David Bellow Running for Hardin County Judge to Stop Tax Increases and Wasteful Spending

Update: David Bellow has been endorsed by many conservative organizations and people such as Judge Paul Pressler, Pro Life Nation, American Gun Rights, Texas Home School Coalition, and many more!

Hardin County, Texas needs a new face instead of the insider tax and spend group currently in control. Hardin County needs someone who is not afraid to say no to tax increases. Hardin County needs a Strong Christian, conservative leader. This is why I, David Bellow, am running for Hardin County Judge. My opponent, Wayne McDaniel Jr., is a lifelong Democrat. He ran on the same ticket with Obama and Hillary in his most recent election. He recently switched over to Republican, along with all of the other county officials. Worst of all, in response to my campaign against tax increases, my opponent says he cannot say he will not raise taxes. The same Democrat, good old boy mentality is still here, even though everyone is Republican now.

Fact: Hardin County Raised Taxes this Year

Fact: Hardin County is spending millions of dollars more than it brings in.

Fact: Hardin County is spending money wastefully. Not everyone working for the County needs a new Chevy Tahoe (at the rate they are buying them it seems like they want everyone to have one), and the County should not be giving themselves pay raises by raising taxes on people who are not getting pay raises.

Fact: Hardin County is not financially transparent. None of their records are in digital formal for taxpayers to be able to look through the finances.

More facts and info can be found at www.BellowForJudge.com

Why I am Running For County Judge: Letter to the People of Hardin County

After spending many months in deep thought and prayer, I have decided to run to be your next County Judge of Hardin County now that Judge Billy Caraway has decided to retire.

I do not want you to consider voting for me because you like my signs or because someone you know told you to vote for me. I want you to really know me. I want you to know my heart. The most important thing you can know about me is that I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I put God first in my life.

As Judge, I will serve you with unwavering conservative values that will drive me to be an advocate against wasteful spending so that we can keep taxes from going up. I want you to know that I will strive for transparency in government because the people have a right to know what is going on behind the scenes.   I am a strong defender of our Constitutional rights. I am unapologetically pro-2^nd-amendment and pro-life.

Before I get into the issues facing Hardin County, let me introduce myself and my background.

My wife Courtney and I are residents of Hardin County and Lumberton.  We have one child, Michael, and next to God, my family is my number one priority in life.

My brothers and I operate a successful small business, Eden Pro Services, and the company serves customers from Lumberton to College Station and employs several people.

After graduating from Lumberton High School, I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University and a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University.

After college, I joined the military, rose up the ranks from Private to Sergeant, and was honored as “Soldier of the Year” twice. I became a law enforcement officer because I wanted to protect the community, graduating with honors from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. I worked my way up to be a Senior Officer and have always looked for ways to change policy to increase efficiency and better protect my fellow officers.

I am a lifelong Republican because I have always known that the conservative values of the Republican Party were the values I believe in. Long before Obama was elected I was working to promote conservative values and help Republican candidates win. My Christian, conservative foundation gives me the passion and desire to serve you and to work with you and the other elected officials to keep Hardin County an amazing place to live, work, and raise a family.

Hardin County is facing big challenges. The County has been spending more than it brings in. From October 2011 to October 2013 the County Spent $1.98 MILLION more than it brought in. Hardin County recently approved the budget for Oct 2013 to Oct 2014. In the new budget, the County wants a tax increase and more deficit spending of $1.04 MILLION.

This deficit spending is unsustainable and must be addressed now instead of just being pushed down the road. The go-along, get-along politicians don’t understand that this is taxpayer money and deficit spending is something that goes on in Washington, but should not happen here.

I will make the tough decisions based on solid conservative principles and with the best interest of the community in mind. I will work with the leaders and residents of Hardin County to cut the budget and to find ways to increase revenue such as attracting new industry and jobs to the County.

I was previously elected to be on the board that runs the Republican Party organization for the entire State of Texas. I helped manage and govern the multi-million dollar budget for the State Party. When I got on the board, the Republican Party was facing massive debt.

While on the board, I was part of the Republican leadership that bought the Party out of debt and into a surplus. From starting a small business to helping lead the statewide party out of debt and into a surplus, I am uniquely qualified to step in and help lift Hardin County out of the current financial crisis. I will fight to keep your taxes from going up.

We have such a great future ahead of us. Hardin County does not need the same gang of free-spending courthouse crony leaders to just continue to push the problems down the road. Hardin County needs new, forward-looking leaders to take on these problems and bring new ideas based on strong conservative principles.

Hardin County is our home. I am a lifelong resident of Lumberton, TX. Even through college and military service, I stayed VERY involved in Hardin County.

When the Kountze Cheerleaders had their religious rights attacked, I got involved and stood up for the constitutional rights of these innocent students.

When Obama signed Obamacare, I filed one of the first lawsuits against Obamacare in order to stop the unconstitutional mandate form being imposed on us all.

When Lumberton ISD was trying to pass a bond that was not completely needed and would have raised taxes 24% in a recession, I stood up and fought back and defeated the tax hike. I am completely for our kids and making our schools better, but a new school on 421 would not have provided better education and would have taken too much money away from families. LISD developed a better plan after the bond failed and the schools are doing great.

Speaking of schools, I stood with the majority of teachers and parents in Lumberton and in the area who did not like or want CSCOPE curriculum. This secretive, expensive curriculum made a mockery of our values. One lesson even referred to the Boston Tea Party patriots as terrorists. I helped defeat the curriculum statewide.

