Trusted Conservatives say Ken Paxton Backed Down vs. Straus WELL BEFORE the day of the vote

Last month I posted this article: http://www.texasconservativerepublicannews.com/2014/02/ken-paxton-joe-straus-ted-cruz-barry-smitherman.html 

I took a little bit of heat from some fellow conservatives who completely believe that Paxton had no choice to back down at the last minute even after promising the day before that he would take it to the floor. I can understand the perspective of these fellow conservatives because they are going off what what they saw.

They did not see some of the inside events that occurred before Paxton backed down from the Straus vote.

Several top, trusted conservatives who worked behind the scenes for Paxton to organize his run against Straus. These conservative have now come forward and explained that they were very hurt and betrayed when they were asked by Paxton to back start backing off of promoting the Straus vote well before the day of the vote. These conservatives say that Paxton made it clear to them that he was not going to push the vote all the way even though he was telling conservatives that he was going to take it to the floor.

But hey, don't bash me for saying all of this. I am simply repeating what several top, trusted conservatives have come forward and proclaimed.

Donna Garner sent out an email tonight with the information to go see these top conservatives expose the truth of the Paxton vs Straus vote from an inside perspective:

3.3.14 -- PUBLISHED TODAY ON HOUSE OF STRAUS –

VIDEO #1 – Rebecca Forest:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__oQ0GvMSkY&feature=youtu.be

VIDEO #2 – Rob Hurlburt:  https://vimeo.com/88106068

[The documentation in these videos and posted on HouseOfStraus.com seems to indicate that even before Jan. 11, 2011, Ken Paxton already had plans to cave by not allowing his name to go forward to challenge left-leaning Republican Joe Straus for the Speakership.

Did Ken Paxton get cold feet even before the Showdown on Jan. 11, 2011? 

Did Ken Paxton cave because he did not want his “buddies” in the House to get mad at him for forcing them into a roll call vote that voters could have taken into the voting booths in Nov. 2012 – a roll call list that would have made it plain to the public as to which House members were RINO’s and which were authentic conservatives?  

Did Paxton use the thousands of conservatives from across Texas, who rose up to participate in the Speaker Showdown, to further his own political career? 

Did he use the publicity of the Speaker Showdown to generate name recognition so that he could later run for the Texas Senate and then eventually run for the Texas Attorney General? 

Was this all a political gimmick on Ken Paxton’s part to launch his campaign for higher office? 

You decide.  Voting day is tomorrow. – Donna Garner]  

Published on Mar 3, 2014

http://www.houseofstraus.com

For documentation of info referenced in this video see:  http://www.houseofstraus.com/behind-s...  and/or  http://houseofstraus.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Behind-Scenes_Speaker_Showdown.pdf

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2.17.14 – “TAG: Voting for Courage (Barry Smitherman) vs. Cowardice (Ken Paxton)” – by Donna Garner -- http://www.educationviews.org/ken-paxtons-cowardice-smithermans-courage-tag/

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2.21.14 – “No – Not Rep. Dan Branch for TAG” – by Donna Garner -- http://www.educationviews.org/239322/

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2.18.14 – Episode #1 -- House of Straus.com:  http://houseofstraus.com/

2.20.14 -- Episode #2 of House of Straus:  The keen differences between a legislator and a prosecutor -- why it is so absolutely imperative to have the right person elected as the next Texas Attorney General -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMRO4LUtdLE&feature=youtu.be

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

Donna Garner Endorses Barry Smitherman, Says Ken Paxton Never Publicly Helped Conservatives on SBOE and he Supported Moderates

also read this Statement from Barry Smitherman: Barry Smitherman takes Strong Stand against Common Core and CSCOPE as Attorney General

Donna Garner is one of the foremost education experts in Texas. She has been fighting against liberalism in our Texas Public education since probably before I was born. Every elected official in Texas and anyone in the Texas education world knows Donna Garner. She fought for conservative State Board of Education Members when they were attacked. She fought against Common Core and CSCOPE.

Donna Garner has endorsed Barry Smitherman for Texas Attorney General. Donna Garner sent out an email yesterday explaining in detail why she supports Barry Smitherman over Ken Paxton. Basically, the summary of what Donna Garner says is that she has been intricately involved in Texas Education and not once in the past decade has Paxton testified for or promoted any of the important conservative issues facing Texas education. Even when the conservative State Board of Education members were vilified by the media for standing for conservative values, Paxton was nowhere to be found and offered no help to the conservative SBOE members who were facing challengers in their elections. in fact, Paxton admitted to Donna Garner that he was supporting a moderate to the SBOE because she had given him large campaign donations.

