September 8, 2010      4:57 PM IN TEXAS ENERGY REPORT: DALLAS SEEKS PUC APPROVAL TO START ITS OWN ELECTRIC COMPANY Copyright September 08, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 8, 2010      4:43 PM PRESS RELEASE SECTION HEADLINES Campaigns, new lobby groups and more Please note, the Press Release Section is now a subscriber feature RP: DAY 185:  BILL WHITE REFUSING TO DEBATE BW:  PERRY JOB PROMISES BROKE, SAYS WATCHDOG GROUP RP:  TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS ENDORSES GOV. PERRY FOR RE-ELECTION OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR:  GOV. PERRY ACTIVATES STATE RESOURCES AS FLOODING THREATENS TEXAS COMMUNITIES TEXAS STAR ALLIANCE:  JOHN R. PITTS LAUNCHES TEXAS STAR ALLIANCE REPRESENTATIVE JOE BARTON:  REP. BARTON APPLAUDS GOP LEADER'S ECONOMIC PLAN, URGES BIPARTISAN SUPPORT Copyright September 08, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 8, 2010      3:54 PM ZOGBY SHOWS RACE WITHIN MARGIN OR ERROR; PERRY-44, WHITE 41 "Incumbency is not a positive for Perry, with only 29% saying that having been Governor for 14 years is an important factor in deciding how to vote. Having been a successful businessman rated better on that question, with 55% saying that is important." "White holds a 44%-43% lead among independent voters, although only 40% of independents give Perry a positive rating and only 27% of independents feel he deserves re-election. Both Perry and White win the support of more than 70% of members of their respective party's voters." The new Zogby confirms tightening Governor's race. The poll summary can be found here. Copyright September 08, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 8, 2010      1:03 PM NEW PPP POLL: PERRY 48, WHITE 42 Perry hits 50 percent on disapproval numbers and White has a 19-point lead among independents; 47 percent, though, identify themselves as Republicans giving the incumbent an edge EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been expanded from the original version. The topline of today’s Public Policy Polling survey of the Texas Governor’s race – Rick Perry 48, Bill White 42 – is what will grab everyone’s attention, especially after polls earlier this week had the race much tighter. PPP had drawn attention for its previous Texas Governor’s poll in June that showed the race deadlocked at 43 percent for each candidate. Today’s results, though, mirror exactly the 48-42 lead for Perry in the polling firm’s February survey. But digging below the topline number yields some interesting data points that might cheer Democratic strategists looking for causes for optimism. For starters, today’s poll continues to find Perry upside down on his job approval numbers. Fifty percent said they disapprove of his job performance, up a point from his June numbers, and 39 percent said they approve, up three points from June. The rest of the story, subscribers only Copyright September 08, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 8, 2010      12:24 PM NEW BILL WHITE AD: BORDER SECURITY Ad released in support of his recently announced border security plan Copyright September 08, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 8, 2010      11:44 AM HHS REPORTS SUCCESS IN TIERS ROLLOUT IN LUBBOCK, EL PASO Goal is to have new eligibility system in place statewide by end of 2011 Officials at HHS were remarkably upbeat this morning as they reported incremental progress in the rollout of a new web-based eligibility determination system as well as big improvements in the timeliness in processing food stamp applications. The new eligibility system, know best by its acronym, TIERS represents a big technological upgrade from the old system, which operates on obsolete computer code. But the rollout across the state has taken a lot longer than anticipated due to problems with implementation. Today, HHS Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs told a joint House and Senate committee hearing that TIERS has now been fully implemented in two more administrative regions – Lubbock and El Paso. TIERS is already in place in the Austin region. The rest of the story, subscribers only Copyright September 08, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 8, 2010      11:30 AM NEW BILL FLORES AD: SLIDESHOW Flores hits CD 17 incumbent Chet Edwards on unemployment rates in the district, ties Edwards to Obama and the stimulus package Copyright September 08, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 8, 2010      9:39 AM NEW BACK TO BASICS AD: PERRY AND INSURANCE COMPANIES Next in the ongoing series Copyright September 08, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      5:18 PM FEARFUL OF MORE SURPRISES, WATSON ASK COMBS FOR MORE REALTIME INFO ON BUDGET Reminiscent of Strayhorn doubling her shortfall estimate as 2003 Legislature convened Tracking the state’s budget is bit like watching a hurricane make Texas landfall: It only gets easy to track about the time the storm surge is about to hit land. The closer the storm approaches to land, the more predictable the outcome, whether it is Hurricane Hermine or the upcoming budget deficit. Right now, to borrow the weather lingo, the “cone of uncertainty” on the upcoming budget deficit is narrowing, whether that prediction is $18 billion or $21 billion. Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) is ready to end the uncertainty. In a six-page letter to Comptroller Susan Combs he released to the media today, Watson called on Combs to release more specifics on the state’s financial forecast, current debt, the shortfall of the state’s business tax and the status of the rainy day fund. The full letter can be found here. The rest of the story, subscribers only Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      4:58 PM PRESS RELEASE SECTION HEADLINES Perry and White jab, League of Women Voters protest, Miklos challenger with big lead and more BW:  FED UP! NOW BEING RELEASED AFTER THE ELECTION RP:  BILL WHITE HIDING HIS TAXES BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PAY THEM BW:  WHITE TO PERRY:  RELEASE BUDGET DATA RP:  HOW DID BILL WHITE AVOID PAYING TAXES BW:  SHERIFF LUPE VALDEZ ENDORSES BILL WHITE'S BORDER SECURITY PLAN RP:  DAY 183:  BILL WHITE REFUSING TO DEBATE BW:  PERRY'S BUDGET CRISIS SET TO ROB TEXAS COLLEGE STUDENTS RP:  TEXAS AGGREGATES AND CONCRETE ASSOCIATION ENDORSES GOV. PERRY FOR RE-ELECTION RP:  TEXAS MEDICAL DEFENSE PAC ENDORSES GOV. PERRY FOR RE-ELECTION LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS:  LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS REBUTS GOP CHAIR'S ACCUSATIONS CINDY BURKETT:  POLL INDICATES DISTRICT 101 DOES NOT WANT MORE MIKLOS TEXAS TRAVEL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION:  BILL WHITE PROPOSAL WOULD CRIPPLE TOURISM IN TEXAS HECTOR URIBE:  DEVELOPMENT OF WIND FARMS AS A SOURCE OF FUNDING TO THE PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY:  AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY APPLAUDS STATE SENATE CANDIDATE MARY LOU SERAFINE GRASS ROOTS INSTITUTE OF TEXAS:  GRIT ENDORSES EIGHTEEN CANDIDATES FOR TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE HANK GILBERT:  GO AHEAD, LET THE BED BUGS BITE? BILL FLORES:  EDWARDS' FALSE AND DESPERATE ATTACKS BARBARA ANN RADNOFSKY:  MR. ABBOTT'S 180 ON IMMIGRATION REPRESENTATIVE TAN PARKER:  REPRESENTATIVE TAN PARKER'S RECENTLY ENACTED CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE LAW IS MIRRORED IN BILL BEFORE THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      4:51 PM CLAIMS CONTINUE TO FLY IN THE STRATEGICALLY VITAL EDWARDS-FLORES RACE The high-octane back and forth arguments today speak to the value both parties are placing on taking the CD 17 seat The Chet Edwards and Bill Flores campaigns continued skirmishing this afternoon over an Edwards campaign ad that aired over the Labor Day holiday. The Edwards campaign issued a call via press release asking Flores to release tax returns to prove he didn’t make money off the acquisition of his company, Western Atlas. The Flores campaign responded by saying they have proven the ad was false and that Edwards is using baseless attacks to hide his record from the voters. As Buzz Central noted this morning, the Edwards campaign began airing an ad late Friday afternoon, claiming that Flores was partially responsible for more than 3,000 layoffs at Baker Hughes in 1998, the year that the company acquired Western Atlas where Flores was CFO. The rest of the story, subscribers only Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      4:38 PM RICH PARSONS LEAVING DEWHURST, HEADING TO PRIVATE SECTOR "It's been a lot of fun, a lot of give and take, and on those rare occasions when we didn't see eye-to-eye on something, a great challenge" After four years as press secretary for Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, former TV reporter Rich Parsons is returning to the private sector. In his next incarnation, Parsons will be Vice-President of Public Affairs at the Austin based communications firm, Hahn, Texas. Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      4:17 PM CHISUM TELLS AP HE IS CONSIDERING SPEAKER RUN Will decide after the election From the Associated Press story. Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      12:54 PM EVAN SMITH SAYS HE HAS NEVER HELD A FUNDRAISER FOR ANY CANDIDATE Mercer allegation simply untrue One of the more bizarre twists in the SBOE candidate/League of Women Voters imbroglio was the allegation today by incumbent Republican Ken Mercer that Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith had once held a fundraiser for Howard Dean. It did not ring true so we asked. Smith responded, “I never held a fundraiser for Howard Dean at my house – In fact, I've never raised money for or written a check to a candidate of either party as long as I've been a journalist, which is my entire professional life. I do, however, host events. During the 2004 presidential election cycle, while I was editor of Texas Monthly, the magazine invited President Bush and every Democrat running against him to appear at a gathering at my home to discuss issues in the campaign related to Texas.  