Search Results for: fleming

Stop the raid of the Rainy Day Fund – SJR1 – Vote NO!

Fast-breaking news…we are down to crunch time in the legislature.  Regular session ends Monday.  Please send this out ASAP and call your state representative’s office this morning before 10 AM when the House goes back into session!   The vote on this has been delayed twice.  YOU are making a difference!

Stop the raid of the Rainy Day Fund – SJR1 – Vote NO!  The budget is already up 20% over the last one and now they want to raid the savings account too!

GOP leaders are determined to “bust the spending cap” even if it means enacting yet another gimmick

and more smoke and mirrors. This time they are changing the definition of “busting the spending cap.”  This is particularly troubling when the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker all strongly spoke against these tactics before the session began. They are all silent now!

We strongly oppose SJR 1.  Here’s why:

1) We don’t believe the

TX Water Development Board is short on tools to finance water projects. The board already has two Texas Water Development Funds; creating another would be an unnecessary expansion of government. Spending money just because the Rainy Day Fund is projected to have $12 B at the end of the next biennium reeks of a Washington DC-like mindset.

2) 94% of Republican Primary Voters in 2012 voted for Ballot Resolution #4 - Limiting any increase in government spending. This garnered even more votes that repealing ObamaCare (93%).

3) SJR 1 weakens limits on spending by allowing the Legislature to always draw Rainy Day Fund money into a State Infrastructure Bank for water spending, but it never ever counts against the spending limit. (General Abbott has already agreed that a draw from RDF is considered to be general revenue and thus counts against the spending cap.)

With the passage of this language, the legislature will once again employ smoke and mirrors to spend more than it should by redefining what they want to do — bust the cap. Changing the definition of “busting the cap” so the lege can bust the cap is not what 94% of Republican voters are expecting.

4) State spending is out of control – no matter how the GOP leadership spins it. When both baseline budgets leave out transportation, water and the proposed tax cut, and still spend 20% more in General Revenue  than last session and are determined to raid the Rainy Day Fund, it’s pretty clear leadership is on a spending spree.

Tell your state representative to resist! For the good of Texas – resist!

JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director (volunteer), Grassroots America – We the People  www.gawtp.com

Chair – Advisory Committee to the TX Legislature’s TEA Party Caucus

by JoAnn Fleming | April 22, 2013 | GAWTP.com

Budget conferees announced

As we predicted, conservatives are NOT in charge of the budget process – even though Republicans are at the helm of all of state government and have a majority in both chambers of the legislature.  Here are the conferees and their ratings:

DEWHURST – Senate Budget Conferees 83^rd legislative session

Average conservative rating of senate budget conferees = D-

Duncan (R) F
Nelson (R)   B+
Whitmire (D) F
Williams (R) Finance Committee Chair (and possible candidate for Comptroller) D+
Hinojosa (D) F

STRAUS – House Budget Conferees 83^rd legislative session

Average conservative rating of house budget conferees = D+

Jim Pitts (R) Appropriations Committee Chair – D
Sylvester Turner (D) – F
John Otto (R) – C+
Myra Crownover (R) – C
John Zerwas (R) (wants to expand Medicaid under ObamaCare) – C+

HOUSE INSTRUCTS BUDGET CONFEREES NOT TO CONSIDER LANGUAGE EXPANDING ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAID PROGRAM

We’ll see if this works…but the folks pushing to take the money are frantic…

The motion by House GOP Caucus Chairman Brandon Creighton passes on a 77-68 vote…

There are 95 Republicans in the Tx House. When the record vote is posted on this, we will find out who those 18 Republicans are – how many & who were missing for the vote and how many & who voted with the Democrats to support expanding Medicaid under ObamaCare? Five members did not vote at all.

HERE’S WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON – the Republican Establishment would rather hold hands with the Dems and burn down the Capitol rather than give the TP Freshmen and Sophomores a chance to debate anything.

The House Calendars

Texas Monthly by Paul Burka

Mon April 22, 2013 8:31 am

Burka writes:  Has anyone else noticed how innocuous the daily House calendars have been? General State is short and filled with bills of little consequence; debate proceeds at a snail’s pace, maybe six bills covered in a day. Major State is primarily for Sunset bills.

I do not believe this is happening by chance. It is the strategy of the leadership. The last thing the Straus team wants is a lot of vigorous debate between R’s and D’s and long lines at the back microphone, nor do they want want to give the tea party members anything to get riled up about. So the calendars will continue to be boring and innocuous under the watchful eye of Calendars chair Todd Hunter. I’m not guessing about this; I aired my suspicions to a Straus insider and got an affirmative answer. No long calendars. No contentious bills that could blow up the session. No chance for the tea party freshmen to do their thing. Let’s just get the hell out of Dodge. That’s the plan, man.

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Sibyl West: Early this afternoon a picture I had of the governor which was hanging on my wall somehow fell down and shattered on the floor. As I picked up the broken glass I wondered if it was some kind of omen that something might have changed in regard to him. I didn’t have to wait long for the answer. This evening I received this piece from a trusted source who is the Executive Director of  Grassroots America – We the People PAC and the Chair, TX Legislature’s TEA Party Caucus Advisory Committee, JoAnn Fleming. See what you think.

