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Volume XVII Number 25 - October 25, 2018     RSS Feed   

A Periodic Newsletter for Committed Texas Conservatives

In This Issue

The Houston Chronicle Endorsement Bias And Us

Latest Revelations Tell Us This Year's Houston Proposition A Is Worse, Vote No

Democrats Kooky Ideas Coming Soon If You Give Them Control

Don't Hand Congress to the Radical Left By Bruce Bialosky, Contributing Editor

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12 Days Until The 2018 Election

The Houston Chronicle Endorsement Bias And Us

While reading the Houston Chronicle's story this week about the completely dysfunctional HISD school board - we decided to check how helpful this newspaper has been in suggesting outstanding people to serve. It was not surprising to find the Chronicle endorsed most of the current dysfunctional board.

This got us thinking, what about this year's endorsements - are they fair and objective or biased toward the increasingly leftward turn of this once significant paper? You won't be surprised because like its now leftward tilt in news coverage with its editorial opinions now bleeding into news, this paper has essentially forfeited its position as a trusted source on whom to vote for!

They take particular delight in endorsing against conservative State Senator Paul Bettencourt. The person they endorsed is an unknown, who is not really campaigning, but he is GLBT. Maybe that explains it.

Or maybe because Paul opposes escalating property taxes and wants to put a damper on runaway local and school district spending. It's just further proof of the worthlessness of the Chronicle endorsement. They begrudgingly endorsed Governor Abbott and encouraged Ed Emmett to break ranks with a straight Republican ticket and he did.

The number of each party endorsed by the paper is close, but not when you consider that 80% plus on the ballot are incumbent Republicans, many experienced judges.

Here are a few tendencies of the Chronicle endorsement editorials - (1) endorsing candidates without minimum experience for Judge and not commenting that fact, (2) their partisan and liberal policy positions are used as a basis to support a Democratic candidate and nix the Republican, (3) consistently say nice things about the Democrat they didn't endorse, but not for the Republican they didn't endorse, and (4) they even enthusiastically endorsed ethically challenged Democrats (because we guess) they probably just don't care.

The paper should be honest with its declining readership, they cover the news and provide commentary through a leftward prism. They are not fair and balanced in news or editorials. We suggest that the Chronicle recommendations should be used to line your cat litter box. Any questions?

Latest Revelations Tell Us This Year's
Houston Proposition A Is Worse, Vote No

According to Bill King, a little discussed provision that commits Houston's hard pressed taxpayers to pay taxes until 2031 and easily beyond:

"This Section is subject to modification as permitted by law or termination at the end of fiscal year 2031 (i.e., after 20 years of operation) if during fiscal year 2030 (i.e. 19th year of operation) such modification or termination is authorized by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the City Council following a public hearing on the matter. If not so terminated, this Section shall continue in full force and effect for successive 20 year periods, subject in each case to modification or termination in the same manner."

So now it can be kept around for 13 years plus around 20 more years with a two-thirds majority of City Council required to terminate this stealth tax increase.

Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on the City of Houston. Vote a resounding NO on Proposition A at the bottom of the ballot.

Review of City of Houston's Propositions A & B

Democrats Kooky Ideas Coming Soon
If You Give Them Control

Your editor has been studying left-wing public policy ideas if they take control of Congress and/or the White House, read about it and go vote Republican.

"Medicare for All": A full-scale single-payer system would outlaw most private insurance benefits and cover everything for everyone. It would cost about $32.6 trillion over 10 years. Your taxes are going sky-high.

Reforming Capitalism: Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has an "Accountable Capitalism Act" that would require big corporations to act in interests of more than just their shareholders.

Taxing Carbon (Oil): A progressive carbon tax price policy is being pushed and will cause higher energy prices.

Redistributing More Money: Senator Kamala Harris (Democrat from California) has a plan that would give up to $6,000 a year for married couples (3K for singles) making less than 100K a year, The Atlantic reports. This would cost an estimated $200 billion a year.

"Baby Bonds": Senator Cory "Spartacus" Booker wants to give as much as $46K to people upon reaching adulthood, scaled by family income and paid by, guess what, tax increases on capital gains and estates. No cost estimate yet.

Guaranteed Jobs: A plan that provides a guaranteed job to anyone who wants one. (Government employee as a last resort)

"Abolish ICE": "Beto" O'Rourke ideas support open our borders to the mobs invading us from Central America.

Had enough? You and your friends need to vote straight Republican this year!

Don't Hand Congress to the Radical Left
By Bruce Bialosky, Contributing Editor

In moving the Supreme Court appointment off the agenda, we now have greater clarity on the necessity of what lies ahead if Republicans do not mobilize to maintain control of both houses of Congress. We must now focus on why it is so important that Republicans unite and drive the election cycle toward a favorable outcome.

The primary focus lies with the fact that the controlling element of messaging, and the agenda, on the Left is with the radical Left. They have been forcing the more mainstream Democrats to the left, thus causing a shift of the entire party. A perfect example is Senator Feinstein (D-CA) with her last-minute grasp at Left-wing support by bringing forth Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to stave off the threat from her left by candidate Kevin de León. If the Left is successful on Election Day, they will control the party leaders and committee leaders when they take control of either the House or the Senate.