Many years ago, I wanted to promote patriotism and wanted to help out the American Legion in Lumberton. I went to them with an idea to raise money and promote patriotism at the same time. The idea was to line the streets in Lumberton with full size American flags and business would donate money each year to the project and the profits would go to the American Legion. The fundraiser was a success and happens every year in Lumberton. The Legion and the Boy Scouts do a great job of lining the streets with flags!

I want a better future for my wife and son. I grew up in a large family here. I mowed yards as a kid to make money and learned the value of hard work. My parents brought me up in Christ and taught me great family values.

I felt the horrible effects and devastation of the Hurricane Rita in 2005. I, like many others, lost everything. I had to leave college to help rebuild. My job was gone and the small business I started creating positive Christian youth events was destroyed.

I was young and bankrupt. I did not give up though. Falling to the bottom gave me the best lesson I have ever had. It made me strive to be better and smarter. It made me strive to be more fiscally conservative. I rose up and finished college and started a business. I served in the military and law enforcement and was an EMT. I got more involved in helping others because I know how it feels to not have anything. I decided to live a life of service to others. I especially want to make sure that the government starts being more fiscally conservative, does not overspend, and stops raising taxes on the already overtaxed people who might be struggling like I once did after Hurricane Rita.

Will you to support me for Hardin County Judge in the March 4^th Election? Please contact me with any issues, questions or comments at www.BellowForJudge.com

After posting this article, one of the County Commissioners contacted me today and said that Hardin County was making good financial decisions because they cleared their audit. BISD passed their audit. Does that mean Beaumont ISD's finances are good? NO. They have had multiple people stealing millions of dollars and have made very liberal tax and spend decisions. Passing an audit just means that no one is stealing money and the county has paid the bills (based on the records provided to the auditor). Passing an audit does NOT mean that fiscally conservative decisions are being made. Passing an audit does not mean that it was wise to spent a million on a dome that looks pretty and you vote in. Passing an audit does not mean that raising taxes on people is good. The commissioner also told me that the county was transparent because they posted the budget and audit online. That is not transparent. Those two things show very little. They just show the overall numbers but no one can really look into the breakdown of the finances. I can go to Lumberton ISD or the City of Lumberton and get a cd with all the daily financial transactions. Hardin County does not offer that level of transparency.  If you wanted to see all the financial transactions for the county you would have to pay the county to print out thousands of pages.

Fights break out at Texas Polling Places

Tensions have been abnormally high during this 2014 Primary election cycle. The statewide campaigning has been vicious. The local campaigns in Texas are no different.

Fights have been breaking out at polling places all across Texas.

Over here in southeast Texas, two senior citizens got into a brawl.

Down in south Texas, supporters of opposing candidates got into a feud.


from KBMT 12 News:

ORANGE COUNTY -

"I thought he was going to beat me to death."

That's what 83-year-old Vidor resident Kenneth Young says was going through his mind Tuesday. The man Young says was beating him, 70-year-old Orange resident Jerry Wilson, isn't denying it.

"I hit him with everything I could hit him with... Mr. Young, in my opinion, got just a little bit less than he deserved," Wilson told 12News Wednesday.

It all started Tuesday afternoon when Wilson, a candidate for the Orange County Republican Party Chair, paid a visit to the voting location at the Raymond Gould Community Center in Vidor. Wilson says he was here to check on his campaign signs when he says he noticed something was wrong.

"The set of signs that I had put out had been taken down and thrown to the side, and had been replaced by two homemade signs. One of the homemade signs he's referring to encourages people not to vote for Wilson, calling him a 'RINO', a republican in name only.

Wilson says after he noticed his signs were not where he left them, he approached Young, who was sitting about 100 feet from the entrance handing out pamphlets and encouraging people to vote for certain candidates, including Wilson's opponent.

Wilson claims, "I asked him, I said 'Kenneth are you taking my signs down?' and he said 'Yes, what are you gonna do about it?'"

"He is a big liar, I never said one word to him," said Young. "He fell on me, started punching me, hitting me in the face... and he was really throwing punches, hard."

"It was a fight, and I wasn't going to hold anything back," said Wilson.

A bystander eventually pulled Wilson off of Young and law enforcement officers arrived minutes later. Wilson was charged with misdemeanor assault and is awaiting his court hearing. Young was taken to a nearby clinic and treated for minor injuries.

read the rest of the article at KBMT 12 News

from Valley Central Action News:

Crossing a mark on the ground 100 feet away from voting sites is against the law for campaign volunteers.

But in La Joya, a group claims they are being harassed for being too close to the curb.

"The situation now is that police say we are in the right of way," campaign volunteer Jose Hernandez said.

Hernandez said Tuesday, La Joya police asked him and other supporters for 92nd State District Court Judge candidate Rey Ortiz to remove their canopy from a grassy area.

They cooperated but today they are taking a stand. 

"We are not in violation of any laws," Hernandez said.

Hidalgo County Election Officials agree.

They told Action 4 News as long as volunteers do not cross the 100 foot marker; they are not violating any election laws.

Hernandez believes the police order was handed down by elected city officials who sit across the parking lot.

"For the second day, our volunteers have been harassed and have been bullied by the opponent party," he said.

The group includes La Joya city commissioners who all support rival candidate Luis Singleterry.

