March 7, 2006
Primary Day!
Today is Primary Day in Texas! I will be going to vote in my new precinct – I was in 131 but we were subsumed into 152 (I was going to be chair of 131 but there is already a chair of 152 – so my political career will have to wait I guess!).
Apparently there are quite a few races that matter in Travis County – but they are the sort of races one needs to do actual research for to figure out what is going on. But you should VOTE.
Apparently TX, despite its fancy new website, doesn’t list all the polling locations across the state online. In fact, this new website looks like someone just cut and pasted the info from the Secretary of State’s website to this one. What a half-assed attempt to promote democracy.
I did get an email from the TX Dem Party about re-districting too… (I always forget they are here in Austin b/c I only ever hear from the Travis County party)…
“Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the Texas Redistricting case. In case you missed it, here’s a statement from the lead lawyers, Paul Smith and Gerry Hebert, given exclusively to the TDP.
“In an exclusive briefing following the Supreme Court arguments yesterday, the attorneys representing Democratic plaintiffs challenge to Tom DeLay’s redistricting power grab expressed confidence that a majority of the Court will object to all or part of the existing congressional map. Key points include:”
— The Justices voiced concerns that districts in South Texas and Dallas-Ft. Worth that may violate the Voting Rights Act and the racial gerrymandering doctrine. Should the Court object to districts in these two areas, the ripple effect could easily alter the majority of the 2003 DeLay map.
— Some early press reports noted that some Justices initially appeared skeptical about partisan redistricting claims and asked no questions about the use of outdated census data to redraw districts solely for partisan purposes in mid-decade. However, experienced court-watchers say the questions asked by Justices during oral arguments often do not indicate the Court’s eventual decision. The Texas case involves many overlapping, complex legal issues that were not addressed by the Justices, but they have been extensively briefed and will be carefully reviewed.
— In the coming weeks, the Court will thoroughly examine those issues and determine whether they are willing to establish a precedent that the powers that control a legislature or any local government can use out of date census figures to continually redraw districts in order to maintain and maximize partisan control, as well as several important Voting Rights precedents that could come from this case.“The issues raised in the Texas case will impact redistricting and voting rights at every level of government for years to come. The Supreme Court arguments indicate that a majority of the Court will object to the 2003 DeLay\n map on one or more of the legal issues in question.”
More info on the redistricting is also on the TX Dem Party website.
February 12, 2006
Snow.
Today, I admit, for the first time I miss the East Coast. I miss the one thing I have said more than anything that I fled to Texas to escape: the Winter.
There is a huge snowstorm blowing through the East and New England now and I am not there to make a snowman or to make snow angels or just, in general, to wander around and see Washington, DC under a blanket of white.
Almost all of my favorite memories from childhood take place in the snow. When I was in fifth grade we had to write essays on what we thought heaven was and mine was all about a place where there was beautiful wet, yet fluffy, snow and you could play in it all day long and never get wet and never get cold.
I think most people would concede there is something magical about the earth right after a snowfall – everything is quieter and everything seems peaceful. For a morning, all you can hear are kids running around and laughing and falling and birds trying to make a hole to find the nest they built.
And then of course it all goes away and cars ruin it and turn it black and ugly and people complain about how it is making it impossible to go to work. I have always hoped that I would never become someone who would find snow a nuisance.
Of course now, where I am, there is no snow to be found.
Only more cases to be read…
January 30, 2006
Brooke’s Texas Language Lesson #1
I'm so, so glad that Brooke enjoyed her trip to the Salt Lick. But just for the record, one does not "drench" one's bread in sauce (though it does sound nice), one "sops" one's bread in sauce. Say it with me now, "sop". Excellent. Well done. Vocabulary quiz will be at the end of every month.
– Ben
Alleluia for the Salt Lick!
The Salt Lick. My friends had set some pretty high expectations, and yet somehow it managed to live up to the hype.
