Plutocracy and the Projects

Plutocracy is defined as government by the wealthy, or an elite or ruling class of people whose power derives from their wealth.  I can't think of a better word to describe the government of the state of Texas.  Now, I hear you, you're saying, Texas, right?  Yes, I'm talking about our great state of Texas, and while the government of Texas hasn't done EVERYTHING wrong, there is definitely room for improvement.

I'll start off with one good thing; Texas' decision to refuse the use of Common Core Standards for our public school system.  Not just the standards, but the money that the feds dangled in front of the state.  Let's face it, the government doesn't give anything away for nothing.  They always want something in return-there are always strings attached.  Common Core was no different.  However, the reason that the state turned down the money wasn't just because they were trying to be honorable, and 'do the right thing'.  It was simply a case of not being able to profit from the implementation of Common Core statewide.

Next topic, low income housing.  Yep, I hear you groaning.  Once again, the feds are at the ready to offer up money to the state, in the form of tax credits, but guess what kids, there are strings attached.  The state has an agency set up called Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), and they hand out the tax credits to the developers who score the most points in order to build the low income housing I mentioned.

Low income housing usually lowers property values, increases crime rates and overcrowds the system; fire departments, schools, EMS services, etc.  However, that's of no concern to the developers who only see dollar signs when they come into the neighborhood they are trying to 'bust'. That's a real term, 'neighborhood busting' and it's a term and an action that has trickled down from liberal Washington, D.C.  Surprise!

So, back to these points that the developers try to accumulate in order to build; you may be asking, who can award those points?  I'm so glad you asked. The state legislators of the designated development area have points to award, as do county commissioners, school districts, water districts and community coalitions, which brings me to my main point.  The state does NOT have to accept this money from the feds!!  If they had courage of conviction, the state would tell the feds to get the hell out of our state, similar to the courage, ahem, they exhibited when they shunned Common Core.  There is one glaring difference here, though.

If you guessed the potential for capital gain on the part of the legislators, then you guessed correctly.  Hmmm, let's see, the developers just might sidle up to the legislator whose district they want to build in, and oh, maybe make a campaign contribution.  Gee, I can't imagine why the legislators wouldn't want these developers to keep coming back.

To another point that has my pants in a bunch is that during the last legislative session, the Senate voted to do away with their points.  Now they have no say in what comes into their districts.  The House is planning on doing the same thing this session.  This can only lead the voter to one conclusion; that the representatives WANT the campaign contributions to continue to flow without having any accountability to those they represent.

This issue isn't over.  I'll be following it and sharing with all of you to keep you informed.     

State Republican Executive Committee to Select New State GOP Chair March 7th

This just in: Texas remains a red state!  After the November 2014 election, Republicans see victories all over the state!  Okay, well, maybe it's not as recent as I made it sound, but it's still a fact worth celebrating.  Think about who we have to thank for that victory?  Well, lots of devoted volunteers from around the state, that's who.  GOP County Chairmen are the immediate leaders of each county in Texas and their boss is our State Republican Party Chairman, Steve Munisteri.  Without a clear plan in place, our state party and each county party might not have done nearly as well in this last election, and I almost hate to do this, (almost), but I need to bring your attention back to my ground zero; Harris County.

In March 2014, Harris County elected a new county party chairman.  Jared was the ousted 12 year incumbent,  from the spot..  Although you'd think that someone who had been in the position for that long and kept getting re-elected MUST have been doing a great job, right?  WRONG!

Sadly now Steve Munisteri is resigning as our State Party Chairman after five great years of service to us.  We will miss him, but know he's going on to bigger, better things.  That leaves the position open and since his resignation comes before the next state convention, the job of electing a new chairman falls to the State Republican Executive Committee or SREC for short.  There are four candidates in the field, Robin Armstrong, former State Vice Chairman, and current National Republican Committeeman for Texas, Wade Emmert, current chairman for Dallas County GOP, Tom Mechler, current State Party Treasurer and of course, Jared Woodfill, the recently unseated Harris County GOP Chairman.