They take up most of the space in the parking lot and are the alleged bullies'.

read the rest of the article at Valley Central Action 4 News

Texas Abortion Clinic Shut Down after Violations

from Fox News:

State officials in Texas have shut down a Houston abortion clinic and suspended its director’s medical license for not complying with a new law that says abortion providers must maintain admitting privileges at a local hospital.

The Houston Chronicle reports the Department of State Health Services revoked A Affordable Women’s Medical Center’s license on Friday, representing the first time Texas officials have evoked a new law mandating abortion clinic doctors secure admitting privileges at a hospital not more than 30 miles from their clinic that provides either obstetrical or gynecological services.

read the rest of the story here: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/02/16/texas-abortion-clinic-shut-down-doctor-license-suspended/?intcmp=latestnews

Dan Patrick Rising while under coordinated attack by opponents, Democrats and trial lawyer

Dan Patrick is rising in the polls. This has sent his opponents and also liberals into a frenzy. A strong conservative like Dan Patrick taking control of the Texas Senate would be devastating for the Democrats. They are out to attack Dan Patrick because they know he will be devastating to them if he wins and implements a more conservative agenda.


The following is a press release sent to me from the Dan Patrick campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:	Contact:  Logan Spence
Tuesday, February 25, 2014	512-461-3448

The Curtain Pulled Back to Reveal Opponents Working with Trial Lawyers

Dan Patrick under coordinated attack by opponents and Democrats

HOUSTON – Ethics reports filed yesterday reveal trial lawyers and Democrats have donated heavily to Texans for Accountability PAC and Jerry Patterson in an effort to defeat authentic conservative Dan Patrick.  Todd Staples and David Dewhurst are acting in concert, echoing the false attacks in statements and in advertising.

Texans for Accountability PAC finally had to come out of the shadows and reveal their financial supporters in an ethics report.  Not surprisingly, it shows that the PAC is funded by Trial Lawyers and Democrat donors [http://204.65.203.5/public/605605.pdf] who have already given Jerry Patterson nearly $100,000.

Texans for Accountability was created with the sole purpose of opposing Dan Patrick.  On a tip from a Democrat politician in Houston, Patterson attacked Dan Patrick on false claims about knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and helping them gain citizenship.  The facts turned out to be that Dan did not personally hire the worker and that the worker presented fraudulent documents in order to be hired.

The letter that Patterson accused Dan of sending to the federal government in order for the employee to gain citizenship turned out to be a handwritten letter documenting the workers years of service.  The letter was not addressed to anyone, does not provide any context for its purpose and is not signed or written by Patrick.

Joining the cabal, Todd Staples and David Dewhurst have echoed these false claims in newspapers and in their own recent commercials.  At the same time, both candidates deny their record of supporting or expanding social programs for illegal immigrants.  Now the Texas Democrat Party is actively pushing their voters to work against Dan.

“I reject the corrupt political games by opponents and I am shocked that they would work with trial lawyers and democrat donors for their personal gain,” said Patrick.  “I will continue to focus on my record and my conservative agenda and let my opponents suffer the consequences of an electorate that is tired of politics as usual.”

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Texas Conservative Digest Ranks LT Gov. Candidate Dan Patrick as a Top 3 Conservative

Dan Patrick is a Texas State Senator who is running to be the Texas Lieutenant Governor so that he can be in charge of the Texas Senate. The Texas Senate needs strong conservative leadership. Texas needs more guys like Ted Cruz who will boldly stand and fight instead of playing behind the scenes political games. Some people do not like Dan Patrick because he is very outspoken. Some would rather see fake handshakes with liberals and friendly gestures like appointing liberal democrats to chairmen positions in the State Senate. We are at war. It is time to charge the hill and take over the Texas Senate with a strong leader who will fight for conservative values no matter what. Someone bold and outspoken, like Patrick, is exactly the kind of person we need.

Since Patrick is running to be in charge of the Texas Senate, I believe it is fitting to look at his performance in the Texas Senate.

The Texas Conservative Digest ranked Senator Dan Patrick as the third best conservative in the Texas Senate last session. The only other two senators ahead of him in the senate are not running for the position of LT Governor. This means that Senator Patrick is the top Senator in the race for LT Gov.

The Texas Conservative Digest supports Dan Patrick in the race for LT Governor, but the Digest is just not able to endorse Patrick. Per their own policy, the Digest cannot endorse any candidates with less than a 90% score. Patrick is obviously one of the top 3 conservative Senators according to the Digest’s own ranking, and he is the top conservative in the LT Gov. race. Patrick barely missed the 90% mark and got an 87.2%. Although the Digest cannot officially endorse him, he is supported by the digest because of his top conservative ranking.

This high conservative ranking is just one more medal to add to Patrick’s long list of top conservative rankings. The non-partisan Mark P Jones Lib-Con ranking shows Patrick as the number one conservative in the Texas Senate last year, and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has endorsed Patrick as well.

Propositions on the 2014 Texas Republican Primary Election Ballot

Election Day is March 4th, 2014. You can vote early until February 28th, 2014.

