Milam County GOP Convention - Be A Part Of The Process!!!!

Milam County GOP

Precinct/County Conventions

Date: Sautrday, March 19, 2016

Place: Yoe High School Preforming Arts Center Cameron, Texas

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Precinct Conventions start at  9:00 a.m. immediately followed by the County Convention.

For more information, contact Bill Whitmire, Milam GOP County Chairman at milamgop@yahoo.com or at 254-482-0354.

GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!!

48 hours from Election Day and I couldn't be happier. For as long as I have been doing this I have learned so much this year; about people, campaigns, and the silent (and not-so-silent) sometimes treacherous activities that constitute an election season.

I have tried to keep everything civil and fair only pointing out the extreme issues that were made public. Believe me, the behind the scene issues have been pretty "interesting" to navigate. I apologize to anyone who has been offended by anything that has happened this primary season, for the Milam County GOP we try to steer clear of the fray, but it's not always so easy.

I applaud the local Milam County candidates for working hard to stay true to our pledge of civility in local politics. The state and federal races can sometimes make that difficult, but at the local level we have done a fairly good job and remaining civil with each other.

Good luck to the candidates. I thank them all for their volunteering to put themselves up for this often time arduous endeavor to serve their fellow Milam County neighbors.

Now it's your turn. Get out Tuesday and vote. Everyone has a vote, and every vote matters!! While so many of us complain about government infringing on their rights, sadly voting is a right that far too many people fail to use.

So

Go Vote!!!


Thanks,
Bill

Pay no Attention to Those Spewing FEAR!!

A week or so ago I posted a blog talking about civility and keeping things positive, yet here I am again. As much as I continue in leading the county party with the goal of civil campaigning, I am always amazed at the mud that is slung and the fear that is spread in the midst of an election.

This is a normal part of campaigning for some folks in order to literally “scare” up votes for one particular candidate over another. I would like to say this is rare; however, this type of fear-mongering is a little too common for my taste, and for most of the voters as well.

Remember, NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING DOES NOT WORK IN SMALL COUNTIES……..PERIOD!!!

In the normal course of an election I speak with all the candidates, especially those in contested races. Without exception, I feel fairly certain that I have a good idea of what to expect once the winning candidate is sworn into office.

This year is no exception.

I will make this as general as I can as I don’t know all of the specifics of the situation; only what I was told.

This weekend I was asked by several folks if it was true that there would be mass firings in one of our county offices if a particular candidate won the race.

The quick answer is this, NONE of the current crop of GOP Candidates in Milam County have expressed any interest in mass firings should they win their respective race. To do so once they took office would be the most ignorant and self-destructive act imaginable for a newly elected office holder.

For Instance, how many people actually know the workings inside an office such as the county Tax Assessor-Collector’s office? With such a small number of people understanding how to handle the work in this office, it would make no sense for someone to win election and then step into that office and fire the individuals who know how to do the job in hand.

I don’t mean to pick on the Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office because the same can be said for a Commissioner’s office, the County or District Clerk’s office, or any of the other county office. Yet it seems like every election there’s one candidate, or one of the candidate’s surrogates, that makes this claim that there will be mass firings should a certain candidate get elected.

For the record, Mass firings didn’t happen in 2010, didn’t happen in 2012, didn’t happen in 2014, and I don’t see it happening in 2016 just because one candidate is elected over another candidate.

As a matter of fact, from what we have seen in the past, regardless of party affiliation, elected department heads have fought to keep the jobs of those working for them and increase their pay rather than let them go.  It’s doesn’t always work, but I have yet to see one locally elected candidate (of either party) who walked into office on day one and fired everyone.

So when you go to the polls. please don’t let the nay-sayers and the Doom-and-Gloom folks get to you. Go to the polls and vote for the candidates who you feel are the most qualified and who you think will do the best job.

Thanks for your support.

Bill

Why You Need to Vote in the Primary

As in years past, I have heard many ask why they should vote in this year’s primary election when it comes to the Presidential Election. I always here “My vote doesn’t matter,” or “the race has already been decided by the time Texas holds it’s primary.”

In years past there was a significant bit of truth to this; however, this year’s primary election is going to be much different in the GOP Primary. Your primary vote will count more this year than ever before when it comes to the Presidential election.

There are two reasons for this and I will do my best to explain them in a short and concise manner.

