Texas Democratic Women State Convention 2/24-2/26 -Austin

The 2006 TDW State Convention will be held again at the Radisson Town Lake in Austin. "Honor Ethics and Responsibility (H.E.R.)" will be our theme for the convention and the upcoming election year. We will be holding a candidate's forum focusing on statewide candidates, as well as breakout sessions. Here's the agenda.

http://www.tdw.org/

David Van Os will be speaking during the candidates forum on Saturday. That forum runs from 1:30-3:30.

The H.E.R. Awards dinner will honor Representative Senfronia Thompson (she rocks!) and Representative Garnet Coleman (he rocks too). That's on Saturday night.


Sonia

to Houston Saturday night for the Roundup Rally.

I have been a member of this August body for three decades, and today is one of the all-time low points. We are going in the wrong direction, in the direction of hate and fear and discrimination. Members, we all know what this is about, this is the politics of divisiveness at its worst, a wedge issue that is meant to divide.
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Let's look at what this amendment does not do: It does not give one Texas citizen meaningful tax relief. It does not reform or fully fund our education system. It does not restore one child to CHIP, who was cut from health insurance last session. It does not put one dime into raising Texas' Third World access to health care. It does not do one thing to care for or protect one elderly person or one child in this state. In fact, it does not even do anything to protect one marriage.

Members, this bill is about hate and fear and discrimination. I know something about hate and fear and discrimination. When I was a small girl, white folks used to talk about "protecting the institution of marriage" as well. What they meant was if people of my color tried to marry people of Mr. Chisum's color, you'd often find the people of my color hanging from a tree. That's what the white folks did back then to "protect marriage."

Fifty years ago, white folks thought inter-racial marriages were a "threat to the institution of marriage." Members, I'm a Christian and a proud Christian. I read the good book, and do my best to live by it. I have never read the verse where it says, "gay people can't marry." I have never read the verse where it says, "though shalt discriminate against those not like me." I have never read the verse where it says, "let's base our public policy on hate and fear and discrimination." Christianity to me is love and hope and faith and forgiveness - not hate and discrimination.
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So, now that blacks and women can vote, and now that blacks and women have equal rights - you turn your hatred to homosexuals - and you still use your misguided reading of the Bible to justify your hatred. You want to pass this ridiculous amendment so you can go home and brag. Brag about what?
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Today, you are playing to the lowest common denominator - you are putting aside the real issues of substance that we need to address so that you can instead play on the public's fears and prejudices to deceive and manipulate voters into thinking that we have done something important.
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I thought we would be debating real issues: education, health care for kids, teacher's health insurance, health care for the elderly, protecting survivors of sexual assault, protecting the pensions of seniors in nursing homes. I thought we would be debating economic development, property tax relief, protecting seniors pensions and stem cell research, to save lives of Texans who are waiting for a more abundant life. Instead we are wasting this body's time with this political stunt that is nothing more than constitutionalizing discrimination. The prejudices exhibited by members of this body disgust me.

Well the AAS story is more positive than usual, unlike the CCCT's editorial piece that is being discussed on BOR. Go read Vince Leibowitz' write up on that one. Alvarado Rightfully Calls Out CCCT Columnist For His Remarks

David Van Os unfortunately was very sick and unable to attend the candidate forum. Get well David you have to be 100% for March 3rd. Donna Howard was there and got a whole lot applause. Many of the candidates then headed to the Houston Campaign rally. There quite a lot of the candidates there. This is the first time I had met or seen some of them. I was very impressed by quite a few of them.

El Paso Judge William "Bill" Moody who is running for the Supreme court, is extremely well qualified candidate. In fact he won the Texas State Bar poll. His idea for showing his commitment in this race is to walk from El Paso, where he lives and works, to the Louisiana border. That is amazing. He just needs one dollar from each of us to help him out. I think I'll send him at least $10. Judge William "Bill" Moody, 915-227-3551

Everyone of the candidates spoke with passion. There wasn't any dead air. They were articulate, they presented their positions and they promised to work hard. Rashad Jafer who is also running for Governor spoke. He and Bob Gammage were the two candidates who spoke in the Governor's race. One of Chris Bell's staff members was there but Chris had another forum to attend. I have heard both Chris Bell and Bob Gammage speak before, so I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear Rashad as well. He even thanked Bob Gammage for helping him get comfortable speaking at these events. He did quite well.

My favorite "red meat" speech was Hank Gilbert running for Ag Commissioner. What an impressive candidate. He was not only articulate, charming and intelligent, he was funny. Hank was very comfortable speaking with the audience and he spoke with a lot of passion. He let Perry and his gang have it with both barrels. He was quick on his feat and won the crowd over immediately. And his presence was intense. He's a big man, very tall and husky and he was dressed in a black suit, black tie and a black hat. He knows agriculture. His family has been farming for generations. He also taught school for 13 years. He's proud to be a Democrat and I think solved the "mad cow" problem right there in 2 minutes. He says that the problem would be very easy to fix by making the slaughterhouses remove the brain and spinal cord of the animal immediately after slaughter. He said the only reason that neat processors don't do that is because they lose one cut of beef - the t-bone steak. Don't you think our food safety is worth that. He says it's not a very popular steak anyway. Koecadee Melton who is also running as a Democrat for Ag Commissioner was not there. I'm voting for Hank Gilbert.

Sonia