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WINTER IS COMING
(AND THE TEXAS ELECTRICAL GRID ISN'T FIXED)
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Texans wait in line to fill propane tanks on Feb. 17, 2021 in Houston.
David J. Phillip/AP
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Back in June, Governor Abbott proclaimed that new reforms “fix all of the flaws” that caused February’s deadly winter blackout that left more than four million people without power across Texas and resulted in up to 700 deaths. Abbott then cashed a check for one million dollars from Kelcy Warren, CEO of Energy Transfer Partners — one of the largest gas companies in Texas — along with millions from other energy industry donors.
However, it will surprise no one that the flaws in the grid have in fact not been "fixed," and that ERCOT's own scenario planning indicates that the state grid remains highly vulnerable to blackouts that can be caused by storms that are not even as severe as the February storm. In fact, "Four of the five extreme risk scenarios ERCOT considered would leave the grid short a significant amount of power, which would trigger outages for residents," as reported by the Texas Tribune.
"The big winners, you know, financially out of the winter storm were gas companies. Billions of billions of dollars and it was also huge news when it was learned that a lot of them had started contributing millions to political campaigns to Texas state leaders, including the Governor (Abbott). So for all these companies coming out in February, the tight gas supply, the low supply of gas was incredibly lucrative." - Mose Buchele, Austin Public Radio KUT, in "The Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas Blackout."
The Texas Railroad Commission, which does not regulate railroads but rather the state's oil and gas industry, recently voted to allow energy generators to pass along high natural gas prices from the February freeze. That is $3.4 billion in extra gas payments created in just one week. Gas suppliers over-charged electric generators due to supply shortages that the suppliers caused by their own failures to winterize their equipment. Gas companies like Energy Transfer Partners made windfall profits due to massive overcharges to power companies, which are now being allowed to pass those costs onto Texas consumers, millions of whom sat for days in the cold, without power.
Greg Abbott thinks that he can take millions from the oil and gas industry, and leave ordinary Texans holding the bag. In 2022, we need to tell him that we're done with Abbott's crony capitalism. #Blue2022
Listen: The Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas Blackout
Read More: Texas grid vulnerable to blackouts during severe winter weather, even with new preparations, ERCOT estimates show
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STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY: RUN FOR OFFICE! | |
Prospective Candidates,
The filing period for running on the 2022 Democratic Primary ballot opened Saturday, November 13, and ends at 6 p.m. on Monday, December 13, 2021. The Primary is scheduled to be held on March 1, 2022.
Please contact County Chair Mike Rawlins, 972-783-9573, or Executive Director Debbie O'Reilly, if you have questions about running for office.
We have an outstanding Candidate Development Team and Coordinated Campaign Committee that can help you if you decide to run. We take care of our Democratic family!
To see a list of races on the 2022 Democratic Primary ballot and other helpful information, including links to instructions on filing and filing fee/petition requirements, please visit our Run For Office page.
When you are ready to file, you will reach out to chair@collindemocrats.org.
| A HUDDLE WITH HANSEN INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES NOW OPEN! |  | |
The Collin County Democratic Party's first VIP event will be at The Star in Frisco Sunday, December 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. where we will hold "A Huddle With Hansen," a legendary evening of food, fun, and drinks at City Works, featuring DFW sports journalism legend Dale Hansen. Come swap stories with Dale and bid on our sports-themed silent auction.
There are three ways to attend this event:
Become a Monthly Active Donor at the Activist, Advocate, or Champion levels and receive complimentary tickets to all of our VIP events.
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Activist: $60/month
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Advocate: $120/month
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Champion: $240/month
We are also selling sponsorships for additional event benefits and have now opened up sales for individual tickets! Space is limited, so get your ticket now!
If you would like to increase your existing active monthly donation to receive your complimentary ticket, email executivedirector@collindemocrats.org.
When: Sunday, December 5, 4 - 7 p.m.