Betrayed!

by JoAnn Fleming | April 17, 2013 | GAWTP.com

Remember, what goes up …

Today, Governor Rick Perry made a sharp left turn. According to sources inside the GOP Caucus meeting, Perry has decided to abandon his own promises to the people of Texas. One year ago – on Tax Day 2012, no less – Gov. Perry unveiled a “State Budget Compact” and promised us he would champion and push for these five principles:

1. Practice Truth in Budgeting

2. Support a Constitutional limit of spending to the growth of population & inflation

3. Oppose any new taxes or tax increases; make the small business tax exemption permanent

4. Preserve a strong Rainy Day Fund

5. Cut unnecessary and duplicative government programs and agencies

One year later, due to a lack of leadership, these promises won’t likely survive the legislative session. Once again, we get a lot of talk, but little real action. Today, Perry signaled to Texas House Republicans that these promises really no longer matter.

If that’s not bad enough, Gov. Perry is asking House Republicans to walk the plank for him in support of busting the spending cap, putting Texas further into debt, and raiding the Rainy Day Fund. In exchange, Perry promised to campaign for those legislators who would follow him in this reckless quest to betray the conservative base and to violate foundational conservative principles.

Our answer? Anyone thinking about following this unprincipled approach should remember the “Cruz Missile” that blew up all conventional political wisdom last year and sent an earthquake through the middle of Austin.

The conservative grassroots of Texas that united to send Ted Cruz to the United States Senate is more committed than ever to protect this state from the establishment ruling class in both parties. We will consider any votes to bust the spending limit, to drive Texas further into debt, and to drain the Rainy Day Fund to be a declaration of war on our children and grandchildren. Texas is NOT Washington, DC, and we don’t take kindly to betrayal.

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Grassroots Texans & TEA Parties of Texas speak out on Tax Day Monday against a raid on the Rainy Day Fund & More State Debt

Sibyl West:  Here is the information I received in advance:

What: Grassroots TEA Parties of Texas speak out on new taxes, fees, more state debt, and the planned raid on the Rainy Day Fund.  Those assembled will reflect many of grassroots groups that united to elect US Senator Ted Cruz, and they will be united again for the primaries of 2014.

Date: Tax Day, Monday, April 15, 2013

Time: News conference begins at 10:00 AM & ends at 11:00 AM

Location: State Capitol, Lt. Governor/Senate Press Room # 2E.9

“Soaring debt is just as wrong for our state as it is for the federal government.” - JoAnn Fleming

Here is coverage of the event.

Austin Press Conference Today

by Becky Phillips | Monday, 15 April 2013 12:46 | GAWTP.com

by JoAnn Fleming | March 27, 2013 | gawtp.com

In 2010, Texas constitutional conservatives worked together to send conservatives to the state legislature. In 2011, the Austin ruling class worked against our conservative legislators and ignored our cries for reform. In 2012, we rose up to fight again and sent a larger contingent of conservatives to the legislature. We sent Ted Cruz to the US Senate. In 2013, the establishment is working overtime to silence the reformers, and they are working harder than ever to hold their fairy tale together. But, fellow Texans, 2014 is coming…

We want you to know that grassroots conservatives from across the state are in the trenches in Austin. We want you to know what we are fighting for, and we ask you to spread the following unified message because 2014 is coming…

We are sending a strong, commonsense, liberty-advancing message in Austin that must apply to all legislation:

1. Stop the “borrow and spend” practices. Why? Today, Texas state government has more debt than the US Postal Service ($16 billion). “Borrow and spend” is just as bad as “tax and spend” because it threatens liberty for future generations. According to the Legislative Budget Board, the amount of state debt outstanding is $40.99 billion, an increase of $22.81 billion, or 125% over the amount of state debt outstanding 10 years ago in fiscal year 2003. Sounds like Washington, DC.
   
2. Stop digging holes and fill in the ones you’ve already created. Why? On top of the state debt, the Texas Tomorrow Fund has a $644 million hole (parents pay into a fund to secure their child’s college education at today’s prices). The Teachers Retirement System is underfunded, creating a $27 billion hole. Our state government is incurring costs today, without setting aside the money needed to meet tomorrow’s obligations. Sounds like Washington, DC.
   
3. Stop the diversions. Why? Our legislature uses millions of dollars in taxes and fees created for one purpose and diverts them to another purpose. One big example is the gas tax diverted from road construction to non-road uses. There are too many examples to list! Sounds like Washington, DC.
   
4. Stop the accounting gimmicks and deferrals to balance the budget. Why? We need truth in budgeting! Since sales tax collections for the 2012-2013 budget exceeded the Comptroller’s revenue projections, the $7.1 billion planned shortfall from last session is being paid from the “surplus” revenue instead of from the Rainy Day Fund; however, our legislature, governor, lt. governor, and house speaker need to stop just balancing the budget on paper and actually practice truth in budgeting. Anything less sounds like Washington, DC!
   
