Sunday, May 13, 2012

Early Voting Begins Tomorrow

It is strange to think that it has been four years since the 2008 election that brought the Harris County District Attorney's Office the "gift" of Pat Lykos.  Tomorrow begins your first opportunity to do everything you possibly can to correct the mistake made back then, as Early Voting opens with locations across the county.

It doesn't matter where you are registered to vote.  During the Early Voting period, you can vote at any location.  I highly recommend that you vote early while it is so convenient.  Election Day is Tuesday, May 29th -- the day after Memorial Day.  On that day, you can only vote at the location where you are zoned to vote.  No exceptions.

If you care about the results of the elections affecting the Harris County Criminal Justice System, I cannot stress enough how important it is that you vote early.  Too many things can come up on Election Day that might keep you from voting.  That is going to be even more true on the Tuesday after a three day weekend.

Please please please go vote.  I'm going to be pestering the hell out of you on this blog to make sure you've done it.  I hope that you will take my pestering and let it roll down hill.  Stay on your friends, neighbors, fellow church members, Facebook friends, and your family to vote.  If you work in and around 1201 Franklin, you know how important this is.

When you go vote, I hope you will remember not just whom you are voting against, but who you are voting for.


This year the candidates seem to have lined up in Judicial races where the choices for the better candidates are so very obvious.  If this were a race based only on qualifications, we could all sleep easy for the next two weeks.

But the unqualified (and sometimes, downright crooked) candidates have their supporters too.  You will notice those candidates -- they are the ones who seem to only have endorsements from people that have nothing to do with the CJC.

I've gone over the candidates and their qualifications ad nauseum, but if you need a refresher on who the best candidates are, click here.

There is probably not a thing left that I can write that will possibly change anyone's mind.  If you are reading this blog post, you knew what the right decision was (in all of the races) a long time ago.

All I can hope to do now is motivate you to put your ballot where your heart is.

I know that my friends within the District Attorney's Office cannot say publicly who they support.  That doesn't mean you can't make a phone call to your Dad, your Mom, siblings, spouse, your spouse's family, and your neighbors.  You know how Pat Lykos and her "Leadership Team" have treated you all.  If you want to change anything about the next four years, this is your last chance to act.

Otherwise, you are going to be having to listen to Don Hooper crowing for the next four years.

If you are a police officer and you are tired of the disconnect that Pat Lykos' policies have created with the job that you get up and do every morning, go vote.  Take your partner.  Tell your spouse.  Tell everyone you know to go vote.

No one knows what will happen at the end of the day on May 29th.  The election is anybody's game at this point.

We all know what will happen if you don't go vote, though.  We've had four years of learning what happens if you don't vote.

Click here for your early voting locations.

Like I said, I will be bugging you all every day with your motivational reasons for going to vote.  I hope to see one of the biggest turnouts ever for Early Voting.  We can make a difference like we did in 2010.

Let's do it again.

Vote for Mike Anderson.
Vote for Joe Vinas.
Vote for Ryan Patrick.
Vote for Kristin Guiney.
Vote for Renee Magee.

And you know what else?  Vote for Paul Simpson for GOP Chairman over Jared Woodfill.  We can thank Woodfill for bringing us the slate of terrible candidates running against those qualified candidates.

One final thought -- if you think it is more important to vote for who you think is going to do better in the November Elections than it is to vote for who is more qualified, please consider this:

Who do you think the Democrats are hoping they will face in November?  Do you think they would prefer to face off against Mike Anderson, the long-time prosecutor and legendary trial attorney who served as a distinguished judge for over ten years?  Or would they prefer to run against the politician who was one of the most reviled judges on the bench in her time and has led her office to be investigated by two Grand Juries and the Texas Rangers?

Also, consider what will happen if the Rangers do end up filing some sort of charges against the Lykos Administration between now and November.  If Republican leadership thinks that won't derail the entire Republican ticket in the fall general election, well, then it is definitely time for some new leadership.

I'm done preaching.

