Search this site

Are imperial governance and the related constitutional wreckage taking Texans down a dangerous path to a constitutional crisis? These guys look tired, but not as tired as WE —  the people — are of them. Illustration: David Gothard, Wall Street Journal, Aug. 1, 2018 “ When first elected, the Capitol community had high hopes for Greg Abbott and the intellectual horsepower he brought to the game. Instead, they found a man willing to destroy the village – and not even in order to save it.” Harvey Kronberg, Quorum Report, July 29, 2021 What’s getting overlooked in the demolition derby between the two parties is fundamental. The wreckage of the institution of the people – the Texas Legislature. One party is stuck in D.C.; the other party is stuck in the mud and attacking the people who serve them — legislative staff. We do not mean to minimize the differences, but think about this. The Governor’s veto of Article X of the state budget, unless there is a resolution soon, will result in real harm to people who simpy work at the Capitol. the withholding of pay and suspension of benefits to several thousand Texans who simply work at the Capitol. Their job is to serve us, the citizens. What will the Texas Supreme Court do? Texans have known for a long time that justice is for sale here. The imperial court reversed course after the titan Houston-based oil company Apache Corp. contributed $250,000 in political support to justices seeking re-election . (Correction to the article. It was Apache executives who donated. Corporate contributions in Texas are illegal.) We have two of the three branches of government tearing governance to shreds. The republic hangs in the balance of the third branch — the Texas Legislature. “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Ben Franklin Who will take on Texas imperial governance ? The Inimitable State Senator Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) One of the few independent Republican Texans is Amarillo’s State Senator Kel Seliger. Seliger is a well-known conservative maverick. In his West Texas style, Sen. Seliger introduced a bill to take away Abbott’s line-item veto . Seliger tweeted, “Vetoing this funding doesn’t punish legislators who left. It punishes regular hard-working folks who have nothing to do with voting for or against bills.  We now have less than 4 weeks before the veto eliminates pay for Capitol post office staff, researchers, caseworkers in district offices, those responsible for answering open record requests, etc…They have not left their posts but are worried about health insurance, rent, and paying for their children’s school supplies.” Egberto Willies, the most inclusive progressive political activist! Egberto is a fantastic author, blogger, commentator, businessman, software engineer, and pure political activist with a big brain and a heart of gold. Based out of Houston, he reaches tens of thousands of people every day across the country. A recent caller into Egberto’s Politics Done Right Show was a man who furiously called him the “n” word. Egberto and the caller left the call as friends.  LIV wishes to thank Egberto for carrying LIV news on his popular national blog at EgbertoWillies.com . Tune in to his show at 3 pm, M-F, and to do the cross-partisan Egberto jig at PoliticsDoneRight.com . Here’s LIV’s Linda Curtis with Egberto on, “Politics Done Right. ” GOOD Water News from WaterDefenders.org! It may just be that local government becomes Texans’ savior from imperial governance. T he Bastrop County Commissioners Court  passed this resolution  urging the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District to reject the “desired future conditions” (DFCs). The Resolution states: “We find that the proposed Desired Future Conditions do not establish the required balance between development of groundwater resources, and conservation and protection of those resources.” And further , “We support conservation and sustainable management of our aquifers and not management to depletion (mining) of their waters.” Similar resolutions are circulating within the Groundwater Management Area 12 — 10 counties east of Austin. In-migration growth is hitting these rural counties hard. Yet, profiteering water marketers, along with wayward public utilities (especially SAWS – San Antonio Water System — with their Vista Ridge water pipeline, aka “San Antone Hose”), are exporting masses of groundwater to the IH-35 mega-growth corridor. Groundwater is finite, but it’s the most profitable route because the Legislature has refused to give landowners who choose not to sell their water equal protections to those who do. The California Water Model  — moving masses of water to dry areas for real estate build-out — is a proven disaster. Despite the “don’t California my Texas rhetoric,” Texas is on the same collision course with its water policies that California is struggling to reverse.   