Let's take a look back at some of the highlights from Jared's tenure as Harris County GOP Chairman:

Jared Woodfill Led the Decline of Harris County Republican Dominance

• The Harris County Republican Party delivered Harris County for the Republicans in every presidential election from 1968-2004 and Gubernatorial elections from 1994-2006.

• With no county party organization and a lack of leadership from Woodfill, Obama and the Democrats won Harris County in 2008, 2010 and 2012.

For 12 Years Jared Woodfill Failed to Grow the Grassroots
• Over 600 of Harris County’s 1,064 precincts did not have a Republican Precinct Chair.

• 20 years ago Harris County had over 700 Republican precinct chairs. When Woodfill left office there are fewer than 460.

Jared Woodfill Lost the Trust of Grassroots Donors
• A review of Texas Ethics Commission documents show that in 2012, under Jared Woodfill’s leadership, the county Party spent $.78 of every dollar raised on consultants and paid campaign
advertisements with only $.01 going to grassroots activities.

Jared also mismanaged his own personal finances and The Houston Business Journal recently reported the IRS has placed a $40,000 lien on theWoodfill Law Firm for unpaid taxes.  Hmm...

Now, let me ask you if you think that this resume that I've shared qualifies Jared to be the state party chair?  Jared dutifully ignored the development of the grassroots, and pandered to a select few he surrounded himself with at the peril of the party.  He spent more money on high dollar consultants and he let the pay-to-play slates take over Harris County which allowed candidates for any and all offices to be chosen by a few top paid endorsers!   

We've come so far as a state, we cannot afford to let Jared take the helm and repeat what he did in Harris County to the State GOP.  The election will take place on March 7, 2015 at the next quarterly meeting of the SREC.  Let me tout some of Steve's record: From his resignation announcement:  
"It has been my honor to serve as RPT Chairman since June 2010 and oversee our party’s efforts during the last three election cycles. I am proud that by working together, we have had a net increase of 1,182 Republican officeholders during my time in office, representing an increase from 45% of all state officeholders to 67%. We have also set the all-time record for most number of elected Republican Texas State Representatives and Republican Texas Congressmen, as well as tying the record for most number of Republican State Senators.
At the same time, we paid off the party’s debt to $0 for the first time in 18 years and have remained debt free since November 2010 while bringing in over $22 million in revenue. This would not have been possible without the support of literally tens of thousands of grassroots activists and donors, for which I will be forever grateful."

Debt paid off to $0.  A net increase in Republican officeholders and an all-time record for most number of elected Republicans in the State House and State Senate.  Texas can't afford to go backwards.  The vote is scheduled for March 7th.  Contact your SREC representatives and let them know who you support.  Just say 'no' to failed leadership!

"Home" by Edgar A. Guest

I got to thinking the other day, and I couldn't remember ever posting a poem here on The Political Chicken, since they don't have much to do with politics, but I do love a few and this is one of them.  It is simply titled, "Home" and it's written by a man named Edgar A. Guest.  I don't know much about him or his style of writing, but this poem warms my heart when I read it; it makes me think of my little boys and how true it is that I would hang onto even the thumbprints and smudges they made if it would keep them little just a bit longer.  My mom tells me stories of my dad's mom and how she used to like to keep the smudges and lip prints my sister and I used to make on her glass door.  I can totally relate to that feeling as a mom now.  Here's how it goes:

It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home,

A heap o’ sun an’ shadder, an’ ye sometimes have t’ roam

Afore ye really ’preciate the things ye lef’ behind,

An’ hunger fer ’em somehow, with ’em allus on yer mind.

It don’t make any differunce how rich ye get t’ be,

How much yer chairs an’ tables cost, how great yer luxury;

It ain’t home t’ ye, though it be the palace of a king,

Until somehow yer soul is sort o’ wrapped round everything.

Home ain’t a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;

Afore it’s home there’s got t’ be a heap o’ livin’ in it;

Within the walls there’s got t’ be some babies born, and then

Right there ye’ve got t’ bring ‘em up t’ women good, an’ men;

And gradjerly, as time goes on, ye find ye wouldn’t part

With anything they ever used—they’ve grown into yer heart:

The old high chairs, the playthings, too, the little shoes they wore

Ye hoard; an’ if ye could ye’d keep the thumbmarks on the door.

Ye’ve got t’ weep t’ make it home, ye’ve got t’ sit an’ sigh

An’ watch beside a loved one’s bed, an’ know that Death is nigh;

An’ in the stillness o’ the night t’ see Death’s angel come,

An’ close the eyes o’ her that smiled, an’ leave her sweet voice dumb.

Fer these are scenes that grip the heart, an’ when yer tears are dried,

Ye find the home is dearer than it was, an’ sanctified;

An’ tuggin’ at ye always are the pleasant memories

O’ her that was an’ is no more—ye can’t escape from these.

Ye’ve got t’ sing an’ dance fer years, ye’ve got t’ romp an’ play,

An’ learn t’ love the things ye have by usin’ ’em each day;

Even the roses ’round the porch must blossom year by year

Afore they ’come a part o’ ye, suggestin’ someone dear

Who used t’ love ’em long ago, an’ trained ’em jes’ t’ run

The way they do, so’s they would get the early mornin’ sun;

Ye’ve got t’ love each brick an’ stone from cellar up t’ dome:

It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home.

There's so much to relate to in this poem, I could go on and on, about how sometimes you have to travel to appreciate where you live, the place you call 'home'.  We all can relate to the death part of the poem, too, and that might be why I'm posting this, just one day after the twentieth anniversary of my own dad's death.  Yes, death is a part of life, as it is often said, but that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a loved one.  As he says, 'An tuggin' at ye always are the pleasant memories, O' her that was an' is no more--ye' can't escape from these."  It's true, you can't escape from these.

So, thank you God, for all of  these experiences in life, the joy of a birth, the pain of a death, the happiness and the sorrow.  These things make us who we are and although not always pleasant, it is what we call 'life'.  To quote John Lennon, which is also something I'm not known to do, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

So, make plans to enjoy the simple things, the feeling of the warm sunshine on your face, the wind blowing in your hair and a few good friends to enjoy a cup of coffee with and maybe a dessert.

Could We Be Living in The Twilight Zone?

Foreshadowing.  Alluding to the future.  Prophesying.  We've all heard of these things before. We've heard foreshadowing through the recording made by former President Reagan when he warned of the dangers of socialized medicine.  Or Paul Harvey with his recording of "If I Were the Devil" when he makes some very chilling predictions about the future, and I think we can all agree that some of those things he talks about have definitely come to pass.  You know me, though, I like to find unlikely places for inspiration and I think I may have done it with an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Back in 1961, an episode was aired on The Twilight Zone called, "The Obsolete Man" starring Burgess Meredith.   At the beginning of the episode, there is an introduction by Rod Serling and it is fantastic.  "This is not a new world, it is simply an extension of what began in the old one.  It has patterned itself after every dictator who has ever planted a ripping imprint of a boot on the pages of history since the beginning of time....like every superstate that has preceded it, it has one iron rule: logic is an enemy and truth is a menace."  Oh, boy.

Let me set the stage for you.  Burgess Meredith plays Romney Wordsworth, a librarian and a citizen of the state, as Rod refers to him as in the intro, and in the opening scene we find Romney standing in front of a podium of the state to decide his value as a citizen.  The state is to determine whether he is a value to society or if he should be found 'obsolete'.   When he is asked for his profession and he says, 'librarian', there are sounds of laughter coming from the court room. With as much disdain as he can muster, the Chancellor repeats, "A librarian?" 

So, wait, what?  Yes, you read that right.  The state was determining whether Romney was worth anything.  Stop a minute there and think about where we are as a country today.  Obviously, I'm on the conservative side of things, believing that the government should be out of mine and everybody else's business.  However, on the liberal Democrat side of things, we have this belief that the government should be involved in everything.  Everyday decisions that the lay person makes, from what type of light bulb to use in your home to whether we get to put sprinkles on our donuts.  Those are just a few of the examples of what the 'left' hopes to have jurisdiction over in our day to day lives.

Let's move on to the part of the 'hearing' when the 'state' does finally decide that Romney is obsolete.  When Romney argues that he's a human being, and that, "no man is obsolete!"  The state argues that he's a librarian and therefore is obsolete.  The state also argues that there is no God to which Romney replies, "You can't erase God with an edict!"  I do remember something about the Democrat party holding its national convention and declaring not once or twice, but three times that they wanted to take the word, 'God' out of their platform.  Also, the increasing number of religious liberty court cases that have sprang up over the past four or five years, one involving a WWI war memorial out in the middle of nowhere.  After it's having been there for over eighty years, it was all of a sudden deemed 'offensive' by the ACLU and their ilk.  A definite infringement on religious liberty.

So, our character Romney Wordsworth has been deemed obsolete.  Now what?  Well, what else do you think the state would do to someone who they feel has no use?  Right, kill them, or in this case, 'liquidate' or 'eliminate' them.  In this episode, the state gives Mr. Wordsworth the 'choice' of when and how he should be liquidated; pills, gas or electrocution, to which he replies, "I am a very rich man."
Chancellor:"LOUDER!" 
 Romney: "I merely said that I was a very rich man.  I have such a luxury of choices that I choose the following: to be given an assassin to whom I should tell the method of my execution...I should like to die with an audience."
Chancellor: "Ah, Mr. Wordsworth, that can be arranged!  It's not unusual that we televise executions, it has an educative effect on the population."
Romney: "I have no doubt."

Educative effect?  So, if your beliefs don't match up with the state, they will have to reeducate you so that you'll fall in line?  May I remind you of the case of bakers being forced to bake cakes for a same-sex marriage?  The baker was well within his rights to refuse, since all businesses have the right to refuse service to whomever they choose.   Anyone remember the 'no shirt, no shoes, no service' sign we used to see on the outside of doors of Stop and Go convenience stores?  And yes, I realize I'm dating myself here, but I think it's a valid point.  These regulations and limitations that the government tries to force onto us have nothing to do with what party we affiliate ourselves with and I'll show you how that plays out next in this particular episode.

Fast forward a bit to the scene of Romney in his room waiting for his time of death.  He has requested the presence of the Chancellor, and the Chancellor is a bit skeptical as to why he was chosen and he even mentions the probability of Mr. Wordsworth's desire to get revenge.  As their time plays out together, it gives Romney a chance to question the methods of the state, and when pressed, the Chancellor exposes the state for what it really is when he says this,
Chancellor: "On the contrary, history teaches us a great deal.  We have predecessors who had the beginnings of the right idea."
Romney: "Hitler."
Chancellor: "Hitler, of course."
Romney: "Stalin."
Chancellor: "Stalin, too, but their error was not one of excess, their error was not going far enough.  Too many undesirables were left around and undesirables form a core of resistance.  Old people who clutch at the past and won't accept the future.  The sick, the maimed, the deformed, they fasten onto the healthy body and damage it.  So we eliminate them.  And people like yourself, they can perform no useful function for the state and so we put an end to them."

I would like to stop a minute there and point out that we may have already seen this take place in the form of tea party activists being targeted by the IRS.  The tea party would be the undesirables in this instance who have formed a core of resistance and obviously, the IRS would be the state entity.  We could go back even further than that to the Boston tea party, the original tea party to show a core of resistance had formed.  I think we could all agree that King George would consider that first group of patriots as undesirables.

At one point before his imminent demise, Romney reveals the method of liquidation he's chosen.  A bomb is to go off at midnight, but he won't be alone.  Chancellor learns that he'll be present during the liquidation, and he is none too happy.  However, Romney retrieves his Bible from its hiding place, after all, it's against the rules of the state to have a Bible, remember, since they've determined there isn't a God.  He opens it and begins reading from Psalm 23 as the Chancellor makes himself comfortably uncomfortable on the couch.  Romney continues to read scripture after scripture while Chancellor looks on and smokes cigarette after cigarette as the time ticks down.   

With one minute remaining, at 11:59 PM, the Chancellor begins to weep and beg, "Please, please, in the name of God, let me out!  Let me out, let me out!"  Romney replies, "Yes, Chancellor, in the name of God, I will let you out."  Shortly after the Chancellor escapes, an explosion erupts from Romney's room and we know he has been liquidated.