Below are the propositions that you will be voting on when you vote in the 2014 Texas Republican Primary Election:

March 4, 2014 Republican Primary Ballot Propositions 

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Texans should be free to express their religious beliefs, including prayer, in public places. YES / NO
SECOND AMENDMENT
Texas should support Second Amendment liberties by expanding locations where concealed handgun license-holders may legally carry. YES / NO
FRANCHISE TAX
Texas should abolish the state franchise tax, also known as the margins tax, to encourage business growth. YES / NO
WELFARE REFORM
Texas recipients of taxpayer-funded public assistance should be subject to random drug testing as a condition of receiving benefits. YES / NO
NO LAWMAKER EXCEPTIONS
All elected officials and their staff should be subject to the same laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances as their constituents. YES / NO
OBAMACARE
The Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," should be repealed. YES / NO

Judge Strikes Down Texas Gay Marriage Ban - Barry Smitherman for Attorney General, and Ted Cruz, Respond and Stand with Traditional Marriage

Attorney General Candidate Barry Smitherman’s Statement on Judge Orlando Garcia’s Ruling Striking Down Texas Gay Marriage Ban:

The following is a press release from Barry Smitherman:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:	Contact:  Jared Craighead
Wednesday, February 26, 2014	512-522-5601

Attorney General Candidate Barry Smitherman’s Statement on Judge Orlando Garcia’s Ruling Striking Down Texas Gay Marriage Ban

AUSTIN –Today Barry Smitherman issued the following statement in response to Judge Orlando Garcia’s ruling striking down Texas’ gay marriage ban:

“Marriage is between one man and one woman, period.  I am deeply troubled by Judge Garcia’s ruling that I know General Abbott will successfully appeal to the 5^th Circuit.  Some liberal, unelected federal judges with lifetime appointments seem to be missing the point that not only is there a rational basis for our constitutional definition of marriage, there is a compelling governmental interest in maintaining core Judeo-Christian values here in Texas.

From the founding of our Republic, states have always maintained the right to define marriage.  Whether it was a proscription on the ability of people to marry a first or second cousin or some other family member, or a prohibition on children getting married, states have always rightfully been the ones to define who could and who could not marry.  Federal judges’ attempts in the wake of the Windsor case to usurp that power from the states must be halted immediately.

I urge the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn this disastrous ruling as soon as possible.”

For more information please visit www.BarryforTexas.com.

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Ted Cruz's Statement on Judge Orlando Garcia’s Ruling Striking Down Texas Gay Marriage Ban:

The following is a press release from Barry Ted Cruz:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                          Sen. Cruz Press Office: 202-228-7561

Feb. 26, 2014                                                                                                  Sean_Rushton@cruz.senate.gov

News Release                                                                                            Catherine_Frazier@cruz.senate.gov

Sen. Cruz: Today's Ruling Invalidating Texas' Ban on Same-Sex Marriage is a Troubling Display of Judicial Activism

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, released the following statement in response to a federal judge ruling Texas' ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional:

"Today’s ruling by a federal judge, invalidating Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage, is a troubling display of judicial activism.  Our Constitution leaves it to the States to define marriage, and unelected judges should not be substituting their own policy views for the reasoned judgments of the citizens of Texas, who adopted our marriage law directly by referendum.  The court's decision undermines the institution of marriage, and I applaud Attorney General Abbott’s decision to appeal this ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals."

Stockman vs. Cornyn: Rocky Running for Texas Senate

The following was sent to me to post up regarding the Texas U.S. Senate Race 2014:

Rocky Running for Texas Senate

February 15,2014

One of the most interesting political contests to watch is the race for John Cornyn’s Texas Senate seat. Cornyn is a 2-term incumbent with at least $8.5 million in his war chest and plenty of resources to tap for more. His number one challenger, who has been billed as a “Tea Party Favorite” by many in the media, started the race with just $32 thousand and still has not raised very much more. Stockman is clearly the underdog. Most experts scoffed at the idea that he even had a chance to win this race.

Obviously Senator Cornyn was not laughing. Within hours of Stockman’s filing, a huge negative campaign arose with websites and Google ads and radio spots popping up so suddenly that one can only conclude that Cornyn anticipated the challenge and had an armory of weapons ready to annihilate the upstart before he could gain any traction. Not only did attacks from Cornyn and Super PACs supporting him commence firing the big guns, one of the seven other challengers in the race soon shifted his aim against Stockman rather than against Cornyn, as traditional campaign wisdom would dictate.

The pummeling that Stockman has withstood over the weeks since filing in November has been relentless and merciless. In addition, although Stockman withdrew his filing to run for re-election of his Congressional seat (TX-36) when he filed to run for Senate, he did not resign his job as a Congressman. The job requires him to be in Washington DC four days a week and to travel back and forth in order to have any time at all to campaign—or to do anything else. That means that Stockman has barely even defended himself against the attacks from two sides. By all rights, we would expect Stockman to be pounded into insignificance in the contest by this time. But he is not!

Our information has it that a poll that will be released on Monday shows that Senator Cornyn, who started at 50% at the time Stockman entered the race and who has spent millions of dollars promoting his campaign and more millions attacking Stockman as being “shady”, is still at that same 50%. Meanwhile, Stockman, who is running with virtually no money and very few hours a week to devote to campaign, has risen from the 6% he was at when he initially filed to a very respectable 21% today, with the half dozen other challengers all trailing far behind.

There was a very famous boxer named Rocky Marciano, on whom the Rocky Balboa character was loosely based, who was known to be so tough that he could let his opponent pummel him until his arms were too tired to punch any more and then Rocky would step in and finish him off. One can not help but see the comparison to Stockman. Not many in politics could withstand the beating that Stockman has taken and even fewer could move the ball forward while the pounding is going on. But, this is not the first time Congressman Stockman has done this. In fact, it appears to be somewhat typical of his campaigns.

