Politics, Texas Style

[Pliablemoose]

Texas Democrats Leave the State & Risk Arrest?

State troopers found Democratic lawmakers in Oklahoma after they brought the Texas House to a standstill by going into hiding, but the legislators declined to return to the state Capitol.

The Republican leaders sent the troopers to Ardmore, Okla., on Monday to ask the Democrats to return. The lawmakers left Austin on Sunday, after days of strategizing to waylay a contentious GOP-led battle to redraw the state's congressional lines.

The absence of the 58 Democrats denied the House its required 100-member quorum. The boycott capped months of tension between Democrats and the newly-in-control Republicans over a bill to limit lawsuits and a GOP budget that would make deep spending cuts without raising taxes.

I guess they (Dems) want to follow California's lead, provide all kinds of services & programs & not be overly concerned about sources of funds

 

[Alistar7]

Wow, they left the state and they found them this time, last time they hid out in an apartment in Austin....


It's not like the dems didn't know the last election would put the people in place that would be redrawing the district lines again, I'm not sure if this is really the best thing to keep doing, but it was on the board for all to see and plan for...

 

[43st]

not be overly concerned about sources of funds

Sounds like our President.

 

[Alistar7]

california, hhhmmm, remember a couple of years ago when they were having massive blackouts and energy shortages and the Gov. pleaded with Bush and the feds to look into Texas energy companies who they felt were committing a variety of offenses, their pleas were dismissed without thought..... Didn't ENRON supply alot of their power?

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: Thera

not be overly concerned about sources of funds

Sounds like our President.

What, we are only 1 trillion in debt??? Let's push that up to at least 4 trillion while I give the market a marginal boost making me look good right now, sure thing Mr. Reagan...

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: Alistar7
california, hhhmmm, remember a couple of years ago when they were having massive blackouts and energy shortages and the Gov. pleaded with Bush and the feds to look into Texas energy companies who they felt were committing a variety of offenses, their pleas were dismissed without thought..... Didn't ENRON supply alot of their power?

He made the same plea with the last admin. with the same result.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

He made the same plea with the last admin. with the same result.

Actually, the plea was with FERC which had some difficulty with bailing CA out of a mess that CA was largely responsible for. There's little doubt the energy cartel may be the most immoral cabal in America. But CA essentially divorced a high society wife b/c they thought call girls would be cheaper.

Townhall Novak on why Bush knows two things about bizness (follow the money and free market my arse)

 

[ElFenix]

this thread got off topic fast

 

[Alistar7]

can we make this the official thread where we can ridicule both parties for their hypocrisy and unethical actions?

 

[ConclamoLudus]

That really seems pretty silly to me. I guess there is no point in having a majority, or a vote, or a congress, or a government etc. All you have to do is not show up if you aren't in control and then the power shifts. Sad.

Instead of just voicing their opinion and letting democracy run its course, these people had to go run off and throw the system out the window.

 

[MonkeyK]

I guess they (Dems) want to follow California's lead, provide all kinds of services & programs & not be overly concerned about sources of funds

I understood that the hideout was due to redistricting plans that would further affect the balance of power in Texas:
CNN article

 

[phillyTIM]

well nobody can say the democrat's don't have balls!

good for them - for standing up to the Republican juggernaut

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: phillyTIM
well nobody can say the democrat's don't have balls!

good for them - for standing up to the Republican juggernaut

Yeah it takes real balls to run away and hide.

 

[phillyTIM]

hey, the Republicans wrote the book on circumvention, within the past 3 years

perfected with their aggression against Iraq, and formerly the Election 2000

 

[sMiLeYz]

I appluad the democrats for standing up to a unjust redistricting plan to serve only as a power grab for republicans.

If you look at the map of Texas, the plan doesnt make ANY sense since theres a MILE of distance between those two areas being combined.

Republicans are only doing to grab more seats for congress, a obvious and shameful ploy.

 

[phillyTIM]

wow, i didn't realize that was the reason, sMiLeYz

thanks for outing their ulterior motives for us!

republicans sure have created a name for themselves, being syonymous with: SHAM

 

[CaptnKirk]

This would remove Democrats from five seats, and award those seats to Republicans.
How do they do that ? Take down an incumbent elected official and appoint a designated Republican.
I don't see how this would even work.
How does it suddenly redistrict and shift balance without elections ?

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
I appluad the democrats for standing up to a unjust redistricting plan to serve only as a power grab for republicans.

If you look at the map of Texas, the plan doesnt make ANY sense since theres a MILE of distance between those two areas being combined.

Republicans are only doing to grab more seats for congress, a obvious and shameful ploy.

Welcome to the realities of jerrymandoring. This is not just something that happens in Texas and does create some very weird maps. One the last redistricting one of the democrats created a long finger on the map so that his new house would stay in his district.

There is also nothing in Texas law that specefies how often redistricting can be done. It has been done every 10 years, but then Democrats have controlled both houses in Texas for the past 130 years. Since this is the case, there has been no need to do it at such a time. Texas has been a republican state for sometime now, but yet still sends a majority of democratic senators to congress in DC thanks to the current democratic jerrymandoring.

These districts need to change now to reflect republican majority that exists in the state.

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: phillyTIM
wow, i didn't realize that was the reason, sMiLeYz

thanks for outing their ulterior motives for us!

republicans sure have created a name for themselves, being syonymous with: SHAM

You need to pull your head out of your nether regions and take a look around at how many states legislatures (controlled by both parties) have done this in the past.

The redistricting that was done in TN a couple of years ago (by the demoidiots) makes whats going on TX pale in comparison.

 

[YellowRose]

Our reps in the state legislature refused to draw up district boundries in 2000. They let the Courts decide those boundries.
Now Tom Delay who is not an elected offical in either the Texas House or Texas Senate is pushing this redistricting bill. Its an attempt
to run the State of Texas from a Washington office. Not going to fly people.

 

[Dragnov]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
this thread got off topic fast

Started with the original poster who had try and scapegoat their own problems. WTF does this have to do w/ California? Nothing.

 

[dmcowen674]

The Georgia Dems re-drew the Districts a couple of years ago trying to shut out all the GOP. Guess what, the GOP won all the seats anyway.

 

[shiner]

You want to see gerrymandering then come to Oklahoma. The districts up here are so screwed up that it's unbelievable. In fact Congress has had to step in several times and force the lines to be redrawn. What party is in charge of the state legislature here? The Democrats. Have been since Oklahoma became a state in 1970 except for the years 1920-1922 when the Republicans were a majority. I ran for State Representative back in 1996 and the district I ran in was horribly gerrymandered. The Rep that had been in office since the 70's, a Dem, would not have even lived in the district had they not made a finger than ran 12 miles along side the highway and was only about 3 feet wide so that it would end up encompassing his house.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: Alistar7
Wow, they left the state and they found them this time, last time they hid out in an apartment in Austin....


It's not like the dems didn't know the last election would put the people in place that would be redrawing the district lines again, I'm not sure if this is really the best thing to keep doing, but it was on the board for all to see and plan for...

nice to hear every state has had both parties abuse this, now I'm sure they need to come up with a better way.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Well interestingly enough, prior to this post only 5 of 24 comments originated from Texas residents.
Everyone seems qualified to make snap decisions as to the wrong or right for congressional
manipulation within the state of Texas for the benifit of forced legislation of one mind-set.

Politics have effectively been taken out of the hands of the citizens and are being played
for proffit by all legislators for personal and political gains. "We're doomed", cried the Optomist.