Voting is a right guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution.
Why, then, are Republican in numerous states enacting laws that make voting harder?
Simple answer: Because they don’t like voting trends in certain states that go against GOP-backed policies, candidates and philosophies.
Republicans don’t like no-excuse mail-in ballots; in various states they want to eliminate drop-box voting; one state even made it against the law for folks waiting in line (sometimes for hours) to be given good or water.
The evidence is clear: Republicans in political jobs will do whatever it takes to curtail the vote totals of minority voters, which tend to lean to Democratic candidates and platforms.
It is not right; it is political partisan expedient.
Leaders are needed to support removing more barriers to voting, not trying to silence the people.
Shoot, I want every eligible citizen to vote to the point that I would not be against a law to set up a million-dollar lottery in every state with the winner being someone who took the time to vote. Let’s encourage everyone to vote, not try and figure out ways to suppress vote totals via partisan legislation.
Bottom line: Restricting the avenues for citizens to cast a legal ballot is unAmerican.
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FORMER MARSHALL MAYOR ED SMITH ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR THE OFFICE OF HARRISON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN
Former Marshall Mayor, Ed Smith, is announcing his campaign for Chairman of the Republican Party of Harrison County, Texas. Smith, an independent oil and gas producer and businessman, is known for his commitment to public service in East Texas, having served six terms as mayor and city commissioner of Marshall, and for his service on numerous boards, including appointments by Governor Rick Perry to the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority, and Future Gen Committee. He also has served on the I-69 Alliance Board of Directors, and East Texas Council of Governments. Throughout his public service career, Smith has been an advocate for East Texas citizens and taxpayers advocating for limited government and limited government spending, maintaining low utility rates in East Texas, and his stance on pro-life and second amendment rights. Chairman of the Harrison County Republican Party – is a volunteer position which entails organizing and leading the local party, overseeing county elections, candidate filings, and precinct and county conventions.
Smith enters the race at the prodding of local party officials who believe there is too much divisiveness in a stagnant Harrison County Republican Party.
Ed Smith says “I want to unify and grow the party, to bring people together to actually look for solutions and fight for good policies.” Smith learned the importance of service while he was a young man watching his dad serve as Chairman of the Harrison County Republican Party and as a Republican District Judge. Smith is quick to point out that he is a Reagan Republican and affirms Reagan’s famous quote – “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally – not a 20 percent traitor.” Smith promises to bring transparency back into local party meetings and finances. As Mayor, Smith was known for his commitment to transparency in contracting, conservative budgeting practices and public access to meetings
As a 6th generation Texan, a lifelong resident of Harrison County, an active Republican all the way back to High School and College organizations, a campaign worker, a delegate to the state and national Republican Conventions, Ed Smith has a proven record of community service, commitment and success.
“While others have diminished the party through subtraction and division, we can grow the party by addition and multiplication.”
A more complete bio of his broad-based experience and fight for Harrison County residents can be found on Facebook @EdSmithMarshallTexas
Patriotic Americans, real Americans, ALL citizens who love this country and believe in the Constitution as a living document, should be four-square in favor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
Creating rules simply to make voting by eligible citizens harder is, simply, un-American.
Passing laws and/or reforming voting district boundaries to make it harder for people to vote, or to render their vote ineffective, is a slap in the face of any attempt to have an honest, ethical government.
Yet, here we are: One party, unhappy with the recent voting trends, are changing the rules and making it harder for so-called opponents of their policies and programs to have an honest say-so at the ballot box.
If American political leaders truly believed in “equality under the law”, they would hold hands and pledge to create a system which encouraged a safe and easy way for every eligible citizen to vote … easy, with convenience, just not ”often”.
Voting is a right of all eligible Americans. Nothing — NOTHING — should ever be considered to create a hardship to excising that basic right.
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It’s been a year since Joe Biden took the oath of office to become the 46th president of the United States.
It has been a horrendous year for the president, the nation, the world.
Covid won’t retreat. Russia is rattling sabers. The Democrats Party is strangling itself with internal conflict. The GOP is manipulating the absolute right to vote for every citizen. Vice President Kamala Harris is AWOL and most people could care less. Biden’s cornerstone policy changes in voter registration and laws, and filibuster reform seem to be spectral fantasies.
Inflation is whooooo-high: Gas prices climbing; a single tamale at a taqueria can run $3.25; you can see the back of an abundance of grocery shelves; prices across the board continue to climb.
