Early Voting! Go-go-go vote :)

Not sure what or who is on the ballot?


Think there's no point to the Primary Election on May 29th?


Did you know there are referendums on the ballot about gambling, funding for colleges, and amnesty for the undocumented?


Learn more about the candidates and the positions they're running for by clicking on 2012 Primary Election Voter's Guide.


View a sample Travis County ballot by going to the Travis County Elections site.


And don't forget the May 12th Joint General and Special Elections! Click 'sample ballot' to view your choices before you head out to the polls.

Mission Possible

President visits UT!

Check out this video of the President's visit to our great city!




One of our wonderful Precinct 463 neighbors took pictures of the President's motorcade. Okay, quick disclaimer, the neighbor is my sweet honey. More of his photos can be found on Flickr ...look for Colorado Steve.

Post-convention news

The Brief: Top Texas News for Jun 28, 2010

by David Muto, The Texas Tribune
June 28, 2010

THE BIG CONVERSATION:

Texas Democrats made a stand this weekend — with tongues planted firmly in cheek.

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Whiteset the state Democratic convention ablaze on Friday night, capping off a rare week of political fortune for the party, which saw the White campaign digging in its heels on political messaging at the same time that Republicans nationwide were pushing back against ApologyGate and a poll showed White and Gov. Rick Perry in a virtual tie.

But at an otherwise fairly low-drama event — in contrast to the Republican convention two weeks ago at which internal strife over the party chairmanship dominated the conversation — Democrats compensated by amping up the shenanigans while taking direct aim at Perry: The double-wide trailer that the AFL-CIO offered to Perry made an appearance, as did "Perry's kill coyote beef" (hopefully not actually coyote) and copious amounts of snark, seen in a number of videos bashing the governor (and at one point comparing him to a certain TV villain also, incidentally, associated with cheerleading). Here's a taste:

And, yes, the chicken suit made an appearance, too. (Revisit all the action on the Tribune's liveblog, where reporters Brandi Grissom, Reeve Hamilton and Ben Philpott saw it all — including multiple chicken sightings, in fact — firsthand.)

But the party did take time to address more serious issues, including the "Texas two-step" primary/caucus voting system, which it voted to retain, and the party chairmanship, which expectedly went to incumbent Boyd Richie.

Though, as with any convention, the takeaway is the party's tweaking of the political narrative. And as The Dallas Morning News' Wayne Slaternotes, the story now goes something like this:

For the GOP: Washington is the problem, Bill White is Washington, Bill White is the problem.

For Democrats: Austin is the problem. Rick Perry is Austin. Rick Perry is the problem.

Not bad odds for Democrats, then, it would seem. But in a post-convention daze and with the political winds perhaps only briefly at their backs, do they have what it takes to win?

CULLED:

• Former Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr., a rancher with a storied political and personal history, died Sunday at 87.

• Bill White wasn't the only rock star at the Democratic convention this weekend.

"Imagine what it will be like to actually have a governor who understands public policy." — Newly re-elected Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie

MUST READ:

Dallas County is point man for Democrats — The Dallas Morning News

Texas Democrats seeing a generational shift — Fort Worth Star-Telegram

FBI Investigating Possible DSHS Hacker — The Texas Tribune

More public money used to attract big events to Texas — Austin American-Statesman

Small-business tax break expiring — San Antonio Express-News

Hearings into border deaths sought — El Paso Times

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://trib.it/bv5eba.

More about the State Democratic Convention

For all of you who were unable to attend this past Sunday's meeting, here's a brief convention overview from www.txdemocrats.org (via a TCDP email):

Thursday, June 24th:

o At 7:00pm, there is a Kickoff Reception at the Texas State Aquarium, which is very near the Convention Center. This event is an opportunity for Delegates, Alternates, elected officials, and guests to relax, socialize and enjoy our host city before we start the business of the Convention on Friday. This event does not require your attendance but it’s always fun, and this year includes a Silent Auction and a Dolphin Show.