First, the time between the first caucus/primary and the Texas Primary will be about 4 weeks instead of the 10 plus weeks that it was in 2012. That means that in 4 weeks more than half of the GOP primaries will be complete rather than the drawn out three and a half months that is took in 2012. That gives Texas and many other states a much better say in who will be the GOP nominee for President.

Along with this move there was another change that many folks had called for long ago. As part of the process to move the primaries up on the calendar, all the states holding a primary prior to March 15^th will have to distribute their delegates proportionally rather than winner take all as had been the policy before.

That means that rather than the winner of the Texas Primary getting all the delegates at the national convention, the delegates will be distributed proportionally between the candidates based on their percentage of the Primary vote. That means your vote does count in giving your candidate a better chance to get some delegates.

AND, if you’re not certain who you like as a candidate for President, don’t worry!! On this primary ballot there will be a space for “Uncommitted” so you can vote that way and there will be an uncommitted group of delegates at the Convention. Of course the delegation is held to their primary votes only on the first round of balloting, then they can choose who they want.

That brings us to the delegates, their votes, and a brokered convention…...BUT…...I’ll discuss that in a few weeks as we get closer to the Primary.

So for now, pay attention and pick you candidate. Your vote will be counted and your voice can be heard. Come to the Precinct Conventions and the County Convention on March 19th. Be a part of the process.

I look forward to seeing y’all!!

Thanks,

Bill

Campaign No-No’s – I Promise this is SHORT!!

Each campaign season we start off with the highest of aspirations as I pray that we have honorable and up-beat elections based on the issues of the office being sought and the qualifications of the individuals running for those office. Ideally the hope would be that a candidate is qualified to handle the office, understands the entirety of the work done by the office, and wants to serve the constituency that elects them – IDEALLY!!

Sadly, there are some folks who run for office based on one issue; be it to run as a stepping stone to another office, a grievance towards the current officeholder, or an ego that feels the need to occupy that office. Inevitably we have one, or maybe two candidates that fit this bill just about each election cycle.

In the last few days I have had some talks with some concerned voters about a couple of issues and I feel the need to speak out and clear up a few things as they are currently known to the best of the knowledge of the Leadership of the Republican Party of Milam County – AND ME!!

I’ll make these quick and Easy.

1.       Currently, all the candidates running for office are in good standing with the Republican Party of Milam County.

2.       Currently, the entire slate of Republican Candidates is in good health and prepared to continue in or assume office following this year’s elections.

3.       AND, Currently, none of the candidates running for office in Milam County is in any trouble legally, and/or civilly.

Like I said, this is to the best of the knowledge of me and the leadership of the Republican Party of Milam County, and we stay pretty well informed.

So if you hear anything to the contrary, hear any GOP candidate making derogatory comments towards their opponent or another elected GOP officeholder, or you have concerns about something a candidate says, then feel free to give me a call, shoot me a text, hit me up on Facebook, or send me an email and I will be happy to discuss this with you.

I am here for all the candidates; however, I have and always will work towards the goals of fairness and civility in the election process here in Milam County.

Thanks,

Bill

williamwhitmire@yahoo.com

254-482-0354

2016 Milam GOP Contested Primary Races

Hello Everyone,

With everything going on I have had several questions about candidates and which races are contested and such. I know this can be confusing so I thought I would get this out to let folks know who the GOP primary candidates are in the contested races that mainly affect Milam County.

The final list of those who filed for office in contested races on the GOP Ballot are as follows (listed alphabetically):

U. S. House of Represntatives (Congressional District 17)

Bill Flores

Ralph Patterson

Kaleb Sims

Texas House of Representatives (District 20)

Marsha Farney

Terry Wilson

Sheriff

David E. Greene

Herbie Vaughan

County Tax Assessor

Melanie Crook

Sherry Mueck

County Commissioner, Precinct 3

John L. Fisher

Odes Foster

Constable, Precinct 1

John Anderle

Steve English 

Constable, Precinct 2

Charles L. “Charlie” West

Kenny Schneebeli 

These are not the final places on the ballot, that will change based on tonight’s ballot drawings. The ballot drawing will be held tonight, December 23, 2015, at 6:30 at 411 E. First Street, Cameron.

Thanks,

Bill

Bill Whitmire

Chairman,

Milam GOP