Some Stats for You!!

Some interesting stats I came upon while reading. Of the two current GOP house members running for POTUS, these are there congressional records.

Bachmann - 5 years in office, 54 bills proposed, none made it to a floor vote.

Ron Paul - 21 years in office, 620 bills proposed, 4 made it to a floor vote, 1 passed which allowed the city of Galveston to sell a house to the Galveston Chamber of Commerce.

I am digging for stats on the others.

Last Day to File....Sort of!!

Monday the 19th of December was the last day to file for office, but according to the court order released late last week we will be reopening filing for about a week in late January to end on February 1, 2011. It has been a busy filing period, but an exciting one. So here is the update for the final day of filing; for this first filing period.

Judge-20th District Court
John Youngblood (Incumbent), 45, of Cameron

County Attorney
Bill Torrey, 64, of Cameron, Attorney

Sheriff
David Greene (Incumbent), 59, of Cameron
Greg Kouba, 46, of Thorndale, Deputy Sheriff-Bastrop County
Herbie Vaughn, 55, of Rockdale, Milam County Constable Precinct 3 & Rockdale Fire Chief

Treasurer
Julie Biar, 38, of Thorndale, Office Manager
Donna L. Orsag, 50, of Cameron, Office Manager

Tax-Assessor
Kolette Morgan (Incumbent), 43, of Cameron
Karen Berry, 58, of Cameron, Business Manager

County Comm, Pct 1
George Tomek (Incumbent), 46, of Cameron

County Comm, Pct 3
John Fisher, 63, of Rockdale, Rancher & Auctioneer
Odes Foster, 69, of Milano, Insurance Adjuster

Constable, Pct 1
John Anderle (Incumbent), 34, of Cameron

Constable, Pct 2
Charlie West (Incumbent), 63, of Cameron
Kenny Schneebeli, 35, of Cameron, County Inspector

Constable, Pct 4
Fred Keefer, 39, of Thorndale, Thorndale Police Chief

So far these 16 candidates have come in to file; however, I am expecting a couple of more during the filing period in late January. If anyone knows of someone or if anyone would like to inquire about the Precinct 3 Constable's Job then let me know.

I will be updating the filing information as quickly as possible via email and on our website at www.milamgop.org


Thanks,
Bill

Upcoming Event!!

February 9, 2012 – The 3rd Annual Texas Independence Day and Reagan Birthday Celebration. Come join us as the Republican Women of Milam County will be holding their annual celebration with all the local and state candidates. This year’s event will be held in the VFW hall in Cameron beginning with a mixer at 5:00 p.m. followed by the meal at 6:00 p.m. Come out for the opportunity to hear from and speak with each of the local and state candidates. Tickets are $50.00 per person and they go fast so contact Bill Whitmire at 254-482-0354 for information on how to get tickets. This is the Republican Women’s big fundraiser of the year with the funds going to help Local Republican Candidates in the 2012 Election.

Updated List of Local GOP Candidates

Judge-20th District Court
John Youngblood (Incumbent), of Cameron

County Attorney
Bill Torrey, of Cameron, Attorney

Sheriff
David Greene (Incumbent), of Cameron
Greg Kouba, of Thorndale, Deputy Sheriff-Bastrop County
Herbie Vaughn, of Rockdale, Constable, Precinct 3

Tax-Assessor
Kolette Morgan (Incumbent), of Cameron
Karen Berry, Business Manager of Cameron

Treasurer
Julie Biar, of Thorndale, Office Manager/Title Clerk

County Comm, Pct 1
George Tomek (Incumbent), of Cameron

County Comm, Pct 3
John Fisher, of Rockdale, Rancher & Auctioneer
Odes Foster, of Milano, Insurance Adjuster

Constable, Pct 1
John Anderle (Incumbent), of Cameron

Constable, Pct 2
Charlie West (Incumbent), of Cameron
Kenny Schneebeli, of Cameron, County Inspector

The last day to file for office has been moved to Monday, December 19th and I will be manning the office at Milam GOP Headquarters from 1 pm until 6 pm on the 19th. If anyone would like to fill out an application to file in the Republican Primary they can reach me at 254-482-0354 or via email at milamgop@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Bill

December 6, 2011 - First Week of Filing Update

Hello Everyone,

It has been a busy first week. I wanted to let you know how things have gone to date.