Landowners 40 miles east of Austin whose wells are going dry are the canaries in the coal mine. What happens if (when) the aquifers are damaged? Leaders in both parties are too busy fighting to pay much attention at all. Some additional good news is this hard-hitting and well-researched article by Professor Heywood Sanders in the San Antonio Current. Sanders urges San Antonio officials to “ stop playing nice ” regarding CPS Energy and SAWS governance failures. Well done, Professor! Mark Your Calendar! Join the LIV “First Monday Forum” this coming Monday, Aug. 2, at 7. Call us at 512.213.4511 or email us for details.  We will visit on Desired Future Conditions and ask for your opinions in a survey we are developing. See Event Page here . The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District hearing on Desired Future Conditions is on Wednesday, August 18, at 6 pm at the Bastrop Convention Center. See Event page here . Please come visit our booth at the always terrific annual independent farm and local foods conference, at Texas State University in San Marcos, Aug. 8 thru 10. See Event page here ! Speaking of imperial governance, Rick Perry Triumphs Trump! The American Eagle got the best of Rick, despite the voters’ misfire in 2006. Ever since Rick Perry had his transportation henchmen ram the Trans-Texas Corridor (aka the “NAFTA highway”) down Texans’ throats, we haven’t had much use for him.  Perry almost lost his job over the TTC in 2006 with a paltry showing of 39%. However, you must admit that Rick is always good for a one-liner like the one in yesterday’s Axios about Trump’s failed endorsement (and Rick’s triumph) in the Texas Congressional District 6 runoff. The Club for Growth PAC urged Trump to endorse the candidate who lost to the candidate backed by Rick Perry. Once the votes were in, Perry was quoted saying, “We would just as soon the Club for Growth never darken the state of Texas again.”   Good one, Rick. Corporate subsidies take BIG nosedive in Texas Oops! Visit RosankyRuralAlliance.com for more. Something most Texans of all persuasions agree on is ending corporate welfare aka government subsidies. Oops, Texas forgot to renew the dreadful Chapter 313 subsidy program. The even better news is the possibility that this “mistake” could kill the program nationally. Special thanks to UT Prof. Nathan Jenson for this very helpful article in UT News. To tell you how stinky this program is, a solar farm was granted subsidies (property tax waivers) by the Smithville ISD. Shortly thereafter the company clear cut 1700 acres of old oaks in the Rosanky community for a “renewable” solar farm. Rodney Reed Updates We refer you to these two Austin Chronicle pieces. Admittedly, the Austin Chronicle and we at LIV are biased. We think they got the wrong guy and everyone around Bastrop and Lee County seems to already know it. But, does the Judge? See this week and last week’s pieces by Brant Bingaman in the Austin Chronicle. Friday, July 30th is expected to be the last day of the evidentiary hearing for Rodney Reed. It may take Judge Langley a few weeks to issue his ruling. Put your riding boots on, Texans of all persuasions. Say no to imperial governance! #RodneyReed #rosankyruralalliance #HeywoodSanders #SmithevilleISD #SanAntonioCurrent #imperialgovernance #TransTexasCorridor #ClubforGrowth #GregAbbott #SAWS #SenKelSeliger #CPSEnergy #Chapter313subsidies #EgbertoWillies #Californiawatermodel #QuorumReport #RickPerry

The elephant in the Texas voting booth that neither party wants to talk about is the suppression of a plurality of Texas voters.  Surprise! There are more non-aligned and independent Texans than Democrats or Republicans. We at LIV see the Texas GOP fighting the inevitable as Texas turns not blue but into a two-party competitive state. Competition is good, though we have big bones to pick with both parties. Read our main course in this LIV News feast from Linda ‘for a little less corruption’ Curtis, chock full of surprises:  The Elephant in the Texas Voting Booth Neither Party Wants to Talk About . The Big Squeeze Update! No, we won’t quit! WaterDefenders.org (two non-profits: Environmental Stewardship and Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund) held a well-attended “happening” at the Paige Roadhouse Grill. Folks learned about the problems and solutions to “the California Water Model” through fun and games. The games included this  water trivia quiz . Take it. You might learn something! Two extraordinary women from across the Vista Ridge pipeline received awards — Michele Gangnes and Reinette King. Michele Gangnes , a resident of Blue in Lee County, is a founder of the non-profit Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund (SAWDF). Michele was recognized by her peers at SAWDF as a champion (for over two decades) “for the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer and all who rely on its life-giving waters.” Gangnes, an attorney and landowner, plays