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- Just what is Elon Musk's attorney, Chris Gober, gunning for? To stop Caitlin Rourk and snatch the district he gerrymandered for himself, Congressional District 10.
Veteran Caitlin Rourk is running for Congress in CD 10 against Chris Gober, who gerrymandered the district for himself, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Greg Abbott and a host of advocates for perpetual war at our expense. Gober's new CD10 includes: parts of northwest Austin, parts of Pflugerville, all of Rollingwood, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Lago Vista and half of Huntsville. These entire counties are in CD10: Brazos, Polk, Grimes, San Jacinto, Houston, Burleson, Leon, Trinity, Lee and Madison. There's even a teeny tiny part near Elgin, Bastrop County. Former US Army Intelligence Officer Caitlin Rourk has been vocal for years as an advocate for "diplomacy first". She is a breath of fresh air in transparency. At the top of her ISSUES page -- Reform Government and Restore Accountability, says it all for us at LIV. LIV endorsed Rourk in the primary and proudly endorses her again in the general election in November. Early voting begins on October 19. Election Day is November 3. "Rourk is the answer to ending two wars we don't need to be in -- the war in Iran and the Legendary joke teller and former labor leader, Arlan Foster, LIV Board gerrymandering war. We are lucky to have a uniquely qualified advocate for diplomacy first, something I hoped Vietnam taught us. Besides that, her opponent apparently doesn't know how to safely shoot that AR-15." said LIV Board member, Arlan Foster, Vietnam combat veteran (3 tours), former sheriff, ardent gun collector and safety expert, and so much more. Rourk's opponent, Chris Gober, led the gerrymandering war on Texas districts for this mid-term election. Gober is the reason millions of Texans have no idea what district of Congress they're in, despite the fact that all US House of Representatives districts are on the ballot in November. How Chris Gober won the Republican nomination for Congressional District 10 (retiring Michael McCaul's seat) in a 9-way primary is a true story to be told. The short story in this article lays out a brilliant funding scheme tied to Gober's years working for Elon Musk, Ken Paxton, and with the biggest names in business and politics including Donald Trump and Greg Abbott. To boot, Gober is knee-deep in the AI industry, and firms he founded have lobbied for energy, advanced manufacturing, and defense technology, including start-ups seeking to infuse machine learning into weapons of war. In other words, Big Tech owns Gober. Gerrymandering and dark money carry real consequences to real people in the former and current CD 10. Gober locked and "unloaded" on us in Bastrop, the home of Musk's many industrial projects and LIV. Most of us are no longer in CD10. Meanwhile, Bastrop is facing mass industrialization in western Bastrop County by AI data centers (EdgeConneX and Black Chamber), gas plants (Pacifico) and Musk's almost daily new plans for facilities in residential areas and near soon-to-be extinct farms in the blackland prairie, one of the richest farm soils in the world. Grimes County (CD10) is Elon's new stomping grounds for his SpaceX Terafab multi-phase semiconductor manufacturing, power generation and advanced computing facility near Gibbons Creek Reservoir. This project is raising a serious alarm about the facilities' need for masses of water. How much? Good lucking getting that information. SpaceX is currently suing both Grimes County and AG Paxton to maintain maximum secrecy from a well-organized citizen's organization, Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development. And there's so much more citizen strife in CD10 -- see Additional Notes below. This is Gober's new CD10. Gober reportedly lives in Austin in the little nub on the far left of CD10. Now, check out LIV's CD10 as part of our plan for compact districts submitted to the Legislature precisely when Gober was waging, and winning, his gerrymandering war. This is what a compact district (LIV's CD10) looks like and what most voters, especially independents, want to end the gerrymandering wars. Kudos to James Talarico for opposing gerrymandering and for currently running ads targeting dark money. LIV also wants to end dark money, the likes of which paid for this mailer to hit households in key districts across the state, including CD10, for the March primary. LIV cannot verify who paid for this mailer or if Gober was involved. That's the point of dark money. It's possible it helped him with his 1.2% margin in the 9-way March GOP primary. Disclosure: LIV co-founder, Linda Curtis, played a key role in the voter approved independent citizens redistricting commission in Texas. It's the only one in existence so far in Texas and is for Austin city elections only. ______________________________ Additional Notes for CD10 Projects that we know of: Lee County citizens (CD10) fought hard against Sandow Lakes Ranch, to move a massive gas plant from beautiful, rural Blue, to the already contaminated land at the old ALCOA smelter. The TCEQ said residents weren't close enough to protest -- they needed to be within 526 feet! Japanese investment firm Softbank now owns the gas plant, reportedly with plans for two co-located hyperscale data centers. See MovetheGasPlant.org. In Grimes County, Millennium Power/Atlas Power data center project is planned at Gibbons Creek Reservoir (near Terafab). And Geronimo Power has leased land for a data center development near Iola. A battery storage project owned by Flexen USA LLC still has a proposed completion date in October 28 despite being currently listed as suspended in an ERCOT database. In Leon County, the "Kahla Project”, a 1500 MW data center is proposed near Marquez by Belltown Power.