It is a sucker bet that the Republicans will regain control of Congress at November’s midterm elections.
To put it succinctly: President Biden is a lame duck president with 1,095.75 days left in his presidency.
It is not an overstatement that our democracy is in peril. The most divided national populous in 160-plus years is simmering and seems ready to implode.
The causes are apparent: Stress over the pandemic, an inept administration which displayed great promise and vision but had no viable game plan to execute necessary strategy; a worn-out leader who could not hark back to his younger days and build fences; cabinet members with bad public policy ideas, inexperience in their bureaucratic arena of interest…or both; partisan politicos of both parties more interested in personal programs and maintaining power than in ensuring the future of America.
Bottom line: Same old, same old. The only thing certain is this downward spiral of democracy that what we are experiencing today will get worse before it gets better.
And, here’s hoping that better days are ahead. Because what we, as individuals, as a nation, as a global community, are going through now quite simply … sucks.
For positive change to occur, the words and actions of calm patriots must prevail and our leaders must embrace the true ideals of democracy.
All the average citizen can do at this point is pray.
Prayer can’t hurt at a time when the United States needs a true and lasting miracle.
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Inside the Nation’s Largest Guaranteed Income Experiment
Editor’s note: Ten years ago I would have thought this is a really dumb ideal. Today I am not so sure. Robotics is why I have changed my mind. For example, within 10 year autonomous drive trucks will be in common use.Experts say as many as 800,000 truck drivers could be impacted. The country could be running out of jobs.
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One evening in early June, Leo and his family were able to enjoy a treat they hadn’t experienced in months: a sit-down meal at a restaurant.
At a fried chicken chain in a Compton, California strip mall, they splurged on a few plates of fried rice, each costing under $13.99. The money Leo, 39, makes as a mechanic never seems to satisfy the deluge of bills that pile up on his kitchen counter each month, so the modest meal felt like a luxury. “It made me very happy,” Leo says in Spanish through an interpreter.
The family was only able to afford the meal because Leo is part of a groundbreaking guaranteed income experiment in his city called the Compton Pledge. In regular installments between late 2020 and the end of 2022, Leo and 799 other individuals are receiving up to $7,200 annually to spend however they like. Leo, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala who TIME has agreed to refer to by a pseudonym to protect his identity, receives quarterly payments of $900.
The organization running Compton Pledge, called the Fund for Guaranteed Income, is building the technological infrastructure necessary to distribute cash payments on a broad scale and has partnered with an independent research group to study the extent to which a minimum income floor can lift families like Leo’s out of poverty. The pilot, which distributes money derived from private donors, is not just about giving people the ability to buy small indulgences. It’s testing whether giving poor families a financial cushion can have a demonstrable impact on their physical and psychological health, job prospects and communities. And perhaps the biggest question of all: Can these cash infusions transcend their status as a small research project in progressive Los Angeles and someday work as a nationwide program funded by taxpayers?
The theory is gaining momentum in the U.S. Six years ago, there were no programs distributing and studying the effects of providing swaths of Americans no-strings-attached cash, according to Stanford’s Basic Income Lab, an academic hub tracking such programs. But now, pilot programs are taking place in roughly 20 cities around the country, from St. Paul, Minnesota to Paterson, New Jersey, with Compton’s exercise serving as the nation’s largest city-based experiment in terms of number of people served. Most of the programs are philanthropically funded—including Compton’s—and distribute different amounts of money to targeted populations, from Black pregnant women to former foster children to single parents. These laboratories for wealth redistribution all have one thing in common: they give some of society’s poorest and most marginalized people cold-hard cash, and then let them spend it however they want.
On Thursday, US District Court Judge George O’Toole Jr. approved a request by federal prosecutors in Massachusetts to seize funds belonging to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the convicted Boston Marathon bomber. The money, which had accumulated in his prison canteen account, is to be turned over to the court by the Bureau of Prisons and used to pay down some of the $101.1 million that Tsarnaev owes in restitution to his victims and court fees.
Most of the money in Tsarnaev’s account had apparently been gifted to him by private individuals. It is hard to comprehend how anyone could wish to shower money on the unrepentant terrorist, whose bombs killed three innocent bystanders at the Marathon finish line and maimed more than 260 others. (Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan were also responsible for the death of two police officers during the manhunt that followed the bombing.) But here is something even harder to make sense of: A fair-sized chunk of Tsarnaev’s money came from the government of the United States.
