Monday, December 31, 2012

Tomorrow is the Day!


After over a year of hard work, tomorrow is the day when we can celebrate a little as we will have a swearing-in for those taking office here in Milam County. So come on out to the Milam County Courthouse at 10:00am in the District Court Room as our candidates will be sworn-in giving Milam County 14 Republicans holding local office!!

I remember three years ago several folks (actually lots of folks) telling me that we were crazy for setting out to create a Republican Revolution here in Milam County and now here we are with a majority of Republicans in local office and a GOP majority on the County Commissioners Court – AWESOME!

So come on out tomorrow morning, yes I know it is New Year’s Day and there are a lot of things going on, but come on out tomorrow morning to give our candidates some more support and to congratulate them on their victories and thank them for their efforts to serve us all. I know I am always amazed at the time and energy involved with the candidates running for office but the amount of time and efforts they put into the job once elected is even more impressive. So come help them enjoy their day tomorrow.

There will be no formal party following the swearing-in but many of us will be gathering at the Cameron Country Club to get some lunch following the ceremony so please feel free to join us!!

See You There!!
Bill

Friday, November 30, 2012

First 2012 Swearing In!!


New Milam County Treasurer, Republican Donna Orsag, being sworn into office by County Judge David Barkemeyer this last Monday, November 26, 2012.

Congratulations to Dona Orsag as she was sworn in Monday as the first elected Republican Treasurer in Milam County history!!


Donna was sworn in early as she was elected to finish the unexpired term as Treasurer following her Election Day Victory. If you get a chance go by and congratulate Donna on her election win and wish her luck as she takes the reigns as Treasurer.

Congrats Donna, and Good Luck,
Bill

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The Hangover is OVER!!


I have given everyone a rest, for the most part, but now it is time to get back to work. Here in Milam County Tuesday night was a good night to be a Republican as we carried the load for the GOP by taking 10 out of 11 local races and carrying Milam County for every elected spot on the State and Federal ballot including all four spots on the 3rd Court of Appeals. Even Mitt Romney carried nearly 70% of Milam County.

But even with the great success Tuesday night was for the Milam County GOP, the United States is still in turmoil. And NO, it’s not just because as a country we re-elected Barack Obama as President, but because for all the talk of a faltering government in Washington, we voted as a country to essentially send the same people back to Washington to do the same job (or lack thereof) that they have not been doing for many years that has the United States in such a mess.

What we needed was a new direction in Washington and since Tuesday all we have been hearing is more of the same. It is true that we are approaching a fiscal cliff the likes this nation has never seen; unfortunately, we have a dysfunctional leadership vacuum in Washington that appears to still remain even following the most expensive elections ever on record.

Now I am a principled Republican and I agree with the conservative principles of the GOP for the most part and while I am unmovable in my core beliefs, I also understand that we have a country to run and we must do what is best to govern; that is not what has been happening for at least the last four years….actually, more like the last 8+ years.

We all get it; the Republicans are conservative and the Democrats are liberal; the Republicans believe in plan “red” and the Democrats believe in plan “blue.” But let’s be honest, neither of those two plans are going to make it through, what we need is a plan “Purple” that blends to two plans into an agreeable national plan that allows our country to improve and not to regress as we have the last few years.

And it is possible – It’s Called COMPRIMISE!

Compromise has been given a bad name in recent years as it is thought of as giving up on your ideals – BUT IS IT? Can’t we see compromise as a spirit of cooperation to create a successful piece of legislation that will get through the legislative process and help govern the country?

No one has to sacrifice their beliefs on an issue, just maybe take the time to compromise a little in the negotiation process to move forward. You bring your ideas and beliefs to the table as a basis for the negotiations and then you agree to create legislation that will accomplish what is best for the citizens and the country.

This can be done and has been done before. In the 1980’s, President Reagan learned to work with a democrat legislature by passing tax reforms and immigration reforms that occurred even with the “Iran-Contra” affairs having taken place. In the 90’s Bill Clinton was able to work with a Republican Legislature that passed welfare reform and balanced the budget even after he had been impeached.

THIS CAN BE DONE!!

What we need is leadership – Good, Positive Leadership!! We need positive Leadership from the President that seeks to work with the congressional leadership in a bi-partisan manner that benefits America and not demigod a certain class, race, sex, or any other demographic for political expediency. We need Leadership from Senator Harry Reid that allows the Senate to vote on legislation coming from the House regardless of his feelings on the legislation and how he believes the senate will vote on it. We need Leadership from John Boehner that doesn’t just tote a party-line but reaches across the aisle in a manner that shows that he can treat the Democrats in the House in a manner that the Republicans in the Senate would like to be treated. As a matter of fact, we need all of this from all the leaders in Washington.

THIS CAN BE DONE!!

As Americans, we agree to disagree about certain issues and to have enough respect for those differing opinions that we do not degrade an individual for having them, but work with those individuals to find common ground and work in a manner that benefits us all.

No one came out of last week’s election with a mandate; everyone came out of the election still an American and as such we need to work together to make this the country we all want it to be. President Bush had a mandate early in his presidency as did President Obama – it doesn’t exist anymore.

Following last Tuesday’s vote, the government in Washington is truly a government of the people; and the government of the people needs to govern for the people – not for themselves or their parties.

THIS CAN BE DONE!!

I’ll put my soapbox up now,
Bill

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Milam County Election Results!!

Okay Everyone, I hope you were able to get some sleep last night. While I am sure many of you are a little disappointed in the results of the Presidential election, I think the thing to work towards is the future and how our other elected officials perform in Washington.

