KWTP Revokes 2018 Endorsement for Judge Jay Karahan

After interviewing both Candidates for Harris County Court At Law No. 8, our Kingwood TEA Party Vetting Board voted to endorse the incumbent, Judge Jay Karahan. Although we knew Judge Karahan conducted gay weddings, he assured us this was not a primary focus for him, and we took him at his word.

It has since been brought to our attention that he has posted (and edited) an interesting appeal on facebook.

As it appeared when captured:

As it was originally posted:

Even more interesting is what his post originally said, before he reworded it. In the original, Judge Jay Karahan encouraged his “many” democrat friends to cross into our Republican Primary to vote for him, the man they know as a “moderate, rational judge.” He went on to assure them they could still vote for their democrat choices in the General Election.

It is commonly accepted that the Primary will have a rather low turnout, and what Judge Jay Karahan has selfishly proposed is beyond belief to Republican and “ultra far right conservative” activists alike.

Our vetting board has unanimously agreed that Judge Jay Karahan misrepresented both himself and his campaign to us and Kingwood TEA Party hereby withdraws our 2018 endorsement for him. We also found ourselves in the unfortunate position of not having a majority who would endorse his opponent, and so we are officially not making an endorsement in this race.

It should be noted that if Dan Simons’ (Karahan’s  opponent) supporters, are, as Judge Karahan referred to them as, “ultra far right conservatives,” Mr. Simons is most likely far closer to our principles and ideology than is Judge Jay Karahan.

Do We Have the WILL to KEEP Our Republic?

RE: TX Voting Machines Changing Votes

Copied from Kelly Horsley’s Facebook post. ALan Vera is passionate about Election Integrity. He was a ranking memeber of the KingStreet Patriots True the Vote team.

From Alan D. Vera:

ATTENTION EVERYBODY BELIEVING STORIES ABOUT ELECTRONIC MACHINES CHANGING VOTES

1. 99% of the stories are false–planted by groups trying to trick states into returning to hand counted paper ballots. Democrats are EXPERTS at cheating with paper. They’re not so good with electronic.

2. In those rare cases (1% of reported cases) where there is some discrepancy there are 2 primary reasons:

a. It is a touch screen voting machine that needs calibration. Very rare since they’re usually re-calibrated before each election.

b. the voter is making an error. When I was an alternate judge in the middle of Sheila Jackson Lee’s district I had an elderly woman voter tell me that the machine was changing her vote for Texas Governor from Bill White to Rick Perry. I called over the presiding judge to watch and I asked the woman to show me what she did. Our machines have a wheel you turn to highlight your selection. Then you press the “select” button to vote for that person.

Many people keep their finger on the wheel while they press “select” with their other hand. When they do that they inadvertently move the wheel as they press.

That’s exactly what this woman was doing. As she pressed the “select” button to vote for Bill White, her other hand was slightly moving the wheel to Rick Perry. We told her to take her hand off the wheel and her vote registered just fine. She was embarrassed.

DON’T BELIEVE THE BS THAT SOROS AND THE DEMS ARE SPREADING. USE YOUR HEADS. UNDERSTAND THEIR MOTIVES. THINK!

Parliamentary Procedure – Republican Style Videos Online

Note: Be a Part of the American Process: Vote in the Primary & then Attend your Precinct Convention held Primary Election Night, usually at the polling place!

There you will help select delegates to go to District Convention as well as pass resolutions for the Texas Platform. This is where EVERY Primary voter is heard and can influence their Texas Party. The more conservative the delegates, the more conservative the Party. Please join us!

Parliamentary Procedure – Republican Style Videos Online

Butch Davis

Presentation by Butch Davis, fmr. Harris County Republican Parliamentarian, occurred on April 10, 2012.

