crownover votes for radioactive waste dump

West Texas is a beautiful place, but it's certainly lacking something. What could we add? What could make it better? According to Myra Crownover, it needs a radioactive waste dump.

Back during the 78th Texas Legislature in 2003 (the first one where the Texas House was under GOP control), the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1567 which allowed for the disposal of “low-level” radioactive waste from other states right here in Texas. A slew of Republicans in hotly contested races this year including Betty Brown (R-Terrell), John Davis (R-Houston), Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston), Myra Crownover (R-Denton), and Linda Harper Brown (R-Irving) voted to make Texas a glowing, leaking, radioactive waste dump. [CSHB 1567: Record Vote 316, Day 53, Texas House Journal, 78th Texas Legislature, p. 1713-17-14].

The real kicker to the whole story is that these folks not only voted for the radioactive waste dumping bill, but took buckets of money from Harold Simmons, the corporate raider who purchased Waste Control–a company that has seen a lot of benefit from HB 1567. (Oh, did we forget to mention that House Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) has taken at least $50,000 from Simmons for his campaign account?)

Sounds fishy to me.

Take a look at her opponent, John McClelland. We asked him what he thought about this, and here's what he had to say:

The proposed radioactive dump is just another item on the laundry list of what Republicans are doing wrong in Texas. The GOP and Myra Crownover apparently do not care for the well being of the people or the environment of West Texas. They only appear to care about the donations they receive from special interests in oil & gas, and in this case radioactive waste disposal.

Let's dump the waste elected to the Legislature. As your next state rep, John McClelland would make health and the environment a priority in House District 64 and all of Texas.

Make a contribution to John today and help send Myra packing in November!

Thanks to WhosPlayin for the photo above.

Where is Myra?

After winning the primary, Democrat John McClelland is ready to take on Rep. Myra Crownover, the Republican who represents much of Denton County (House District 64) in the state legislature. Check out his first campaign ad, "Where is Myra?," below.

Denton County Democrats Introduce 2008 Candidate Slate

The Denton County Democrats held a press conference Tuesday evening at a packed headquarters in Denton to introduce its slate of candidates for 2008. The message of the evening was the resurgence of the local Democratic Party.

"We are back,” said Neil Durrance, the county Democratic Party chairman. “We are here to offer Denton County residents choice, balance and accountability. It is our intention to bring balance and good government to Denton County.

Here is the list of Democrats announced at Tuesday's press conference.

• County Democratic Chairman - Neil Durrance, Denton
• District Judge, 16th district - Karen Guerra, Carrollton
• Constable, Pct. 5 - Mike Ballard, Denton
• State Board of Education, 14th district - Edra Bogle, Denton
• Commissioner, Pct. 1 - Phyllis Wolper, Denton
• State Rep., Dist 63 - Jesus Carrillo, Ponder
• State Rep., Dist 64 - John McClelland, Little Elm
• U.S. Rep., Dist 24 - Tom Love, Arlington
• U.S. Rep., Dist 26 - Kenneth Leach, Gainesville

For more, see the Denton Record Chronicle and Whosplayin.

Also, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting Melvin Willms has filed to run against Chris Harris for state Senate District 9.

John McClelland has an announcement up at the Burnt Orange Report.

I am officially announcing my candidacy for House District 64 in Denton County, Texas.

While I could post the usual press release, which I have blasted out today to various media outlets, I have decided to make this more personal for the blogs, especially my former home at Burnt Orange Report.

I was asked by the Coordinated Campaign to run for the 2008 nomination because we need to make a change. Denton County, and all of Texas for that matter, needs positive change, which only a Democrat can deliver.

We are the party that works for the people. I want to see the best for our children in Texas by improving education and raising teacher salaries, so they can provide students with the attention they deserve. I want to see Texas take care of its sick and injured, by increasing the number of insured citizens and offering greater access to healthcare. I want to improve public transportation, and look for alternative sources of energy, so we can end the nightmare of traffic jams and poor air quality in our state.

