Houston Professional Republican Women

Summer Inspiration

This month begins HPRW’s annual summer break from noon luncheon meeting.  Of course, this year in particular, we are counting on our members to use this time to focus on other and specific campaign projects in support of candidates for this election year.  I have to say, Houston Professional Republican Women is the most awesome organization to have the opportunity to serve because I know that the majority of our members when not participating in our HPRW events are working on their own campaigns or managing the campaigns of others or attending to their responsibilities with our regional and state affiliations—ours is a highly motivated membership!

So if we already have motivation, let me wish you inspiration over the summer.  Whether it’s the chance to travel through our beautiful country and state with dear friends and family, whether it’s enjoying music and the arts available throughout our community, whether it’s relaxing with a good book or view from your garden patio, may you draw your inspiration from the many blessings we enjoy.   And may this be the inspiration to continue your community service and sustain us all as points of light.

A couple final notes:

As I write this, I look forward to seeing many of you at the Tribute to Women luncheon on Friday where we will honor our own Mary Jane Smith.  Congratulations once again, Mary Jane, from HPRW!

Reminder too that HPRW’s history is tied largely with our judiciary and with whom HPRW has a special affinity.  So members, please consider directing any extra effort possible to the campaigns of those who serve as our judges and especially our own members.  To that end, we will continue to post their campaign events and requests for assistance as received.

Gail

June 12   Texas Federation of Black Republicans’ “It’s Time For Action” dinner, featuring Larry Elder, 5:30-8:00, Hilton Americas Hotel, 1600 Lamar.  $65.  Tickets: www.txblackgop.org.

June 13   Texas Federation of Black Republicans’ “It’s Time For Action” symposium/panel discussion on education and illegal immigration, featuring Dr. Carol M. Swain, Ph.D., reception at 6:30, panel discussion at 7:00, Hilton Americas Hotel, 1600 Lamar.  $25.  Tickets: www.txblackgop.org.

June 13   TFRW’s Tribute to Women luncheon, 11:30-1:00, Hilton Americas Hotel, 1600 Lamar, Houston.  We will honor our VP of Programs, Mary Jane Smith.  

Publication of activities of a candidate in this newsletter or by email is not to be construed in any way to be an endorsement by the HPRW.  It is for your information only.

President Gail Schubot called the meeting to order at 12:10 PM.

After Gail lead us in the pledges to the United States and Texas flags, all attendees introduced themselves.

VP Programs Mary Jane Smith then introduced our Speaker, Dr. Neil Frank, Channel 11’s chief meteorologist and former head of the National Hurricane Center.  Dr. Frank’s program began with a discussion of global warming.  He told us that over 30,000 scientists have signed on to a document that challenges the current conventional thinking regarding the perceived global warming crisis.  He dispelled many myths, as well.  For example, there is no proof that CO2 is harmful.  In fact, plant nurseries increase the level of CO2 to improve growing conditions.  He also demonstrated the effect that satellites have had on the number of hurricanes reported.  The increase in identified hurricanes in recent years is because, with the aid of satellites, we can now see and count hurricanes that exist in the middle of the ocean.  Dr. Frank also presented a slide show of hurricane damage in the Gulf Coast.  Much of the property loss is due to building too close to the shoreline and the failure to use piers when building near the water.  For more information regarding misconceptions about global warming, Dr. Frank recommended that we visit www.JunkScience.com.  A question and answer session followed the presentation.

After reminding us that we will not meet during the summer months of June, July, and August, Gail adjourned the meeting at 1 PM.

Tomi Porterfield

For JoAnn McCracken, Recording Secretary

Houston Professional Republican Women

May 2008 Treasurer’s Report

Receipts

            Total Membership Dues Received                               $69

            Total Meeting Receipts                                              495

            Miscellaneous Receipts                                               13

Total Receipts                                                                                   $577

Disbursements

Total Meeting Disbursements                                   $549

Total Member Dues Paid to Parent Orgs.                      26

Total Awards Disbursements                                       10

Miscellaneous Expenditures                                        12

Total Disbursements                                                                            597

Net Deficit May 9 – June 10                                                                   -20

            Total Checking                                    $10,338

            Petty Cash                                                  15

Total Assets                                                                                 $10,353

HPRW’s 2008 Officers

President                                                        1^st Vice President, Membership

Gail Schubot                                                     Barbara Ayers

2^nd Vice President, Programs                        3^rd Vice President, Campaign Activities

Mary Jane Smith                                               Pam Halliburton

Recording Secretary                                      Corresponding Secretary

JoAnn McCracken                                           Susan Pierce

Treasurer

Tomi Porterfield

·              Help Wanted

Tomi Porterfield, HPRW Awards Chairman

Many of you have indicated an interest in serving on one of our committees.  There are several openings, so please review the list below and contact Gail Schubot at (281) 807-0288 or gail@shcubotlawfirm.com to volunteer.