Donna goes on to say that Paxton did finally do something this past session by co-authoring a bill against CSCOPE, but then a recent recording surfaced of Ken Paxton stating that as Texas Attorney General he will probably not get involved in Common Core or CSCOPE.... that lackadaisical attitude towards defending Texas from Common Core is not something she wants to see from a possible future Texas AG.

Donna Garner then goes on to explain what she supports Smitherman, who has clearly claimed that as Texas Attorney General he will fight Common Core from coming into Texas.

Below are a few paragraphs from Donna Garners Full article which can be found here:

WHAT ABOUT KEN PAXTON FOR TAG?

Then there is Ken Paxton.  I actually endorsed Ken for the TAG early-on when called by his campaign staffer.  At that time I knew many negatives about Dan Branch but almost nothing personal about Barry Smitherman, the Texas Railroad Commissioner.

I knew that Ken was a pro-life, pro-family-values conservative; and I had worked hard along with many other conservatives leading up to the 82^nd Legislative Session to help him to become the Speaker of the House instead of Joe Straus. Unfortunately, Ken took his name out of consideration at the very last minute, leaving us without a conservative champion to support.

I decided to endorse Ken for the TAG but in doing so I had to overlook the personal conversation in which I learned that he supported a moderate for the Texas State Board of Education simply because she had given his campaign large donations.

I also had to swallow my deep emotions over the fact that Ken along with the other Texas Legislators had passed HB 5 and HB 866 which basically gut the authentic education reform that we conservatives had fought for 15 years to establish in Texas.

As Ken came out yesterday with strong statements about what a stalwart he has been on education issues, I have done some reflecting on my own.  During the years 2005 – 2012 in which the Texas State Board of Education conservatives were fighting against all odds to adopt Type #1 curriculum standards (TEKS) for English/Language Arts/Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Math, I do not think I can remember a single time when Ken Paxton’s name was mentioned.  I cannot remember that he ever testified, wrote a public statement, came out with editorials in support of the SBOE’s efforts to put Texas on the path to authentic education reform with the 4 x 4 graduation requirements and Type #1 STAAR/EOC’s.  Nor can I remember his authoring or helping to pass legislation to try to rescue the SBOE conservatives from vilification by the media, Democrats, and the RINO’s.  In fact, so far as I can remember, Ken was nowhere around when the SBOE needed  his public  support during those very difficult years. 

It Ken was concerned enough to co-author HB 462 that supposedly banned Common Core Standards in Texas, how could he possibly have muddled his answer so badly on Nov. 18, 2013, when the question was asked him regarding Common Core Standards during the TAG campaign event?  (Please listen to either of the audio clip attachments.)  I do not think that Ken’s lackadaisical answer sounds like the type of response that the committed and impassioned people who signed his endorsement letter yesterday would have said. I believe that if any of them had been asked the same question Ken was asked about Common Core Standards, these people would have answered back with a diatribe of all that is wrong with CCSI. 

I have it on record that when Barbara Cargill was contacted by Ken’s campaign on 11.22.13 after my article had surfaced, she was driving home from an arduous four-day Texas State Board of Education meeting in Austin.  Barbara had not read my article at that time because she had been so inundated with chairing the SBOE sessions. I know that she and Ken have been friends for some time and that she had no idea what came out of his own mouth on Nov. 18, 2013, when asked about his position on Common Core Standards/CSCOPE if elected TAG. Whether that would have changed her endorsement of him, I cannot say.

BARRY SMITHERMAN FOR TAG 

In contrast to Ken’s weak answer on the Common Core/CSCOPE, how did Barry Smitherman answer questions about education issues and the positions he would take as the TAG? 

We have at least three strong indications:  (Exhibit A) Barry’s response to the article on global warming, (Exhibit B) his strong statement issued  on 11.23.13 about Texas HB 462/state sovereignty, and (Exhibit C) the letter he sent to his own daughter’s teacher regarding the Southern Poverty Law Center and its liberal-left dogma that had been inserted into his daughter’s curriculum lesson on “To Kill a Mockingbird.” 

Exhibit A

11.18.13  -- “TX RR Comm. Barry Smitherman Responds to Common Core Global Warming” -- http://nocompromisepac.ning.com/profiles/blogs/texas-railroad-commissioner-smitherman-responds-to-common-core

Exhibit B

11.23.13 -- “Ken Paxton Not Concerned About Common Core or CSCOPE” – http://nocompromisepac.ning.com/profiles/blogs/ken-paxton-not-concerned-about-common-core-or-cscope-by-donna?xg_source=activity

Exhibit C

9.30.13 – “Letter to Daughter’s Teacher: Intolerance in American Study” -- http://nocompromisepac.ning.com/profiles/blogs/barry-smitherman-s-wife-interviewed-women-on-the-wall-9-30-13?xg_source=activity  -- (This article contains Barry Smitherman’s letter to his daughter’s teacher in which Smitherman explains his concerns over a worksheet provided by the Southern Poverty Law Center when the class was studying To Kill a Mockingbird.  The SPLC is the organization that continues to label tea party patriots, constitutionalists, Family Research Council, Texas Eagle Forum, Concerned Women for America, and many others as either a "hate" group or "right wing extremists.” Barry Smitherman makes it very clear that the SPLC worksheet has no place in Texas schools.