- Democracy is not a spectator sport! What you can DO!
People are going to have to learn what's real. It's in the conversation between real people. The conversation in this video between Bastrop residents, Republican Don Loucks, Democrat Kat Hammer (write-in candidate for Bastrop Commissioners Court, Pct. 4) and longtime independent Linda Curtis is hitting notes with local residents, because voters are worried. We're also sick of the partisan wars that have let big donors receive big perks; while we stand there scratching our heads because no one told us about the major demolition derby that's going on in western Bastrop County! Here's what you can do about this: Use the Independent Texans PAC website to inform yourself and others around you. Plan to vote early. Early voting starts on Monday, October 19th. Are you on Facebook? Go to the Independent Texans PAC Facebook page. Like, comment and SHARE (most important) these low budget, but well-done video ads help reach people. Get with our recommended candidates and measures (or us) for planned activities between now and Election Day, November 3. Our recommendations: Caitlin Rourk, Congressional District 10 HERE. Warn voters to stop Musk attorney, Chris Gober! Austin City Council Candidates: Brown, Shah, Weinberg, Bowen and Kam HERE Austin Ballot Propositions: YES only on I, all others (C thru J) NOPE! Liz Sumter Gajdos, independent for Hays County Judge (Facebook includes her own townhall.) Dr. Beth Klenz, Texas House District 17: Share the fun video "Klenz" the District" from Stan Gerdes. Bastrop Commissioners Court Candidates: Dock Jackson for County Judge ("What's Up Dock" video), Kat Hammer for Precinct 4 ("Hammer Breaks Glass" video). Have fun, y'all. Democracy is a not a spectator sport! Got ideas? Visit Independent Texans PAC: IndyTexans.org
- Can we stop pretending and THRO?
Data centers in space might be as real as Elon's move to DOGE the Pentagon after 8 failed audits, somehow he missed a mere $500B. That said, do your homework and get ready to THRO! Hot off the De Jure press this morning is this article, "Nine State Filings Put Cedar Creek's Buildout at $$5.48B" on the real (documented) status of Bastrop County's wild, wild, western mass industrialization plans where thousands of residents, farms, livestock and wildlife live...for the moment. Also, hot off the press is this from Lost Pines Watch is about Monday's Bastrop Commissioners Court. Keep scrolling down for their next meeting on October 20th. What is real and what is not, just like AI slop, is driving people mad, especially the ones with chain saws. As SpaceX raves about data centers in space, China is way ahead with its feet on planet earth, submerging data centers in water! That is why, for the next few weeks, your most powerful tool to get the action you want is this: In the words of Jack Gargan, father of the US term limits movement, let's all "THRO -- throw the hypocritical rascals out." SpaceX TCEQ Permit Demand Meeting Thursday, October 15, 7 pm, BISD Performing Arts Center Can we stop pretending at this TCEQ meeting? In and of itself, an aluminum furnace (not a big bad boy belcher smelter) may not be as bad as it may sound. It depends. It depends on many factors which should be discussed at this meeting. The furnace appears to qualify as a minor rather than a major source of emissions, but it still will need to have controls on its emissions. It also appears to us, the public hasn’t been given enough information to know what that will --- or should--- entail We have prepared this document for you -- TCEQ Overview Use it to get your comments and questions together to have a sane and serious discussion with the TCEQ (Texas Commission for Environmental Quality), as well as with SpaceX. Here’s a summary of our takeaways if you want to preserve your legal rights after October 15: Summary Rule of Thumb · • Public Comments = October 15, 2026: All technical concerns, questions, and arguments must be submitted by this date to be included in the legal record. · • Contested Case Hearing Request = 30 Days After RTC: Affected neighbors have until 30 days after TCEQ mails its response to public comments (RTC) to formally request a “contested case hearing” (CCH). · • Best Practice may be to submit comments on or before October 15, include a protective statement requesting a CCH if you live nearby, and then refine/amend your formal CCH request during the 30-day window after the RTC is mailed. We will discuss this more at our regular Monday Night LIV online meeting. RSVP __________________________ We warned you on May 26th before the Bastrop Commissioners Court folded like a cheap suit for SpaceX subsidies, the Court was getting ready to signal to the world-over that Bastrop is wide-open for business...aka BIDNESS. Choose wisley! See IndyTexans.org
- Get a Backbone, Bastrop: Sid Miller, Glenn Rogers, Nathanial Moran and Bastrop's own RINO hunter himself Don Loucks working across party lines!