Only the legislature can keep everything moving. So whether your representative is a Republican or a Democrat is not what is important. What they are able to get done in the next two and/or four years is what is important. Remember, Reagan spent eight years dealing with a Democrat majority in the legislative branch and Clinton with a Republican majority and they were still able to make things happen.

Be motivated to stay on your elected officials and PRAY!!

So without further adieu, here are the results of last night's election here in Milam County. I will post the percentage won in the state and federal races and the actual results in the local races. Republicans carried every race in Milam County except the Precinct 4 Constable's race. (Remember, Red is for Republicans)

Straight Ticket
2,099 (58.37%) - GOP
1,446 (40.21%) - Democrat

District Judge, 20th District Court
4,944 (60.74%) - John Youngblood
3,196 (39.26%) - Hollis Lewis

District Attorney
4,213 (51.74%) - Bill Torrey
3,930 (48.26%) - Kerry Spears

County Tax Assossor-Collector
5,307 (65.54%) - Kolette Morgan
2,790 (34.46%) - Tommy Grimes

County Treasurer
4,580 (65.70%) - Donna Orsag
3,498 (43.30%) - Linda Aacosta

County Sheriff
David Greene, Unopposed

County Commissioner, Precinct 1
1,512 (75.94%) - George Tomek
479 (24.06%) - Ricky McCall

County Commissioner, Precinct 3
1,578 (70.86%) - John Fisher
649 (29.14%) - Andy Jackson

Constable
Precinct 1 - John Anderle, Unopposed
Precinct 2 - Charlie West, Unopposed
Precinct 3 - Jay WIllingham, Unopposed

Constable, Precinct 4
949 (47.55%) - Fred Keefer
1,047 (52.45%) - Giles Summerlin

President
5,478 (66.63%) - Romney/Ryan
2,632 (32.01%) - Obama Biden

U.S. Senator
5,059 (63.10%) - Ted Cruz

U. S. House District 17
5,594 (85.02%) - Bill Flores

Railroad Commission, Full Term
4,750 (60.80%) - Christi Craddick

Railroad Commission, Unexpired Term
5,324 (82.24%) - Barry Smitherman

Justice, Supreme Court
Place 2 - 5,388 (85.61%) - Don Willett
Place 4 - 5,213 (82.34%) - John Devine
Place 6 - 4,493 (58.27%) - Nathan Hecht

Court of Criminal Appeals
Presiding Judge - 4,707 (61.09%) - Sharon Keller
Place 7 - 5,256 (83.20%) - Barbara Parker Harvey
Place 8 - 5,149 (82.29%) - Elsa Alcala

State Board of Education
4,774 (61.87%) - Tom Maynard

State Senator, SD-5
5,424 (83.76%) - Charles Schwertner

State House, District 20
5,718 (100%) - Marsha Farney

3rd Court of Appeals
Place 2 - 4,827 (63.35%) - Jeff Rose
Place 3 - 4,666 (61.11%) - Scott Field
Place 5 - 4,718 (61.71%) - David Puryear
Place 6 - 4,991 (65.00%) - Bob Pemberton

Well that's the entire list from the results last night. Republicans now hold 14 of the 20 elected offices in Milam County. Not too shabby for a party that had never had a candidate win a local Milam County Race until 2010.

Thanks for all your work and support. I get a lot of credit for the political change in Milam County but the truth is without your support, both monetarily and physically, none of this would be possible.

Thank You All,
Bill

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Get Out and Vote!!

WE’RE JUST ABOUT THERE!!


Well it’s a little after 5:00 and we are closing in on 7:00. I have been burning up the roads today checking on all the polling locations and planting signs to help our candidates and it’s all coming down to these last few hours.


If you haven’t voted then come on out and do so, you still have some time.

If you have already voted then check with your friends, family, and neighbors and get them out to vote.

In short:

GET OUT THE VOTE!!

This is it, all the work we have done in the last year comes down to today so get out there and make it count.

I’ll at Bea’s Kitchen this evening watching the election results come out. Come on by if you’ve never been before. If you can’t be there then listen to the radio or check out the blog. I will be updating it and FaceBook as the night goes on.

VOTE STRAIGHT TICKET REPUBLICAN!!

Thanks,
Bill

Today is the DAY!!


About a year ago we started laying out the foundation and planning a campaign. It has been a great deal of work all in hope that we would enter today’s General Election with a Straight Ticket Ballot that the voters of Milam County could select and hit every spot on the Ballot – WE’RE HERE!!


If you haven’t voted then please get out and do so. If you have, then go out and make sure all of your family, friends, and neighbors get out and vote.

I can’t stress how important it is that we have success in this election. While Texas is almost assuredly going to go for Romney, I’m really concerned about other states like Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Iowa, and Florida. If you know someone in a swing/battleground state then get on the phone and get them out to vote.

Of course I am going to stress the importance of Straight Republican Ticket Voting and how vital it is in showing unity and in hitting all the conservative spots on the down ballot. We need a strong county government and conservative 3rd Court of Appeals.

On the 3rd Court of Appeals we need a Scott Field, a Jeff Rose, a Bob Pemberton and a David Puryear to help us maintain a strong conservative constitutionalist court. We need to elect these men to the court and not a biased partisan group of Liberal Democrats more interested in re-writing legislation than enforcing it.

So far this morning I have seen long lines of voters and that is great. I encourage you all to GET OUT AND VOTE!!

More to Come!!
Bill

Monday, November 5, 2012

Tomorrow's the day to GET OUT THE VOTE!!