BARRY SMITHERMAN’S PERSONAL LIFE AND LEGAL BACKGROUND

Ken Paxton is a fine Christian fellow; and I applaud him and the other Legislators who fought for pro-life bills in the Legislature. However, Barry Smitherman is a strong conservative Christian also.  People who know him and his family well and who are respected conservatives themselves have testified to this. 

10.31.13 – “The Race for Texas Attorney General – Barry Smitherman’s Record” by Bob Price --http://texasgopvote.com/issues/stop-big-government/race-texas-attorney-general-barry-smithermans-record-006025

9.30.13 – “Texas Right To Life Endorses Barry Smitherman for Texas Attorney General” -- http://www.scribd.com/doc/172171261/PR-13-09-30 – contains this quote from Smitherman – “I always have and always will stand shoulder to shoulder with Texas Right to Life promoting Pro-Life policies; and as Attorney General, I will defend good Pro-Life pieces of legislation like HB-2 that are constantly under assault from radical pro-choice organizations.”

COMPARING BARRY AND KEN

Therefore, we have to consider the skill sets that are necessary for the Texas Attorney General’s office which is very different from a state legislator’s skill sets.  Even though Ken Paxton has made a good Texas Legislator, he may not have the natural leadership skills and background expertise to be the TAG.  As someone recently stated succinctly, this is the choice we have: 

Ken Paxton – probate lawyer; estate planning; real estate; corporate transactions; 2003 to current, Texas Legislator

OR

Barry Smitherman – former Harris County prosecutor (Assistant District Attorney), service on the Public Utilities Commission (PUCT) where he also served as Chairman, heading up two large state agencies (2004 – present) plus 17 years in the private sector working in public finance, has sued the EPA 7 times to protect Texas oil and gas. 

Quote from David Bellow:

As head of the Texas Public Utilities Commission, Smitherman sued Obama's EPA 5 times. Then, as the statewide, elected Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, Smitherman sued Obama's EPA 2 more times. Suing Obama 7 times is a huge statement and one that clearly shows that Smitherman is already ready to step into the position of Texas Attorney General and keep on suing Obama. (11.11.13)

Quote from David Bellow: 

As Chairman of Texas Public Utilities and the Railroad Commission, Barry Smitherman spent DOUBLE DIGIT percentages UNDER BUDGET and gave over 130 million dollars back to the State of Texas. (9.28.13 –http://www.texasgopvote.com/issues/grow-economy/barry-smitherman-saved-texas-taxpayers-over-130-million-slashed-spending-cut-005906 )

TWO MORE POINTS

The usual talking points against Barry Smitherman are (#1) he has no voting record, and (#2) he supposedly brought Smart Meters into Texas.

On point (#1), what about our Texas Hero Ted Cruz?  He had no voting record, but we all know his strength of commitment which he carried right into the Senate and The Beltway.   

On Point (#2), if voting records are so important, then what about the voting records of Ken Paxton and Dan Branch? 

As best I can document, way back on 4.13.05, Dan Branch and Ken Paxton both voted for HB 2129 (79^th Legislative Session – R). This bill set up the original legislation for Smart Meters (i.e., the deployment of advanced electricity meters…advanced metering and metering information networks) – Section 7(b)(h); Section 8(b) -- http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/79r/pdf/79rday48final.pdf#page=12

Dan Branch co-authored Smart Meters legislation. Paxton actually voted twice for the implementation of Smart Meters and directed the Public Utilities Commission to allow the utilities to charge a fee for installation.  Paxton also supported a provision that required the PUC to report to the Legislature on the utilities progress in installing Smart Meters.

If both Dan Branch and Ken Paxton felt the Smart Meters were such an important issue, why did neither of them address it during the 83^rd Legislative Session?

To be honest, if the Texas Legislature had not passed the Smart Meters bills in the first place, we would not have them in our state. The PUC agency did not step outside its boundaries and make law; the PUC’s job is to implement whatever the Legislature passes. In fact, if Smitherman as chair of the PUC had “made” the Smart Meters laws, he most certainly would not have been re-appointed by the Texas Senate in 2007 and reconfirmed in 2009. That is the checks and balances process on the PUC by the TX Senate, and Ken Paxton was in the Senate when Smitherman was confirmed.

