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VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011
Bowie County Blade
Cutting through to the truth.
KEN’S KOMMENTS
Thoughts of Ken Autry, Bowie County Republican Party Chairman
Our Chairman had an article in the New Boston Tribune addressing the Republican victories in the November election and the challenges facing those elected:
1. Be aware of the responsibility to be accountable to the people 2. Fulfill the Republican lawmakers pledge to find a way to balance
the budget without new taxes. 3. Bowie County water issues 4. Assure support for the new A&M four-year college 5. Stay informed and active on 2nd Amendment issues 6. Get to work on the problems and be responsive to the people.
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From: Jan Lavender [mailto:[email protected]] Hi Friends! Just wanted to share these pics with all of you. Please keep George and his staff in your prayers!
The first pic is of him and his staff—the guy that looks like Jacob is Matt Ashley, then Andrea Williams McCoy, then Ben Pollock—then George!
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Bowie County Judge Sterling Lacy recently completed a week-long series of studies at the University of Texas attended by 180 newly elected county judges and commissioners. "These professional studies are vital to bringing rookie elected officials quickly up-to-date to handle the full slate of complex duties that fall to the
VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011
Commissioners Court under Texas law," Lacy states. "There's no room for trial and error approaches. We have to hit the road running from day one. Conferences like this one are essential." The conference was co-sponsored by the LBJ School for Public Affairs and the Texas Association of Counties. Included in the program were 26 sessions on administrative issues like Health and Human Services, Property Taxes, Emergency Management, Elections, Budgeting, Jails, etc. Judge Lacy's schooling on judicial responsibilities started January 24th at Texas Tech's School of Law in Lubbock.
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View from the Texarkana Court of Appeals
THANK YOU. I am grateful for the honor of serving the good folks of northeast Texas as Chief Justice of Texas' Sixth Court of Appeals, headquartered in Texarkana and serving 19 counties as our primary service area. I have had the privilege of serving in this office since June 2002. In November 2010—thanks largely to the Republicans of Bowie County for their overwhelming (82.5% of the GOP vote and the third largest county GOP vote in our 19-‐county district!) vote for me in the March GOP Primary—Northeast Texans voted to rehire me for another 6-‐year term (through 2016). Thank you for placing your trust in me! I pledge to keep doing my utmost to merit your trust and providing the highest quality, impartial, responsible, honest, prompt, and economical justice possible, for all Texans.
COURT FUNCTIONING WELL. The Court is in good shape with a great team of public servants in place. I'm honored to work with colleagues, Justice Jack Carter (Texarkana) and Justice Bailey Moseley (Marshall), along with an excellent staff of attorneys and others. Your Sixth Court consistently ranks among the most prompt of the 14 Courts of Appeals distributed around Texas, and also consistently ranks among those with the lowest case backlog. In three of the last five years, we've had the shortest time (among those 14 "sister" courts) from the filing of an appeal to the time we issue our opinion deciding that appeal. (In the other years, we were either second or close to the top!) More importantly, we decide cases based on the law and the facts, impartially, not based on any social or personal agenda. We practice judicial restraint, like judges should, and like most, do in the Texas state court system. I believe our reputation bears out those claims.
BUDGET CONCERNS. For the next biennial budget, to be decided between now and May, authorities are expecting a very large expected shortfall in the state budget, in the range of $15B, that must be closed in the final budget passed by the Legislature this spring. Our court is a key part of the judicial branch of Texas state government, which provides the core governmental function of resolving disputes
VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011
and administering justice so that an orderly society can exist and function. We run on a relatively spare budget, over 90% of which goes to pay people who work on our team. So, cuts would hurt our ability to efficiently provide that core governmental function of justice and would also delay needed projects to assure our delivery of services to the people of Texas. We are grateful to have a good group of Republicans in the Texas Legislature, who will apply good business practices to fund essential services to the people of Texas.