a leading role in aquifer protection in the central Texas region and serves on LIV’s Advisory Board. Reinette King of San Antonio received the first LIV “Homegrown Petition Award” issued in honor of petition king Barry Klein of Houston, who could not attend the event. Reinette’s outstanding efforts leading an all-volunteer petition drive in San Antonio resulted in 12,000 signatures amid COVID. Though the SAWS Accountability Act didn’t make it to the ballot (needing 20,000 to qualify), a near majority of the City Council signed on to some key provisions, including an audit of Vista Ridge. Will someone pick up the mantle to get the SA Council moving? We’re here to support anyone who wants to step up, including members of the San Antonio City Council. The Big Freeze Update: One More Slap to Millions of Ratepayers by King Greg. Barely in the news was the Governor’s profound, though totally legal in Texas, breach of ethics seen in a $1 million contribution for his reelection bid from Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer. That’s the same Energy Transfer that walked off with $2.4 billion in profits from the Big Freeze. What chaps our butt is the Governor’s refusal to put a real grid fix on the call for his Special Session. See the Wall Street Journal, “ Energy Transfer Reaps $2.4 Billion Windfall from Texas Freeze . ” LIV also found it in  the reports  filed at the Texas Ethics Commission. Rodney Reed Case and Judicial Reform Local news reports abound as an evidentiary hearing in the Rodney Reed case is underway for two weeks in Bastrop, Texas. Will 85th District Court Judge, JD Langley, grant a new trial? Will the case be dropped? Has the real murderer in the case been roaming free? LIV’s question is why are we still here? Never-ending court cases are presided over by multiple judges who seem more interested in covering their tracks than in meting out justice. Do we not need judicial reform? Former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court , Tom Phillips, became well known for beating the pavement for BIG reforms in how we choose our judiciary. Phillips, elected as a Republican, vigorously advocated for a non-partisan appointment-retention election method of choosing Texas judges. He also said at a forum of political independents in Austin held in the late 1990s that IF he couldn’t get a non-partisan process, he liked “fusion” — allowing judicial candidates to carry the endorsements of all parties. What came of all of this? Ironically, Phillips got the same treatment as Reed — his pleas for sanity and justice were largely ignored…for now, anyway. Phillips had the good fortune to go back into private practice. Reed languishes in prison. “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Ben Franklin Southern Family Farms & Food Systems Conference This annual event is August 8 through 10th at Texas State University in San Marcos. It is a great opportunity to mix with some of the most hard-working and inventive people on planet earth. LIV will have an exhibit. If you have time to help out, let us know, or y’all join us there!  Save the date! Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District (Bastrop & Lee counties) Hearing on desired future conditions, Wed., Aug. 18, 6 pm, Bastrop Convention Center. See Event page here and spread the love . Become a member of LIV here . Volunteer for LIV here.

The elephant in the Texas voting booth that neither party wants to talk about is the suppression of a plurality of Texas voters.  Surprise! There are more non-aligned and independent Texans than Democrats or Republicans. We at LIV see the Texas GOP fighting the inevitable as Texas turns not blue but into a politically competitive state. Competition is good, though we have big bones to pick with both parties. This survey  conducted by a respected Republican pollster, Chris Perkins (Ragnar Research, paid for by a political advocacy group, Secure Democracy), shows clearly how Republican voters believe the Texas GOP is actually going in the wrong direction on their “election integrity” agenda. (Note: Our only complaint about the poll is the question about ERCOT. Perhaps they should have asked something like, ‘ fix the grid without the total costs offloaded onto ratepayers .’) Ballot access rules are how the parties play monopoly. Independent candidates and new parties in this next election (November 2022) must gather 83,434 signatures of voters who did not vote in the primary in 60 to 75 days to get on the ballot. If there’s a runoff, statewide independent candidates have to wait for the outcome. Then they’ve got 30 days to get 83,434 signatures! Texas is the only state in the country that does not allow primary voters to sign independent and new party petitions. All signatures must be notarized. Texas petitioners have very few places to gather signatures considered “public places.” All of the above has driven the cost for ballot access to $1 million. It’s