dallas" -- glowingly profiles Chris Bell's visit to the Stonewall Democrats.

* SAEN columnist Roddy Stinson writes up the Democratic trial lawyers who gave lots of money to Carole Strayhorn.

* HouChron Newswriter/editorialist Clay Robison editorializes that "Perry, Legislature lack real will to redo school funding."

Posted by Evan @ 07/24/05 03:20 PM | Comments (0)

21 July 2005

School finance, no posts this weekend

The second special session for school finance is underway.

Will it happen?

Meanwhile, I'm headed off to New Braunfels to enjoy the Texas outdoors. So I'm unlikely to post anything this weekend, unless the improbable occurs and Kay Bailey decides to run for guv after all (I'm not starting rumors!). As Bob Bullock might say, God bless Texas.

Posted by Evan @ 07/21/05 10:41 PM | Comments (0)

20 July 2005

"Hairdressers for Kinky"

Rick Casey's column in today's Chronicle:

Gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman's biggest campaign contributor from Houston is a Palestinian hairdresser.

What did you expect?

Friedman says he's quite serious about his campaign to become the state's first Jewish governor, but he's destined to spawn humor.

He can't help himself. In between his serious proposals, he says when he's elected, he'll lower the speed limit to 54.99.

The hairdresser, Farouk Shami, gave Friedman's campaign $5,400.

...

Shami has a partner in [a business] endeavor who is an even bigger campaign contributor. John McCall, who made a fortune as a shampoo distributor, has ponied up $160,000 so far, more than half Friedman's total of $301,000.

It'll be interesting to see if McCall continues to bankroll Kinky Friedman's campaign.

Raising money is tough work, and often the hardest thing for candidates. No one like to get on the phone for a few hours and ask people for money over and over again. But it's what separates the serious from the whimsical.

UPDATE: Though I didn't excerpt it here, Casey's column mentions the Texas Monthly article Kinky Friedman wrote about Farouk. The Texas Monthly article is here.

Posted by Evan @ 07/20/05 09:47 AM | Comments (0)

19 July 2005

Hutchison vs. Radnofsky numbers

More campaign finance reports, this time from the Senate race. The time period ended on the last day of June, and covered the preceeding 3 months.

Kay Bailey Hutchison has $7.4 million in cash on hand. She raised $502K (about 60K from PACs), spent $364K.

Barbara Radnofsky, the only announced Democrat, has $349K in cash on hand. She raised $137 and spent $48K.

Posted by Evan @ 07/19/05 08:26 PM | Comments (2)

Texas Monthly's Kinky Friedman article

PerryvsWorld.com gets results! [Nod to Daniel Drezner]

Yesterday, I said I'd try to get the link for the Texas Monthly Kinky Friedman article.

Cathy got back to me quickly. Here is the link to John Spong's article. It will be active for about 24 hours. If you come by this post after that, then the next best thing is probably my thoughts from the article.

Posted by Evan @ 07/19/05 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

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