Judge-20th District Court
John Youngblood (Incumbent), 45, of Cameron

County Attorney
Bill Torrey, 64, of Cameron, Attorney

Sheriff
David Greene (Incumbent), 59, of Cameron
Greg Kouba, 46, of Thorndale, Deputy Sheriff-Bastrop County

Tax-Assessor
Kolette Morgan (Incumbent), 43, of Cameron
Karen Barry, 58, business manager of Cameron

County Comm, Pct 1
George Tomek (Incumbent), 46, of Cameron

County Comm, Pct 3
John Fisher, 63, of Rockdale, Rancher & Auctioneer
Odes Foster, 69, of Milano, Insurance Adjuster

Constable, Pct 1
John Anderle (Incumbent), 34, of Cameron

Constable, Pct 2
Charlie West (Incumbent), 63, of Cameron
Kenny Schneebeli, 35, of Cameron, County Inspector

So far these 12 have come in to file; however, I am expecting several more between now and the end of the filing period being December 15th.

Also planning to file for County Treasurer is Julie Biar. She is currently gathering signatures in support of her campaign for Treasurer.

I will be updating the filing information as quickly as possible via email and on our website at www.milamgop.org

If anyone would like to fill out an application to file in the Republican Primary they can reach me at 254-482-0354 or via email at milamgop@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Bill

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

First Day of Filing for the 2012 Primary!!

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone had a Wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Tomorrow is the beginning of the 2012 election with the opening day for filing for the 2012 Primary Election. I will be opening the doors of the Party Headquarters at 8:00 to start accepting applications and will be there until about 9:45 when I will take a short break to attend the County Commissioners meeting at the Courthouse. Depending on the length of the meeting I will take a short lunch and be back to man the office until 5:00. If anyone is unable to make it to the headquarters tomorrow then please feel free to give me a call at 254-482-0354 and I will be glad to arrange a meeting for applying for a place on the primary ballot.

I am very excited about this year’s election and look forward to meeting with all the candidates. For them this is a big step as running for office is now small task. The folks are willing to give up their own time and sacrifice of themselves to serve us. This is why we should all do what we can to show our support and help them as they work to continue to bring conservative change to Milam County; a change that we saw take root in the 2010 election.

The media has asked that we have a few people on hand for some pictures around 9:30 so please feel free to come by around 9:30 and be a part of the fun. For the candidates I hope you take the media up on this offer of free publicity. You can apply whenever you like but please come by around 9:30 for some pictures with the newspapers. I will be taking photos of the candidates for our website so to those folks I would say look good for the camera.

This is an important election; with redistricting taken over by the courts to benefit the Democrats and the inaction of elected officials in federal offices we all need to all work together to help insure that we elect true conservatives who will work with us to create a better future for our children and grandchildren. Thanks to everyone for your help and I look forward to working with everyone in the years to come.

See You Soon,
Bill

Bill Whitmire
Chairman,
Republican Party of Milam County

It is October, Are You Ready?

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to touch base with you all and let you know where things stand right now and to let everyone know about some up-coming events in the next few weeks. It’s an exciting time with the filing period for the 2012 primary only a little over a month away – get Ready!!

With all the excitement of the national campaign for president, we have begun to generate quite a bit of enthusiasm here in Milam County. Currently we have 12 GOP candidates for 9 of the 11 races on the local 2012 ballot. The two slots that are still open are looking like they could be filled pretty soon though so we are anxiously awaiting the filing period to begin to solidify those positions.

Anyway you look at it, we have moved quite far down the road from the days when we were lucky to have one or two candidates on the local Milam County GOP Ticket, thanks to everyone for their support in that effort!

The month of October also sees us with a couple of events that might provide you the opportunity to continue your involvement, or begin to get involved. Either way, we would welcome your participation and look forward to seeing you.

October 10th the Milam County Tea Party conservatives will be holding their monthly meeting at the Budget Host Suite & Inn located in Cameron just off Hwy 36. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and along with the usual business they will be looking into the 2011 Constitutional Amendment Election and will also have a candidate, or three or four, on hand for you to meet and talk to.


October 18th the Republican Women of Milam County will be holding their monthly meeting at 6:30 at the Budget Host Inn & Suites in Cameron. This will be their normally scheduled meeting and they will be discussing the up-coming Constitutional Amendment Election and will hopefully have some special guests also. Remember, there are male memberships to this organization also and many men to come and participate.