also likely that the Texas primaries will be delayed from March to perhaps May or June. Therefore, a new party and statewide independents may not tell their supporters they are certified for the ballot until August or September 2022! Mark Cuban, shark for independent politics. “The Parties Are So 1800s” – Mark Cuban, July 4, 2019 This urgently necessary federal lawsuit  by the Center for Competitive Democracy and the international firm, Shearman & Sterling (pro bono), is finally moving through the courts, having been stalled during COVID. Billionaire star Mark Cuban, who famously does not donate to candidates or parties, is a big supporter of the litigation. If the suit prevails on all points, signatures would be reduced to 10,000, gathered online, the petition period expanded, and any registered voter would be able to sign, regardless of voting in the primary. Texas Independents are the Most Suppressed Voters and by Both Parties Our major parties in Texas have suppressed independent politics since 1967. That’s when the Texas Legislature changed the petition requirements. Back then, it was easy. A party could hold a few conventions and be on the ballot. AP file photo. From left to right, Chris Bell, Kinky Friedman, Rick Perry and Carole Strayhorn, 2006 gubernatorial debate. In 2006, when two independents ran for Governor (Carole Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman), 1.3 million Texans voted for either. Rick Perry got reelected with 39%. The combined votes for Carole and Kinky were 30.56% to Democratic candidate Chris Bell’s 29.79%. See where we’re going here? If a third candidate with some name recognition and funding gets on the 2022 ballot – and only one of them, please – that candidate can theoretically overcome Abbott and the Democratic candidate or help take down King Greg with his $55 million war chest. Moreover, there is no question that a third viable candidate could reshape the two-party demolition derby and make both parties get serious about addressing the big problems all Texans face — such as a destabilized energy grid and the “Californiafication” of our groundwater policies. Will the Texas ballot access lawsuit be resolved in time for the 2022 election? No one knows. As the Parties Act A Fool The Democrats chose the easy (and predictable) way out by making a run for D.C. Instead, they could have reached out to independent voters to help them settle the score with the Texas GOP. But, like the Republicans, they have no intention of sharing power. Meanwhile, Republicans are kicking up a fuss about Democrats having absconded from the Governor’s “Suppression Session.” But they sure as heck have no intention of telling their supporters about Abbott’s abuse of power. Specifically, we refer here to the separation of powers (aka checks and balances) in the U.S. and Texas Constitution.  King Greg We find it hilarious that the Governor’s (King Greg) actions open the door for this embarrassing possibility. Read Quorum Report Harvey Kronberg’s latest from behind its paywall, “ Article X Veto may have compromised full control of Texas redistricting .” Neither Party Gets It About Texas Independents This solid  June 2021 UT Tyler/Dallas Morning News poll  gives us some  very  helpful hints about us independent Texans. First, Hispanic and black voters do not strongly identify with the Democratic Party in Texas. Black Texans only identify with the Democratic Party at 31%, and 25% of them identify as “leaning no party.” It also appears that Hispanic voters identify equally or more so as “leaning no party.” (Note: In 2006, the combined vote totals for Carole and Kinky won Bexar County and 46 other counties.  See Divided We Stood .) And, this 2017 NBC poll on Millennials across the racial divide revealed how wildly independent younger voters are. The book “ Breaking of the Two-Party Doom Loop ” by Lee Drutman is a must-read for political independents. But with much respect, we think the political scientist might be missing something. It’s about the voters. Voters have seen “third parties” and independent candidates come and go – mostly go. We at LIV are convinced of the need for a permanent non-partisan association of Texas independents — of, by and for independent, non-aligned voters — that will continue the year in year out work of advocating for a multi-party system. That’s what LIV is. Join us! PS Please also read today’s LIV News (July 22). Thank you! #MarkCuban #ShearmanampSterling #blackvoters #CenterforCompetitiveDemocracy #chrisperkins #TexasGOP #votersuppression #DallasMorningNewspoll #UTTylerpoll #GregAbbott #voterintegrity #Hispanicvoters #HarveyKronberg #TexasDemocrats