Friday, June 25th: This is the first “main” day of Convention activity.

o The credentials booths will open at 8:00am in Exhibit Hall B. To pick up your credential, you will need an ID such as a driver’s license or any other form of ID prescribed by the Secretary of State.

o From 9:00am-5:00pm on Friday and Saturday, vendors will display their merchandise in Exhibit Hall A (next to the credentials registration). Vendors sell a wide variety of items including jewelry, clothing, political memorabilia, while some booths are informational like those for candidates or organizations.

o From 9:00am-3:00pm, Issue Caucuses and meetings will be taking place at the American Bank Center. These caucuses are an opportunity for like-minded Delegates* to meet and discuss issues they may want to pursue.

o From 3:00-5:00pm, the Senate District caucuses will take place at the American Bank Center, the Omni Bayfront, and the Omni Marina hotels. These meetings are required by the Rules of the Texas Democratic Party. At this meeting, you and your fellow Delegates will nominate your representatives to the permanent committees of the Convention: Credentials, Rules, Resolutions, Nominations, and Platform, as well as choosing your SDEC members.

SD-14 will caucus in the Bayview Ballroom A on the 2^nd Floor of the American Bank Center.

SD-25 will caucus in the Corpus Christi Ballroom B on the 3^rd floor of the Omni Bayfront.

o At 6:00pm, the Convention is called to order. For the next few hours, all Delegates will participate in some of the required duties of our Party. These activities include: opening ceremonies, electing the Permanent Chair for the Convention and a few other items specified in the Rules of the TDP. We will also hear from our gubernatorial candidate, Bill White. When you go into the Arena, look for your Senate District number signs to find your seating.

o After the Convention breaks for the evening, you should make plans to head to the main Convention hotel, the Omni Bayfront, and attend some free receptions to be held by different groups and individuals.

Saturday, June 26th:

o At 8:30am, the Lady Bird Johnson Breakfast will be held at the American Bank Center. This event will feature Andrea White, wife of Mayor Bill White. This event is always fun and it’s another way to help support the TDP as we aim to host a successful Convention.

o At 9:30am, there will be trainings hosted by the TDP and other organizations in an effort to help educate Delegates on a range of topics including: grassroots organizing, social media, and the VAN (Voter Action Network) to name a few.

o At 11:00am, the Convention will be called back to order. During this session you and your fellow Delegates will have the opportunity to hear from all of our excellent statewide candidates. Elections will also be held for TDP officers for 2010-2012. In addition there are resolutions to be read and voted on as well as Rules changes and more. We anticipate Convention will be over around 5:00pm.

Information about Housing in Corpus Christi may be found Here.

Map of Corpus Christi and Map of the Convention Center

You may contact the TDP Convention Staff at 478-9800 with any questions.

CEC Meeting at 6 PM, May 26th

Want to know what's going on with Travis County Democratic Party precinct chairs? Attend this Wednesday's CEC meeting at 6 PM!

Travis County Democratic Party

County Executive Committee Meeting

May 26, 2010 6:00PM

AFL/CIO 1106 Lavaca St

And don't forget about this summer's State Convention! Visit the Texas Democratic Party online for all the dets, including lodging accomodations (the convention is in Corpus Christi) and information on how you can volunteer.

New website for TCDP!

When was the last time you visited the Travis County Democratic Party website? Well partner, that's too long! : ) Click on www.traviscountydemocrats.org to view the newly redesigned site!

The new site makes it easier to interact with TCDP activists and find out what about local Democratic Party events and actions!

What else is new? Well...

• "On the Record with Diane Holloway" it's a TCDP blog and if you're like to read via RSS, it's easy to subscribe too!
  
  
• Click on the "People" tab to find Democratic Elected Officials, Democratic candidates and precinct chairs. And you can contact them with a click of a button.
  
  
• If you're not already signed-up, the new website makes it fast and easy to become a Sustaining Member or Finance Council Member.
  

