THU brief 8.11.22

Welcome to the brief. Sign up (free or paid) if this email was forwarded to you; just hit the Subscribe button below.

Today’s Stories

TEXAS HOUSE DEMOCRATS held a press conference to announce several proposed “ethics reforms.”  It was a reminder of why they’re not a credible opposition force.

Bless their hearts.

The event was billed in response to a recent CNN report about two Texas donors.  That poorly executed hit piece by CNN has been discussed; the TL;DR version is that people with money spend it how they like. When this money is spent on things the emotionally fragile hate, it upsets them.

All political factions have organizations that pursue their factional interests. Texas conservatives are no different (although thank you, CNN, for the signal boost).

From the Texas Democrats’ perspective, however, the primary mistake is elevating the so-called “West Texas crowd” in the first place. It’s emblematic of their (utter, total, and complete) lack of strategic discernment.

Greg Abbott loathes the so-called “West Texas crowd” far more than the Democrats ever could.  Abbott’s entire political operation is based on giving them the bare minimum without endangering his standing among the GOP primary electorate.

By elevating the so-called “West Texas crowd,” Democrats make it more difficult for Abbott to run that playbook. In amplifying the impression that a sinister right-wing cabal controls Texas, they’re forcing the incumbent Republican governor to cater to said cabal’s whims. Intentionally or not, Democrats are giving conservatives leverage over Abbott that might not otherwise exist.

Beyond strategic myopia, however, the Democrat’s lack of self-awareness is astonishing.

• Democrats spent hundreds of millions in 2020.
  
  Whatever your opinion about the sinister right-wing cabal allegedly running Texas, Democrats outspent them by several orders of magnitude in the most recent election cycle.
  
  Just because the Democrats lost doesn’t change the fact that they spent the money.
  
  Texas Democrats’ record of lavishly resourced failure is rivaled only by the Dallas Cowboys.

• Democrats helped kill ethics reform two times.
  
  In both 2015 and 2017, Abbott formally designated Ethics reform as an area on which he wanted the legislature to work.  Both times, it passed the Texas Senate.  Both times, it died in the house.
  
  Without re-litigating the Straus era, Democrats were a key part of the coalition that kept him in power.

• The so-called “West Texas crowd” did more to take down a corrupt Republican speaker than the alleged “opposition party” ever did.

As for the specific proposal, it’s a mishmash. Ironically, the so-called “West Texas crowd” is more likely to support some of their suggestions than any speaker candidate Democrats are likely to support.

For example, groups aligned with and connected to Tim Dunn have long supported a cooling-off period before ex-legislators can become lobbyists. Donna Howard apparently supports something similar. It’s doubtful the same can be said about Dade Phelan.

Also, Erin Zweiner’s proposed campaign contribution limits would hurt Democrat DA’s in Travis and Harris counties more than anyone else.

The phrase “not ready for prime time,” admittedly a relic of the network television era, continues to describe Texas Democrats accurately.

GREG ABBOTT and BOBBY FRANCIS O’ROURKE will continue the longstanding Texas tradition of holding campaign debates on Friday night, cross-programmed against high school football.

[Note for out-of-state readers and trigger warning for some: Large segments of this state have an unhealthy, cult-like fixation on high school football.]

The debate is unlikely to move the needle, which favors the incumbent.

One note of caution: The unscripted format could backfire against either candidate.  O’Rourke is notoriously gaffe-prone while Abbott has been caught flat-footed on many occasions.

TPPF teased an upcoming initiative against the Mexican government during an event on Tuesday night in Austin.

The TL;DR version: It’s time to stop thinking of the Mexican government as “partners” and to start thinking of them as “hostile actors.”

Expect a formal announcement in early fall.

Hit the Links

Ken Paxton is Good at His Job

“Flee Texas” helps kiddie groomers leave the state

When Texas Democrats Slaughtered German Immigrants for Opposing Slavery

Some real Texas History

Thanks for reading

Push Junction grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

TUE brief 8.9.22

Welcome to the brief. Sign up (free or paid) if this email was forwarded to you; just hit the Subscribe button below.

Today’s Stories

KARI LAKE, the GOP nominee for Governor in Arizona, belittled Greg Abbott’s program to bus illegal aliens to cities in the Northeastern United States as a “cute photo op” during an appearance this past weekend in Dallas.

The assessment is accurate, but it’s surprising to hear a party nominee say it. Typically, you don’t say these things out loud. To do so when you’re a “guest” in an incumbent Governor’s state is a breach of traditional political etiquette.

But we’re here for it.