Think about it. Our fearless heroes from  WaterDefenders.org have arrived, JUST as Californians and others flood into central Texas, JUST as current Austin residents flee for affordability into eastern counties, JUST as eastern counties’ water is mass conveyed to fuel growth along the IH-35 corridor and the Hill Country! Fifteen years ago, Austin city government was warned and given clear options for turning away from the policies of subsidizing growth by making growth begin to pay for itself. That was when the Austin polical establishment had a shot at doing something to manage growth. Now that the barn door has been wide open for so long, there’s no turning back. Growth is here. Now, what do we do? The only way this might get resolved is in the water battles unfolding. But it won’t likely be pretty especially on the heels of the Texas energy grid collapse. The collapse of the Texas grid during February’s Big Freeze wasn’t an accident. It was a direct result of the neglect by our leaders to the warnings to fix it. They still haven’t. Today, Gov. Abbott — aka “King Greg” — issued  this letter to the PUC . But what the Governor is really saying is this: “Ain’t no way we’re going to fix the grid in the special session coming up. We’re going to deal with MY political emergency — shoring up one-party rule over state government.” Today, July 7, one day prior to Abbott’s special session, he released “the call” ( agenda ). It’s all red meat. Ain’t no meat and potatoes for we peons! This is gently referred to as a ram job under one-party rule. Vista Ridge, a Warning About the Big Squeeze We reported to you that Vista Ridge is the likely culprit in landowner wells “suckin’ air” in Burleson and Lee counties wells within the first year of a 60-year contract for 50,000 acre-feet of groundwater per year. What are officials doing about it? Two groundwater districts (Lost Pines and Post Oak Savannah, which permitted Vista Ridge) are providing funds to mitigate wells to their credit. But, the $64,000 question is what happens when you can’t just dig deeper, including into the pockets of the groundwater districts themselves? In the midst of all this, the quasi-governmental Lower Colorado River Authority is still pushing for their very own mega-permit of 25,000 acre-feet of groundwater per year from the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District (Bastrop & Lee counties). The final hearing in the LCRA contested case is at 7 pm, Wednesday, July 14th, at the Bastrop Convention Center. Y’all come — use  this Event Page to spread the word . Desired Future Conditions (DFC) — Water Defenders ain’t just cute. They believe sustainable management is THE way to protect our communities from groundwater over-pumping! ( See DFC’s 101 here .) Groundwater Management Area 12 ( GMA-12 ) is considering adopting new “desired future conditions” (DFCs) — something they do every five years. The DFCs are a planning tool used to help groundwater districts balance water development and the conservation of groundwater resources. But here is the rub. The current proposal for the DFCs appears to be an attempt to accommodate the big pumpers, especially the water-sucking Vista Ridge water pipeline, aka the ‘San Antone Hose.’ WaterDefenders.org  has done the homework for you in your decision on what to do. Take appropriate action — attend hearings, send comments and show up at the WaterDefenders Party on July 18th for some fun and tips on how to input on the DFC process. Lots of fun outdoors, live music, under the shade trees, so wear your speedo! 🙂 (Please share the party from its Events Page here .) If you don’t live in any of the GMA-12 districts, you can still weigh in.  Most anyone who lives in Texas knows that our governmental authorities are failing its citizens on the basics needed to live here — water, energy, transportation, housing, and affordability for all. The Texas “miracle” has become the Texas nightmare. Let’s do something about it, people. Never, never, never give up! Thanks so much to Josh McGill for the donation of his terrific comic graphic design of Water Defenders! #WaterDefendersorg

Before you read this Big Independent News! from LIV, please read the following: This coming Wednesday at 7 pm, we will talk about these topics on a Zoom/phone-in. Reply to this message if you’d like to join us with your name and county. We’ll send you the instructions for how to join by phone or computer. BIG INDEPENDENT NEWS!!! Today, the SAM Party filed papers to set up a new political party for Texas voters, citing 55% of Texans self-identify as independent voters. Though LIV does not promote any party or partisan candidate, we welcome electoral competition with open arms. Read Bill King’s doozy of a blog today, “ Why I’m Joining the SAM Party. “ More on the Governor : King Greg continues to throw red meat at Texans – like his border wall unwelcome by many Texans who own land on our border — while refusing to admit that state leaders have failed to fix the energy grid. You do see the connection — it’s the old shell game . Does the Governor not know that Texans are as wild bronco riders as they come? With open primaries, we’ve already learned to switch horses at the drop of a hat, or