And last but not least, the TCDP calendar is the most up to date and complete listing of all Democratic events in Central Texas, be sure to check it regularly!

Gulf Coast Oil Spill - how to help

It's everywhere you turn ...on the radio, on TV, in the papers, and in conversations at the water cooler. The devastating oil spill occurring in the Gulf of Mexico. Visit www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36947751/ to see a timeline of the events.

You know the tragedy, but what can you do to help?

• Greater New Orleans Foundation - donate to the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.
  
• Visit the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana online.
• Volunteer with the National Audubon Society by filling out their online volunteer form.
  

View this National Wildlife Federation video and go to their website to find out how you can help wildlife impacted by the BP oil spill.

Save a founding father from being erased from history!

Last week the Texas State Board of Education, led by Governor Rick Perry’s appointee for chair, Gail Lowe, voted to remove Thomas Jefferson from social studies textbook standards.

Thomas Jefferson was a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and a world-renowned scholar who advocated democratic, limited government. He was deleted from a list of historical figures who inspired political change because Governor Rick Perry provided no leadership or voice for mainstream Texans against people who decided to substitute their political agenda for the judgment of professional historians.

Please join me to send an e-mail to Governor Rick Perry today, telling him it’s time to stop playing political games with our kids future.

http://action.billwhitefortexas.com/SBOE

Thanks.

Asleep at the Wheel?

The Travis County Democratic Convention, March 20th at the Palmer Events Center on Auditorium Shores, will have music to go with all the political business --including, nine-time Grammy Award-winning "Asleep at the Wheel."After the convention, feel free to stay in the area and see more live music at the free SXSW concert on Auditorium Shores.

The County Convention is open to the public and lots of Travis County Democrats will come and be inspired by the music, the exciting speakers and the promise of victory in November. The program will include a rousing Clean Energy Rally, with special appearances by State Senator Kirk Watson and Mayor Lee Leffingwell, as well as our Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Travis County Delegation of State Representatives Elliott Naishtat, Dawnna Dukes, Eddie Rodriguez, Mark Strama, Donna Howard and Valinda Bolton, as well as other invited special guests. We’ll also have a special photo booth so you can commemorate your time with friends and elected officials at the convention.

Registration for the County Convention is from 8am to 9am on March 20.

P.S. – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for the Convention! CALL the Travis County Democratic Party Office: 477-7500

2010 Precinct 463 Convention on 3/2/10

In 2008, precincts across the state were flooded with concerned citizens who wanted to ensure their voices were heard loud and clear. It didn't hurt that 1) it was a presidential primary and 2) the "Texas Two-Step" was publicized wide and far. This year it was a Gubernatorial primary but there was far less public outreach done so that voters knew to participate in the precinct convention.

After the polls closed last night, five voters from Precinct 463 participated in the 2010 Precinct 463 Convention.

But all is not lost!

Our precinct passed five resolutions that will be forwarded to the county party! I'll scan and post those resolutions on our precinct website by tonight. We also chose 3 delegates who will represent out precinct at the County Convention on March 20, 2010 at the Palmer Events Center.


View Larger Map

Didn't get to attend your precinct's convention?

Still interested in representing your precinct at the County Convention later this month, and possibly at the State Convention later this year?

Well, come on by (see map above) on March 20th at 10 AM! There will be live music, food, and lots of fellow Travis County voters who want to be a part of shaping our community and state! :)

For details call the Travis County Democratic Party at 512/477-7500. As more information becomes available, I'll provide updates! For those of you chosen to be delegates for our precinct, I'll contact you directly.

P.S. We actually have 50 (yes, 50) more delegate positions open for our precinct. Soooo, come by on the 20th and help us rep our precinct! :)

And if you follow this blog but belong to another precinct, contact your precinct's chair or the Travis County Democratic Party to find out how many delegate or alternate delegate positions your precinct has vacant.

Early Voting: Tuesday, February 16th!