Well tomorrow is the day of truth. The day we find out whether or country, state, and county will be headed in the right direction or taken on the path none of us want to see.


For all the latest on the election and what is going on in Milam County keep track with this blog. I will be posting on the road today and tomorrow with important updates, pictures, and results.

If you haven't done it yet VOTE!! If you need to, take a friend, family member, or neighbor and tell them to VOTE STRAIGHT TICKET GOP!!

1 Click and You're DONE!!

Early Voting ended Friday with a record number 4752 Milam County Voters hitting the polls early. That means that to date, 34% of Milam County’s registered voters have already voted….HAVE YOU?

Don’t let the wrong people get elected here in Milam County because you didn’t vote. Last election we had a Republican win office in Milam County winning by 21 votes and in this year’s primary we had one candidate win by 25 votes. So if 30 people in either of those elections had decided not to cast a vote.

EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!

I will be posting as often as I can in the next few days so stay tuned and share the blog so others can be informed. We need to GET OUT THE VOTE!!

Thanks!!
Bill

Saturday, November 3, 2012

When is misconduct justified? UH NEVER!!


With all the commotion made about the Milam County District Judge’s race, Liberal Democrat Hollis Lewis has insisted with a new radio ad from an “unattached” third-party that he did nothing wrong as District Attorney and acted in a manner that benefited Milam County – REALLY!!

The ad tries to discredit incumbent Judge John Youngblood as too inexperienced to continue on as District Judge; however, in actuality, Judge Youngblood’s background and expertise are comparable to his predecessor whom recommended Judge Youngblood as did many other well-respected community leaders and state and federally elected officials. And I doubt anyone would be so bold to challenge or discredit Judge Magre in a similar manner as they have Judge Youngblood.

But the question remains that if Mr. Lewis is so well qualified to serve as District Judge then why didn’t he apply to be appointed to the position? There’s really little wonder when you take a stroll through the Milam County District Clerk’s offices.

When your behavior as an elected official receives a mistrial from the court you are serving as District Attorney (and the court you are wishing to be the judge of), followed by an official reprimand from the State Bar of Texas, you are definitely NOT doing the citizens of Milam County any favors and anyone with a modicum of decency would know so. The truth is that if Mr. Lewis had been acting in an ethical and honorable manner as District Attorney then the people of Milam County would not have voted him out of office!

But since there are a few in Milam County who wish to overlook the poor conduct of Mr.Lewis then I am happy to oblige them and post copies of the official documents from the District Clerk’s office here on this blog. These are public records which anyone can look up in the Milam County District Clerk’s office, as well as those at the State Bar Association, so I am not posting anything privileged. It just seems that these documents need to be made more easily available since there is a disinformation campaign going on in support of Mr. Lewis.

As a result, today I am posting the District Court’s FINDING OF FACT AND CONCLUSION OF LAW in a case from March of 1997 when Mr. Lewis was acting as Milam County DistrictAttorney.

Decide for yourself!!




 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, November 2, 2012

A Waste of Texas Home-Schoolers' Money!!

So today I've been told the voters of Milam County are receiving robe-calls from Tim Lambert attacking Judge John Youngblood....Again.

Well let's talk about this!!

The Texas Home School Coalition is filled with many excellent people and their ultimate goal is to be admired; the education of children. But Mr. Lambert is a political lobbyist of the worst degree and is simply using whatever influence he has for fundraising. I have spoken to many home schoolers in Milam County and they have spoken with Judge Youngblood and they are satisfied. Obviously the judge cannot comment on the case too much, but those who came to speak with him left their meeting with an understanding.

Tim Lambert represents himself as a champion of the people and of freedom, but in actuality he is an opportunist who is sensationalizing something for the purpose of fundraising and attempting to spread his influence by attacking elected officials with half truths and insinuation in the hopes of intimidating them. His charges do not represent the truth and his actual knowledge of the subject matter of this trial is limited at best.

For him to make this ascertain and endorsement without contacting the Milam County GOP is insane. Both of My Vice-Chairs are home-schoolers and we have many active members of the Milam GOP who are home-schoolers. If anything he should have contacted us so we could discuss this.

If he had, maybe we could have helped him out and kept him from wasting money supporting an ultra-liberal Democrat over a solid conservative incumbent. Maybe he could have used that money to promote the actual home-school agenda rather attack a sitting conservative Republican. That's pretty shameful for someone who likes to flaunt his status as a former national committeeman to the Republican National Convention - Shameful!!

If you would like some more information on this I wrote about it on my blog the other day. You can find it on this site.

Only 4 more days left!!

Thanks,
Bill

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Election Year Mail


One of the quirky things about this time of year is all the election mail we all get. Now I don’t normally get anything from the Democrats; it seems they know my address and refuse to send me their liberally rewritten propaganda but I usually have more than my fair share of well-meaning conservatives who are more than happy to share their mail with me.

Today I came home and found a new bit of propaganda from Hollis Lewis. I found a letter from Hollis Lewis starting out with a crying session about how his opponent had been running a negative campaign – Hysterical. Mr. Lewis likes to use his experience as the main reason folks should vote for him and to just shrug off a State Bar of Texas’ reprimand as nothing more than an attack against him for seeking justice as District Attorney – REALLY.

Past history when serving in the courtroom has to have some bearing on an attorney’s status. The attacks Mr. Lewis claims were made against him were in the form of an official reprimand by a Democrat District Judge. His actions as referenced in the reprimand were so egregious that the District Court’s findings resulted in the assault case in question being dismissed and not eligible for retrial. The court found and listed six (6) different incidents where Mr. Lewis, while serving as the Milam County District Attorney, acted in a manner that was unethical, unconstitutional, and was misrepresentative of the facts that “…deprived Defendants of their Constitutional rights...”