Governor Dean, who was largely unknown at the time, accepted and spoke to a group of Democrats, Republicans and independents in my front yard in June, I believe, of 2003. “We were unable to get the President or any of the other candidates to commit to appearing at such a gathering, so it was the only one we held. No money was raised — or would have been allowed to be raised. That was never the point; it was simply a meet-the-candidate event.” As we pointed out last week, Smith has a long history of interviewing Republicans including George Bush, Rick Perry, David Dewhurst, Tom Craddick and Tom DeLay...all without issue. Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      12:10 PM HILL RESEARCH-TEXAS WATCH POLL: PERRY-42, WHITE-41 Texas Watch says both sides strengthen their numbers if they embrace insurance reforms A new poll conducted by the GOP polling firm Hill Research Consultants on behalf of insurance industry watchdog group Texas Watch has a startling number in the Governor’s Race: Rick Perry 42, Bill White 41. That’s pretty different from other recent polls where Perry has a bigger lead. We looked at the questionnaire and the preference question is a straight up horse race question with no candidate statements read beforehand that could influence the response. What the pollsters did say was that the surveys, which were done live, “intentionally allowed respondents to express uncertainty, rather than forcing a choice between candidates before Fall campaign is fully engaged.” Sure enough, 14 percent of the respondents said they were unsure for whom to vote while another 2 percent said they back neither candidate. The rest of the story, subscribers only Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      12:02 PM FLORES CALLS EDWARDS ATTACK AD DEFAMATORY Incumbent stands by ad, calls for release of income taxes The campaign of CD 17 GOP challenger Bill Flores called on incumbent Chet Edwards to pull down an ad that claims an oil company that Flores helped run had laid off more than 3,000 workers. In a conference call this morning, Flores called the ad false and defamatory, adding that his campaign is either preparing or has sent a formal demand to the Edwards campaign to remove the ad. Flores said that the ad refers to the 1998 acquisition of Western Atlas, an oilfield services company where he was CFO, by Baker Hughes. He said that Baker Hughes made layoffs both before and after the Aug. 10 merger of the two companies but that he was not involved in any way with running Baker Hughes and had no management authority at the newly configured company. He added that he was laid off himself because Baker Hughes already had a CFO, making his position redundant. He said that after the merger he was asked only to help Baker Hughes sell off a half-share in a joint venture in the former Soviet Union. The rest of the story, subscribers only Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      10:03 AM MERCER OFFICIALLY DECLINES LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS DEBATE Cites partisan affiliations of leadership; Mercer says Evan Smith held fundraiser for Howard Dean From Ken Mercer's release: After verifying my research with that of the Republican Party of Texas, it became sadly clear that the Austin League of Women Voters (LWV) has become a political arm of the Democrat Party. Confronted by the facts below, I will decline the invitation to participate in their televised, September 28, "non-partisan" forum of the State Board of Education (SBOE) candidates. My far left, Democrat opponent unwittingly proclaimed the "non-partisan" LWV's debates will be moderated by "Evan Smith, a respected journalist." This is the same Evan Smith who held a fundraiser in his home for Howard Dean, the current Chairman of the Democrat National Committee. I would hardly consider Evan Smith "non-partisan." ...My friends, I have spent the past four years on the SBOE publicly debating some of the most radical "academic experts" from the Far Left and exposing their extreme, anti-American political ideology. My opposition is incensed because I helped to defeat successfully their aggressive effort to rewrite and revise American history. Sadly, it seems the leadership of the Austin LWV has politically and financially aligned themselves with a political agenda and ideology that I have consistently and openly opposed. Respectfully, I decline the invitation of the LWV and gladly look forward to meeting with the many parents, students, taxpayers, and educators who fill my calendar of events. Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved September 7, 2010      9:55 AM KRONBERG ON NEWS 8: LET THE ATTACK ADS BEGIN The campaign season has officially begun Kronberg'sNews 8 commentary can be found here. Copyright September 07, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved