Common Sense

Look to your left. Now look to your right.

You'll notice the ad asking you to sign a petition that has been running for the past week.

A very diverse group are just plain angry that the Lege would give a huge tax break for property owners, then call it a day. They would like to see substantially more money for public education in the state so that Texas' schoolchildren get the best education possible.

If you haven't done so yet, please take a minute to click the link and sign the petition.

Van and the Veep

Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to speak tomorrow at the Waco Hilton to help raise funds for Republican Congressional candidate Van Taylor.

Also scheduled, a protest of the vice president by members of Friends of Peace and other activist groups.

Waco, Tx. -   Activists from Waco Friends of Peace and other local organizations will demonstrate outside of the hotel where Vice President Dick Cheney will be attending a Republican campaign fundraiser on Monday. April 10. The protest will start at 10 AM outside the Waco Hilton.

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"With Cheney's approval rating in the US at 18%, we will express the outrage of 246 million Americans over the policies and actions of this man," Northcutt said. "Cheney was one of the major architects of the illegal and counterproductive war on Iraq, a conduit for no-bid contracts for Halliburton, and a continuing proponent of torture by the U.S."

This is supposed to be a peaceful demonstration, which usually means hippies. I tend to be dismissive toward hippies, I'm not sure why though. It's not exactly as though I am clean cut and don't wear sandals everyday. It's just that I'm not 65 and I haven't been wearing the same poncho since Woodstock. Many of our aims are the same, it's just that I believe in the beauties of order and using the political machine to accomplish them. I'm only so much anti-establishment.

Besides, my favorite flavor of ice cream used to be Wavy Gravy (Ed. note: This is before I became lactose intolerant. Space Monkey believes it is psychosomatic; I, on the other hand, believe the stopped up toilets I leave in my wake are very real).

I won't be at the event tomorrow, so someone else will have to tell me how it goes. For one thing, I wasn't exactly invited. I could probably have bought a ticket or really tried to pull some strings to go, but I didn't want to pay and I didn't want to spend my weekend trying to get in.

And the truth is, I built this thing up so much in my mind that it could not possibly have lived up to it. I pictured myself shaking hands with the veep and maybe even doing a funny Penguin impersonation before being tackled by Secret Service. In reality, I probably would have had about enough time to get a picture while shaking his hand before being ushered off so that he could greet the next person in line. That's not as exciting.

So, I'll probably just watch the coverage on CNN from the safety and security of my Common Sense Lair (where everything makes perfect sense, at least to me).

The week for press releases

I just got a press release from the Van Taylor campaign about Monday's event with Dick Cheney.

Vice President Cheney to Stump for Van Taylor
Momentum Builds for Iraq War Combat Veteran

WACO- - Van Taylor, Iraq War combat veteran and Republican candidate for Congress in Texas’ 17th District, receives Vice President Cheney at the Waco Hilton on Monday, April 10, at 11:30am. The Vice President comes to Waco to address a fundraising reception on behalf of Taylor, the only Iraq War veteran seeking a House seat in the Republican Party.

The event is expected to host 150 attendees, gathered to support Taylor and hear the Vice President speak. “This is a fantastic way to kick off the general election campaign,” said Taylor. “I am honored to have the support of the Vice President, and thrilled by the excitement his visit has generated with the men and women of Texas who are giving their heart and sole to this campaign.”

The reception will be held in The Town Square Room at the Hilton and lasts until 1pm. For ticketing information please contact the campaign headquarters at 254-759-2006.

     

I'm sure he meant "heart and soul." Two questions popped into my head when reading this: Do I really have to give my soul to the Republican Party? And why are no other Iraq War veterans running as Republicans?

The first one is just a joke but the second is serious. There are plenty on the Dem side, and there are plenty of vets. If they are going to run, now would be a good time to try and sweep out incumbents with the mood of the electorate. Did the GOP not try to recruit any or are there not enough vets who support this war and this president? I think it is an interesting question, or questions to ask.

