June 18, 2019 Editorial, JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director, Grassroots America – We the People, Commentary published in Texas Scorecard

Well, this is tiresome. From the Governor, Lt. Governor and most Republican legislators, it’s as if a collective amnesia has set in or a case of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Speaker Bonnen is the exception. He doesn’t even pretend not to understand. Bonnen declared he doesn’t give a tinker’s about conservatives, warned Republicans not to challenge each other or Democrats for House seats, and openly supports Democrat Joe Moody for Speaker next session should Democrats take the nine seats they need to take control. Meanwhile, Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey has nothing to say about the Republican Speaker’s open support of Democrats.

Governor Abbott and Lt. Dan know exactly why conservative leaders and activists are not happy with the results of the session. They simply do not care. They worked very hard with Speaker Bonnen to make sure Republican legislators stopped caring about the conservatives back home. Getting along with Democrats and divesting themselves of conservative principles were far more important.

There is no Republican Plan for Legislative Success or for Fiscal Sanity. None. As a result, Texas Republicans are following the path of their counterparts in Washington, DC. The only difference is geography. Just like DC Republicans, Texas Republican legislators repeatedly squander legislative sessions, not using their majority to get long-promised reforms passed. Many of these issues have been talked about for at least the last FIVE legislative sessions (and have appeared longer than that as TX GOP Platform planks), which leads us to conclude that Republican leadership no longer values the grassroots or the values they claimed when running for office. They will continue to lose seats because they fail to do what they promise.

We had a purple legislative session because too many Republican elected officials have turned purple. Now, they are putting Texas at risk in 2020.
For those who cannot seem to grasp the reason behind our discontent, conservative grassroots leaders and activists across Texas are not happy because…

• State Government – run by Republicans – is on an unsustainable spending spree. AGAIN – failed to pass spending limits on state government. Republicans grew state spending 12%, spending a $10 billion surplus above and beyond Hurricane Harvey disaster funds. Democrats cheered.
  
  
• State Government – run by Republicans – supports election fraud. AGAIN – failed to pass paper ballot backup audit trails so that electronic voting can be verified in an election contest. Republicans have controlled all branches of state government since 2003; yet, voter rolls have NEVER been verified! According to numerous news reports and AG cases, illegal aliens, felons and dead people can and do vote. 2020 is around the corner. Republican leaders are doing nothing to protect legal voters.
• In a Sunday, June 16 interview with Jason Whitely of WFAA-Dallas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he does not know why there's criticism coming from some conservative groups in Texas over the results of the 86th regular legislative session. "I don't know why they're disappointed," Patrick said on WFAA's Inside Texas Politics. "That's for them to answer. We consider it a very successful session."
• State Government – run by Republicans – supports public labor unions. AGAIN – failed to stop state assistance in the collection of union dues by automatically deducting them from government employee paychecks. This colossally stupid failure means union dues will once again show up in 2020 campaigns against Republicans.
• State Government – run by Republicans – supports taxpayer-funded lobbying. AGAIN – failed to stop the use of tax dollars to fund lobbyists hired by local governments to fight pro-taxpayer reforms. This failure helps drown out the voice of the people – the unheard little guys.
• State Government – run by Republicans – refuses to recognize the right of law-abiding citizens to carry handguns without a government permission slip. AGAIN – failed to return gun rights that are recognized in 16 other states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming). This once again proves Texas does not lead on liberty.
• State Government – run by Republicans – failed to advance legislation to save the life of pre- born babies. Meanwhile, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, and Ohio passed heartbeat bills. Kentucky and Mississippi heartbeat laws, temporarily blocked by a federal court injunction, are headed to a US Appeals Court. Protecting lemonade stands is a noble gesture, but how about fighting for human life? It is shameful that Texas does not lead on life.
• State Government – run by Republicans – supports the Left’s attacks on historic monuments. They failed to do anything to protect the Alamo, the Alamo Cenotaph, and other historical monuments from being “reimagined” or removed. We now understand that Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick and Speaker Bonnen – along with 95% of the GOP legislators – do not care one thing about these monuments. They like to invoke the names of our Heroes for Texas Independence as they draw rhetorical lines in the sand, but when it came down to honoring the bravery and sacrifice of our heroes, Republican leaders wouldn’t lift a finger to protect monuments from the rabid Left.
• State Government – run by Republicans – passed a Democratic Party Platform initiative – taxpayer funded, all day pre-K (day care) for low income children, including those here illegally. Never mind that multiple studies show no lasting academic results for such programs. Texas Republicans were always opposed to growing government at the expense of parental responsibility – until they weren’t. Democrats cheered.
• State Government – run by Republicans – passed another Democratic Party Platform item – Big Nanny State Mental Health legislation. A $100 million psychiatric consortium with connections to the pharmaceutical industry deployed to our community schools puts Texas children at risk of dangerous psychotropic drugging, data mining, and profiling based on family values, religious beliefs, and economic circumstances. Perfectly normal children will be at risk for subjective mental health labels or viewed as potential threats, which can destroy their rights and the rights of their parents. Too much liberty is being risked in the name of preventing school shootings. In the hands of Democrats who hate gun rights, we fear this is the camel’s nose under the tent.
• While we wish these legislative results were not true, ignoring the failures changes nothing and endangers Texas. Republicans have energized the Democrats and given them wins to run on!