In order for this change to happen, we need a majority in the TX House. At last count, we are 5 seats away from that majority. 5 more seats gives us the power to reverse the problems that the GOP majority and House Speaker Tom Craddick have caused. I believe the people of Texas are ready.

I need only look at HD 97, a Republican stronghold, electing Democrat Dan Barrett to represent them. That is inspiration enough. HD 64 has been a similar Republican "safe district" for many years. I plan on dispelling that notion in 2008.

I am asking for everyone's support in this campaign. Together, we can make a difference in Denton County and all of Texas. John McClelland for State Representative District 64.

All of us here at NTL want to thank John for stepping up and giving voters a clear choice here in Denton County. We wish him the best of luck. You can help launch John's campaign into the New Year. Click here to contribute.

Denton County's Grassroots

In the frenzy of a holiday weekend, we're betting a lot of you missed John McClelland's overview of politics in Denton County at The Texas Blue. It's a very encouraging look at the resurgence of democratic activism in an area that hasn't been associated with that in a very long time.

It should be noted that Denton County’s political offices are held entirely by the GOP. But this does not deter those who want to change a county just north of the newly blue enclave of Dallas. The official Democratic Party structure in the county includes the county chair and precinct chairs. As few as five years ago, the party only involved anywhere from 10 to 20 precinct chairs for the entire county, out of 140 voting precincts. The number of precinct chairs has steadily increased as Democrats make gains in other parts of the country and state. The current number of precinct chairs reached 50 this summer. Thanks in part to active recruitment of friends and neighbors, the Precinct Chair Leadership Committee has worked diligently to add to the party. It also held its first grassroots training class for new and existing precinct chairs in June of this year.

Committees such as Precinct Chair Leadership have made a resurgence due to active county chairs who want to make a difference. Former County Chairwoman Edra Bogle’s active involvement in groups such as Democracy for America started the grassroots push in local party politics. She stepped down in 2006 and was replaced by UNT professor Dr. John Gossett. Dr. Gossett’s vision included pushing the party into areas of the county long since neglected outside of the city of Denton. Holding meetings in Lewisville, house parties in Krum and Plano, and booths in Highland Village were all a way to show that Democrats exist in all parts of Denton County. Unfortunately, Dr. Gossett suffered health problems that led to a short tenure as Chair. A contest to replace him this past spring resulted in Issues & Policy Committee Chairman Neil Durrance becoming Chairman of the county party. Mr. Durrance has continued the policy of covering all parts of the county, and has been working actively to give Democrats a message.

While the message is prepared, others are preparing the candidates to take that message to the people. The Candidate Recruitment Committee initiated a program called Project Farm Team. Chairman Steve Southwell envisioned a system similar to that of the farm system in baseball that built potential candidates up before they hit the ground running in the big leagues. "We are all about preparing individuals to take up the battle against crime, corruption, and cronyism that currently tarnishes our public sector. We are about taking people of integrity and giving them the tools they need to make a successful campaign," Southwell said. "But Project Farm Team is also about encouraging leadership, activism, and public service outside of government. We're very excited about Project Farm Team, and we have heard from other Democrats across the state that they are anxious to see how well it works out." Potential candidates attend training sessions and listen to speakers of various experience levels, while learning about what offices could be a good fit for them. Some members are former candidates and even former office holders.

One candidate has already emerged from the system: Carrollton lawyer Karen Guerra has announced her intention to run for 16th District Court Judge. Another goal of Project Farm Team is to prepare a coordinated campaign for Denton County in 2008. The 2006 coordinated campaign in Dallas County resulted in a clean sweep of every contested judicial seat. A similar attempt may be made by Denton County in the 2008 election cycle to pool resources and make a run at taking back at least some, if not all, of the seats up for grabs.

There is much more, including an overview of some of the more active clubs in the area. Read it and be inspired.

