"Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
Steve Bresnen is a prominent Austin lobbyist. He has longstanding ties to BINGO interests and Trial Lawyers. As a lobbyist for the Texas Family Law Foundation, he was instrumental in killing American Laws for American Courts legislation last session.
Bresnen is also the driving force behind the Texas "Ethics" Commission's jihad against Empower Texans.
Which makes this item from page 6 of Dan Flynn's latest campaign finance report very interesting:
Bottom Line: Once again, we're impressed by Bresnen's chutzpah, but we can think of no better symbol to encapsulate the degree to which Dan Flynn has gone native in Austin.
"Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." 1 Peter 5:9
We've never declared a "Texan of the Year" in previous years. We make no commitment to do so again in future years. That being said, in 2015 one Texas elected official's grace under vicious fire merits special commendation.
At the same time, American Laws for American Courts was under consideration in the Texas Legislature. Given the identity of one particular lobbyist working against the bill, we knew Joe Straus would never let it pass. Still, as part of that process, the Irving City Council passed a non-binding resolution supporting the legislative effort.
And that's when all hell broke loose.
Following the support resolution, Beth van Duyne was viciously attacked; at the next city council meeting, Islamists almost provoked a riot:
Following the commotion during the spring, things seemed to calm down...until the stupid clock kid showed up.
In September, the son of an Jihadist operative who had formerly run for President of Sudan (yes, THAT Sudan) dumped the insides of an alarm clock into a suitcase and brought the contents to school. Given the similarity (at least at first glance) between clock kid's 'invention' and a suitcase bomb, he was detained temporarily while authorities investigated. When he was released later that afternoon, rather than moving on from the mild inconvenience, clock kid ran to the SJW lynch mob shrieking about 'Islamophobia.'
While clock kid was visiting the White House and genocidal foreign dictators, Beth van Duyne was left to pick up the pieces in Irving. In so doing, she was subjected to vile abuse. Nevertheless, Beth van Duyne persevered. By the end of the year, crime was down, taxes and spending were down, and jobs were up.
Life isn't fair, and the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune can ensnare anyone. At the beginning of 2015, Beth van Duyne was an obscure elected official in a medium sized city. She never sought international spotlight. Still, when global jihadists thrust that spotlight upon her, Beth van Duyne rose to the occasion. She refused to be intimidated. Like this website, Beth van Duyne has ALSO endorsed Matt Rinaldi's re-election. For these reasons, Cahnman's Musings is pleased to make Irving Mayor Beth van Duyne our 2015 TEXAN OF THE YEAR!!!
Dan Patrick and Jeff Judson are living rent-free in his head: The most important aspect of these interim charges is that they were released in the first place. Dan Patrick released his STRONG conservative interim platform a month ago while Judson has been hammering him for weeks about his failure to act following the Planned Parenthood expose. Clearly, Straus felt he needed to respond.
Priorities: Straus' interim charges fall under three categories: Lobby priorities, "Wide-consensus" priorities, and Conservative priorities; in our estimation, 38% of them were lobby priorities, 51% were wide-consensus, and 11% were conservative.
Protecting Byron Cook: State affairs received ten interim charges. Four address conservative issues: economic collapse preparation, Planned Parenthood, illegal immigration, and union dues. Cook has already called a hearing over illegal immigration on December 10th and we expect similar show hearings throughout campaign season.
LOTS of action for lame duck chairmen: Jimmie Don Aycock, John Otto, and Jim Keffer are all retiring. Nonetheless Appropriations, Public Ed. and Natural Resources got 37 combined. charges. The overwhelming majority of those charges are bad.
Appropriations, Charge 3: "Examine Texas constitutional spending limits compared to limits utilized in other states,
evaluate their effectiveness in maintaining fiscal discipline, and recommend potential
modifications, if needed."
Appropriations, Charge 16: "Evaluate the effectiveness of the Department of Public Safety’s use of funds
appropriated during the 84th legislative session for border security operations. Examine
existing data and reporting on border security metrics, and recommend improvements
to ensure the availability of accurate information in considering sustaining or increasing
border security funds."