While Republicans passed some “good intention” bills, far too many bills important to preserving and advancing Texas-style liberty were either killed by Republicans or not filed at all this session. That is how we ended up with a purple session. That is why conservatives are not happy, Lt. Dan and Company.

“What you permit, you promote. What you allow, you encourage. What you condone, you own. What you tolerate, you deserve.”  Michelle Malkin

Grassroots America has never supported purple, progressive Republicans who love Big Government if they can be in charge of it. We don’t intend to start now. Texas is at stake.

JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director, Grassroots America – We the People PAC

ALF Editor’s note: If we are going to get stiffed, then I’d rather be stiffed by an enemy than a friend. So what will you do in November 2020 if Governor Abbott does not give us a Special Session that passes any or all of the 5 priorities of the Republican Party of Texas Platform? This is not a rhetorical question. Write me: americanlibertyforum@gmail.com.

CRITICAL PUBLIC HEARING ON VOTE CENTERS July 9th, 9:00am

Are Vote Centers a good idea or just another way to steal elections? Read my blog post on 5/11/19 at americanlibertyforum.org entitled "The British Are Coming and So Are Voting Centers" for just one person's opinion. Also read about "Remote-Access Software Installed on Voting Machines".

On Tuesday, July 9th at the Commissioners Court located at 411 Elm Street and July 10th at the Addison Conference Center at 15650 Addison Road, there will be a public hearing to discuss Vote Centers here in Dallas County. PLEASE ATTEND AND TESTIFY. If you need help with preparing a statement please call either Aaron Ceder at 347-628-0795 or Chris Davis at +1 (469) 450-4320. Both can help with talking points.

Sign up to testify by calling either 214-653-7945, or 214-653-7327.  They will ask for name, address, phone number and topic.

Dallas County Elections Department PRESS RELEASE:
From: Dallas County Elections Department
Toni Pippins-Poole, Elections Administrator, CERA, CCPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2019

DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO PROVIDE COMMENT AND OPINION REGARDING IMPLEMENTING DALLAS COUNTY VOTE CENTERS
Dallas County will hold a specially-called, Public Hearing on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, to inform residents of the County’s proposed transition to using Election Day Countywide Polling Locations (also referred to as “Vote Centers”).  Residents can comment and express their opinions regarding implementing Vote Centers in Dallas County.  Public comments will be recorded and made a part of Dallas County’s request to implement Countywide Polling Places (Vote Centers) for Election Day voting.  Election Day Vote Centers would allow qualified voters to obtain and cast their specific ballot at any of the already established Election Day polling locations. Voters would not be limited to one polling location on Election Day; they can use any of the open polling locations in Dallas County.  The Public Hearing begins at 9:00 AM, at the Dallas County Administration Building, Allen Clemson Courtroom, 411 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75202. 
Dallas County is also inviting the public to attend two (2) Vote Center “Information/Town Hall” Meetings as well.  During these informal meetings, the public is able to view a presentation on Vote Centers, ask questions and/or provided their comments regarding countywide voting in Dallas County.  They will also be able to try out the new voting equipment that makes Vote Centers possible, by voting in a mock election.  These “Information/Town Hall” meetings are not like the more formal and official “Public Hearing on Tuesday morning, July 9, 2019; however, attendees will be able to prepare and return a survey with their comments and questions.  The dates, times and locations of the meeting are:
Tuesday, July 9, 2019, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the Dallas County Administration Bldg., Allen Clemson Courtroom (1st Floor), 411 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75202; and,
Wednesday, July 10, 2019, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM at the Addison Conference Center, 15650 Addison Road, Addison, Texas 75001.
Dallas County residents can obtain more information about Vote Centers, and provide their feedback at: https://www.dallascountyvotes.org/countywide-polling-places/. 
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Toni Pippins-Poole, CERA, CCPA, Elections Administrator: tpippins@dallascounty.org
Robert Heard, Sr., Assistant Elections Administrator: robert.heard@dallascounty.org

In today’s world, many organizations and people put a high value on diversity. Diversity has become the gold standard, almost out of thin air, with no rational basis for its value. Yet, diversity seems to be a virtue that everyone must have simply because someone decided that it needed to be important and everyone else jumped on the band wagon without giving much in-depth thought to what they were saying. It is an easy sell and it has sort of a feel-good feeling to it.
    However, I disagree with the notion that diversity is a virtue. Virtue means having high moral standards. Virtues are things like honesty, courage, patience, perseverance, kindness, and commitment. Diversity itself is neither good nor bad. Diversity can be beneficial in certain settings, but diversity is not what makes us a great society. Morality and virtue (as listed above) make us a great society. Diversity does not make a great basketball team nor a great ballet company nor a great opera. Diversity does not improve the chances of finding a cure for cancer nor improve the quality of new bridges and aircraft carriers. Diversity does not make my neighborhood safe, and it does not make my church more worshipful. Diversity might make a church choir better because of the need for different parts and different voice qualities, but an all male choir could be just as beautiful.
    When we talk about diversity in the workplace, I’m all for hiring different types of people, but I want to hire people based on what they can offer my company, to make my company better. I don’t care about their outward appearance, like what color their skin is, what their gender is, or what their religion is. What I care about is how well can they do the job and whether or not they are a good fit for my company. Are they smart, are they teachable, are they capable of growing into a leadership position, do they have a track record, are they good communicators? These are some of the questions I would ask before hiring someone. As a leader of an organization, I want to have the very best people on my team. Forcing me to hire based on arbitrary, exterior characteristics robs me of my freedom to choose what is best for my company or my department and it has no historical, objective data to prove that it has made us any better. (One historical data point that most people get wrong: our nation was not created by a melting pot of diverse people. We were mostly a homogenous group of Western Europeans with similar Judeo-Christian values who were not tired and poor, but hardworking, tenacious, and determined to make a successful new life in a new wonderful country.)
    “Variety is the spice of life” for some, but I say, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, and this new social experiment of forcing diversity into the workplace and the school yard just doesn’t make sense to me. ​

After reading this article on the American Renewal Project website, I cemented my long held belief that the Christians must save America from socialism and godlessness. Read this article by Senator James Lankford (Oklahoma) and tell me what you think. If, indeed, it is our job to save America, then how do we do it? What are you willing to do?

"Senator James Lankford (Oklahoma) once invited an audience to “name one book in the Old Testament that is not written by, to or about political leaders.” He then offered, “I think there are three in total. I’ll make you figure out the three … Job is one.”