The closing scene finds the Chancellor on the other side of the podium.  Remember, Romney's liquidation was televised, so the state saw how Chancellor wept and begged for his life.  Therefore, the state placed him in the obsolete category as well.  We see how easily and readily the state turned on its own instrument when any display of weakness was shown.  You could even say that regardless of party affiliation, when the state is pressed, they will turn on their own.  

Coming Soon: FREE Screening of "Wait Till It's Free"

Welcome to 2015!  Wow!  Is it even possible that we've just rung in a new year?  I guess so, and with the new year also marks the beginning of Obamacare.  You remember Obamacare, right?  I mean, how could we forget it?  It seemed doomed from the beginning, starting with the drama surrounding its passage back in March 2010 to the Supreme Court decision to uphold the individual mandate as constitutional to the decision of Congress to fund multiple Continuing Resolutions with 'hard-wired' funding for the omnibus health care bill.  Its faulty website launched in 2014 and appointing 16,000 IRS agents to handle its implementation and enforcement of purchase further prove what a mess it is. I mean, the government runs the Postal Service and it's doing...fine...ahem.

The healthcare law has triggered skyrocketing premiums for all families across all income levels, proving that its official name of Affordable Care Act is a definite misnomer.  Let's not forget a few of the dramatic bumps it had along the way to passage.  I love playing a game I call, "What's My Line?"  of quotes from various office holders of what they said during that year and a half struggle.  My absolute favorite was the one from Alan Grayson, the Democrat from Florida that said since Republicans didn't want it passed that the GOP wanted "..Americans to die and die quickly!".  Yeah, pretty sad.

Other events during the negotiation process, which, if you remember, was going to be as transparent as a piece of rice paper AND were going to be televised on C-SPAN, we had the Corn-husker kick back and the second Louisiana Purchase. Don't forget the Stupak amendment, which is the executive order he 'negotiated' with the president to protect the Hyde Amendment which was written to prevent tax-payer funded abortion, which in all reality, didn't do anything.  But I digress....

So why am I bringing all of this up again?  Ever heard of a movie called, "Wait Till It's Free"?  Here's a description of the movie from their website:
"Wait Till It's Free" is an entertaining and provocative look at the current healthcare crisis. This film takes a hard and honest look at the way we do healthcare in America by looking at every relevant aspect of modern medicine, from the escalating cost of health insurance to the move towards universal government healthcare. The film asks what kind of alternatives there are for families caught between expensive insurance-based coverage and the "Free" government solutions. The film explores the alternatives for individuals, churches, and families, and offers moving and enlightening stories about those that have chosen to follow innovative and independent approaches to healthcare."

Notice the last two lines in the description:  "The film asks what kind of alternatives there are for families caught between expensive insurance-based coverage and the "Free" government solutions. The film explores the alternatives for individuals, churches, and families, and offers moving and enlightening stories about those that have chosen to follow innovative and independent approaches to healthcare."  I think that's what the GOP needs right now and has needed for some time--Alternatives.  Options.  Choices.

We've all discussed the repeal of Obamacare, haven't we?  We've all heard campaign promises doled out by some GOP congressmen and women that they were going to repeal it and replace it, but with what, exactly?  This movie offers some viable replacement options. 

What I'm even more hopeful about is that a pastor of a local church is actually orchestrating the viewing of this documentary.  We all know that politics and religion don't normally mix, and I wanted to ask him about that.  His name is Pete Allison and he's been kind enough to let me interview him and ask him about his decision to show the movie.

Kelly Horsley: "Why do you think it's important to show this movie?"

Pastor Allison: "It’s important to show this movie because people need to know that:

-Government medicine is detrimental to liberty and our health 
-There were serious problems with our healthcare before Obamacare
-The out of control healthcare costs are the result of government medicine
-There are other options besides government medicine.
What people don’t know in this area can be very detrimental to their health.

Kelly Horsley: "We've often heard it said that politics and religion don't mix.  What do you say to that?"
Pastor Allison: "To those who say that politics and religion should not be mixed, I would reply that it is impossible to separate them. Politics is, by definition, the practice of one’s religion or beliefs in the area of civil government. It’s a topic about which the Scriptures have much to say."