Early voting starts tomorrow -2/16/2010! Here are just some of the early polling locations you can go to. Polling times: Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM and Sunday from Noon to 6 PM.

• * HEB South Congress - 2400 S. Congress - temp building
• * Randalls on Ben White & Manchaca - 2025 W. Ben White
• * Dan Ruiz Public Library - 1600 Grove Blvd.
• * Fiesta Mart Stassney - 5510 S. IH-35
• * Randalls South Mopac & William Cannon - 6600 South Mopac
  
• * Randalls Brodie & Slaughter - 9911 Brodie Lane
  

After you vote on Tuesday, join fellow Democrats for an Early Vote Kickoff Rally at Scholz Garten. This event is sponsored by the Travis County Democratic Party, AFL-CIO and Texans for Obama.

Featured speakers will be Rep. Mark Strama and Rep. Eddie Rodriguez. These two central Texas leaders have been fighting on behalf of middle class families, and we're lucky to have them representing us at the Capitol.

Early Vote Kickoff Rally

Tuesday, February 16

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Scholz Garten

1607 San Jacinto Blvd

Austin, TX 78701

Click here to RSVP

Vote Rebecca for District 5!

Closing out this blog is a statement from Dr. Bell-Metereau herself.

Want to know more about State Board of Education District 5 -like which counties it encompasses, how many ISDs are included, or more reasons to ensure the reign of idiologues on the SBOE ends with voting for Rebecca? Visit www.voterebecca.com/about-district-5

=============================
Rebecca: The One Democrat Who Can Win In November

Award-Winning Educator, Active Community Leader, Dedicated Wife and Mother
Dr. Bell-Metereau has won praise and honors time and time again for her outstanding work in the classroom at Texas State University, where she is Professor of English and Film. She is the only career educator in the primary contest, and her highly distinguished record of educational leadership, along with her public standing in the district, has no match in this race. In short, hers is the only campaign with the serious credentials and seriously broad support that will be necessary to defeat the far-right Republican machine.

Rebecca taught English and American studies in the Peace Corps and served as an interpreter for U.S. Air Force relief flights in Chad. She was a Fulbright scholar and teacher in Senegal. In San Marcos, she served as Planning and Zoning Commissioner, sat on the Solid Waste and Blue Ribbon Bond Commissions, represented her Neighborhood Council, and was her Homeowners Association President.

Committed to Academic Excellence

• Presidential Award for Excellence in Service
• Faculty Senate Distinguished Teaching Award
• Special Asst. to the President of Texas St. U for 1^st-year retention and high school transition
• Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence

=================

Statement from Dr. Rebecca Bell-Metereau for State Board of Education
Texas ranks number one in high-school dropouts, and our State Board of Education isn’t helping. Instead of being leaders in improving public education, they’re busy tearing it down.

Incumbent extremist Ken Mercer’s record includes dumbed-down textbooks, disrespect for teachers, a public endowment placed in the care of cronies, and a curriculum intruding on private matters of belief. Enough is enough!

As a mother of two graduates of Texas public schools and a long-time educator at Texas State University, I want to take our public schools back. Texas students need to learn the most advanced science, technology, literature, and social studies.

The more we learn about what is happening on the Board, the more we see the urgent need for change.

I would appreciate your vote, your donations and your help asking others to vote for me in the Democratic primary, March 2^n,d and the General Election on November 2^nd.

-Dr. Rebecca Bell-Metereau

On the radar: Texas' March Primary

The March primary is a little over a month away! If you know someone who wants to vote but hasn't registered, February 1, 2010 is the last day to take care of business.

Tuesday March 2, 2010 -- Joint Primary Election

• Voter Registration Deadline: Mon., Feb. 1, 2010
• Early In-person Voting Begins: Tues., Feb. 16, 2010
• Early In-person Voting Ends: Fri., Feb. 26, 2010
• Contact Travis County Elections for vote by mail information at 238 VOTE

Click on Precinct Events to the left or view the election calendar on the Texas Democratic Party site for a list of voter & election dates you won't want to forget. Of course, another great resource is our county's election website.