• Video Presentation by Louis “Butch” Davis with PowerPoint and downloadable Cheat Sheet
• Butch is an extraordinary Parliamentarian. He is the one we all work to send to the Republican National Convention because of his expertise and his conservatism!
• Butch is also the one who alerted everyone to the machinations of Romney’s campaign to control the delegates the States elect to go to the RNC so we could mitigate the worst of it in Tampa.

Lou “Butch” Davis gave us a fine introduction to the Parliamentary Procedure used by the Republican Party at its conventions. Kingwood TEA Party requested him to teach the class because of the large number of new Patriots attending the State Convention in June who had no idea what to expect. He was gracious enough to allow me to record his presentation so those who could not attend could view the class before going to State.

For those of you who don’t know Butch, here are a few of his qualifications:

• State party parliamentarian for the Republican Party of Texas
• Former Senate District Chairman for 6 years
• Member of State Rules Committee for 4 state conventions
• Attended all state conventions except 2 since 1980.

Parliamentary Procedures – Republican Style is, of course, also valuable for those who want to get involved in their local political process in March 2010.

Butch has kindly provided us with a Cheatsheet to take with you to conventions, as well as his PowerPoint that I have saved as a .pdf so you can follow along as you watch the video. (Click on links to open or save a copy.)

Thank you, Butch!!!

Video 1:

Video 2:

Video 3:

Video 4:

Video 5:

Video 6:

Video 7:

Houston takes major hit w/ judge’s decision to void drainage fee tax

It’s a Clear Choice for Houston Mayor: HOUSTON’S PENSION CRISIS

Fellow Houstonians, Credit to Greg Groogan and Fox 26 for having the audacity to air this story last night (pasted below) about the single-most important challenge facing our city on Dec. 3, 2015: THE CITY’S PENSION CRISIS – click link to see video). As you watch this story, remember that, on March 6th of this year, Sylvester Turner stood up with Mayor Parker – who endorsed him on 12/3/15 – and declared he was heading to Austin to solve this problem.  Of course, Mr. Turner frequently cites his experience and connections in Austin as a selling point for his candidacy, and Mayor Parker made special mention of that yesterday during her endorsement. So what happened when Sylvester rode into battle to save our pensions in Austin? Well, his colleagues thought so much of Sylvester’s “leadership” that his bill never even made it to the Texas House floor. Sylvester had his moment. He failed. Bear in mind, Sylvester carried the original legislation for Mayor Lee P. Brown – who endorsed Sylvester earlier this week (there’s a trend here) – that created this pension crisis in the first place. Sylvester’s unique brand of “leadership” helped create the city’s pension crisis, and his failed attempt to fix this mess – his mess – would have made the problem even worse had it passed. Houstonians cannot afford another four years like the last six – but that’s exactly what we will get if Annise Parker’s candidate carries the day. It’s time for people who believe in good government to stand up, get out and vote, and save our city before it is too late. —————————– Watch the video here:  http://www.fox26houston.com/news/55621222-story Which mayoral candidate can solve Houston’s pension crisis? By: Greg Groogan HOUSTON (FOX 26) – The irony was pretty powerful. Candidate Sylvester Turner pledging to solve Houston’s pension crisis while both flanked and endorsed by Lee Brown, the former Mayor experts blame for triggering the problem by bestowing unaffordable benefits. “We have acknowledged that the system is not sustainable and we are going to come up with something that works in the interest of all Houstonians,” said Turner. Here are the nuts and bolts. Analysts say Houston taxpayers will spend six times more on pensions this year than they will repairing their dilapidated roads. Even with that outlay, the City is north of $3 billion in the hole when it comes to funding it’s employee pensions, a deficit that’s getting rapidly worse. A commonly cited example – Houston Firefighters with 30 years’ service retire at 94 percent pay with the bonus of an additional, one time pay-out of up to $1 million. Critics like Mayoral candidate Bill King call it a formula for bankruptcy. “There were 76 firefighters that retired last year. The average age was 54. The average benefit was a distribution of a lump sum payment of $813,000 plus $58,000 a year for the rest of their life and their spouse’s life,” said King. Backed by firefighters, cops and municipal workers, Turner says only he can broker a solution, leveraging both his credibility with unions and the strength of his long-standing relationships in the Texas Legislature. “If someone puts forth a plan that does not have any buy in from police and fire it is already a non-starter okay and nothing will come about,” said Turner. “They won’t get to dictate the terms and that’s what I’m concerned with about Sylvester,” countered King. King claims salvaging the City’s financial health demands a fundamental change – moving all new hires away from pensions and into 401-k style retirement plans. “You cannot dodge this bullet long term,” adds King who, if elected, says he would honor the pension terms of all existing city employees.

