Bob Perry donations. You might not like to see this.

[johncoby2]

you can download the excel spreadsheet at http://www.bayareanewdemocrats.org/files/perrydonations.xls

From Jan 20, 2000 through Jan 26 2006 Bob Perry gave a total of $11,525,029.50

Some of the heavies:

Wong, Martha J. $67,000.00
Whitmire, John $53,500.00
Turner, Sylvester $44,000.00
Texans For Rick Perry, $840,000.00
Texans For Lawsuit Reform Pac, $906,000.00
Texans For Greg Abbott, $583,029.50
Texans For A Republican Majority Pac, $170,000.00
Ritter, Allan B. $62,000.00
Lucio, Eduardo A. $30,500.00
Perry Homes Hernandez, Ana E. $20,000.00
Friends Of Carole Keeton Strayhorn, $160,000.00
Friends Of Ben Bentzin, $152,500.00
Ellis, Rodney G. $27,000.00

Allan Ritter is a Democrat and he filed the bill that created the Texas Residential Construction Commission.

[WestHoustonDem]

1. Ouch. Sylvester Turner too! n/t

[Baby Snooks]

6. Ouch, ouch

Guess we should look for builder-friendly votes by Sylvester Turner?

I haven't looked at all of it but I suspect like Ken Lay, the money was spread around in both parties. Just more of it to Republicans.

[Baby Snooks]

2. Now we know

Now we know how much a governor costs. $840,000. That includes the commission created to protect you from further lawsuits. Allan Ritter may have filed the bill. But we all know whose idea it was.

[acmejack]

3. Cost him $152,500 to lose in district 48!

Does Bentzin really have friends?

[Baby Snooks]

5. He has friends in the appraisal district

Maybe the $152,500 was for an escrow account just in case the appraisal district goes after him for the undervaluation on his home?

[merci_me]

4. I suppose I could not be so lazy and look it up, but

since Jan. 2000, has Rodney Ellis faced a challenger? Anyone know off hand?

I have NOTHING against Senator Ellis, but if he wasn't challenged, I wonder what the $27K was for.

[Smarty Pants Liberal]

7. No challenger, Merci_Me

but there was a rumor that Ron Wilson might run against him this year. It didn't happen. It has also been said that Ron Wilson is behind the race of one of Garnet Coleman's opponents. Now I really can't prove that - it's hearsay. So please, if this is quoted by anyone, say it's a rumor.

[merci_me]

9. I heard the same rumor about one of the Coleman challengers

I sure hope Garnet wins in a landslide! As for Ron Wilson, well let's just say, thank god for Alma Allen. I think Wilson's ego doesn't have another loss in him, so he'll just talk like a hotshot and do nothing.

[sonias]

12. Damn that Wilson

Why doesn't he just switch parties. He does have personal issues with Garnet Coleman over the redistricting fight. Wilson said some nasty (more nasty than usual for Wilson) things about Coleman. Doesn't surprise me he's going vindictive. I'm sure in his warped little mind Coleman is the reason he lost his seat. Never mind that he wasn't representing his district anymore and the voters finally got tired of that and voted him out.

I wish Coleman all the best and a I hope Wilson's boy loses in the primary.

Sonia

[Baby Snooks]

8. Builder-friendly votes?

Maybe we should look for builder-friendly votes by Rodney Ellis also.

[merci_me]

10. It maybe hero worship here, but

if Ellis has some "builder friendly" votes, I'm sure he has an honest reason for it and not the money. Some people can take the money without selling out. Not many, but I think Ellis is someone who can. It would be kind of fun to think that's the money he used for the Harris County Democrats Christmas Party that he hosts each year.

[Baby Snooks]

11. Honest reason?

Kind of hard for me to believe there would be an honest reason for anyone to have voted for "builder-friendly" legislation since 2000 given the abominable situation for new home buyers who learn too late that Texas truly is a "Buyer Beware" state.

[sonias]

13. Lots of money flowing that is really concerning

John Whitmire $53K
Sylvester Turner $44K
Eddie Lucio $30.5K
Rodney Ellis $27K

I would say that the Ritter creature of course is not a Democrat. He needs to go.

I really do wish you could do a search of votes cast in our Texas Legislature, but very few votes are recorded. A vote is only recorded if a member asks for it. We need to have those votes recorded by law. Support open and transparent and accountable government.

Sonia

[Baby Snooks]

14. Well, that too

"...but very few votes are recorded. A vote is only recorded if a member asks for it. We need to have those votes recorded by law."

That's another problem I forgot about. So thanks for bringing it up. I don't see anyone calling to change it though. Including any of these "fabulous four." All it takes is one to ask for a recorded vote. So if one representative knows there's something going on that shouldn't be, all they need to do is ask for a recorded vote. So everyone can see for themselves if they want. In reality very few votes are recorded. So you can draw your own conclusions. My conclusion is we should throw all the rascals out.

Hope someone tells Donna Howard about this. Bet she will ask for recorded votes. And if not, well, throw her out as well.

Taking back the legislature does not mean letting them continue to have carte blanche with being able to hide their votes. I can guarantee you at this point they would ban public disclosure of campaign finance records if they could. I think in fact they tried to limit it a session or two ago. Or charge an outrageous fee to access the information.

In the meantime, sorry, but you can pretty well tell who voted for what on major legislation on the basis of their campaign contributions. Votes are not recorded. And until recently, it was too difficult to go through the records. Now you can. With the click of a mouse.

[sonias]

15. Well do us the favor then, of finding out what those votes were

On the "tort reform" consumer screwing legislation. Tell us how Whitmire, Lucio, Ellis, Turner and Ritter voted, please.

Sonia

[Baby Snooks]

16. Why don't we ask them?

Do you think they would tell us the truth if we just asked them?

[johncoby2]

19. ritter, Lucio should have been YES

Lucio has long been a fan of tort reform, BUT....he did vote against the builders Commission

[last_texas_dem]

20. Ritter is a DINO

He basically runs with a "D" after his name only because that is still the custom in many parts of southeast Texas. In fact, I heard through the grapevine (though I wouldn't want to be quoted on it 'cause I didn't hear it directly) that Ritter once made a statement admitting this. Philosophically, he is a Republican, though. He survived a challenge from true Democrat (and former State Senator) David Bernsen a couple years ago largely because Republicans (due to lack of a competitive Republican primary) crossed over to vote for him.

[TomInTib]

17. Lemme tell you a little about Bobby Jack.....

He washed out (boring, bland) as a Southern Baptist preacher.

Got a job as an assistant football coach at Baylor.
Released because the players complained about his fundie, wingnut proselytizing (at Baylor, no less).

Jobless and almost homeless, he was given part of a subdivision in SW Houston and financing on his first few dozen homes. Some of the most savvy people in the Houston homebuilding community did all the heavy lifting and Bobby Jack hit the big time.

Sound familiar?

I know this because I am family.

[Baby Snooks]

18. Yes his history is interesting

He has a past as they say but as someone who spent time selling real estate in Sugar Land put it, talking about his past isn't good for business. Pretty much suicidal as a matter of fact. He spreads that money around for more than just political power.

[texastoast]

21. What? No heavy lifting?

Just like shrubito. But instead of a silver spoon, it was a silver shoe spoon. It's kind of hard for bootstrappers to relate.

[jobycom]

22. Wow. $152,500 for a state legislature candidate? I'm almost sorry

I helped ruin his donation. :-(

I guess that covers Bentzin's state senate race, too. That's a lot of money for a two-time loser.