Munisteri calls out League of Women Voters in Austin

Republican Chairman Munisteri to GOP Candidates: Seek Neutral Debate Sponsor
Cites League of Women Voters Ties to Democratic Party and Candidates
August 31, 2010
For Immediate Release
AUSTIN — Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri urged his party's nominees for State Board of
Education in Districts 5 and 10 to not accept invitations to debate from the Austin Chapter of the League of
Women Voters (LWV), citing their organization’s leadership ties to the Democratic Party, to Democrat candidates
in these races, and for financially supporting the Democratic Party and its candidates.
“In Austin, the League of Women Voters should really be called the ‘League of Women Democrats,’” Munisteri
said. “Their elected officers and debate committee members have voted in multiple Democrat primaries and have
donated thousands of dollars to Democratic Party committees and their candidates, including to the two Democrat
candidates in these contests.”
“How can the Austin Chapter of the LWV claim to be non-partisan when there are no Republicans among their
elected officers or on their debate committee?” Munisteri stated, “There are over 475,000 women living in Travis
County and yet they cannot find a single Republican woman to be involved with their organization or with this
process?”
“I’ve been involved in Texas politics for over 30 years and I’ve seen the political process stacked at times, but this
is ridiculous. What makes this so disingenuous is that it’s being done under the banner of a supposedly nonpartisan
group. But there’s nothing non-partisan about the people organizing this proposed debate,” he said.
“For these reasons, I am urging Ken Mercer, State Board of Education Member, District 5 and Dr. Marsha Farney,
Republican nominee for State Board of Education, District 10, to seek an alternative debate sponsor whose
political credentials will assure voters that the debate and the debate sponsor are fair, impartial and nonpartisan,”
Munisteri stated.
“I respect the LWV’s right to participate in the political process, but their liberal views and the ties of their
leadership to the Democratic Party and Democrat candidates make them unsuitable and unqualified to serve as a
neutral, non-partisan debate sponsor,” Munisteri said.

Attached is a summary of the vote history of the elected officers and debate committee of the Austin Chapter of
the League of Women Voters as well as other noted activity and ties to the Democrat Party and to Democrat
candidates:

Name LWV Position 2010 2008 2006 2004 Note:
PrimaryPrimaryPrimaryPrimary
Frances
McIntyrePresident D D D D

Carolyn Baker Community Relations D D none D
Array 8/31/10 4:00 PM
http://clicks.electionemail.com/preview/?c=3672&g=538&p=fb9ecc85843805f09f281a4ebdc59ff8 Page 2 of 2

Jo Reichler Organization D D D none

Anne Shelby
Clark Secretary D D none none

Carol Olewin Treasurer D D none D

Lisa Harris
SBOE Candidate Forum
Co-Chair D D D D
Donated $415 to Travis
County Democrat Party
since 2006

Anne Roussos
SBOE Candidate Forum
Co-Chair D D D D

Anita Privett LWV Debate Committee D none D D
Donated $120 to Travis
County Democrat Party in
2007

Nan Clayton LWV Debate Committee D D D D
1998 Democrat Nominee for
Travis County
Commissioner.

Jaci Collins LWV Debate Committee D D D D

Nancy Neavel LWV Debate Committee D D D D
Donated over $6,000 to
Democrat Party &
candidates since 2000.

Janet Hamilton
SBOE Educational
Forum Co-Chair D none D D
Donated over $8,000 to
Democrat candidates and
the DNC.

Susan
Morrison
SBOE Educational
Forum Co-Chair D D D D
donated $100 to both
Democrat SBOE candidates
on 6/30/10.

###

Press Contact: Bryan Preston, (512) 879-4062, bpreston@texasgop.org

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Back to Basics?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2010


Democrat PAC Advertising in Violation of Ethics Rules

AUSTIN, TX - An attack ad which premieres today on KVUE TV is being
run in violation of the Texas Ethics Code. Back to Basics PAC is a
newly established PAC primarily funded by a single large donor to
oppose Governor Rick Perry's reelection campaign. Apparently the
basics they want to get back to do not include a basic adherence to
Texas ethics rules.

