January 2011 Newsletter

VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011

Bowie County Blade

Cutting through to the truth.

KEN’S KOMMENTS

Thoughts of Ken Autry, Bowie County Republican Party Chairman

Our Chairman had an article in the New Boston Tribune addressing the Republican victories in the November election and the challenges facing those elected:

1. Be aware of the responsibility to be accountable to the people 2. Fulfill the Republican lawmakers pledge to find a way to balance

the budget without new taxes. 3. Bowie County water issues 4. Assure support for the new A&M four-year college 5. Stay informed and active on 2nd Amendment issues 6. Get to work on the problems and be responsive to the people.

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From: Jan Lavender [mailto:[email protected]] Hi Friends! Just wanted to share these pics with all of you. Please keep George and his staff in your prayers!

The first pic is of him and his staff—the guy that looks like Jacob is Matt Ashley, then Andrea Williams McCoy, then Ben Pollock—then George!

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Bowie County Judge Sterling Lacy recently completed a week-long series of studies at the University of Texas attended by 180 newly elected county judges and commissioners. "These professional studies are vital to bringing rookie elected officials quickly up-to-date to handle the full slate of complex duties that fall to the

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Commissioners Court under Texas law," Lacy states. "There's no room for trial and error approaches. We have to hit the road running from day one. Conferences like this one are essential." The conference was co-sponsored by the LBJ School for Public Affairs and the Texas Association of Counties. Included in the program were 26 sessions on administrative issues like Health and Human Services, Property Taxes, Emergency Management, Elections, Budgeting, Jails, etc. Judge Lacy's schooling on judicial responsibilities started January 24th at Texas Tech's School of Law in Lubbock.

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View  from  the  Texarkana  Court  of  Appeals

           THANK  YOU.    I  am  grateful  for  the  honor  of  serving  the  good  folks  of  northeast  Texas  as  Chief  Justice  of  Texas'  Sixth  Court  of  Appeals,  headquartered  in  Texarkana  and  serving  19  counties  as  our  primary  service  area.    I  have  had  the  privilege  of  serving  in  this  office  since  June  2002.    In  November  2010—thanks  largely  to  the  Republicans  of  Bowie  County  for  their  overwhelming  (82.5%  of  the  GOP  vote  and  the  third  largest  county  GOP  vote  in  our  19-­‐county  district!)  vote  for  me  in  the  March  GOP  Primary—Northeast  Texans  voted  to  rehire  me  for  another  6-­‐year  term  (through  2016).    Thank  you  for  placing  your  trust  in  me!    I  pledge  to  keep  doing  my  utmost  to  merit  your  trust  and  providing  the  highest  quality,  impartial,  responsible,  honest,  prompt,  and  economical  justice  possible,  for  all  Texans.

         COURT  FUNCTIONING  WELL.    The  Court  is  in  good  shape  with  a  great  team  of  public  servants  in  place.    I'm  honored  to  work  with  colleagues,  Justice  Jack  Carter  (Texarkana)  and  Justice  Bailey  Moseley  (Marshall),  along  with  an  excellent  staff  of  attorneys  and  others.    Your  Sixth  Court  consistently  ranks  among  the  most  prompt  of  the  14  Courts  of  Appeals  distributed  around  Texas,  and  also  consistently  ranks  among  those  with  the  lowest  case  backlog.    In  three  of  the  last  five  years,  we've  had  the  shortest  time  (among  those  14  "sister"  courts)  from  the  filing  of  an  appeal  to  the  time  we  issue  our  opinion  deciding  that  appeal.    (In  the  other  years,  we  were  either  second  or  close  to  the  top!)    More  importantly,  we  decide  cases  based  on  the  law  and  the  facts,  impartially,  not  based  on  any  social  or  personal  agenda.    We  practice  judicial  restraint,  like  judges  should,  and  like  most,  do  in  the  Texas  state  court  system.    I  believe  our  reputation  bears  out  those  claims.

         BUDGET  CONCERNS.    For  the  next  biennial  budget,  to  be  decided  between  now  and  May,  authorities  are  expecting  a  very  large  expected  shortfall  in  the  state  budget,  in  the  range  of  $15B,  that  must  be  closed  in  the  final  budget  passed  by  the  Legislature  this  spring.    Our  court  is  a  key  part  of  the  judicial  branch  of  Texas  state  government,  which  provides  the  core  governmental  function  of  resolving  disputes  

VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011

and  administering  justice  so  that  an  orderly  society  can  exist  and  function.  We  run  on  a  relatively  spare  budget,  over  90%  of  which  goes  to  pay  people  who  work  on  our  team.    So,  cuts  would  hurt  our  ability  to  efficiently  provide  that  core  governmental  function  of  justice  and  would  also  delay  needed  projects  to  assure  our  delivery  of  services  to  the  people  of  Texas.    We  are  grateful  to  have  a  good  group  of  Republicans  in  the  Texas  Legislature,  who  will  apply  good  business  practices  to  fund  essential  services  to  the  people  of  Texas.

