Dallas County Democrats
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SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 For more see Terror. |
Opinions mixed in with the facts here, unless otherwise attributed, were those of the then County Chair, Bill Howell. If you disagree, please blame him, not the party. Thanks.
Last Updated: December 8, 2001
DECEMBER 2001
DEC. 8:
A FULL COUNTY SLATE
JACK BORDEN, who had been looking at the County Judge race (which State Representative HARRYETTE EHRHARDT in now in), announced to Precinct Chairs at the December 5 Executive Committee meeting that he instead expects to run for County Treasurer against Republican Bill Melton. This means we now have Democratic candidates for all county executive positions up in 2002:
County Judge: HARRYETTE EHRHARDT
District Attorney: PETER LESSER
County Treasurer: JACK BORDEN
District Clerk: KAY HUTCHISON
County Clerk: CLAIR CONLY WOERTENDYKE and MARK OVARD
There are also Democratic candidates for over half of the about 40 judicial positions up in Dallas County next year that are elected county-wide, and more are calling to sign up each day. (The number that will be up keeps changing, as some Judges resign leaving vacancies to be filled.) That is more local candidates than the Democratic Party has run in twenty years. The latest list is here.
Not everyone running is listed there yet, because some collecting ballot petitions are waiting until later to announce and file. No one has yet filed for Justice of the Peace, because everyone is still waiting on the courts to resolve a lawsuit about the number and size of JP districts. So far no one has committed to run for County Commissioner in any of those districts, either.
MUSICAL CHAIRS AMONG CANDIDATES
As various Republican incumbent Judges resign or seek different offices, the lineup of the Democratic candidates has also been changing. As you can see on the webpage listed above, PATRICK STRAUSS has now switched to the 160th District, SARAH SALDANA is now running for the 44th Dist., and both NATHAN BRIN and GREG GRAY are now going for the 191st. Any petition signatures gathered by any of the three men who switched races are now invalid, and they will have to start over.
Since HARRYETTE EHRHARDT dropped out of the race for State Representative in the new District 108, which now includes the Park Cities, attorney and former Precinct Chair MALCOLM DADE is the only one who has expressed interest in running for her seat. Meanwhile, SDEC member THERESA DANIEL is collecting petitions for a possible race in the new District 107, which includes the Lake Highlands area of northeast Dallas. BRUCE ARCHER, who ran an impressive race against Elvira Reyna in Mesquite last year, is thinking of running there again. We also have a candidate looking at a race in the new district that includes Coppell, and BRIAN BOOKER has already filed against Fred Hill in Garland.
We have the filing forms and other information available at the party office for anyone interested in running for any other offices.
SIGNATURES STILL NEEDED
A law meant to discourage challenges to incumbents requires all our candidates for Judge to get at least 250 signatures to get on the balllot. Most of them are still collecting those. LISA MCKNIGHT, who started earliest, has now gotten over 1000 valid signatures, and so could file without having to pay the $2000 fee. The others could all use help - not just your signature, but your help asking other voters to sign as well. Call the candidates and offer to help, or come by the office and sign yourself, or take some copies of their petitions out to get more signatures.
PARTY FOR 2002
JEFF STRATER, who headed the committee that arranged the sucessful Fish Fry Fundraiser (it cleared about $13,000, and was praised as a fun event), announced that there will be another party on Filing Deadline Day, Wednesday, January 2, after filing closes at 6 PM. This will be the 2002 PARTY to raise money for the DCDP to kick off the year's campaigns. Thanks to Precinct Chair WHIT MEYERS, it will be held at the Gypsy Tea Room, 2546 Elm (in "Deep Ellum"), Dallas. This will be a great chance to meet all of our newly filed candidates (including some who are waiting until the last minute to announce).
PRIMARY STAFF
The Primary elections are actually paid for by the Secretary of State. Each party sends in its estimated costs and gets a check for approved expenditures (and later gets audited, too). This year we asked for over $700,000, the highest ever. Unfortunately almost all of that goes directly to the County Election Department for printing, equipment, delivery, computer processing, etc. Only a tiny amount is left for the office, and there are severe restrictions on that to keep it from being used for partisan purposes - or even to try and increase voter turnout. We are allowed to hire a few people for inadequate pay, and it may be weeks before we get the first check.