might that be a crown? If you missed our latest, “ King Greg Abdicates ,” it’s a must-read, especially if you’ll be joining us on Wednesday night. On the Water Front : Water Hearings and meetings abound in the Eastern Counties of Central Texas! The new water coalition by two non-profits, Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund (SAWDF) and Environmental Stewardship (ES), is working to defend our water at WaterDefenders.org by preparing us with real policy, not politics. LIV is helping to promote the Water Defenders Party on Sunday, July 18th, from 4 to 6 pm, at the Paige Roadhouse Restaurant. We hope you will come from throughout the central Texas region. It’s time for us all to get together, have some fun, and do some scheming to avert the problems seen in water policy coming unhinged. Visit our Event Page for the Water Defenders Party here, share and RSVP . Please visit WaterDefenders.org to educate yourself. Independently yours, League of Independent Voters of Texas PS Please ask your friends and family in Texas to get on our email list. It’s the least intrusive and least expensive way for us to communicate. PPS And, if you or others can pony-up some dues or a donation, it would be much appreciated. #BillKing #WaterDefenders #GregAbbott #SAMParty #Texaswaterpolicy

This is a special message to Fayette County because we think you live in Fayette County or very near the Fayette County line. Please correct us if we’re wrong. We hope you will attend a meeting on Monday and a public hearing in July. Read on. What we have to tell you concerns 10 counties east of I-35, where decisions affecting the future of our aquifers are in process by our groundwater districts. Please know that the pumping underway by the massive 142 mile Vista Ridge water pipeline (aka the “San Antone Hose”) is already harming landowner wells in Lee and Burleson counties. The districts must decide, by January 2022, how much drawdown in our aquifers should be allowed over the next 70 years – this process is known as “setting the desired future conditions” (DFCs). DFCs are established every 5 years. The five districts voted earlier this spring to set proposed DFCs that almost double the allowable drawdowns in the current DFCs. Each district must allow the public to comment on the proposed DFC, and must hold a hearing before their final vote on new DFCs. The Fayette County Groundwater Conservation District is holding its regular board meeting on Monday, June 7, at 9:30 am. We hope you will attend with us. Our friends defending landowners — Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund (SAWDF) — and our friends doing the hard scientific work at Environmental Stewardship (ES) — will be presenting at this meeting.And, a public hearing dedicated to hearing from the public on the proposed DFCs will follow on July 12. Join us this coming Monday, June 7 at 9:30 am, at 255 Svoboda Lane, Room 114, in La Grange. Mark your calendar for the Monday, 9:30 am, July 12 public hearing at the same location. Here’s the agenda . Our entire region is at risk if DFCs are not set as the law requires — in a manner which weighs various interests in groundwater, to achieve as much balance as possible between conservation and protection of our aquifers, and development (pumping) of groundwater. To bring you up to speed on what’s going on, please visit our LIV Water Page here . Click on the links to SAWDF and ES. Watch for lots more news on water, energy and small “d” democracy that’s got us all in a pickle. The good and bad news is that only YOUR PARTICIPATION can make the difference needed now! #desiredfutureconditions #FayetteCounty

This coming Tuesday’s Big Squeeze Virtual LIV Forum is not to be missed. There’s also an urgently important in-person meeting in Lee County, Wednesday night and more in a region.  So far as we can see today (after last night’s Texas House deliberations on SB 3, the energy DEform bill) and what was “allowed” to come forward by Sen. Charles Perry on water, we have a ‘melluva-hess’ session on our hands. We’ll see on sine die (the session’s end, May 31st), what comes out of the sausage maker, but “the bidness lobby” has always had the upper hand. BUT, don’t stop making calls. Hope springs eternal. Tomorrow night, Tuesday, May 25th, at 7 pm, join us for The Big Squeeze Virtual Forum .  