If you live in Denton County and haven't contacted the county party or one of the local clubs (check out our sidebar), you might just be surprised at how active Democrats are in Denton County. If you're not already engaged in this effort, plan on joining us at the Donkey Fest on the evening of September 29th at the North Texas State Fairgrounds.

vote today

We apologize for the hiatus we've accidentally hit upon this month, but would like to remind you nonetheless to get out to the polls today before 7 p.m.!

Readers, please leave any recommendations on who to vote for in the comments.

In the city of Dallas, NTL likes more than one candidate for mayor, but in Place 12 we can wholeheartedly recommend the progressive candidate, John McClelland.

In Arlington, we'd like to recommend a vote for Marvin Sutton in Place 3, and so would several Star-Telegram readers.

In Flower Mound, we recommend re-electing the incumbents (Lindsey, Tasker and Trotter) and in Highland Village we recommend Pete Silva.

Anyone else have any suggestions for North Texas voters? Keep us in the loop in the comments!

Meet McClelland at Timberglen Library

Residents in the area of the Timberglen Branch Library of Dallas have an opportunity to meet John McClelland, candidate for Dallas City Council District 12. Mr. McClelland will be appearing at a Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday night.

What: Meet and Greet with John McClelland

When: April 11 from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Where: Timberglen Branch of the Dallas Public Library

18505 Midway Road, Dallas 75287

Don't miss this opportunity to meet John and hear him discuss his plans for reducing crime, wasteful spending and other ideas to achieve a safer city and make Dallas a better place to live.

[Disclaimer: I volunteer for the McClelland campaign. Join me. ]

McClelland Targets Dallas Crime

Year in and year out, crime remains a concern for citizens of large cities. Dallas is no exception. In a recent poll, crime topped the list of issues.

As voters prepare to elect a new mayor on May 12, these factors contribute to Dallasites' overwhelming ranking of crime as the single most important issue facing the city, according to a Dallas Morning News poll.

About one in three respondents highlighted crime, and no other single issue rivaled it.

As a candidate for Dallas City Council in District 12, John McClelland knows these issues first-hand.

The City of Dallas remains at the top of the crime food chain in Texas, and even the nation. 8,624 crimes per 100,000 people. That is the nation's worst crime rate. Dallas has held the top spot for 9 of the last 10 years. Is this something Dallas should be proud of? I don't think so.

One would tend to think that the crime problem only affects the areas of blight in Dallas or lower income areas. That is one of the biggest misconceptions. In District 12, which is Far North Dallas (majority caucasion, majority conservative, with a decent median income), there were 3900 crimes in 2006. That is over 10 per day. Dallas SWAT has been in my parking lot in the last couple months. I even had checks stolen off my dining room table by my apartment complex's own maintenance people this past week.

In McClelland's view, the continuing crime wave highlights a need for more officers and better pay.

We need more police. We need to pay more to the ones we have. Dallas needs to have at least 3 1/2 officers per 1000 people. We currently stand at under 2 1/2. That means we need to hire at least 800 more officers in the city, if you go by mayoral candidate Darryl Jordan's numbers.

Of course, more police protection comes with a price tag, and McClelland thinks financing a solution is a matter of smarter policies, not higher taxes.

“It is a simple matter of common sense and fiscal responsibility. We have projects that were intended to create parks and marinas, and instead we end up with toll roads that approach $1 billion in price,” McClelland pointed out. “If we reign in the wasteful spending the current Council has seen fit to let happen, then we would have the money to give our hard working police a deserved raise in pay, as well as offer more incentive to attract new officers. We may not have to hit taxpayers in the pocketbook to achieve our goals.”

To learn more about McClelland's positions, or to donate to his campaign, visit his website.

[Disclaimer: I volunteer for the McClelland campaign. Join me.]

Whosplayin Interviews John McClelland

A new political season is kicking off and Whosplayin is back doing what it does best -providing in-depth interviews with the candidates. Here's a preview of Steve Southwell's interview of Dallas City Council candidate John McClelland. To read the rest, click here.

