Beto O’Rourke
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke is preparing to run for governor of Texas in 2022, with an announcement expected later this year, Texas political operatives tell Axios.
Why it matters: O’Rourke’s entry would give Democrats a high-profile candidate with a national fundraising network to challenge Republican Gov. Greg Abbott — and give O’Rourke, a former three-term congressman from El Paso and 2020 presidential candidate and voting rights activist, a path to a political comeback.
- But he would be running in a complicated political environment. Immigration is surging at the southern border and Democrats at the national level are bracing for a brutal midterm election and potentially losing the House of Representatives in 2022.
- A new poll for the Dallas Morning News shows that O’Rourke has narrowed the gap with Abbott in a hypothetical matchup, down, 37%-42%. In July, O’Rourke faced a 12-point deficit, 33%-45%.
- Over the summer, Abbot has seen his approval rating sink to 41%, with 50% disapproving, in a separate poll.
Driving the news: O’Rourke has been calling political allies to solicit their advice, leaving them with the impression that he’s made his decision to run in the country’s second-largest state.
- “No decision has been made,” said David Wysong, O’Rourke’s former House chief of staff and a longtime adviser. “He has been making and receiving calls with people from all over the state.”
I’ve been assuming that Beto would be running for Governor for some time now, so this is more of a relief and a “finally!” than anything else. That said, the lack of any deep-background, “sources say” stories of the “he’s thinking about it/he’s inching closer to it” variety were beginning to worry me. I suppose this could still end up not happening, but really, outlets like Axios don’t run this kind of story for things that wind up not happening. I feel pretty confident at this point.
So we move forward from here, which means “start the fundraising engines” and recruit the back end of the ticket. The narrative piece is in place, the rest is execution. I’m ready.
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I wonder what BETO’S position is on Bail Reform. More death? More Crime? Clearly I was right.
I wonder what the Texas Legislature’s position is on bail reform… They seem to be more interested in redistricting, transgender kids, and giving a big F/U to school districts looking to keep their students and faculty members safe.
Paul, are you kidding?
More Death has been the Abbott-Patrick-Paxton response to the Covid crisis from the beginning. One would think that less death would be better, but the Abbott Imperial Regime is constantly making up new powers and going to court to continue the More Death policies. They are figuring More Death means they might satisfy some crazy right wingers and win their primary elections, and More Death is what we are going to get.
c.l. and j. Clearly I was right about bail reform. Ask the dead cops family.
J. is right on point with the more deaths …
HOW SELF-DECLARED EMERGENCY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ABBOTT
AND HIS GENERAL PROMOTE COVID SPREAD
In a motion filed yesterday, City of Laredo and a local school district implore San Antonio Court of Appeals to grant emergency relief against Abbott-AG Alliance, who claim – once more – that all they have to do is file a notice of interlocutory appeal to suspend the trial judge’s temporary injunction against GA-38, thereby nixing the plaintiff’s success at the evidentiary hearing in the trial court.
FROM THE RULE 29a MOTION
Unless this Court issues temporary relief, the consequences for the City and District will be dire. The trial court found that without masking the City and District will “suffer irreparable injury in the amount of lost lives, ill students and unmitigated spread of COVID-19.” Ex. 1. None of these injuries could be undone.
It is undisputed that the Delta variant is causing a rapid increase in COVID- 19 infections in the Webb County, Texas, and that this variant is more infectious than prior versions of the virus.
It is also undisputed that masks are an effective tool to combat the spread of COVID-19, as the Governor himself has recognized repeatedly. See, e.g., Executive Order GA-29 (“[W]earing face coverings is one of the most important and effective tools for reducing the spread of COVID-19.”).
At the temporary injunction hearing, Judge Lopez heard Dr. Victor Trevino, the City of Laredo Public Health Authority, testify that COVID-19cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are rapidly rising in Webb County and are expected to surpass previous peaks.
Judge Lopez also heard the City of Laredo Health Director testify that the city’s hospitals are experiencing unprecedented strains on staffing and their ability to provide basic public services.
Judge Lopez also heard the testimonies of the District’s administration, such as David H. Gonzalez, Superintendent, and Gloria S. Rendon, Deputy Superintendent for Administration and Operations. Mr. Gonzalez and Ms. Rendon testified as to the need, in their professional opinion, and based on medical advice, for the universal wearing of face masks on District campuses in order to prevent mass contagion among students and staff. In addition, Mr. Gonzalez testified that, without being able to require masks, the District will suffer increased absenteeism from both sick students and students who are apprehensive about attending school when face masks are not required. In turn, the increased absenteeism harms the District’s finances because state funds depend on student attendance.
04-21-00386-CV
GREG ABBOTT V. CITY OF LAREDO AND UNITED ISD
FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
9/20/2021 3:51 PM
https://search.txcourts.gov/Case.aspx?cn=04-21-00386-CV&coa=coa04
Paul Kubosh is right. The City should double their tax rate so they can use the money to hire more police officers who can then, systematically and with determination and purpose, track down the felons-on-bond who cut off their ankle bracelet to evade arrest and/or tracking.
Whatcha say, Paul ? A 17% tax rate for Houston ?
Better yet, howabout an elimination of bails (and bail bond companies) altogether ? If you’re arrested, you stay arrested until your Court date. Of course, it’s gonna take some money to build some more jails and holding cells, so let’s crank up that 17% tax rate up to 20%. The 1600 blk of Lubbock looks like a good piece of land to claim eminent domain of so a new facility can be constructed.
Wasn’t the previous narrative about bail reform how only money related bonds worked and bail companies were always on top of their clients who refused to show up? The criminal who shot the police officers was not on a PR bond and the HCSO deputies suing the county about overcrowding in the jail leads me to believe we can’t warehouse anyone suspected of a crime.