Both of these meetings are an excellent opportunity to meet fellow conservatives and begin to get involved or stay involved. I welcome you all to both of these meetings and hope to see you all there.

Great things are happening in Milam County and we are looking forward to the 2012 election but we need your help. We invite you to come out, get involved, and be a part of the Party!!

See You Soon,
Bill

October 2011 Milam GOP Update

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to touch base with you all and let you know where things stand right now and to let everyone know about some up-coming events in the next few weeks. It’s an exciting time with the filing period for the 2012 primary only a little over a month away – get Ready!!

With all the excitement of the national campaign for president, we have begun to generate quite a bit of enthusiasm here in Milam County. Currently we have 12 GOP candidates for 9 of the 11 races on the local 2012 ballot. The two slots that are still open are looking like they could be filled pretty soon though so we are anxiously awaiting the filing period to begin to solidify those positions.

Anyway you look at it, we have moved quite far down the road from the days when we were lucky to have one or two candidates on the local Milam County GOP Ticket, thanks to everyone for their support in that effort!

The month of October also sees us with a couple of events that might provide you the opportunity to continue your involvement, or begin to get involved. Either way, we would welcome your participation and look forward to seeing you.

October 10th the Milam County Tea Party conservatives will be holding their monthly meeting at the Budget Host Suite & Inn located in Cameron just off Hwy 36. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and along with the usual business they will be looking into the 2011 Constitutional Amendment Election and will also have a candidate, or three or four, on hand for you to meet and talk to.

October 18th the Republican Women of Milam County will be holding their monthly meeting at 6:30 at the Budget Host Inn & Suites in Cameron. This will be their normally scheduled meeting and they will be discussing the up-coming Constitutional Amendment Election and will hopefully have some special guests also. Remember, there are male memberships to this organization also and many men to come and participate.

Both of these meetings are an excellent opportunity to meet fellow conservatives and begin to get involved or stay involved. I welcome you all to both of these meetings and hope to see you all there.

Great things are happening in Milam County and we are looking forward to the 2012 election but we need your help. We invite you to come out, get involved, and be a part of the Party!!

See You Soon,
Bill

Phew, is it October yet?

September always seems to start off kind of slow but then you realize there is so much going on and the next thing you know it has ripped by and you are full into October. Of course maybe it’s just me and time just keeps flying - Faster!!

This last Tuesday, September 6th, the Republican Women sponsored their fourth annual Old-Fashioned Rally in the Park. Of course this year it was held in the VFW hall and we had it a little later which did cut down on attendance a little but we still had a good time and got to meet with many of our state and federal elected officials including US Rep. John Carter, State Rep Charles Schwertner, the Justices of the Third Court of appeals and our representative to the State Board of Education Dr. Marsha Farney.

All that and free hotdogs and ice cream – Fantastic.

Anyway, September is a busy month for the Milam County GOP and I thought I would make a quick note and share some of them with you.

Monday, September 12th, there will be a meeting of the Milam County Tea Party. The meeting will start at 6:00 pm at the Budget Host inn and Suites in Cameron. Come on by and join in for some conservative talk and even some debate. These are good folks who are worried about the direction this country is headed and regardless of what our Democrat brethren preach, I think you’ll be quite excited to be a among this group.

Friday, September 16th, is Liberty Day. If you’re not familiar with this, it is a day the legislature set aside for Fifth Graders to learn about the constitution; however, there has never been any materials provided for this, so for the last few years and the conceivable future, the Republican Women of Milam County have furnished the school children and teachers of Milam County with these materials. Each Child will get book on the Constitution and the teachers get a lesson guide with which to lead their students.

Tuesday, September 20th, the Republican Women of Milam County will be holding their monthly meeting at the Budget Host Inn & Suites in Cameron with their featured guest State Rep. Charles Schwertner who will give a talk on the 2011 legislative session and then take your questions. Don’t miss this chance to speak one-on-one with your elected member of the State House.

Well that takes care of September. I will be back soon with more information but please take the time and come on out to these meetings and support the Republican Women of Milam County in their efforts to better Milam County.

Thanks,
Bill

Amazing!!

As I arrived home this evening I was thinking about the County Commissioner’s meeting held Monday Morning. Due to my job I am not always available to attend these meetings; however, if I am unable to attend I usually get a complete run down on the proceedings from several sources. This Monday was one of those occasions and thankfully I got the rundown shortly after the meeting was over.

