TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalWith a polarized electorate, can Democrats beat Republican Pete Sessions by swinging left?
The Democrats running against incumbent Republican Pete Sessions are his polar opposites.
Their policies, positions and proposals are left of center -- in some cases far left. Their campaigns are a product of the growing movement to counter the election of Donald Trump.
Like other Democratic hopefuls across the country, the candidates sound more like Vermont senator and Democratic presidential runner-up Bernie Sanders than Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump.
In Congressional District 32, which Sessions has represented since 2003, demographic shifts have given Democrats hope that they will someday have enough base voters to beat Sessions. In 2016 Clinton beat Trump in the district, yet the area, particularly in a midterm election year, still leans Republican. The district includes the Park Cities, North Dallas, parts of Richardson, Garland, Wylie and Sachse.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018-elections/2018/02/26/polarized-electorate-can-democrats-beat-republican-pete-sessions-swinging-left
Ruth Bader Ginsburg backing cryptocurrency? Texas blocks firm that used justice's image
The Texas State Securities Board has issued another cryptocurrency-related emergency cease-and-desist order, this time against a company that used pictures of models and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to represent its management and legal team.
It's at least the fifth cease-and-desist order issued by the agency, which has been among the most active in the nation in the battle against alleged cryptocurrency schemes.
LeadInvest, whose registered agent is based in Panama, is described as a technology company that specializes in developing trading software in the Forex market and bitcoin currency, according to the order.
"The agency's Enforcement Division determined that some of the images that purported to portray its management on its website are, in fact, stock photographs of models sold on the internet," Joseph Rotunda, the agency's director of enforcement, said in an email.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/money/2018/02/26/texas-blockscryptocurrency-firm-used-image-ruth-bader-ginsburg-web-site
Haltom City man gets 25 years for $693K Ponzi scheme that preyed on elderly clients
A Haltom City man was sentenced to 25 years in prison in a Tarrant County court Thursday for a Ponzi scheme that took $693,000 from 13 victims.
Ronald T. Dunn, 67, was sentenced by Judge Wayne Salvant on one charge of theft of property over $200,000 and three counts of securities fraud over $100,000.
"Ronald Dunn left an endless trail of financial carnage throughout Tarrant County," lead prosecutor Matt Smid said. "The victims in our case trusted him like they trust a friend or a family member, and he abused that trust in the worst way imaginable."
Dunn, who has no prior criminal record, committed the crimes while working as an agent with Prudential Financial, Smid said. Several of his clients were elderly.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/02/23/haltom-city-man-gets-25-years-693k-ponzi-scheme
Days before bankruptcy, Dallas fraudster used trust fund to buy $857K Highland Park home
A Dallas man was convicted this week on four counts of bankruptcy fraud in federal court.
Gary Beach, 66, was found guilty after a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge David Godbey, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Prosecutors said part of Beach's fraud involved buying a home in Highland Park worth $857,500 and trying to hide $15,000 in monthly payments three days before he filed for bankruptcy protection from an $812,000 debt created by a lawsuit he brought and lost.
After his debt was incurred in a civil trial in Harris County, Beach used a trust fund created by his father to hide payments he was receiving for continuing to work in the oil and gas industry, U.S. attorneys said.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/02/23/dallas-mans-highland-park-home-purchase-part-fraud-convictions
Texas Democrats' early voting totals should 'shock every conservative to their core,' Abbott email
Source: Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN — Early voting for the March primary is more than half over, and Democrats have outpaced Republicans at the polls on each day.
Through Sunday in the 15 Texas counties with the most registered voters, 135,070 people had voted in the Republican primary and 151,236 in the Democratic. Compared to the first six days of early voting in 2014, Democratic turnout increased 69 percent, while Republicans saw a 20 percent increase.
The Democrats even surpassed their early voting totals from the 2016 primary — a presidential election year.
Sen. Ted Cruz told a group of Republican voters this month that the left would “crawl over broken glass in November to vote ... We could get obliterated at the polls,” and other Republicans appear to be taking the Democratic surge seriously. Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign sent supporters an email Monday asking for donations to help him get out the vote, warning that the early voting numbers “should shock every conservative to their core.”
