Disgusting. Blech. Boo.
by David Benzion · 06/28/2006 10:30 amYesterday’s post (Shame. On YOU, baby, not me) generated several comments I wanted to respond to on the front-page, especially in light of today’s Houston Chronicle coverage of Orlando Sanchez’ GOP nomination to be Harris County Treasurer.
gregg aka T-BONE asks:
What’s wrong with Sanchez other than he is a Republican trying to run in a Democrat controlled city?
There is nothing "wrong" with Sanchez… or at least, nothing wrong with him that isn’t also wrong with most people, myself included.
I’ve never met him; seems like a nice guy, wouldn’t mind being his bud. And he’s just out looking for the easiest way available to do well by himself. Good for him, I don’t begrudge Orlando that impulse; if he isn’t going to look out for Orlando, who is?
But my job is to decide if I want to help pay for it. I don’t.
RhymesWithRight proposes:
Or, David, we could consider abolishing the Assessor Collector’s office and rolling those responsibilities into the Treasurer’s office.
Or does that arrow hit a little close to home for those of you affiliated with KSEV/LST?
Nice shot– I like a commenter with moxie. Although I should note that the box in the upper-right-hand corner of LST clearly states that we are "Nominally Independent of AM 700 KSEV." Perhaps, in light of yesterday’s programming, I need to upgrade that to "Functionally Independent." 
As I noted yesterday in comments:
I am in favor of abolishing government-funded jobs whenever possible, and making certain that whatever taxpayer-supported positions remain are occupied by qualified, competent individuals.
As far as I’m concerned, let’s go ahead and roll-up the Assessor’s, Treasurer’s, Commissioner’s and Mayor’s office into one big ball and elect Paul Bettencourt King.
Rob Booth roughs me up slightly with this query:
Did one of the candidates running advocate abolishing the office?
If so, then you have an argument. If they could vote for none of the above, then ok.
However, I’m happy that my precinct chair did his (volunteer) job and showed up and voted.
Actually, one of the candidates running is advocating abolition of the office… his name is Richard Garcia, and he’s a Democrat.
Think about how hard it is to get a bureaucrat off the government payroll… to get the tax-and-spenders to admit that there is something– anything– the government does that isn’t necessary and could be consolidated and/or abolished.
So here they are, finally admitting it– and yes, I know that their motives aren’t pure, that they’re just trying to screw with Republicans, that they’d never be saying these things if they were confident that a Democrat would win– and here go a bunch of self-professed conservatives out to argue about how essential this position is, what a vital role it plays and how the office must be filled.
Bull.
About the only aspect of this argument I’m sympathetic to is the "philosophical" one– i.e., that the treasurer could, in theory, fulfill a watchdog role and provide oversight on county spending. Perhaps if a brilliant, tough-as-nails number cruncher with a proven track-record of accomplishment were up for the job, I could be persuaded.
———-
between
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As far as I’m concerned, the Harris County GOP should have figured out a way to call the Democrat’s bluff. Get Garcia on record supporting abolishment of the office, refuse to nominate ANYONE, and then work cooperatively with Treasurer Garcia to eliminate his job.
Instead, we get this:
Sanchez said Tuesday that eliminating the post would kill the immediate prospect of a Hispanic for the first time holding a countywide elected administrative office.
Well… so freakin’ what? I hadn’t realized that charting new territory in the racial spoils-system of county government had surpassed "eliminating waste" and "reducing the burden on taxpayers" as priorities for the Harris County GOP.
This one, however, takes the empanada:
"It is interesting that up to Mr. Cato’s death, they were supporting Mr. Cato and obviously keeping the office. After Mr. Cato died, they adopted a resolution to abolish the office," said Sanchez.
"It makes you wonder, especially since I could become the first Hispanic and the first immigrant elected countywide."
[Emphasis in bold added by LST]
Way to play the race card, Orlando. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be proud.
Disgusting. Blech. Boo.
DISGUSTERVATION: blogHouston
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BWAAHAHAHAHAH
You are absolutely correct on this one, DB.
I am extremely disappointed in Orlando and will find it impossible to support him in the future.
I’m not going to weigh in on the particular issue of Orlando Sanchez, but I wish that everyone commenting on the need for a County Treasurer - especially our elected officials - would get his facts straight. So far, I’ve not seen any authoritative listing of the duties of the Treasurer’s office. For example, Sylvia Garcia is quoted in the Chronicle article as saying that the Treaurer’s office doesn’t even write checks any more. If that is so, then who wrote the check that I got for my last jury duty service? It was signed Jack Cato and came from the Treasurer’s office.
Matt, I personally like what Chris said this morning on KSEV….
Eliminate the County Treasurer, as well as the Harris County Sports authority, but the key is when these entities are eliminated… the money spent there is eliminated from the budget, not simply transfered to another pet program. This is a perfect way to lower taxes.
