The legislation would have helped lower electricity prices by creating new customer protections and new rules against anti-competitive behavior. It would have helped make electricity more affordable by making deregulation more competitive.
What electric industry lobbyists feared most was a public vote on these important protections. With the point of order, they avoided one. Consumers should be outraged.
Texans are witnessing the same corruption of their economy and government as we have witnessed in Wa. D.C. at the hands of lobbyists and wealthy special interests. When are Texans going to organize themselves to remove these incumbents in the Legislature who have become addicted to the lobbyist's bribes, blackmail, and the campaign contributions of wealthy special interests insisting their agenda supersede that of Texan voters and the State's future?
]]>At some point, however, voters must decide whether or not they are going to take control of their politicians by voting them out of office, if they are not to continue to be controlled by these incumbents. And make no mistake, voters are controlled by those in elected office. Ironically, incumbents use voter's tax dollars to send out the very propaganda needed to get themselves reelected. If the voters are happy with that propaganda and approve of the results of government with Lamar Smith as their representative, they should reelect him. If not, and if they want to send a message to all of Congress, they can remove Lamar Smith, and shock the political establishment in D.C. into paying attention to District 21 voters.
And let's be clear, unseating Lamar Smith, considered now even safer as an incumbent, would indeed cause a flurry of attention to be paid to District 21 voters after the election, in the attempt to find out why voters removed a so called "safe" incumbent. If they learn that Lamar Smith was removed because voters disapprove of the way Congress is being run and the decisions coming from it these many years, both parties and their incumbents, and their future challengers will pay attention to the message sent by District 21 voters.
That is the power of the anti-incumbent vote, if the voters ever decide to exercise that power over their government and politicians. The difference between a king in office in perpetuity and an elected politician is nothing more than the vote. It is up to voters to decide whether they wish to be ruled by kings, or hired help the voters to be the employer of. Lamar Smith is just hired help. If Congress has not served voters well, it is time for dismissing the hired help who thinks they can't be fired, and hiring someone hungry to live up to voter's expectations.
]]>One thing is for certain. Repeatedly rewarding bad politicians with perpetual re-election is not making them more responsible and accountable.
]]>But there's more. Did you know that Congress has been flagrantly violating Article V of the U.S. Constitution for many decades?
]]> Some of these hundreds of Article V Applications state that Congress has failed to adhere to Article V of the U.S. Constitution. Article V is the states' constitutional right to propose amendments that Congress refuses to propose. But clearly, Congress does not want an Article V Convention, because they know things like Term-Limits, Balanced Budget, and other amendments will be proposed that will limit their power, opportunities for self-gain, and reduce the security of their cu$hy, coveted incumbencies.However, if Congress controls the amendment process, the Congress then controls the Constitution. And that's what we have. Congress has refused to obey Article V, despite:
[] 104 Balanced Budget/General Amendments by 37 Different States, Congress
[] 109 Apportionment/General Amendments by 35 Different States
[] 154 Amendments by 34 States (sorted by State) in 7 years from 1963 to 1969
[] 102 Amendments by 35 States (sorted by State) in 7 years from 1965 to 1971
[] 567 (or more) Amendments by 49 (or all 50) States.
Congress has a clear conflict of interest.
Just think, if Congress had obeyed Article V, and allowed the states to vote ont a BALANCED BUDGET amendment, then perhaps the federal government would not now be swimming in $9.5 Trillion of debt. Perhaps the nation would not be swimming in $53.2 Trillion of nation-wide debt?
But that's still not all. There are other constitutional violations.
Clearly, Congress is not upholding their oath to protect and uphold the U.S. Constitution.
In fact, they are flagrantly violating the U.S. Constitution.
Perhaps this is partly why voters give Congress such dismally low approval ratings (some as low as 9%)?
If that bothers the voters, then perhaps the voters should question the bad habit of repeatedly rewarding irresponsible incumbent politicians with 85%-to-90% re-election rates?
Polls show most voters don't thing the U.S. is on the right track.
Many Americans are only now starting to feel some of the painful consequences of these 10+ abuses of the last 30+ years.
More education is needed.
In a voting nation, an educated electorate is paramount.
The voters are going to get their education one way or another.
At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect.
]]>As of this writing, April 15, 2007, Texas VOID is just getting started. We are developing our web site as our base of operations for carrying out the VOID Mission in our state.
Our goal and mission are the same as the national Vote Out Incumbents Democracy organization's, but aimed specifically at electing, or reelecting, responsible, accountable, and ethical U.S. Congress representatives from Texas.
]]> Since we are a newly formed state chapter of VOID, our primary target election for voting out irresponsible, incompetent, or unethical incumbents in Texas will be in 2008. We must then begin recruiting and organizing volunteers now to maximize a significant impact on 2008's Congressional races. With the anti-incumbent support shown in November 2006's election, aided by our national Vote Out Incumbents organization, the volunteers and supporters of Texas' VOID have every expectation of being able to wield some significant clout in some of 2008's district races.VOID's goal is to reduce the national reelection rate in 2008 by at least 20%. A reduction of incumbent reelections by 20% is what will be required to achieve state, local, and national media coverage of the anti-incumbent sentiment and put surviving incumbents on notice, that they may be next to lose if positive changes in politics and governance are not achieved.
The VOID Directors and Texas VOID volunteers, can only guide and point the way. It is up to us, the American voters, to insure the success of VOID's mission with contributions, memberships, and volunteer hours. Texas VOID will help supply the support base and funding to:
1) acquire publicity and advertising in key election districts in 2008
2) to reduce incumbent reelection rates,
3) and to create the support base which will contact our representatives when VOID puts out a 'call to action' notice, to compel our representatives to act in areas like ending deficits, election reform, campaign finance reform, securing our borders and nation, and protecting and defending our American freedoms and liberties laid out in our Bill of Rights.
We know positive changes in American politics and governance will not take place in one election cycle. We know such changes will require a growing anti-incumbent movement over several election cycles to bring about forcing politicians to put the needs of the nation and we the people first, and ahead of the desires of wealthy campaign donors, special interest lobbyists, personal and party greed. Therefore, as long as the annual numbers of supporters for VOID continues to grow, our organization will continue to work and aid voters in restoring American politics and governance to what it should it have been all along.
History.
Texas VOID has no history yet, other than to launch this web site and begin gathering supporters. You can however view the history of the national VOID organization by clicking here.
Other Notes about VOID.
VOID National and its state chapters accept no sponsorship from any political party or candidates. VOID does not advocate for any political party. VOID does not contribute funding for any specific candidate. VOID's efforts and goals partially rest on motivating the nearly 50% of eligible voters who don't vote, to register and vote as well as convincing registered voters of the merits of the Vote Out Incumbents logic and rationale. VOID has no paid staff. VOID is run and managed entirely by caring volunteer American citizens like yourself.
Disclaimer!
Volunteer staff and guest writer editorials are the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the goals, motives, or, intentions of the VOID organization. Comments to articles on Texas VOID's web site are open to the public at large, and in no way represent the views, or beliefs of the VOID organization or, its staff.