Gary Polland's Texas Conservative Review
Current Issue TCR Back Issues What Other Say About TCR We Get Letters About Your Editor

Receive notice when a new issue is online (Enter email):

Volume XIII Number 11 - March 11, 2014     RSS Feed   

A Periodic Newsletter for Committed Texas Conservatives

In This Issue

A Time For Choosing: Unity or Division By Marc Cowart, Managing Editor

$1.2 Billion Bond Election Approved By Cy-Fair ISD For May 10th Ballot

If Only We Had A President Who Talked Like This

Red, White and Blue
Houston PBS is not a sponsor

TCR Ad

What's Ahead

Hard Hitting
Conservative Commentary
 
Contact TCR

Please feel free to forward this issue to your friends and associates.
Anyone can subscribe for free:
Subscribe

Gary Polland
2211 Norfolk St.,
Suite 920
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 621-6335
Email

 

 

 

 

 

 
Thoughts This Fortnight

A Time For Choosing: Unity or Division
By Marc Cowart, Managing Editor

Friedrich Nietzsche said, "That which does not kill me makes me stronger." Republicans - after this particularly acrimonious political season - are collectively hoping that this truth Nietzsche observed applies not only to life, but party primaries as well. While the negative rhetoric infiltrated races up and down the ballot, it seemed most bitter at the bottom in the race for Harris County Republican Party Chairman, as if the vitriol became more intense as it descended and finally collected as so much political detritus negatively charged with rivalry and strife.

We can only hope that the schism opened by the Chairman's race will make us stronger as a party, that we will unite in a new common cause and become stronger as we repair and fortify the weaknesses and vulnerabilities exposed in this most recent civil war.

It is difficult to imagine - with only a few days since the cessation of hostilities - that we will be stronger, united and resolutely focused on defeating the Democrats in November. But that is what must happen if we are to prevail. We must heed the words of President Ronald Reagan who admonished his fellow Republicans, "We have no enemies, only opponents." Now that the primary election and the race for County Chairman is over, we - all of us on both sides - must unite with our former opponents and embrace them as such, not treat them as enemies. We do, after all, have more in common with them than the Democrats we face in November. We must remind ourselves that the longer we linger at the crossroads of bitterness and reconciliation, the longer we remain weakened. The longer the Democrats have to ready themselves for the coming battle.

The first step in moving forward is for the Woodfill faction to acknowledge the defeat and resolve to support the new regime during and after the transition of power. The first step for the Simpson faction is to acknowledge that the old regime and its supporters have value and are a necessary component to victory in November. This is exactly what Gary Polland did when he was elected Chairman in 1996, which was the last time that there was a reluctant shift in party leadership. While Gary did not defeat an incumbent, he did defeat a candidate aligned with the outgoing Chairman. Polland's election was a pivot for the local party - a pivot from the center to the right. But Polland did not punish his political opponents by closing the door on them, because he was wise enough to realize that to close the door would only punish the party and its candidates. Instead, Polland not only kept the doors open to his more moderate opponents, he invited them in and offered them a seat at the table. He did so without asking either end of the political spectrum, or those in the center for that matter, to abandon their principles. It was a strategy that did in fact strengthen the party. With a united Harris County Republican Party behind him, Polland was able to orchestrate the first of many countywide sweeps in Harris County. Now, almost 20 years later, the party is again in transition. It remains to be seen whether this transition is a pivot back to the center as many have predicted the Simpson victory represents; whether it is or it is not doesn't matter in the short term. What does matter though is whether we unite or allow ourselves to remain divided. I know, like and respect Republicans on both sides. I have no doubt that our party is big enough for Republicans of all stripes - Tea Party Republicans, social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, moderate Republicans and ultra-conservatives. Maybe it is time to strip off those labels - without abandoning our principles, of course - and unite for our common good.

The 2014 Republican Harris County Chairman's race was ugly. But we survived. This is our time for choosing - let us take this moment to choose unity over division. Let us congratulate the victors and join forces as we march ahead to victory in November.

$1.2 Billion Bond Election Approved
By Cy-Fair ISD For May 10th Ballot

Voters in the Cy-Fair Independent School District will have a big ticket item on their May 10th ballot, a whopping $1,209,280,000 bond package to address infrastructure issues outlined by their Long Range Planning Committee.

The bond package, whose election was approved unanimously by the CFISD Board of Trustees on February 27, 2014, addresses five areas: Security and Safety Enhancements, Facilities Renovations, Transportation, Technology Enhancements and New Facilities.

According to the board, the "bond package, as recommended by a community long-range planning committee, is anticipated to meet the following needs for CFISD through the year 2020: security and safety; student growth (support facilities, school sites and buses); technology; and instructional/support facilities renovations."

After reviewing the proposal and interviewing parties on both sides of the issue, TCR will weigh in on the subject in the coming weeks. For those who wish to get a head start and do some independent research, information can be found on the CFISD website located at http://www.cfisd.net/.

Anyone wishing to comment on the subject may e-mail Marc Cowart at: Marc.Cowart@TexasConservativeReview.com.

If Only We Had A President Who Talked Like This

On March 4, 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a powerful speech regarding the truth about the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"Iran says it only wants a peaceful nuclear program. So why is it building a heavy water reactor, which has no purpose in a peaceful nuclear program? Iran says it has nothing to hide. So why does it ban inspectors from its secret military sites? ... So why does it continue to build ICBMs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, whose only purpose is to carry nuclear warheads? ... And they can strike, right now or very soon, the Eastern seaboard of the United States -- Washington -- and very soon after that, everywhere else in the United States, up to L.A. ...

"It's not only that Iran doesn't walk the walk. In the last few weeks, they don't even bother to talk the talk. Iran's leaders say they won't dismantle a single centrifuge, they won't discuss their ballistic missile program. And guess what tune they're singing in Tehran? It's not 'God Bless America,' it's 'death to America.' And they chant this as brazenly as ever. Some charm offensive.

"And here's my point. Iran continues to stand unabashedly on the wrong side of the moral divide. And that's why we must continue to stand unequivocally on the right side of that divide. We must oppose Iran and stand up for what is right."

TCR Comment: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells it like it is about Iran. It sure would be good for America. 2016 won't come soon enough.


TCR on the Air

Red, White & Blue featuring TCR Editor Gary Polland, liberal commentator David Jones and moderator Linda Lorelle on Fridays at 7:30 pm on PBS Houston Channel 8.1, replaying Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 8.1, Mondays at 11:30 pm on Channel 8.2 and on the web at www.houstonpbs.org.

Coming soon:
Republican and Democratic Texas Primary Election reviews.

The current show as well as past shows are available on YouTube.

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 fifteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last twelve years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. As a public service for the last 10 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 twelfth year of co-hosting Red, White and Blue on PBS Houston. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.

© 2014 Texas Conservative Review
The Texas Conservative Review is published as a public service by Gary Polland
Phone: (713) 621-6335 Fax: (713) 622-6334 E-mail: Gary@TexasConservativeReview.com
To subscribe, simply send an email to subscribe@TexasConservativeReview.com
Your thoughts and comments are welcome