LIV has two stellar advisors – Michele Gangnes and Mark Miller, who will give us their best on what’s happening with energy and water. Call us at 512.213.4511 or send an email to us at info@independentleaguetx.org for instructions on how to join us. Go to the event page for details here. In case you missed it, read the update by clicking here for our LIV Water Page . Also, to prepare on energy, click here to read, “ Texas electricity bailout means a child not yet born could pay for February’s disaster as an adult ,” by Dave Lieber, the Dallas Morning News Watchdog who tells it like no other. Urgently Called Meeting this Wednesday in Lee County! Mark Your Calendars – May 26, June 10, June 14 Live in San Antonio? Visit our San Antonio page to see who is running in Council runoffs (early voting started today) who supports cleaning up SAWS and an audit of Vista Ridge. Got time to volunteer? Call 210.807.7273. Visit our San Antonio page here and share away! THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, May 26, 7 PM, URGENT IN PERSON MEETING for Lee Countians: Location: American Legion Hall : 304 Rockdale St. (that the same as Loop 123) , Lexington, Texas. This urgently important meeting is for Lee County residents, especially those with wells near Lexington and in the surrounding area — called by the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District. If you or someone you know has been having a problem with well drawdown, please come. If you want to help, please come. By all accounts that we respect, the concern is that Vista Ridge (the San Antone Hose) is simply pumping too much water too fast. SO, on that note please also mark your calendars for the June 10th meeting listed below if you’re in GMA-12. More below. June 10, 2 pm — online an via phone . Is the first public hearing (again, it’s virtual and call-in) on the GMA-12 (ten counties east of Austin) on the “desired future conditions”. Hearing notice by the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District here and our own details provided for you here . June 14th LIV virtual forum , “ Are independents just swing voters ?” Speaker suggestions for this topic are welcome and we hope to surprise you. #bigsqueeze #BrazosValleyGroundwaterConservationDistrict #LeeCounty #Texaslegislature

Are ya dizzy yet? We are at LIV. We almost forgot about tonight’s salvo on the battle over the “DFCs” — the desired future conditions ! Click on this to watch the “I Oppose the San Antone Hose” video. The WATER WAR just 40 miles east of the Capitol Dome is where multiple groundwater districts could make a monumentally flawed or sound decision for managing aquifers. Depletion or conservation sounds simple but it’s not. Landowner wells, the canaries in the mine, are experiencing serious damage in just the first year of this 30-60 year mistaken $3B public-private water boondoggle — Vista Ridge. What’s the Legislature doing about it? Not much yet. But the session ends on May 31. The Legislature works in mysterious ways. We know they know there is a problem out here. Details for tonight’s Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District. Meeting at 7 pm, May 19th. It’s virtual, so hop on! It’s possible that the results of the San Antonio City Council runoff on June 5th (early voting starts May 24), could be good news for SAWS’ 1.8 million ratepayers. A majority of the new Council could be (we must see them in action, eh?) supporters of SAWS Accountability and the no-brainer — an audit of Vista Ridge! Visit our San Antonio page for the details and please share it with your San Antonio voting friends. Upcoming • Save the Dates! NEXT MONDAY, May 24th :  Early Voting for City Council Runoffs take place in San Antonio. Again, visit our SA page here with the Early Voting Info link . NEXT TUESDAY, May 25th, 7 pm , LIV’s monthly Zoom meeting will focus on “The Big Squeeze” – mining aquifers, stealing from our next generation’s water supply. Details here . (Reply to this message for instructions if you want to join us.) Monday, June 7, 9:30 am , Fayette County Groundwater Conservation District – IN PERSON meeting (not a hearing) where the board will focus in on the Desired Future Conditions. Details here . Thursday, June 10th , 2pm, Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District Public Hearing (Virtual) on desired future conditions. Note: Comments are not due until July 26th. Details here . The only way to not get dizzy yet is to keep working together across parties and ideology. We all need water to survive now, don’t we? Got questions. Contact us or give us a good old fashioned phone call at 512.213.4511. Independently yours, y’all! League of Independent Voters of Texas PS Keep an eye out for our next email alert, “Run, Matt, Run…but only if you’ve got the right stuff!” #desiredfutureconditions #Texaslegislature