Mr. Lewis claims these were attacks against him but in reality the court said that his were deliberate acts that led the court to the several conclusions the first of which is as follows: “The intentional and deliberate misconduct of the District Attorney of Milam County, Texas, Hollis Lewis, bars any subsequent retrial of the Defendants pursuant to the Double Jeopardy Clause of the United States Constitution.”

Well I’m not a legal scholar but I can get the gist of this and I think Mr. Lewis is a little more than misleading when he claims that he “will always stand for Justice, regardless of the consequences.”  Makes one wonder what consequences he is talking about. Apparently, in the past, these consequences have included sanctions by district courts and by the State Bar of Texas that resulted in either criminal defendants being freed or innocent people being unfairly tried – WE DON’T NEED THOSE CONSEQUENCES!!

In 2011 Mr. Lewis had the same opportunity to put his application in to be chosen to replace Judge Magre when he retired and he did not do so. It would seem logical to ask that if Mr. Lewis had the experience and history that would make his selection so clear, then why didn’t he make an attempt to be the appointee to this office? I think we know that reason.

We need the good solid Conservative Leadership of a Judge who is dedicated to doing things in a manner that protects us all as well as our Constitutional Rights.

Judge John Youngblood was selected by the Governor with the recommendation of many community principals, congressional office holders, and judicial leaders as well as that of his immediate predecessor. Apparently they felt that Judge Youngblood was experienced, prepared, and fully qualified to serve as the Judge of the 20th District Court.

So I guess the question comes down to whom do you trust? Do you trust our elected officials and community leaders, or are you going to listen to a former County Official who was voted out of office following a term in office that was punctuated with a reprimand from the same 20th District Court he seeks to lead and the State Bar of Texas for actions that deprived citizens of their Constitutional Rights.

The Choice is clear:

Keep

Judge John Youngblood

as Judge of the 20th District Court!!


Can’t wait to see what’s in tomorrow’s mail,
Bill

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

One Democrat's Out of Control Budget...in Milam County?

I had several phone calls yesterday asking me to clarify just how much the budget of the County Attorney’s Office has gotten out of hand.

I could try and tell you about it, but I think a picture (or graph) can much better demonstrate this than any explanation. This graph illustrates the rise in the County Attorney's budget since 2001 when the current County Attorney was elected.

NOTE: These figures can all be confirmed in the County Clerk’s Office and the inflation statistics can be confirmed with the U.S. department of Commerce.















This is why we need strong, conservative leadership in the County Clerk's Office so that we can control spending and get the job done.

Vote

BILL TORREY

for Milam County Attorney

The only clear choice for responsible leadership in the County Attonrey's Office.

Monday, October 29, 2012

More Employees, More Money, Less Bang for the Buck!!

This graph shows the amount of production in the Milam County Attorney's office versus the number of personnel on staff. Since being elected to office in 2000, the current County Attorney has tripled her staff and nearly quadrupled her budget while having little effect on the crime rate and or conviction rate since taking office in 2000. Not really a sparkling resume!!

More Employees, More Money, Less Bang for the Buck!!

It’s time for a change!!

BILL TORREY

 THE REPUBLICAN CHOICE FOR COUNTY ATTORNEY!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Block-Walking Like Champions!!


Thanks to everyone who came out for some block-walking. In Rockdale we had folks cover the north side of town; I hit some more of the south side of town. We had folks cover Thorndale and Milano knocking on doors and getting out the word. I spoke with a bunch of folks who took advantage of the opportunity to vote today and made it over to the County Clerk’s office to vote.  I haven’t gotten the final numbers for today but about 5:00 I had heard that there were about 200 folks who went by and voted today.

We are getting to the last ten days and it’s getting close to the wire. I have been asked by many folks who would like to do something to help the Romney campaign and if you would then I would suggest that you go to the Republican Party of Texas website or the National Republican Party website and there are opportunities to get on the phone calling squads to call contested states and help get the word out and help Get Out the Vote!!

If you would like to help our local candidates then I would suggest you go to the county GOP website (www.milamgop.org) and look at the list of candidates. If you want their contact information and it’s not there then email me and I’ll get it for you. All the local candidates need help in some way or another whether it’s donating money or time they would all love the help. I’ll be out block-walking right up to Election Day so if you’d like to help me then please let me know. The more the merrier!!

Well I better get some rest; the next few days are going to be long, but exciting and fun for us political junkies.

Get Out The Vote!!
Bill

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Last Time to do Some Block-Walking!!

This Saturday, October 27th, we will be out block-walking as a group to help promote the candidates for the final time as a large group. Please come out and help us canvass the Rockdale and Cameron streets with the Republican Message about our tremendous slate of candidates. If you haven't been able to date then come on out and be a part of the fun. Whether you're an old pro or a newbie come on out, everyone is welcome and we all have a great time!!

Mark your calendars and come out and join us. You can walk in Cameron or in Rockdale; we will be meeting in both towns at 9:00am. In Cameron we will meet at the Milam GOP Headquarters office at 106 N. Travis. In Rockdale we will meet at the old Wal-Mart Parking lot near Mr. Gatti’s Pizza. We'll meet up around 9:00, get our bearings and then set out to walk the streets with signs, pushcards, and enthusiasm!!

