What JD Vance said.

I attended a session at the Texas tribune TribFest discussing the significance of the Latino vote in the upcoming November election. According to the panel, the two most pressing issues for the Latino community are the cost of everything is out of control and ICE is out of control. These issues should not be confined to the Latino community alone. Anyone with a bank account and anyone with a sense of empathy and humanity recognize the killing of people on our streets due to ICE is unacceptable in America.

It bothers me that it appears as though we must coddle the Mexican American community into voting. I’m not sure what they desire beyond good jobs, affordable healthcare, reasonable gas prices, an opportunity for improvement, and safety within their community. Those were the core issues we campaigned on in both 2024 and 2020. I believe we’ve been advocating for these issues for the longest time. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, we haven’t been effectively communicating with them. Regardless, let’s move on.

I had to ask a question to the panel:

“With the cost of everything out of control and ICE out of control, can you name one specific campaign issue that would convince a Mexican-American to vote for a Republican in November?”

The response from a former Republican state representative Jason Villalba was what JD Vance said. Give us another chance. Trust us. He also said that if he was a candidate running this year, he would focus on local issues and avoid the affordability issue and ICE. Run on education and possibly taxes. I hope the Mexican-American community will return to their roots and tell the Republicans, ‘Fool me once, shame on you. This time, I’m going to kick your ass.’

What bothers me is this: if Mexican Americans had exercised their voting power 20 years ago, we wouldn’t be discussing issues like the death of brown people on the streets due to ice or the affordability of a breakfast taco. It’s time for the Mexican-American community to take a stand and vote their strength, removing Republicans from office.

We’ll see in November.

On the flip side, the re-redistricting of the state and the voting barriers put in place by Republicans and President Trump are deeply concerning. If those tactics allow Republicans like Sessions to retain control, it honestly terrifies me.

Unlike the Democrats on stage, Sessions couldn’t resist starting off with partisan sniping—the exact kind of rhetoric everyone is tired of. At one point, the crowd even called him out for claiming Joe Biden “opened the border,” which is a absurd statement for a sitting congressman to make. Sessions refused to distance himself from Trump, even on major issues like immigration. He couldn’t even bring himself to condemn the cruel deaths of Americans on American soil by ICE.

Fletcher made a great point that redistricting must be a bipartisan effort, taken out of the hands of partisan politicians who are only interested in maximizing their own party’s seats. As she said, the current system is wrong, and I completely agree.

Menefee put it plainly: President Trump is a bad president who doesn’t care about ordinary people. While everyday Americans suffer from skyrocketing affordability issues and soldiers are being killed in Iran, Trump is busy playing with “Lego sets” in the White House—building a ballroom, designing an Arch, renaming monuments after himself, and bulldozing  the East Wing. Yet Sessions just sat there and said nothing. Menefee is right: there is nothing good about Trump’s leadership, and the only way to prevent further damage to our country and institutions is for Democrats to win the House and cut off the funding.

Fletcher and Menefee give me hope; Sessions just leaves me deeply alarmed for our future.

I left this year’s TribFest deeply disappointed. I appreciate The Texas Tribune’s efforts in organizing the festival, but the keynote event with Marjorie Taylor Greene fell short in several critical ways. Greene has a track record as a toxic, inflammatory politician—one whose past behavior, like shouting from the Capitol floor like howling monkeys, is hard to look past. Yet the audience treated her with far more respect than she deserved, effectively normalizing her past actions. Worse, the moderator treated the session as a casual chat rather than pressing her with the tough, accountable questions asked of other speakers, like James Talarico.

The only real pushback came from an audience member who asked if she took responsibility for instigating some of the most divisive politics in modern American history. Her response boiled down to boasting that she was the “only one who apologized,” rather than offering a simple, sincere, “Yes, I am sorry.” It is impossible to give her a pass for her tenure in Congress, and I won’t.

Beyond the frustration, Greene’s comments were revealing:

The Fallout: She detailed the severe death threats made against her family and mentioned asking Trump to tone down his rhetoric, only to be met with total inaction from him and the party. While no one should face violence, it remains difficult to feel sympathy when her own rhetoric contributed to the dangerous political climate that ultimately turned on her.

The “Both Sides” Cop-Out: She leaned heavily on the tired claim that “people are disappointed in both parties.” It’s an easy retreat for MAGA figures when facing political headwinds, ignoring the fact that her faction drove much of the chaos.

The Epstein Files: She described her discussions with Trump regarding the Epstein files, noting how he personally stifled efforts to investigate or hear survivors. While she deserves basic credit for speaking out, standing against child abuse is the bare minimum for any human being, not an act of heroism.

Calling MAGA a Cult: Greene claimed MAGA is a cult that will collapse once Trump is gone—a movement she admitted to being a part of. While she continues to advocate for “America First” policies and the release of January 6th rioters, she openly called MAGA supporters hypocrites and liars.

Where is MTG going now? Who cares? Maybe she should join with Lauren Boebert and start the “Reach Around” Party.

Once again, a great 3 day event hosted by The Texas Tribune.

TribFest is a three day event held in Austin with speakers on various topics, candidates for office, and elected officials. This year their opening Keynote Speaker is former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene probably because Lauren Boebert was not available. Senator John Fetterman will close out the event probably because Senator Mitch McDonnell wasn’t able to speak. Literally.

But besides the two strange bookends, there are a number of sessions worth attending. Gina Hinojosa spoke earlier today to a packed room with many lined up outside hoping to get a seat. State Representative James Talarico will speak this afternoon. People were lined up 1.5 hours ahead. The room at First Babtist Church is huge and expected to be full.