In 1994, Stockman, a conservative Republican, won election to the House in a district that was 60% Democrat with a 42-year incumbent who was one of the most powerful men in the House and who had virtually unlimited money to spend and no compunctions about viciously attacking an opponent until he was beaten into a quivering mound of jelly. And, Congressman Jack Brooks certainly did not restrain himself in his attacks against Stockman. He outspent Stockman 12:1 and seemed confident of a victory up until the final tally when Stockman emerged victorious. Then in 1996, after redistricting that gerrymandered his district (TX-9) to be even less friendly to a Republican, he was unseated.

Again in 2012 Stockman faced an opponent who spent more than ten times what Stockman spent and who thought he was sailing to an easy win when Stockman seemingly arose from his political death bed to win a shot at a runoff, then to win the runoff and then the general election to make him the first Representative for the new Texas Congressional District 36.

Now, it appears he may do it again. Just a few weeks ago nobody gave him a prayer to win the Senate seat and many said he must be crazy to walk away from a certain win for his re-election to the House in order to run for the Senate. It will be interesting to see how their assessments will change on Monday when the poll results are published. Stockman has a very strong record of winning runoffs and if Cornyn can not get at least one vote above 50%, he will have to face “Rocky” in a runoff—it is like seeing Marciano step toward you when you are too tired to lift up your arms.

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Jason Moore Reveals why Eric Opiela should NOT be elected

The following letter was emailed to me to pass on. The letter is from Jason Moore and it reveals why Eric Opiela should not be elected:


EmpowerTexans

Mr. Opiela’s Opus

February 13, 2014 by Captain Watchdog

In the crazy campaign season where every nook and cranny of a person’s life and statements about the most obscure things are brought out in TV ads, mailers and social media posts, I find it incredible that the wreckage left behind by Eric Opiela is scarcely mentioned anywhere!

You may recall that Mr. Opiela served as the Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas until terminated by interim party chair Cathie Adams. What most of the people outside the bubble of RPT party politics don’t know is that under Mr. Opiela’s directorship the party was virtually weeks from having to consider bankruptcy!

Yes in a red state like Texas the Republican Party was nearly ¾ of a million dollars in debt! When confronted at a closed door meeting by myself and a fellow SREC member that it appeared to us that the Party was going broke, Mr. Opiela looked us straight in the eye and said “If the Party was going broke I would tell you”. A couple of months later as the next administration started their term at the RPT the financial realities were revealed to be obvious and serious.

Most people ask “why does this matter” in Mr. Opiela’s current race for Ag Commissioner? With the 5 year anniversary coming up for the organic forming of the TEA Party it is interesting to recall the things that have most irritated the taxpaying public that was the initial core of the TEA Party movement. It was overreach, dishonesty, obfuscation and financial mismanagement.

As a member of the State Republican Executive Committee during the employment of Mr. Opiela I can attest to the similarities of Mr. Opiela’s management of the party and government in general.

In fact at one meeting I specifically warned the party that we had no moral authority to demand of government what we were not willing give ourselves; accountability, transparency & honesty. When I and a fellow member questioned some of the financial reports given by Mr. Opiela we were accosted by him later and told that we were making “the chairman look bad”.

As part of the governing body for the state party it is our job to make sure that we fulfill the mission we set out in our bylaws. It is also our responsibility to make sound financial decisions. Most party supporters were never aware that Mr. Opiela signed a 7 year “iron clad” lease that at one point was exponentially more dollars per square foot than the average Austin high rise was leasing for at the time. Another revelation during the Opiela term was ridiculous fundraising agreements signed by him that saw the party essentially raising large sums of money just to pay the firm raising the money!

Even worse when the finances got so bad that he needed additional credit security for this firm to continue doing business with us he put the 64 members of the Executive Committee at financial risk by REMOVING our individual liability from the bill collectors, though most of us were unaware of the agreements he was entering into on behalf of the party!

These are just a few of the financial disasters overseen by Mr. Opiela. At one point Mr. Opiela finally admits that he knew the party’s finances were in bad shape but he thought he could get it corrected “before anyone found out”.

Finally, as if these financial decisions alone would not disqualify ANYONE from public office, Mr. Opiela’s political connections should be equally disconcerting. As a reminder, who could forget this great little paragraph from conservative warrior Erick Erickson over at Redstate regarding Mr. Opiela:

When the state’s Republican Executive Committee expressed concerns about the maps drawn for the state’s board of education, Straus lawyer and failed legislative candidate Eric Opiela expressed disdain for committee chairman (and Tea Party activist) Jason Moore in an email to other Straus allies, sarcastically saying, “need I say more.” Straus’ legal counsel said he did not “really trust” Moore – presumably because — in the words of Mr. Johnson — Moore “gave us hell.”

Or from the same article this: Similarly, when Straus adviser Eric Opiela forwarded along information from a Tea Party activist, Straus consultant and close friend Gordon Johnson wrote that they were “doing battle with idiots.”

By now everyone knows just how cozy Eric Opiela is with Speaker Joe Straus even to the point of being paid by the Speaker for “legal work”. However, during the initial forming of the ad hoc committee for the RPT for redistricting most of us were not aware of his financial commitments to various people for particular outcomes related to redistricting.

As most Republican primary voters already know the redistricting process has been chaotic at best. Mr. Opiela has been a central figure in that chaos. When I proposed a resolution (as an SREC member) that the GOP members of the Texas legislature needed to caucus together to select their choice for Speaker of the House, Mr. Opiela fought vigorously against this resolution. Even when I reminded members that the other party has this caucus requirement as part of THEIR bylaws, Opiela was still determined to thwart the will of grassroots Republicans.