Kelly Horsley: "I personally applaud your involvement and wish we would see more pastors and church goers involved in the political process.  What are some ways you think we could get the Evangelical voters out to the polls?"

Pastor Allison: "From my interactions with evangelical voters, there seem to be two predominate reasons many evangelical voters do not go to the polls. One group, probably the smaller of the two, doesn’t see anyone on the ballot for whom they can vote. They see little point in picking the lesser of two evils as they are still voting for evil (http://blog.dollarnoncents.com/2008/10/wasted-third-party-votes.html). The other group is just consistently living out their religion (or theology) which is that the kingdom of heaven has nothing to do with the civil magistrate. In essence, the world belongs to the devil; were just here to save as many souls as we can until we’re raptured away from this mess.

We’ll get more evangelical voters out to the polls when we have biblically qualified candidates on the ballot who are worth voting for and when we reach these voters with a more accurate gospel and they start working for what Christ taught us to pray for in the Lord’s Prayer – your will be done on earth even as it is already been done in heaven."

Kelly Horsley: "The Pastors Council has a statistic that says that less than one out of three churchgoing citizens vote in each election, a fact of which we should be ashamed.  Do you agree that stat is something we need to change?
Pastor Allison: "The Pastors Council’s statistic, by itself, is not the issue. The evangelical vote has supported almost as many bad things as the liberal vote (e.g. unconstitutional wars of aggression, opposition to immigration, truncation of constitutionally contracted rights, legalization of abortion (http://blog.dollarnoncents.com/2014/04/why-not-constitutional-convention.html), though I grant that where the liberal vote is correct, it is often not for the right reason. Getting more evangelical voters to the polls won’t do any good if they vote in unbiblical or unconstitutional ways."


On to the particulars of the event, the movie is showing Friday, January 16th at 7:00 PM at The Lone Star Convention and Expo Center.  Address is 9055 Airport Rd, Conroe, TX 77303.  This event is FREE and open to the public. The Director and Producer, Colin Gunn, will be present to discuss the film.

So, please make plans to join us!  I have a feeling that this is something that you won't want to miss!

A Christmas Reminder of God's Promises To Us

Merry Christmas to all of you!  I just love this time of year, don't you?  To me it's special because I know I'll be baking cookies with the kids and gathering with my family and friends over special, time honored recipes and traditions while celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Which brings me to the reason I'm writing this post today, to discuss the Christmas Story, the beautiful story we find in the books of the Bible known as the Gospels, about how a virgin named Mary was to be blessed by God to carry God's own son, Jesus.  We all know it by heart, I'm sure, but it's one of those stories that I love to hear unfold over and over, time after time.  Each time I read it to my kids, or read it to myself, I find something new or special, a hidden gem, or maybe a forgotten one.  You know, like when you watch your favorite movie and each time you notice something different.  Yeah, like that!

Little back story here, my grandfather on my mother's side was named Simeon.  Our oldest son has the middle name Simeon—to honor my grandfather and to have a living reminder of another man named Simeon who has a very touching role in the Christmas Story.  This brings me to my 'new ' favorite part of the story of Jesus' birth and something that proves just one more time, as if we needed it, that God always keeps his promises.

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.  He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.  When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arm and praised God, saying:
          "Sovereign Lord, as you have 
            promised, 
            you now dismiss your servant in 
             peace.
            For my eyes have seen your salvation,
               which you have prepared in the sight 
             of all people,
            a light for revelation to the Gentiles
            and for glory to your people in Israel."
Wow. 

I'm not sure if I'm more amazed by God's promise to Simeon or to Simeon's reaction after he gets to hold baby Jesus.  Simeon recognized God's sovereignty and his promise and then he says, "...you now dismiss your servant in peace..."  I can't honestly read that part without tears welling up in my eyes.  I can't also help but be reminded of the peace that my soul feels when he says that.  I feel a surrender or a freedom that you can't get anywhere else.  Reminds me of the song, "It Is Well With My Soul", because, it was well with Simeon that he had lived his life completely fulfilled.

The next sentence proves to be even more powerful, "...for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people..."  Simeon knew he was blessed, privileged even, to have actually looked into the face of God in the flesh.  I can't even begin to imagine how awesome that must have been.  I love how the salvation was for all people.  Not exclusive to the rich or the pharisees, no 'white privilege' in that statement.   We are all created equal in the sight of God.