The Democrats began to have a platform for 2018. In May they released "A Better Deal." That went nowhere and was actually very much an attack on Republicans rather than a platform. What will the Democrats do if they win control of the House of Representatives? We can listen to what they are telling us or what they are hiding until after the election.

They will impeach. Apparently, impeaching President Trump is not enough. They want to throw Justice Kavanaugh on the impeachment pile. Just ask Jerry Nadler (D-NY). Nadler would become Chair of the House Judiciary Committee and he stated he will proceed with investigations and impeachment. Just think how productive our Congress will be for two years while we have the "endless impeachment" Congress. Of course, once the House gets done with impeaching they have no chance of actual conviction in the Senate. We will then have two years of squandering any hope of moving forward on anything of substance, with useless negativity dragging our country into a two-year hate fest. If you thought the two-month disgusting spectacle of the Kavanaugh hearing was repulsive, wait until you see the two-year impeachment extravaganza.

If you ignore the impeachment party possibilities, what will the Democrats do if they take over Congress? They have not been very specific since their Better Deal which has gone by the wayside. Listen to their leaders on the Left and their socialist agenda.

What we know they will be doing is holding hearings. Hearings that will investigate and stop anything the executive branch attempts to do. It will not just be two years of boot lock gridlock. It will be hearings with all those screaming histrionics.

In what way will their taking over a chamber of Congress enhance the country? In their mind stopping any appointments, any activity of the current administration or any budgetary action would actually be a positive. Remember they used to like to run the clock out all the time on the budget and never really hold a vote; just continuing resolutions. That way they never had to take a meaningful vote on budget matters.

If they have not told us what they really want to do, we can take a stab at it from crumbs they left along the trail. They want to forgive every college loan and offer free college for all going forward. Medicare for all is a big new theme, even though they don't really understand that modern Medicare costs a good bit of money for the participants. And then there is the desired elimination of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with a nebulous suggestion of what would replace it to control the unfettered illegal immigration.

These are all platform items that Republicans find dreadful; their behavior Republicans find abhorrent; their leaders Republicans find appalling. One is left to wonder why Republicans were supposedly not enthused about this forthcoming election until the Kavanaugh hearings.

In every significant recent election, the party that won the election did not really win; the other party lost by not showing up to the polls. If the Republicans lose in the 2018 elections, it will be a self-inflicted wound. It is hard to believe these people are tired of winning already. It is hard to believe that they think the damage done by eight years of Obama has been completely reversed and they can pack it up and go skiing or get comfortable in their loungers. Especially now that the faces of those who will win this election, if they stay home, have been exposed. Do they not have those screaming radicals marching through our Senate buildings emblazoned in their minds?

Republicans have just begun to make a dent in dismantling the governmental labyrinth which has built up over the years. We are just beginning to see the positive effects of the economic policies. Republican enthusiasm should be off the scales to show up for this election.

If you need greater definition, you can always depend on Hillary Clinton to step in on your behalf. "You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about," Clinton told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "That's why I believe, if we are fortunate enough to win back the House and or the Senate, that's when civility can start again."

Translation: we will act like savages, invading restaurants, getting in Senators' faces, pounding on the door of the Supreme Court until we are in power when we know the Republicans will act civilly while in the minority. And you were thinking of staying home and not voting?

And last, those special words that Republicans never want to hear: Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

This needs to be the Republicans' mission until Election Day. Turn out to vote and make sure every reliable vote turns out also. Or wait until you see the bloodbath when the next member of the Supreme Court provides a vacant seat.


Bruce Bialosky is the founder of the Republican Jewish Coalition of California and a former Presidential appointee. You can follow Bruce on Twitter @brucebialosky.


TCR on the Air

Red, White & Blue featuring TCR Editor Gary Polland on Fridays at 7:30 pm on PBS Houston Channel 8, replaying Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 8, Monday at 11:30 pm on Channel 8.2 and on the web at www.houstonpublicmedia.org.

Upcoming shows:
10-26-18 - Cybersecurity with guest: Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Michael McCaul (U.S. House of Representatives, 10th District).

11-02-18 - City of Houston November Ballot Measures (Prop A: Rebuild Houston and Prop B: Firefighter Pay Parity) with guests: Dr. Bob Stein (Professor of Political Science, Rice University), Charles Blain (Houston Director, Empower Texans) and Jessica Colón (Founder, Colón and Co.)

11-09-18 - Election Day Results with guests: Neftali Partida (Senior Public Policy Advisor, Locke Lord LLP) and Mustafa Tameez (Managing Director of Outreach Strategists).

12-14-18 - The U.S. Presidency: An Analysis of Leadership with guests: Dr. David Schein (Associate Professor and Director of CSB Graduate Programs, University of St. Thomas) and Dr. Heather Evans (Associate Professor of Political Science, Sam Houston State University).

About Your Editor

Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as the most successful county Chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his twenty-first year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last seventeen years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. As a public service for the last 15 years, Gary has published election guides for the GOP primary, general elections and city elections, all with the purpose of assisting conservative candidates. Gary is also in his 17th year of co-hosting Red, White and Blue on Houston Public Media TV 8 PBS Houston, longest running political talk show in Texas history. Gary serves on the Board of Directors of American Values, a national pro-family, pro-faith, conservative organization supporting the unity of the American people around the vision of our founding fathers and dedicated to reminding the public of the conservative principles fundamental to the survival of our nation. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.

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