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Volume XV Number 8 - March 16, 2016     RSS Feed   

A Periodic Newsletter for Committed Texas Conservatives

In This Issue

Leftist Fascist Speech Police Shut Down Free Speech Rights Of Trump And Sanders On College Campuses And Elsewhere

Houston Independent School District: Scores Sinking As Our Kids Suffer

This Is Leadership? Simpson Dumps Joint Convention Site For 8 Different Locations, Are You Kidding Me?

Why No Trump By Bruce Bialosky, Contributing Editor

Another November Election Anti-Trump Ad

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Thoughts This Fortnight

Leftist Fascist Speech Police Shut Down
Free Speech Rights Of Trump And Sanders
On College Campuses And Elsewhere

In a chilling reminder of the attack on free speech in pre-Nazi Germany, the leftist P.C. speech police are getting bolder, and are an emerging threat to our First Amendment rights.

With support from left wing donors, MoveOn.org and Black Lives Matter have made it their business to disrupt the free speech of others with the latest victim being Donald Trump.

Clearly, there is no place in America for free speech rights to be taken away by an out of control mob.

It's time responsible leaders and the media call a halt to this disgusting display.

Houston Independent School District:
Scores Sinking As Our Kids Suffer

As our children's test scores decline, the Houston ISD School Board is more interested in changing school names at the cost of millions than running the school district.

Now, there are strong members of the Board, but they are in the minority. The Houston business community needs to get out of its slumber and get active in the School Board elections, or the clown show that's become our Board will continue.

So here are a few tips for how to help the Board get its act together: (1) hire a good Superintendent, (2) as for name changes, if you must change them to appease the politically correct, how about Ronald Reagan High School for John Reagan, Lanier Middle School to Bob Lanier Middle School, Lee High School to Sheila Jackson Lee High School (Why not? It saves a lot of money), (3) put a hold on expanding magnet programs until the Board's own mandate and successful process is followed, (4) strengthen, not weaken the School Board's ethics policy.

Our children are too important for the petty gamesmanship by some clueless Board members.

This Is Leadership? Simpson Dumps
Joint Convention Site For 8 Different Locations,
Are You Kidding Me?

Back in 1998, the Harris County Republican Party (HCRP) leadership decided to bring all eight Senatorial District Conventions to one site, the University of Houston. The conventions broke all attendance records, culminating in over 6,000 people joining together to hear national GOP leaders like Vice President Dan Quayle, Steve Forbes, Rick Perry, Kay Bailey Hutchison and many others. Not only was it exciting, it also made it possible for statewide candidates to visit all Harris County Senate District conventions at one location and easier for the Senatorial District leadership.

Since 1998, this important innovation continued for nine cycles until Paul Simpson decided to go back to the early 1990's of separate conventions. This is backward-looking leadership. The same kind of leadership that has resulted in a decline in straight-ticket GOP voters and votes and a decline in the number of precinct chairs, all while HCRP spending is through the roof.

This is one of the reasons 60% of the GOP primary voters said no to Paul Simpson. Many voters have no clue who he is since he avoids talking to the media. In fact, a comparison between Simpson's first two years and the last two Chairmen's' first two years shows they appeared over 200 times on TV or radio media, and Simpson is under 30.

In fact, Simpson's invisibility, despite outspending his opponents 10 to 1, is compounded by his chosen slogan to held elect Republicans, "Harris County Works," which is not a GOP centric message since Harris County has elected Democrats and Republicans.

Another reason the GOP voters are saying "No" to Simpson is that he is the establishment and they are angry with the establishment. He is funded by large donations from special interests that want the party to stay out of the debate on social issues, including HERO where Simpson was not seen or heard.

Fortunately, GOP voters have a real choice in Rick Ramos.

Rick Ramos, like Ted Cruz, is the son of Cuban immigrants. In fact, Rick himself fled the communist Castro dictatorship in the dead of night and braved dangerous seas for a better life in the United States. His father settled the family in Philadelphia, where young Rick learned to love this country and to fight for what it stands for. It was that love of country and an immigrant's recognition of the boundless opportunity available here that stoked young Rick's Cuban passion and pugilistic instincts and destined him for a career as either a professional fighter or a lawyer. Rick chose the latter and moved to Houston to earn his law degree.

Rick didn't waste time dabbling in mediocrity - he instead chose to pursue, and achieve, the American Dream with a career that includes both public service as an Associate Judge to a Republican District Judge and in private practice, first as a member of a law firm and then as the head of his own firm. That experience as an entrepreneur made Rick realize the challenges that small business owners across this country face every day. That experience also cemented his commitment to the Republican values of smaller government and faith in the private sector. It also sparked his interest in reforming the local party and led him to file for a place on the ballot for Harris County Republican Party Chairman in this year's Republican Primary Election.

From the beginning, Ramos' campaign was reminiscent of the fictional story of "Rocky" set in Philadelphia where Rick grew up. Like Rocky Balboa, Rick Ramos faced an uphill battle, a longshot with nearly impossible odds, if truth be known. Like that "Rocky" story, this million-to-one longshot went toe-to-toe with the incumbent who held the power of incumbency and was propped up by the establishment forces and special interests who would spend whatever it takes to keep "their" chairman in office to do their will. Despite being outspent by hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ramos did the unthinkable - he delivered a knockdown blow to the establishment incumbent, besting him on the first ballot. But it was only a knockdown, not a knockout. Ramos now goes into the final round - a fight to be settled in the Runoff Election on May 24th. The reigning establishment contestant will no doubt have his boosters in his corner.