So you haven't heard much about the candidates other than mud slinging between Perry and Hutchinson, or maybe you're not sure why the other offices are up for election matter much. Normally, I could refer you to the Texas League of Women Voters for a nifty voter's guide, but I haven't seen one for the 2010 primaries on their website yet. Nevertheless, you can see a list of all the offices up for election by visiting the Secretary of State. You can also see a sample ballot on the Travis County Clerk website.

Besides the more publicized races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and State Representative offices, we've got to decide which candidates are the best fits for a number of justice positions (e.g. Texas Supreme court, Court of Appeals, District Court, and County Court). A critical 2010 race that hasn't received as much air time is that of the State Board of Education. Next time I'll blog on why the race (I should probably say, races because there are several district SBOE positions open) for SBOE matters and what we can do to take our education system out of the hands of fundamentalists and into the hands of education-first leaders!

Have more questions than answers?
Just click on the link that matches the election/voter topic your interested in.

• Electronic voting
• Ballot by mail
• Military/overseas voters
• Student voters
• Accessibility issues
• Voter education
• Información para votantes

What do napkins & blue lines have to say about health care?

Ck out this SlideShare Presentation

Healthcare Napkins All

View more documents from Dan Roam.

UPDATED: January 13, 2010.

Seriously, Ampersand's blog on how much more the US spends on health care than anyplace else is a must (MUST) read. The following graphic is from National Geographic, but is referenced in the blog. One comment caught my eye, Anne wrote, "I wonder, though, whether the problem is that the US is really two nations; the wealthy, who spend a lot (*) on health care and live a long time, and the poor, who don't spend much and die young."

~Holiday par-tays~

Ah, the holidays. So after Veteran's Day last month, I took a month off from blogging, and wow, has a lot happened since then! Rather than take a look back, let's look ahead to the last few weeks of December 2009!

Holiday Par-tays
How many holiday parties have you been to so far? Well, here's a few more for you to add to your calendar!

• What: Amy Clark Meachum Fundraiser & Children Book Drive
• When: Monday, December 14th from 5 to 6 PM
• Where: The Austin Club, 110 East 9th Street, 3rd Floor
• Why: Amy Clark Meachum has been a long time supporter of children's literacy programs like Reach Out and Read, and Reading is Fundamental, and is a current board member of Booksprings. Amy is running for 353rd Civil District Court, and this event will be a great time to get to know more about her, donate to her campaign and/or donate to the book drive.

• 
• What: H.O.P.E. for the Holidays - Grassroots (casual dress) Gala
  
• When: Tuesday, December 15th from 6 to 8 PM
  
• Where: Jovita's at 1617 South 1st Street
  
• Why: Share some hope for the holidays and join Texans for Obama, Organizing for America, and Travis County Democratic Party for this fun and festive event! Find out more about the event by visiting www.AustinHopeForTheHolidays.com. Pick a gift from the list and bring your wrapped donation in-tow on Tuesday.
  

Last minute holiday gift shopping solution!
It's par for the course for me to do my Christmas shopping two weekends before Christmas. So, I'm right on schedule, because I checked most of the items off my fam & friend gift list today. I picked up toys from Terra Toys and a few gift certificates from local joints. All I need is to figure out what I'm going to wrap or put these gifts in.

If you're running behind and not sure where to find cool, local gifts for your loved ones, then you've got to run over to Lincoln Village and check out this year's Blue Genie Art Bazaar!








Wishing you all a healthy, safe, and joyous holiday season!

Remembering veterans and those still serving

Many of you, like me, have family or friends who are veterans or current servicemen/women. Tomorrow across the state and country, we will remember those who have given their lives in service of their country and honor those who continue to serve.


This mid-week blog comes to you with a brief history about Veterans Day and ideas on how to celebrate.

History
World War I - On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, a temporary cessation of fighting between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect. Officially, the war ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, but "November 11, 1918 is generally regarded as the end of 'the war to end all wars.'" According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, "the original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m."

Parade
Travis County and the City of Austin's Veterans Day Parade will begin at 9 AM tomorrow (11/11/09), culminating with a memorial service at the State Capitol. Visit the City of Austin website for more info.

Flicks
My dad served in the Korean War, and he has told me countless stories of his time in the military. Growing up, I remember watching riveting war movies with him --not just on Veterans Day but just whenever. I have no idea what his favorite war movie is, but IMDB put together a list of the Top Rated! I'm kind of surprised how many movies on that list I've 1) actually watched and 2) really like!

Freebie food
Veterans and active duty military eat free tomorrow...at Applebee's. I tried to find local freebies, but the net wasn't as helpful. If you know of any freebies or special discounts, post 'em here!

So much can happen in a week

From local tragedies to national legislative action so much has happened this week. A brief recap follows.

11/3: Election Results
Just under 4% of registered voters in our precinct cast their ballot in the November election. That's just under the county-wide voter turn out of 5%, but Precinct 307 (just west of Zilker) had a 17% voter turn-out! Wow, way to go PC 307!

Proposition 1 received 48% votes for, and 51% against. All other props passed by a large margin. Click election results for more info.

11/5: Tragedy at Fort Hood
Everyone by now has heard of Thursday's shooting that took 13 lives and wounded 30 at Fort Hood. Many have shown their support of the survivors and their families --donating blood and money. News8 reports on local memorial events scheduled for today and information on where to send donations.

Local memorial events
-- Sunday at 5 PM, at Killeen Civic and Conference Center
-- Monday, A local grassroots organization is asking everyone to drive with their headlights on to honor those directly or indirectly affected.• The Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter of Association of the United States Army has set up a Community Response to 11/5 Fund for anyone wishing to make monetary donations to help support the families of the victims involved in Thursday's shooting at Fort Hood.

Donation Information
--Monetary donations can be sent to the Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter of Association of the United States Army. Send checks to the attention of "Community Response to 11/5, P.O. Box 10700, Killeen, Texas 76547.
-- Barton Creek Square mall goers can pick up $1 wooden rose at Kay's Hallmark. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the families of the victims of Ft. Hood.
-- Donations can also be sent to the Killeen Red Cross at 208 West Ave. A., Killeen, TX 76541.
-- Donations are tax deductible, click on News8 reports for more details.

11/7: Passage of House Health Care Bill
With a vote of 220 yeas and 215 nays, the United States House of Representatives passed the House version of the health care overhaul bill. The bill requires employers to offer health insurance and provide a public health insurance option to compete with for-profit insurance companies. It will reduce the percentage of uninsured Americans from 17% (today) down to 4% by 2019. Most of the a cost of the $1 trillion bill would go to help low- and moderate-income people purchase insurance (subsidies.) Now let's see what the US Senate ultimately churns out!





What will next week hold for us?

No tricks, just treats! 11 reasons to vote on Nov. 3

I was derelict in my blog duties last week, because I had my sights set on Halloween fun! If you happened to stop by yesterday, you'll know I had a smorgasbord of treats: everything from the popular juice box (the choice selection of the night) to stickers, eyeball bubble and parachute toys and the 2nd popular choice of the night Goldfish! I also had Laffy Taffy candies on hand, because it's just not Halloween unless there's some candy!


It was so much fun seeing neighbor kids, teens, and parents dressed in terrifically scary or adorably cuddly (the babies, not the parents) costumes. My honey and I saw a baby lion, lots of princesses and pirates, a marine, classic Marvel Comic Book heroes, and other spooky characters! One of the highlights of the night was a lil' girl, maybe 2'5", who ran across the street lightening fast and enthusiastically shouting, "TRICK OR TREAT! TRICK OR TREAT! TRICK OR TREAT!" She was on a mission!