We’ll have donuts for a morning starter and after we’re done please join us for some pizza afterwards. This is a great time for you to get out, support your candidates, and show your determination to make things better. So come on out and show your support for the candidates and let's get the word out to all of our friends, neighbors and fellow Milam County citizens that we need to vote!!

Remember, early voting has already started and will continue until November 2nd. If you can't make it during the week, the Milam County Clerk's office will be open Saturday, October 27th for voting from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. THis election is too important at all levels not to vote so please get out and do so.


I look forward to seeing you all there!!
Bill

Friday, October 19, 2012

Shame on You Texas Home School Coalition!

While I appreciate most of the work done by the Texas Home School Coalition Political action Committee (THSC), I fear that they have bitten off more than they should have in the case of Heather Moody. Mrs. Moody is claiming that Judge Youngblood has given temporary custody of her kids to her estranged husband simply because she home-schooled her kids and the THSC President Tim Lambert has bitten hook, line, and sinker.


Now I’m sure Mr. Lambert works hard to support the political agenda of the THSC, but I also know that Judge Youngblood is a good and respected member of the community and works hard to run the 20th District Court in a professional manner abiding by the law and not rewriting of law as he sees fit. Unfortunately in some cases following the law is not always the easiest of decisions for a judge to follow, but regardless of whether that judge is a Democrat or a Republican, a Liberal or a Conservative, following the law should be their primary concern, not creating or rewriting law.

This divorce is a sad and tragic event as is any divorce in the course of any American family; however, as with any divorce involving children, there are extenuating circumstances that are usually not know by the general public and as with this case they are ruled on as a matter of law and not as a matter of the personal opinion of the sitting judge.

The THSC has presented Mrs. Moody as a saint who has been wronged mightily by the court, but what is the whole story? Do you know? Is she saintly? The truth is we don’t know. And what about this third-hand statement the father made as you have reported? Is this the truth? Has Mrs. Moody been completely truthful in this matter? We don’t know that either. It will be the job of the jury to determine the status of this case and how it plays out if mediation does not work.

Judge Youngblood has ordered Mediation and that is a hard concept for many of us to understand and it is not easy to get through; however, it is successful in many cases and does keep many families out of a jury trial situation thereby keeping many children away from the trauma of having to go into a courtroom and see their family torn apart.

Family law in the state of Texas is very precise about certain issues and requires them to be handled in the certain manner that is not privy to the spot decisions of the judge in charge. What has been presented by the THSC is a compelling argument but it is only one side of the story. There are two sides of the story and unfortunately it appears that the THC has chosen the side that benefits their PAC regardless of the actual facts of the case.

The THSC suggest the voters of Milam County should remove Judge Youngblood for following the Family Law Code as written by the Lawmakers in Austin and replace him with Hollis Lewis. The THSC has officially endorsed Mr. Lewis even though he has a history that includes a 1999 reprimand from the Grievance Committee of the State Bar of Texas finding him guilty of Professional misconduct? A Reprimand he received while serving as County Attorney for Milam County.

In Closing I would say this; I doubt anyone who knows Mr. Lewis and Judge Youngblood would support the THSC’s claim that Mr. Lewis is the more conservative of the two. What they have presented here is a nice hit piece; however, before the THSC and their supporters endorse a candidate I think it important that they look into that candidate’s background. They might be surprised of the skeleton’s hiding in that closet!

All Rise!!
Bill

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

As For Me and Mine....We'll Vote Republican!


Last week I wrote a blog addressing the newest Milam County Political Organization. When I say that I am not really sure what to point out more; the Milam County or the Political Organization because quite honestly neither of these words adequately fits this group.

Many folks have contacted me in regards to the group called Republicans for Kerry Spears. To be honest, a couple were upset with me, but most of them were quite angry with Mrs. Spears. While I appreciate the concerns of those upset by this group, I also understand that while the goal of this group may seem honorable, the origin and background of this group is quite deceptive.

If this was simply a matter of a group of Republicans choosing to back Mrs. Spears I would probably have not said anything about it; after all, as I said in my earlier blog I believe “that America is a free country and that everyone has the right to vote for whomever they feel will do the best job.”

Like most of you I have nothing against Mrs. Spears; however, when there is an issue that is brought before me that I must address as the Party Chairman, I will do so in a manner that does urge party loyalty. Mrs. Spears choose to run for re-election as a Democrat and dance with the ones who brought her – now she’s not so sure she wants to dance.

The general election system we have set up in Texas calls for all candidates in state and county elections to either declare themselves loyal to a political party or to run as an independent. This system while not perfect, does allow the general public to have a general idea of where the candidates stand based on the party they align themselves with. Just like many of this year’s candidates, Bill Torrey has run as a Democrat in the past, but unlike Mrs. Spears, once given the opportunity to run for office as a Republican in Milam County Mr. Torrey did so – Mrs. Spears DID NOT.

Mrs. Spears had the opportunity to run as a Republican and she chose to remain a Democrat and as such to align her campaign with the liberal principles and beliefs held by Barack Obama’s party and not with the conservative beliefs and values held by voters in Milam County. Regardless of What Mrs. Spears’ advertising and messages say now, if she was a true conservative she would have shown the moral conviction and courage to switch parties and run as a Republican.

Bill Torrey chose to run as a Republican because the values of the Republican Party are the same conservative values and beliefs he holds dear. It was the hard work of the people of the Republican Party of Milam County and the Republican candidates in 2010 that proved you could run as a Republican in Milam County and win. That hard work built a party that let conservatives have the chance to run as a Republican and the true conservatives have chosen to run as Republicans.

