Texas Democratic Party: Moving Texas Forward

TDP spokesperson Rebecca Acuña released the following statement in response to reports that Attorney General Abbott released a file containing the social security numbers of 13 million Texans:

“It’s shocking that a person who claims to be so concerned by identify theft could be this reckless with Texans’ most private information. Greg Abbott clearly has misplaced priorities. This scenario wouldn’t have happened if Abbott spent as much time protecting Texans as he does trying to disenfranchise them. Abbott’s carelessness severely compromised the privacy of more than 13 million Texans.

Sadly, General Abbott still shows more interest in impeding the rights of Texans to vote than in protecting their privacy. Abbott already knows in-person voter fraud doesn’t exist. He already cost Texas taxpayers $1.4 million on a wild goose chase that turned up no cases of voter impersonation.”

Today the Supreme Court takes up Arizona’s controversial immigration legislation – SB 1070.  The infamous Arizona immigration law promotes racial profiling by requiring police officers to inquire about an individuals’ immigration status if he or she believes that a person does not look American. SB 1070 allows police to arrest individuals without a warrant and makes it a crime to not carry immigration papers. TDP spokeswoman Rebecca Acuña issued the following statement:

“Republicans continue to use Latinos to incite fear and shore up support from extremists in their party. The Arizona law requires police to make judgments about who they believe does and does not look American. U.S. citizens who look a certain way could be arrested simply because someone thinks they don’t look American enough. The Supreme Court should strike down Arizona’s blatantly hateful legislation. Arizona-style immigration legislation should by no means be used as a model for the nation, despite efforts by Republicans like Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.

The contrast between Republicans and Democrats on the issue could not be clearer. We’re confident Latinos are paying attention to who’s using them to score political points, and that they’ll hold Republicans accountable in November.”

The Obama administration filed suit against Arizona’s law because it usurps federal law and would lead to harassment. All of the sixty eight U.S. Representative who filed briefs opposing SB 1070 are Democrats. These include Texas members of Congress Al Green, Charlie Gonzalez, Gene Green, Ruben Hinojosa, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Silvestre Reyes.

In contrast, Governor Rick Perry declared Arizona-style immigration legislation an emergency priority and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a legal brief in support of SB 1070. Mitt Romney said that Arizona’s immigration law was a “model for the nation.” Fifteen states with Republican Governors, 2 Republican U.S. Senators, and 56 Republican members of Congress have filed briefs supporting SB 1070. These include Texas Republican Congressmen Bill Flores, John Culberson, Kenny Marchant, Lamar Smith, Michael Burgress, Ralph Hall, and Ted Poe.

With eight days left to register to vote in order to be eligible to vote in the May 29 Primary, the Texas Democratic Party is launching a “Register Your Outrage” campaign encouraging people to vote in the Democratic Primary. In order to let Republicans know that they’ll be held accountable for their reckless choices, Texans should vote in the Democratic Primary and help select the Democratic nominees who will defeat Republicans in November.

“Texans from all political stripes are feeling the effects of detrimental Republican policies meant to appease the Tea Party at the expense of everyday families,” said TDP spokesperson Rebecca Acuña. “It’s not enough to just be angry. Texans who are angry about Republican efforts to disenfranchise Texans should register their outrage by registering to vote.”

Republicans passed a photo voter suppression legislation that would make it more difficult for seniors, women, minorities, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and low-income individuals to exercise their fundamental right to vote. According to data released by the Secretary of State (SOS), 603,892 Texans who are registered to vote- including 174,866 Texans with Spanish surnames have neither a driver’s license nor state issued identification.

“Republicans also passed redistricting maps that ignore the demographic realities of Texas and violate the Voting Rights Act” added Acuña. ”

Although minorities accounted for 89 percent of the state’s population growth over the last decade, the maps passed by the Republican-dominated legislature severely diminish the voting strength of these communities. Every court that has examined the redistricting maps enacted by the legislature has found the maps to be discriminatory in some way.

“After a session of repeatedly voting against the interests of Texas families, Republicans are doing everything in their power to keep people from voting,” concluded Acuña.

Rick Perry today unveiled his plan to continue to take Texas down the wrong path. Perry’s shameful compact takes a cuts-only approach that will only further devastate public schools and other essential state services, refuses to tap the Rainy Day Fund in dire emergencies, and ties the hands of lawmakers.

