Doors Had Been Opened for Democrats in 2014...

And we did not walk through them!!!

Fewer than 30% of eligible voters made the effort to vote in TX in 2014!  We got what we deserved: dysfunctional, Republican majorities in the TX House and Senate; Republican, problem children in the Gov. and Lite Gov. offices.

My name is Stephen Wyman and I was the Democrat running for TX House of Representatives, House District 20: Burnet, Milam and northern Williamson counties.

This next election year, 2016, Democrats will have many doors opened for them again; for instance:

• Climate change.
• Immigration reform.
• Minimum wage.
• Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
• SNAP (food stamps), housing assistance, welfare.
• Government austerity to recover from recession.
• Supply Side (trickle down) economics.
• Stripped down Voting Rights Act.
• Very specific photo ids required for voting.
• More limited access to the polls.
• Electronic voting with no paper ballot audit trail.
• All Unions are assailed.
• Education outsourced.
• Religion taught as science.
• Equal pay for equal work.
• Family planning or women's health care clinics.
• Marriage equality.
• Two long, simultaneous wars started without expansion of the VA.

Yes, doors have been opened and we, Democrats, didn't walk through them last year.

There will be messes to be picked up at the state and federal government in 2016, they will be fewest if the state Republicans are as incompetent at governing as the Republicans in the federal government.

First, still, we must continue to register voters, and then we must help them get to the polls.

Why?

It is because elected officials will have to deal with a great majority of these problems. We must elect people who will deal expeditiously with these issues. I believe the Democratic candidates on next year's ballot will still be just the folks to get the job done.

First, voters must: Give, “Hope and Change,” a

Chance... and a Push!

Register and Vote!

1% may have most of the money, but 99% have almost all the vote.  We can not all be bought, but we might give it away, again, if we don't show up, again.

Turn TX Blue in 2016!

The Power of the Vote!

Everybody,

1% may have most of the money, but 99% have almost all the votes; simple math.

The proposed 28th amendment to the Constitution (attempting to rectify the ill effects of the Supreme Court’s error in both the ‘Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission’ and the ‘McCutcheon, et al. v. FEC’ case verdicts) is a band-aid to cover the 99%'s abdication of the power of the vote in a democratic republic.

In 2008 and 2012 the plutocracy attempted to buy the White House for a business/plutocrat friendly candidate. Both efforts were thwarted, demonstrating the power of the vote so dramatically that gerrymandering, voter ids and restricted polling times were used to rein in access to voting (for those who were thought to be prone to voting for Democrats).

The plutocracy is attempting to buy mid-term (in 2014, as they did in 2010) elections to create a Tea Potty, Republican dominated group of state legislatures and, of course, the US Congress; the legislature that says, “NO!” to everything President Obama proposes.

If the 99% were to exercise their vote, in all elections, we could eventually retake the republic and return it to the concept: of, by and for the people.

Let's fix the problem; put the band-aids back! Voting is a responsibility, and we've already demonstrated what happens when we don't exercise that responsibility... It ain't pretty!

Care,
Stephen M. Wyman
Candidate for TX House, HD 20, in 2014
Give, "Hope and Change," a Chance... and a Push!!!
Turn TX Blue in 2014!

The Truth About Hydrocarbons vs. Renewables!

The Hydrocarbon (Oil, Gas and Coal) Industries have always turned a blind eye to the hazards of extraction, transportation, burning and waste products associated with their businesses.  By overlooking the aforementioned problems, and the costs of their direct and indirect consequences, supporters of hydrocarbon usage have presented a cost/benefit (of using hydrocarbons) analysis that is favorable when compared to renewable energy (Wind, Solar and Conservation). 

This lie has been told for so long and by so many that it is readily confused with truth.  The hydrocarbon industry has continuously promoted this lie for its own benefit. 

It is well past time to tell the truth and reduce problems and pollution, while actually growing sustainable industries and jobs!  

Wind and solar must be built, installed, operated and maintained; job creation.  Wind energy is captured by wind turbines of various designs well overhead of people and local buildings.  Some claim that birds are hurt and killed by these turbines, without any known evidence, while showing no regard at all for the creatures (including people) hurt or killed just by automobiles using gas or diesel fuels; both are hydrocarbons. 

Distributed electricity generation (net metered: roof top, solar panels or local, small to reasonably enormous wind turbines) require additional, intelligent distribution grids; more jobs created...

Conservation, wind and solar (distributed generation of electricity) present direct threats to the profit margins of oil, gas and large (enormous) utility companies and therefore have been, and will continue to be, resisted by any means they feel are needed; honesty be damned.

To restore and preserve the health of the only planet we have (and all the people, plants and animals that must live here) we must recognize the Climate Change that we the people have caused (there is no need to believe, because the evidence is everywhere) and change our ways.  This not only grows the economy, it reduces health care needs and costs as well.

This is one of the prime reasons for government: enforced regulation of industry.  Industries are in the business of making money and they, too often, will not take responsibility for their actions if it might reduce profit margins.

Register and Vote in every election for the people you think will do the best job in elected office.  Remember, if your vote were not important no one would be trying to make voting more difficult.  In 2008 and 2012 a concerted effort was made to purchase the Presidency of these United States for industry friendly candidates; both efforts were defeated by voters.

