November 21, 2019
Your Weekly News from the Collin County Democratic Party
NOTICE TO ALL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES AND CLUBS

In order to allow our volunteers to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with their families and friends, the CCDP Office will be closed from Thursday, November 28 to Sunday, December 1. The office will reopen for regular hours on Monday, December 2.
Candidates who wish to file during this time can send a message to elections@collindemocrats.org or call 469-609-0539 to make arrangements.

There will be no Rally published on November 28 (Thanksgiving). The next Rally will be published on December 5th. Publicity forms for the December 5th Rally must be received by 5pm on December 2nd. Please plan accordingly. As usual, all publicity requests should be sent via publicity form located at txdp.cc/publicity.
What Does the County Tax Assessor-Collector Do?
by Mike Rawlins, County Chair
Unlike many of our county elected officials, nearly all of us have had some interaction with the County Tax Assessor-Collector. Whether we have renewed motor vehicle registrations or paid property taxes, we have had the duty of writing a check to this person. So, most of us have at least a general idea of what this office does. According to the Texas Association of Counties, the Tax Assessor-Collector has the following duties:

  • Calculates property tax rates for the county.
  • May collect taxes for cities, schools and other local taxing entities.
  • Processes motor vehicle title transfers.
  • Issues motor vehicle registration and licenses.
  • May process boat titles and registrations.
  • Registers voters and may conduct elections. (NOTE: In Collin County the Tax Assessor-Collector does not do this but instead sits on the board that hires our County Elections Administrator.)
  • Collects various other fees for the state and county.

While the Tax Assessor-Collector does have the ability to influence policy over real estate valuations, for the most part this is an executive position tasked with carrying out policy and not a position that makes policy. If we were to design county government from scratch we might make this an appointed position or an executive staff position rather than an elected county office. But due to quirks of Texas state and county government that go back to post-civil war Reconstruction, it’s an elected office. And because it is an elected partisan office, we need to run someone.

The general background that would be helpful for this position would be accounting with management experience. Expertise in managing tax collections or other aspects of government finances, at city, county, or state level would be most desirable. This is a full time position with a professional level salary.

If you’re interested in running for this office or know someone who might be a good candidate, please contact me ( chair@collindemocrats.org) or John Shanks, our Executive Director ( exec@collindemocrats.org).

McKinney Home for the Holidays Festival

Come join the CCDP at our booth at the McKinney Home for the Holidays Festival, November 29, 30 , and December 1 , 2019!

Check here  for details. It's FREE frosty fun for the whole family. Stop by and say Hi to your favorite candidates, or REGISTER TO VOTE, or come and help volunteer at the booth. The festival runs from 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Click here to volunteer!
Plano Lions Christmas Parade
Grab your Santa hats and holiday gear and help us design and decorate the CCDP float for the Plano Lions Christmas Parade on Dec 14, 2019. We will meet to design the float on Friday, Dec 6th, and decorate it the night before the parade on Dec 13th. We need people to be on the float and march alongside.

Sign up here with this link: http://bit.ly/PlanoParade
Minnie's Success!
The Holiday Season is a time to give back to the local community and help those who may not have the means to provide a holiday dinner for their families.

Collin County Democrats rose to the challenge and donated over $3K in cash/checks/gifts cards and over 675 lbs. of food to Minnie’s Food Pantry Thanksgiving Giveaway! All in all, this will provide over 10,250 meals to those less fortunate.

The Minnie’s Thanksgiving Giveaway is Saturday, November 23rd at their new location, 671 18th Street, Plano.  
Election Administration Volunteers Needed
Would you like to be engaged in the coming record-breaking Collin County Democratic Primary? We need volunteers who will work with party staff in administering the March 3 Primary and May 26 Runoff Elections . Activities will include recruiting election workers, processing candidate filing petitions, double-checking ballot proofs, scheduling training, answering questions from workers and voters, supporting the district or county conventions and a myriad of other tasks.

Please respond if you can contribute 2 or 20 hours per week (or anything in between). Particularly welcome will be people who can be “on call” for peak workloads, such as receipt of multiple candidate petitions or quick turnaround ballot proofing.

Work will begin this November and continue through June of 2020.

Election administration volunteers may also become paid polling place workers when voting is underway. Volunteers may get preference for some of the better 2020 polling place assignments as well as build qualifications for applying for paid administration work in the 2022 or future cycles.

