Dallas businessman Jeffrey Payne
**** @Jeffrey4Texas | Twitter
First Interview With Democratic Candidate For Texas Governor ... Thanx to CBSDFW
This posting will serve as Part 1 of "Texas Gubernatorial Race 2018" for this journal/ blog. It will be to highlight Dallas businessman Jeffrey Payne, the first Democratic candidate to challenge Governor Greg Abbott for Governor of Texas, with an opening video above with Jeffrey. Many in Texas politics media, think that Abbott is a slam dunk win ... for me, you have not won ... until you won, eh? ... get out and vote, regardless of what they think or say! We have so many issues in Texas that are being ignored concerning our people ... instead, our governor has simply been focusing on things like bathroom bills and attacking women's health care needs. Also Abbott is strong for ignoring voters when it comes to fracking around their land, whether schools, homeowners or businesses ... example of this here, where Denton voters who voted no fracking around their property or town was ignored via Christi Craddick. Texas is a big state with big issues concerning Texans, so there is more to it besides simply religious pipe dreams and multinational corporate ass- kissing. The title of this post is just a twist of humour, since Jeffrey also won the title of "International Mr.Leather" back in 2009, and inspired by the 1939 classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" movie. But someone needs to crack the whip in Austin today and get this state in shape for our future. Jeffrey lost his mom at age 3 and went to an orphanage, then to foster care at age 15. Jeffrey was living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit and it wiped him out basically ... coming to Dallas in 2005 with 2 dogs and $2000 bucks. Today, Jeffrey owns 5 businesses here ... a popular gay nightclub, a court reporting firm, a land holding company, property management company, and a retail clothing outlet. Jeffrey may be seen as a long shot by some, especially going up against Abbott's $40+ million for re- election ... but Jeffrey also has some advantages and makes some points on it in the "Texas Tribune" interview below ... hear the man out. After ... I will add some input of my own to this posting below.
***** THE TEXAS TRIBUNE: Meet the owner of a gay bar who is challenging Texas Gov. Abbott ... (newsread and interview with Jeffrey on the issues)
***** DALLAS VOICE.COM: Jeffrey Payne announces run for Texas governor ... (newsread)
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***** PD/ RCJ: "SEN. WENDY DAVIS" PART'S 3, 2 & 1 ... (a related series on the last race for governor of Texas)
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Thomas Hudson Pickering/ Ranch Chimp and daughter "Bear"
I like seeing a person like Payne running for governor. Here you have a man with the grassroots of Americana written all over him. This guy was not some CEO or received wealth through inheritance. He was an orphan out of the trenches, been knocked down several times and is a small business success story. Texas was also good to him, he wants to serve the public in return ... simple. Of course a guy like Jeffrey Payne is a long shot here, and you can bet that much more popular known candidates with big money behind them will jump in. But Jeffrey is first up actually talking about the serious issues we have ... because Governor Abbott sure as Hell dont. Texas needs some new leadership, Payne realizes that Texans have many concerns that are not being addressed, whether it's education, women's and LGBT rights, small business, immigration, etc ... and Payne wants to capitalize on that, going one on one crisscrossing the state to meet with folks and discussing concerns that many in Austin are sweeping under the rug. Some will attack him based on the sexual orientation thing and creating fear propaganda, while hoping for those that are homophobic will come out to vote against him to strengthen that re- relection of Abbott. But you can also bet, that if they attack Payne too much on his being gay, it will get a backlash from many Texans as well, and cause anti- Abbott folks to retaliate even more, since Abbott has basically trampled on the LGBT communities of Texas. Abbott has like $41 million to run right now ... Jeffrey Payne is putting up at first $2.5 million of his own money, but you can bet that Payne will gain much more from donations. What Payne points out is a plus ... for one, he dont worry about the competition, slander, or the money ... he obviously had harder things to face through life, and was very successful business wise, he knows how to budget and spend well, he's proven it. But looking at what Jeffrey stands for, his roots and vision ... the philanthropic work he done helping other Texans and his compassion is something lacking currently in Texas. Payne understands business too obviously, and the support for small business is as importante as multinational corporate business.