Expect a report full of cheap-labor-lobby/Democrat talking points about the 'effectiveness' of border security efforts without any mention of the Federal 'catch-and-release' program.
Business and Industry, Charge 3: "Evaluate how Texas can support shared economy growth in the state. Determine how
the state can ensure customer security and satisfaction as well as consumer protections
without enacting burdensome regulations. Additionally, study the effects of a growing
portion of the state's workforce seeking full-time vs. supplemental part-time
employment with related technology-based businesses. Analyze recent debate and legal
precedent regarding the classification of these employees."
The fact that Straus doesn't use commonly accepted nomenclature to describe the sharing economy illustrates he doesn't understand it (which one would expect from someone who describes the economy the same way as Obama).
Criminal Jurisprudence, Charge 3: "Examine the use of asset forfeiture in this state, including data reporting on forfeiture
actions and procedures from seizure through forfeiture in both contested and
uncontested cases. Make recommendations for improving these systems that balance
law enforcement needs, private property rights, and government transparency."
Expect a report full of cop-lobbyist talking points about some sort of "vital law enforcement program"
Economic and Small Business Development, Charge 2: "Evaluate what local governments are doing to attract businesses to their communities
and examine ways the state can leverage these practices and provide support. Include
ways to improve local economic development programs to ensure a continued return
on investment for taxpayers. In addition, study the authority, financial accountability,
and types of statutorily allowed expenditures of economic development corporations.
Provide analysis of 4A and 4B sales tax programs and determine if they are still meeting
their intended purpose effectively."
Taxpayer funded lobbyists and assorted rent-seekers LOVE this one!!!
Economic and Small Business Development, Charge 8: "Examine partnerships between higher education institutions, public school districts, and
workforce that promote postsecondary readiness. Provide coordination
recommendations to ensure vocational, career, and technical education programs are
more accessible. Determine the most effective ways to invest in these partnerships and
programs to direct at-risk students to stable career paths. Examine current rules and
laws limiting employers from providing meaningful internships, apprenticeships, and
other opportunities. Consider new methods to finance workforce training programs and
associated assets in high schools and postsecondary schools, including ways to reduce
or eliminate these costs and options to incentivize businesses to invest in training
equipment for schools. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Public Education)"
This WREAKS of Common Core.
Elections, Charge 1: "Examine the petition process for addressing local ordinances, the time necessary to
prepare a petition, the collection of signatures, and the enforcement of local standards
required for a petition to be valid. Make necessary recommendations to clarify the
petition process to ensure accountability."
Energy Resources, Charge 3: "Study current renewable energy regulations in Texas in order to more effectively
balance federal, state and local regulations. Review the rights of Texas landowners who
receive royalties, operating fees or monthly production payments to ensure fairness.
Explore opportunities to maximize existing wind infrastructure toward the promotion of
additional renewable energy development such as co-location for generation and
transmission. In addition, consider policy solutions to incentivize colocation of
simultaneous surface electricity and mineral energy production."
Straus ACTUALLY did an interim charge over 'renewable energy'; we could stop there....
Government Transparency and Operation, Charge 3: "Study issues related to access to public information held outside of the custody or
control of the governmental body by current or former officers or employees. Assess
whether the Public Information Act's procedures for response to repetitious or
redundant public information requests adequately protect small governmental bodies
from the financial burdens imposed by such requests."
NOTHING good can come from this.
Higher Education, Charge 3: "Study the affordability and accessibility of undergraduate college education in Texas,
including a focus on middle-class students. Analyze the cost of attendance and tuition
rates, comparing Texas institutions to their national peers. Review the availability and
effectiveness of financial aid programs, and analyze student debt and default rates.
Study and recommend ways to promote timely and cost efficient graduation."
A source points out this charge is ingenuously worded to look like the leadership actually cares about middle class families, but is carefully littered with UT politburo buzz words.
Define "Middle Class."