         Josh  Morriss,  Chief  Justice

Texas Sixth District Court of Appeals (Texarkana)

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From Pat McCoy

January 18, 2011

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ & JUDGES ATTEND THE NEWLY ELECTED JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS SEMINAR

AUSTIN TX – County Commissioner Pat McCoy joined over 180 newly elected judges and commissioners for the Newly Elected Judges and Commissioners Seminar, which is part on of the Commissioners Court Advanced Curriculum certification, on January 11 through January 14, 2011.

McCoy said, “Continuing education is an essential ingredient to effective management and leadership. I was truly impressed with the training offered. From basic administrative matters to effective tax rate calculation and budgeting, the training will be a tremendous help to me.

The conference was co-sponsored by the Lyndon B. Johnson School for Public Affairs and the Texas Association of Counties. The LBJ School offers professional development programs that serve the development needs of elected and appointed officials in all levels of government.

Commissioners court members who attended all of the sessions during the conference received 20 hours of credit. Included in the program were sessions on Health and Human Services, Property Tax issues, County roads as well as

VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011

Emergency Management Issues. The program also provided an opportunity for newly elected judges and commissioners to get advice from their peers.

Contact Information: Bowie County Pct. 4 801 S. Hwy 8, New Boston TX 903.628.2279 [email protected]

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Natalie Nichols in action Our new Bowie County Clerk, Natalie Nichols wasted no time in digging into her plans to modernize and update the County Clerk’s functions to better serve the public. As reported in Texarkana Gazette articles by Paige Alexander, Nichols addressed two areas:

1. A long standing practice of allowing various entities to run accounts to accumulate fees for real estate filings and licensing

2. A Website to allow citizens ready access to county records, including scheduled meetings.

The practice of allowing private organizations to run a tab was called into

question since that was not defined in existing rules. The County Clerk’s office will no longer maintain such accounts.

The Website, bowiecountyclerk.com is available through the county clerk link in the official Bowie County website co.bowie.tx.us

Nichols says people who work may not be able to drive to New Boston to look at the official notices of meetings and property sales, etc. The Website will provide 24/7 access.

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Nine Texas Democrats switch to the GOP The not at all slow death of the Texas Democratic Party continues. I’ve just gotten word

via press release that nine local Democrats up in northeast Texas just switched parties to become Republicans. From the release:

VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011

In what is believed to be one of the largest number of officeholders to change party affiliation in Texas, Lamar County GOP Chairman John Kruntorad and State Representative Erwin Cain announced today that 9 local elected Democrats have joined the Republican Party. This announcement follows unprecedented election gains by the GOP in 2008 and 2010 as Northeast Texans increasingly identify with the conservative platform of the Republican Party.

Those joining the Republican Party include District Attorney Gary Young; Pct. 1 County Commissioner Lawrence Mallone; Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace (JP) Don Denison; Pct. 3 JP Tim Risinger; Pct. 4 JP Ken Ruthart; Pct. 5, Place 1 JP Cindy Ruthart; Pct. 1 Constable Madaline Chance; Pct. 3 Constable Larry Cope; and Pct. 5 Constable Gene Hobbs.

They join a few dozen who switched from D to R in Texas leading up to the 2010 elections, and the two state Reps. who switched parties after the elections (bringing the total of state Reps. switching from D to R, to three). And today’s group of switchers is jumping ship in an area that has been considered yellow dog Democrat for generations.

Update: Jim Geraghty – “To the credit of Texas Democrats, they still have dozens and dozens of local lawmakers who haven’t flipped parties yet.” Circle that last word.

Update: In case you’re wondering where Lamar County is, it’s up in Texas’ northeast corner. The county seat is Paris, TX which, yes, has its own version of the Eiffel Tower. And has a movie named after it.

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QUOTE OF THE CENTURY, MAYBE EVEN THE MILLENIUM

Some people have the vocabulary to sum up things in a way you can understand them. This quote came from the Czech Republic . Someone over there has it figured out. We have a lot of work.

"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011

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