Unlike Texas, Arizona has an open seat race for Governor this year [Aside: Great case for term limits]. Lake’s success illustrates where Texas should aim as it prepares for a likely open seat race in ‘26.

Lake’s success in the general election remains TBD. If she does make it, however, she’s likely to be a source of pressure on Abbott moving forward.

THE DEEP STATE raid of President Trump’s home is another indicator of globalist decline. Similar indicators abound in the macro.

Unelected bureaucrats have been rebelling for the last six years. They were doing so when Sanders was tanked in 2016. After Hillary lost, they tried to take out the duly elected President. That effort failing undermined his agenda and fortified an election win for the candidate they controlled and still do.

Yesterday’s stunt will backfire on the malicious actors and their merely incompetent puppets alike. The benefactors will be the new right.

The TEXAS TRIBUNE is running interference for rural Republicans who oppose parental educational choice.

That they’re doing so isn’t surprising. What is surprising is how early they’re rolling it out.

Intentional or not, it’s a sign the pro-status quo crowd is spooked.

GLENN HEGAR, Texas Comptroller, in Friday afternoon dump fashion, announced that an investigation into the tax status of a bar that hosted a drag show for children was already underway.

Activists had called on Hegar to enforce tax provisions for “sexually themed businesses” at the event. Kudos to Hegar on the first step; now, he’ll be watched for future action or inaction on the matter.

Thanks for reading

Push Junction grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

FRI brief 8.5.22

Welcome to the brief. Sign up (free or paid) if this email was forwarded to you; just hit the Subscribe button below.

Today’s Stories

DADE PHELAN is giving taxpayers the back of his hand.

[Aside: Is there a Texas equivalent to the phrase “Bronx cheer?!?”]

Speaking at an event in West Texas, the Texas House speaker told attendees that his top priority for the next session was to restore a corporate welfare program the legislature failed to renew in 2021.

“Chapter 313” is a tax code provision that allows school districts to offer tax abatements. The state then makes up the lost revenue.

In practice, Chapter 313 has been a primary mechanism by which wind turbines have blighted rural Texas.

Related: Chapter 313 background.

Phelan is confident the house can pass a “more transparent” version of the program.  LOL.

Michael Quinn Sullivan 🇺🇸 @MQSullivan

Wait, didn’t you hear? This will be the “transparent” and “accountable” kind of Republican corporate welfare complete with super-special “oversight”… Yes, the taxpayers are still being screwed – but Dade and his pals promise the #TxLege will wear a condom. https://t.co/Tb6cZELvND

Tim Hardin @MemesByTim

Why do #txlege Republican members go out of their way to be socialists? https://t.co/T3UqeWltgn

Chapter 313 is bad on the merits. Special interest tax “carveouts,” by definition, narrow the tax base. A narrower tax base, absent corresponding cuts in spending (lol), will inevitably beget higher rates for remaining taxpayers.

As a statement of priorities, for Phelan to place the desire of a few Austin lobbyists in front of his own party’s priorities speaks for itself.

Finally, this episode illustrates why conservatives must insist 100% of surplus revenues go to property tax relief/elimination. The alternative is to fritter it away along the lines of the manner in which Phelan proposes.

GLENN HEGAR, the Texas comptroller, is being called upon to apply sections (or sextions if you’d like) of the tax code regarding “sexually oriented business” to drag shows.

It’s a novel interpretation of a statute that is surprisingly on the books, in the first place. So long as it is, however, might as well use it for this more useful purpose.

Texas’ so-called “pole tax” was enacted by the legislature in the mid-2000s. The idea was to tax a politically unpopular group (strip club patrons) to fund a politically popular service (rape survivor counseling). While the law failed at its original objective, it remains on the books 15 years later.

Now, citizens are calling upon Hegar to apply that law too well, this:

Tayler Hansen 🇺🇸 @TaylerUSA

Here’s a full performance from todays “Drag Your Kids To Pride” event— In this video the drag queen (Albert Estrada) is dancing to “Let’s Get Physical” by Dua Lipa.

Setting aside the merits of strip club regulation, there’s no planet on which the rules that apply to strip clubs don’t apply to the conduct seen above.

It’s the “weirdo gender ideology” equivalent to busting Al Capone for income taxes.

JUSTIN BERRY, two times failed Texas house candidate, has been appointed to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement by Greg Abbott. Abbott endorsed Berry in each (failed) effort at public office.

Berry, an Austin cop and vice president of the local cop union, is simultaneously facing (likely politicized) charges related to use of force complaints during the Summer 2020 craziness. While we sympathize with Berry in the specific context of that indictment, he’s nevertheless been a longstanding opponent of public transparency on these matters.