Under the elections code of the Texas Ethics Commission a PAC must
wait for 60 days from the time of its establishment and have at least
10 contributors before running any advertisements. Back to Basics was
created with a single $250,000 contribution from wealthy trial lawyer
Steve Mostyn on May 19th and is now running its first ads only 37 days
later. It plans to expand this campaign from Austin into the Houston
and Dallas areas, though whether that will be done in violation of the
ethics rules is not clear.

Under TEC regulations the PAC may be fined and its treasurer, Dallon
James, is guilty of a Class A misdemenor and could be jailed as a
result.

The Travis County Republican Party has filed a complaint with the
Texas Ethics Commission and hopes that the Back to Basics PAC will
decide to play by the rules before the TEC has to take action against
them. TCRP Chair Rosemary Edwards observed that "The smears and cheap
shots featured in their advertisement are Democrat politics-as-usual,
but actual violations of the ethics code are unacceptable and
illegal."

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Austin Legislators Sell Out Texas to EPA Bureaucracy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2010
CONTACT: Travis County Republican Party at 512-302-1776
or Dave Nalle, TCRP Communications Director at 512-656-8011

Austin Legislators Sell Out Texas to EPA Bureaucracy

AUSTIN, TX – Big government is coming to Texas and Austin area legislators are putting out the red carpet. Not content to keep their failures confined to the national level, Washington bureaucrats are determined to expand their influence and control within the states. With unfunded mandates and coercive legislation they are working to shift the burden of big government onto state governments like ours which have been responsible and limited their spending and protected their people and businesses as much as possible from the economic downturn.

The latest target of the power-hungry bureaucrats is Texas' remarkably successful clean air program which has us well ahead of nationwide trends in the reduction of pollutants like ozone and nitrous oxide, and has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 48 other states despite a population which has grown by 1000 people a day since 2000. We have even built more wind power generation capacity than any other state at the same time as creating more new jobs than any other state.

We've gotten clean air right and done it without sacrificing jobs or damaginc our economy. Washington ought to be commissioning studies on how other states can be as successful. But instead, activists at the EPA are trying to expand their power at the expense of Texas' energy industry because we don't do our paperwork the way they want us to. They have ruled that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's permitting system is in violation of the Clean Air Act because its Flexible Permits Program, which has allowed our energy industry to prosper and create jobs while still having the cleanest air in the nation, is not "consistent" with their bureaucratic requirements.

Republican officials like Attorney General Gregg Abbott and Governor Rick Perry have refused to knuckle under to yet another effort by federal bureaucrats to violate the sovereignty of our state. As they did with Obamacare, they are looking out for the best interests of the people of Texas and have filed a legal action to defend the state's rights and block this interference with our regulatory practices.

Yet four of our Travis County legislators; Dawnna Dukes, Donna Howard, Elliott Naishtat ad Eddie Rodriguez, are not standing up for us. They have signed onto a letter to President Obama applauding the EPA for their actions against Texas. For these legislators the best interests of Texas and the citizens of Travis County come second to their loyalty to the Obama administration and the federal bureaucratic machine which it has already increased in size by more than 30% in just a year.
Texans know how to stand up against tyranny, and we have to stand up to the EPA and those who support it. This effort to break down our control over our own environmental regulation is just the first step in expanding the power of the regulatory bureaucracy. Its ultimate goal is the unconstitutional implementation of cap and trade regulations and carbon taxes which will massively increase energy costs for every Texan.

We urge everyone in Travis County who believes that government is best when it is limited, local and taxes us no more than is truly needed, to contact these legislators and urge them to support Governor Perry and Attorney General Abbott in opposing excessive regulation that hurts Texans and Texas business.
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Proud of our Party

Back in Austin to do the heavy lifting in order to carry our party to Victory in November. We undoubtedly have our work cut out for us, but we do it with a song in our hearts and a smile on our faces!

THANK YOU to all our delegates, alternates, candidates and guests who made the trip to Dallas and participated in the 2010 RPT Convention. It will be one for the record books in many ways, but most importantly, one for propelling us to new heights of success in the upcoming election in November.