“Real Texans don’t hurt seniors and children,” said TDP Chairman Boyd Richie. “Perry is calling on his fellow Republicans to commit to permanently underfunding public education and human services. He’s leading Texas into a race for the bottom that jeopardizes the future of both our children and our parents.”

The Perry budget used accounting gimmicks to delay payments and push off costs to the next Legislature. The Perry budget did not fund six months of Medicaid expenses, leaving an estimated $4.8 billion in Medicaid expenses unfunded.

“Perry’s a grade-A hypocrite,” added Richie. “He’s today forcefully speaking out against a tactic he’s mastered. The accounting gimmicks in the Perry budget zero-out funding for our seniors in nursing homes. At least today Perry’s admitting his budget fails seniors who rely on Medicaid.

Perry and his Republican colleagues cut $5.4 billion from public education despite having money in the Rainy Day Fund. Thousands of teachers have lost their jobs, neighborhood schools are closing, and more children are being shoved into already overcrowded classrooms. As a result of the devastating budget cuts, children in several school-districts are now being forced to pay hundreds of dollars to ride the school-bus.

“Texas taxpayers should have access to the state’s savings account in times of an emergency,” said Richie. “Texas children today need season tickets to ride the school bus because Perry refused to tap the Rainy Day Fund.

“It’s ludicrous for the Governor to ask lawmakers to sign an oath to hurt kids and seniors,” concluded Richie. “These types of policies have already done irreparable harm to Texas. We will be closely watching to see which Republicans sign Perry’s pledge advocating we hit the gas pedal to go further down a path that hurts children, women and seniors.”

(Dallas) The Republican U.S. Senate candidates in tonight’s debate will continue to pander to TEA Party extremists and the mega rich at the expense of everyday families.

“David Dewhurst promises that if elected to the U.S. Senate he will cut the federal budget to the bone – just like he did in Texas,” said Representative Lon Bunram (D-Fort Worth). “He’s admitted that Republicans left school children with nothing. It would be plain shameful to replicate the cuts that Texas families have been forced to deal with at the national level. David Dewhurst and his Republican colleagues don’t deserve a promotion, they need a dismissal.”

All of the Republican candidates vying for their party’s nomination would replicate Texas style “to the bone” cuts to essential services at the national level and would continue the GOP assault on women’s health. David Dewhurst, in his Senate ad, brags about the devastating cuts to essential state services in Texas and promises to cut the federal budget “to the bone.”

“The Republican candidates support Rick Perry’s assault on women’s heatlh and want to take it to the national level,” added TDP spokeswoman Rebecca Acuña. “They are also on the wrong side of issues that matter to Latinos. Every Republican debate to date has been an open season on Latinos. They all oppose the DREAM Act and support voter suppression legislation that would disproportionately disenfranchise Hispanics. Latinos deserve a U.S. Senator who will stand up for their interests, not one who will throw Latinos under the bus to score points with the Tea Party.”

The Republican candidates continue to push extreme anti-Hispanic policies and are all opposed to the DREAM Act, which 91% of Latinos support. Ted Cruz has said that bilingual education creations a language ghetto. These type of candidates are exactly why Republicans are alienating Latinos at record levels.
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TDP spokesperson Rebecca Acuña released the following statement in response to claims by the Quico Canseco camp that Republicans are building a Hispanic base:

“Any Republican who thinks their party is making advances with Hispanics is living in a fantasy land. The Republican Hispanic outreach plan is to launch unrelenting attacks on the Latino community. Seventy two percent of Hispanics feel that Republicans are down-right hostile or don’t care about them.

Republicans attempted to draw Latinos out of Canseco’s district because Hispanics don’t support Republicans, and they definitely don’t support Canseco. We’re confident that Hispanics will come out in droves to vote against Republicans like Canseco who have supported some of the most anti-Hispanic rhetoric in modern politics.”

*Republican redistricting emails from November 2010 show that Republican mapmakers tried to draw Quico Canseco a district that would leave the level of Hispanic registered voters at the lowest level possible. In an email, Eric Opiela said that these tactics would be “especially invaluable in shoring up Canseco and Farenthold.” You can read that email here.

*Canseco campaign manager Scott Yeldell said, “There is a lot of support for building the Hispanic base in the Republican Party.”

• According to a Latino Decisions poll, 72% of Hispanics feel that Republicans are hostile to Hispanics or don’t care about them.

• A recent poll showed that President Obama leads Mitt Romney among Latino voters by a margin of 70-14 percent.