In last Wednesday’s blog I strove to keep the same civil and respectful tone I have throughout my time as County Chair. I did not mention any deception in my blog, but this group has been deceptive. It was set up through a third party individual from Rockdale while being principally financed and logistically organized by family members of Kerry Spears. That in itself is deceptive and can be proved through the financial statements on file at the County Clerk’s office and the phone calls received by me and other county officials from unhappy land owners approached by Mrs. Spears’ family members looking to place these signs.

If it was the support of Republicans Mrs. Spears wanted, then she should have run as a Republican and not allowed this trickery by various friends and family members to be the means by which she sought to gain Republican support. In the past and from time to time I have seen people I know as Republicans with signs supporting a Democrat and have respected those folks’ opinions enough to let them have their say. As I also said in an earlier blog, I spent 14 years serving this country in the U. S. Navy and have spent the last few years as Milam County GOP Chair working to help protect the rights of people to vote for who they think is the best candidate for the job.

If this was just a group of Republicans that got together to do this on their own, I would not need to address this; however, this is an issue of someone using the Republican brand and as such I have addressed it as I was asked to by my constituency.

I do apologize if any of this has in any way been offensive as that is surely not my desire. But the actions of this group is offensive to those working so hard in the Republican Party of Milam County and to have an incumbent Democrat candidate try and work the system to gain support under less-than-honorable circumstances is dissappointing.
 

Vote for Bill Torrey, the only Republican for Milam County Attorney. 

Thanks,
Bill

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Bill Torrey is the Republican Choice for DA!!


Many times while acting as the Republican Party Chair for Milam County I have had the opportunity to report on things that are pleasant in nature. Normally I get to come to you with good news and spread cheer; today I have to address an issue that might be unsettling for some, but I feel it necessary for me to address it all the same.

When I took over the reigns as the Milam County Republican Chairman I did so with the goal of creating a local Republican Party that would be filled with quality individuals so that the voters of Milam County could have a solid conservative choice on the ballot and end the years of single party governance.

My goal was to create an atmosphere where those with conservative beliefs could run for office as a Republican and change the mentality of “You have to run as a Democrat if you want to win in Milam County.”

Milam County has always been a Conservative place to live and raise a family. The beliefs and values we hold dear here in Milam County are the very same conservative beliefs that have made this country great; people who are hard-working, independent, self-reliant, charitable, and God-fearing just to name a few.

Those working in the Republican Party of Milam County had been working for many years with little success to show for it in the local elections. But in 2010 a tremendous group of candidates rose to the occasion and took on the task of running for local office under the Republican Party Banner that represented their beliefs and values.

Likewise, this year a record number of Conservative candidates came forward and put their name on the GOP ballot, many of them switching parties much to the consternation and abusive rhetoric of local liberals who called them “traitors.” Prior to this election I let it be known that any of those incumbents who wanted to switch parties would be welcomed to; however, they had to understand that many of them would probably have a challenger in the primary – and many of them did!

In the end, those who switched parties did so not to easily win an election, but because they felt that their core beliefs and values more closely matched those of the Republican Party. Several of the incumbents who switched parties had to win the primary in order to represent the party on the ballot in November; in short, they earned their place on the ballot.

In the last week it has come to my attention that a group calling itself Republicans for Kerry Spears has filed paperwork to raise money for their cause and has begun to place signs about Milam County. I just got a note from a concerned Republican saying they saw a yellow sign near one of Kerry Spears signs that supported their cause.

This disturbed him because as a Republican he knows how important it is to support those candidates brave enough to take a stand and run as a Republican in a county that has made it a practice in the past of only voting Democrat. I have also had anonymous letters and phone calls telling me that some of the Milam GOP Candidates are not truly Conservative and that they are really Democrats.

Anonymous letters and phone calls to me are the most ridiculous forms of communication and are very reminiscent of those hate groups in the past who spewed their venom while roaming around in the dark behind cover. This I find quite humorous as the candidates that have chosen to hoist the Team Obama banner and remain in the Democrat Party are the very candidates who say to the State and Federal Democrat Party that they want Milam County to be a Pro-Obama Liberal Stronghold.

I am not sure what those who make up this group calling themselves Republicans has against our Republican Candidate for County Attorney, but Bill Torrey is the Republican Candidate for County Attorney and is the only the candidate the Republican Party of Milam County is supporting in this year’s General Election.

Bill Torrey chose to step forward and run as a Republican to represent the conservative values and beliefs he and Milam County hold dear. His opponent chose to remain in the Democrat Party and to continue to support the liberal Obama agenda that tears at the very fabric of American Society.

The Republican Party in Milam County has worked hard to establish a strong Conservative Republican Party here in Milam County and we will continue to work hard to maintain that high level of civility while we make Milam County a better place to work and live. It has not always been easy, especially when attacked by those on the other side of the political spectrum, but it is worth it to know we can hold our heads high while we work to make things better for Milam County, for Texas, and for our country.

In closing I will say that America is a free country and that everyone has the right to vote for whomever they feel will do the best job. I have believed that all of my life. I spent 14 years in the Navy defending that right and have worked the last three years as the Milam GOP Chair to ensure that everyone in Milam County has a right to vote however they see fit. Regardless of who you chose to vote for on November 6th, just remember that Bill Torrey is the Republican Candidate for County Attorney and that his opponent has chosen to be Barack Obama’s choice.

Thank You,
Bill

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

BLOCK-WALKING!!

Judge Barkemeyer Block-Walking
in 2012.
This Saturday, October 13th, we will again be out block-walking as a group to help promote the candidates. Please come out and help us canvass the Rockdale and Cameron streets with the Republican Message about our tremendous slate of candidates.