Other speakers include Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, Senator Raphael Warnock, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, and Congressman Michael McCaul. There are sessions on healthcare, AI, ICE, the Latino vote, and more.

All in all it is going to be full day at the TribFest. It is a very professional event. Film at 11.

Generally I accept the Chronicle’s endorsements. May not agree but I accept.

But the recent endorsement of former CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen crossed the line. My comment to the Editor Evan Mintz was “It’s as if the Houston Chronicle never researched Bowen’s baggage.”. Mintz says the endorsement “clearly” addressed his baggage. Let me also be clear on what baggage he left on the airport carousel.

Mr. Mintz you didn’t mention he sponsored a resolution on behalf of the Republican Party supporting vouchers as a sitting CCISD Trustee. (Its on video) He testified in office against public schools (Its on video) A formal grievance was filed against him for claiming his constituents was supportive of his view. They were not. He brought in large sums of money from out of district PACs from extremist groups to fund candidates (5) he recruited to run against his colleagues on the Border. He has associations with extremist groups such as Defend Texas Liberty that was disbanded after being caught meeting with Nick Fuentes. At one time he had recruited just enough of his political buddies to pass the ban on CRT which was NEVER taught, which was NEVER going to be taught. That wasn’t an accomplishment. That was an embarrassment. He rallied against the Gay community with his book banning even though half of his own family is Gay. Only 1 member of the CCISD Board has endorsed him, the one he recruited. He lost his election by 8 points by a well qualified conservative member. He won his second term with only 48% of the vote. Contrary to his mailers Bowen brought highly partisan politics into the classroom and district.

With all due respect I don’t believe the Editorial Board did their research. I you would like to see all the document record visit bayareahouston.net/scottbowen To be fair, I am a supporter of Albert Wittliff and I wrote the above post about Bowens record.

Voters should never choose a candidate based solely on demographics like gender or race.

While the League City Council has been predominantly male and white for years, demographic composition alone shouldn’t concern residents as long as leaders govern effectively—maintaining fiscal responsibility, advancing the city, and managing broader economic pressures like rising fuel, healthcare, and insurance costs. Compared to neighboring Bay Area cities facing similar strains, League City has stabilized in their self induced controversies, particularly as nearby La Marque has drawn more negative media scrutiny.

This November, the mayor’s seat and five of seven council positions are up for election. Mayor Long faces a challenge from Councilman Tom Crews, leaving Crews’s council seat open for an unexpired term. Meanwhile, Council members Chad Tressler and Andy Mann are not seeking reelection.

Four women are running to challenge the council’s currently all-male lineup, offering voters an opportunity to introduce well-qualified diversity to local leadership. Information on all candidates is available through their respective websites, social media pages, and the official League City Election portal.

Additionally, voters will weigh in on a non-binding resolution regarding the council-approved Flock safety cameras, an issue expected to drive significant voter turnout.

Dinah Carpenter Position 1. Open seat.

Dina DuBose Driskill  Position 1. Open seat.

Lisa Welty Position 6. Open seat.

Teresa Potter Position 7 against Councilman Sean Sanders

Ballot Proposition A: 

• “As a nonbinding statement of voter preference, should the League City Police Department continue using automated license plate reader cameras at fixed locations on public roadways for law enforcement purposes?”

The Christian brothers.

Follow the money through the Texas Ethics Commission records, and the veneer around West Texas mega-donors Timothy Dunn and Farris Wilks completely disintegrates. While bankrolling Bo French’s racially charged campaign, these self-appointed guardians of Christian virtue are funding the very hatred their faith explicitly condemns. Dunn, an active preacher at Midland Bible Church, ought to understand basic theology: racism has no place in public service, let alone in the teachings of Christ.

The financial filings reveal a massive concentration of high-dollar influence behind French’s campaign:

• Direct Campaign Cash: Out of the $2,444,109 raised by French, $1,040,000—over 42%—stemmed directly from Wilks and Dunn.
• The High-Dollar Monopoly: A staggering $1,842,050 of French’s funds came from elite donors contributing $25,000 or more.
• The PAC Network: When the Christian Brother’s political action committee, Defend Texas Liberty, faced severe backlash after leaders met with notorious white supremacist Nick Fuentes, the network simply re-branded, channeling capital into entities like the Texas Freedom Fund for the Advancement of Justice and Texans United for a Conservative Majority.
• Massive Funding Consolidation: The Texas Freedom Fund for the Advancement of Justice amassed over $16 million. Of that total, $14,553,000 (88%) originated from the same core group supporting local slate candidates in races like Scott Bowen in Clear Creek ISD, while 96% ($15,973,000) was underwritten by mega-donors giving $100,000 or more.
• Grassroots Disconnect: Standard small-dollar supporters giving $1,000 or less accounted for a microscopic $32,040 of the total pool.

Bankrolling vicious division while cloaking political power moves in scriptural righteousness isn’t faith—it is pure hypocrisy. By underwriting platformed bigotry, these donors prove that behind the grandstanding and the million-dollar checks, the ideology they are purchasing is rotten at its core. Wilks and Dunn are still endorsing French.

Praise the lord?

Bo French Donations

Texas Freedom Fund for the Advancement of Justice

Dang. I hate being wrong. This bill is NOT for water. It is for waste services, trash, etc. Last year it was only $15.00 for the trash carts. This year the bill includes the $5/month charge for trash pickup. So, shoot. I was wrong. Go pay it.