Define "National Peers."
Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence, Charge 2: "Examine whether family law statutes and those affecting the parent-child relationship
provide sufficient guidance to Texas judges as to the appropriate application of foreign
law. Consider whether additional statutory provisions regarding application of foreign
law could provide useful guidance while preserving judges' ability to consider the
circumstances of each case and not needlessly prolonging litigation."
Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, Change 6: "Examine the Texas Family Code’s treatment of grandparents in the parent-child
relationship, including Chapters 32, 34, 153, 161, and 162 and suggest any changes that
may be useful to address the growing population of grandparents and the best interests
of Texas children and families."
Land and Resource Management, Charge 4: "Examine current regulatory authority available to municipalities in their extraterritorial
jurisdiction. Study current annexation policies in Texas. Make necessary legislative
recommendations to ensure a proper balance between development, municipal
regulations, and the needs of citizens in Texas."
Licensing and Administrative Procedure, Charge 1: "Identify all occupations licensed by the state to determine if they are necessary for
public safety and health. Determine if any criminal penalties associated with licensure
are unnecessarily punitive, recommend methods to improve reciprocity with other
states, and determine if a mandatory certification program could be used in lieu of
mandatory licensure."
Expect a report recommending watered-down half measures that do little to impact the relevant rent-seekers.
Licensing and Administrative Procedure, Charge 3: "Explore the increasing incidence of powdered alcohol, its impact on underage drinking,
and regulations in other states that have appropriately addressed the various impacts of
the product."
If he's bringing this one back, then Charlie Geren's getting paid.
Natural Resources, Charge 4: "Evaluate the progress of seawater desalination projects near the Texas coast as a means
of increasing water supplies and reducing strain on existing supplies, building on the
work of the Joint Interim Committee to Study Water Desalination (83rd session).
Examine the viability of the use of public-private partnerships and of methods by which
the state might facilitate such a project."
Public Education, Charge 8: "Study ways to increase parental choice in education, and review the successes and
failures of school choice programs in other states. Examine the benefits and costs of
implementing such a program in Texas. Recommend whether an expansion of school
choice in Texas is needed, and suggest ways to ensure that any school receiving public
support is held accountable for its academic and financial performance."
Expect a report full of pro-government school propaganda (esp. concerning 'rural school districts') to confuse the debate when the Senate reports.
Transportation, Charge 2: "Examine the current framework for designating a project as a tolled road. Consider ways
to reduce or eliminate the role of tolled roads in providing congestion relief given recent
transportation funding measures approved by the Legislature."
Another charge designed to confuse the issue with the Senate.
Ways and Means, Charge 1: "Review aspects of the property tax system that contribute to rising property tax levies
and taxpayer dissatisfaction. Examine whether the current system allows taxpayers
meaningful participation in determining local property tax rates. Explore changes to the
appraisal process that could improve the accuracy of appraisals."
Another charge designed to confuse the issue with the Senate.
Ways and Means, Charge 2: "Assess the impact of a repeal of the franchise tax on the state's economy and on
revenue stability for state government. The assessment should include a dynamic
analysis of the economic impact."
Another charge designed to confuse the issue with the Senate.
"Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
Steve Bresnen is a prominent Austin lobbyist. He has longstanding ties to BINGO interests and Trial Lawyers. As a lobbyist for the Texas Family Law Foundation, he was instrumental in killing American Laws for American Courts legislation last session.
Bresnen is also the driving force behind the Texas "Ethics" Commission's jihad against Empower Texans.
Which make this item from page 8 of Giovanni Capriglione's January 2015 campaign finance report very interesting:
Capriglione endorsed Straus's re-election as speaker on Monday, November 10th; Bresnen's donation came the following Friday.
Bottom Line: Cahnman's Musings has no beef with Steve making the donation. On a certain level, we actually respect the chutzpah. That being said, for Steve Bresnen to see Giovanni Capriglione as a worthwhile investment tells you everything you need to know about where the latter's bread is buttered these days.
