Auto Dealers bet BIG on Susan King....

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:21

Given our recent interest in the death of the TESLA bill, we took a look into where the auto dealers were spending money this campaign season.  We did a search for all of their 2016 donations, expecting to see donations to Wayne Smith and possibly Doug Miller.  We were NOT prepared for what we found:



So the ONLY campaign donation the auto dealers have made this entire year was to Susan King.

King's runoff finance report for the runoff confirms the donation:

Susan King is a thoroughly mediocre state representative from Abilene who is running for an open Texas Senate seat against Austin-based ophthalmologist Dawn Buckingham; we've endorsed Buckingham.

Not only is Susan King an unexpected recipient for auto dealer cash, but the donation is MASSIVE.  Typically, when a lobbyist or a trade group wants to keep an open door with a legislator, they'll donate $500 or $1000.  You don't donate $10k to someone unless you're looking to make a statement.

And, apparently, the auto dealers are looking to make a statement with their support for Susan King.

Bottom Line: We have no idea why the auto dealers are so interested in Susan King, but we're glad to be supporting Dawn Buckingham!!!

Doug Miller: anti-Innovation; anti-Free Enterprise

"Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
Matthew 7:20

While reviewing last year's hearing on the Tesla bill for our post earlier today about Wayne Smith, we also re-discovered this gem about Doug Miller:

Not wanting to miss out on the action, representative Doug Miller (Straus Lieutenant) also bragged about his family's history running auto dealerships.

So Doug Miller was standing right next to Wayne Smith as the Tesla bill was killed last session.

Like Wayne Smith, Doug Miller also faces a runoff in HD-73 (Comal, Gillespie, Kendall counties).  Early voting runs through this week.  Election day is next Tuesday.

Bottom Line: We wish we'd realized it earlier, but two of the biggest shills for the auto dealers against Tesla both face runoffs next week.

Team Straus' Smear Campaign against Kyle Biedermann

"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal truthfully are His delight."
Proverbs 12:22

Team Straus might be incorrigibly wicked, but their playbook is very predictable.  When you're losing, accuse the other guy of being a pervert.  They did it to Stickland.  They did it to Rinaldi.  They did it to Tinderholt.

Now, they're doing it to Kyle Biedermann.

Kyle Biedermann is in a runoff against Straus lieutenant Doug Miller in HD-73 (Comal, Gillespie, Kendall counties).  Apparently, fifteen years ago, Kyle was involved in a very contentious divorce where the custody battle turned bitter.  Miller is now taking something said during that divorce and trying to spin it into an accusation that Kyle molested his daughters.

The New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, who typically isn't friendly to conservatives, has looked into the accusations and found them lacking:

While the contest between incumbent Doug Miller and Kyle Biedermann has been a contentious one for its entire run, it plunged to a new low this week after the Miller campaign sent out a mailer plumbing the depths of Biedermann’s 15-year-old divorce, selectively cherry picking nuggets to paint him as unworthy of a seat in the Texas House of Representatives.

It’s a repugnant piece of work — one entirely devoid of context that hinges on people reading between the lines to draw the conclusion that Biedermann is a danger to his own children, and by extension, unfit to hold public office.

Not included was the fact that Court Appointed Special Advocates who investigated found that both Kyle and his ex-wife were capable of being primary custodian, and should be granted “extensive visitation rights.” Something CASA wouldn’t have done if there was a danger. Also omitted was the resolution of the case which allowed that visitation, and later joint custody — something the state wouldn’t have approved if there was a danger.

This was just another unfortunately contentious divorce case between two adults who no longer loved one another, but who desperately loved their children.

There were mistakes and false allegations as both sides jockeyed for the best position, but ultimately it ended as these things should — with both parents agreeing to get along in the interest of the children.

Kyle's ex-wife released the following statement:

“Doug Miller should be ashamed. Miller and his campaign have been calling, emailing and mailing thousands of voters and telling them horrible lies about my ex-husband. I said things to hurt Kyle but never knew they would get out to the public. The court gave my ex-husband joint custody of our children because he is a great father. For the sake of our daughters, Kyle put aside our past and maintained a positive relationship with me. It sickens me that Doug Miller would go this far to get re-elected,” said Kyle Biedermann’s Ex-Wife, Avian Biedermann.

In addition, all four Biedermann daughters have stood up to the Miller Smear Campaign that is now desperately attempting to sully their dad’s reputation and hurt them all personally and professionally, during the final throws of a campaign.

