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JIM BLACKBURN HEADLINES HCDP BROWN BAG LUNCH

The Harris County Democratic Party is honored to welcome James B. Blackburn, Jr., J.D., Professor and noted environmental attorney as featured speaker at our May Brown Bag Luncheon. The HCDP Brown Bag Luncheon Series continues on Tuesday, May 13th, at 12:00 pm. Mr. Blackburn will discuss local and national environmental concerns and their importance in the November election.

An attorney for more than 30 years, Jim Blackburn is a partner in Blackburn Carter, a firm devoted to environmental law and planning. Cases include environmental impact, wetlands, wastewater, air and hazardous waste litigation; strategic environmental planning; toxic tort and flood-related litigation; and sustainable development and environmental dispute resolution. Blackburn is also a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University, teaching courses in environmental law. Mr. Blackburn is also active in community issues. He is the co-founder of Houston Wilderness, the Matagorda Bay Foundation and the Galveston Bay Foundation. In October 2004, Texas A&M press published his manuscript titled The Book of Texas Bays, which focuses upon the current environmental health of bays in Texas and the efforts undertaken to protect them. Blackburn received both a B.A. in History and a J.D. at the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. in Environmental Science at Rice University.

What are you doing for lunch on Tuesday, May 13th? You bring your lunch. We provide the drinks. Enjoy your lunch with fellow Democrats, hear dynamic speakers and become informed about important issues and events! For more information, please contact HCDP at 713-802-0085 or hcdp@hcdp.org.


BILL KELLY NAMED GENERAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR 2008 COORDINATED CAMPAIGN

BILL KELLY has been named General Campaign Manager for the Harris County Democratic Party 2008 Coordinated Campaign. Bill's campaign experience includes his having served as Campaign Manger for State Representative Ellen Cohen’s successful campaign for Texas Legislature in 2006, resulting in the unseating of the Republican incumbent in a district which had voted heavily for Republican candidates in the past, Campaign Manager for Council Member Peter Brown’s successful citywide campaign for city council at large position 1 in 2005, Field Director for State Representative Hubert Vo’s historic and victorious campaign for the Texas Legislature against an entrenched Republican incumbent House committee chair in 2004, and Deputy Field Director for Houston Mayor Bill White's campaign for mayor of the City of Houston in 2003.

In his new role as General Campaign Manager for the HCDP coordinated campaign, Kelly will be responsible for organizing and implementing the party's countywide effort to elect Democrats in every position on the ballot in November 2008 in Harris County. Bill's past endeavors have produced monumental and historic victories in every campaign with which he has been associated throughout his career as a political organizer/field director/campaign manager in this community. A graduate of The Honors College at the University of Houston, Bill serves of the Houston Chapter of Planned Parenthood Young Leaders board and the Houston Alumni Board for Sigma Phi Epsilon, and is the outgoing Vice President of Finance for the Texas Young Democrats.

The Harris County Democratic Party is pround and excited about having BILL KELLY as its general manager for the 2008 coordinated campaign and its effort to Turn Harris County Blue!


HCDP THIRD ANNUAL BREAKTHROUGH BREAKFAST:
THE POLITICAL SCENE IN TEXAS

HCDP Third Annual Breakthrough Breakfast: The Political Scene in Texas. The Harris County Democratic Party will be serving up breakfast and an expert's inside view of the outlook for Harris County and Texas in November. Our Blue Plate Special includes: three political savants taking a look at the shifting winds in Texas as the Harris County Democratic Party launches a historic coordinated campaign for the fall election. Panelists include (among others):

  • Ben Tulchin - VP of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, one of the leading Democratic polling organizations in the nation. Greenberg Quinlan has conducted extensive polling of the current Harris County political environment.
  • Dr. Richard Murray - Professor of political science at the Univ. of Houston and director of its Center for Public Policy, he has conducted more than 50 political polls for local news media. He serves as an election analyst for Channel 13 News.
  • Harvey Kronberg - Editor of the Quorum Report, the insider's first source for information and insights about Texas politics and politicians. (Harvey Kronberg was engaged and compensated for speaking at this event. His participation in this program should not be construed as any endorsement of any candidate or political party.)