I still think it is pretty special

Thursday, Gov. Perry said that he will not call for a special election to fill the seat of vacating Congressman Tom DeLay. The election will be held in November, as planned.

It would mostly be because that is the next uniform election date after May, but I think there was some political machinations involved, too. Democrat Nick Lampson said he would run in the special election, if there was one, and it seems that might have had some influence.

You see, Nick Lampson has $2 million in the bank. He was going to need every penny to fight DeLay. Any special election was going to be a short run with Lampson having higher name ID than just about any Republican throughout the district. More money and more name ID usually means a W. With this morning's AP/Ipsos poll showing that 49% would rather Democrats control Congress if the election were held today, it seems like a bad idea to give those advantages to Lampson.

It would only be a temporary term until the November election, but just winning would give Lampson incumbency status and the headlines would be non-stop. "Lampson takes DeLay's seat" and so on.

The GOP will do whatever it can to keep that seat, even having their biggest gun leave town. They are SCARED. Very scared that Democrats can take the 15 seats necessary to take back the House. And taking the House means hearings on illegal wiretapping, the Jack Abramoff scandal, you name it. Maybe even a serious hearing on intelligence and Iraq and 9/11. The Republicans know that as soon as that happens, they won't be in the majority for a loooonnnggg time. So they have to delay the inevitable.

Good for him

My evening buzz from QR says that Warren Chisum has endorsed the Perry-Sharp tax plan. Well la-dee-freakin'-da for him.

Actually, he is endorsing this plan in addition to his own plan to use the budget surplus to lower property taxes, calling it "Plan B." I thought Republicans were opposed to Plan B?

Capitol Annex links to the debate on using the budget surplus to fund the property tax cut.

The use of the surplus drew particular concern from senators, who said the move could mean a budget challenge down the road. Their concern comes as some in the House are taking an opposing view by urging an even bigger use of the surplus to buy down property taxes.

“We all have to recognize that it is a one-time surplus,” Shapiro said. “You have to address that surplus every year from this day forward if you include that in any of your numbers.”

The proposal the first year would use about $1 billion of the estimated surplus. Sharp said it’s a traditional assumption that it’s safe to use 25 percent of a surplus, because natural budget growth will keep pace.

You know what happens when you assume things, John? That's right, you make an ass out of Uma Thurman.

None of the plans I've seen really do anything to fix the problem that the Court has said needs fixing, they simply lower the threshold for property taxes or they leave us looking at big holes that need filling down the road. And none of them offers one thin dime more for schools.

Lon Burnam: He's all out of bubble gum

You better have gotten that reference.

Today, State Rep. Lon Burnam, HD-90, filed a suit against the Texas Ethics Commission for its "untenable" position concerning disclosure of cash "gifts."

The Dallas Morning News reported today that ERS board member Bill Ceverha received $100,000 in cash “gifts” from Bob Perry, even though Ceverha failed to disclose the amount of the “gifts” on his personal financial disclosure statement.

“The revelation that the size of this “gifts” were $100,000 reinforces and further highlights the dangers of nondisclosure,” said State Rep. Lon Burnam.  “Because of the Texas Ethics Commission’s refusal to properly enforce disclosure laws, any elected official, commission or board member could also receive a check for $100,000 and refuse to disclose the amount.  This loophole invites bribery.  My lawsuit asks the Court to uphold the 1973 ethics legislation that requires meaningful descriptions of gifts.”

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The Ethics Commission now has 20 days to justify – or reconsider – their indefensible position that a public official can receive a gift of any amount and simply write “check” or “piece of paper” on their disclosure form, with no mention of the value whatsoever.

Kudos to Representative Burnam. For standing up for accountable government and for thinking I'm important enough to send a press release to. You can read it here.

In other DeLay-related news

I saw a quote from Chris Bell on the crawl of CNN today. And they actually mentioned the Democratic challenger Nick Lampson while discussing this story. We're making progress.