And yet, over the last century theological heresy has so adulterated modern Christendom that seminaries appear to be yielding disciples cast in the mould of Epicurus. “We don’t do politics,” they highbrow with a whiff of Epicureanism, an arcane academic approach where the rough and tumble of civic responsibility is shunned for a more peaceful, happy and tranquil life.
In order to juxtapose early American Christianity to the modern version, let’s take two paragraphs from B.F. Morris’ 1864 classic The Christian Life and Character of The Civil Institutions of The United States: “The persecutions of the Puritans in England for non-conformity, and the religious agitations and conflicts in Germany by Luther, in Geneva by Calvin, and in Scotland by Knox, were the preparatory ordeals for qualifying Christian men for the work of establishing the civil institutions on the American continent. ‘God sifted’ in these conflicts ‘a whole nation that He might send choice grain over into the wilderness’; and the blood and persecution of martyrs became the seed of both the church and the state.”
​
 “It was in these schools of fiery trial that the founders of the American republic were educated and prepared for their grand Christian mission, and in which their faith and characters became strong and earnest with Christian truth. They were trained in stormy times, in order to prepare them to elaborate and establish the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty and of just systems of civil government.”

There is a staggering lack of Biblically-based knowledge and impact in America’s public square. Secularism, Christianity’s chief competitor, thrives solely in the absence of morality, and Christians have handed over the culture and its mountains of influence to those in rebellion against God. Any casual observer will recognize that secularism’s dominance of academia, newsrooms, sports, the Courts, big business, Hollywood, and medicine is a direct result of Christians ‘not doing politics’. It would seem that modern Christianity is ‘not doing education’ either, given that the secular worldview now is being spoon-fed to 85% of America’s youth. Until Christians step into the public square, reestablishing a Biblically-based culture, the ‘sexualization’ and secularization of youth, allied and abetted by Hollywood and media cliques, will continue to bring the nation to ruin.

 “Politicians are actors performing a script, written by the audience,” Russell Kirk observed. But, since politics is downstream from culture’s upper tributaries, secularists control the source by riding herd on public education, methodologies and teaching strategies through secular power structures.

 In founding America, Christians initiated a Biblically-based culture, which in turn produced outstanding men and women of character, whose customs, traditions and moral laws and standards brought forth an exceptional America. For a nation is not exalted by its military prowess or Gross Domestic Product, but by its righteousness.
The Founders established the Bible as the anchor and cornerstone in order to judge, thereby inducing unity, structure and shape, which in due course joined a people together, and so fashioned a unique culture that came to be known as American Exceptionalism."

Over the years, many people have asked me how I learned about various topics, whether it's about the proper role of government or about the principles of liberty and free markets. I decided to make a short list of my favorite books that have had the most impact on me and my political activism. I offer this list to you with no caveats, but with an exhortation to read everyone of them over and over. And then see what happens! For any given author, you can find multiple books written by that author, but I have listed just one per author. Here ya go:

• The Holy Bible 
• The Westminster Confession, Chapter XXIII
• How Should Christians Vote: Tony Evans
• The Law:  Fredric Bastiat 
• Lex Rex: Based on the Work of Samuel Rutherford: Thomas Adamo
• Making of America: Cleon Skousen and 5000 Year Leap: Cleon Skousen
• US Constitution
• Communist Manifesto: Karl Marx
• Assumptions: Christian Overman
• Two Treatises of Government: John Locke
• Economics in One Lesson: Henry Hazlitt
• Democracy in America: Alexis de Tocqueville
• When a Nation Forgets God: Erwin Lutzer
• Liberty & Tyranny: Mark R. Levin
• Tempest at Dawn: James Best (historical fiction on the Constitutional Convention)
• The Institutes of Biblical Law: RJ Rushdooney

Even though no one has asked me about what music I like to listen to when I get discouraged about the overwhelming evil in this country, I thought you might like to know what lifts my spirits or tickles my funny bone. Some say laughter is the best medicine. I say music is the best. Add music to laughter (a la Ray Stevens' style) and you've really taken me to an all new high. See for yourself:

• Whom Shall I Fear
• With You All Things Are Possible
• Everything is Beautiful
• Grandpa Voted Democrat (aka voter fraud)
• We The People (Don't care for Obamacare)​
• If 10% Is Good Enough For Jesus
• Come to the USA

Reverend Rafael Cruz, father of US Senator Ted Cruz, tells the story of America’s founding, on Judeo-Christian principles, and delivers a stern warning to everyone about the imminent threat from the radical left who want to destroy these guiding principles and this country. Rafael Cruz' clarion call to reclaim America is compelling. Attend Leadership Forum monthly meetings, formerly Park Cities Preston Hollow Leadership Forum, to connect with others who are actively engaged in the political culture at all levels.
​