Now to be fair to all three men (Smitherman, Paxton, and Branch), back when Smart Meters were first introduced, the public did not widely know of any potential health hazards; and we did not know that Obama would be able to usurp state sovereignty and take complete control of our country. We did not have to fear the federal government as we now do under Obama. 

In fact, on June 27, 2012, Barry Smitherman shared his vision about the future of energy and electric cars [This piece was actually taped in 2009; the SwitchEnergyProject, begun in 2009, is under the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas/State of Texas and took three years to produce -- http://switchenergyproject.com/about/the-project].  Smitherman said he felt that gasoline-powered cars would prevail until at least 2050 but that people who chose to purchase electric cars could use their Smart Meters to save them money by figuring out what hours were the least expensive to charge the batteries on their cars:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd93yV1Fg98

Unfortunately, because of the newly released information about the NSA data collection, the IRS targeting of conservatives, and the total takeover by the federal government of our healthcare system through ObamaCare and our public school education system through ObamaCore, Americans now understand that Smart Meters could be used by the Obama administration to control our personal lives.  

*To clarify yet one more myth about Smitherman, he has told me that the only time he visited the White House was under President G. W. Bush and that Smitherman has never even met with Obama. 

CSCOPE STUDENTS DO FAR WORSE ON STAAR-EOC Texas TESTS -- BY E. W. BURT -- 3.18.13

CSCOPE STUDENTS DO FAR WORSE ON STAAR-EOC TESTS -- BY E. W. BURT -- 3.18.13

March 15, 2013 – Sent from E. W. Burt, Business/Marketing Teacher, Blanket ISD:

CSCOPE Study – Compiled by 9^th Grade Business Class, Blanket ISD, Blanket, Texas

My business class asked me what CSCOPE is and if it works. I told them, “Let’s find out if schools that use CSCOPE score better or worse compared to schools that do not use it.”

To this end, we took a list of CSCOPE schools and a list of STAAR/End-of-Course scores (2011-12 School Year) from public schools statewide.  Each class member took a portion of the more than 1,000 Texas public schools and recorded the STAAR/EOC test results on a spreadsheet.  We compared Algebra I, Biology I, English Writing 1, and Geography. Here is what we found:

Percent of test takers scoring unacceptable on STAAR/EOC tests –

Algebra I
   CSCOPE                   20.35%     
   Non- CSCOPE         13.74% 
48% more CSCOPE students scored unsatisfactory than Non-CSCOPE


Biology I
     CSCOPE                14.86%     
     Non- CSCOPE       10.50%
42% more CSCOPE students scored unsatisfactory than Non-CSCOPE

English Writing I
     CSCOPE                  46.30%   
     Non- CSCOPE       39.48%
19.57% more CSCOPE students scored unsatisfactory than Non-CSCOPE

Geography
     CSCOPE                 23.30%   
      Non- CSCOPE      17.78%
37.06%  more CSCOPE students scored unsatisfactory than Non-CSCOPE


Average 36.67% higher unsatisfactory rate among CSCOPE students on all tests

*Over 950 Texas ISDs surveyed

Data from
http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/staar-district-results-2011-2012/
http://www.txcscopereview.com/2012/cscope-rotten-apple-award/


E. W. Burt, Business/ Marketing teacher
Freshman Business Class, Blanket ISD
ewburt@yahoo.com

TEXAS SENATORS TAKE REAL ACTION AGAINST CSCOPE -- SB 1406 - By Donna Garner

The following article is from Donna Garner:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Logan Spence (512) 463-0107

March 7, 2013

TEXAS SENATOR DONNA CAMPBELL AND SENATOR DAN PATRICK FILE CSCOPE BILL  -- SB 1406

AUSTIN— Senator Donna Campbell has joined Senator Dan Patrick as author of SB 1406 that will enact significant reforms of CSCOPE.

CSCOPE, is a teaching management tool with lesson plans that have come under scrutiny with parents, teachers, and legislators over the past year. In February, Senator Patrick conducted a Senate Education Committee hearing with CSCOPE representatives that exposed problems including a lack of management oversight, a lack of transparency, questionable lesson plans, and troubling legal documents.