Where: City Works at The Star, 3680 The Star Blvd #1300, Frisco
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THANK YOU to "A Huddle With Hansen" sponsor ANDREA HESTON! Andrea is a Precinct Chair in Collin County and is an activist with a long record of volunteering with the CCDP.
As a mental health professional, Andrea is committed to social justice and increasing access to quality mental health care for everyone, and Andrea believes Democrats have what it takes to get this done!
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CCDP PHONE BANKING - COME AND JOIN US! | |
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Collin Democrats - we are already working on winning seats in 2022. We've got a lot of work to do with the new district lines that have been drawn. Now is the time to take action — and Talk the Talk!
Phone Bank with us! Our phone bank campaign has call parties where we smile and dial together every Tuesday and Sunday via Zoom. Training is provided — so new dialers are WELCOME! We will be dialing volunteers to fill out our volunteer slots, then talking to our recently registered voters. Calls will be made from home with training, coaching, games, and encouragement provided on the Zoom call. Sign up below!
Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon
Sundays, 1 - 3 p.m.
Would you like to be a phone bank co-captain?
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LOOKING FOR THE IDEAL GIFT FOR THE DEM ON YOUR SHOPPING LIST? | |
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TRUE BLUE TEXANS: Show your True Blue colors as we launch into the 2022 election cycle!
Our brand new webstore is ready for your order!
Sport the CCDP logo and slogan on your hat, shirts, coffee mugs, yard signs, and stickers. All profits support the Coordinated Campaign for 2022 as we register and reach out to more Democrats to expand our base.
We are proud Democrats! Show your pride!
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This holiday season, the CCDP is asking Collin County Democrats to donate food items to Minnie's Food Pantry.
From single parents trying to feed their children to full-time workers who have been laid off, the face of hunger is changing daily. However, Minnie's Food Pantry remains a source of not only food but hope for all those they serve. They treat clients with dignity and respect as they receive healthy meals, fresh meats, and fresh produce to prepare meals at their homes for their families. Learn more about Minnie's here.
Please rally around Minnie's Food Pantry and support those in need this holiday season. Democrats care about our community!
To make it easy to donate, Minnie's has a wish list on Amazon.
If you order items from Amazon, they will be delivered to our drive coordinator, who will deliver them to Minnie's. If you prefer to donate items directly, please drop them off at either of these two locations (private homes):
3720 Stockport Dr, Plano
2101 Whitney Ln, McKinney
The food drive runs through Saturday, December 18th. Please drop off items by 6 p.m. on the 18th!
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We are seeking one or more people with good clerical and people skills to assist in administering the March 1, 2022, Democratic Primary. These are part-time positions with flexible hours, starting in late November and running through March 31, 2022.
There may be a two- or three-month extension if there is a runoff. For a full job description please email elections@collindemocrats.org.
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School Boards County-Wide: Although my task is to provide information about Collin County, we cannot ignore what’s going on in areas close by. I’ve heard people say they hope what’s happening in other parts of Texas won’t come here. Sorry to burst your bubble but that’s not how this works. The white supremacist/fascist crowd intends on taking control everywhere they can and, quite frankly, Collin County is ripe for the picking. This is why we must, absolutely must, show up to these meetings and let our elected officials know there are more of us than there are of them. If you take away anything from my columns, let it be this: decisions are made by those who show up and WE MUST SHOW UP! Democracy isn’t a spectator sport...
(Read More)
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Commissioner’s Court: Last week’s meeting was run by Duncan Webb since Chris Hill was absent. Public comments were moved back to the beginning of the meeting without explanation. We’ll see if it stays that way. The first four speakers were Republicans angry about vulnerabilities in our election system, the deaths caused by the electrical grid failure, the people poring over our border, and Anthony Fauci’s lies. One woman told the commissioners that unless they correct their failures, she will no longer submit to their governance and threatened to have them peaceably removed from office. Susan Fletcher’s response was to encourage her to hold those arms of government actually responsible for those issues as the commissioners haven’t done anything. Way to stand up and courageously shift the blame...