As far as the issues ... Yes, education is a very big issue in Texas ... our current and last governor been focusing more on cutting schools funding, while trying to redirect spending/ funding more to fly- by- night profit driven education investors. Trying to slow down the price of tuition increases for colleges/ universities also key importance. Abbott now sayz he wants to address taxes ... why now? ... neither Abbott or Perry, both republican, done nothing about the skyrocketing property taxation that is running rampant, housing/ real estate is moderate still by major states figures, but Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the country today. What are we going to do about the estimated 2.2 million undocumented Texans? (I think that there are more than 2.2 million). Well, just locking them up in privatized detention facilities and deportation is costing the taxpayers an arm and a leg as it is ... the detention center investors are making a fortune off it. Many of these undocumented folks been here working for years, and if they get deported, they're back at their jobs here in no time ... now is the time to make legislation to allow those like them to be considered for an easier and alternative paths to citizenship ... they're just as much a part of our Texas economy and our neighbours across the state. Medicaid expansion is needed badly ... however, under folks like Abbott ... he would actually refuse money from Washington that Washington OFFERS ... simply because he wanted to jump on the anti- Obama bandwagon out of popularity. This is especially importante as well for the disabled, kidz, our military veterans, elderly Texans, and to make sure that women have the health access and facilities needed ... Abbott is opposed to Planned Parenthood also out of stubbornness and the bandwagon cult mentality. I also support strongly, paid contraceptives/ birth control for our young people who may need help. This Bathroom Bill garbage is part of that same cult mentality ... where in Hell did this even come from? ... was it influenced by another state? We never had any bathroom issue here in Texas until these cult followers like Abbott created it ... it has also been a very anti- business type bill, since companies large and small are against it ... and it will cost the state millions or billions in business.
This political gerrymandering is a very serious issue here also in Texas that Payne points out, and like Payne sayz ... "gerrymandering is not democracy". This has been going on for years, and we have been shortchanged as far as our districts, representation and voices. I myself have called state representatives offices and signed petitions time and again concerning this and other issues such as women's health access recently. Texas House Bill 3859, that was not long ago signed by Abbott in the above link ... is also part of the cult mentality, it will clearly discriminate children, especially if they are LGBT ... Payne obviously knows what it's like to be a child up for adoption, Abbott dont. It places faith groups above all in placement of children up for adoption and rejecting or denying children fair access to families, education, services and medical needs that are LGBT kidz, or any kidz that they may not approve of or fits their tastes, while forcing a specific religion on them. The way I see this is to force feed a specific religious denomination and programme for children ... is this not similar to what Hitler done? ... I mean, what's next? ... special breeding for institutionalized cult upbringing? Texas is a very diverse state, and needs a more diverse leadership in Austin, than just the same old same. The population migration here from other states is incredible as well (CultureMap Dallas), highest numbers from California. Just one company (Toyota) recently started relocating several thousand and their families to Dallas from LA at 250 per week ... this is one of many large companies. Many others come on their own simply looking for opportunity and better living or other reasons. What I see happening here today, is what was happening in LA back in the 1960's. I credit much of this to the housing development explosion here and the rent and real estate increases. So there are many issues and needs to come as well ... this is why we need to focus on the future here instead of the past, and to accommodate all the new business and population. It's much more too as far as business than just mining or oil companies ... small businesses and new homeowners are key to the economy as well. But, wishing Jeffrey all the best running ... and I just know whoever I vote for will be the opponent of Greg Abbott, period ... and right now I'm throwing my support to Jeffrey Payne.
Word Out ....
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***** RANCH CHIMP JOURNAL "WELCOME" POST
***** RCJ MUSIC/ ART'S HONOUR ROLL SOCIETY (my hand- selected music/ arts picks)
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Awesome write up!
ReplyDeleteThank You Kari ... get out and vote! ... I see you're in Dallas ... cool
ReplyDelete