Mark your calendars and come out and join us. You can walk in Cameron or in Rockdale; we will be meeting in both towns at 9:00am. In Cameron we will meet at the Milam GOP Headquarters office at 106 N. Travis. In Rockdale we will meet at the old Wal-Mart Parking lot near Mr. Gatti’s Pizza. We'll meet up around 9:00, get our bearings and then set out to walk the streets with signs, pushcards, and enthusiasm!!

We’ll have donuts for a morning starter and after we’re done please join us for some pizza afterwards. This is a great time for you to get out, support your candidates, and show your determination to make things better. Oh....if you can't make it this time, we will also be having a last round of block-walking on October 27th!!

I look forward to seeing you all there!!
Bill

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Up-coming Events

Hello Everyone,


Well we are now six weeks from Election Day and I hope everyone is ready to get busy and “Get Out The Vote” for our republican Candidates!!

I wanted to drop a line a let everyone know about the events coming up in the next few weeks. This is not all the events but those that are currently scheduled.

BLOCK-WALKING
September 29, October 13, and October 27 are the three Saturdays we have officially scheduled for block-walking this year. On these three days we will do some organized block-walks in Cameron and Rockdale. Everyone is welcome to attend and help out our slate of candidates. We will meet at 9:00 am at the Party Headquarters in Cameron and at the old Wal-Mart parking lot near Mr. Gatti’s in Rockdale.

REPUBLICAN WOMEN'S MEETING
Come out and join us October 16th at 6:30 at the Budget Host in Cameron for the Monthly meeting of the Republican Women of Milam County. The guest speakers will be Senate Candidate Dr. Charles Schwertner and Justice David Puryear of the Third Court of Appeals. Make sure to come out and hear from these two gentlemen as well as other candidates who all need our support.

We will also be sending out some mailers in the weeks to come and have our headquarters open Thursday and Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm so you can pick up signs for your yard and stickers for your vehicles. Members of the Republican Women will be manning the office at these times but as always you can call me or email and I will be happy to get you a sign and/or sticker. I still have some to deliver as we speak so if you haven’t gotten them yet don’t worry; I will get them to you in the next few days.

Well that is it for right now. I will send out some updates in the next few days. This is such an important election and we need everyone’s help to win a conservative victory to right the wrongs that have been committed by over-spending, over-taxing, and over-regulating Democrats.

See You Soon,
Bill

Monday, August 27, 2012

Quick Milam GOP Update!!


Hello Everyone,

Hope everyone is getting for a little national convention action. We’ll keep those in the path of Isaac in our prayers, but we have a convention to complete in Tampa that will select the next President of the United States.

First I wanted to thank all those who helped out Donna Orsag. With your help she was able to get lots of new signs. If you haven’t seen them or know somewhere to put one up let me know.

Remember, we have seven local candidates in contested races this November so we need help getting the word out and putting out signs so if you need one let me know. We have signs for the following.

Judge John Youngblood – District Court Judge
Bill Torrey – County/District Attorney
Donna Orsag – County Treasurer
Kolette Morgan – County Tax Assessor
George Tomek – County Commissioner, Precinct 1
John Fisher – County Commissioner, Precinct 3
Fred Keefer – Constable, Precinct 4

As the convention is becoming more and more prominent on the news I have been getting several phone calls about signs and hours of operation for the Party office. We are ordering signs this week and should be able to pick them up so we can start getting them out ASAP. We are also going to be buying some bumper stickers also. If you would like some let me know and we will make sure you get what you need to show your support.

The Milam GOP Executive Committee will be having a meeting next week to determine the hours of operation for the party headquarters and then I will put them out on Party website, via email, on Facebook and in the newspaper. Remember, if you haven’t checked out the Facebook site then please go to it and like it. We have lots of good info there also.

If you have any questions or concerns please give me a shout and I will be glad to help you out.

Thanks,
Bill

 

Bill Whitmire
Chairman,
Republican Party of Milam County
milamgop@yahoo.com

Monday, August 13, 2012

Tonight's Rally in the Park!!


Hello Everyone,


I just to reach out this morning and invite you all to this evening’s Milam County Republican Women’s annual “Old-Fashioned Rally in the Park!”

Come on out and join us for some free food, fellowship, and the opportunity to talk to and hear from your elected Federal, State, and Local officials as well as your Republican Candidates for office this fall. The festivities start at 5:00 pm at the Cameron City Park with free food and patriotic music performed by the Yoe High Band. The speaking will start between 5:45 and 6:00 so if you come a little late there will still be food and plenty going on.

Representative Bill Flores will be here to talk about what is going on in Washington so come by and talk to him. State House Candidate Dr. Marsha Farney, State Board of Education Candidates Tom Maynard and all the candidates for the 3rd State Court of Appeals will be on hand also to discuss what’s happening in Austin.

This is your best opportunity before the November 6th election to be a part of the process and to show Washington and Austin that Milam County is serious about what is going on with our country. The Republican Women of Milam County have worked hard to put this event on and to get these individuals to town to spend the evening with us; now it is our time to support them and our candidates by coming out in force!!

So get your lawn chairs and come to Cameron tonight and don’t forget to bring your family, friends and neighbors!!

We’ll have a grand old time – PLUS FREE FOOD!!

If you have any questions let me know,
Bill


Sunday, August 12, 2012

Tomorrow's the Night!!

Hello Everyone,

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I just wanted to put out a short reminder that tomorrow evening (August 13th) is the Milam County Republican Women’s annual “Old-Fashioned Rally in the Park!”