Since the hearing, Senator Patrick was able to get CSCOPE to agree to the following:

1. Begin the process of closing down the non-profit corporation controlling CSCOPE.

2. Immediately open up all meetings to the public.

3. Begin the process of turning over lessons for review by the SBOE. The first set of lesson plans will be social study lesson plans

4. Begin to put lesson plans on the CSCOPE website and make them easy to locate and read.

5. Establish an oversight board comprised in part by both parents and non-parents.

Senator Patrick and Campbell have filed SB 1406 in order to ensure these reforms are placed in statute. "The agreed-to reforms were a step in the right direction, but they still have much to do and need to do it sooner than later," said Senator Patrick.

"If they don't get their act together soon, they run the risk of having the entire program shut down," said Senator Campbell.

"No educational curriculum should ever leave parents in the dark. This bill ensures parents have access to the material and that it's correct, credible, and consistent with what Texans want taught in our schools," Sen. Campbell said. "CSCOPE must go through the same rigorous review process as our textbooks."

"My recommendation is that CSCOPE remove itself from supplying lesson plans to school districts and go back to the original mission of the supplying a management tool for teachers to keep them on pace to teach the TEKS as required," said Patrick. "If they continue to supply lesson plans that are flawed, incorrect, or raise concerns about content, they risk closure of the entire program.

XXXX

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Texas Legislature Online – SB 1406 – Sen. Donna Campbell, Sen. Dan Patrick:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=SB1406

By:  Patrick, Campbell                                                                                       S.B. No. 1406

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to State Board of Education oversight of regional education service center services and products concerning student curriculum.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 8, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 8.0531 to read as follows:

Sec. 8.0531.  STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OVERSIGHT OF CURRICULUM-RELATED SERVICES AND PRODUCTS.  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter or Section 8.001(c), the State Board of Education shall maintain oversight and direction of the activities of a regional education service center, acting alone or in collaboration with one or more other regional education service centers, concerning:

(1)  any service or product related to student curriculum, or;

(2)  integration of instructional materials with curriculum management materials for delivery of instructional materials and related materials or aids to enable public access, including parental access, in accordance with Section 26.006.

SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

Salacious Literature Being Taught to KATY ISD (Texas) Students in AP Classes

by Donna Garner

10.31.12

Katy School Board, Katy, Texas, Oct. 29, 2012 -- http://katyisdtx.swagit.com/play/10292012-563

Please go underneath the screen, scroll down to “VII Open Forum,” and click on it. Then go to marker 13:58 where a Katy ISD parent named Cindy Morris begins her testimony. 

Ms. Morris addresses the objectionable Advanced Placement (AP) literature that is being taught to her child and to other students in the KISD. Her testimony ends at marker 17:09. 

Ms. Morris gives an excellent presentation as to why AP literature books such as A Thousand Acres are highly inappropriate for students. Because children were in the audience, Ms. Morris (and Ms. Coleman, who testified before Ms. Morris on the same subject) did not read the quoted passages from the AP literature books to which they were objecting; but they did submit specific examples in hard copies that they handed to the KISD Board and administration. 

Ms. Morris stated that various AP literary pieces chosen by the KISD contain frequent references to rape, incest, sexual abuse, salacious graphic images, sex toys, sexual acts, pornographic material, repeated incidents of suicide, foul language, erotic acts, recipes for bomb making, self-destruction, using human fat to make soap, and constant sexual abuse. 

Ms. Morris said that these books cause students to “wallow in the gutter of human behavior” and that students are overwhelmed with the salacious content rather than learning the AP elements of symbolism, literary devices, and social meaning that can so readily be learned from enlightening, challenging, and inspiring pieces of literature. 

Ms. Morris concluded by saying, “I find it ironic that Images in a magazine are defined as pornographic; but when a writer creates such images or worse via words, we honor it as literature.”

Even though AP classes can be some of the best vehicles through which students can gain academic rigor, there has always been a potential danger because AP classes have always worked basically outside the state-adopted curriculum standards. The AP curriculum and tests are separate from the state-adopted curriculum standards and tests. 

Over the years, I have had real concerns about many of the literary selections recommended by AP. 

What AP does is to train AP teachers at AP conferences by giving them recommended AP units to teach. AP tells the teachers that they do not have to teach the recommended units but that if they don’t, then their students will not be prepared for the AP exams. Therefore, AP teachers end up going along with the AP-prepared units. 

Unfortunately, AP has wandered far away from its original emphasis on the great literary classics and has brought in such gross and perverse literature as A Thousand Acres. As Cindy Morris indicated, this type of text when put into students’minds haunts them and destroys any naivety that they once had. The great pieces of classical literature can teach students all of the sophisticated literary analysis that they need without teachers having to place pornographic literature into students’ hands. 