(Read More)
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Little Elm ISD Board of Trustees: Technically, Little Elm is in Denton County but they’re close enough. Little Elm high school students got a harsh lesson last week in who will protect them and who won’t. A social media post about a girl who was repeatedly sexually harassed and assaulted on the school bus made the rounds. According to the post, the girl reported it to the school and was rewarded for her courage by getting three days of ISS while the alleged perpetrator got a Rittenhouse (free pass). Disgusted by continued instances of the administration not taking sexual assault seriously (get used to that, kids, because hardly anyone does), the students planned a protest inside the school. Although the protest was peaceful, they still yelled and kicked at administrator doors and the police were called. That’s when it got violent...
(Read More)
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McKinney ISD Board of Trustees: For those hoping the crazies would stay in other school districts, I have bad news for you. They’re here and were inundating the MISD board. The five speakers during public comments obviously are FOX News watchers because they hit all their major talking points: CRT, Socio-emotional Learning (SEL), and pornography in library books (are you noticing a pattern in their buzzwords?). Several of them were furious at having their motives questioned and at being labeled threats, all while practically yelling and making threats...
(Read More)
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Plano City Council: The Planning and Zoning Commission voted in favor of a zoning change for the Haggard Farms project, the more than 142 acres on Spring Creek Parkway just east of the Dallas North Tollway. If passed by the city council, it will be a mixed-use project with office, retail, hotel, and residential construction. The heart of the development will be a destination food/beverage and event venue called The Almanac. It also will have 700 multifamily residential units, a 98-room hotel, a retail village, a senior housing community, and townhomes. More than two dozen acres will be set aside for a park and open space. The development firm had to meet multiple times with surrounding residents and went in front of the P&Z three separate times. However, there are still hurdles to jump. Many of the residents are worried about traffic and dislike apartments...
(Read More)
| LWAN: If you enjoy reading these columns, please join LWAN (men welcome). I can’t write these columns without a lot of help! If we want true change, we must know what’s going on. That means monitoring every city council and school board in Collin County. This is something anyone can do and it’s interesting work. Please contact me to let me know if you’re interested. | |
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KELLY KARTHIK MEET & GREET
CANDIDATE FOR FRISCO ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
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Come out and meet candidate for Frisco ISD Board of Trustees Kelly Karthik!
Kelly is:
- A Leader in the Frisco ISD Community
- An Advocate for Our Children and Families
- A Defender of Unity and Fairness
- Champion of Local and County Governments Collaborating to Solve Problems
When: Sunday, December 5, 2 p.m.
Where: Karmic Grounds on Main, 7227 Main St, Suite 600, Frisco
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MICHIGAN GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER
TO VISIT NORTH TEXAS
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Annie's List is hosting Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on December 10 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome her to the Lone Star State.
Annie's List recruits, trains, and elects progressive women to the Texas Legislature. We are the most effective organization in Texas politics. With all the dangerous legislation enacted this year, one thing is certain --- we would not be in this position if more progressive women were elected to office. We invite you to help Annie's List raise the resources to protect incumbents during this next upcoming election cycle (only 1 year away!) and train more women to run for office.
Sponsorships begin at $1,250 for a half table of 4. Individual tickets are $250 and virtual tickets at $100. You can review all sponsorship opportunities and our Event Committee on the event page.
We hope you can participate! Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. We're looking forward to welcoming Governor Whitmer — a Governor from whom ours could learn many things! — to Texas.
When: Friday, December 10, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: The Hilton Anatole, 2201 N Stemmons Fwy, Dallas
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The CCDP office at 1915 Central Expy #150 in Plano will reopen in December on a limited basis – more details to come!
In the meantime, our office staff are working from home and available by telephone at 972-578-1483 or the web at collindemocrats.org.
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Collin County Democratic Party (CCDP) | 972-578-1483 | www.collindemocrats.org © 2021
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