Why do you think at 53.34, Commissioner Beckett tries to put words in Linda's mouth? Some well established, longtime loyal Republican Texans are moving in not-so-mysterious ways to work across party lines in this extraordinary election. Current Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Former State Rep. Glenn Rogers, U.S. Congressman, east Texas Nathaniel Moran and even our own local "RINO" hunter, former Bastrop Commissioner Don Loucks, are moving "independent." Notice the small. "i". They haven't left their party, but their parties are leaving them with no choice. Today's Bastrop Commissioners Court meeting was the worst we've seen yet. It was full of hypocritical talk that put Linda in rare form urging them to "Find a Backbone." It took all of 2-minutes to say. Or watch it at 18:29 on the video. Clara Beckett’s response comes at 53:34. (Note: Unlike Commissioner David Glass and Judge Gregory Klaus, she is unopposed in November.) OK, folks. Get ready to attend this event next Sunday in Bastrop! Hop on Zoom tonight at 8 pm for more. Get a Backbone Voter Event Sunday, October 4, 4 to 7 pm Southside Market and BBQ (Bastrop, not Elgin) In the words of Jack Gargan, the father of the term limits movement, get ready to "THRO -- throw the hypocritical rascals out!"
- Quorum Report: Dan Patrick says Sen. Charles Schwertner is in trouble
From Quorum Report, September 23, 2026: Texas Senate District 5, Charles Schwertner's seat includes all of Bastrop, Brazos, Freestone, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, San Jacinto, and Walker counties and parts of Williamson County. Lt. Gov. Patrick tells supporters that some of his senators and GOP candidates for Texas Senate are trailing democrats, per sources Patrick also apparently said he and Abbott are both in tight races while Paxton is tied with Talarico Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told supporters on Wednesday afternoon gathered for a fundraiser upstairs at the Austin Club that two of his GOP senators are in tough races and his candidate in Tarrant County is trailing the Democrat. That’s according to some in attendance today along with some Texas Senate sources who told Quorum Report yesterday about some polling leaking out from the Senate GOP Caucus in the last 48 hours. Patrick also talked about his own race as well as Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign against Rep. Gina Hinojosa, per attendees, telling the crowd that if the election were held today both he and Gov. Abbott would win their races “as long as everything goes right.” He also said AG Ken Paxton is essentially tied with Rep. James Talarico. During the fundraiser, we’re told Patrick focused on three Texas Senate races as well. Here’s the breakdown: · Chairman Charles Schwertner is leading his race but only by 1 point. · GOP candidate Leigh Wambsganss is down 5 points. · Sen. Bob Hall is down by 2.
- SAWDF Report: What's happening with Desired Future Conditions in GMA-12
A picture if worth thousands of words that go into the every 5 year task of Texas groundwater districts developing their "DFCs" -- desired future conditions, defined by the Texas Water Development Board as, "the desired, quantified condition of groundwater resources (such as water levels, spring flows, or volumes) within a management area at one or more specified future times as defined by participating groundwater conservation districts within a groundwater management area as part of the joint planning process” Public Hearing on the Proposed Desired Future Conditions in GMA-12 There is one remaining Public Hearing on the Proposed Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) for aquifers within Groundwater Management Area 12 [GMA-12]: Bastrop, Brazos, Burleson, Falls, Fayette, Freeston, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Navarro, Robertson and Williamson counties. • Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District, Milano, Texas: Tuesday, September 30, 2026 @ 5:30pm Click here for the full SAWDF Report
- Texas GOP bitter split plants seeds for split ticket voting and LIV Hubs: Luke and Liz plant seeds!