But for those of us who like an underdog - those who cheer for a Rocky Balboa or a Ted Cruz - we have our own champion. His name is Rick Ramos and he has a shot at the title, but he will need our help to win the final round because, unlike a boxing match, a political campaign is a team effort.

Why No Trump
By Bruce Bialosky, Contributing Editor

For a long time, I tolerated Trump. When people criticized him and called him a conservative, I straightened them out and told him he is no conservative, but now I believe he is also no Republican. I don't know what this man stands for other than himself and "Make America Great Again" which is a slogan he attempted to copyright four years ago. The current mantra is there is a civil war in the Republican Party which I don't get since I don't know any element of the Republican Party that supports this man.

Here are some of the issues that define Trump as not being a conservative or a Republican:

1. Kelo - I have never met a Republican who was not apoplectic about the Kelo vs. New London decision. This decision redefined eminent domain to allow the little twerps with none of their own money at risk, who got college degrees in city planning, to design cities and force people to give up their property for commercial purposes. No one disagrees with the fact we need eminent domain to build roads and bridges, but shopping centers? Especially ones that raise more revenues to feed city coffers and inflate overpaid government employees' compensation. This is crony capitalism at its very worst and Trump embraces it.

2. Lawyers - Trump loves lawyers and suing people. I realize that anyone involved in as many businesses as he has been in over the years will be confronted with frivolous lawsuits, but this man brags about how tough he is about lawsuits. He embraces lawyers. He embraces the legal system. He has used it to his own benefit many times. There is not one Republican or Conservative who does not want to break the back of the Lawyers' Lobby (Big Law). They feed the Democrats. Go to his website and see his seven-point plan on healthcare – There is no tort reform. Getting lawyers out of our healthcare system is central to controlling costs and stopping doctors from performing frivolous procedures to protect themselves from lawsuits, but there is no mention of tort reform in Trump's plan.

3. Redefining our Libel Laws - Nothing is more sacrosanct to Republicans and Conservatives than the First Amendment and the protection of free speech. Trump states he wants to redefine the libel laws. This is something he would have no control over if elected, but it displays a mindset. The same mindset that is happening at our colleges where children are asking for notifications of anything in their reading that might offend them – triggers. Triggers define the Left. Restrictions of free speech on college campuses (unless you agree with their twisted perception of America) define the Left. The mindset he has displayed here is everything the Right hates and Trump embraces it. You cannot, cannot, cannot be a Republican and not hate the press, but be willing to die to protect their freedom. Trump does not fit that description.

4. Crony Capitalism – Nothing disgusts Republicans and Conservatives and nothing is more reveled in by the Left than Crony Capitalism. This is why the Tea Party was created. Big government being bought by powerful influences to line their own pockets. Trump is the personification of Crony Capitalism. He is the poster boy. If you don't want to accept his constant statements bragging about how his business career was built on Crony Capitalism, then look at the position he took on Ethanol in Iowa. He wrapped himself around this useless enhancement to our gasoline. Cruz rejected it and Rubio stated all funding is phased out by 2020. One of the central reasons government has exploded in size and power in the last fifty years is Crony Capitalism. You cannot, cannot, cannot be a Republican or a Conservative and then support a person who is gift-wrapped in Crony Capitalism as your candidate.

Why do I believe that some people support Trump? First and foremost, because of his persona. They like his schtick. Second, because they are irate at the supposed Republican establishment. They say three things:

1. We were promised by the Republicans if they were given the House and the Senate things would change – they have. Has Obama passed anything in the past six years? Zero, Zilch, Nothing. The budget deficit was brought down by almost a Trillion dollars. Many of his judicial appointments are being held in limbo. He will never get that Supreme Court appointee. What in God's name did you expect? We have a lawless president who makes up rules as he goes along and then says sue me. And that is what the Republicans keep doing is suing and winning.

2. McCain, Romney, Bush and Dole are not true Conservatives and that is why we keep losing the presidency. And your answer is to nominate someone who is far to the left of any of those men? When Democrats complain to me about Trump I tell them they should be happy. He will never do anything about abortion. He is the most liberal person I can remember running as a Republican in my lifetime.

3. He is self-funding his campaign – Malarkey. How much has he spent of his own money after the lapdog media keeps giving him free publicity every time he says something to antagonize the population? He has collected $7.5 million from his website. He has only loaned money to his campaign planning on getting it back from donations. What if he becomes the nominee? That will cost $500 million or more to beat the Congenital Liar. He will never fund that nor is he liquid enough to do so. As I said: self-funding - Malarkey.

Let's get this straight. Donald Trump is neither a Republican nor a Conservative. He is running in the Republican primaries because he saw an opening he would never get in the Democratic Party. He is no different from Michael Bloomberg who ran for mayor as a Republican in New York City, and soon became an independent and a then a Democrat again.

Donald Trump may be bringing voters to the Republican primaries, but he is only getting 35% of the vote. 65% are coming to vote against him. He does not have a majority of the delegates. He does not deserve to be the nominee of the Republican Party nor has he earned it. He will not have 1,237 delegates in Cleveland and will never get that many.

Bernie Sanders is a Socialist and Hillary Clinton is a Congenital Liar and should be indicted. The Republicans need to nominate a Republican, and Donald Trump is not one.


Bruce Bialosky is the founder of the Republican Jewish Coalition of California and a former Presidential appointee. You can contact Bruce at bruce@bialosky.biz.

Another November Election Anti-Trump Ad

Here's another preview of what is coming if Trump is our nominee and it's not pretty. It shows Trump's own words that illustrate his lack of respect towards women.


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.

Red, White & Blue returns March 25.

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 sixteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last fourteen 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 14th 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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