On a (potentially) related note, so-called G-files are poised to become a more significant issue in the coming years.

G-files are placed in an officer’s personnel file for misconduct when they’re investigated but not disciplined. They’re not currently available to the public, and cop unions want to keep it that way.

Berry’s new position helps the cop unions maintain that status quo.

Thanks for reading

Push Junction grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

THU brief 8.4.22

Welcome to the brief. Sign up (free or paid) if this email was forwarded to you; just hit the Subscribe button below.

Today’s Stories

GREG ABBOTT is becoming increasingly boxed in on education. This increases the odds that a school choice bill will pass next year. The strength of the measure is TBD.

This isn’t a new phenomenon, but the trend is accelerating.

Bobby Francis O’Rourke is attacking the Governor over the subject in rural Texas. This is smart politics, of a type at which the challenger occasionally hints. This could, potentially, be a potent issue in the hands of a Democrat with less baggage.

In the context of the 2022 general election, however, the Democrat does have that baggage. Thus, his attacks on vouchers are unlikely to connect.

This brings us back to the next session.

Suppose Democrats throw everything they’ve got at Republicans in rural Texas over school choice, and the Republicans win. In that case, those Republicans will have (a lot) fewer excuses to kill the bill.

Next step: Make Abbott commit to calling a special session if it doesn’t pass in the regular.

For additional signs that this issue is shifting, see the next item.

(anti-)“PARENT” PAC, the educrat front group, conducted a poll on various education issues. According to the poll, school choice enjoys plurality (near majority) support among Texas voters.

It’s impossible to overstate the brutality of that finding for the pro-status quo crowd. They can’t even spin the issue as being unpopular in their poll.

TRAVIS COUNTY looks like it’s doing something sensible of all places.

The county commissioner’s court is refusing to back down from a demand for an outside audit of the local hospital district’s arrangement with UT-Austin. The county suspects the university has failed to meet its commitment to provide indigent health care and is looking for proof.

It was always preposterous for taxpayers to (further) subsidize (at the local level) the medical school of the second wealthiest university in the world (which is already subsidized at the state level).

Taxpayers might have a way out after all.

Hit the Links

Conservatives are Coming for No-Fault Divorce

Rinaldi Rams Rainbow RINOs

Sexual Weirdos Leaving Texas

Raiding Woke Capital

Thanks for reading

Push Junction grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

WED brief 8.3.22

Welcome to the brief. Sign up (free or paid) if this email was forwarded to you; just hit the Subscribe button below.

Today’s Stories

JOHN CORNYN was criticized by the Collin County GOP on Monday.

On the one hand: This is both three years too late, and two years too early to make a difference. Cornyn’s currently in year two of a six-year term. From his perspective, this is background noise in the middle of his time.

The most significant “x” factor in Cornyn’s next election is the presidential race in 2024. Handicapping Cornyn’s reelection bid will be dependent on the next cycle.

On the other hand: This is an early indicator that 2026 is likely to be a volatile election cycle. In addition to Cornyn, Texas is expected to see open seat races for most (if not all) statewide offices at the state level (e.g., Gov, Lite Gov, AG).

Conservatives will likely retain leverage through that 2026 cycle as potential candidates line up support.

[ASIDE: Texas should consider returning to two-year terms for state officials. Just because the posturing is likely to consume the next four years doesn’t mean it should.]

The TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY is being sued by multiple media outlets following their refusal to release several records related to the Uvalde shooting.

When the New York Times and television network news outlets are involved, there’s every reason to suspect they’re pushing a narrative in bad faith. Not wanting to cooperate might be understandable.

That being said, DPS isn’t exactly trustworthy. Those who assume the worst can’t be blamed.

Kissinger’s classic maxim seems apt: We hope they both lose.

BRIAN HARRISON, the state representative from Ellis County, is urging local governments across his district to cut property taxes.  

Specifically, Harrison wants local jurisdictions to adopt the so-called “no new revenue rate” as they adopt their 2023 Budgets.  As property values go up, rates should come down by that amount (or more).

[Note: Most local governments in Texas adopt their budgets during August/Sept.]

Harrison’s move cuts against the “club-like” atmosphere among elected officials.  It’s potentially significant if it catches on.

Hit the Links

Constitutional Convention gains momentum.

Hocul holds significant, but not overwhelming, lead.

Oswald Denies Slaying Kennedy

Thanks for reading

Push Junction grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.