So, when an individual serves as an employee of a political organization and hides information, works to undermine its board of directors, makes bad financial decisions and encumbers that organization with those bad decisions far into the future then why would we want him as a state elected official? I realize this makes him great blue state congressional material, but NOT a Texas elected official. However he might just be that half step democrats need to turn Texas “blue”.

Glenn Hegar’s New Ad Hits Home – Cut Waste and Inefficiency – Texas Comptroller Race Update

The Glenn Hegar for Texas Comptroller campaign has come out with a new tv ad. The new ad is titled “Our Future.”

One of my favorite lines of this new ad is that Hegar chaired a committee to eliminate waste and inefficiency in government, saving taxpayers millions. I did not even know this about Hegar, but I am glad I do.

Cutting waste and inefficiency in government is so important right now. There is so much waste on all levels of government. Taxes keep having to be raised in order for the government entities to be able to keep up with their pork spending.

The title of Hegar’s new ad is fitting, “Our Future.” It is fitting because we will not have a future if we do not reign in government spending. Our kids will most certainly not have a future if we do not stop waste spending and inefficiency in government. We have to stop thinking about only the here and now. We must start thinking about our future. I know that I cannot afford any more taxes. I fear that by the time my son has a family of his own, the taxes will be to high to even be able to pay.

Think about it, we are taxed from the local level all the way up to the federal level. There is waste in school spending. They build million dollar stadiums instead of paying teachers. There is waste in county spending. I live in Hardin County and taxes were just raised in order to pay for new Chevy Tahoes and pay raises. The Federal government forces us to buy healthcare or face a penalty. Even if we do get healthcare, the prices have skyrocketed so we are all paying more now.

We have to start cutting pork spending on all levels of government. I am confident that Glenn Hegar will be able to do just that if he is elected as the next Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. His experience as the Chair of a committee to cut waste and inefficiency in government gives Hegar the unique experience of knowing where and how to find waste spending and cut it.

New Glenn Hegar ad:

Conservatives Flood Glenn Hegar with Endorsements

The conservative community is waking up and realizing that Glenn Hegar is the best candidate in the race for Texas Comptroller. From Social conservatives to fiscal conservatives. It has been mentioned already in previous articles, but the impressive list of Hegar’s endorsements is worth mentioning again.

Senator Donna Campbell is one of the latest people to join a growing list of conservative leaders and organizations to support Glenn Hegar for Texas Comptroller. You might remember Senator Campbell as one of the women who went toe to toe with Wendy Davis in the Senate Pro Life Bill hearings. Senator Campbell is now standing with Glenn Hegar for Texas Comptroller.

Campbell is the most recent of the list that includes: David Barton of WallBuilders, Comptroller Susan Combs, Michael Quinn Sullivan of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Young Conservatives of Texas, Tim Lambert of the Texas Home School Coalition, Elizabeth Graham of Texas Right to Life, Cathie Adams of the Texas Eagle Forum, Carol Everett of the Heidi Group, Kyleen Wright of Texans for Life Coalition, Ann Hettinger, Texas Home School Coalition, Jonathan Saenz of Texas Values, Representative Giovanni Capriglione, Representative Craig Goldman, Representative Stephanie Klick, Representative Matt Krause, Representative Bill Zedler, Representative Van Taylor, Representative Jeff Leach, Representative Jodie Laubenburg, Representative Scott Sanford, Texas Alliance for Life, Dr. Robin Armstrong, National Rifle Association, Half of the State Republican Executive Committee, Rick Green  - See more here

Gov. Rick Perry: Barry Smitherman is “the Real Deal” – Texas Attorney General Race Update

The race is on for the next Texas Attorney General. Early voting has already begun and it lasts until February 28^th. The Texas Republican Primary Election Day is March 4^th, 2014.

One Texas Attorney General candidate, Barry Smitherman, stands out above the rest. The Texas Attorney General’s office is one of the largest statewide offices in Texas. As the Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, and the past head of Public utilities, Barry Smitherman is the only candidate that has proven he can effectively and efficiently run a large statewide agency.

Smitherman has proven himself to be the best social conservative in this race, having garnered the endorsements of BOTH pro-life groups in Texas. He was even endorsed by David Barton.

Smitherman has also proven himself to be the best fiscal conservative in this race. While his opponents were raising their own office budgets. Smitherman was voting against any increases in his office budget. Smitherman even saved Texas taxpayers millions of dollars over the years.

Smitherman is even the only candidate to get an A+ rating from the NRA. Smitherman is a strong defender of the second amendment. Smitherman fought for and won the right of his field workers to be able to carry a gun for protection and his is the only candidate with a Concealed Handgun license, so he is not just talk!

What Does Governor Rick Perry Say About Barry Smitherman?

"Barry was an outstanding Public Utility Commissioner for several years, and has taken his free market approach to the Texas Railroad Commission, where he has sought to develop Texas’ vast energy potential to create jobs and make our country less dependent on hostile foreign oil. His knowledge of Texas' energy market and our energy needs is unparalleled. He's the real deal, and not just because he's an Aggie!" - Governor Rick Perry

Barry Smitherman has Sued Obama 7 times already

One of the most important things that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has done is sue Obama and defend Texas from Obama. Barry Smitherman is the only Texas Attorney General candidate who has already sued Obama. Smitherman has sued Obama 7 times already! In fact, while Smitherman was suing Obama, the business of at least one of his opponents was taking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in Obama stimulus money.