When you drive in you see people milling around picnic tables with their coolers there and you wonder, after you’ve driven 30 minutes from Austin – why are all these people here? The drive is really pretty nice, except for a few gross subdivisions that are going in with McMansions. Especially amusing is the Hindu Temple right next door to the smaller Baptist church. Who knew?!
The people though – they are all just milling around. I was surprised by the number of plaid shirts and jeans combos I saw: as if people were actually dressing the part to come to this bbq place.
We hung out and waited outside as the sun was setting drinking beers and chatting. Charlotte commented that beer makes the wait go so much faster and i had to agree.
We were seated at a big picnic table right next to the “kitchen” which was fun – and meant we got stuff that was literally being cut up about 10 inches from us. The smoke pit was about 10 feet from us and passing it made you just feel like you were living some sort of cliche – except it was real and it was fun!
The food was phenomenal. I will be the first to admit I am NOT a bbq conossieur (I mean, I can’t even spell the word), but it was the best bbq by FAR that I have ever had. The sausage was amazing, the brisket great. The sauch was perfect too – I have never been one of those people who drenches things in sauce but this sauce was just asking to drench your bread and meat.
I didn’t eat too much but I was more full than I’ve been since Thanksgiving. Luckily a member of our group was quitting smoking by a novel method and had a bunch of cinnamon toothpicks to pass around at the end of the meal. They should give them out – it was a great way to end.
And finally, on our way out, I saw the shirt I’ve been wanting ever since my friends starting turning vegetarian on me:
“I didn’t make it to the top of the food chain to become a vegetarian.”Amen.
January 24, 2006
TCDP Dinner
Last night I attended my first big Democratic event in the great (red) state of Texas. It was quite a gala – in the University Alumni Center (which has a life-size Longhorn outside). The Chair of the State party was there, the Travis County Chair was the emcee, and there were a number of speakers. Interestingly, all the speakers were men.
Well, that is not totally true. There was one woman – or girl. A 16-year old from LBJ High School who did a poetry slam that kicked ass. She was on fire – and got two standing ovations. Her second poem was so heartfelt and though it was fun to hear her rip on Republicans and embrace the Donkey, it was also disconcerting how much of what she was saying simply wasn’t true… She was ripping on No Child Left Behind and all I could think of was the fact that our party’s last nominee, John Kerry, had voted for it… Anyways, it made me sad to think about how easy it is to be cynical about my party.
And it made me think about how important – how damned important – young people are to the Party. No one but young voters will keep us honest. And, of course, the decisions being made today affect the youth of American a lot more than the older people.
As good as that girl was though – she was the only woman up there. You could see the ED of the Travis County Party helping out – but she didn’t speak at all. Our Congressman Lloyd Doggett spoke; the 2 Chairs; Kirk Watson (running for State Senate. A sure bet – uncontested.) and State Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos (who is retiring). All men!
What about our elected officials who are women you ask? Why didn’t they speak? Funny you should ask that…
At the end of the presentation all the elected or running-for-office Democrats of Travis County stood up – it was a great idea. Really wonderful to see the people whose names will all be on the ballot in November (or those who don’t get knocked off by the primary I guess).
The problem was that, if the people running for Judge hadn’t been up front, there would have been TWO WOMEN up front – Dawnna Dukes (my state rep) and Donna Howard (running for state rep in Dist 48). (I should note that those are the only ones whose names I caught – there might have been 1 or 2 more – but NOT many).
In the Texas House of Reps there are 150 reps and only 32 are women (again, if I’m 1 or 2 off don’t sue me. I just did a hand count off the website.)
And, in the Texas State Senate, ther are 31 senators and 4 are women (only 2 are Dems).
People, that is NUTS! What is with the people of Texas? We have a woman US Senator but we have SO few women in the state legislature it’s absolutely pathetic. I hate to think how many people of color are in it – even less I bet.
We were worried in 2004 that women would affect, or decide, the election.
And – surprise, surprise – single women were the people that kept the vote even CLOSE.
I love being a Democrat, and I am proud to be a Democrat.
But I sure as hell wish we’d start running people other than white men.
You\'re Not From Texas 