WhosPlayin: Dallas, and indeed the entire North Texas area suffers from very poor air quality. As you know, the air we breathe doesn't respect city limits and state borders. Mayor Laura Miller has taken a pro-active role in reaching out with other cities to prevent the proposed TXU coal-fired power plants to our west. What actions can the City of Dallas take to protect its natural resources and still be the thriving center of commerce that it is?

John McClelland: I believe the city could be a model in using alternative energy if we put our minds to it. Many of the DART buses already run on natural gas, which keeps emissions lower than diesel burning engines. We could possibly replace other city vehicles with flex fuel vehicles once they become cost effective for the city to purchase. DART's 2030 plan may also help to lower car use in the city once it expands the bus service and builds new rail lines throughout the city. Using mass transit is a matter of convenience to people, so it has to be easy to access. And in reference to what Mayor Miller is doing, I think it is wonderful. The air quality here certainly does not need to be made worse by TXU. My allergies are bad enough as it is. I can not imagine what asthma sufferers go through. I believe Rick Perry has been enjoying too much of the TXU Kool-Aid if he thinks fast tracking these polluting plants is a good idea.

WhosPlayin: What is your view of the proper role of city government, and is the Dallas Council getting it right? In other words, where would you do more, and what do you think the city council should avoid?

John McClelland: I think the current City Council and Mayor all have the right intentions for our city. I don't believe they intentionally try to do the wrong thing. But I think our Council has lost sight of what reality is sometimes. Some of the City Council members would rather rule their own little city district as a principality unto itself and ignore everyone else, but I do not believe that is how our city should be run. We need to look at the broader picture and help the entire city, even though as a Councilman I would represent only a smaller section. However with the
situation being that we have a City Manager who is supposed to actually run our city, with the support of the City Council (and a Mayor who is no more than just another Council member in terms of power), we all need to work together to make the city function. And that will especially be true this spring when we are set to replace at least ½ of the current City Council, as well as the Mayor. It will be a new Council with fresh ideas, I hope.

WhosPlayin: I can see your point there. When I think of the reality of what I expect out of my city, the first things that come to my mind are reliable utilities, garbage pickup, code enforcement, and police and fire protection. Do you think the council spends too much time on lofty ideas for "projects" rather than oversight of essential city services? You mentioned the Trinity River Project on your website.

John McClelland: Some of the council has its head in the clouds, no doubt. The goal is to make Dallas an attractive, nice place to live. But when you're a citizen of the city, the small things are what matter in every day life. And they need to be taken with as much seriousness as any project that wants to reroute a river. Making sure Time Warner is doing what it is supposed to be doing; making sure the trash collection is being managed in the right way; helping to alleviate why it took a fire station 15 minutes to respond to a lightning strike that burnt a house to the ground- those are the items a Councilman should be more in tune with. They may be small to people with lofty goals, but they are no less important.

Please visit his website and make a generous contribution to John McClelland's campaign.

McClelland Announces for Dallas City Council

The race for Dallas City Council has a newly declared candidate for District 12 (Far North Dallas). John McClelland has announced his intention of running for the seat. When NTL asked John why he was running he responded....

"I believe it is my civic duty to give back to a city that I've been able to call home for the last 5 years. I want to steer Dallas in the right direction. We need a city government who will stop wasteful spending of our citizens' tax dollars. We need a City Council who feels they are not above the law. We should be model citizens, not model felons.

I am also running my campaign in memory of my brother. He died a year ago to the day I announced my intentions to run. He was a sergeant in the Army and had just returned home from his 2nd tour in Iraq, only to die in a tragic accident. I want to serve my city in the same way my brother served his country."

McClelland will face incumbent Ron Natinsky in the May 12th election. For more information, check out the post on Whosplayin, or visit John's website: www.johnfordallascitycouncil.com