New Smitherman TV Ad: fighting to secure our border, defend the second amendment, and protect our strong Texas values

Fighting For Us from Barry Smitherman on Vimeo.

Barry Smitherman and Ted Cruz, the perfect duo to Fight Obama

The following is a picture of Ted Cruz and Barry Smitherman. I fought to help get Ted Cruz elected because I knew he was the best conservative fighter for the job. I also believe that Barry Smitherman is the best conservative fighter for the Job of Texas Attorney General.

Texas Early Voting and Election Day info/times/locations - 2014 Republican Primary Election

2014 Texas Republican Primary Election

Early Voting is February 18th through February 28th

Election Day is March 4th, 2014

to find out when and where to vote anywhere in Texas, go to the Texas Secretary of State website here: http://votetexas.gov/voting/where or call your local County Clerk or County Elections Administrator.

Hardin County TX 2014 Early Voting and Election Day info/times/locations including Lumberton, Silsbee, Kountze - Republican Primary

Vote David Bellow for Hardin County Judge - click here for more info www.BellowForJudge.com 

Early Voting times and locations for the 2014 Hardin County Republican Primary Election:
Feb 18th, 2014 through Feb 28th, 2014

Early Vote every day at the Hardin County Courthouse in KOUNTZE, TX February 18th through Feb 28th from 8am - 5pm

Lumberton Early Voting February 20, 21 and 22 9am - 7pm Lumberton City Hall
Silsbee Early Voting February 20, 21 and 22 9am - 7pm First Assembly of God Church
Sour Lake Early Voting February 20 and 21 9am - 7pm Sour Lake Community Center

Election Day for 2014 Hardin County Republican Primary:
Tuesday March 4th, 2014
7am to 7pm

Election Day Polling Places/Voting Locations
PCT. 1  Hardin County Courthouse
             300 W Monroe Street
             Kountze, TX 77625

PCT. 2  Word of Life Church
             7955 Mormon Church Rd
             Silsbee, TX 77656

PCT. 3  Saratoga Fire Station
             16628 FM 770
             Saratoga, TX 77585

PCT. 4  Batson Community Center
             9153 Main St
             Batson, TX 77519

PCT. 5  Votaw Thicket Fire Station
             FM 787
             Thicket, TX 77374

PCT. 6  Crestwood Baptist Church
             1150 Hwy 69 North
             Kountze, TX 77625

PCT. 7   Honey Island Assembly of God Church
              9097 FM 1293
              Kountze, TX 77625

PCT. 8   Village Mills VFW Post 1514
              Hwy 69 North
              Village Mills, TX 77663

PCT. 9   First Assembly of God Church
              950 Bus Hwy 96 South
              Silsbee, TX 77656

PCT. 10 St. Johns Episcopal Church
              1305 Roosevelt Dr
              Silsbee, TX 77656

PCT. 11 Wiley Mae Pentecostal Church
              8545 FM 92
              Silsbee, TX 77656

PCT. 12 Assembly of God Church
              1055 North Hwy 69
              Kountze, TX 77625

PCT. 13 Trest Community Center
              140 East Chance Rd
              Lumberton, TX 77657

PCT. 14 Idylwild Golf Club
              1100 East Pine Shadows Dr
              Sour Lake, TX 77659

PCT. 15 Sour Lake Community Center
              250 South Ann St
              Sour Lake, TX 77659

PCT. 16 Parkway Life Church
              1865 FM 3513
              Lumberton, TX 77657

PCT. 17 Pine Ridge Baptist Church
              13480 FM 421
              Sour Lake, TX 77659

PCT. 18 Lumberton Church of Christ
              90 West Chance Rd
              Lumberton, TX 77657

PCT. 19 Keith Road Fire Station
              8890 Keith Road

              Lumberton, TX 77657

Ken Paxton Betrayed Conservatives – Backed Down vs. Straus – Ted Cruz would NOT Have Backed Down

Some people have asked me how I know that Ken Paxton is not the right man to be our next Texas Attorney General. There are many reasons. Do I think Ken Paxton is conservative? Of course I do, but I do not believe he is the best conservative and I do not believe he is the best leader. I believe Barry Smitherman is the better conservative and a far better leader who will not back down. Unfortunately, I know for sure that Ken Paxton will back down, even after promising not to back down. How do I know that Ken Paxton cannot be trusted when he says he will not back down? Because Paxton already broke that promise just 3 years ago. He betrayed conservatives and backed down from challenging Joe Straus even after he promised just the day before that he would not back down and would take it to the floor (see video below). We need more people like Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz faced a losing Obamacare battle but he stood for nearly a day and took the fight all the way to the end. Cruz is the kind of conservative leader we need. Ken Paxton is no Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz would have never pulled out and betrayed conservatives right before the Joe Straus big vote. Cruz would have taken it to the floor. Ken Paxton did not do that and he will forever be known in my mind as someone who, although he is conservative, is not strong enough to follow through no matter what. He will back down. If he caved in to Straus, what do you think he will do when he faces Obama? Barry Smitherman on the other hand has already sued Obama 7 times and has not backed down.

Paxton PROMISED to Challenge Liberal Texas Speaker Joe Straus and Take It To The Floor. Paxton Had No Guts and Backed out the Day of the Vote, Leaving Conservatives Hanging and Betrayed

Texas has a liberal, pro-abortion Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Joe Straus. Straus got elected by teaming up with all the Democrats to rally against the Republicans to get him elected.

