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.

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

June 19, 2012 – Republican Women’s Meeting

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to drop everyone a quick note to let them know that this Tuesday, June 19^th; the Republican Women of Milam County will be having their monthly meeting at 6:30 at the Budget Host Inn and Suites in Cameron.

Now that the primary is completed, we are waiting on the runoff so we can get the last remaining races out of the way. Then we can move on to November and do as they said at the state convention and “Take Back Our County.” Both of the candidates for Milam County Sheriff have been invited to Tuesday’s meeting so it would be a good opportunity to come by and discuss the race with them.

Also during the meeting we will have some guest speakers. Our New State Republican Executive Committee Representative Megan Higginbotham will be on hand as will National Republican Party Committeewoman Borah Van Dormolen will also be with us. Both of these women will discuss their offices and the issues that affect us all.

We will also be discussing the August Old-Fashioned Rally in the Park as this year’s special guest will be U.S. Representative Bill Flores. So come on out Tuesday and spend some time with a great group of Milam County Conservatives. I know many times we get these emails and think about them but don’t go to the meetings, but we need everyone’s involvement this year. This is the most important election of our lifetime, now we have to make it the most important election in our life.

I look forward to seeing you all there!

Thanks,

Bill

May 18, 2012 Early Voting Update!!

Hello Everyone,


It has been a very exciting primary season so far for the Republican Party here in Milam County. 20 candidates and seven contested races are making for some excellent vote totals. So without further adieu, I thought I would give you some of the figures.

Overall 87% of the voters in Milam County are voting in the GOP primary. That’s right, in a county where just a mere two years ago people were still claiming that to get elected in Milam County you had to run as a Democrat, 87% of the voters are voting in the Republican Primary! To date (as of last night) the totals votes for the primary are as follows:

Total Democrat Votes: 97

Total Republican Votes: 640

Here are some other interesting facts to check out.
- This year’s early voting has already surpassed the early voting for 2010 and has nearly tripled the early voting totals in the 2008 primary.

- In regards to overall primary votes, as of last night we are just shy of 40% of the entire number of primary voters for 2010 and we are nearly at 90% of the total number of primary voters in the 2008 election.

- This year’s primary voting has already reached third place all-time for total voters in a Milam County GOP primary and it is entirely possible that we will crush the all-time high of 1678 set in 2010.

There are six more days of early voting counting the end of today, so get out and vote. Get your neighbors and take them to vote. Get your spouse and get them to vote. Bring your kids in from college and have them vote (mine are doing so next Friday). Call your friends and get them out to vote. Most importantly, just “Get Out The Vote!!”

Remember Tuesday night May 22nd. The Milam County Tea Party is looking for a good turnout to meet the candidates and talk to them all. The meeting will take place at the Milano Community Center across from the US Post Office in Milano. If you’re a voter then come listen to the candidates. And if you’re a candidate then come on out and speak with these highly motivated voters.

Take care and I’ll be in touch with more information as it comes available.

Have a Wonderful Day!!
Bill

Time to get busy!!

Well the holidays have passed and hopefully everyone is getting settled back into their normal routine. Along with that normal routine, it is now time to get serious about the up-coming election.

If you think we still have plenty of time, well standby. The first in the nation Primary/Caucus takes place this evening and our own is around three months from now. I know three months sounds like a long time, but ask one of our local GOP candidates, they’ll probably have a little different opinion.

Tonight the Iowa Caucus took place and it appears to be between Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum. But it’s just Iowa and while all primaries are important, I just want to remind you that the folks caucusing in Iowa only make up around 1/10th of 1% of those who will vote in nationally in November. So while all votes are important, just keep in mind that this caucus just gives us a starting point. We still have a good two or three months before we know who the likely GOP nominee for President will be.

Our local Candidates have been quite busy getting out and meeting the good folks of Milam County. They’ve been out putting up signs and knocking on doors. If you haven’t met them yet well stand by, they’ll be by before too long.

If you’d like to meet them all then get some tickets to the February 9th Reagan Day/Texas Independence Celebration to be held at the Cameron VFW post. The Republican Women of Milam County host this event and it will feature and wonderful dinner and will be attended by all the local candidates and most of the state candidates who have already confirmed their attendance.

So get your tickets and come out to enjoy a good night of fellowship with your fellow Milam County Conservatives, meet the candidates, and enjoy an awesome meal; details can be found at http://www.milamgop.org/.

By the way, if you haven’t been to our website then check it out. We have a list of candidates, elected officials, party leadership, and events along with several other bits of information. Check out the candidates list and get involved. All these candidates can use your support and would love to have you help them. For details, give me a shout or email me at williamwhitmire@yahoo.com and I will be happy to help you out.

Hope you all are ready for a busy election year and a successful November as we help ensure Barack Obama can spend all of 2013 in Hawaii!!

Talk to you later,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

October 11, 2010 Update

Well, I figured with Election Day only three short weeks from now I better get this blog updated. Things are going well to date. All the candidates have been out block walking and the response has been very positive to date. Saturday, October 9th was the first County-Wide Block Walk and we had a pretty good turnout. Six block Walkers in Rockdale and 18 in Cameron.

We need everyone’s help with this so if you have a chance, don’t miss out on the final two County-Wide Block Walks the 16th and 30th of October, both of these are Saturdays. We will meet at 9:30 am. We are working to make a real move towards a conservative County Government that will work better with our state and federal leadership and to do that we need to elect our Republican Candidates by supporting them during this election by donating to their campaigns, volunteering your time or by bringing your friends and family to events to let them speak with the candidates directly.

Remember, October 19th is the Rally at Fair Park in Rockdale. We will be starting this about 6:00 at the New Salem Building at Fair Park in Rockdale. Everyone plan on attending and come out and meet your Republican Candidates. All of our local candidates will be there and I have invited all of our state and federal candidates as well.

If you’re in Rockdale tonight, October 11th, stop by Banda’s Restaurant around 6:00 and enjoy dinner with the candidates sponsored by L. B. Kubiak; Should be a fun time.

Well, more later, Thanks to everyone for your support and help.

More tomorrow,
Bill
www.milamgop.org

Can a Democrat run for office as a Conservative?

Well, we’re halfway through the second week of early voting and we are really representing the Republican Party here in Milam County quite well. As of today voters have chosen the Republican Primary almost 39% of the time out of the total primary voting. Considering that historically Milam County Republicans have made up 13% of the primary vote, being at 39% is outstanding.

I guess that must be large parts of the reason so many of the Democrat Candidates here in Milam County are running claiming to be “True Conservatives.” Well, as someone who has been a conservative his whole life, I can tell you there is NO WAY you can be a conservative and truly run for office as a Democrat.

Just to clarify it for you, if you are running for office as a Democrat and you truly think you are a conservative then you are selling out your personal values and beliefs. A “True Conservative” could run as a Libertarian or an Independent, but not a Democrat.

So to those Democrats who are running ads claiming to be a “True Conservative,” I can assure you that conservatism is not just something you can claim to believe in. Conservatism is something you must prove with every action and choice you make. No Sir, Claiming to be a conservative and running as a Democrat in Milam County simply makes you an Opportunist.

Thanks,
Bill

We are the Republican Party of Milam County

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.