As Nathaniel Mendell, the acting US attorney for Massachusetts, pointed out in his request that the funds be turned over, Tsarnaev received a $1,400 COVID-19 relief payment in June as part of the $1.9 trillion “stimulus” package passed by Congress on party-line votes last March.
This wasn’t a surprise, given what had happened with the 2020 CARES Act, which had authorized payments of up to $1,200 per person earlier in the pandemic. The Internal Revenue Service withheld those payments from prisoners, citing the Social Security Act, which restricts government payments to criminals behind bars. But a federal judge, ruling in a class-action lawsuit brought by prison advocates, came down against the IRS and ordered the 2020 payments to be sent to inmates.
Amtrak and freight railway company, Canadian Pacific, announce CP’s formalized agreement to supportexpanded passenger rail routes in the Midwest and South
Amtrak and the freight railway company, Canadian Pacific (CP), announced this past week, on January 6, that the two transportation entities had reached an agreement formalizing Canadian Pacific’s support of Amtrak’s expansion of passenger rail service in the Midwest and the South.
In the announcement, Amtrak President Stephen J. Gardner said, “Given CP’s consistent record as an Amtrak host, we support CP’s proposal to expand its network. This is exactly what Congress and the Administration are seeking: Amtrak and the freight railroads working together to benefit freight customers, Amtrak passengers, our state/regional partners and the general public.”
This announcement also conveyed that the agreement included Amtrak’s support for the proposed combination of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railways. Merger negotiations between KCS and CP began in March of 2021.
The announcement by Amtrak and CP was very welcomed news to passenger rail advocacy organizations throughout the nation, including the I-20 Corridor Council.
The I-20 Corridor Council is a non-profit grassroots advocacy organization and multi-state coalition, comprised of mayors, judges, elected officials and other stakeholders along the I-20 Corridor, which has been working consistently for more than 15 years to establish the East-West long-distance passenger rail connection between Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta, Georgia. This route would also connect to the East Coast, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
The announcement also stated: “Subject to CP’s application for control of KCS being approved by the STB (Surface Transportation Board), the agreement also includes CP’s commitment to support Amtrak efforts to work with the Southern Rail Commission (SRC) and others for the first service in more than 50 years on two U.S. routes.”
The two passenger rail routes referenced in the announcement in this regard, which would involve track owned by CP, are Amtrak service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and to study the potential for Amtrak service between Meridian, Miss., and Dallas, which is the proposed I-20 Corridor passenger rail route.
Former Texas State Senator and former Harrison County Judge Richard Anderson is the chairman of the I-20 Corridor Council and shared the following comments:
“The I-20 Corridor Council and all who have been working with great devotion to re-establish this important East-West passenger rail connection across the southeastern region of our nation are very pleased and grateful for the positive steps that Amtrak and Canadian Pacific have announced. We look forward to continued progress in this regard as we continue to work toward making the I-20 Corridor long distance passenger rail connection a reality for the great benefit of our Southern region and nation.”
In addition to thanking Amtrak, CP, and the members of the multi-state I-20 Corridor coalition, Anderson also thanked fellow passenger rail advocacy organizations, as well as governmental and quasi-governmental entities, who also support the proposed I-20 Corridor rail route.
These entities in support of the I-20 Corridor route include the Southern Rail Commission (SRC), Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization (TEMPO), North Central Texas Council of Governments, East Texas Council of Governments, North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA), Coordinating & Development Corporation, Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments, North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Rail Passengers Association, Texas Rail Advocates, and others.
Judge Anderson also shared his deep appreciation for his former Texas Senate colleague, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, who, since 1993, has represented the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which includes southern Dallas. Representative Johnson also serves as a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Judge Anderson stated: “Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has provided outstanding leadership in transportation throughout her impressive career in Congress and in public service. We appreciate her leadership and strong support and assistance in working with us to establish the I-20 Corridor passenger rail route.”
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson added: “I am pleased that Canadian Pacific Railway has announced that they are receptive to supporting Amtrak’s expansion of passenger rail service in the Midwest and the South. Along with the I-20 Corridor Council and the North Central Texas Council of Governments, I will continue to work steadfastly to bring to fruition an Amtrak passenger rail line that, once complete, will provide rail service from Dallas to Atlanta.”