Conservatives demanded that Joe Straus be challenged. Conservatives even kicked out several moderate Republicans and replaced them with conservative ones who would vote against Straus.

Ken Paxton says he will challenge Straus. I supported Ken Paxton as the clearly better choice over Joe Straus. Ken Paxton PROMISED that he would take it to the floor and have an open vote for Speaker of the House. Paxton promised that he would never back out of the race no matter what. He promised he would take it to the floor. Conservatives were trusting him to actually challenge Straus and force a vote on the floor. Even if Paxton was not going to win, by taking it to the floor and forcing a vote, the conservatives in Texas could see which representatives supported the liberal Straus. By seeing which State Representatives voted for Straus, the conservatives in Texas could rally and defeat those State Reps and get conservatives elected who will vote against Straus and defeat him once and for all.

On the day of the election, Ken Paxton dropped out of the race. He allowed Straus to become the speaker again without a challenge and without a floor vote. No one even got to see which Reps would have voted for Straus.

Conservative State Reps got Punished for Supporting Paxton. Paxton refused to help them

There was no floor vote so no one got to see who the moderates were. No one got to see who would have supported Straus. On the other hand, everyone know who the State Representatives were who supported Paxton. There were several brave, conservative State Reps who publicly spoke out in favor of Paxton and in opposition to Straus. The voters never got to see who would have voted against Straus, but Straus got to see who openly opposed him. The state Representatives who openly opposed Straus were: Leo Berman (HD-6), Cindy Burkett (HD-101), Erwin Cain (HD-3), Wayne Christian (HD-9), Dan Flynn (HD-2), Jim Landtroop (HD-85) , Phil King (HD-61), Jodie Laubenberg (HD-89), Tan Parker (HD-63), Ken Paxton (HD-70), Charles Perry (HD-83), David Simpson (HD-7), Van Taylor (HD-66), James White (HD-12), Bill Zedler (HD-96)

This list of conservatives were targeted by Straus. Straus hurt them in redistricting. He botched their districts so that they would not win, or he put them in districts where they would have to run against his well-funded Chairmen. Most notably, Wayne Christian had 80 percent of his district moved to a completely different area. The change in his district was absolutely unneeded for redistricting and was clearly a way to push him out. Also, my current State Representative James White opposed Straus and, during redistricting, was put into the same district as Straus Chairman Mike Hamilton. Mike Hamilton had the money backing of friends of Straus so they thought White would lose easily to Hamilton. Also Conservative anti Straus Reps Charles Perry and Jim Landtroop were paired together in the same district so that one of them would lose for sure. All of these changes were not needed for redistricting. Wayne Christian made a youtube video that breaks down exactly how Straus was attacking anti-Straus conservatives in redistricting, and Bryan Hughes even accused a Straus leader of directly telling him that he would be hurt in redistricting if he supported Straus.

I spoke privately with one of these conservative state reps who supported Paxton and was attacked by Straus in redistricting. I asked the State Rep to give me the inside story and promised that I would not reveal his name so I am not. His information was true though after I checked into it so his points are valid. What happened was these conservative State Reps reached out to Paxton for help. They stood up for him and they were asking him to help them defend against the attacks from Straus.

Paxton was sitting on around $800,000. Paxton had no serious challenger and could have used the money to help out his fellow conservatives who were being attacked in the election by Straus. In the end, I can only find on the Texas Ethics website where Paxton only ended up giving money to one of the State Reps, Jim Landtroop. A small $2500 donation while he sat on nearly a million.

Bottom line, Paxton is not a liberal, he is a conservative. He is NOT the best man to be our next Texas Attorney General. He is no Ted Cruz. Paxton has proven that he WILL back down when the going gets tough, even after promising not to back down. Texas needs a guy like Barry Smitherman who will not back down and is super conservative.

Don’t Take My Word for It – Watch the Video Below and See Ken Paxton Himself Back Down From Challenging Straus After Promising to Take It To The Floor

Barry Smitherman New TV ad about Securing the Texas/Mexico Border

from Texas GOP Vote:

As the run-up to early voting, which starts in just over two weeks, Texas Attorney General candidate, Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman, is taking his message to the voters with a new television ad which launched this morning.

“My first ad focuses on border security and prosecution of crime along the border because that will be one of my top priorities as the next Attorney General,” said Barry Smitherman.

“Too many Texas landowners, farmers, ranchers and south Texas families," Smitherman continued, "are being subjected to trespass, vandalism, violence and mayhem. We have got to restore law and order, keep people safe, protect their property and stop heinous crimes like drug, sex and human trafficking where it starts: on our border with Mexico."

"Stopping crime along the border before it migrates throughout the rest of the state is critically important. As the only former prosecutor in the race and the only candidate that has effectively run large state agencies like the Office of the Attorney General, I am uniquely qualified to lead the effort to stop crime along the border,” concluded Smitherman.

From the very beginning of his campaign, Smitherman has not only made border security and illegal immigration top priorities, but he has also detailed out specific plans on how to assist border sheriffs and prosecutors to increase enforcement as stated in two prior interviews done with TexasGOPVote. Interview 1 - Interview 2

- See more at: http://texasgopvote.com/issues/fix-immigration/barry-smitherman-campaign-takes-its-message-television-006338#sthash.2IfdLnhn.dpuf