Read the entire Chris Bell statement here.

Chet's Column

A column from my Representative, Chet Edwards.

Edwards: IRS Should Not Violate Taxpayer Privacy

Would you be shocked if the IRS allowed your private personal financial information such as your social security number, bank balance, home mortgage information, or other financial investments to be sold to the highest bidder?

Get ready to be shocked.

If new proposed IRS regulations go into effect, accountants and tax preparers will be able to sell your tax returns and financial information to private marketers and data brokers who could then share them with anyone.

This disturbing practice could become a reality for millions of American households if these proposed IRS regulations are not blocked. That is why I have introduced H.R. 5063, the Taxpayer Privacy Protection Act of 2006, because protecting your personal financial information is vitally important. It is deeply troubling that the IRS is threatening to expose taxpayers to unregulated third party groups under this proposed rule, who could then sell personal information. In my view, it is dangerous for outside groups, governed by even looser rules than the IRS, to be given incentive to profit from your personal information. This should be absolutely prohibited in the interest of protecting consumer privacy.

Current IRS rules require tax preparers to obtain written consent of the taxpayer to pass information to affiliated financial groups, but prohibit any third party group from buying it. The new rule also requires written consent, but would allow anyone to buy the information. The fundamental problem with this is that many taxpayers do not fully read the forms they are signing and could easily sign away their private financial information unknowingly on one of the pages earmarked for their signature.

 

In today's electronic information age, there is no guarantee that once taxpayer financial information becomes loose on the market, it would not be used for questionable or even illegal purposes such as identity theft. Given several highly publicized examples of data security breaches by financial institutions and credit card companies, Americans have every right to be concerned about the risks they would face under the proposed rule change.

The IRS says that their proposed regulations are meant to safeguard taxpayer information, yet their announcement of the new rules made no mention of the potential to sell personal financial information to third party groups. Given the troubling reality of sharing private information electronically, the IRS saying it has the best interest of the taxpayers in mind with this rule change is a bit like the fox guarding the henhouse.

We must do more to strengthen taxpayer privacy rules, not weaken them.

The proposed rule by the IRS is a breach of trust between taxpayers and their tax preparer, a relationship that is second only to immediate family when it comes to the sharing of personal information. Not only that, but the IRS and the largely voluntary American system of taxation could be damaged permanently if people fear the system is responsible for their private information being sold to the highest bidder. The IRS can hardly afford lower public approval ratings than it currently enjoys, which would certainly occur if Americans feel the federal government has played a role in violating their privacy.

I am not the only member of Congress troubled by these proposed rules. Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress, along with several consumer groups, are questioning the IRS's motivation behind these new rules and seeking to block them from being implemented.

Just how is the public served by selling their personal information for profit and who or what is responsible for pushing the IRS for this regulatory change? There is certainly no outcry from the public to have their most personal financial information sold for profit to anyone who wants it.

My legislation, the Taxpayer Privacy Protection Act of 2006, is a direct response to the proposed IRS rules and would prevent tax preparers from seeking the consent of taxpayers before selling their tax returns. Specifically, it would require the taxpayers themselves to actively request that tax preparers pass their information to outside groups instead. This would help prevent taxpayers from unknowingly signing forms that grant permission to share their information with groups that have questionable motives. It would also allow taxpayers to maintain their right to pass theirfinancial information to institutions such as banks for home loans or other financial transactions needed by the taxpayer.

Personal financial information we share with our tax preparers and accountants is highly sensitive and most accountants don't intend to sell your information. However, if you have any doubts, talk to your tax preparer.

The IRS should be in the business of honestly and accurately collecting< taxes, not letting third party groups sell your financial records to those who seek to profit from it or worse, steal it.

Uhhhhh... Tom we will miss you

Tom DeLay has dropped out of his re-election race, throwing it to the lone person still running, Democrat Nick Lampson. I am speechless.