May 9, 2019 2nd Meeting of the Voting Center Advisory Council (VCAC)

As a proxy for Dallas Eagle Forum at the 2nd VCAC's meeting, I got a snoot full of  *&^%$#  from the Dallas County Elections Department's discussion on Voting Centers. Voting Centers are  another top down, central planning solution without sufficient data to support the expense, the upheaval, the manpower, and the security vulnerabilities that will come with VCs. It’s a colossal Power Shift without firing a single shot, tantamount to stuffing the ballot box! VCs target particular voting populations, to the exclusion of others (ours) with the outcome of skewed vote results and increased likelihood of result manipulations. I believe VCs will ultimately eliminate all Election Judge positions for Republicans and effectively silence our voices at the ballot box.  Ushering in the federalization of our election process, we lose local control of our elections with the Voting Centers. They strangely remind me of the UN Regional Center concept. About 98% of the room (50+) was filled with leftists, who were all worried about increasing ballot access for their constituents. About five of us were conservatives. One was Libertarian and he thinks VCs are good. After the 2020 Presidential election, traditional precinct polling places will be consolidated into regional Voting Centers. Less is more. Really?

As far as I can tell no empirical evidence has been shown to justify the $7-10M price tag, nor have cost projections for annual expenses been shown. The Dallas County Elections Department says VCs will improve efficiency and cut costs with no objective measure of what either means. Except for meaning one thing: increasing voter turn out of a certain population. They all but proposed that ballots be available by Uber and Amazon right to your footstool, whether you're in the grocery store, the hospital,  or the Post Office. They were real keen on using every subcategory of Census Data to find as many voters as possible.

Did I mention that the VC's will use wireless networks right inside the polling place? Wait! Whatever happened to no cellphones and laptops?? Beware! Even the DOD cannot secure the air, so do you think Dallas County Elections Department can secure the ballots?

Call Dallas County Elections Department to voice your opinion about Voting Centers. 214.819.6311.

​  Press Release From the Campaign Headquarters of Tami Brown Rodriquez, Dist. 9 City Council Candidate

     Dallas County Elections Department has announced that it will introduce its new "e-Pollbooks" (electronic pollbooks) just before the upcoming May 4th city wide City Council elections. The e-pollbooks are supposed to take the place of the paper poll record and signature books that have been used for over 100 years. The timing and the vagueness of the exact function of these e-pollbooks has raised suspicions of advocates of preventing voter fraud like Dallas City Council Dist. 9 candidate Tami Brown Rodriquez:

      "How these iPad computers are to be utilized to verify voter legitimacy is highly in question," Ms. Brown Rodriquz states, "There are a lot of questions that have been raised: Are the voters supposed to sign on the iPad? e-signatures are always terrible, so how are the signatures to be verified with the voter's voter registration card? Are the e-records up to date? What if there is a computer glitch or the system goes down on election day? And, with only 1 week of training available ahead of time, how can all the hundreds of poll workers be trained ahead of time?"

      Tami's experience as a poll watcher in the past showed her there was wide spread voter fraud and irregularities in Dallas County elections, an experience which contributed in a paramount fashion to her decision to run for Dallas City Council. Election integrity is one of her core platform planks. 

      The timing and implementation of the new e-pollbooks is indeed suspicious. For example, seven sessions of training are being offered to poll workers to learn how to operate the pollbooks, but only 2 training sessions are being offered by the County Elections Department to train workers on voter ID authorization and verification, and these two training sessions will only occur AFTER early voting has already started. There was also no word from the Dallas County Elections Department on whether or not there would be a paper print out record of the voters registered on the system and their signatures. "That's a real problem," Brown Rodriquez concludes, "By law, electronic voting machines must produce a paper print out at the end of the day, but here in Dallas, election judges have been notoriously slack about requiring that. We have no word on whether these new pollbooks will even produce any kind of printed record. Otherwise the data just disappears, and 'wham!' you have a real fear then of election fraud."