If you can serve or have questions, please contact party elections administration at elections@collindemocrats.org .
Collin County Campaign Events
Judge Craig Smith for 5th District Court of Appeals Campaign Reception
What: Campaign Reception for the Re-Election of Judge Craig Smith, 5th District Court of Appeals
When: Thursday, November 21, 5:30 p.m.
Where: 10401 Lennox Lane, Dallas [ Map ].
RSVP: Here
Dallas Reception Supporting Collin County Judicial Candidates
What: Dallas Reception for Collin County Judicial Candidates
When: Wednesday, December 4, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Where: Hamilton Wingo, LLP, 325 N. St. Paul Street Suite 3300 Dallas, TX 75201 [ Map ]
RSVP: Not required.
Campaign Reception for Christy Albano
for Collin County 468th District Court
What: Campaign Reception for Christy Albano for 468th District Court
When: Thursday, December 5, 5:30 p.m.
Where: To Be Determined
RSVP: Email
Texas House District 67 Democratic Candidate Debate
What: HD 67 candidates Tom Adair, Rocio Hernandez, Anthony Lo, Jenna Royal, & Lorenzo Sanchez present their views on selected issues
When: Thursday, December 5, 7:30 - 9 p.m.
Where: University of Texas at Dallas, 800 Campbell Rd, Science Learning Center (SLC), room 1.102.
RSVP: Here
Other Upcoming Events
Women Organizing Women Democrats General Meeting
What: Featuring U.S. Senate candidate Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, Texas Family Project, and Dallas County Judge Staci Williams
Where: Collin College Spring Creek Campus Rm C103 at 2800 E. Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano [ Map]
When: Thursday, November 21, 7:00 p.m.
RSVP: Here
Richardson Area Democrats: Fall Roadshow
Collin County Candidates
What: Tanner Do - U.S. Congressional District 3, Anthony Lo - Texas House District 67, Jenna Royal - Texas House District 67, Michael Payma - 471st District Court
Where: 417 Valley Cove Dr., Richardson, TX, 75080
When: Friday, November 22, 7:00 p.m.
RSVP: Here
HD 89 Democrats:
Wylie Christmas Parade and Genenal Meeting
What: Join us for our first General Meeting! We are going to be in the Wylie parade! Our theme is “Blue Christmas, so wear your Favorite blue (but family appropriate) shirt or get wild and dress up like Elvis! No Santa costumes allowed.
Where: 600 FM 544, Wylie, TX 75098
When: Sunday, December 1, 4:30 p.m.
RSVP: Here
HD 89 Democrats:
Murphy Christmas Parade
What: Join us as we walk in the annual Murphy Christmas parade and tree lighting. It is not a traditional parade, but a sidewalk parade with walkers, wagons (or even a golf cart, if we can find one.). We will have a "Blue Christmas" theme. After the parade, there is the tree lighting and then other festivities.
Where: Murphy Fire Station, 206 N Murphy Rd., Murphy, TX 75094
When: Thursday, December 5, 4:30 p.m.
RSVP: Here
Voting - How the Sausage Is Made
Your All-Important Signature
by Billye Johnson
Technology has allowed more ways to check the authenticity of voters’ signatures. This is especially important for absentee voting. While you don’t have to sign your request for an absentee ballot with your best penmanship, you do need to make sure a significant portion of the signature looks like you usual scribble.

With students away at college being encouraged to vote absentee, parents may decide to sign the absentee request with their own perfect script. Once the student receives the actual ballot and votes, their signature resembles a physician’s scrawl. Put these tow signature side by side and the difference is evident.

The result is the ballot is set aside and the student’s vote is likely not counted.
In elections where every vote matters (literally), losing those votes could keep your favorite candidates from winning elections.

Whether you call it trivia, this ‘n that, factoid or good information, this column will provide bits of information to help you become a more knowledgeable voter. If you have a question about voting, please submit it here.
Yes, We Can Talk Politics
Drinking Liberally and Living Liberally are informal, inclusive progressive social groups. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics.

Allen - Cafe Del Rio
When: Friday, December 6, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: 401 Central Expy S, Allen [ map]

Frisco/Little Elm - The British Lion Pub
When: Friday, December 6, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Where: 5454 Main St #123, Frisco [ map]

Plano - Rugby House Pub
When: Friday, December 13, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: 8604 Preston Rd #100, Plano [ map]

When: Friday, December 13, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: 2600 W, FM 544, Wylie [ map]

McKinney -  Mellow Mushroom
When: Friday, December 20, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: 218 E Louisiana St, McKinney [ map]

While drinking liberally, always remember to drink responsibly, and make liberal use of designated drivers. Drinking and driving is reckless and irresponsible, like a neocon war or corporatist tax cut. Liberals, don't do it!