Judge Anderson also stated that, with the passage of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the I-20 Corridor passenger rail project could provide an excellent return on investment. That’s because it would requirea comparatively small fraction of a percent of what will be needed for this project from the $16 billion which the IIJA has designated for long-distance passenger rail.
This once-in-a-generation legislation was passed by Congress then signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021.
Judge Anderson explained: “The feasibility and capacity studies on the I-20 Corridor route, which have already been completed by Amtrak, TXDOT, and others using the $738,000 in grant funding that the Corridor Council obtained, with the assistance of former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, determined that the I-20 Corridor route would be economically viable on existing track without an annual subsidy. It also determined that capacity could be increased, such as additional sidings, for a relatively low cost and in a relatively short period of time. Plus, this new passenger rail service should not adversely affect freight traffic.”
Judge Anderson concluded: “Again, we appreciate these positive steps announced by Amtrak and CP for the routes in the Midwest and South. Plus, in rural Amtrak-served communities, such as Marshall and Longview, we always appreciate the strong partnership with Amtrak.”
He went on to share: “We look forward to continued progress ahead not only in collaborating to establish the important I-20 Corridor route but also strengthening the Texas Eagle route to its full pre-pandemic capacity and strengthening Amtrak’s National Network.”
“In this way, we can continue to increase connectivity between our rural and urban communities throughout the United States and bring increased benefits to the American people with regard to transportation, economic development, quality of life, and many other benefits.”
“In effect … you gotta go to the streets and be as violent as antifa” and Black Lives Matter, the Texas Republican said on Newsmax days before the Jan. 6 riot.
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Days before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, an assessment by U.S. Capitol Police analysts highlighted heated remarks by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) as potentially encouraging violence over Donald Trump’s presidential election defeat, Politico reported.
The analysts noted in a Jan. 3, 2021, report obtained by Politico that Gohmert said on “pro-Trump news network Newsmax” two days earlier that “letting the will of the voters stand would ‘mean the end of our republic, the end of the experiment in self-government.’”
He then “seemed to encourage violence as a means to this end,” the intelligence report noted, according to Politico.
“Bottom line is, the court is saying, ‘We’re not going to touch this,’” said Gohmert, referring to his failed suit to challenge the 2020 presidential election results, which Trump claimed were rigged. “You have no remedy ― basically, in effect, the ruling would be that you gotta go to the streets and be as violent” as antifa, the catch-all name given to anti-fascist counterprotesters, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
My wife’s New Year’s resolution is — EastTexasExposed.com and iExposed.us will post more animal photographs in 2022. This means I will be keeping her resolution or … Stop! I do not want to go there. Therefore.
The Editor of the publications EastTexasExposed.com and iExposed.us is proud to announce — MORE ANIMAL PHOTOS IN THE PUBLICATIONS FUTURE.
Here is the down payment.
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The GOP has a duty to condemn the riot and those who refuse to acknowledge it.
By Carl Rove
We’re in an acrimonious period of partisan tribalism and have been for some time. Both parties are guilty of overwrought denunciations of their political opponents. My criticisms are often aimed at Democrats; on the anniversary of Jan. 6, I’m addressing squarely those Republicans who for a year have excused the actions of the rioters who stormed the Capitol, disrupted Congress as it received the Electoral College’s results, and violently attempted to overturn the election.
These apologists say those who stormed the Capitol were innocent patriots, tourists visiting the seat of the national government to petition their elected representatives peacefully. We’re told that these harmless, ordinary Americans are being persecuted as political prisoners.
Let’s stipulate that while the thousands who went to the Capitol a year ago were wrong to insist the election was stolen, most weren’t violent as they exercised their First Amendment rights to gather peacefully on the Mall—just as I had seen liberals gather to protest both inaugurations of President George W. Bush.
But last year there were several thousand protesters willing to use force to disrupt Congress in its constitutional duty to receive and certify the electoral vote. Some went to Washington with that purpose in mind. Others were swept up in the moment’s savagery, led astray by stronger wills with dangerous motives.
The leaders of this group were intent on committing violence, some having planned to do so for weeks. Many wore tactical gear. Some came armed with chemical agents, flagpoles, batons and sticks. They broke through barricades and assaulted approximately 140 police officers, in some cases with an officer’s own shield or gear. They smashed doors and windows, illegally entered the Capitol, ransacked offices and searched for leaders of Congress, and made dire threats about what would happen if they found them.
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