Prior to the meeting, Justice of the Peace Andy Isaacs had informed me that he was preparing a Proclamation asking Milam County residents to pray for rain to help end the drought conditions that have plagued Milam County as well as the rest of the State. We discussed the proclamation and its use in the state legislature and other counties. I am not always a great fan of symbolic gestures or unofficial business in public forums, but I thought this was a worthwhile effort if for no other reason than to possibly help lift the spirits of those most affected by the drought.

After the proclamation was presented and spoken up for by Andy Isaacs, past Democratic Chair and former Justice of the Peace Don Shuerman spoke up to challenge the Commissioner’s Court on the issue citing its constitutionality.

Of course the Proclamation did not establish a state religion nor did it favor one religion over another so therefore it was not unconstitutional, but that won’t stop those with an axe to grind with religion in public from tearing at a portion of the fabric of our society. I can already hear the Liberal Democrats claiming the “Separation of Church and State” argument; however, that is not even in the constitution and in actuality the very phraseology has its origins in Communist and Fascist writings – something else our liberal friends overlook.

The fact of the matter is that the proclamation is almost identical to the ones passed by the state legislature and by many other counties throughout the state. It is also symbolic and simply asks (or urges) the citizenry to pray according to their religious beliefs that we may soon receive some rain and begin to find our way out of this devastating drought. To some that may seem shallow or undeserving of the time and effort, but to those most affected by this drought these sorts of acknowledgements of their hardship is thankfully accepted.

It’s also important to point out that while the Local Democrats’ leadership seems to have an issue with this sort of proclamation for good hope; the elected Democrats do not as all four Democrats elected to the County Commissioner’s Court courageously stood for the values we hold dear in Milam County and voted with Judge Barkemeyer in support of this proclamation. So while the Democrat leadership in Milam County will no doubt take advantage of this situation to criticize Conservatives, Republicans, and the Tea Party members as overzealous religious nuts, it will be amazing if they even make mention of their own elected officials voting for the very concept they attack so vehemently.

I think I’ll say a little prayer for them also,
Bill

The Republican Movement Grows in Milam County.

On behalf of the Republican Party of Milam County, I would like to welcome Greg Kouba and thank him for his decision to be a part of the conservative movement in Milam County. Greg has announced his intention to run for Milam County Sheriff as a Republican in 2012 making the primary race for the Republican nomination for Sheriff a contested race Between Mr. Kouba and Sheriff David Greene.

Both of these gentlemen understand the changing landscape of politics in Milam County as well as Texas and recognized that in today’s climate, it is okay to run based on your beliefs and values.

Thanks to the strong organization provided by the Republican Party of Milam County and most especially the Republican Women of Milam County, true conservatives are taking notice and removing the shackles of Milam County’s longtime dependence on a single party that erroneously showed Milam County to be a liberal stronghold.

Today, people know it is okay to run as a Republican in Milam County based on the conservative standards shared for generations here in Milam County and not be enslaved to a one-party system that is beholden to and promotes the ideals of the liberal progressives in Washington and Austin.

Milam County is naturally conservative and historically conservative. Now the conservatives who were left behind by the Democrat Party can run for office to serve the citizens of Milam County and feel at ease as a member of the only conservative party in Milam County, the Republican Party of Milam County.

Thanks,
Bill

An Important Reminder!

Sometimes I find it necessary to restate the mission statement of the Republican Party of Milam County, especially when it is challenged as it has been this last week or so. I also find it important to reread it myself from time to time to keep the goals for which we are all working so hard fresh on my mind. I am reminded of them every time I go to our Party website; I hope they speak to you as well.

“Milam County Republicans are working for Milam County based on the values and principles of the people who live here and work here. We are beholding to the people of Milam County and not the national or state party.

The government in Washington D.C. has lost its way and taken the country in a direction that is not representative of what the framers of our constitution had in mind. To be honest, this is a situation that has existed for many years. To change this out-of-control government we must have strong conservative leadership; that leadership begins at the local level.

As the Republican Party of Milam County, our goal is to work to make Milam County government efficient, ethical, and cost-effective. We aim to work for an improved county-wide infrastructure and enhanced economic prosperity while retaining our community identity for the betterment of the county as a whole.

We are Republicans because we are Conservative. We are Conservative because we are from Milam County and those are the values we were raised with, live with, and believe in. Now is the time for Milam County residents to stand on those conservative values that represent us.”

Thank You all,
Bill

Sheriff David Greene joins the GOP!

