Let's not forget which "Democrats" voted FOR the bullshit school financing

[Czolgosz]

Quislicrats Robby Cook, Donna Howard, Vilma Luna, Joe Pickett, and Mark Strama all threw their lot in with the Republicanazi shcool finance scheme.

Let's also remember which Republicans stood up against their own party's corrupt leadership: Carter Casteel, Delwin Jones, Bryan Hughes, Bill Keffer, Debbie Riddle, and Robert Talton.

[sonias]

1. Two points I want to make

I want to put in my 2 cents defending Donna Howard and Mark Strama on this vote. We knew they were going to vote for the "tax relief". They weren't happy about it. I heard Mark Strama explain it to us in Austin. The Democrats didn't have the votes to block it. It's not a great plan and at heart they know we can do better. Our first goal however is to take back the House. Both of these Democrats are up for re-election in November. It's important that we keep these seats and keep growing our strength in the Texas Legislature. They could of cast no votes of course, but then republicans in their districts (both are republican districts) would come out in force against them in Nov. Strama especially has a tough fight on his hands.

Sometimes you have to lose a fight in order to live another day, and then fight win the war tomorrow.

Vilma Luna I can't defend at all since she's just a Craddick Democrat and isn't in a tough fight, she's just a plain DINO.


Sonia

[Czolgosz]

4. If "the Democrats didn't have the votes to block it" then why vote with

the Craddickheads? This smacks of Liebermanism. If this was a wildly popular plan -- fine, I see why a Democrat in a Republican-leaning district may need to vote in favor of a popular but flawed plan. BUT THIS IS NOT A POPULAR PLAN. I think we'll see this blow up in Perry's face, and there may be better political coverage (for those candidates who exercise their vote based on how they can best CYA) by voting against the plan.

I'm disappointed in Howard, and I've never been impressed with Strama.

Certainly, however, we can agree about Luna's propensity to be a Craddickhead.

[jobycom]

6. Bigger picture

One of the ways the Republicans got such a big lead in the US Congress was by having Tom DeLay redistrict Texas twice in two years to give the Republicans more seats. The way Tom DeLay got the legislative votes to redistrict the US Congressional districts was by redistricting the State Legislature and by illegally funding State Legislature races to win a majority in the State House.

Donna Howard and Mark Strama both won in districts DeLay had carefully crafted to go Republican, and both of those districts did go Republican in 2002. Strama pulled a major upset in 2004 by working hard and by playing the middle to win his district, and Howard won a special election earlier this year when the Republican in office resigned as the DeLay scandal threatened to send him to jail.

She and Strama both have to hold their seats in November of 2006, and giving their opponents the chance to circulate flyers saying "Donna Howard and Mark Strama voted against cutting your property taxes" would be certain suicide. These are yuppie districts made up of high tech employees from other states, and they don't care about Democrats or Republicans, they will vote for anyone who screams "They want to raise your taxes!" Karen Sonleitner was just thrown out by someone claiming she was for toll roads, and it wasn't even true. There is no subtlety in northwest Austin. People vote here on one liner tax cut slogans.

[Czolgosz]

7. I see the big picture, and I understand how a vulnerable Democrat might

feel the need to vote in favor of tax cuts to please tax-cut-hungry constituents. That’s not what I’m complaining about.

I would not fault Howard or Strama for voting in favor of tax cuts or a popular school financing plan, but that's not what their votes in favor of HB 3 or HB 4 did. Specifically, I do not criticize Howard or Strama (or any of the Craddickhead Quislicrats) for voting in favor of HB 1, which was the property tax relief bill. Virtually everybody voted for HB 1 (the vote was 146-2-1), and so this is not the vote where the Craddickheads parted company with the real Democrats.

Likewise, I do not criticize Howard or Strama for voting against HB 2, which was the allocation of new revenues bill. The Craddickhead Quislicrats voted with the Democrats on HB 2.

I criticize Howard and Strama for their votes IN FAVOR of HB 3, the franchise tax bill, and HB 4, the car sales tax bill. These aren’t tax cutting bills which Howard and Strama needed to support due to their constituents’ preferences for tax cuts (that was HB 1). These are TAX RAISING bills which were championed by Craddick and opposed by Democrats. Howard and Strama actually sided with Craddick and against the Democrats to vote in favor of increasing taxes. I don’t see where this buys any cover from their constituents.

We were successful in defeating a few DINO Craddickhead Quislicrats in the primaries. Now we know where Craddick is looking to replace his lost Quislings.

I half expected as much from Strama, but I’m disappointed by Howard.

Would I support Strama and Howard over their Republican opponents? Of course. I'm just saying that Strama and Howard are starting to look like Vilma Luna's new best pals, which is far better than having a Republican hold those offices (even if it's not as good as having a progressive or party-loyal Democrat).

[Texaroo]

8. Now wait just a doggone minute here...

So a Democrat voted for a tax increase in defiance of his party? That kind of makes me think the world opened up somewhere and we all got sucked into a parallel universe or something. Why would anyone think in this day or age that loyalty to leadership to the extent of supporting a tax increase wins votes?

These guys don't sound like they have the guts OR sense to remain in office...

[crispini]

2. WHAT? HD-107 Bill Keffer?

And not the other Keffer?

REALLY? That's my rep! What's up with THAT vote? That's weird, he has done very little to distinguish himself in the Lege.

[Czolgosz]

3. HD 107's own Bill Keffer voted against HB 3 and HB 4. In related news hell

is reporting record low temperatures with a 40% chance of isolated snow drifts and freezing rain.

[crispini]

5. Now THAT is weird.

huh, maybe he knows that he's got a wicked pissah competitive race in the fall (his opponent has $$$$) and he's thinking about what he's going to tell the voters. :D