ON TO THE RUNOFF: DEMs are bringing in lots of Out-of-State $$$

It’s a CLEAR Choice, and we need EVERY CONSERVATIVE VOTER TO VOTE!!! 

YOU CAN VOTE in the RUNOFF, even if you DIDN’T Vote in the 11-3-15 City/County Election!!!!

Sylvester Turner wants to repeal the Revenue Cap which prevents City Hall from increasing Property Tax rates more than 4-1/2% in one year.

Sylvester Turner has vowed to pass another Houston ERO (Bathroom Bill) even though voters just soundly defeated it!

We can elect another liberal Mayor or we can elect Businessman Bill King and go BACK TO BASICS!

Remember your ID! No cell phones or other electronic devices permitted at polls. Please print out a copy to take with you!  They are 2 per page if printed back-to-back. Share one with a friend!

Click link below to see FOX26 Report:

BREAKING: City Takes Major Hit with Judge’s Decision to Void Drainage Fee Tax FOX26

KWTP is an Amazon Affiliate. Buy your copy of By the People: Rebuilding Liberty Without Permission with no extra charges AND  help support KWTP!

Rebuild Houston Legally DEAD after Court Ruling

BILL KING JOINS ANTI-RAIN TAX LEADERS TO DECLARE REBUILD HOUSTON DEAD,
CALLS FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY AND VOTER INPUT ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Other Mayoral Candidates Continue to Support Voided Funding Mechanism

Businessman and mayoral candidate Bill King joined State Senator Paul Bettencourt, Council Member Michael Kubosh, businessman Joe Slovacek, and attorney Andy Taylor on Thursday to declare Rebuild Houston legally dead following an unprecedented ruling that voided the results of the 2010 election that created the program.

King’s statement follows, and you can watch it here.

“While the Rebuild Houston program was found to be misleading in a court of law today, it was frankly found that in the court of public opinion long ago,” King said. “All during this campaign I have asked people ‘After five years paying an additional $100 million, are your streets and drainage any better than they were five years ago?’ I have yet to find a single person that thinks that is the case. Look, I don’t want to mislead anyone. It costs money to do infrastructure. We are going to have to find a revenue stream to do this. But it needs to be one that is fully transparent, where the voters decide how much we’re going to spend, and what projects we’re going to spend it on — not some revenue stream the administration can use to try to balance the budget. By the way, there are now 550 full-time employees paid out of the dedicated street and drainage fund. It needs to be transparent. The voters should decide what the projects will be, and not decided — literally — in the basement of City Hall by a bunch of City Hall insiders and bureaucrats. We’ve got to get back to basics. We need to get out of the courtroom, and we need to get our streets fixed.”

Fox 26 led both their 5 pm and 9 pm news with a story on the impact of the ruling, which Senator Bettencourt described as “an atomic bomb for the city’s budgeting process” due to the lost revenues it entails.

Yesterday’s judgment marked the fifth consecutive legal defeat for the Parker administration, which nevertheless said they believe the ordinance remains in effect. It is expected that the city will appeal the ruling, which would delay the new election called for in the ruling for a year or more.