Those who volunteer for these committees will be given extensive guidance and assistance from HPRW members who have experience in these areas and also from the Texas and National Federations of Republican Women

·              Please give your campaign hours worked and/or campaign donations made to Pam Halliburton, our Vice President of Campaign Activities.  The form is attached to this newsletter—mail it or give her a call.

·              Important Dates for 2008 Elections

Republican Party of Texas State Convention June 12-14, 2008

Republican National Convention September 1-4, 2008

First day to apply for ballot by mail for the general election September 5, 2008

Last day to register to vote in order to vote in the general election October 6, 2008

First day of early voting in the general election October 20, 2008

Last day to apply for ballot by mail for the general election October 28, 2008 (must be received, not merely postmarked)

Last day of early voting in the general election October 31, 2008

General Election Day November 4, 2008

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison News Update

Editorial: Congress can help ease food prices
May 27, 2008
The Dallas Morning News

Government economists predict the ethanol industry will consume one-third of the corn that U.S. farmers produce this year.

That's enough to virtually guarantee months, if not years, of high food prices. Corn for food is in a losing competition with corn for fuel, and that's helping drive food prices sky high.

With consumer relief in mind, Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison wisely introduced legislation last week to freeze the corn-based ethanol mandate at the current level. The measure, which has co-sponsorship from Texas Sen. John Cornyn and other Republican lawmakers, deserves quick congressional approval.

The current law requires ethanol production from corn and other biofuels to gradually increase to 15 billion gallons by 2015. The proposed legislation would freeze the requirement at 4.7 billion gallons until agricultural markets and prices readjust.

The surge of food prices is a major threat to an already fragile U.S. economy. The USDA recently raised its food-inflation forecast by half a percentage point to 5.5 percent, the third consecutive monthly increase. The food-inflation forecast is nearing the highest levels since 1990, when U.S. food prices climbed 5.8 percent.

While other factors, such as the price of oil, contribute to high food prices, loosening the ethanol mandate is a wise step to help reverse the trend. The ethanol mandate gave farmers a financial incentive to divert corn that had been used to feed pigs, chickens and cattle to produce the more lucrative ethanol.

Congress should help break this trend, which has a domino effect on other commodities. Rice and wheat production are down, and prices for those commodities are up. The National Cattleman's Association says corn, wheat and soybean prices have soared 240 percent in two years.

Agricultural officials now estimate the typical family will probably pay about $350 more for the same items this year than they paid last year. Even federal government nutrition programs designed to feed millions of Americans will feel a budget pinch.

We're all for developing alternative energy sources for conservation, environmental and national security reasons, and biofuels have an important role to play. But corn-based ethanol is playing a less significant role than expected on the environmental front and has become a major driver in escalating food prices.

Easing the ethanol requirement could ease family budgets. Congress needs to act now.


 

Senator Cornyn’s Newsletter

dated June 6, 2008

Inside this issue...

Senator Cornyn Helps Derail Boxer Climate Tax Bill That Would Have A Devastating Effect on Texas…

This week Senator Cornyn played a key role in defeating the Boxer Climate Tax Bill – a bill that several analysts say would have a particularly devastating effect on Texas. The proposed legislation would cost $6.7 trillion, subvert the U.S. and Texas economies, and amount to a government takeover of our energy and manufacturing sectors.  Given the current energy crisis Americans are facing, the Boxer bill could increase gasoline prices by 147 percent from current levels – bringing them close to $10 per gallon.   It could also increase already-high electricity prices by 145 percent, cause a $52.2 billion loss to the Texas economy, prompt the loss of 334,600 jobs in Texas, and impose $8,015 in new annual expenses on the average Texas household.  Senator Cornyn’s opponent, Rep. Rick Noriega, supported the Boxer Climate Tax Bill.  In floor speeches, Senator Cornyn addressed these concerns and discussed the need for the United States to start increasing supply of energy across the board, from traditional sources to alternative and nuclear.  The Senator strongly supports exploration in additional U.S. territory to reduce our reliance on foreign sources, and it certainly appears an overwhelming majority of Americans agree. According to the non-partisan group American Solutions, a new poll shows that “81% of Americans support greater use of domestic energy resources…including the oil located off its coasts and in Alaska and the coal deep within its grounds.”  To read more about Senator Cornyn’s views on the energy crisis or to share your thoughts, click here.

Texas GOP Prepares to Rally Around Senator Cornyn at State Convention…

Next weekend members of the Republican Party of Texas will gather in Houston for the Texas State Convention.  The Senator will speak to the assembled convention delegates and other supporters on Friday afternoon, and express to party faithful the strong conservative values he shares with the vast majority of Texans.  The convention is a critical opportunity for Texas Republicans to demonstrate the party’s strength in spite of the never-ending rumblings among many Democrats that Texas is turning blue.  As the Lubbock Avalanche Journal (6/6/08) notes, Texas Republicans believe that “for the Democrats the party is over, and it is time for the state's dominant political force to bask in the sun again.” Make sure to check back in to the campaign blog next week for updates on Senator’s speech and other convention news.

