Thoughts Following This Election

My husband and I try to research and vote in as many of races for "minor" state and local offices as we can--offices like State Board of Education, Comptroller, and Railroad Commissioner (an office which in Texas has nothing to do with railroads and lots to do with regulating the oil industry).  We know these offices can affect our lives as much as the "more important" positions like Governor and Senator, and we know that less people vote on them, so we figure our votes count even more on these than on the "big" races.

What's frustrating to me this election is realizing how many of these "minor"  offices are decided by people who vote straight party line, when most of those offices don't even have anything to do with what a lot of those people voted straight party line about.  For instance, I'm Pro-Life, so that means I often vote Republican.  But when it comes to things like Agricultural Commissioner or Railroad Commissioner, their duties don't include anything that would affect that issue. 

My husband and I are watching several of these "minor" races and noticing that in our state the Republican candidates are winning by almost exactly the same margin on all of these lesser known positions (and that's not true for the more well known offices like Governor and Senator).  It makes me wonder if most of the democrats in these positions are loosing solely because of party line votes from people who, in general, don't even know what the office does or what the candidates stand for (a lot of them at least).  Most of the people who don't vote party line just don't vote on these.

It saddens me to think that because of party line voting some qualified and capable candidates who are running for the right reasons might loose to candidates who are corrupt, inexperienced, misguided, or who are just seeking this position as a stepping stone to another "more important" one.


So, my challenge to you for the NEXT election is this:

1. Don't vote straight party line!  At very least if you don't know anything about an elected position and whether the republican or democratic (or green, libertarian, etc) qualities you care about are important in that position, don't vote on that particular race.
2. Do some research on at least one elected position you know nothing about, and next election, do research on the candidates, and vote on the race for that election.

Read more about the affects of Straight-Ticket Voting:
In November, Straight Ticket Votes Decide Winner (Texas)

Still Researching Your Vote?

I am! And boy do I wish I hadn't waited this long. Election day sort of slipped up on me. I thought I had a couple more weeks to go and, YIKES, election day is tomorrow.

As I find useful articles and sources, I'll be posting them here, mostly be focusing on Texas (since that's where I'm voting).

Find Your Disctrict

List of Texas Candidates

This lists statewide candidates, and on the right you'll see links 

to find U.S. Congressional candidates, and Texas House and Senate Candidates.

Candidate Research
Here are some sites that check candidates statements to see if they're true.  It's important to at least skim the explanations of why they think something said was true or false, though.  For instance, they marked Chet Edward's statement Edwards makes a case that he’s steadfastly opposed efforts to impose gun controls. However, none of his cited measures would "take away" anyone’s weapons. It’s overblown claims like this that keep the Truth-O-Meter in business.

Project Vote Smart

On the Issues

Free Voters Guide
NOTE:  This resource can be helpful for positions like Governor and State Board of Education, though realize it asks some candidates questions that have nothing to do with their jobs. For example, The Railroad Commissioner, and Commissioner of Texas Land Use of Texas and Agricultural Commissioner's jobs have NOTHING to do with most of the questions they were asked. They have no say over abortion, Divorce Reform, etc. And its too bad that they weren't asked any questions about the environment or economy because they do have a lot to do with that.

Check Truthfulness of Candidates Statements
These sites check whether statements made by politicians are true or false.  Be careful to at least skim the explanation why, because it can reveal important details that shed light on the candidate.  For instance, Chet Edwards was marked "false" on his claim to "say no to Washington liberals who want to steal our guns" not because he didn't actively oppose gun legislation (he did) but because they thought that legislation didn't actually threaten to "take away" guns. 

Politifact - Texas

Politifact National 

(has some articles on California but not a whole section)

Fact Check.org

Forums 

Topix Forum by State

Articles and Info on Specific Candidates and Races

TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSIONER  - Yes, you should care about this!
The Railroad Commissioner heads the The Railroad Commission of Texas, which no longer has ANYTHING to do with railroads, but regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining industries. So, if you care about what happened in the Gulf, you should care about this.

CANDIDATES FOR RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
David Porter (Republican)
Jeff Weems (Democratic)
Art Browning (Green Party)
Roger Gary (Libertarian)

ARTICLES:
Did Jeff Weems Lawyer for BP and Enron, and Big Oil?
Summary:   Yes, but it was mainly litigating royalty disputes..


TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER
If you care about conservation, preservation, land use, energy, and surprizingly, Veterans (yeah...it's someone related in there), this is a position you should research.

Land Commissioner Debates


TEXAS GOVENOR

Debates:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
Perry didn't attend,  but I really suggest hearing this.  It really gives a good idea of what the other candidates stand for.





Find Your Polling Place
Google has made finding your polling place so simple.  Just type "Find Polling Place" into google.  A few lines down you'll see a text box where you can enter your address and google will map your polling place for you.  Yeah google!