I wasn't speechless a minute ago when I got the email from Sean-Paul and saw the MSNBC site myself. Then I double-checked and TIME does indeed confirm that DeLay is now not running. I got up and ran around the office shouting obscenities. Imagine how it threw the copy desk people who have been working on the front page all night and now they have to change everything.

This is my early Christmas present, thank you Baby Jesus!

UPDATE: Reading the TIME story further, DeLay looks like he is resigning his seat so that the Republicans can name a new candidate to run against Lampson. DeLay came to the decision after an internal poll showed him with a 50/50 shot of losing. With some other Republican, the district is built just right for him and he'll probably win in a walk.

DeLay said he is likely to leave by the end of May, depending on the Congressional schedule and finishing his work on a couple of issues. He said he will change his legal residence to his condominium in Alexandria, Va., from his modest two-story home on a golf course here in the 22nd District of Texas. "I become ineligible to run for election if I'm not a resident of the state of Texas," he said, turning election law to his purposes for perhaps on last time. State Republican officials will then be able to name another Republican candidate to face Democrat Nick Lampson, a former House members who lost his seat in a redistricting engineered by DeLay.

So my exuberance is not well-placed. I would rather have Nick Lampson run against DeLay and win then lose to a Generic GOPer by a landslide in a conservative district.

One other thing I can't fathom about this, DeLay apparently dropped this bombshell on MSNBC, then Scarborough's show went on to discuss the new book about Laura Bush and the "West Wing decor" decisions of Hillary Clinton. WTF? We switched to CNN and Anderson Cooper was talking about "Killer Tornados." Nancy Grace? Scott Peterson. A full 10 minutes after seeing the banner at the top of MSNBC's page, we switched to Fox News and they brought it up. Who is in charge of programming at the cable news channels? They'll break into coverage during the day to tell us about a wildfire in a remote part of California, but God forbid they interrupt Anderson Cooper to tell us the poster boy for Washington corruption is stepping down. Pathetic.

LATE NIGHT UPDATE: QR is saying that Sugar Land mayor David Wallace is the one that will be selected to run in the special election to fill the seat being vacated by Tom DeLay.

Kuff has quite the few links and updates with all you could possibly need to know about Texas Election Code and what happens next.

Facing the security moms

There is a lot of attention being focused on the race in my home district of TX-17. It's sort of an anomaly to people since President Bush lives here but it is represented by Democrat Chet Edwards (as if people are just going to throw out an incumbent because someone moves here).

Mr. Edwards' challenger is Iraq War veteran (and multi-millionaire) Van Taylor. He's the only Republican Iraq War veteran running for Congress, and he's running to the right in order to get Republicans to vote for him in what can be charitably called a DeLayed District (or I can call it a partisan gerrymander).

How much of an advantage is Mr. Taylor's service in this race? According to Todd Gillman, it isn't one.

The number of veterans in Congress has long dwindled, and now stands at 106 in the House and 31 in the Senate. The American Legion, which doesn't endorse candidates, would welcome more, said legislative director Steve Robertson, because veterans bring a healthy        insight on crucial issues.         

"Guys and gals that are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan do have a leg up on lawmakers who have not been over there," Mr. Robertson said.

    

But with a "very strong veterans advocate" such as Mr. Edwards, an opponent would need more than an impressive war record, he said. "For someone to challenge Representative Edwards on his veterans advocacy would be an uphill battle. We haven't had any problems with Mr. Edwards on any national defense issues, either."

    

       Thomas Myers, a Baylor University political scientist, said Mr. Edwards isn't vulnerable on such issues. "All Mr. Taylor has is that he served. Chet Edwards can go back through term after term and point out what he has actually done," he said.

In this race, the only asset I think Taylor has is that he has absolutely no legislative record with which to hang himself like Arlene Wohlgemuth did in 2004. Even that is a double-edged sword, since he has the uphill battle of convincing some voters to give up seniority in the Congressman just for party affiliation.

No, still trying to handicap this race, I have to say Edwards has all the advantages and it is his race to lose.