Josh Morriss, Chief Justice
Texas Sixth District Court of Appeals (Texarkana)
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From Pat McCoy
January 18, 2011
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ & JUDGES ATTEND THE NEWLY ELECTED JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS SEMINAR
AUSTIN TX – County Commissioner Pat McCoy joined over 180 newly elected judges and commissioners for the Newly Elected Judges and Commissioners Seminar, which is part on of the Commissioners Court Advanced Curriculum certification, on January 11 through January 14, 2011.
McCoy said, “Continuing education is an essential ingredient to effective management and leadership. I was truly impressed with the training offered. From basic administrative matters to effective tax rate calculation and budgeting, the training will be a tremendous help to me.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Lyndon B. Johnson School for Public Affairs and the Texas Association of Counties. The LBJ School offers professional development programs that serve the development needs of elected and appointed officials in all levels of government.
Commissioners court members who attended all of the sessions during the conference received 20 hours of credit. Included in the program were sessions on Health and Human Services, Property Tax issues, County roads as well as
VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011
Emergency Management Issues. The program also provided an opportunity for newly elected judges and commissioners to get advice from their peers.
Contact Information: Bowie County Pct. 4 801 S. Hwy 8, New Boston TX 903.628.2279 [email protected]
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Natalie Nichols in action Our new Bowie County Clerk, Natalie Nichols wasted no time in digging into her plans to modernize and update the County Clerk’s functions to better serve the public. As reported in Texarkana Gazette articles by Paige Alexander, Nichols addressed two areas:
1. A long standing practice of allowing various entities to run accounts to accumulate fees for real estate filings and licensing
2. A Website to allow citizens ready access to county records, including scheduled meetings.
The practice of allowing private organizations to run a tab was called into
question since that was not defined in existing rules. The County Clerk’s office will no longer maintain such accounts.
The Website, bowiecountyclerk.com is available through the county clerk link in the official Bowie County website co.bowie.tx.us
Nichols says people who work may not be able to drive to New Boston to look at the official notices of meetings and property sales, etc. The Website will provide 24/7 access.
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Nine Texas Democrats switch to the GOP The not at all slow death of the Texas Democratic Party continues. I’ve just gotten word
via press release that nine local Democrats up in northeast Texas just switched parties to become Republicans. From the release:
VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011
In what is believed to be one of the largest number of officeholders to change party affiliation in Texas, Lamar County GOP Chairman John Kruntorad and State Representative Erwin Cain announced today that 9 local elected Democrats have joined the Republican Party. This announcement follows unprecedented election gains by the GOP in 2008 and 2010 as Northeast Texans increasingly identify with the conservative platform of the Republican Party.
Those joining the Republican Party include District Attorney Gary Young; Pct. 1 County Commissioner Lawrence Mallone; Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace (JP) Don Denison; Pct. 3 JP Tim Risinger; Pct. 4 JP Ken Ruthart; Pct. 5, Place 1 JP Cindy Ruthart; Pct. 1 Constable Madaline Chance; Pct. 3 Constable Larry Cope; and Pct. 5 Constable Gene Hobbs.
They join a few dozen who switched from D to R in Texas leading up to the 2010 elections, and the two state Reps. who switched parties after the elections (bringing the total of state Reps. switching from D to R, to three). And today’s group of switchers is jumping ship in an area that has been considered yellow dog Democrat for generations.
Update: Jim Geraghty – “To the credit of Texas Democrats, they still have dozens and dozens of local lawmakers who haven’t flipped parties yet.” Circle that last word.
Update: In case you’re wondering where Lamar County is, it’s up in Texas’ northeast corner. The county seat is Paris, TX which, yes, has its own version of the Eiffel Tower. And has a movie named after it.
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QUOTE OF THE CENTURY, MAYBE EVEN THE MILLENIUM
Some people have the vocabulary to sum up things in a way you can understand them. This quote came from the Czech Republic . Someone over there has it figured out. We have a lot of work.
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."
VOL 1. NO. 2 A publication of the Bowie County Republican Party February 1, 2011
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