Reports in Harris County, Texas as of Monday show a record-breaking turnout of about 640,000, and analysts tell us the GOP is up around 5,000. So it's anyone's election to win.
If you live in the Houston Independent School District area - vote YES on Proposition 1. As previously explained in TCR, it's the best deal for local taxpayers. Ignore The Houston Chronicle and Mayor Sylvester Turner. They are incorrect.
Latest Clinton Scandal Reminds Us While Trump Is Not Perfect, He Is The Better Choice
While Donald Trump is not perfect, his Contract with The American Voter is a wonderful plan to get America back on track.
Donald J. Trump Contract with The American Voter
"What follows is my 100-day action plan to Make America Great Again. It is a contract between myself and the American voter - and begins with restoring honesty, accountability and change to Washington."
"Therefore, on the first day of my term of office, my administration will immediately pursue the following six measures to clean up the corruption and special interest collusion in Washington, DC:
- FIRST, propose a Constitutional Amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress;
- SECOND, a hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce federal workforce through attrition (exempting military, public safety, and public health);
- THIRD, a requirement that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated;
- FOURTH, a 5 year-ban on White House and Congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service;
- FIFTH, a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government;
- SIXTH, a complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.
"On the same day, I will begin taking the following 7 actions to protect American workers:
- FIRST, I will announce my intention to renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the deal under Article 2205;
- SECOND, I will announce our withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership;
- THIRD, I will direct my Secretary of the Treasury to label China a currency manipulator;
- FOURTH, I will direct the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to identify all foreign trading abuses that unfairly impact American workers and direct them to use every tool under American and international law to end those abuses immediately;
- FIFTH, I will lift the restrictions on the production of $50 trillion dollars' worth of job- producing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal;
- SIXTH, lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward;
- SEVENTH, cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs and use the money to fix America's water and environmental infrastructure.
"Additionally, on the first day, I will take the following five actions to restore security and the constitutional rule of law:
- FIRST, cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama;
- SECOND, begin the process of selecting a replacement for Justice Scalia from one of the 20 judges on my list, who will uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States;
- THIRD, cancel all federal funding to Sanctuary Cities;
- FOURTH, begin removing the more than 2 million criminal illegal immigrants from the country and cancel visas to foreign countries that won't take them back;
- FIFTH, suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur. All vetting of people coming into our country will be considered extreme vetting.
"Next, I will work with Congress to introduce the following broader legislative measures and fight for their passage within the first 100 days of my Administration:
- Middle Class Tax Relief And Simplification Act. An economic plan designed to grow the economy 4% per year and create at least 25 million new jobs through massive tax reduction and simplification, in combination with trade reform, regulatory relief, and lifting the restrictions on American energy. The largest tax reductions are for the middle class. A middle-class family with 2 children will get a 35% tax cut. The current number of brackets will be reduced from 7 to 3, and tax forms will likewise be greatly simplified. The business rate will be lowered from 35 to 15 percent, and the trillions of dollars of American corporate money overseas can now be brought back at a 10 percent rate.
- End The Offshoring Act. Establishes tariffs to discourage companies from laying off their workers in order to relocate in other countries and ship their products back to the U.S. tax-free.
- American Energy & Infrastructure Act. Leverages public-private partnerships, and private investments through tax incentives, to spur $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over 10 years. It is revenue neutral.
- School Choice and Education Opportunity Act. Redirects education dollars to gives parents the right to send their kid to the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school of their choice. Ends common core, brings education supervision to local communities. It expands vocational and technical education, and makes 2 and 4-year college more affordable.
- Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act. Fully repeals Obamacare and replaces it with Health Savings Accounts, the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines, and lets states manage Medicaid funds. Reforms will also include cutting the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.
- Affordable Childcare and Eldercare Act. Allows Americans to deduct childcare and elder care from their taxes, incentivizes employers to provide on-side childcare services, and creates tax-free Dependent Care Savings Accounts for both young and elderly dependents, with matching contributions for low-income families.