5. Don’t raid the Rainy Day Fund. Why? The Rainy Day Fund should always maintain a balance large enough to ensure our AAA credit rating AND provide funds to endure a natural disaster or a terrorist attack (made possible with open borders and sanctuary cities) without having to depend on the federal government. Frankly, our elected officials need to prepare for getting less federal dollars since the financial collapse of the federal government may be coming. Texas is no longer a donor state. For the last 8 years, Texas has received more federal dollars than were paid into the federal treasury by taxpayers. Texas is helping to build the federal debt.This is the history of federal dollars in our state budget for the last 3 biennial periods:

2008 – 2009: federal funds were $55.1 billion or 32% of state budget revenue

2010 – 2011: federal funds were $72.6 billion or 38.7% of state budget revenue

2012—2013: federal funds were $54.7 billion or 31.5% of state budget revenue

If they ignore these facts and do anything less than prepare for tough times ahead, our state officials will be acting like Washington, DC!

6. Stop gazing lovingly at our wallets. According to the Legislative Budget Board, Texas state spending rose 310% between 1990 and 2012, while population growth plus inflation totaled only 132%. This is why we don’t support adding new taxes and fees to fund the core constitutional functions of state government, and we won’t until the legislature actually practices real budget transparency and truth in budgeting. After all, “TEA” stands for Taxed Enough Already! Stop acting like Washington DC, telling us you need new revenue. We the people didn’t make the mess, but we will stand with those of you who work to clean it up.

If you agree – and we hope you do – please circulate this information. “We the People” of Texas must understand that although our state is stronger than most, we can and must do better.

The cracks in the foundation are showing…

Texas is not the Land of Oz…

The fairy tales coming out of Austin must be debunked. That responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the Texas Constitutional Conservative Grassroots. Since we aren’t funded by special interests, we are free to tell it like it is – the pure, unvarnished truth. Why? The elections of 2014 are coming.

JoAnn Fleming, volunteer Executive Director, Grassroots America – We the People www.gawtp.com

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Somewhat Related: 

Delusional DNC Chief Wasserman Schultz Says It’s “Only A Matter Of Time” Before Dems Turn Texas Blue…

At 1:15 PM today I got this in my inbox. – SW

by Erick Erickson | March 6, 2013 | Red State Morning Briefing

You must be made aware of the vote that has happened in the last hour or so.

Sixteen Republicans voted against the rule on the continuing resolution. Sixteen.  Only sixteen Republicans voted to defund Obamacare.  That’s what this vote was about.

I actually thought we would get about eight.

Sixteen is a good number.  It is progress toward getting conservatives comfortable again defying bad leadership that is so afraid of losing it has stopped trying to win.

Several of these congressmen have other ambitions. Two who surprised me were Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston of Georgia, who I suspect did not want to get beaten up on the radio tonight on the nation’s most listened to talk station, which so happens to be in Atlanta with a microphone I control during drive time.

Others are standing up too.

I will have the full list below, but RedState and other conservatives and the media should take notice of the Conservative Fight Club shaping up in the House of Representatives. There are ten members of the Conservative Fight Club. They are the nine members of the House Republican Conference who voted against the rule on the continuing resolution and voted against John Boehner for Speaker plus one guy who voted against today’s rule and was the ring leader the last time the GOP took out a Speaker.

The ten members of the Conservative Fight Club are:

• Amash
• Bridenstine
• Broun
• Gohmert
• Huelskamp
• Jones
• Massie
• Pearce
• Salmon
• Yoho

These congressmen are now the gold standard for conservatives in the House. They replace men like Jim Jordan and Tom Graves. Matt Salmon, who has been urging conservatives to vote down rules, is rapidly becoming a conservative leader in Congress. Though he did not vote against John Boehner, history shows he helped lead the movement to oust Newt Gingrich back in the day.

He’s finding his footing again and it is a very good thing.

The other congressmen who stood with the Fight Club are:

• Brooks
• Fleming
• Gingrey
• Kingston
• McClintock
• Rohrabacher

They should all be commended.

Senator Ted Cruz is declaring he’ll take this fight to the Senate now and will object to John Boehner’s continuing resolution.

Sincerely yours,

Erick Erickson
Editor-in-Chief, RedState

The LBB Vote – What Happened and Our Counter Action

Note the focus is now on the Governor, the Lt. Governor, the Speaker and the Comptroller: 

From MQS: Flawed Limit

An Unconvincing Start

by JoAnn Fleming | November 15, 2012 | GAWTP.com

Today’s vote by the Legislative Budget Board to set the state spending limit was really the first vote for the upcoming legislative session and will be scored as such by those who size up voting records. The LBB’s action sends voters a signal and sets the tone for the upcoming legislative session. They are off to an unconvincing start.

It is important to remember that “all funds” state spending has grown at more than twice the rate of population and inflation since 1990. Our state’s practice of maximizing the pull down of federal dollars helped fuel the increased spending. Now that Texas is no longer a “donor state,” (Texans paying in more federal taxes than the state receives back) the excuses for chasing federal dollars fall a bit flat. In the past eight years, Texas got more out of the federal Treasury than Texans paid in.

The LBB vote for a state spending limit greater than population growth and inflation opens the door to a budget that increases the cost of government on every Texan. Texas families and small businesses can ill afford more government spending as new federal health care taxes kick in on top of the payroll tax, investment tax, estate tax and income tax increases looming from the federal government on January 1, 2013.

The LBB was told during the meeting that a population-plus-inflation limit would be 9.85% for the biennium; the board then adopted the growth rate of 10.71% provided by the Office of Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.