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

Study Says Gay Parenting Has Negative Outcome on Children

Below is an email I got from Donna Garner:


-------- Original message --------
Subject: G... PARENTING DOES HURT CHILDREN -- U. T. PROFESSOR'S STUDY STANDS -- 8.30.12
From: Donna Garner
To: Donna Garner
CC:

8.30.12 – Summary in a nutshell:

University of Texas Professor Mark Regnerus (has taught at U. T. for at least a decade) published a study in which he compared young adults reared by mother-father families. 

Conclusion: The young adults reared by lesbian mothers had negative outcomes in 24 of 40 categories.  Those reared by gay fathers had negative outcomes in 19 categories …

“Children appear most apt to succeed well as adults when they spend their entire childhood with their married mother and father, and especially when the parents remain married to the present day.”

A freelance writer in New York City who writes a lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) blog colluded with LGBT-friendly UT professors who came after Regnerus with bogus and slanderous attacks that pressured an investigation of Regnerus’ work.

That is always what the LGBT community does when the truth comes out about their very unhealthy physical, psychological, and emotional lifestyle. They, who have elevated the issue of bullying to such an extreme, are the biggest bullies in America because whenever anyone tries to warn our country about the adverse consequences of the LGBT lifestyle, that person is vilified, demeaned, and unmercifully “bullied.”

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SIDEBAR:

Newly published just this week by Alliance Defending Freedom is a resource entitled “Anti-Bullying Policy Yardstick” which can be found at:  http://www.adfmedia.org/files/AntiBullyingYardstick.pdf

This document provides schools with policies that will ensure that all students (not just homosexuals) are protected from bullying by providing precise definitions of bullying that will regulate bullying conduct.  The document also helps to protect all students’ First Amendment rights.

This resource “focuses on the acts or words said by the alleged bully rather than the intent or motives behind the actions.”  The document explains that a good policy includes “precise definitions” and is not “overly vague.” Bad policies use overbroad and subjective terms such as “emotional distress,” “offensive,” “annoying, “uncomfortable” which are based almost totally upon the perception of the “victim” rather than upon upon how the victim may “feel” but may not be based upon actual words or actions.     

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Thankfully UT hired an independent consultant to investigate Regnerus’ work and found no professional misconduct whatsoever.  Regnerus’ study stands as published.  

To read more details about Regnerus’ “gold standard” study, here are relevant articles:

8.29.12 – “UT Finds No Scientific Misconduct in Study on Gay Parenting” – Austin American-Statesman -- http://www.statesman.com/news/local/ut-finds-no-scientific-misconduct-in-study-on-2445867.html

Excerpts from this article:

A University of Texas faculty member did not commit scientific misconduct in connection with his study that raised doubts about gay parenting, the university has concluded.

As a result, no formal investigation of allegations against Mark Regnerus, an associate professor of sociology, is warranted, UT announced Wednesday.

"I think it's a just and wise decision, and I'm certainly pleased with it," Regnerus told the American-Statesman in an email. "It was a thorough and fair process, and conducted professionally."

Regnerus found that the adult children of gay parents reported significantly different, and often worse, life experiences than the children of married, heterosexual biological parents…

After consulting with a four-member advisory panel of senior UT faculty members, Peterson found no falsification of data, plagiarism or other serious ethical breaches constituting scientific misconduct…

UT hired Alan Price, a private consultant, to monitor the inquiry.

Price, a former chief research fraud investigator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, wrote that the matter was handled "consistent with the University policy and procedures for scientific misconduct" and "consistent with federal regulatory requirements of inquiries into research misconduct."

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8.9.12 – “Flap Over Study on Gay Parenting Raises Questions About Private Funding for Research” – Austin American-Statesman -- http://www.statesman.com/news/local/flap-over-study-on-gay-parenting-raises-questions-2432410.html

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7.27.12 – “UT Research Paper Should Not Have Been Published, Audit Finds” – Austin American-Statesman -- http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/highereducation/entries/2012/07/27/ut_researchers_paper_should_no.html

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http://libertylinked.com/posts/9957/children-of-g-parents/View.aspx

“Children of G… Parents Suffer:  Complaint Filed at U. T. About Professor’s Study”

by Donna Garner

7.12.12

Because the University of Texas is filled with liberal professors, many of whom promote the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) lifestyle, a study conducted by associate professor of sociology, Mark Regnerus, published in the journal Social Science Research (June 2012) has now come under attack. ( 7.11.12 – “UT Investigates Professor’s Study on Children with Gay Parents” – Austin American-Statesman --   http://www.statesman.com/news/local/ut-investigates-professors-study-on-children-with-gay-2415276.html  ). 

Five U. T. faculty members and a New York City freelance author (Scott Rosensweig), who writes an LGBT blog, have filed a complaint with U. T. President Bill Powers. The University has 60 days to conduct the inquiry.