Please share any articles on any Texas or California election subject you found helpful.  Thanks!

Blog Party at My Other Blog! You're Invited!

Hi! I'm having a blog party at Scribbleprints (one of my other blogs) to celebrate reaching 100 followers!  That's my shop blog, where I share about all the cool funny and artsy things I'm designing and selling through CafePress and Zazzle.   I hope you'll all stop by.  I have games and giveaways and free coloring pages!  

The giveaways are pretty easy to win too, since there aren't a lot of people entered (some of the giveaways NO ONE has entered).  Here's a few of the fun "party favors" you can win...

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE PARTY

$60 - $90 Flights From Texas to California and Vice Versus - I'm Going!

Southwestern has a special deal on flights that you can order TODAY until 11:59 Pacific Time (that's California time, so until 1:59 out here in Texas) from Texas to California and California to Texas as low as $60 to $90. Those are one way flights, but if you buy one there and one back it's still a lot less then round tickets are elsewhere right now. The dates available Dec 1 - 15 and Jan 4 - Feb 16.

I've booked my flight and am taking a trip to see my dad in California in January! Very excited! Wish I had thought to post this earlier for you all...cause I know I have some homesick readers out here who could use something like this.

Grackle Season Sky Watch

Well, it seems like grackle season has arrived.  I went to Stuffmart the other day and the noise was deafening.  There were whole sections of the parking lot covered with these birds.   They had taken over several of the shopping cart depositories and I felt bad for the cars that had dared to park nearby.

The picture below was taken over a month ago...I'm thought they were grackles at the time, but now I'm not actually sure.  They seem smaller in hind-sight, but they might be larger than the picture makes them seem, since they were up high.

This post is participating in
Sky Watch Friday

Grackle Season

The first place I heard of "grackle season" was The Yankee Chick's Guide to Texas.  In it there is a hilarious section where the author, Sophia Dembling,  describes the "other" seasons of Texas, inlcuding Grackle Season.  Now, when I first read this I had never heard the word "Grackle" before, but when she descibed the countless hourds of black birds that descend on shopping malls across Texas, I knew exactly what she was talking about. 

That makes this all the more funny....

Yeah, every time I talk about grackles I have to share that cause it still cracks me up.  I found that button several years ago on CafePress and loved it so much I bought 10 (OK, they didn't sell them individually...just in packs of 10...and I figured I'd find someone to give these to!). Seeing how the grackle population seems to be strong enough to take over a small Texas city, I'm assuming that's meant to be a joke--but you never know! Either way it's hilarious.

So, this all leads in to my questions for today.  I gather Texas isn't the only state with a "Grackle Season", so...

1. Are the grackles hoarding in your area?  If not, when do they usually pass through (if they do).
2. Where do you live? (What State, or country/territory if you're outside the US).

Please leave your answer in the comments.  Thanks

Have a question or two you'ld like to ask on your own blog? The following two memes are a great place to share it.


Two Questions Thursday: Ask any two questions on your blog and answer other's questions! The linky for this meme is pictoral, so you can share a picture from your post.

Aloha Friday: This meme is like Two Questions, only with one simple question and a text linky. It's a fun easy blog to post on a Friday.

HEB Giveaway and Review

HEB is giving away gift cards and a chance to win a trip to Orlando. You can enter here every day now through November 1.

OK, now, since we're on the subject of HEB...do you want to know why I love the HEB in my town?

• They have shopping carts with TWO kids seats (a real nice feature when you have kids born 19 months apart).
• The balloons they give to kids have staved off tantrums and allowed for a peaceful shopping trip (though I do wish they had something other than candy weighing it down).
• They always offer to walk you out to your car and help load your groceries (which was SO NICE when I was pregnant).
• The HEB store brand stuff tastes really good--seriously, I like some items, like their bread and jam, better than name brand.
• 4 bobillas for a $1!  (Bobillas are these sub sanwhich like fresh baked rolls).
• Free samples everywhere!

HEB TIPS

• HEB usually does cost a little more on brand name pre-packaged goods and meats than Walmart (even with HEB points factored in), but produce is often the same or less (it fluctuates - sometimes more, sometimes less).  
• Those little yellow coupons really do save you a lot if both items are things you want or need.
• If you get a manufacturers coupon for a free item, use it at HEB and you a can get HEB points that earn you HEB bucks to spend at HEB.
• HEB gas is often cheaper than at other places, plus you get HEB points.
• If you buy HEB baby clothes, buy at least a size larger than you need because they tend to shrink drastically.
• Did I mention their store brand packaged food items taste really good? 

OK, just so you know...HEB didn't give me anything to write this.  I just saw the giveaway on another blog decided to pass it on.  That one sentence looked kinda lonely and I really do love HEB so I thought I'd post a little review while I was at it.