Go vote.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, everyone in the DA's office knows what it has been like and wants to see her gone. Yes, officers talk about needing the change. The question remains, though, what are they going to do about it. The DA race and the judicial races involve their lives but 2 weeks away and many of them don't even know which criminal courts have contested races. I mean really there are prosecutors that have no idea that Kristin Guiney not only has an opponent but that opponent is Lana "I can't do Grand Jury but I am gonna be judge" Shadwick. Makes by blood boil every time I have to educate these people, who should freaking know better. And you are darn right, Don Hooper and Rachel Palmer will be insufferable if Lykos wins. You can count on it. Shutting that guy up alone should be worth getting 10 of your friends to go vote. So, the question is people, are you going to put up or shut up? Are you going to do something about it or are you going to wake up on May 30th, ask what happened and then gripe about it for 4 more years?

Anonymous said...

There are 2 Harris County employees on our block - we've sent an email to all our republican neighbors with our recommendations...& they appreciate it because they don't know as much about these races as we do. Don't be embarrassed to recommend (push a little) because our block is now covered with Anderson signs and voters.Wonder what Hooper will do with his days if RP is out of a job (please help find out).Can you file for unemployment if you've never been employed Don?

Anonymous said...

Are you going to put an "I voted" counter on your blog?

Anonymous said...

The Republican community is united behind Renee Magee and Ryan Patrick. However, Republicans are fairly evenly split in the DA race and Joe Vinas' and Kristin Guiney's races. If the last three are going to win, it is going to be the legal and law enforcement communities that will have to make the difference.

Anonymous said...

Early voting begins today.
M-F May 14-18 ... 8am-4:30pm
Sat. May 19 ........ 7am-7pm
Sun. May 20 ...... 1-6pm
M-F May 21-25 ... 7am-7pm

Vote at any early voting location in Harris County.

Closest to courthouse: Harris County Administration Bldg., 1001 Preston, 1st floor

Find all early voting locations here: http://harrisvotes.com/EarlyVoting/earlyvotinglocations_schedule.pdf

BLACK INK said...

When supposition becomes reality does apathy become activism? Rarely.

People like to talk a good game but when it comes to playing ball it's the same folks on the field and the same folks on the sidelines.

People don't change and they don't sell courage or convictions at Krogers or HEB.......if they did we'd have a whole lot more Murray Newmans in Harris County.

The dynamics of 2008 have changed.........this go round, the smaller the voter turnout the greater Mike Anderson's hope for victory.

I pray that Mike wins and that he runs the DA's office better than his campaign.

Now get out and vote for Mike Anderson as if your life depends on it...........because it very well might.

Because Spin Matters said...

I love the fact that every time BJ posts something on his blog, Patsy has her political website immediately link to it. Why? - it is usually a glowing review. What's awesome is the fact that BJ will not allow any negative comments about Patsy on his own blog.

BJ also has a blog on Chron.com. His posts are identical. On the Chron's version of BJ's most recent post, you will see several comments about our beloved boss that have not been posted by BJ's personal site.

Because money matters....

Anonymous said...

"People don't change and they don't sell courage or convictions at Krogers or HEB.......if they did we'd have a whole lot more Murray Newmans in Harris County."

And maybe you wouldn't pontificate like an anonymous coward either.

James Barfield

Anonymous said...

I sent an email to all of my friends and family through facebook and through my personal email account expressing my views on who to vote for and who to vote against. I've already heard back from several that they appreciate the heads up and that they know to trust my opinion. One woman wrote that she has already voted by mail because she's older and that she followed her conservative newsletter but didn't vote for Pat because of her "bad reputation." I don't know which conservative newsletter she is referring to, I just hope it isn't Polland's. Blech!

Spread the word, spread the word! This is when it matters most. They're near the finish line.

Anonymous said...

Don't underestimate the power of your suggestion to a friend or acquaintance or total stranger about who they should vote for. Most of us are very well-versed on the candidates, but the other 90% of the population is not!
Email your kid's soccer team list, the prom planning committee list, kid's teachers, your book club list, tell your favorite checker at the grocery store, work in a plug while your car is getting an oil change--NEVER miss and opportunity to suggest a vote for Anderson or any of your other favorites the next two weeks. Just ONE person you talk to could make THE difference!

Anonymous said...