- End Illegal Immigration Act. Fully-funds the construction of a wall on our southern border with the full understanding that the country Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such wall; establishes a 2-year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering the U.S. after a previous deportation, and a 5-year mandatory minimum for illegally re-entering for those with felony convictions, multiple misdemeanor convictions or two or more prior deportations; also reforms visa rules to enhance penalties for overstaying and to ensure open jobs are offered to American workers first.
- Restoring Community Safety Act. Reduces surging crime, drugs and violence by creating a Task Force On Violent Crime and increasing funding for programs that train and assist local police; increases resources for federal law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors to dismantle criminal gangs and put violent offenders behind bars.
- Restoring National Security Act. Rebuilds our military by eliminating the defense sequester and expanding military investment; provides Veterans with the ability to receive public VA treatment or attend the private doctor of their choice; protects our vital infrastructure from cyber-attack; establishes new screening procedures for immigration to ensure those who are admitted to our country support our people and our values.
- Clean up Corruption in Washington Act. Enacts new ethics reforms to Drain the Swamp and reduce the corrupting influence of special interests on our politics.
"On November 8th, Americans will be voting for this 100-day plan to restore prosperity to our economy, security to our communities, and honesty to our government.
"This is my pledge to you.
"And if we follow these steps, we will once more have a government of, by and for the people."
As for the other choice, see the summary sheets linked below in regards to Hillary's radical plans to adversely affect our freedom and our nation, courtesy of friend Gary Bauer of Campaign for Working Families.
Hillary vs America
Hillary vs The 2nd Amendment
Hillary Clinton Extreme On Abortion
The Single Issue on Which You Should Cast Your Vote - Obamacare By Bruce Bialosky, Contributing Editor
We are almost there, folks! November 8th will end this miserable election cycle and determine our fate for the next four years. If you have not already voted and are still thinking about which presidential candidate or party to support, you should focus like a laser on the one issue of the many important ones in this election: Obamacare.
Unfortunately, as this election focused more on personal characteristics and irrelevant comments, the principal legislation of the past eight years has been largely ignored as an election issue. While the plan continues to alter the healthcare landscape in a major way and premiums soar, we have barely confronted the future of our healthcare as a country, but there is still time for you to focus your vote on it.
You need not be reminded that serious Democratic politicians have called the plan into question. Everyone saw the video of former President Bill Clinton calling it "the craziest thing in the world." He stated before that "where all of a sudden 25 million more people have health care and then the people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half."
But he was not the only Democrat to take issue with Obamacare. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton stated Obamacare is "no longer affordable to increasing numbers of people." Even Obama went after his namesake legislation. He compared the healthcare plan to the Samsung Note 7. "Just because it catches on fire does not mean you should desert smartphones." Translation: It is a disaster, but trust the government to make it better.
And that is a reasonable position, if you are Hillary Clinton. She wants to fix the program. It is not just that she wants to fix it, but how she wants to fix it. She wants to take our healthcare system to the next step – what has bucolically been named the "public option." That means if your state has only one or two health insurance options, the government will step in and offer another. The public option will lowball the premiums and co-pays and soon drive private insurance out of your state. Your only option will soon be government insurance. Clinton has also suggested we could buy into Medicare (a broke system) which has not been explained. Either way, the course Clinton and the Democrats offer is more government control for you and me (not for them).
Then there are the major effects that this act is setting in that may never be reversible. There is the consolidation as hospitals buy up other hospitals and hospitals buy up medical practices. We are losing private practice physicians as they join up with hospitals to eradicate the immense risk generated by Obamacare and the mountains of paperwork. Fifty-seven percent of doctors ran their own practices in 2000; that figure is down to 33% as of 2015.
You cannot even reach a doctor anymore. I had to call a specialist for a problem I was having with my knee. He was independent and is now part of Cedars-Sinai, a major hospital operation in Los Angeles. It took me 20 minutes just to make an appointment. It then took me 18 minutes to cancel the appointment when my knee improved. The end is near for anyone getting personalized care in America. Obamacare is destined to bring us all down to the lowest common denominator.