What: HCDP Breakthrough Breakfast
When: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Time: 7:30 to 9 a.m.
Where: Junior League of Houston 1811 Briar Oaks
Admission: $500.00
Moderator: Commissioner Sylvia Garcia

Proceeds from the breakfast will be used to further the Harris County Democratic Party 2008 Coordinated Campaign to elect Democratic candidates in every position on the November 2008 general election ballot.

Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer for any person whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year. Your contribution may be used in connection with federal elections and is subject to the limitations and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act.

Federal law prohibits our federal PAC from receiving contributions from the general treasury funds of a corporation, labor organization, national bank, or an entity or person who is a federal contractor, or from anyone who is not a United States citizen or a permanent resident alien. If the contributor is under 18 years old, we cannot accept the contribution unless the decision to contribute was knowingly and voluntarily made by the contributor himself or herself from funds owned and controlled by the contributor, and not made from a gift given to the minor for the purpose making the contribution.


GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR PARTY
SERVE ON AN HCDP STANDING COMMITTEE

The By-Laws of the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee provides for five “standing committees” (Rules, Primary, Resolutions, Finance, and Audit). HCDP will elect members to serve on these committees at our Precinct Chair Swearing In Ceremony and Celebration - May 1st. If you are interested in serving on one of our Standing Committees, please contact your Senate District leaders for nomination. Descriptions of the standing committees and their areas of responsibility are described below. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact HCDP at 713-802-0085 or hcdp@hcdp.org.

  • RULES COMMITTEE. The Rules Committee shall prepare the rules for the conduct of all meetings of the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee, and for the conduct of all meetings of the Precinct Conventions.
  • PRIMARY COMMITTEE. The Primary Committee shall carry out all the functions provided under the Laws of the State of Texas relating to the administration of the Party’s Primary. In addition, the Primary Committee shall make recommendations to the Harris
    County Democratic Executive Committee regarding proposed changes to the Election Code for consideration by the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee for action thereon.
  • RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE. The Resolutions Committee shall study any resolutions to be offered to the Executive Committee as a whole. The Resolutions Committee crafts resolutions that are the public stance of the Harris County Democratic Party on issues and events.
  • FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee shall be responsible for raising the funds needed to finance the budget adopted by the Harris County Democratic Executive
    Committee and any special projects performed for or on behalf of the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee, in consultation with the County Chair and Treasurer.
  • AUDIT COMMITTEE. The Audit Committee shall select the independent auditor to conduct the annual audit and will review the books, records, and accounts of the HCDP at least annually and report on such audit review to the County Democratic Executive Committee. Please note: The Audit Committee shall be composed of members of the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: WHY JOHN MCCAIN SHOULD NOT BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES – LILLY LEDBETTER IS ONE GOOD REASON

There are any number of reasons why John McCain should never be president of the United States. Lilly Ledbetter is one of them.

In 1979, Lilly Ledbetter was hired by Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Inc. as a supervisor in its Gadsen, Alabama plant. By the time she retired in 1998, there were 16 supervisors at the plant, but Ledbetter was the only woman. Her salary was the lowest of any of the supervisors – 15% (more than $6,700 per year) lower than the lowest paid male counterpart and 30% (more than $18,000 per year) less than the best paid male supervisor, who was hired at the same time she was.

The reason, the courts found and Goodyear does not contest, why Ledbetter was paid far less than the other supervisors with whom she worked was not that her performance was inferior to her male cohorts – it wasn’t – it was just old-fashioned, straight-forward sex discrimination, plain and simple. The only reason Ledbetter was paid substantially less than similarly situated and equally performing male supervisors was that she was a woman. That’s it.

Continued on next page

For past articles, click here


CONGRATULATIONS, RICHARD CORTEZ!
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE AS PRECINCT CHAIR

Primary election day was historic in Harris County. Not only did more people vote in the Democratic Party primary than ever did before, but it also marked the 25th anniversary of RICHARD CORTEZ service as precinct chair and election judge in what is now Harris County Precinct 64.

A community activist in every sense of the term (officer in the Mason Park Advisory Council, former president of the Magnolia Pineview Civic Club, former grandknight of the Knights of Columbus, member of American Legion Post 472 in Magnolia Parkm and member of the East End Chamber of Commerce), Richard has been a proud and effective campaigner and active supporter of Democratic candidates up and down the ballot.

Thank you, Richard, for 25 years of exemplary service to the Democratic Party of Harris County!


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