BY the way, there's more than one James Barfield in town. Don't get carried away thinking that I'm your favorite juvie judge...

James

Anonymous said...

Hey Jimbo @ 10:35,

Whew! Looks like someone hit a nerve.

Anonymous said...

Dear BMOC "non-anonymous" James Barfield:

Of the total 219 James Barfields who currently reside in the USA 27reside in Texas and 4 in Harris County. James T in Cypress, James R. in Spring, James H. in Baytown and plain old James on Avenue B in the Heights.
None of these "James" dudes are a match. But you knew that. Your hypocrisy proves up BI's allegation.

Anonymous said...

Murray,
I thought big league real estate lawyer and C Club member Joe Slovacek was a strong supporter of Mike Anderson or at least so says Mike Anderson.
However, over the weekend we received a mailer from Slovacek urging us not to consider the Steve Hotze or Terry Lowry slate endorsements. He had his own endorsement slate and oddly endorced no one in the DA's race and instead referred us to Big Jolly's Blog. What's up with that Murray.

Anonymous said...

4:22:

Match to what? Who says a commenter. Has to live in Harris county?

Anonymous said...

Hooper,
Are you capable of writing a paragraph with less than five third grade grammatical errors?

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:59, Slovacek is a BIG Anderson supporter. He is a member of HRBC, the sponsor of that mailer. It is NOT Slovacek's personal mailer.

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:59, the HRBC mailer is critical of Polland's Conservative Review and the Link Letter. It is NOT critical of Hotze.

Anonymous said...

For the first time in my nearly 30 years of being old enough to vote, I have emailed all the dozens of people in my email address que--all the people my kids have played ball with, all the people I've volunteered with, all my kids teachers, coaches, parents of their friends, etc. and asked them to vote for Mike Anderson. I also have his sign in my yard, his sticker on my car, wore his shirt to the grocery store and talked to three people there about him on Sunday. I've NEVER campaigned for anyone, but I've also never been so embarassed for my profession about how the PL administration has behaved or so angry at voters for putting her in the job in the first place. So, I guess I have to thank PL for turning me into an activist and making it very easy to campaign for Mike Anderson who I know will never bring this type of shame on the profession.
Come on everyone--it's very easy to do--it's talking. Tell three people a day why Mike Anderson is a better choice and remind them when the voting happens!
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:59

Endorse and endorced in the same sentence - really? "Murray, what's up with that." A question should end with a question mark Don, not a period.
Anon 8:04 - if you took a drink for every spelling and grammar error in Hooper's posts you'd pass out before you finished reading.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:55 - The Surgeon General has issued a strong warning about the dangers of drinking games based on Hooper's deficits... Among the known or suspected chronic effects of drinking following each of Hooper's blunders are:

1) short-term memory impairment
2) impaired judgment
3) passing out
4) "amotivational syndrome"
5) lack of employment
6) inability to relate to others
7) lack of shame or guilt
8) parasitic lifestyle
9) shallow
10)no real friends - only victims

In summary, the surgeon general warns that playing such games will lead you to be like Don Hooper!

Anonymous said...

I heard a lot of people in the CJC say they voted yesterday. Great news. At the same time I still heard LAWYERS in that building say they didn't know which races were contested or not. Seriously!! The DA race is most important, no doubt. These judicial races are important too. Guiney, Vinas and Magee have to win too or Lord help the people in those courts. And I agree with Murray, vote for Paul Simpson too. Getting rid of Woodfill will also get rid of his buddies that spread hate and lies. There are more Don Hoopers out there. Some people have awaken. Now that you are awake, wake the others. Come on now. We have to keep the focus to keep going. Tell people everyday until 7pm, May 29th.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:49,

Imagine if you and others would've stepped up in 2008 like you are now? Wow! Your 2012 complaints might just be moot!
Bullshit in bullshit out!

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:13,

AMEN BROTHER!!!

Episode Seven: The Voters Awaken - A One Act -Sci-Fi Play

SCENE:  The Death Star orbits over Downtown Houston. [INTERIOR] The Imperial Council Chambers. EMPRESS OGG sits at the head of a long table ...