Bill King with Sen. Paul Bettencourt, CM Michael Kubosh, businessman Joe Slovacek, and atty Andy Taylor Denouncing Rebuild Houston after Court Ruling

At the last televised debate of the 2015 election — also on Fox 26 last night — each of the other major mayoral candidates except King continued to express support for the Rebuild Houston program despite the court ruling. Council Member Costello, who has referred to himself as the “godfather” of Rebuild Houston, was not invited to the debate and has yet to issue a statement on the ruling.

Historians Oppose APUSH Revised Standards of US History

Respected Historians Oppose APUSH Revised Standards

In the you-tube audio clip below, Professor Daniel Robinson of Oxford explained that Oxford does NOT give much merit for APUSH scores, but highly values the US History credits awarded through the International Baccalaureate program. He also stresses the harm our regressive bias in American History educational standards over the last few decades is causing in our society.

Audio segment of Professor Daniel Robinson, signatory on Historians’ Statement Opposing APUSH Standards:
http://youtu.be/9sEHuFf1pFg

APUSH Letter and links for audio of Professor Daniel Robinson:
http://www.nas.org/images/documents/Historians_Statement.pdf

Stanley Kurtz Post on this APUSH Letter:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/419192/55-scholars-protest-ap-us-history-changes-stanley-kurtz

Michelle Malkin on the APUSH Opposition Letter:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/419226/few-courageous-academics-fight-rewriting-ap-american-history-michelle-malkin

Mark Levin 6/3/15 Rerun Podcast:
http://www.stationcaster.com/player_skinned.php?s=2591&c=10771&f=4453153
Starts at 54:43 to 55:56, but the main portion can be found from 57:47 through 1:03:59

HB 2536 / SB 980 Endanger Harris County Property Rights

Property rights are what distinguish free men and women from serfs and slaves. It is foundational to the right of free citizens to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Though this legislation is written solely for Harris County, the danger to our fundamental American rights is such that we request the help of all Texans to fight this bill that could set the precedent for more incursions against property rights in Texas.

Attached is TPPF’s unfavorable bill analysis for HB 2536 / SB 980. It supports our position against the bill. We are opposed to this legislation for many reasons, some of which are covered in TPPF’s analysis.

HB 2536 / SB 980
Eminent domain, which is the government takeover of private property for public use, entitles the property owner to compensation, the amount of which is determined via lawsuit. Under current Texas law these lawsuits are most typically decided at the county level. This would change under the proposed legislation, HB 2536/SB 980, to allow the party initiating the condemnation proceedings to file their petition with the district court, when the amount in controversy exceeds $200,000. Under this bill, condemnors would effectively be able to choose whether their case is heard at the county court or the district without regard for the wishes or convenience of property owners.

This bill was written by those seeking to condemn property, putting Private Property Owners at Disadvantage

1. This bill allows those trying to condemn property to engage in what is known as “forum shopping” in which they can seek out the court they think will be most beneficial to their case.
2. The choice of a friendly forum for a lawsuit often predetermines the outcome, and forum shopping is one of the leading abuses in the Texas civil justice system.
3. In 1995 and in 2003 the state legislature passed reforms to address the forum shopping problem, so this legislation would be a step in the wrong direction.
4. This bill is being pushed by a single Harris County commissioner who is tired of his county attorneys losing eminent domain cases in the county court, so he is looking for another way to win by having the option of moving cases to the district court.
5. For years, these eminent domain cases have been handled efficiently and fairly by the county courts, who have developed the expertise and resources to adjudicate disputes, and there is no compelling reason for allowing district courts to hear them instead.
6. This bill would put property owners at a disadvantage in protecting their private property, by allowing those seeking to condemn a property to choose the venue without input from the property owners.
7. Eminent domain is a government action that is harmful to the rights of citizens, so it is vital that the eminent domain process be focused on protecting property rights, but this bill tilts the advantage away from those rights.
8. This bill makes it easier for government to take the private property of Texas citizens.
9. This bill could pave the way for government to take the private property of Texas citizens to build a billion dollar taxpayer-funded mass transit high speed rail system.

Kingwood TEA Party vehemently opposes this bill.