And though we didn't snap any photos w/the neighbor kids, we did get this photo of me holding down the treat stand.


11 Reasons to Vote on November 3rd
As for Tuesday's election, the 11 reasons to vote are...you guessed it, the 11 amendments to our Constitution. Voting on Tuesday is one way we can shape our State's fundamental principles.

The last Growing Democracy blog briefed you on the ballot, but for more information, visit the Southwest Austin Community Impact article: Constitutional amendments on the Nov. 3 ballot.

November 3rd Polling Location

View Larger Map

I hope everyone had a sweet-filled and safe Halloween weekend.

So easy a caveman can...,well you know

When I woke up this morning (at 2, 3, 4, 5, and finally 6 AM) I was feeling achy, tired, and queasy. In the delirium of the early AM hours, I thought "do I have the flying pig disease?" But as the sun began to shine through the blinds, I was determined to recover fast so I could check out the "How Will You Vote" event facilitated by David Kobierowski, TCDP Precinct 262 Chair and all-around dedicated Dem.

Thankfully, some fresh air, time with my dogs, a couple of over-the-counter meds, and lots of liquids had me feelin' back to 85%.

Constitutional Amendments Decoded












Today's Public Affairs Forum of Austin and League of Women Voters Forum was held at the First Unitarian Universalist Church (off of 47th and Burnet). It started at 11:30 and promptly ended at 12:30 --including 20 minutes of Q&A.

Senator Watson did a fantastic job of translating the propositions and fielding voters' questions. Rather than reinvent the wheel (and, because I'm still feeling under the weather), the following is an edited version of the descriptions from the last week's Watson Wire.

Proposition 1 would permit the Texas Legislature to let cities/counties acquire buffer areas next to military installations. *There're legal nuances to the way cities/counties can acquire such areas.

Proposition 2 makes it clear that Texans' homes can be appraised ONLY as a home. Right now a home could be valued as what it *could* be, say, if it could be turned into an office space -think gentrification.

Proposition 3 strengthens state oversight of a property appraisal board’s practices and procedures. Would reduce wide swinging variation.

Proposition 4 would use money we already have to help existing universities (e.g. University of Houston, Texas Tech, UT-Arlington, UT-El Paso, and others) become "tier-one" public research universities. UT and A&M are tier-one.

Want more info about this prop? The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) explains why the passage of Prop 4 is important for Texas -click brief.

And Proposition 5 allows adjoining appraisal districts or similar entities to consolidate their review board functions so they can be more efficient.

Proposition 6 would let the Veterans’ Land Board issue additional $ to help Texas veterans acquire land or get a mortgage loan.

Proposition 7 would clarify that members of the Texas State Guard (or similar groups) could hold civil offices such as justice of the peace or county commissioner.

Proposition 8 would clarify that the state can contribute money, property or other resources for a veteran’s hospital.

Most immediately, this would allow the state to help build a veterans hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, as required by a law that took effect earlier this year.

Proposition 9 would strengthen the state’s open beaches law by putting it in the constitution and clarifying that the public has the unrestricted right to use, and get to and from, public beaches.

Proposition 10 would lengthen the term of emergency services district board members from two to four years.

Finally, Proposition 11 builds on a current law limiting the ability of the state, or any other jurisdiction, to condemn and acquire property for economic development purposes through the use of eminent domain.

If you're left scratching your head as to which way to vote on these propositions, there's an easy to digest Voter's Guide (PDF) prepared by the League of Women Voters. As for me, after today's event I'm confident that voting yes on these props is the right way to go.

Like to be extra prepared? Get a sneak peak of the ballot.

Soo...now what?
As the title of this blog implies, voting early is oh-so-easy!

From Blogger Pictures

Find a polling place by accessing this interactive search feature on the Secretary of State's website. Travis County has a list of all the early polling locations.

Do you have unanswered questions about voting? Visit Travis County's voter and November 3rd election Q&A page.

Hope you can make it out to an early polling place!