The LBB’s staff presented five forecasts of 2014-15 Texas personal income growth ranging from 8.71% by the University of North Texas Center for Economic Development to 12.21% by Moody’s Analytics. The LBB voted unanimously to choose the 10.71% estimate from the comptroller’s office, which was the second-lowest forecast, but still higher than the 9.85% population-plus-inflation limit.

We appreciate the verbal commitments made by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Senate Finance Chairman Tommy Williams that the Senate’s budget will not exceed the rate of population growth and inflation, but we urge the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker, and Comptroller to strengthen the Lt. Governor’s position when they finally set the state spending limit during the next 10 days.

While the commitments from the Lt. Governor and Senate Finance Chairman Williams sound at least promising, comments from the House side of the LBB sent up red flags – especially those from the Republicans who engaged in verbal backslapping about their sterling records of fiscal restraint. Truth is – the highest conservative rating from the House side of the LBB is a C+ average from the past three years. The others are all C, D, and F-rated. Their poor fiscal conservative records, added to Speaker Straus’s stance that “you can’t cut your way to prosperity,” mean we will be counting on the House’s senior fiscal hawks and the conservative freshmen to curtail spending in the House version of the state budget. [Straus quote from http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_19211497]

We are pleased to have a commitment from the Lt. Governor that he will work to end the series of gimmicks used in the past to help balance the budget. That’s good news, since Texans don’t expect their state leaders to use Washington DC-styled tricks to balance the state’s budget in the first place. We expect our state officials to do what small businesses and families are doing – bracing for higher costs and the impact of a $16 trillion and growing federal debt.

Texas must get its fiscal house in order, while properly funding the core functions of state government. To do that, our state must

1) stop handing out tax dollars to big business and crazy, non-essential spending on things like Formula One racing for Austin;
2) end fraud, waste and abuse in Medicaid and other social services, and
3) cut wasteful duplicative state departments, agencies and programs.

There’s more – many more ways to reduce spending, but serious attention to these three items would be a much more convincing start to the legislative session by our statewide officials and state legislators.

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JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director (volunteer), Grassroots America – We the People  www.gawtp.com, Chair – Advisory Committee to the TEA Party Caucus of the TX Legislature

Sibyl West:  Behold the zeitgeist compelling the mood in Amerika today.

Spending into oblivion. Because goodness and peace is just too boring. Excitement — that’s what we need now, and there’s nothing more exciting than running on the edge of a cliff. And nothing more titillating — except, of course, face time on a network news show — than spending other people’s money on compassionate, caring or even charitable social programs that make the world a better place. After the special interests take their cut and pay their kickback, everybody will be happy. Yay!!

JoAnn Fleming recommended the spending limit of the upcoming Texas budget be raised less than half of what was decided today. She wrote:

Ask the Legislative Budget Board members to set a spending limit at or below the sum of population growth plus inflation for the 2014-15 budget cycle – no more than 4.2% per year. Tell them setting a spending rate above 4.2% is completely unjustifiable and unacceptable.

Here is the official statement on what went down. Ugh.

Statement from the Texans for a Conservative Budget coalition

On today’s LBB vote recommending a 10.7% spending limit for the 2014-15 Texas budget

via David Guenthner | November 15, 2012 | TexasPolicy.com

“Today’s LBB vote for a state spending limit greater than population growth and inflation opens the door to a budget that increases the cost of government on every Texan.  We appreciate the verbal commitments today by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Senate Finance Chairman Tommy Williams that the Senate’s budget will not pass through that door, but we urge the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker, and Comptroller to close that door when they finally set the state spending limit during the next 10 days.

“Texas’ state spending has grown at more than twice the rate of population and inflation since 1990. The 2012-13 Texas state budget is a welcome break from that trend, but with the threat of a national recession looming, now is not the time to lose fiscal discipline. There is no reason during the next two years we should have to spend above population and inflation in order to fund the core functions of state government.”

Signatories include:

• Talmadge Heflin – Director, Center for Fiscal Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation;
• Michael Quinn Sullivan – President, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility;
• JoAnn Fleming – Executive Director, Grassroots America-We The People;
• Peggy Venable – Director, Americans for Prosperity-Texas; and
• Patrick Gleason – Director of State Affairs, Americans for Tax Reform.

– 30 –

by JoAnn Fleming | November 6, 2012 | Opinion

The Texas Republican establishment’s contempt for grassroots conservatives is nothing new.

Up until now, that contempt was telegraphed by the collective silence from our state leadership. During the 82^nd legislative session, the Governor, Lt. Governor, and House Speaker never once responded to even one of the numerous letters signed by thousands of grassroots Texans from across the state. These letters clearly articulated our opposition to: specific spending practices; the  budget cram-down process; budget gimmicks; corporate welfare in the form of tax dollars doled out to special interests (Formula Racing et al); the fiscal and security risks posed by illegal aliens; private toll roads and multi-leveraged transportation debt. The letters contained sourced information and offered workable solutions. Our letters were followed up with several news conferences and editorials. The continued silence from the state leadership was deafening. We got their message – loud and clear.