Then there is the cost. The plan my wife and I have increased over 50% in cost the last few years. To keep the premiums from soaring we increased our deductible from the very high $6,000 total to $6,000 for each of us. The increase planned for next year adds another 20%.
As you know it has been announced that the average premium increase for Obamacare across 39 states is 25%. But that is a highly misleading figure. If you read the report offered by HHS, it is a puff piece for Obamacare. If this was an offering memorandum for an investment the promoters would be jailed.
After telling people all the ways they can possibly save under the new numbers for 2017, they finally get to the chart on page 34 that shows the state-by-state breakdown of increases. The numbers in this chart and all the others are based on a 27-year-old policyholder. The problem is there are few 27-year-old policyholders. Most everyone agrees that is why the plans are failing. In fact, another report stated that only a third of the policyholders were in the age bracket 0-34 years old.
The question is what are the average increases for people actually in the plan - like 54-year-olds. They don’t tell us that because you can bet the house the average is higher. When Trump said the numbers are ginned, I am not sure he knew how badly they are ginned.
When I spoke to the Office of Health Policy (HHS) I asked two simple questions. First, how did they decide to use a 27-year-old as a policyholder? Second, what was the average cost increase for a 54-year-old? They refused to answer either question.
HHS argues that the vast majority of people on the healthcare exchanges will get subsidies that will limit their out-of-pocket expenses. They forget to talk about two things. First, the exploding deductibles that people are having to pay. Second, the exploding federal deficit from underwriting the higher subsidies.
The report finishes its opening summary with the statement, "This brief shows that the Affordable Care Act is continuing to promote affordability and choice in the Marketplace for plan year 2017." Everyone knows that insurance companies have been pulling out of states left and right. The report later makes clear 20% of people in the plans will have only one healthcare company to choose from. That means zero competition. Where is the choice?
Then there is Obama’s distorted manipulation about 20 million people covered. I have written before this entire matter could have been handled by expanding Medicaid. There are 11 million more people on that, but the other 9 million that Obama claims are people who just normally got insurance from employers during the period. The percentage of people under 65 who have private health insurance is still lower in 2015 (65.8%) than it was in 2007 (66.8%). That means any real increase in people with coverage is being subsidized by the government.
And, of course, I will say for the hundredth time, getting health insurance does not mean getting healthcare. There are no more doctors, nurses or hospitals to provide services. In fact, a slew of experienced doctors retired rather than deal with this mess. In fact, only about 25% of doctors will accept Medicaid patients.
If you believe that the new system is working and can be improved, you should vote for Hillary Clinton. If you believe the system is dysfunctional and is only going to get worse you should vote for Donald Trump.
To quote a famous American, "Affordable, Affordable, Affordable, Affordable, Affordable. Affordable."
Bruce Bialosky is the founder of the Republican Jewish Coalition of California and a former Presidential appointee. You can follow Bruce on Twitter @brucebialosky.
Comey Has Clinton Dead to Rights By Bruce Bialosky, Contributing Editor
The world was rocked this past Friday afternoon when the FBI Director James Comey announced he was reopening the investigation of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate for president. Reaction was swift from all sides of the political spectrum. It was such a dramatic moment that Ms. Clinton actually held what might be called a press conference because she answered three questions from the Press. In my opinion, Comey would not be doing this if he did not have the goods on Clinton and most likely Huma Abedin as well.
We sat riveted to our television on July 5th as Director Comey rattled off charge after charge in the investigation of the Clinton email scandal. I never thought Clinton was going to be indicted though I thought there was ample reason to do so. But as Comey went through the litany of charges I turned to my wife and said "Oh, my God, he is going to recommend criminal charges." Then came the famous statement that despite a new standard he established as "extremely careless," he nonetheless stated that "No reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case." I personally know a few.