On behalf of the Republican Party of Milam County, I would like to welcome Sheriff David Greene and thank him for his valued leadership in making the decision to be a part of the conservative movement in Milam County.

A movement built on the beliefs and values held by the people of Milam County and not simply to an ideology formed by a state or federal party.

We honor Sheriff Greene’s principal goal of serving the citizens of Milam County while representing his true conservative beliefs and we are proud of his decision to change his party affiliation to the Republican Party of Milam County.

Welcome Sheriff Greene,
Bill

Milam County Redistricting!

Milam County Redistricting is almost complete and in what is looking like a record time compared to those counties around us. Kudos to our County Judge and Commissioners for their hard work and dedication to getting this done in a timely and transparent manner. If you haven’t seen the redistricting maps then head on over to the county website and take a look (www.milamcounty.net). By the way, the county website is up and has received very nice reviews from those who have used it.

The redistricting meetings were well received and all those in attendance were generally happy with the outcome of the redistricting maps. Many were very thankful for the actual opportunity to have an open and public forum to review the maps and question the members of the commissioners’ court about their reasoning for making the changes.

By getting the preliminary maps out on the county website, Milam County citizens were able to view the maps and give their feedback to the commissioners and Judge Barkemeyer thereby allowing changes to be made that meet the needs of Milam County Voters. Problems addressed, concerns tackled and suggestions acted on; all concepts of working with the public that is allowing our County Government to act swifter, work harder, and become more efficient.

Thanks for a job well done!!
Bill

State Redistricting 2011 – Strike One

Well the first set of redistricting maps came out for the Texas House of Representatives last week and I have to say I for one was not very exciting. It’s proposed that Milam County move from House District 20 to a new House District 149. This all sounds non-threatening until you read a little more and find out that it takes Milam County out of the District served by Rep. Charles Schwertner (whom we elected) and includes us in an open district with a sprinkling of Williamson County and all of Burnet County – Yes, Burnet County.

This new district has been called many things including “Dumbo Ears with a Chinstrap.” What it has not been called by anyone in Milam County was logical, smart, pragmatic, nor has it been referred to as desirable. My first phone calls to our elected officials suggested that this is not a very realistic plan and I asked for some sort of explanation, no one wanted to take credit for it.

So Sunday afternoon, Judge Dave Barkemeyer accompanied by a concerned citizen headed to Austin to speak at the open forum for this committee. His testimony was favorably received and in speaking with one state legislature this morning I was told that the House redistricting map is about 85% complete, which is down some from the 95% complete I was quoted last week. I was also told that we should expect to be in the 15% to be changed as even the House Committee is perplexed and does not think this map in its current form will stand the scrutiny of Department of Justice approval. But they had to start somewhere.

Just like with the budget plans and other legislation, these initial maps are far from the final version; however, unlike in other aspects of American politics, this committee seems to be addressing the redistricting fairly and is working together to improve this map and avoid a repeat of the House Democrat Exodus to Oklahoma of 2003.

As the Chair of the Milam County Republican Party I would like to see Milam County remain in as close to the same District 20 as we can manage; however, if not then I would prefer to see Milam County move to a more rural district such as District 17 currently represented by Tim Kleinschmidt (R-Lexington).

This redistricting plan is far from complete I would recommend you contact your State Representative with your thoughts. With the legislature in session, if you feel strong enough, head to Austin in person and let them know your feelings.

Thanks,
Bill

The Website is Up!!

During the 2010 Election, transparency in county government was an issue we in the Milam County GOP took very serious. Our former County Judge said a county website was too expensive and would take too much time to maintain. Due to those expenses we could not justify setting up a new website for the County. Cost figures from $20,000 to $40,000 were thrown out when questions on this subject arose. Guess what; it didn’t cost much after all!

Maybe it wasn’t the cost of the website but the cost of making access to information too easy, but I digress.

In the end, the web service the county uses to host their emails was used to host the website for no additional cost to the county. So thanks to the hard work and dedication of Mike Brown and others, Milam County now has a website that is both user friendly and user helpful.

All the county departments are listed and you can find contact information for them all. Forms that have required a visit to the county offices in the past are now available online. You want a copy of the County Budget, click on it and print it on your printer. That’s right; no longer must you make a trip to the County Clerk’s office at a cost of $1.00 a page (costing as much as $75.00 for the whole budget).

