Monday, January 13, 2014

Obama helps to expand Julian Castro's machine


"So taxpayer revenue is used to hire sate workers, who are always unionized. Those state workers (who are unionized) must pay union dues. In many states, the deduction of dues is automatic. The employee does not write a check. It's simply deducted from his state payroll check or deposit. So when a public sector employee pays union dues, where does that money end up? A portion of it ends up somewhere in the giant Democrat Party nationwide, statewide campaign apparatus. So private citizens, in Wisconsin and elsewhere, end up donating to the Democrat Party via state and public workers. It's a money laundering operation, and that's what the Porkulus bill was. It was to make sure that during the recession, state workers did not lose their jobs so that Democrats did not lose their campaign money. Pure and simple, that's it."
Rush Limbaugh

Last week, President Obama five new federal 'promise zones.'  San Antonio made the cut.  According to the White House:
San Antonio, TX (Eastside Neighborhood) 
The City of San Antonio’s key strategies include: 
  • Focusing on job creation and training, including through a partnership with St. Philip’s College, in key growth areas including energy, health care, business support, aerospace/advanced manufacturing, and construction. 
  • Empowering every child with the skills they need by increasing enrollment in high quality pre-K programs; installing a STEM focus in the local school district; expanding enrollment in Early College Programs; and improving adult education opportunities. 
  • Expanding public safety activities to facilitate neighborhood revitalization; improved street lighting and demolishing abandoned buildings; and integrated public safety activities with social resources.
San Antonio's mayor reacted predictably:
San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro said “this is a promising investment in creating more job opportunities and revitalizing neighborhoods on the East Side.” 
Castro said the federal application process can be “labyrinthine” and difficult to complete correctly. 
“So to have the technical assistance and have the red tape cut will make a difference in the likelihood of having success at getting funding in the future,” Castro said.
Obama's 'promise zones,' are an ass-backwards economic development strategy.  But Obama's 'promise zones' aren't about economic development.  Obama's 'promise zone' is a smokescreen for Battleground Texas.

In 1966, Lyndon Johnson launched the 'model cities' initiative.  Detroit was one of Johnson's targets.  While model cities was economically cataclysmic, it was a political windfall for Lyndon Johnson's coalition.  Inserting a progressive machine into America's industrial heartland fundamentally transformed its culture.  Productive citizens fled, while the dependent underclass that remained reliably voted for more government.  Detroit hasn't voted for a Republican mayor since.  George Bush 41 was the last Republican presidential candidate to win the state.

Julian Castro, to be fair, knows a thing or two about building a political machine.  He uses the people's money to reward friends.  He attempts to destroy opponents.  But Julian Castro has well documented statewide ambitions.  An army of progressive organizers, masquerading as federal 'promise zone' facilitators, allows Castro to expand the coalitions of power he'll need for a statewide run.

-----

Update: It gets better; turns out the 'promise zone' is in JOAQUIN Castro's Congressional district.

-----

Update II: Welcome Director Blue readers!!!

2 comments:

  1. I thought the entire United States was supposed to be the "promised zone" or the "opportunity zone" - which is what Senator Rand Paul calls his proposal- Maybe Obama borrowed the "promised zone " from Paul. Mostly I like Rand Paul but do not believe in "opportunity zones"

    In Maine the "Pine Tree Zone" was created by our legislature around 2004 amid protests that what started as a zone for areas of high unemployment and low income areas would be expanded state wide, which only took about five years before that "moved silently through the legislature" spoken of as if a great act of modesty but actually it kept a low profile until beyond the window of opportunity for a public repeal was past.

    The legislature has also created its own courts in the form of municipal corporations that are "instrumentalities of the state" -all of which is unconstitutional by our state constitution in addition to being a general legal impossibility. These little towns with names such as "The Midcoast Regional Development Authority" are municipalities almost entirely funded by state and federal taxpayers and they are also highly concentrated pine tree zone communities but they are there for the state's "targeted sector" which is defined as creating jobs providing "higher than average" incomes.

    There doesn't seem to be a contact form here other than this and so I would like to invite you to participate on my new website - Preserving The American Politcal Philosophy which aspires to be a Round table of The States discussion forum and also an open source research project on state constitutions, state statutes and policies.

    Unfortunately today all you can see is the home page since all the links suddenly open up to 505 error pages including login links and administration links.

    That is possibly related to similar missing links that have been plaguing my blog, Preserving The American Political Philosophy where I have been researching and reporting on Maine economic development statutes for years being that no one else in the sate was doing so.

    This is the blog link, which includes links to website which I hope will be accessible soon. http://americanpoliticalphilosophy.blogspot.com/

    I would love to have an OP-Ed from Texas and maybe Texas could be the second state in the new Thirteen Colonies of the Networked States Of America! The states created the federal government NOT the other way around! Maine has been groveling after federal money for years all to become a full blown Marxist state. Where does federal money come from? Why it is just created out of thin air!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for sharing. To be honest, I'm not the best person with whom to make contact.

      I recommend you get in touch with James Quintero at Texas Public Policy Foundation; jquintero@texaspolicy.org

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.