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie released the following statement in response to the passing of Senator Carlos Truan:

“We are extremely saddened by the passing of State Senator Carlos Truan. Senator Truan was an outstanding public servant who dedicated his life to making Texas a better place for all families. Senator Truan was a champion for Texas children. He dedicated his time to reforming our education system and ensuring that Texas children had access to basic necessities. He understood that having the ability to speak more than one language was an asset, and authored the landmark Texas Bilingual education Act. Senator Truan helped bring the food stamp program to Texas and helped to pass the state legislation that mandated the school breakfast program in Texas – two efforts that have helped countless families in need across our entire state.

Senator Truan was part of the “Killer Bees” that helped to ensure fair presidential elections in Texas and a part of the “Dirty Thirty” ethics coalition. Senator Truan was the first Hispanic Dean in the Texas Senate and the first recipient of the Tejano Lifetime Achievement Award- a recognition that was well-deserved.

Texas is truly a better place because of his service. Senator Truan’s legacy will live on in the many improvements he made to our great state. The entire Democratic Party mourns the loss of this great public servant. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Truan family during this difficult time.”

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie released the following statement in response to the intolerant message from the Keryl Douglas campaign:

“As your State Party Chairman, I have only very rarely inserted myself into the business of local Parties but this is one of those special circumstances that pretty much demanded a response. I am saddened that anyone, but particularly someone striving to lead our largest county party, would associate themselves with such blatant intolerance. We, as a Party, have come a great distance from the time when this sort of language was heard in our halls—and much of that distance was covered walking behind leaders of the Civil Rights movement. Messages like those are meant to divide us through fear and hatred, and that is absolutely shameful. We are a Party of inclusion, tolerance and acceptance in which there is no room for these kinds of divisive and cynical attacks. We are simply better than this. I strongly urge Ms. Douglas to condemn these remarks and urge all my fellow Democrats to do the same.  I would further urge anyone considering seeking a position of Party leadership take the time to read the Texas Democratic Party Rules Article I, which is our statement of principles.  Section B. 1. Of that Article reads in part “discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, ethnic identity, economic status or disability in the conduct of Democratic Party affairs is prohibited.”  I don’t believe it is possible to lead the Party without both understanding and believing in these principles.”

TDP Chairman Boyd Richie released the following statement on the passing of Bernard Rapoport:

“Betty and I were greatly saddened this morning to learn of the passing of our friend Bernard “B” Rapoport.

In talking about “B” no statement really seems adequate. “B” was an accomplished author, a dedicated philanthropist, an outspoken progressive, a successful entrepreneur and a very proud American. He is perhaps described best by the tile of his own memoir, “Capitalist with a Conscience.”

As the son of Russian immigrants and a child of the Depression, “B” remarked that he “could never understand why people who have a lot aren’t willing to share.” And he didn’t just say it he lived it. “B” was a generous philanthropist who dedicated his life to helping others. When presenting “B” the Franklin D. Roosevelt Distinguished Public Service Award, Richard French said “he gave many people their first break.” Providing others with access to opportunity and working to level the playing field were a big part of his life’s work and he will be long and well remembered by the many he helped.

He lived by the philosophy that “everybody does better when everybody does better.” One other thing I know for sure is that everybody who had the chance to associate with him was better for the experience. We will miss him so very much.

The thoughts and prayers of our family and the entire Democratic family are with the Rapoports.”

TDP spokesperson Anthony Gutierrez released the following statement in response to Congressmen Canseco’s vote to side with special interests and millionaires over his constituents by voting for the Ryan budget:

“It’s unconscionable that Congressman Canseco would vote to end a crucial safety net for seniors in his district, all to give millionaires a tax break. In voting for the Ryan budget, Canseco also voted to close the doors of opportunity to students from low and middle income families who are seeking a higher education. Canseco is ignoring the interest of his constituents so he can pander to his corporate benefactors. In 2012 he should expect those same constituents to elect a Congressman who represents them.”

• Paul Ryan’s plan would use deep budget cuts to help pay for $150,000 in tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.
• The Ryan budget would turn Medicare into a voucher program. Over time, traditional Medicare would wither on the vine, risking the guaranteed coverage seniors have earned and paid for.
• The Ryan Budget would reduce total Pell grants by about $200 billion over the next decade; let interest rates for Stafford loans to double; end student loan interest subsidies for those still in school; and make Pell spending discretionary.