I pray that we all find the same fulfillment that Simeon found; the kind of fulfillment that comes from a relationship with Jesus.  I also hope that by reading this that we're reminded again of how God keeps his promises to us; the promise of salvation and the promise of eternal life and how awesome that it will be when we are all called home to heaven to see the face of Jesus. 

Time Rewind: A Look Back at My First Year With Texas GOP Vote

We're gonna party like it's 1999...Wait, not really.  As radio stations and music video shows do year end countdowns, I thought I would do a play on a countdown, sort of a look back, at my time as a blogger at Texas GOP Vote.  It's a fun look back at what I've done and which posts got the most attention and which ones, although they may have been my favorites, did not get quite as much attention as I thought they would.

I'll mix it up and start off with some of the not so popularly viewed ones beginning with my personal blog, "Politics and Motherhood: Making It All Work" which was a post about my decision not to run for a party elected position.  It wasn't an easy decision, but as I said in that one particular blog, "Politics will always be there, however, the youth of my family will not."  It only had about twenty page views total.

My very first blog for Texas GOP Vote was titled, "Everything's Bigger In Texas-Including Government" and that had 300 page views.  If you don't remember what that was about, I wrote it about the medical directives and end of life care and the changes that the state was trying to make to laws regulation patient choices when it came to care of their loved ones.  Some argued the new bill would make things better, but I disagreed, and still do.  Thankfully, the bill didn't make it out of committee, so nothing to worry about.  Until the upcoming session starts, that is.

Think back again to the 83rd legislative session, the sweeping pro-life bill that got held off until the very end and caused quite the stir at the capitol building in Austin.  Yep, SB 5 as it was referred to then, was something that I wrote about and that article had almost 1900 page views!  If I remember correctly, after "Will SB5 Have a Fairy Tale Ending" was published, the article made it to the top of Google news.  Needless to say, I was stoked!

Fast forward a bit to the special session that was called as a result of the failure to pass the pro life bill I referred to in the paragraph above, I wrote yet another article titled, "While Texas Senate Talks About Abortion Bill (HB2), Let's Talk About Sex "  Yeah, I did.  I wrote about how abstaining from sex takes abortion out of the equation.  Save yourself for marriage and no need to worry about perceived overreach of the government.  Heh.  That one got over 5200 views and nearly broke the server at Texas GOP Vote.  That was a home run blog that only took thirty minutes to write.  Hey, when you're hot, you're hot!

 If you haven't already figured out that I'm an advocate for citizens to get involved in their local government, then you haven't been reading my stuff!  To back up that claim, my article titled "March 2014 Texas Primary: Why Local Elections Matter" got almost 1300 page views!  Surprised me a little that so many people were interested in that same topic.  Glad I was able to write it and share!


A few more blogs I'd like to highlight that are recent additions to my repertoire are all about Common Core and the Glenn Beck event.  I was fortunate enough to be chosen, along with four other bloggers, to be present during the Make Common Core History Event put together jointly by Glenn Beck and FreedomWorks.  I did some preparatory work for myself and my readers before the event and the article titled, "Common Core FAQ's: Your Questions Answered" had over 1900 page views. Sweet!

I've had some more additions since I got the stats from Texas GOP Vote, mostly centered around the Texas House Speakers Race; Scott Turner vs. Joe Straus.  I am firmly on Team Turner, and win or lose, I'm proud to say that Ive been a part of their team and all of the hard work we've done together.  My first article titled, "Turner vs. Straus: Who Will Emerge Victorious?" had almost 250 page views, followed by "Is It Murphy's Law To Support Joe Straus" had almost 200 page views.

My work here within the conservative political movement is far from over, however.  This is my first year and a half with Texas GOP Vote and I didn't share all of my blogs.  Thanks to all of you out there who have read and shared and 'liked' my articles.  Thanks to those who have even disagreed with me and shared their views. No such thing as bad publicity, right?   Head on over to www.texasgopvote.com/users/kelly-horsley and check out the rest of my work.  Hope you like!