Then came the 2012 primary and runoff elections. Conventional wisdom was shattered as “fed up” voters came together to give a good old-fashioned thrashing to the GOP Austin establishment. Texas voters overwhelmingly chose strong conservatives over moderates. Though greatly outspent, grassroots activists ran a hard ground game with the right message to defeat several of Speaker Straus’s closest allies. The US Senate race victory for Ted Cruz speaks for itself.

Now, thanks to RedState.com and the Austin “insider” source, the establishment’s somewhat silent contempt for conservatives is now evidenced by damning 2011 e-mail exchanges among Texas House Speaker Joe Straus’s staff and his closest advisors. Made public, the e-mails confirm what we already knew – the political ruling class establishment hates authentic conservatives – most especially the “tea party” types.

Guess what? We don’t care. 

It is important to note the profane, juvenile-sounding e-mails were generated more than a year before the 2012 primary and runoff elections. We were definitely on their minds back then. After the 2012 election shellacking they got, wonder what they think of the ‘tea party idiots’ now? Not that we care in the least, since their approval is not what we seek.

It has never been a secret to anyone but the purposefully blind, “can’t we all just get along, be damned the principles” wing of the Republican Party that Joe Straus is not the right man to lead a conservative Texas House. It’s high time for a much higher standard. We need someone who will lead from the front – a strong, principled, courageous leader with a servant’s heart – someone who remembers that he or she is there to serve the people of Texas, not moneyed special interests. We need a leader with vision – a leader who can take the big issues facing this state, lay them out with clarity, and tell us what will happen if we don’t work together to solve them. We need a House Speaker who can articulate solutions and bring together house members to lay out a workable, go forward plan for our great state.

State Representative Bryan Hughes stepped out early to challenge Straus for the Speaker’s Race.  That took real courage – a quality we recognize and appreciate. There are whispers that others may get in the race, but now that the general election is behind us, the calls will go out and the arm-twisting will begin to protect the Straus status quo.

Our message to the conservative state reps – the Straus status quo is unacceptable to the grassroots activists who worked tirelessly this election cycle. Make no mistake; these e-mails and the history of political blood sport surrounding Joe Straus calls for new leadership.

If any other state representatives are considering joining Representative Hughes in a run for Speaker, it’s time to declare your intentions. It’s time to step up. Hanging back will only cause confusion, waste time, and cause people to question your allegiance to the principles you say you represent. We have far too many big issues to deal with to play political games.

Speaking only for my local organization, we fully vet all viable candidates before we endorse anyone. At this time, with rumors of other reps suggesting they may get into the race, we don’t have all the information to endorse today; however, Grassroots America will begin to schedule interviews for Texas Speaker candidates right after Thanksgiving. If we have not heard from other candidates by then, we will have to assume nobody else in interested in challenging Joe Straus.  We will then enthusiastically put every ounce of support we have behind Representative Hughes and will urge everyone else to do so.

To put a fine point on this message – with the national publication of these revealing e-mails from the Straus team – it’s time for all conservative state representatives to understand that Texas needs strong, principled, “can-do” leadership wrapped in decency. 

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JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director, Grassroots America – We the People
Chairman, Advisory Committee to the TEA Party Caucus of the Texas Legislature

“Fed Up” Grassroots Texans Trounce GOP Establishment

by JoAnn Fleming | August 2, 2012 | GAWTP.com

Conventional wisdom was shattered in Tuesday’s runoff election when a coalition of “fed up” voters came together to continue the good old-fashioned thrashing of the GOP establishment which started in the May 2012 GOP Primary.

Voters across Texas did not buy the well-funded lies and the establishment spin spewing from campaign ads. Why? Because this new coalition has worked tirelessly since the last legislative session to unravel the “all is well because the GOP is in charge” Austin Fairy Tale.

What do the GOP May primary and July runoff election results mean? 

• Voters are no longer impressed with the endorsements of incumbent statewide officials and state senators.
• Voters are well informed and know where to get the voting records of incumbents.
• Voters are looking at the entire record of incumbents – not just the pro-life and pro-Second amendment endorsements.
• Voters understand that some Republicans love “big government” just as much – or more – than Democrats do.
• Voters are on to politicians who shake their fists at Washington, DC with one hand, while reaching for more federal funds with the other.
• Voters are tired of the “Washington is broken” rhetoric that any parrot can learn. We get that part. How about some solutions?
• An energized coalition of grassroots constitutional conservatives intent on reform can outwork and out-strategize the highest paid political consultants.

Big money interests, long-time establishment backers, and statewide officials who endorsed status quo candidates in Tuesday’s election should understand this – we aren’t done yet.

This coalition of grassroots constitutional conservative Texans is comprised of organizations with varying names (TEA parties, We the People groups, Grassroots Texans, 9/12ers, etc.). There is no single leader. We don’t need one. 

We are united around this goal – “The government status quo has got to go.” This includes the state government status quo and the way the People’s business is conducted in the halls and chambers under Austin’s big pink dome.

So make no mistake about it – we united to send a constitutional conservative to Washington, DC, by electing Ted Cruz as our nominee for the United States Senate, but the earthquake we sent on Tuesday is also aimed right at Austin.

After the last legislative session and the 2012 primary/runoff cycle, we are better informed and highly motivated. The coalition is planning now for the legislative session ahead. We are looking for bold, principled, results-oriented leadership. We are not impressed with empty rhetoric and excuses.