I strongly encourage each of you who attended to offer your constructive suggestions about how we can make the next convention and caucuses go more smoothly. And please reach out to new participants in the state party to encourage them to stay engaged. We need to maximize our energies now to get more voters and activists engaged in supporting our candidates.

Ones in leadership positions have a challenge and an opportunity to move the party with our great slate of candidates to victories in the fall. We need everyone's positive commitment to work as hard as you possibly can to get out the votes for ALL our Candiates on the ballot!

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SBOE Testimony

Ladies and Gentlemen of the State Board of Education, I want to thank you for your service to our children and families of the state of Texas. I believe each of you serve with the best of intentions to provide the best education to our students. I also believe that the current system of electing citizens to guide the curriculum and direction is in the best interest of our citizenry.

I am testifying today for the first time. My husband and I have three daughters who graduated from public schools in Texas. We have been ‘hands on parents’ volunteering in all the schools our daughters attended. I also hold a Ph.D. from a pubic school. As a concerned citizen, I want to express my dismay about the ruckus over the revision of the social studies standards to simply provide some balance to the curriculum.

1. Many of the statements against the revisions have simply been false…here are two examples: “The State Board of Education is making decisions on its own and not listening to educators.”
FACT: Numerous educators urged the State Board of Education to teach students accurately about our country’s religious heritage and the uniqueness of our nation: AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM.

2. And “The State Board of Education doesn’t believe students should learn about the separation of church and state or First Amendment Rights”
FACT: Students in elementary grades, middle school and high school will learn about the important freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution, as the Bill of Rights is outlined in Grade 5,8 and again in US Government.

As I mentioned, I earned a Ph.D. as well as M. Ed. all from public schools in education and psychology. I only recently read in depth about The ‘Father of Modern American Education’ John Dewey. He traveled to Russia in 1928 to help implement a Marxist system of education and then returned to teach at Columbia University as the head of the university’s education department. Dewey supported the Socialist Society in America while being honorary president of the National Education Association. He promoted Secular Humanism in his book, A Common Faith. One of Dewey’s most famous quotes highlights his philosophy:
“There is no God and no soul. Hence there are no needs for the props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded, then immutable (unchangeable) truth is dead and buried. There is no room for fixed, natural law or permanent moral absolutes”

~John Dewey, The New Republic, Dec. 5, 1928

Now to our liberal board members, this message may not concern you, but from the perspective of one who has had over two decades of ‘education’ under the Father of Modern Education, learning about Dewey’s framework for education was a life changing discovery for me.

Our modern educational system has been under the strong influence of a man, held in high regard in educational circles who was an Atheist and a Communist. For me this was a chilling discovery from my many years of study under the influence of John Dewey.

I believe the erosion of the founding principles of our great nation have been slowly changing for decades the nature of education. The small changes that this courageous board is undertaking to bring balance to the social studies curriculum for our families in Texas is not only good, but necessary.

I urge you to move ahead with a vote on the standards. This is the fifth hearing within a review process that started in early 2009. Please do not delay the vote. The children and families of the state of Texas deserve action on these balance standards.

Thank you for your time. Thank you for your service.

Dr. Rosemary Edwards

Austin, Texas

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Fighting City Hall

Check out the TV spot about the Republicans taking issue with our City Council boycotting Arizona:

http://weareaustin.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=64205

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Support the State's lawsuit against ObamaCare

The Travis County Republican Party Executive Committee members signed a letter in support of the lawsuit Attorney General Abbott is leading against the unconstitutional take over of our health care. If you were not in attendance last evening and want to add your name to the letter, please contact Michele in the office (671-4168) and arrange for a time to sign the letter.

Roger and I will personally deliver the letter of support with all the Precinct Chair signatures representing the support of the TCRP Executive Committee in the next few days, please make sure your name is on the letter.

You may view General Abbott's speech at the TCC Forum on Healthcare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPMqRUW5PAg&feature=youtu.be&a

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