LIV's Luke Hayes, Bastrop pecan farmer with Liz Sumter Gajdos, independent candidate for Hays County Judge, August 5, Texas State University Family Farm Conference, San Marcos Though it's true that most everyone these days complains about politics and politicians, they -- we -- do little about it. How come? There's no place for voters to come together on the things we agree on. And, the parties simply won't allow it...until now, at least. LIV Hubs are a place for people from across party lines to discuss, debate and solve problems. LIV Hubs are being seeded as Texas is now in play between the major parties. Former Hays County Judge Liz Sumpter Gajdos (once elected as a Democrat) is running again, this time as an independent. Luke Hayes, a LIV active member, and Liz are planting seeds for LIV Hubs. What are voters considering splitting their tickets actually looking for?: people who won't play party politics and with big money donors with strings attached. Yesterday, Quorum Report reported the bitter split in the top brass of the Texas GOP (by a 29/28 vote) resulting in a failure to condemn two major Republican leaders -- John Cornyn and Sid Miller for not supporting the full GOP ticket. LIV is not a party or a PAC, but we are allowed as a 501(c)(4) nonpartisan organization to endorse candidates we believe are independent, regardless of their party. So far, with more to come, LIV has proudly endorsed! Trust Liz HAYS COUNTY: Liz Sumter Gajdos for Hays County Judge. We already know all about Liz's independence and principles. Years ago, she fought for Bastrop, Lee, Burleson and Milam county's water alongside her own in Hays County. What's more, her Democratic opponent in this election is on a roll to raise more than $60,000 from the AI data center and development industries. LIV has also endorsed 5 Austin City Council Candidates District 1 candidate, Steven Brown is holding this small donor fundraiser this Thursday. He's one of the best candidates we've seen in District 1 since Ora Houston, who also endorses Brown. See our full endorsement article with all their sites here. See the Visit home page for Katie's events today and tomorrow. We hope to see you in Austin on Sunday, September 27 for this Forward Party Event! Most of these City Council candidates and the very special Congressional District 10 Candidate, Caitlyn Rourk* will be speaking at the -- People v. Politics Film Screening and panels -- next Sunday. Reserve a free seat, as seating is limited. *LIV's interest in the CD10 race is the stark contrast between Caitlin Rourk, a veteran and "diplomacy first" advocate and her opponent, Chris Gober, Elon's Musk attorney for Ameria PAC that gerrmandered CD10 for himself!
- What a coincidence! Gina Hinojosa polls ahead of Abbott, Feds cough up $12B for emergency rooms and rural health care!
Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa: Photo Credit: Texas Observer We love political coincidences. We love political consequences even more. What we love the most is a horse race! Why? Sometimes ordinary people win something even before the votes are counted. On September 17, the top-tier pollsters at the ReconMR Texas Poll released this poll conducted between September 8 - 11, 2026. The results make plain there is a dead heat in the Governor's race with State Representative Gina Hinojosa's numbers on the uptick against Governor Greg Abbott. The very same day the poll was released, the Texas Tribune reported the HUGE news, $12 billion in Medicaid funds restored to Texas hospitals, ending impasse with the feds. We can't wait to see what else gets thrown on the table by the Abbott (Trump) administration before election day, Tuesday, November 3rd. How about some local control? Abbott's pay-to-play regime ripped local control from Republican resistors to education vouchers. The control local governments need to keep AI data centers and gas plants galore from running amok. Did you know the people trying to live in beautiful Blue, Texas, a rural community in Lee County, were told they weren’t “affected parties” by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) unless they were within 526 feet of a 1200 megawatt gas plant? Thanks to the kit and kaboodle of legislators and statewide officials who work for "the lobby," while pretending to represent Texans, Texas is finally in play. Democrats would be wise to pay strict attention to what engaged independent voters want most. It’s very simple because most Democrats support this -- electoral competition that rests on fair petition access to the ballot. Texas is a festering mess of muck that won’t be cleaned up easily without the full enfranchisement of nonaligned, independent voters.
- Is Bastrop County violating the Texas Open Meetings Act or just lame? Topic for tonight's meeting change.