Want to see where the money is spent and what bills are paid by the county – it’s on there. You want access to the County Appraisal District Database – it’s on there. You want to see the agenda or minutes from a Commissioner’s Court Meeting – it’s on there. Lots of the information that many people have wanted access to is also on there, just like in most other counties in Texas.

Some information is not there yet, but it’s on the way. Soon there will be maps for the county, court docket lists, a user feedback section to tell the county what you want to see as well as other parcels of information many people have wanted to see for some time now.

Another nice function of this website and its professional appearance is that people and businesses looking to do commerce here now have a central county website that they can look at. That way they can find the information they desire about the county as well as links to county departments and other websites in the county such as chambers of commerce and municipal websites.

Having been to many conferences on economic development, many business people tell me a strong county website is invaluable in attracting business. Being in an oilfield service business I can tell you that a solid county website make a huge difference when I am making plans for the future of my business.

So take a few seconds and go to www.milamcounty.net and check out the new county website. I think you’ll be quite impressed by the quality and quantity of the information.

Thanks for all the hard work,
Bill

Thanks for the Support, the Website’s on the Way!!

I have been very grateful for the kind words and congratulatory sentiments we have received since the election and for the newfound openness and availability to the elected officials here in Milam County. The folks I have spoken to around the county have been thankful and pleasantly surprised with the openness and availability they have had with Judge Barkemeyer and the rest of the public officials here in Milam County and in the State House. Many folks said they noticed a feeling of a fresh new start for Milam County.

I spoke with one of our incumbent Democrats and they reported that it is much easier to approach our Commissioners’ Court and to discuss the issues that are affecting their ability to adequately conduct business in the office they hold. They informed me that we might have had some rough spots at the start, but there is a movement to conduct business in a manner that supports a correct, ethical, and fair manner of doing business that can and will benefit all the citizens of Milam County. As we have all seen by the revelations made since January 1st, there is a better more open way of doing business that will allow the public to have a better idea of how their county government is operating.

The candidates of the Republican Party of Milam County ran for election based on a plan aimed at Getting Milam County back to Work. That plan began with making Milam County Government better by making it more efficient and less expensive; that is the part of the process that is being worked on currently. I could go into the reasons for how difficult this process is, but that would mean finger-pointing and accusations that don’t do any good. What is needed now is to get to work to recover lost revenues from unpaid past-due fines and penalties, eliminate and/or replace out-of-date technologies, and to begin the process or running county government as it is required to be run based on state guidelines and laws.

The next project that will be readily visible to the public will be to bring an official Milam County website online in the next few months. A site that will give important information such as contact information for all the government departments of Milam County, burn ban notifications, emergency notifications, and give access to Milam county business documents like the county budget, checkbook and important notices just to name a few. This is generally the first contact a perspective business has with a county prior to considering doing business in a county and is such a basic piece of information technology that most businesses deem a county backwards if it is without a website. Now we all know Milam County is not a backward by any means, but without a decent official website to provide the county’s basic information, how is a perspective employer to know the difference.

Well that’s going to have to suffice for today. I need to get outside and enjoy a little snow time with the kids. Hope you all have had a wonderful wintery day. Be safe and hopefully we’ll see you all at the Republican Women’s Fundraiser celebrating President Reagan’s Birthday and the Birth of the Republic of Texas, at 6:00 pm next Thursday, February 10th, at the VFW in Cameron. If you need tickets you can ask any of the members of the Republican Women of Milam County or any of the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Milam County. All their contact information can be found at www.milamgop.org.

Be Careful Out There,
Bill

Time to get to work!!!

Hello Everyone,

Well I thought we could take a little time off following the election and this month’s swearing in, but I guess not. In the last month we have been hit by a full force offensive in the blogosphere. Our Democrat friends are at it whole-heartedly writing on the internet. They are also working hard to raise money and “awareness” to get their message out prior to the 2012 election. I know that seems like it is far off, but in reality, it is just a little over ten months before people start filing for office again.

As reported in the January 10th County Commissioner’s Meeting, Milam County suffered a $700,000.00 deficit for 2010 and based on the budget passed by the Democrats last year Milam County will be strapped with a deficit that could be anywhere from $1.5 to $1.1 million in 2011. So much for that $1.1 million dollar reserve fund Judge Summers was boasting about during last year’s election. We need leadership in Milam County – Conservative Leadership. This is why we must get out and support organizations like the Republican Women of Milam County.