FACTS:  Mark Regnerus conducted “gold standard” research in which he used a data set of nearly 3,000 randomly selected American young adults raised by gay parents vs. those raised by mother-father parents. He looked at the young adults’ lives and compared them on 40 measures of social, emotional, and relationship outcomes.

CONCLUSION: When Regnerus compared young adults reared by mother-father families, the young adults reared by lesbian mothers had negative outcomes in 24 of 40 categories.  Those reared by gay fathers had negative outcomes in 19 categories … “Children appear most apt to succeed well as adults when they spend their entire childhood with their married mother and father, and especially when the parents remain married to the present day.”

Regnerus has defended his study by saying, “This academic team merged scholars across disciplines and ideological lines in a spirit of civility and reasoned inquiry, and the protocol developed by this team was subsequently approved by the University of Texas' Institutional Review Board…Normal procedures were followed for obtaining outside support, as many researchers do.”

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To read more about Professor Regnerus’ study, please go to:

6.12.12 – “Study Finds Host of Challenges for Kids of Gay Parents” – by Dr. Keith Ablow, FoxNews.com --  http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/12/study-finds-host-challenges-for-kids-gay-parents/?intcmp=features#ixzz1xadNd0OQ

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6.10.12, “Study Suggests Risks from Same-Sex Parenting” by Cheryl Wetzstein --- Washington Times -- http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/10/study-suggests-risks-from-same-sex-parenting/

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6.11.12 – “Study: Children of Parents in Same-Sex Relationships Face Greater Risks” – Citizen Link --  http://www.citizenlink.com/2012/06/11/study-children-of-parents-in-same-sex-relationships-face-greater-risks/

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6.11.12 -- “Research: Risks from Same-Sex Parenting” – by Donna Garner

http://libertylinked.com/posts/9919/research-risks-from-same-sex/View.aspx

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

Obama and Democrat Convention Legitimizes Rape by Inviting Bill Clinton

It is funny that Obama and the Democrats piled on Republican Todd Akin for defending the unborn from murder even in cases of rape, and yet they had Bill Clinton speak at the Democrat National Convention. So if they say that Akin was not sensitive to rape victims, then I guess the Democrats are REALLY not sensitive to rape victims by approving Bill Clinton as a speaker at the DNC. After all, Clinton was accused of rape, adultery and sex with interns....

The following is an email from Donna Garner with more in-depth info into this issue:


-------- Original message --------
Subject: BILL CLINTON AND LEGITIMATE RAPE -- BY JEFFREY LORD -- THE AMER. SPECTATOR -- 8.23.12
From: Donna Garner
To: Donna Garner
CC:

8.23.12 – THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR – SPECIAL REPORT

“Bill Clinton and Legitimate Rape”

By Jeffrey Lord on 8.23.12 @ 6:09AM

http://spectator.org/archives/2012/08/23/bill-clinton-and-legitimate-ra/print

Clinton rape scandal resurfaces in Akin controversy: The McCaskill-Clinton videos.

"…the threat, use and cultural acceptance of sexual force is a pervasive process of intimidation that affects all women." --Feminist Susan Brownmiller in her 1975 bestseller Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape

"Rape is rape. And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we are talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me." -- President Obama on Congressman Todd Akin's use of the term "legitimate rape"

"Bill Clinton to Have Leading Role at Party's Convention" -- July 30, 2012 New York Times story announcing that the Obama campaign has selected the former President to nominate Obama

So.

The Obama White House has decided to legitimize rape.

Talk about a mistake.

President Obama, after a considerable absence, abruptly appeared in the White House pressroom the other day to address Congressman Todd Akin's wildly offensive comment about "legitimate rape." In the President's own words: "Rape is rape. And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we are talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me."

In a stroke the President -- not to mention his allies on Capitol Hill, in the media and left-leaning interest groups -- resurrected one of the most divisive moments of the 1990's.

That moment?

What NBC reporter Lisa Myers was said in the day to have called the "very credible" allegation that Bill Clinton raped a Clinton campaign worker named Juanita Broaddrick.

In a ricochet doubtless unintended, the decision by the White House to personally insert the President into the Akin "legitimate rape" controversy now focuses attention on two stark realities:

·         · The selection of Clinton to give the nominating speech for President Obama in a primetime TV slot at the Democrats' convention.

·          

·         · Re-surfacing videos of Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill campaigning with Clinton while saying she "wouldn't want him near my daughter." Videos like this one and this one of McCaskill on Meet the Press.