I’ll give 100 to 1 odds that if the position is eliminated that money goes elsewhere in the county budget…
I’m going to have to disagree with the bossman here. Judge Ekels had it right. The treasurer is SUPPOSED to act as a watchdog on county commissioners to make sure they aren’t playing fast and loose with porkbarrel spending etc. The fact of the matter is that Cato did the citizens of Harris County no favors by playing dead for as long as he did. The Treasurer is the only elected entity that has this function, every other person in the finance department of the county is appointed and is beholden to the county commissioners and will not speak out against graft, corruption, or pork barrel spending because his or her job will be at stake, the same is not true of the treasurer.
RINO alert. RINO alert. Puhleeze. Orlando’s playing of the race card proves he’s no republican. He’s just another perennial candidate (AKA loser) trying to latch on to the government teat.
Our county (Austin) treasurer’s duties are being folded into the County Auditor’s office. Commissioner’s Court unanimously agreed there is no need for a county treasurer and will take steps to eliminate the office.
#4 - Ror,
You know I agree with you in principle regarding the position of HC Treasurer and the function of the office.
The problem I have with Mr. Sanchez is that he’s spoken no desire to uphold that function. In his campaign he has stated that he would spend several thousand additional dollars to “modernize” the office, and use the position as a “sounding board” for his views on immigration in Austin.
If that’s the choice that I’m given, and considering the office has no auditing power, then shutter the thing and put pressure on the County court to become more accountable to the County Auditor.
There are most likely a large number of jobs that coule be eliminated and the cost also eliminate from the budget.
Eliminating the county treasusrers duties though may not be a wise idea. We have far to many dems that would like to have NO OVERSITE, we need to define the duties of the county treasurer and insist that it go back to an oversite position.
County Treasurer needs a solid number cruncher (someone with Paul Betencourps ability, not a career candidate
I do agree that the sports authority should be fist to go and the budget reduced by the amount budgeted for it.
Orlando made the same points in a post-event moment he took at last week’s Houston Property Rights Association lucheon. He makes the case and a political consultant (but not in his emply) opined to me that he’d be a real thorn in Radeck’s side and perhaps an independent watchdog. Certainly more than Cato the one-day-a-week lap dog, but she almost had me convinced Orlando would be good in the office and take on Commissioners to keep his profile high while scouting the next election opportunity. Since we will have the office for two years no matter what, I will reluctantly vote for Sanchez. By the way except when Summners was on the ballot, I have voted for the Democrat against Cato five times I think, including for Richard Garcia twice (maybe three times). Garcia appears at HPRA events, is knowledgeable and lucid in other candidate fora I have attended, and so far as I have witnessed never played the race card. However, as of this moment, I’ll stay with Sanchez and still work to have the office abolished or better yet, have the county absorbed into the city so it can be the City and County of Houston, like Denver, LA and many other more efficiently operated municipalities
#7, Sedosi, I’m not saying I approve of Sanchez, especially when he trots out the race card. He has not indicated that he will be much of a watchdog, but that is what the office is SUPPOSED to be. The County Auditor I believe is an appointed position, therfore he/she is not independent of commissioner’s court. I’d rather deal with Sanchez for one term while we sort out who really SHOULD have the office, than let it be abolished so that the county commissioners can run roughshod over the taxpayers at will. I’m trying to think a few years ahead here and not get bogged down in the temporary politics of the moment.
David, old buddy, old pal, old friend of mine.
The one person who the precinct chairs were not allowed to nominate was Mr. Garcia. See the Texas code. Ballot fusion (candidates representing multiple parties) is illegal in Texas.
The choices the precinct chairs had:
1. Vote for someone who said they wanted the office (Mr. Sanchez, Mr. Hicks, and Mr. Sumners, I believe). I don’t know of a candidate for the GOP nomination who advocated abolition of the office.
2. Vote for someone else who is eligible and not seeking the office. This would require a draft effort, in my opinion, to be successful. I heard of none.
3. Bust quorum and not nominate anyone. If that happened, I believe the State Republican Executive Committee would nominate someone.
You and I both would like to see this office abolished. (I’d like to see most of the government abolished.) The precinct chairs did not have the authority to do this, they had the authority to do one of the three things above. I’m glad my precinct chair went and did his job to represent me.
I’m not an Orlando Sanchez groupie either, but you should be critical of him, of the precinct chairs for voting specifically for him versus another, but not the precinct chairs for nominating someone to be on the ballot as the GOP candidate. That’s their responsibility.
Regards,
Rob Booth
Damn you Rob Booth and your inconvenient facts!
If I came across too hard on the precinct chairs, I apologize… they are fine folks. I guess I was just hoping for some sort of “jury nullification” style action… hundreds of grassroots conservatives chanting “Hell NO! We won’t vote!” and “One, two, three, four! We don’t want your stinkin’ taxpayer funded, obsolete position in the bureaucracy!” and whatnot.
If the SREC would then go ahead and nominate someone, let’em. That’d be their shame.
As you put it– “I don’t know of a candidate for the GOP nomination who advocated abolition of the office.”
Exactly.
BTW, if you were running for the position, I’d absolutely vote for you.
Now you tell me! $96,000 a year? I’ll be the cat.
Now that’s an obscure reference.