However, with the money made by the Fish Fry (see above) we have gone ahead and hired the first primary staff person. ANGELA PLESE worked for the party office a few years ago when LISA PAYNE was Chair. Recently she's been teaching preschool, using the same upbeat people skills that let her work very well with volunteers. She's already familiar with our office procedures and she'll be starting Monday, December 10. We'd love to hire as skilled and diverse a staff as we had for the 2000 Primary. (Sadly, J.P. Joyce has passed away since then.)
MAJOR FUNDRAISING AHEAD
Last year we spent all we could on local get-out-the-vote mailings, ads, calls, etc., through both the party and the Dallas County Victory PAC headed by former Justice CHARLES MCGARRY. This year we'll need to spend even more to push us over the top in November. At the December 5 Executive Committee meeting I introduced SUSAN HAYS, an attorney with a major firm here, who has been working with the PAC and in some past campaigns. She has volunteered to help craft specific proposals for winning in 2002, and take them to major potential donors. She'll be starting this huge task after the filing ends January 2.
CHAIR FILINGS
A total of 85 people filed for another term as Precinct Chair at the Wednesday meeting. That brings the total filed to 136 - only a third of the number of Chairs we have now. That is actually about normal at this point. Time is pressing, however, as the deadline for filing is the same as for candidates - 6 PM, Wednesday, January 2. Copies of the forms were mailed to incumbents. These are also available at our office, or can be downloaded and printed from the Secretary of State's website (the form is called Application for ____ Chair on the ____ Party General Primary Ballot) here.
Our latest list of Precinct Chair filings is here.
If your precinct doesn't have a Chair, you can file yourself. There is no filing fee or petition requirement. Of course, you can also file against an incumbent, but as Rocky said to Bullwinkle, "That trick never works". Active Precinct Chairs are almost always re-elected. If they aren't active, they may welcome your interest in taking the job. Call us and get their number, then call and ask them about it.
At the same meeting I announced that I am running for another term as County Chair. This is in keeping with the promise I made when the Precinct Chairs elected me to this office.
--Bill Howell, DCDP Chair
DEC. 7:
HARRYETTE EHRHARDT RUNS FOR COUNTY JUDGE
Democratic State Representative HARRYETTE EHRHARDT announced to the Precinct Chairs at Wednesday night's executive committee meeting that she will run for Dallas County Judge, instead of for another term in the Texas House of Representatives. She will be making a more formal announcement in the near future.
The incumbent, Republican Lee Jackson, is not running for re-election. The only announced Republican candidate is a comparatively unknown District Judge, Margaret Keliher.
For those unfamiliar with this office, it is not a judicial position but an administrative one. The County Judge presides over the County Commissioner's Court, which runs county government somewhat like a city council runs city government, but with more executive control. (The confusing title of the office is an old Southern tradition.)
Contrary to popular belief, the county government has an enormous direct impact on all of our lives. It not only controls the jails and courts and roads and bridges, but operates an immense number of vital social programs, including Parkland Hospital. Many of these have suffered over the years from attempted meddling for narrow political reasons that just defied logic and sound ecomonics.
Harryette, who has been in the legislature for four terms, will be able to use those experiences and contacts to good advantage during future legislative sessions. Outgoing Judge Lee Jackson, also a legislator before taking that office, found that background to be beneficial to the county.
Harryette has always run the most active, volunteer filled, grassroots campaigns of any of our local candidates. She will make this the most intense effort of any race next year. With all of our help, she will not only have a very good chance to win this, but will also help all the rest of our ticket from top to bottom.
You can help, and your help will be needed. Please contact her campaign and tell them what you can do to help her restore common sense to county government.
Phone: 214-821-2511
Fax: 214-821-2521
Write: P.O. Box 140968, Dallas TX 75204
Email: [email protected]
NOVEMBER 2001
NOV. 14:
NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS:
"Federal judges Wednesday issued a new congressional map for the 2002 elections that puts new districts in Central Texas and Dallas County while pitting no two incumbents against one another."
See "Federal judges release Congressional redistricting plan" here.
It looks like the new maps give local Democrats Martin Frost and Eddie Bernice Johnson good Democratic districts, and Democrat Ralph Hall a Republican district which he should still be able to win as an incumbent. The new Republican-leaning district in Dallas County (59.5% Republican in 1998 for Comptroller) is in the northwest part of the county. District 5 (Pete Sessions) is now only 52.5% Republican in that same 1998 race. That means a good Democrat has a real chance of winning it. Could Victor Morales be interested in that again? If not, we need to find someone who can run and beat Sessions in his new territory in east Texas. Also interesting is Ken Bentsen's district in Houston, which has been made Democratic again. Does this mean he will switch back to the race for Congress instead of the U.S. Senate?
To view the map, go to www.tlc.state.tx.us/tlc/research/redist/redist.htm. The new plan is 1151C.
You may find some slowness in loading the maps. Every political junkie in the state is looking at them now. According to Manny Molera (planning to run from Collin County), so were the party people in D.C. when he spoke to them this afternoon. Thanks to Ken Molberg for being the first to send us the link to the maps.
OCTOBER 2001
OCT. 22:
FORCING CHILDREN TO PRAY TO WIN VOTES:
""Because the students were required to attend this assembly, the school could be subject to a legal challenge"... "Some people, and it sounds like the governor may be one of them, are confused about the difference between the right to pray in school, which is an absolute right, and the right not to be coerced to pray," said Samantha Smoot, executive director of Texas Freedom Network...."
See "Perry ignores ban, prays with E. Texas students - Governor says legalizing school prayer will be a campaign issue" here.
SUPPORT THE FLAG, BUT GIVE US AN HONEST COUNT:
"...the consortium "is deliberately hiding the results of its recount because [former Democrat vice-president Al] Gore was the indisputable winner"."
See "Media suppress the news that Bush lost election to Gore" here.
DON'T CALL BUSH A THIEF IN FLORIDA:
""The big issue is people who disagree with policies should not be squelched... Their First Amendment rights were violated.""
See "3 Protesters To Sue Tampa Over Arrests At George Bush Rally" here.
AN ON-LINE PETITION AGAINST ONE OF THE FLORIDA "COUNTERS":
See "Katherine Harris Should be Indicted, Not Elected" here.
OCT. 19:
You are invited to meet SHERRY BOYLES Democratic Candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner
Tuesday, October 30, 2001 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM
At a reception in the home of Judy Shure & Jim Mattingly 9859 Elmcrest, Dallas
There is no charge for this event - Suggested contribution $25
Please r.s.v.p. accepts only: Lisa 972-780-9050 [email protected] Theresa 214-327-4424 [email protected]
Host Committee: Theresa Daniel, Susan Hays, Lisa Y. Payne, Jill Martinez, Judy Shure, Martha Tiller
OCT. 19:
Dates and Times of Early Voting for the November 6, 2001, Constitutional Amendment Election, and City of Dallas Special Election, and City of Grand Prairie Special Election:
Monday, Oct. 22, 2001 through Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday, Oct. 27, 2001 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday, Oct. 28, 2001 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Monday, Oct. 29, 2001 through Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2001 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001 through Friday, Nov. 2, 2001 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
There are more than two dozen early voting locations around Dallas County. For a full list see the Dallas County Elections Department website here.
If you live in some other county, check with your county's Elections Department for times and locations for early voting.
If you can help on this Election Day on Tuesday, November 6, 2001, as an Election Judge or Clerk, and you aren't already working the polls, please call Lori Ann Bodino at the Dallas County Elections Department at 214-819-6332. I'm one of those who has always enjoyed helping people vote at the polling place. The hours are long and the pay is insignificant, but it's people willing to do this that makes our democratic form of government possible.
WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT:
Everyone gets to vote on nineteen State Constitutional Amendments and propositions. There has not been much attention paid to these either for or against. There is a full list and description on the Secretary of State's Elections Division website here.
Voters in the City of Dallas will also vote on a proposition about the Olympics. The ballot will read:
PROPOSITION 2012 (FOR VOTERS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS ONLY):
If the City of Dallas is selected as the site for the 2012 Olympic Games, may the city, with no increase in the existing sales tax rate being authorized hereby, contribute to the Olympic Games trust fund for Dallas the portion of receipts from the existing sales and use tax that is directly attributed to the Olympic Games and related events, as determined by the state comptroller, but in no event exceeding $14 million, with the contributions being expended only in the event of a deficit in revenues from the Olympic Games and related events and with surplus city tax funds being returned to the city after the Olympic Games are completed, all as authorized and set forth in Article 5190.14 of Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes?
The Dallas County Democratic Party doesn't take any position on the state or city propositions. I know of good Precinct Chairs on both sides of the Olympics question. I urge everyone just to make up your own mind and vote accordingly. For more information about this you can look at these websites:
The site of the committee organizing the Dallas Olympics bid: www.dallas2012.org
A site from opponents of this Olympics proposition: www.putusfirst.com/index.php
OCT. 8:
IN TEXAS POLITICS GOES ON:
"Candidate hopes to use NFL ties in his Senate bid" here.
And "Austin mayor an attractive statewide candidate" here.
WHILE IN D.C.: HEAD 'EM OFF AT CREDIBILITY GAP:
"Bush staffers chastise NBC for a Clinton interview, Fleischer whacks Maher and the Bush-was-in-danger story falls apart. Tension mounts between the White House and the media."
See "White House Whitewashers" here.
BY THE WAY, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT FINAL RECOUNT?
"Media consortium puts release of NORC report on indefinite hold" here.
IT'S LOST IN A CLOUD OF SYCOPHANCY:
"A supposedly politically impartial free press is practicing censorship of every sort...Broadcast news continuously supports the notion that any criticism of the worst White House resident in our history is tantamount to treason."
See "Between the shoulder blades" here.
SOME FACTS ABOUT BUSH'S LATEST GIVEAWAY FOR THE RICH:
"The Administration's Stimulus Proposal: Is it a Sound and Balanced Package?" here.
AND A MORE USEFUL LONG-RANGE PROPOSAL:
"Energy Independence Now - We Need A New Energy Revolution" here.
OCT. 3:
NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS:
The new Congressional districts as ordered by the court today are at this website.
No doubt these will be appealed. It puts Martin Frost's 24th wholly within Dallas County, as a huge U-shape wrapping aroung Eddie Bernice Johnson's 30th. His district was just barely lost by Paul Hobby in 1998, and Martin runs ahead of Hobby so he could still win this, but it will be a fight. Well, it always is and he always wins. District 5 now runs from east Dallas to the northwest part of Dallas County, so Pete Sessions still barely lives there (I think) and it is now vastly more Republican than ever. Districts 3 (Sam Johnson) and 26 (Dick Armey) are now entirely outside of Dallas County, in Collin and Denton respectively (and some other outlying counties as well). Ralph Hall's new district 4 includes more of northeastern Dallas County than before, and is just as Republican.
The two new districts Texas gets are drawn in this in the Rio Grande valley, from Laredo to eastern El Paso county (this one is Hispanic, and we have a good chance - among other things, Secretary of State Henry Cuellar has just resigned to run as a Democrat; needless to say he will have primary opponents after taking that job for Rick Perry) and from the Gulf coast to just outside Travis County (Austin) (this one is Anglo and leans Republican).
It's not a Democratic plan, in fact if anything it helps Republicans more (for instance putting Republican Tyler and Longview in the rural 1st district -- Wright Patman is spinning in his grave now). But it is not a totally slanted Republican plan either, so they will no doubt fight for more. I haven't had time to look at details about minority representation yet -- which will be a key thing either way in appeals.
SEPTEMBER 2001
SEPT. 21:
OPEN LETTER ON FINANCES:
To: Hon. John Wiley Price
CC: Dallas County Democrats And Friends
Re: Your email of September 20, 2001:
"Will someone please provide me with an anticipated budget for the party? PLEASE!"
Commissioner:I can only speak for the local, Dallas County Democratic Party. I would be happy to provide you with such a budget, if it existed. It has been years since an attempt was made to draft a budget for the DCDP. We found that local party revenues were too erratic, inconsistent, and unreliable to make any workable predictions.
In general terms, the pattern is this. Every two years, the local party gets a large amount of money from the Secretary of State. (For 2000, the total was over half a million dollars.) All of that HAS to be used for holding the Primary and Runoff, and the Secretary of State audits the spending on that to make sure that is ALL it's used for. Most of this is turned over to your own Dallas County Elections Department (for printing, equipment, etc.), most of the rest is used to pay election judges and clerks or to rent facilities, and only a small amount is left over for materials, primary staff, etc. The amount that can be spent on office staff is small, but I am happy to say we had a very diverse and experienced group that worked well together in 2000, and I hope we will be able to do the same in 2002.
Between Primaries, the local party gets some contributions before the election in even-numbered years. The more active candidates are, the larger the amount that comes in. In off-years, the amount of such incidental contributions drops off to virtually nothing. We do have a very small group of people who are contributing Members (including several elected officials), that give the DCDP $120 per year or more, often in the form of monthly drafts on their bank. They are the very lifeblood of the local party, but we have found that even this loyal group tends to shrink in non-election years.
The total amount that usually comes in during off-years meets the regular overhead (rent, utilities, etc.) only because we have no paid staff now, and because the first thing I did as County Chair was search for a cheaper place for an office. Thanks to the Mattox family, we are renting an adequate office space at a central location near Fair Park (unlike the lovely, but increasingly expensive, far north Dallas space we had for several years), for a price we can afford.
Outside of the Primary funds, the total amount that the local party ever has to spend never amounts to more than a few tens of thousands of dollars, almost all of which goes for our small amount of fixed overhead. After the runoff was over last year, we could only afford to have one paid staffer here, and that ended with election day. Since November 8, this has been a volunteer office.
Every time there is a strong statewide campaign which spends money in Dallas County (individually or as a team effort) to open its own offices, hire staffers, etc., people start blaming the local party office for the spending choices the outsiders make, and hurling accusations that we are sitting on a lot of money and not spreading it around fairly. Such charges are nonsense, but they are always made. If our ever-more promising looking slate of statewide candidates does this again next year, I fully expect that we will be the target of such resentment and recriminations again.
One part of such mis-directed criticism which I agree with, and have been saying so for years, is the targeting priorities of the outside efforts. Last year, for instance, there was a concentration on what were called "battleground" districts, where there was a serious contest in the general election. Here in Dallas County, this included Congressional Districts 24 (Martin Frost) and 5 (where Regina Montoya Coggins was running) and State Senate District 2 (David Cain). These were all fine candidates and officials and needed help. Statewide, the strategy seemed to reach its goal: no Democratic seats were lost, despite George Bush's coattails.
The unfortunate side of this locally was that the rest of the county was shortchanged in resources, including our most heavily Democratic, "core" districts, where the Republicans were not making a serious effort. The get-out-the-vote efforts worked where they were directed. But with more effort put into Congressional District 30 (Eddie Bernice Johnson's) and State Senate District 23 (Royce West's), the Democratic turnout would have been enough to have elected Mary Ann Huey as District Judge, and probably Chuck Munoz as County Sheriff as well.
We did our part at this office. What little surplus funds we had saved up by cutting expenses we spent on helping our candidates. For instance, the targeted effort was paying for a recorded phone message from President Clinton to Democrats in those "battleground" districts. We realized that this left most of the Democrats in the county untouched, so we paid to expand that calling to the rest of the county - meaning mostly those Districts 30 and 23. I'm convinced that's why Huey's and Munoz's races were as close as they were. We spent what we had, and if we'd had more, we would have spent it too, on the same kind of effort. Given the funds to spend in the future, that would be my priority again - get-out-the-vote efforts to help the whole Democratic ticket.