·          

Obama's Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Used Incorrect Grammar to Criticize Governor Perry

The following is part of a letter I received from Donna Garner. Donna calls out Arne Duncan for using incorrect Grammar while Duncan criticized Governor Perry.Thanks for the info Donna! - David Bellow

ARNE, LET’S START WITH AN ENGLISH LESSON

U. S. Sectretary of Education Arne Duncan decided to take a cheap shot at Texas Gov. Rick Perry by saying, “Far too few of their [Texas] high school graduates are actually prepared to go on to college…I feel very, very badly for the children there.”

First of all, Arne Duncan, the highest-level education official in our land, used incorrect grammar to criticize Gov. Perry and our Texas education standards.  The word “badly” is an adverb to be used with an action verb; “bad” is a predicate adjective to be used after the intransitive linking verb “feel.”  Duncan should have said, “I feel very, very bad for the children there.”

Urgent Texas Redistricting Update: New Proposed Texas State Rep Map - It is MUCH Better for Republican State Reps in East and Southeast Texas: The Vote is Soon!

 see article at http://www.texasgopvote.com/2011-legislative-session/urgent-texas-redistricting-update-new-proposed-texas-state-rep-map-it-better-rep-002771

The following is an email that I just received today from Conservative State Representative Wayne Christian.  As you already know, the Texas House Redistricting Committee recently released their proposed map for The Texas House of Representatives[1]. This map is currently scheduled to be voted on this Tuesday April 26th, 2011 (maybe Wednesday).

While I applaud Rep. Burt Solomons for his hard work as Chair of the Redistricting Committee, I believe that his map unfairly puts too many Republicans in the same districts together where they will have to run against each other. (The voters just voted in over 100 Republicans in the Texas House. That is what the people of Texas wanted, so it is only fair that those Republicans do not get redistricted out)

A new map has just been introduced that will better serve the Super Majority of Republican Voters in Texas, and the Republicans in Southeast Texas. This map is PlanH155- NIXON STATEWIDE HOUSE PROPOSAL

The vote on these maps will be Tuesday April 26th, 2011 (maybe Wednesday). The State Legislative will be taking off for Easter so we have to call them now and ask them to vote for this new proposed map.
Personally, my hometown area of Southeast Texas will be better with Plan 155 because we would get to keep our Republicans instead of having them run against each other.

Please read the following email from State Representative Wayne Christian about the New Map


Urgent Texas Legislative Update: New House Map – from State Rep Wayne Christian

Advantages of PlanH155- NIXON STATEWIDE HOUSE PROPOSAL

The New map accomplishes the following:

- Is more reflective of the voting patterns of the state
- Is fair and legal
-Accurately reflects the voters intent
-Includes a minimal amount of pairings
-Consistently compact where possible
-Is in compliance with the Voting Rights Act.
-Elects 97 Republicans, compared to the committee map electing 92 Republicans
-Protects conservative House members
-Reelects the conservative freshman House members that the voters elected in an overwhelming mandate in 2010

To view the map go to http://gis1.tlc.state.tx.us 
Click on "select plans," and select "base plan."
Select "PlanH155- NIXON STATEWIDE HOUSE PROPOSAL"

The ask is that the grassroots call their State Representatives and ask them to not vote for the house map passed out of the redistricting committee and to vote for the new map as an amendment on the House floor on Tuesday. 

Reference "Plan H155."  As of today the vote will be on Tuesday April 26th.  Plan H155 will be introduced as an amendment to HB 150, the map passed by the committee.

Time is of the essence here, the House will adjourn on Thursday afternoon and all of the Representatives will return home to their districts for Easter weekend.

**Note- The map you see live on the website today will be slightly different from the map that is introduced as an amendment, the lawyers are fine tuning the map as we speak.

Contact Representative Christian
If you have questions or comments about your state government, please feel free to contact my office or email me directly.

Email: RepWayne@yahoo.com

Furthermore, this new Map DOES NOT violate the Voting Rights Act:

Read this statement from an email sent by Conservative Donna Garner Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

We need to keep reminding members of the Senate and House Redistricting Committees  that Section 5 of the U. S. Voting Rights Act (a.k.a., VRA) says that legislators are:

“not obligated to produce a redistricting map that yields a racial quota of elected officials mirroring exactly the state’s population.  In fact, drawing districts to satisfy a racial quota is expressly prohibited…
The court does prohibit lawmakers from obliterating existing majority-minority districts. And courts may require the drawing of a majority-minority legislative district only if the population distribution meets the three factors in Gingles v. Thornburg: (1) geographically compact, (2) politically cohesive, and (3) a history of racially polarized voting…
The problem the Democrats are likely to run into in Texas is that the civil rights movement is finally beginning to achieve its stated goal – racial integration. Minorities are moving to the suburbs.”  (Will Lutz, The Lone Star Report, 2.18.11)