That's Lee Marvin drinking with his horse in the 1965 film Cat Ballou We are postponing our discussion with SAWDF's Andy Wier on water and industrialization to next Monday. We were a bit taken aback this morning when the Bastrop County Commissioners Court appeaed to violate the Texas Open Meetings Act after our warning. Then again, maybe we missed something. Tonight at 8 pm, we'll talk about what happened today at the Bastrop Commissioners Court. We will also share with your more about our testimony today focused on a number of open government -- or lack thereof -- practices of the County and what we can do about it. Are you asking, just who is steering this poor old horse to drink? Here's an excerpt from the Austin Business Journal's senior writer, Justin Sayers from his September 12 article entitled, Data centers swarm rural Cedar Creek, leaving neighbors on edge: Boom go the data centers in a woodsy part of Central Texas: "Perhaps no area is being hit harder by Texas' data center boom than Cedar Creek in Bastrop County. The Austin Business Journal has tabulated more than 5,500 acres of data center projects in the area. Some are nearing completion, others are just starting and the rest are in the planning stages – and it's widely believed other data center developers are circling." All of Texas is in this together, folks! Hope to see you at 8! RSVP
- SAWDF Important Water Report: Public Hearings on Proposed DFCs -- Desired Future Conditions
As always, we appreciate the fine work of our friends at the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund for producing this important water report, • 512.545.4779 • www.simsborowaterdefensefund.org There are two remaining Public Hearings on the Proposed Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) for aquifers within Groundwater Management Area 12 [GMA-12]. POSGCD - Tuesday, September 15, 2026 @ 5:30pm LPGCD - Wednesday, September 16, 2026 @ 3:30pm Claire Marks from LPGCD was quoted about the DFC process in the August 13 Giddings Times & News: The DFCs we set today help answer an important question: What do we want our aquifers to look like in 50 years? Your voice plays a role in that answer… we encourage you to stay informed, attend a hearing, and be part of the conversation about the future of groundwater in our region. Read the remainder of SAWDF's important report here.
- Austin City Election Endorsements: Brown, Shah, Weinberg, Bowen, Kam; NO on Prop G, protect petition rights, more to come!
L to R: LIV proudly endorses Steven Brown (District 1), Neha Shah (District 3, David Weinberg (District 5), Jeffrey Bowen (District 8), and Katie Kam (District 9). Click on their names to visit their websites. LIV proudly issues our Austin City Council endorsements. City Council races in Texas are nonpartisan. Austin holds its council elections in November. LIV used a 70-point scoring system to evaluate candidates based on 7 questions addressing the Council’s “secret” vote for a 400MW power plant, the Austin Convention Center, Dogs Head and AI data centers (thanks to Julie Oliver’s short video), petition rights and communications with lobbyists. See the questionnaire here. No on Prop G: It harms your right to petition. It’s on your ballot with 9 other measures we'll tell you more about soon. Prop G could effectively kill citizen initiative petitions by employing a highly manipulative scheme to limit placement on the ballot to only even-year November elections. From the Austin Free Press, July 31 edition: Environmentalist Robin Schneider said voters approved the August 1992 Save Our Springs water-quality ordinance with “high turnout.” But the council’s delayed implementation of it let developers grandfather numerous projects under the lenient former rules. “The SOS petition shows the dangers of a council that will not put things on the ballot in a timely way,” she said. “Sometimes we all need to be held accountable, and accountability delayed can be accountability denied. LIV is a nonpartisan membership association for independent (not aligned with a single party) voters, not a party or political action committee. District Map for Austin City Council
- Are Texans ready to switch horses? Volunteers hop on Zoom Tonight!
Deception, deceit and dysfunction of party machines has voters -- especially independents -- in search of a new horse to ride. Might that be a movement to split their tickets? Look here, folks. If Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and State Senator Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) who chairs the powerful Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, can't get the PUCT to hold their horses on moving forward with the highly controversial 765kv power lines Texas landowners are up in arms about, who can? LIV has long called him King Greg, He and his team have been caught playing tricks on Will King Greg Abbott use his emergency powers to kneel to regular Texans? Texans' local control, having heeled to his billionaire donors affecting rural, suburban and urban Texans. It is well-established that many conservative rural Republicans are ready to switch their horses in the Governor's race. See Politico article, "'We are not a bunch of woke Marxist liberals here': Rural voters scramble Texas election." Can their numbers make a difference? There are approximately 8+ million Texas independent voters. Texas independents do not salute any single party. When we vote, we are open to considering candidates from both major parties, the minor parties (Libertarian and Green) and the very few who made it to the ballot as "independents" with no party affiliation. Click to hear Austin activist, Julie Oliver tell it! We can't let Democrats off the hook either! Democrats, like Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and his dutiful city council, four of whom are on the ballot in November, are playing data center dancing games with real estate and data center developers. Watch local Austin and Democratic activist, Julie Oliver, nail them on the Dog's Head development giveaway the current Council is trying to bury like a bone! You should also find this page on Dog's Head at Save Our Springs Alliance helpful on the impact of the development on the Colorado River. Are Texans ready to switch horses? LIV will soon be announcing endorsements in some local, state and federal races through a bottom-up process involving our members.