Come on out and join us for some free food, some fellowship, and the opportunity to talk to and hear from your elected Federal, State, and Local officials and your Republican Candidates for office this fall. The festivities start at 5:00 pm at the Cameron City Park with free food and patriotic music performed by the Yoe High Band.

So many times I am asked questions by Milam County residents about what it is that our elected officials are doing and or candidates will be doing in office; well now is your chance to interact with the very politicians you want to hear from.

Representative Bill Flores will be here to talk about what is going on in Washington so come by and talk to him. State House Candidate Dr. Marsha Farney, State Board of Education Candidates Tom Maynard and all the candidates for the 3rd State Court of Appeals will be on hand also.

This is your best opportunity before the November 6th election to be a part of the process and to show Washington and Austin that Milam County is serious about what is going on with our country. The Republican Women of Milam County have worked hard to put this event on and to get these individuals to town to spend the evening with us; now it is our time to support them and our candidates by coming out in force!!

So come to Cameron Monday night and we’ll have a grand old time – PLUS FREE FOOD!!

If you have any questions let me know,
Bill

Friday, August 10, 2012

Rally in the Park Update

Hello Everyone,


Hope everyone is ready for the weekend and getting their lawn chairs brushed off for Monday August 13th and the Republican Women of Milam County’s “Old-fashioned Rally in the Park.” We’ll kick things off at 5:00 at the Cameron City Park with free food and music performed by the Yoe High Band. These kids are awesome if you haven’t heard them and this is your opportunity for a little one-on-one with the folks who are already or will be your elected officials.

I am pretty excited for it and I hope you are too. Regardless of whether your there to see the band, meet the candidates, talk to your local, state or federal elected officials, or just to get a bite to eat; come on out and enjoy the evening.

State and federal elected officials and candidates joining us for the August 13th Rally in the Park will include:

United States House - CD-17
Rep. Bill Flores
State House District 20
Marsha Farney
State Board of Education – District 10
Tom Maynard
3rd Court of Appeals
Place 2 - Jeff Rose
Place 3 - Scott Field
Place 5 - David Puryear
Place 6 - Bob Pemberton

So let’s make everyone welcome and show these folks along with our local candidates how serious we are here in Milam County about advancing the conservative cause. I hope to see everyone out for a wonderful night in the park.

See You There!!
Bill

Thursday, August 9, 2012

MILAM GOP 2012 RALLY IN THE PARK!!

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone survived the Runoff. I am certainly thankful it’s over and am looking forward to expanding the Conservative Republican Movement here in Milam County in November. I want to thank everyone for all their help during the primary and I hope you will all take the time in the next few months to help our wonderful candidates.

We are currently 98 days from the November Election and the retirement from public office of one Barack Obama. Election Day will be here before we know it so I wanted to take this time to mention a few ways we can all help our Republicans on the ballot in November.

Of most importance is the first item; don’t forget to mark your calendars for Monday, August 13th for our annual “Old-Fashioned Rally in the Park.” The Rally will be held at the Cameron City Park and will start at 5:00 in the afternoon with free hot dogs, lemonade, and ice cream. The Yoe High Band will play from 5:00 to 5:35 followed by the presentation of the candidates, elected officials and the speakers featuring our new Texas State Representative, Dr. Marsha Farney, and U.S. Rep Bill Flores who will be representing Milam County in Washington.

The Rally serves as a Town-Hall Meeting for Rep Flores here in Milam County and is the kickoff to the November 2012 Campaign. This will be Rep Flores first opportunity to really get a feel for the Conservative Grassroots Movement here in Milam County so please let’s fill the park. This is a special event where we all get the meet and speak with our elected officials and our Republican candidates for office – AND FREE FOOD!!

NOTE: Bring a lawn chair if you wish, seating is limited in the park!!

Two other items that need some quick addressing have to do with advertising.

First, your Republican Candidates need you support on the pocket book level. I know times are tough right now but it doesn’t take much. $5, $10, or $20 can go a long way. Currently, each of the seven candidates with an opponent in the fall will need your help to get the vote out and win. Too Many times candidates at the local level feel uncomfortable asking for monetary help so I ask each of you to contact these candidates and support them. If you don’t feel comfortable contacting them then contact me and I will be happy to help out however I can.

As an example of the help needed, Donna Orsag is purchasing more signs to help cover Milam County and that takes money. Let’s help Donna to reach her goal of $600.00 by Monday at the Rally. You can visit her website at http://donnaorsag.com ; or drop her an email at donnaorsag@hotmail.com – either way, I know she will appreciate is.  

Second, we are now within the 90 window from Election Day so we can put up campaign signs. I ask and challenge each of you to get with one of the candidates and get a sign up. I would love to see the county plastered with signs for our GOP candidates. Remember, not everyone can donate money, but everyone can donate a little time to help these candidates out. I’ll be out this weekend trying to flood the county with signs!!

Here is a list of Republicans who need help to defeat a Liberal opponent this November. If you would like to contact these folks them give me a call or shoot me an email and I will be glad to help.

John Youngblood – District Judge
Bill Torrey – County Attorney
Donna Orsag – County Treasurer
Kolette Morgan – County Tax-Assessor
George Tomek – County Commissioner, Precinct 1
John Fisher – County Commissioner, Precinct 3
Fred Keefer – Constable, Precinct 4

Once again, thanks for the help and support everyone has given in the past and I look forward to seeing you all Monday night at the “Rally in the Park”!!

Thanks,
Bill


Bill Whitmire
Chairman,
Republican Party of Milam County
254-482-0354