What am I looking forward to in 2008? Taking back the Texas State House!

I'm ready to have a legislature that cares about kitchen table issues - those things that make me wonder if it's possible for families to have any forward progress in their financial situation - the cost of electricity, insurance, higher education and health care, to name some of the biggies.

The Republican leadership's focus on TAX CUTS! TAX CUTS! TAX CUTS! are just starving the baby. Texans are being starved slowly of all of our infrastructure and ability to get ahead sort of like a frog in a boiling pot of water doesn't realize he's cooked until it is too late. Not to mention we are being literally choked by the quality of air in the state. The purposeful neglect of our environment and park system is appalling.

All this can change when we elect talented, reasonable, fiscally responsible law makers who care about Texas - our beautiful state and diverse families.

It wouldn't be an end of year post without an End of Quarter mention. Yeah, today is the last day to contribute to campaigns and have it show up on the end of year financial report. I took a look around ActBlue today to see who is leading the online fundraising there. Here are the top ActBlue Texas House candidates by total fundraising:

1. HD-46 Challenger Brian Thompson: 88 donations, $10,095
2. HD-129 Challenger Sherrie Matula: 24 donations, $3010
3. HD-36 Challenger Sandra Rodriguez: 11 donations, $2200
4. HD-138 Challenger Virginia McDavid: 21 donations, $1885
5. HD-97 INCUMBENT Dan Barrett: 44 donations, $1684

Thompson and Rodriguez are challenging Craddick Ds (wave goodbye to Dukes and Flores). Barrett recently won a special election against an opponent who made a campaign issue of his pledge to vote for Craddick. Matula and McDavid are both challenging incumbent Republicans. Matula's opponent, 5-term Republican incumbernt John Davis, has drawn a primary challenger, mostly due to Republican disgust over his ethics problems.

It's not too late to help one of these worthy House candidates - or others equally worthy - by tossing some New Year's Eve change their way. ActBlue link for the whole list: here.

This our time. Time to Turn Texas Blue.