We need everyone’s help – your help. Please make plans to attend the February 10th Reagan Day Dinner and Texas Independence Celebration with guest speaker Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. This will be the Republican Women of Milam County’s Fundraiser for 2011. Last year’s Dinner at 44 Farms raised nearly $15,000.00 that was used to fund our advertising and to provide the Republican Candidates with the money they needed to succeed.

Much was made of where the money the Republican Women raised came from; however, unlike the Democrat’s attack ads claimed, most of the money came from right here in Milam County. It was the hard work of the Republican Women and the generosity of Milam County residents who made the election successes of 2010 possible. Now we need to repeat that feat!

Please take the time to secure your tickets for the February 10th Dinner and let’s get the word out to our friends, family, and neighbors. We have shown that you can be a proud Republican in Milam County. It’s up to each of us to continue our conservative movement to make Milam County Government an open book run by public servants who are truly working to make Milam County a better, more prosperous home for us and our children.

To purchase your tickets for February 10th, just send me an email at williamwhitmire@yahoo.com and I will get them to you or have one of the individuals selling tickets get in touch with you.

See Ya’ February 10th,
Bill

Our Foot is in the Door!

On April 9th of 2009 we Milam County Republicans had a meeting in the Cameron Chamber of Commerce that really got everyone charged and ready for the 2010 election. I remember that night because it made me realize that I could be a part of something special and that we could make a difference here in Milam County. Saturday Morning was not only New Years Day, but it was also a New Day for Milam County as the first four elected Republicans were sworn into office. So now we celebrate for a week or so and then we get back to work.

First up is the annual fundraiser for the Republican Women of Milam County; that wonderful group that was so rudely attacked by the Democrats in the November election. The Republican Women of Milam County is an organization that works for the betterment of their community through the promotion of Conservative Ideals, Patriotic Education, and Republican Candidates.

While they gave money to the Candidates, they also paid for unfunded educational material that was used to teach our Milam County school children about the U. S. Constitution during the mandated Constitution Day in the schools. The Republican Women also help to raise awareness of Federal, State, and Local Issues through guest speakers at their monthly meetings.

For all this they were vehemently attacked by the Democrats during the campaign for raising money from outside Milam County and for being elitists. Well, let’s just look at those points.

First, let’s address the money issue. Most of the money raised by the Republican Women came from Milam County Residents. Last year’s Fundraiser Event took in the majority of the money that was used in the 2010 election. Later, state and federal candidates worked with our local candidates to raise matching funds for the purpose of sending out mailers, creating block-walking brochures, and for advertising on the radio and in newspapers. Some money was also donated from the Republican Parties of Burleson and Williamson Counties, but it was not much of the total.

Second, let’s look at the membership. The Republican Women of Milam County is made up of a diverse group of women and men (yes, men are members also). The Republican Women are made up of business owner’s, retirees, teachers, housewives (or househusbands), business employees, and public employees. There are members of the Country Club sure, but they’re also members of the American Legion and VFW, the Lions and the Rotary Club, the Masonic lodge and Knights of Columbus, Longhorns and Bears (OK maybe my wife and I are the only Bears) and Aggies; people of all walks of life, of all religions and of all ethnic groups. The membership is made up of Conservatives who believe in making our world a better place to live. Elitists – Now; Realists – Yes!

Now it is time to help this wonderful group out by attending their yearly fundraiser. This year we will be celebrating the 100th birthday of President Ronald Reagan and the 175th anniversary of the Republic of Texas. The celebration will be held on February 10th at the Cameron VFW Hall. The evening will start with a mixer at 6:00 pm, followed by dinner at 7:00, with speakers during dinner and to follow.

Joining us this night as our guest speaker will be the Chairman of the Texas Veteran’s Land Board, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. Commissioner Patterson is one of the most dynamic speakers you will have a chance to hear. I have been fortunate enough to be in his company several times both in my job and as a veteran and I would recommend you mark you calendars and plan on being with us for this special night.

Many times during last year’s fundraiser I heard many folks remark about how surprised they were at who was there. People who had known each other for years were pleasantly surprised at who is a Republican. Wonder who we’ll see this year? Come out and support this group that is helping to lead Milam County out of the liberal Democrat wilderness and into the light of Conservative Republican Leadership.

For tickets, call me or email me and I will be happy to get you set up.

See Ya’ There!!
Bill

williamwhitmire@yahoo.com