Give, “Hope and Change,” a Chance… and a Push!

Turning TX Blue in 2014!

The Future IS YOURS, but only if you'll work for it...

I've started my forth political campaign this year...  I started campaigning for political office, because nobody was running against the incumbent politicians!  The odds are greater than 9 to 1 against any challenger.  So, people complained about politics and politicians, then did absolutely nothing about it!!!

What can one person do?

Look around you.  Everything that surrounds you (a house, an office, a coffee shop, a car [hopefully you're not driving as you read], etc...) that is not nature was created after a single person asked, "What if?"

If you want an elected official who reflects your perspective, you (all of you) must elect that person and then you must be willing to push that person in the direction of your choice; again and again.  Whether this is an elected official in your: town, city, county, state or federal government, they will be entering office in an environment that already exists; that was built by the people who have been there (working in their own best interest) for a while.

The room doesn't spin in your favored direction just because you've arrived, once. 

Get in there, ask questions (again and again) till they are answered.  If you don't like the answer, then the next question is for you: How can I change this?

If your answer is, "Oh my, I'm just one person...  I can't do anything!"  That is both nonsense and self fulfilling prophesy; you've just made yourself irrelevant.

If you are to: Give, "Hope and Change," a Chance...  YOU must be willing to give it a Push, then another Push, and possible still more Pushing!!! 

Why?

Because you are not working in a vacuum!

There are others in there pushing, some in your direction (find them and work with them), some in similar directions (work with them, too), because others are pushing back; they don't agree and are working for their own perspective.

Register, vote, write, call, organize, act!  If you don't act, how is any person (or group) going to know that you are there; can help?

Own Your Future!  Help Your Democracy!  Help Your Republic!  Help Your Freedom!

Give, "Hope and Change," a Chance...  and a Push!!!

Science v. Belief; or Not!

David Brooks’ opinion (expressed via: Sidney Awards Highlight Conflicts in Belief and Science; published in the Austin American Statesman’s Viewpoints) attempts to support the right wing ideologues’ insistence that there is conflict twixt belief and science; there is not. 

Brooks oversimplifies, as conservatives are wont to do, and imagines a one or the other version of reality.  Beliefs can explain all, but can not be checked using an independently verifiable proof.  Science (facts) can be checked via said proofs, but can not (as yet) explain everything.

Facts require no belief and beliefs require no facts, but neither functions well alone.  Belief, once proven, becomes fact; as Alchemy morphed, through experimentation, to become Chemistry. 

D v R_Family Planning

A Democrat sees family planning, a Republican sees abortion.

A Democrat sees women’s preventative health care, a Republican sees abortion.

A Democrat sees treatment of feminine disorders, a Republican sees abortion.

This is what happens when your whole Republican committee on women’s health is grumpy, older, white men!

@Wealth and Power.edu

The root of government is the organization of society. The root of politics and politicians, in government, is power. Power is a means to wealth. Knowledge is the offset and access to both power and wealth.

That is why some seeking or protecting wealth and power often seek knowledge as well. Others abhor knowledge's ability to stymy pursuit, or protection, of wealth and power.

It is in the best interests of any society to educate everyone, because potential can't be known till it can be expressed.

None but government has the means and motivation to accomplish the education of everyone. It is a large, expensive and long term (from pre-k to post Doctoral) investment that for-profit businesses will not undertake.

Even if you aren't in, and don't have children or grand children, etc... needing education, it is still in your best interest to invest in the type of society that can happen only when everyone is educated as well as is possible. That is the only type of society that has a history of shared, reasonably universal success.

Govt., “of, by and for the people,” is the ideal, but in TX it is not the fact.

Of the people...  A TX legislator has a salary of $7,200 per year; a salary nobody can live on. You work 140 days, every other year, with the occasional 30 day, mandatory, special session. How many employers allow an individual the flexibility to accommodate that schedule; make a sufficient second income? 

None.  It helps to be independently wealthy. 

If you are a legislator long enough you can qualify for a retirement pension, based on a judge’s salary! 

Who can retire on, say, 80% of $7,200 a year? 

Nobody.

By the people... If a Texan wants to vote you must have one, of a specific and limited kind, of picture id. If you don't have such an id, and/or you don't have the specific document needed to attain said id, the state offers no assistance. The cost and travel involved in getting your picture id are going to be all yours! All to solve the problem of voter fraud that, study after study has discovered, happens a very small fraction of 1% of the time votes are made in person.

If you want to communicate, especially if you want to visit in person, with your candidate or legislator (or any other elected official) it helps to be a campaign donor; the larger the donation the better the odds.

Who is easily able to participate in the day to day functions of government in TX?

It helps to be wealthy, generous, older, white and male!

For the people... Corporations are legally defined as people. As the owner of a LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) I know it to be my property; not a person in any way, shape or form. 

Political contributions are protected as free speech, not as paid access to elected officials that it actually is. Political Action Committees are tax exempt entities that can collect large amounts of money, from anonymous donors, for political expenditures. If you don't have enough money, to compete with those who do, for the attention of your candidates and elected officials, oh well.

Tough luck!

This must change! 

Give, “Hope and Change,” a Chance... and a Push!   

Help Turn Texas Blue!