I respect your sense of fiscal responsibility, if the absence of an anticipated budget is the reason you have not become a contributing member of the Dallas County Democratic Party. I hope this overview is helpful, and I'm sorry I can't make detailed predictions of revenue. I can say that, based on early responses to our request for sponsors for the DCDP Fish Fry, enthusiasm is high and support will be better than it has been in years. Again, I intend to use those resources to help all of us make a better world by electing more Democrats.
Sincerely yours,
Bill Howell
MESSAGE FROM MARTY AKINS:
We received this from the Marty Akins campaign (at [email protected]):
"In 1975, I set a goal to someday be Governor of Texas. Today, it is still one of my goals. For the last eight months we have campaigned across Texas meeting thousands of wonderful individuals and have enjoyed the support of many.
I am sending this message to let you know that after many hours of thought and prayer with my family and campaign team, I have decided to postpone my plans to be Governor of Texas in 2002. I have chosen to forego an expensive and bloody fight in the Democratic Party primary and instead have decided to run for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
I do not come to this decision lightly and with the events of last week in New York and Washington, D.C., I believe what is best for the State of Texas and the Democratic Party is to make this move. Already the outpouring of support has been tremendous.
I want you to know that I appreciate your early support and interest in my campaign and for that I am truly grateful. As we move forward in this race, I hope I can continue to count on your support.
This was one of the toughest decisions in my life and I know that with individuals like you, we will win in November 2002.
Sincerely,
Marty Akins
SEPT. 19, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AKINS MOVES TO COMPTROLLER RACE 'FOR PARTY UNITY'
CANDIDATE CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS TO RUN AS TEAM
Candidate Marty Akins today announced he is departing the race to be the Texas Democratic Party's nominee for governor to instead run for the statewide office of Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
(The Akins campaign said it was forgoing a formal press conference announcement in light of recent national tragedies and that Akins hoped to have a formal announcement at an appropriate time in the next few weeks.)
"I see no benefit to the Democratic Party of Texas, or to the 20 million residents of The Lone Star, if Tony Sanchez of Laredo and Marty Akins of Marble Falls continue to battle one another in a rugged struggle from which there might not emerge a Democratic winner at all come November 2002," Akins said.
"I called Tony Sanchez today and told him of my decision. He supports my candidacy for comptroller 100 percent, as I do his candidacy for governor," Akins said.
"I am confident I could defeat Rick Perry if I were the Democratic gubernatorial candidate," Akins added. "But early party unity will allow Texas Democrats to build a powerful coalition, allow us to raise critical campaign funds to strengthen our party and allow us to organize our support at the grassroots level."
Akins cited the debates and differences between legendary Texas Democrats Lyndon Johnson and Ralph Yarborough in elaborating on his decision. "They sparred vigorously, but united just as vigorously when the time was right," he said.
"I believe this is the right time, now, to unify our Texas Democratic Party and for the Democratic candidates to come together as a team. I promise to support and hope to campaign with every Democratic candidate.
"Tough dialogue and real competition have again become part of the Texas tradition and I make no apologies for stirring up some dust. Tony Sanchez and I are fierce competitors. We play to win. But not at any cost," Akins said in calling for both political camps and the party to "find common ground and across-the-board unity."
For Further Information: Jerod Hruska 512-494-9943"
SEPT. 20:
SENATOR DAVID BERNSEN RUNS FOR LAND COMMISSIONER, MARTY AKINS DROPS OUT OF GOVERNOR'S RACE & RUNS FOR COMPTROLLER:
Democratic State Senator David Bernsen, who upset the Republicans in an election four years ago, has announced that instead of running for another term in the horribly gerrymandered Republican district drawn for him, he will run for Texas Land Commissioner.