We soon found out two things. The first being that, in Mr. Comey's testimony to Congress, he stated that Secretary Clinton had lied to Congress during her testimony. Responding to pointed questions from Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Comey answered about the results of his findings that Clinton's statements to him were in direct conflict with her sworn testimony to Congress. The problem is that Congress can only refer those charges to the Justice Department, which is headed by the hyper-partisan Loretta Lynch. You know Attorney General Lynch who famously met with Mrs. Clinton's husband on the tarmac and discussed golf and grandchildren just days before the announcement by Comey that he was not going to recommend indictment.
The second thing we know is that a significant number of Comey's agents were in revolt against his actions. He should have taken the Clinton investigation before a grand jury; he did not. Comey allowed subpoenaed individuals to obtain partial immunity deals and have their devices destroyed. We learned that two of the witnesses, after being given partial immunity, were allowed to represent Clinton in her own testimony. Despite these omissions and questionable behavior, apparently Comey was the only person involved from the FBI who did not want to indict.
Then we hear how Deputy Director Andrew McCabe's wife, who had received almost $700,000 from Clinton's inner circle – confidant and money man -- Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe -- to run for a state senate seat in Virginia which she lost. In his position as Deputy Director, McCabe oversaw the Clinton investigation. This leads to two questions: What was the wife of the FBI'S Deputy Director doing running for political office in the first place? It smells. Sorry, Dr. McCabe, you lose that right to run for partisan political office if you are married to such an important law enforcement official. Second, does no one on the Democratic side understand that the appearance of conflict of interest is the same as conflict of interest? Or do they think that just applies to Republicans because the Democrats' cause is so great "the ends justify the means."
Then the most pathetic soul in American politics, Anthony Weiner, stepped into the picture. How this disgusting person ever became a Congressman is beyond me. The only explanation is New York City. In his resurrection, he was even thinking of running for Mayor of NYC, which may have been an improvement over the current mayor, Leftist Bill de Blasio. Weiner could not help himself and started sexting again, but no one would care if he was not married to the closest confidante of Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin.
Why Clinton had Huma Abedin as her closest confidante in the first place is beyond me. This woman was advising the secretary of state and possibly the next president, yet she has the bad judgment to be married to such a disgusting person. This must bring into question to anyone Abedin's judgment. It is like being married to drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar. What kind of decision making does she have?
It has now caught Clinton and Abedin in a web of deceit. In searching the devices that Abedin shared with Weiner, the FBI must have discovered emails that were clearly classified. They were sent by Clinton and they were on Abedin's home device that Weiner had access to in a file next to his pedophilia.
The agents worked this up the chain, Comey realized he had no choice but to let the American people know. Protecting Clinton any more would have caused open revolt and destruction of the agency. He has both Clinton and Abedin dead to rights, and the question is whether Obama will pardon them to hide the stink.
Do I know what is on the electronic devices? No, but it is educated conjecture. I do know this. Robby Mook, Clinton campaign manager, the very same day took down his Twitter feed and every one of his comments with it. We know Abedin is now nowhere to be found and it is questionable whether we will see her again until after the election. We know that if this was a Republican the headlines would be, as columnist Jonah Goldberg stated, "Republican presidential candidate caught in pedophile investigation."
How can we elect someone that is so obviously legally tarnished? The criminality, the corruption of the Clinton Foundation, the ties to Clinton Inc. from Teneo that was just a funnel to Bill Clinton and the Foundation while taking a cut and hiding it from us. The email illegality is just the thing these corrupt people can be nailed on. Think Al Capone and taxes.
No matter what one thinks of Trump, why would anyone want this circus running our country?
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 and liberal commentator David Jones on Fridays at 7:30 pm on PBS Houston Channel 8, replaying Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 8, Mondays at 11:30 pm on Channel 8.2 and on the web at www.houstonpublicmedia.org.
Upcoming shows:
11-04-16: Election Preview.
11-11-16: Election Post-Mortem.
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 nineteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last fifteen years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. As a public service for the last 13 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 15th year of co-hosting Red, White and Blue on PBS Houston, longest running political talk show in Texas history. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.
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