From Kyle's children:

“Kyle Biedermann is my dad. He is a loving and caring father. Representative Miller should be ashamed. This is why good people are reluctant to run for office, it takes someone strong like my Daddy to stand up for what is right and run for office. Digging up garbage from my parents’ divorce 15 yrs ago is disgusting and hurtful and false.” -Loren Biedermann

“Doug Miller owes my family an apology. My sisters and I never knew about these accusations. I am the oldest and was 10 yrs old at the time and they are not true. Now the whole world will hear the lies. It shows his true character. I am taking leave to be with my dad when he wins this election.” – Petty Officer 2nd Class, Kyla Biedermann

“I can’t believe that Doug Miller is so desperate to win this election against my dad that he would make accusations he knows were disproven in a court of law. My sisters and I chose to live with my dad after the divorce because he is a loving and caring man. We never knew that these things were ever said about him. I am disappointed that my mother said these things and I am praying for healing for my family. ” -Petty Officer 2nd Class, Emily Biedermann

“My Dad is an honorable man. The same can’t be said for Doug Miller. These desperate attempts by Miller’s campaign are pathetic.” – Dana True Biedermann

Bottom Line: Whenever Straus lieutenants start accusing opponents of being child molesters it means their internal polling sucks.

Doug Miller and Austin LOBBYISTS: Just how close ARE they?!?

"But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Matthew 5:28

Interesting nugget from the American Phoenix investigation:



Highlights:

• Miller chairs the special purpose districts committee.

• ONCOR has numerous bills before Miller's committee that would grant de facto monopoly over Texas' electric grid.

• Mindy Carr is ONCOR's chief lobbyist.

Texas House Tesla Hearing: Cronies Gotta Crony

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

[Author's Note I: If you can stand the wretched economics, you can view the hearing here.]

[Author's Note II: We weren't originally planning on writing about this hearing; then they pissed us off.  Thus we didn't take notes.  This post is from memory.]

In a thinly disguised act of political backscratching, legacy Republicans tonight colluded with legacy auto-dealers to restrict options for Texas' automobile consumers.

HB 1653 would legalize (within numerous limits) direct to consumer automobile sales.  Commonly known as the Tesla bill, the proposed changes could help incubate the next generation of transportation solutions.  The Texas House Committee on Licencing and Administrative procedure, however, clearly telegraphed that they would rather protect middlemen from competition than allow entrepreneurs and consumers to flourish.

We knew this committee was bad news when we learned Charlie Geren was on it.  The committee chairman, Wayne Smith, got a 31 on Empower Texans scorecard last session (fifth lowest score of any Republican).  The vice chair is a Democrat from Joe Straus' home county.  The Democrat who harassed Attorney General Paxton at a restaurant two weeks ago is also on the committee.  At least Geren appeared to be sober.

The hearing opened with a Tesla representative explaining the company's current operation in Texas.  While they have the equivalent of showrooms here, they cannot conduct any part of a commercial transaction in this state.  This leads to situations where company representatives cannot discuss the price of a vehicle with customers.  This legal environment hurts Tesla's ability to serve its customers.  New local free-market think-tank, the R Street institute, joined Tesla in supporting the measure.

The opposition was a cross between Atlas Shrugged and the bar scene in Star Wars.  Predictably, Bill Hammond of the Texas Association of Business opposed the bill.  Hammond was joined by representatives from various trade associations and dealerships.  These legacy industrialists objected to an alleged "carve out" for Tesla that would be available to any competitor who chose to mimic Tesla's business model.  The opposition touted jobs they allegedly create while ignoring the deadweight loss to Texas' economy from inefficiently allocating capital.  We were particularly galled by one GM (yes, THAT GM) dealer who lectured about the rule of law and free market.  Big "charity" also got in on the act, with the Easter Seals testifying that the sky would collapse if auto dealers were forced to work for a living.

The most revealing moment of the hearing came when chairman Wayne Smith "disclosed" that one of the auto dealers testifying against the bill was a member of the same Rotary club as him. In another act of chutzpah masquerading as disclosure, Chairman Smith told the committee he was friends the spouse of another witness.  Not wanting to miss out on the action, representative Doug Miller (Straus Lieutenant) also bragged about his family's history running auto dealerships.

Barring Divine intervention, this bill is dead.  The makeup of the relevant committee guarantees it.  Nonetheless, the willingness of legacy Republicans to disregard the interests of consumers and entrepreneurs to protect legacy industrial interests remains a site to behold.

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Chairman Wayne Smith: (512) 463-0733

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The Trib has more here.