Shortly thereafter Marty Akins announced that he has switched from his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Governor to a race for Texas Comptroller instead. This leaves Tony Sanchez as the likely Democratic nominee for Governor. Akins issued a statement saying "I believe this is the right time, now, to unify our Texas Democratic Party and for the Democratic candidates to come together as a team." This comes just three weeks after he denied rumors that he would withdraw and switch to run for Land Commissioner instead.
News stories also indicated that three years ago Akins was on the statewide steering committee for incumbent Republican Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander, contributed $1000 to her campaign, and introduced her at four campaign events, travelling with her to Tyler for one appearance. By now, everyone knows how awful she is.
Both Bernsen and Akins are now listed as candidates for their newly targeted offices on our website here.
CHANGES TO DALLAS COUNTY J.P.S DELAYED:
The Dallas County Commissioners had voted to reduce the number of Justices of the Peace from 14 to 11, and reduce the Constables from 8 to 5, while reducing the number of JP/Constable districts from 8 to 5 as well. The new plan was to have started October 1, but can't because it has not been approved by the U.S. Justice Department (which has to pre-clear any changes, since Texas is covered by the Voting Rights Act). They still expect to get this approved in October and start the new plan on October 22. According to the Dallas News: "I don't anticipate any problem," said County Commissioner John Wiley Price, who has talked with Justice Department officials.
Our three incumbent African-American Democratic J.P.s, Cleophas Steele Jr., Thomas Jones, and Charles Rose (whose seat was one of the three abolished), have filed a federal voting rights act lawsuit to try to block the new plan. The suit says the plan "dilutes future black voting strength...in southern Dallas County, which is the geographic area experiencing the greatest growth of black voters." The News says Price called that "preposterous", and said "We've protected the districts as required in the Voting Rights Act."
Judge Rose had been criticized by Commissioners for having a backlog of 22,000 cases. Republican Commissioner Jim Jackson said the new plan will "eventually" save almost one million dollars a year.
SEPT. 18: A LITTLE GOOD NEWS: ONE BAD BUSH NOMINEE THROWS IN THE TOWEL:
"After being rejected by a Democratic-controlled committee, Consumer Product Safety commissioner Mary Sheila Gall has quietly asked President Bush to withdraw her nomination to lead the agency. Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee voted as a bloc against Gall, a Republican, and her nomination lost on a party-line 12-11 vote last month. Committee Democrats said she too often favored business over consumer safety."
See "Consumer Safety Nominee Wants Out" at this url.
CANDIDATE TRAINING:
We'll be having an intensive grassroots campaign workshop for local candidates and their campaign managers on Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14, (NOTE: This is a change of date. The event was moved from Oct. 6 to avoid the Texas-OU weekend.) with lots of speakers including State Representative HARRYETTE EHRHARDT and others. The location (in Dallas) and starting time are being confirmed. If you're running in 2002 (or planning to run in the future) you should be there. For more information call 214-821-2511.
CENSORSHIP:
For a truly frightening column about repression of anti-Bush protests, an impending U.S. "Official Secrets Act", and media non-coverage of things like Republican election fraud and the amazing silence about the dead body of a woman aide recently found in a REPUBLICAN Congressman's office, see this article:
"Protests are out and we will decide what you can investigate" by Scott Morschhauser, in Online Journal, at this website.
SANCHEZ:
On Tuesday, September 4, TONY SANCHEZ was in Dallas to announce his candidacy for Governor. For more details call Vernon Reaser 512-615-1330 or email: vreaser AT tonysanchez.com.
(Meanwhile, his opponent, MARTY AKINS, was here in August to speak to the Irving Democrats. This race is heating up.)
THE MIDDLE EAST:
On Sunday, September 9, Dr. Meir Litvak, a former Cornell Professor now at Tel Aviv University and a terrorism scholar, will be discussing the latest crisis in the Middle East with Democrats at the home of Gerald and Barbara Levine, 7011 Stefani, Dallas, from 7:30 to 9:30 PM. PLEASE RSVP to Annette at 972-918-9200, since the space is limited.
For News from previous months, see News Archives.