Waste of $$$: McAllen Election
The wasted money on a special election, thanks to a petition, courtesy of Ground Game Texas, and the possibility of McAllen residents losing control of the city to out-of-the-area PACs is enough to drive me to drink.
Give me a second.
Okay, I feel better.
Unfortunately, I quit drinking, but the progressive group out of Austin, Ground Game Texas, could make me take it up again if I were so inclined.
In case you’ve not lately followed other local news outlets, there is this nonprofit based in Austin, Ground Game Texas, that has cost McAllen taxpayers almost a quarter of a million bucks to hold a special election Nov. 5 to decide two propositions.
To get the special election on the ballot, the nonprofit needed "X" amount of signatures, courtesy of registered voters. With more than 4,500 signatures, the election became a reality.
One proposition would limit campaign donations for either mayor or a seat on the city commission to no more than $500 per donor.
Currently, the campaign donation cap for mayor is $10,000 per donor; $5,000 per donor for city commissioner.
PACs, on the other hand, political action committees, could spend an unlimited amount backing a local candidate of their choosing — crazy Bob from down the street or cranky Karen — without ever having to declare from whom the money is coming.
Transparency.
The second proposition would give McAllen residents the right to recall an elected official or overturn an ordinance passed by the city commission if a petition can gain enough signatures; and residents, too, could get an ordinance passed through a petition initiative.
As if enough people follow city politics, city business, to even get a handle on what’s going on through a representative government, much less direct involvement?
That’s why in the 2021 city election, a mayoral election, no less, out of 73,727 registered voters, only 12 percent, 9,099, bothered to visit the polls.
That’s how engaged local voters are with regard to McAllen’s city government.
Obviously, they’re already pleased or more would be voting.
The PAC Machine
What these propositions would do, in fact, is take away city governance (who gets elected; what ordinances get passed) from city residents and put it, instead, in the hands of PACS and nonprofits from outside the local area.
For example, many of the people who worked for Ground Game Texas were paid to get signatures on petitions. They weren’t walking around with petitions out of the goodness of their hearts.
It’s an easy thing to do, really. Get people to sign a petition.
Target the relatively young and senior citizens. Tell them that they’re not being adequately represented, that their money is being wasted, and getting people to sign on the petition line isn’t all that hard.
The young are typically idyllic and will sign anything, especially if you mention the buzz words, social justice, while many seniors are mad at life in general, and hate government, no matter the level — local, state, or federal.
“Hell, yeah, I’ll sign the petition.”
On its website, just the description of what this “public advocacy” nonprofit represents will leave your head spinning: “Our mission is to advance social justice while strengthening our democracy. So we’re investing in people and engaging year-round with voters, having deep conversations with them, and building local campaigns on popular, progressive issues with a focus on boots-on-the-ground organizing.”
Word salad that says diddly.
“Boots on the ground,” and “progressive issues,” and “investing in people.”
Sounds nice, but in actuality, what’s the point?
The nonprofit was formed three years ago by two former Democrat congressional candidates, Julie Oliver and Mike Siegel.
It launched with the support of three of the bestknown Texas Democrats: Julián Castro, Wendy Davis and Beto O’Rourke, who said in a statement that the new group “is going to meet Texans where they are at to listen to them about the issues that matter most.” (Source: TexasTribune.org.)
It made an impact in both Edinburg and Alton (minimum-wage increases for city employees to $15/hr.) and this year the nonprofit targeted McAllen.
Part of the problem, though, is that Ground Game Texas says if passed, its two McAllen propositions will prevent “corruption,” when in fact, McAllen is one of the few cities in the RGV that has avoided corruption.
By bringing the propositions to the Palm City, Ground Game Texas is implying it exists here, when in fact, there has been no sign of it for at least the past 27 years.