Prominent Texas Veteran Stands Up for Senator Cornyn…

Last week a prominent Texas veteran of the Iraq War proudly stood up for Senator Cornyn and took on the tactics of opportunistic political opponents who have misrepresented the Senator’s strong record on veterans issues.  K. Knox Nunnally, Texas state captain of Vets for Freedom, penned a powerful piece in the Houston Chronicle (5/30/08) in which he astutely points out that these attacks on Senator Cornyn have blatantly left out essential information in order to shade the truth.  Nunnally says these critics have tried “to falsely imply that Cornyn does not support any change to the current Montgomery GI Bill and this is simply false.”  Nunnally’s defense continues, adding that Senator Cornyn carefully studied the proposed legislation and “instead put his support behind a different veterans educational bill that he believed would best serve both today's and tomorrow's veterans.” Check out the campaign website to read the entire article and learn more about Senator Cornyn’s efforts to improve the lives of all our veterans.

Stay Connected to the Senator’s Campaign by Using Twitter…

Senator Cornyn's campaign is now actively using Twitter, which allows users to follow the campaign through text messages on their cell phones. You can join the Senator on Twitter by simply sending a text message to 40404 with the words “Follow JohnCornyn.” Once you sign up you will receive periodic updates on the Senator’s public appearances as well as the latest news from the campaign trail. We hope you will all take a moment to join.  You can also stay updated on campaign events and view the Senator’s recent media appearances by checking the campaign blog.

Disconnected Dem Of The Week – Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)…

This week the California Democrat was enraged by Republican efforts to carefully examine the future costs of a late-arriving version of the Climate Tax Bill. Instead of working to relieve the energy crisis, Boxer was attacking Republicans and attempting to push through a plan that would make matters worse. Her proposed legislation would devastate our economy without any proof that it would help the world’s climate. This act of duplicity proved that Democrats are completely out of touch, and demonstrated once again they will do or say whatever it takes to push their liberal agenda through the Senate.

www.johncornyn.com

Houston Professional Republican Women

2007-2008 Campaign Activities

Full Members and Male Associate Members Only:

Last Name:                                                                                 First Name:                                                            

Home Phone:                                                                           

Office Phone:                                                                           

Email Address:                                                                        

Elected Official?  Office?                                                                                                                                          

Precinct Chair?                                                                                                                                                         

Paid or Volunteer Election Official?                                                                                                                           

Election Official Position:                                                                                                                                           

Poll Watcher:                                                                                                                                                            

Attended 2008 Precinct Convention:                                                                                                                         

Attended 2008 Senatorial District Convention:                                                                                                          

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Attended Campaign Management School:                                                                                                                 

Campaign Volunteer?                                                                                                                                               

Description of Volunteer Work:                                                                                                                                

2007/2008 Volunteer Hours:                                                                                                                                    

2007/2008 Contributions to Female Candidates:                                                                                                       

2007/2008 Contributions to Male Candidates:                                                                                                          

2007/2008 Contributions to PACs and Republican Party:                                                                                          

Houston Professional Republican Women

2008 Membership Form

The Houston Professional Republican Women PAC is a federated organization of the Texas Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women.  Our members are professional women and men in many fields – all interested in educating themselves about the political process and in providing strength and unity for political action within the Republican Party of Texas.

Please enter the following information:

Name:_______________________________                     Spouse:__________________

Street Address:___________________________________  Occupation:_______________

City:___________________________________________  ZIP:______________________

County of Residence:__________________________________     Voting Precinct:_____________

Registered Voter (circle):  Yes   No                  Precinct Chairman?  Yes    No

E-mail Address:      ___________________________________________

Preferred Method of Communication (circle):  Email   Snail Mail   Home Phone   Office Phone

2008 Dues:   Now Due __$28 Full   __$15  Associate Member since:         ________

For Female Associate Members only, Primary Club: _____________________________________

Name Tag

I would like to have a personalized HPRW name tag for $12.50?.   Yes ____ No ____

Computer Skills

Are you proficient in any of the following?

MS Word ____   MS Excel ____   Desktop Publishing ____   Websites _____   Other ____________

Please make your check payable to HPRW PAC and mail to:

Ms. Tomi Porterfield, 803 Birchview Court, Pearland, TX 77584

Dues Received by: ________________________   Date: ________________

Pol Adv paid by HPRW PAC   Contributions not deductible for Federal Income Tax purposes.  Corporate contributions not permitted.

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Last modified: 04/09/08