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018-elections/2018/02/26/texas-democrats-early-voting-totals-shock-every-conservative-core-abbott-email-says
https://twitter.com/scottbraddock/status/968220823583707136
Andrew White hits Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as being too timid to defy NRA, pass gun measures
AUSTIN — Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Andrew White on Monday lambasted Gov. Greg Abbott for being afraid of the National Rifle Association.
White said Abbott, the Republican incumbent, needs to call a special session to promote "common sense gun-safety legislation."
Clearly eager to tap into anger generated by this month's massacre at a high school in Parkland, Fla., White also endorsed universal background checks and raising the age to purchase a rifle to 21, from 18.
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White said he enjoys hunting, owns rifles and shotguns and supports the Second Amendment. But he cast Abbott and the GOP-controlled Legislature as too scared of the NRA to take steps he said would promote public safety without unduly curtailing Texans' gun rights.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-politics/2018/02/26/andrew-white-hits-texas-gov-greg-abbott-timid-defy-nra-pass-gun-measures
Gov. Malloy Blasts NRA Leader Wayne LaPierre
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy blasted the National Rifle Association leader, Wayne LaPierre, following his remarks about the recent Florida high school shootings.
LaPierre, who has become the face of the NRA, sharply criticized liberal Democrats and others Thursday in a fiery speech to a group of conservatives in suburban Maryland.
Malloy added, “Don’t be surprised that the first thing that comes out of the NRA is a reopening of the same book they used at Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, Orlando, and other instances. The same book that they used in Aurora. The same book they used in Columbine. The NRA will deflect any time they can.’’
Malloy concluded, “Wayne LaPierre, quite frankly, doesn’t care how many people die, as long as guns get sold.’’
Read more: http://www.courant.com/politics/capitol-watch/hc-pol-gov-malloy-blasts-nra-leader-20180222-story.html
Organized Labor In Connecticut Joins National Fight Over Public Sector Unions
Organized labor in Connecticut joined the national battle Monday over the future of public sector unions being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The state AFL-CIO and several unions are galvanized by a legal case challenging government union dues that potentially could deal a blow to organized labor’s greatest strength: its representation of government workers.
“We will not sit idly by while corporate America tries to beat us down,” Lori Pelletier, president of the state AFL-CIO, said at a rally in front of the state Supreme Court in Hartford.
Jose Fuentes, a children’s services worker for the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, said the lawsuit argued Monday in the U.S. Supreme Court is an “attempt to rig the system.”
Read more: http://www.courant.com/business/hc-biz-supreme-court-unions-20180226-story.html
New bills would require Maine officials to show up for meetings
AUGUSTA (AP) — Some lawmakers want to make sure elected officials show up in person to public meetings.
Two bills set for a Tuesday public hearing would no longer allow some officials to use phones or other technology to remotely participate in public meetings.
The Legislature’s Right to Know Advisory Committee has expressed concern that elected officials should have face-to-face contact with the public and each other at meetings.
Remote participation is currently allowed for seven appointed bodies including the Finance Authority of Maine, the state ethics commission and the Workers’ Compensation Board.
Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/new-bills-would-require-officials-to-show-up-for-meetings/
Dozen state agencies hit in cyberattack
The Department of Administrative Services triggered an alert of the state’s computer system after a “ransomware virus” was detected on a dozen agencies.
Jeffrey Beckham, spokesman for the DAS, said “starting late Friday afternoon, the state's security monitoring alerted our security team that it had detected a suspicious event that matched the profile of a ransomware virus. The DAS security team began to work with the agencies for which the alert was triggered.
“The state mobilized the agency IT workforce and alerted agency commissioners to the issue. DAS worked with agency partners this weekend to contain the virus. The state technology resources have made significant progress and contained the virus last night,” Beckham said in an email.
Normal patching and antivirus protections protected most machines, he said.
Read more: https://www.nhregister.com/local/article/Virus-detected-on-some-state-computers-12708561.php
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
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