For all of the politicians planning to “trade up” the political food chain in 2014 – particularly those jockeying to run for Lt. Governor, here’s a little hint about the discussions we’re having now:

1. We are sick of crony capitalism – our tax dollars handed out to businesses and special interests addicted to OPM (other people’s money).
2. We are tired of excuses from state officials when it comes to the high cost of illegal aliens. We cannot afford social services and welfare for those here illegally. We want the legislature to end this raid on taxpayers.
3. We do not support importing unskilled workers by instituting a pre-amnesty temporary visa program to satisfy cheap labor interests.
4. We are tired of the security risk of sanctuary city hideouts for illegals.
5. We are tired of the “smoke and mirrors” gimmicks used to help balance the state budget.
6. We are tired of hearing the solution to state transportation problems is raising the gas tax.
7. We are tired of the rampant fraud in Medicaid programs in Texas.
8. We are tired of overregulation and the overlapping, duplicative state government agencies, departments, and programs.
9. We are fed up with politicians who constantly focus on finding new revenue sources instead of working to get state government back into a constitution-sized box (getting back to the core constitutional functions of state government).
10. We are tired of the House Speaker and Lt. Governor appointing committee chairs and stacking committees with moderate to liberal members of both parties in order to roadblock much-needed progress on issues 1 – 9.

Therefore, to put a fine, fine point on this analysis of the “woodshed” moment for the establishment ruling class in Austin, while we admit we weren’t successful in every race this election cycle, we retired many of your friends. We prevented many of your other colleagues from getting a promotion to higher political office.  We aren’t done yet.

Because we desperately love Texas, and we believe she should lead the United States of America as the brightest, shining star of constitutional, limited government and liberty, we will not stop this march forward. The future of our children and grandchildren depend upon our success.  So scoff if you will, and snicker with your high-paid consultants, but…

Know this – so help us God – we will fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the halls of power. We will fight against the tyranny of the elite in Austin, just as we resist the tyranny in Washington, DC. We will keep up this fight, whatever the cost may be; because in this dark hour in our nation, we are determined that Texas will rise to her full stature. Texas will be the Shining City on a Hill…where Liberty lives on.

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Ordinarily I would dribble this out drip by drip but, with the runoff elections next Tuesday, the time is now. Please share with your undecided friends.

Showdown: Conservatives vs. Austin Machine

via JoAnn Fleming | July 27, 2012 | GAWTP.com

The ongoing “Kings of Texas” series is below. We will continue to produce these to end The Austin Machine. For the sake of Liberty, we must put state government back on the side of the people and remove it from the elite ruling class and its hand-picked special interests who feed at the taxpayer trough.

“Kings of Texas: Window into the Austin Machine” overview from last legislative session, includes the late Andrew Breitbart.

Uploaded by MuellerMedia on Sep 21, 2011

“Kings of Texas: Part One – Your 4th Amendment Rights Under Assault” State Representative David Simpson sets the record straight on Dewhurst and the failed TSA bill.

“Kings of Texas: Part Two – Illegal Immigration: Failed Leadership” Maria Martinez, Immigration Reform Coalition, sets the record straight on Dewhurst and his record on illegal immigration.

Published on Jul 25, 2012 by KingsOfTexasMovie

If you like these outstanding videos, please support our efforts by contributing. Each video costs about $800 to produce because we are using a professional small business videographer who must feed his family! Grassroots America and Grassroots Texans make no money off this effort whatsoever, but we do need financial support to produce more to help inform the people of Texas about what is really going on in Austin. We plan to produce more in this series leading up to and during the next Texas legislative session!

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by JoAnn Fleming | July 26, 2012 | Press Release

Senator Patrick crossed the line today that I had asked him not to cross. Here is my response which I will be giving at The Woodlands tomorrow at the rally.

by JoAnn Fleming | July 23, 2012 | gawtp.com

The best predictor of what a man will do in the future is what he has done in the past.

Today starts the race to the finish line in the US Senate race. This has been a unnecessarily nasty race. It is shameful and unbecoming of people who should get down on their knees every single day to thank God for giving them the privilege of living in this country. Making up lies about an opponent is bad enough, but approving your campaign consultant’s “cut and paste” job, which takes your opponent’s comments on one topic and uses them on an entirely different subject in your TV ads to try to prove you opponent is a liar is just despicable!

A man who will lie to win an office will lie to keep it. Think about that. For how much of the truth are you willing to settle? Are you satisfied with a candidate who tells the truth 85% of the time, what about 50% of the time? Six years is a long, long time to wait to correct the mistake of sending the wrong man to dysfunctional, free-spending Washington, DC!

