Sep 22, 2016 | democrat, Fort Bend, Fort Bend County, Harris County, Judges, political parties, Politics, republican, Texas, Voting
No one if you are not registered to vote. In Texas, the deadline to register is October 11, 2016 for the November 8, 2016 elections. If you know you are not registered to vote you can go to this link – https://webservices.sos.state.tx.us/vrapp/index.asp and get registered. To confirm you are registered go to this link – https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do, and make sure all of your information is correct. Once you are registered make sure you have proper ID with you when you go to vote. There are seven forms of ID which are approved. They are:
- Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS);
- Texas personal identification card issued by DPS;
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS;
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS;
- United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph;
- United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph;
- United States passport.
So once you are registered to vote, and have your ID ready to go vote, how do you know where to go? Go back to this link https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do, fill out the information and click enter and on the next page, click on the link under upcoming elections. It will give you voting precincts where you can vote. I would suggest that you avoid the last minute rush and take advantage of early voting from October 24th – November 4th.
So who are you going to vote for?? The next blog will address straight ticket voting. A quick preview – don’t do it.
Feb 24, 2016 | democrat, Fort Bend, Fort Bend County, Harris County, Judges, political parties, Politics, republican, Texas, Voting
Primary Election March 1, 2016
Early Voting Period: February 16 – 26, 2016
Republican Judicial Election Recommendations–
Supreme Court:
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3 Debra Lehrmann
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 5 Paul Green
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 9 Eva Guzman
Court of Appeals: Chief Justice, 1st Court of Appeals Sherry Radack
Justice, 14th Court of Appeals, Place 2 Kevin Jewell
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4 Evelyn Keyes
Justice, 14th Court of Appeals, Place 9 Tracy Elizabeth Christopher
Fort Bend County District Courts:
District Judge – 240th Judicial District Chad Bridges
District Judge – 387th Judicial District Brenda Mullinix
District Judge – 400th Judicial District Maggie Jaramillo
District Judge – 434th Judicial District James H. “Jim” Shoemake
District Judge – 505th Judicial District David Perwin
Fort Bend County Court: Judge, County Court at Law No. 5 Harold Kennedy
Democratic Judicial Election Recommendations–
Supreme Court:
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3 Mike Westergren
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 5 Dori Contreras Garza
Court of Appeals: Chief Justice, 1st Court of Appeals Jim Peacock
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4 Barbara Gardner
Justice, 14th Court of Appeals, Place 9 Peter Kelly
If a court is not listed then no recommendation is made for that party candidate. That could be because I like the other party candidate better or I just don’t know them well enough to recommend them. Also as a final disclaimer some of my recommendations for the general election may change depending upon the primary results and/or my learning more about the candidates who I don’t know as well.
Jul 16, 2012 | car crash, democrat, Fort Bend County, Harris County, health care, Insurance, obamacare, personal injury, political parties, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, TLR, Tort Reform, trial attorney
There has been a lot of talk and fear about the so called Death Panels which can decide whether a person should be denied life sustaining care even over the objection of the family. It has been vilified as typical of “Obama care”. Texas is leading the country as we have had these “death panels” for over a decade thanks to Tort Reform. I thought it was a bad idea in 1999 and still think it is a bad idea. Essentially it allows the physician or medical facility to determine that life sustaining care is inappropriate. This decision can be over the objection and wishes of the family.
“The physician and the health care facility are not obligated to provide life-sustaining treatment after the 10th day after the written decision…”
“The patient is responsible for any costs incurred in transferring the patient to another facility.”
So imagine that your family member is in a car crash and lapses into a coma and the medical facility decides that there is no benefit to life sustaining treatment (the irony of “life-sustaining” care being of no benefit seems lost on them). The committee (?) determines to end all life-sustaining care and gives you notice. Now you have 10 days to find another facility to agree to accept your family member and if you can find one (after the current one has already decided it is futile {I am sure the economics of care have nothing to do with the decision}) you get to pay for any cost incurred in transferring your loved one. If you don’t agree, you have the option to file a lawsuit to stop them. Do you really think that will be what you are thinking about as your loved one is essentially starving to death as they cut off life support.
The people who supported the law and are now fighting against health care will say, well that is different or just because it is the law doesn’t mean it will happen. Harris County Texas — a patient identified only as “Willie” died after the hospital cut off all nourishment after giving the proper notice. Probably the family didn’t care – wrong they tried to get him transferred but couldn’t find a hospital willing to take him. Well he must not have had insurance – 1st should it matter, but he actually had plenty of coverage, but the let him die. Texas Right to Life spokesperson Elizabeth Graham stated “Willie” was dehydrated and starved to death against the family’s desire (Thanks to Jeffrey Kreisberg). So when you think it will not happen, it already has to someone with a family who wanted to keep him alive and had insurance. As far as I know, no such action has taken place in Fort Bend County, Texas – yet.
In the last election for governor of Texas, Perry was asked about this and he claimed he wasn’t aware of the law and would make it priority to get it overturned.
If you are concerned about “death panels” you should be because if you are in Texas it is not a possibility it is a reality and not because of the liberal democrats, but because of the Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) group. So be mad and take action against those who supported, sponsored and passed the bill. Ask your representative if they are supporter of Texans for Lawsuit Reform and, if so, why they are in favor of these “death panels”. I wonder if they will claim they didn’t know what they were supporting??
Finally, if you support (or know someone who supports) TLR I posted this question on Facebook – “What do you believe needs Reforming?” I really would like some answers to that question.