Go here to see the truth about all of Dewhurst’s trashy TV, radio, and mail advertisements: http://www.tedcruz.org/facts/

David Dewhurst is spending millions of dollars lying about Ted Cruz in a desperate attempt to distract voters from Dewhurst’s record of:

• increasing spending while in office – all funds – not just general revenue. He has been the Lt. Governor on the job while Texas continues to grow its dependence on federal funding. Our state’s second highest source of revenue behind sales tax is federal funds. Not a good practice when the money our state is getting is borrowed money!
• passing budgets balanced with accounting gimmicks, deferrals, tax speed ups on certain businesses, and fund balances intended for other purposes such as trauma centers!
• spending more than the state takes in and robbing the Rainy Day Fund – which should be reserved for real disasters – not to cover up over-spending!
• presiding over rampant fraud and waste in state Medicaid programs. http://www.wfaa.com/news/investigates/Feds-Investigate-Texas-Dental-Medicaid-Program–128414743.html
• crony capitalism – approving a budget that doles out tax dollars to the likes of Apple, Frito-Lay, Bank of America, FaceBook, Country-wide Financial/Bank of America, and Formula One Racing, just to name a few!
• ignoring the high cost of illegal aliens to the bursting social services safety net; Dewhurst has NEVER, EVER worked to curb illegal aliens’ access to social services for which we are footing the bill!
• killing the repeal of in-state tuition for children of illegal aliens by appointing a liberal Democrat to chair the committee hearing such bills;
• failing to get a ban on sanctuary cities which provide hide-outs to those who may well be here to attack our country.

If Dewhurst supports giving social services and welfare to illegals in Texas, why would he try to stop it when he gets to Washington?

If Dewhurst supports amnesty and failed at ending sanctuary city hide-outs for illegals in Texas, how can we expect him to do any different in DC?

If Dewhurst supports state gov’t doling out taxpayer dollars to special corporate interests in Texas, why would he oppose it in Washington?

If Dewhurst supports using deferrals, accounting gimmicks, and budgetary sleights of hand to balance the state budget, how can we expect him to make a difference in Washington?

The best predictor of what a man will do in the future is what he has done in the past.

Texas and the United States cannot afford for us to make an expensive mistake like Dewhurst.

It is time for Texas Constitutional Conservatives to send an earthquake to Austin! Tell Dewhurst he doesn’t deserve a promotion! Choose a proven fighter for the Constitution. Choose a man with a backbone. Choose Ted Cruz.

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JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director (volunteer), Grassroots America – We the People  www.gawtp.com

Chair – Advisory Committee to the TEA Party Caucus of the TX Legislature

by JoAnn Fleming | May 25, 2012 | Grassroots America WTP

Just when you thought David Dewhurst couldn’t stoop any lower, he’s now making his most despicable attack yet on Ted Cruz.

In a last minute, desperation attempt to cling to power, Dewhurst is actually claiming that Ted Cruz, of all people, supports amnesty! Of course this is completely false, but it’s also shameful race-bating.

This shows more clearly than ever that David Dewhurst is an establishment moderate politician so hooked on power that he thinks Texans are stupid enough to believe that the same Ted Cruz who successfully defended Texas’s right to execute an illegal alien for raping and murdering two teenage girls is somehow soft on illegal immigration.

Here’s a short video exposing Dewhurst’s Amnesty Lies. Please watch and share!

Dewhurst’s latest lie would be laughable, if it wasn’t such a sad reflection of his contempt for voters and the truth. With this last minute desperate attack, David Dewhurst has earned a color photo in the dictionary next to hypocrisy.

As chair of the Advisory Committee to the TEA Party Caucus of the TX Legislature, I’ve watched the Lt. Governor very closely. Here’s the truth on David Dewhurst:

1) Supported in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.

2) Waffled on a border fence.

3) Refused to pass legislation fining Texas employers who hire illegal immigrants at the expense of hard-working Texans.

As we say in East Texas, “That dog won’t hunt!”

Ted Cruz is unequivocally opposed to amnesty, completely opposed to illegal immigration and supports doing all we can to secure the border.

I hope you’ll join me, Tea Party leaders across Texas, Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, and many other conservatives in supporting Ted in the final days before the primary this Tuesday, May 29th.

Reject desperate Dewhurst’s lies and help us spread the truth.

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JoAnn Fleming is the Executive Director (volunteer), Grassroots America – We the People and the Chair – Advisory Committee to the TEA Party Caucus of the TX Legislature

via J.C. | April 5, 2012 | Hays County Conservatives

Behind the scenes Obama is moving faster than anyone can imagine to grab all of the control and power he can before the next election.  

Obama has already proven that Congress is irrelevant and that he doesn’t care what they do.  That’s why the Senate has not proposed a budget for over 1,000 days.

Now he is attacking the Supreme Court and challenging SCOTUS to oppose him.

National Ocean Policy is an executive power grab

By Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) – 03/30/12 03:29 PM ET | The Hill blogs

The Obama Administration power grab continues. This time the president wants to seize more executive control over a massive piece of real estate: our oceans, the tributaries that lead to them, and the inland areas that surround those waterways.

Plenty of regulations, on the federal, state, and local levels, already govern the supervision of our oceans and coastlines. An estimated 140 laws are on the books for managing fisheries, offshore energy development, and marine conservation.Instead of cutting out the overlap and redundancy, and lessening the heavy burden of government rules, the Obama Administration is following a course that will create broad new regulations and expand Executive Branch overreach.

Just months after President Obama took office he formed a panel of federal bureaucrats and told them to create a “national policy” that would oversee oceans, coastlines, and the Great Lakes. Then, by executive order, the president launched a National Ocean Council which led to nine smaller panels. As the layers of federal bureaucracy pile up, so have the guarantees that the outcome – the president’s National Ocean Policy – will be another top-down, centralized plan that tramples the power of states and the rights of individual citizens.

Read More…

by JoAnn Fleming | March 22, 2012 | GRASSROOTS TEXANS NETWORK

It’s time to turn up the heat on the Presidential candidates!

What is an issue they refuse to talk about? Illegal immigration! We have a chance to push this issue to the forefront, and I’m asking you to help us put the pressure on!

We need to gather support from constitutional conservative activists all across Texas. We are working with the TEA Party Immigration Coalition to accomplish two things before the May 29th primary election:

1) to invite each of the four Republican Presidential candidates to Texas to visit the border and tell us what they will do to secure the border and enforce the rule of law, and

2) invite each of the four candidates to schedule a conference call with Texans to discuss the issue!

Friends, there can be no substantive discussion about jobs, budgets, the cost of health care, the cost of education, the cost of social services, or security unless the issue of illegal aliens is addressed. We cannot afford to let the candidates ignore this grave matter!

If you are in a leadership position and have the authority to sign up your group in support of this effort,please do one quick thing. Send an e-mail to info@gawtp.com and give me 1) your name, 2) your position, and 3) the name of your group. This will be listed on the invitation sent to each of the four candidates.

Our goal is to get these invitations out to the campaigns by Monday! If you sign up with me, we will put you on the contact list for the conference call with the candidates.

Please let me hear from you today!

The voice of Texas Patriots must be heard!

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JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director (volunteer), Grassroots America – We the People  www.gawtp.com

Chair – Advisory Committee to the TEA Party Caucus of the TX Legislature

“If you just set out to be liked, you will be prepared to compromise on anything at anytime, and would achieve nothing.”  Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady

via David Guenthner | March 20, 2012 | TPPF  

Coalition presents budget and policy reforms to preserve the Texas jobs engine, defend the state’s economic success, save $1.1 billion in current biennium and $8.3 billion in 2014-15

AUSTIN – Legislators should begin now to craft a 2014-2015 Texas state budget that preserves the foundations of fiscal responsibility and limited government that underlie the tremendous Texas economic and fiscal success of the past decade, according to Texans for a Conservative Budget, a coalition of policy and grassroots organizations.

The coalition released its recommendations at a Tuesday afternoon press conference at the Texas State Capitol. Organizations in the Texans for a Conservative Budget coalition include the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Americans for Prosperity-Texas, American Majority-Texas, Americans for Tax Reform, the Heartland Institute, and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.

The coalition’s recommendations, “Real Texas Budget Solutions: 2013 and Beyond,” rethink how Texas funds and operates state and local administration to reduce dependence on the government, foster economic growth, and deliver improved, streamlined services to Texans. The document also lists agencies and programs that should be reduced, consolidated, or eliminated.

“The Texans for a Conservative Budget coalition’s recommendations are several and resolve to one imperative: we must keep the engine of Texas jobs and prosperity running,” said Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “In dark national economic times, our state still illuminates the American Dream. Texan families, workers, and business have done their part. It will be up to the men and women of the 83rd Texas Legislature to keep faith with them. These real Texas budget solutions show the way.”

“As Texas faces another large budget shortfall, it is critical to prioritize essential government functions,” said Julie Drenner of the Heartland Institute. “Therefore, reducing spending through cutting non-essential agencies and subsidies is a must. Our battle cry this session is, ‘reform it or eliminate it.’”

“Put simply, raising taxes and seeking new revenue sources are off the table for Texas taxpayers and voters, so it needs to be also for lawmakers. Looking ahead to the 83rd legislative session, legislators must demand right now that agencies re-double efforts to find inefficiencies and cut costs,” said Michael Quinn Sullivan, president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. “As they always do, special interests funded by tax-dollars will howl for more ever spending with less accountability. Legislators, however, would do well to remember that the right fiscal policy in 2013 is the right politics in 2012: reducing the burden of government ensures the long-term strength of the economy for all Texans.”

“Government has grown too big at all levels. While the federal debt is nearing $16 trillion, local government debt in Texas alone is $322 billion. We are saddling future generations with a legacy of spending and debt,” said Peggy Venable, director of Americans for Prosperity-Texas. “That is not the legacy we want to leave. Government spending and debt limit economic freedom. Putting limits on the size and scope of government allows future generations the opportunity to achieve the American dream.”

“In light of the fact that the largest federal tax increase in U.S. history will hit individuals, families, and employers throughout Texas in less than 10 short months, it is imperative that lawmakers in Austin not pile on with more job-killing tax increases at the state level,” said Patrick Gleason, director of state affairs for Americans for Tax Reform.

“Common sense budget reforms and a consistent focus on fiscal responsibility are critical for Texas’ growth as an economic power and as a magnet for millions of our fellow Americans who look to us as a haven from burdensome regulation and over-taxation,” said Raz Shafer, director of American Majority-Texas. “The coming legislative session will not be an easy one and it’s important that Texans stand up and are heard by their legislators as they demand a fiscally sound, fairly balanced budget.”

“It is time for decisive action on an unrelenting, focused plan to reform and restructure state government so that it fits into a constitution-sized box,” said JoAnn Fleming, chair of the advisory committee to the Texas Legislature’s Tea Party Caucus. “State government must get back to its core constitutional functions and do those few things efficiently and effectively, period.”

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