Don’t let the Lege rush past the Big Freeze crime scene. We want to know just who walked off with billions of ratepayer dollars, and how are we really going to fix the grid? Then, there’s the story of repeated refusals to guard our most precious resource — water. This dereliction of duty leaves Texans to their own devices as neither party has called for the obvious – an investigation, a special commission and a special session. We – Texas independents and others committed to policy not politics – must do what we can. We borrow directly from the TxFEB.com website below – TxFEB is a coalition of small retail energy providers and consumers: What Happened? During that devastating week in February 2021, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and ERCOT artificially set energy prices at the highest price possible because they thought it would incentivize generators to stay online. That was a massive mistake! No new generators came online, lives were lost, and $46 billion dollars ($4,600 per TX household) in erroneous energy costs were created that will soon be passed on to ratepayers. Worse, Texas can correct the error, but has chosen not to. What Can I Do? Take 30 seconds to enter your information into the pink form (at TxFEB.com). A secure system called Phone2Action will send an email to your Texas politicians demanding they correct this error, so that energy companies are not unjustly enriched. From LIV – add a little more to your TxFEB message: Please add to your message that you want a commission appointed and a special session planned to deal with the state’s most important infrastructure – the Texas grid.  Then, ask for an investigation of the SAWS/Vista Ridge Water Pipeline – a crisis unfolding in Texas water policy, that threatens the future of landowners, 1.8 million ratepayers, and their communities! If you are in a groundwater management area ( see GMAs here ), get involved in the ongoing process of establishing the “desired future conditions” of our aquifers. (See number 2 below) Most of your homework has been done for you, compliments of three all-volunteer organizations: 1. Water! There are two meetings this week we want you to be aware of. A virtual hearing in GMA-12, at 10 am on Tuesday, April 20th. Review this article posted at the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund site focused on damaged wells due to Vista Ridge pumping (the website will be updated with more information on landowner and property rights issues). Also, review this page at Environmental Stewardship. On Wednesday, April 21st at 7 pm, is the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District meeting. Full discussion of the GMA-12 meeting is item 9. If you wish to speak on April 21, you have to notify the district by noon that day – see agenda and instructions . 2.  Remember, we cannot live without water and it better be drinkable. Uncapped oil and gas wells in Texas pose a serious threat of groundwater contamination. This new organization, Commission Shift , deserves your attention. 3. If you didn’t attend our “Big Freeze” forum on April 12, take the time now to watch the video and share the page . It was dynamic! Many thanks to our moderator, Mark Miller, and speakers Bill King, Virginia Palacios and Paul Robbins. BTW, LIV signed on to this letter about redistricting. Remember, a special session is going to happen, in all likelihood in the fall . SAVE THE DATE! MAY 24, 7 PM: We haven’t yet settled on the topic for our next forum. Your input is welcome. Thank you for your attention. There’s a lot to distract us, isn’t there?! PS If you haven’t paid any dues starting in January 2021 to LIV and you want to be counted as an LIV member, please do — go to our membership page. It’s as low as $10 for year. #CommissionShirt #EnvironmentalStewardship #SAWDF #TXLege

Don’t miss LIV’s Big Freeze Forum on Monday, April 12, 7 pm! Who made billions off the Big Freeze disaster while we were freezing in our own homes? How much will you owe from the mishandling of the storm? We will focus on what, we peons (ratepayers), can actually do about this. Don’t be surprised if the Legislature tries to bury the bodies on this one, it becomes the central issue in the 2022 election. All voters will not forget, but especially independent, non-aligned voters, who can swing elections in the great state of Texas! Y’all, don’t miss this — click here to visit our Event Page and to reserve a seat . Use this link to spread the word on Facebook to more PO’d Texans — like and share away, y’all Contact LIV here .   Or, we love a good old fashioned phone call — 512.213.4511. #ERCOT #PUC

Good, Bad and Butt ugly bills in the Texas Legislative Session. The ugly news is that nearly 200 people died in the Big Freeze. The Legislature was warned in 2011. The butt ugly news is that former PUC chair, Arthur D’Andrea “told investment analysts that he and the governor planned to protect Wall Street’s billions of dollars of windfall profits captured during last month’s freeze.” ( Houston Chronicle, Mar. 19 . ) The good news is a new coalition — TXFEB (Texans for Fair Energy Billing) – is fighting for small Texas utilities and for us consumers! TXFEB will be joining us at our Big Freeze Forum on April 12thm 7 pm. Be sure to register for it — use the share buttons. ACTION: Go click on TxFEB.com’s “Protect Your Rights” button and send a message and call to your legislators . The bad news is that not one legislator filed a bill for SAWS/Vista Ridge oversight. We assure you, central Texas officials – from local to state – are fully aware of the potential disaster of groundwater/aquifer depletion unfolding not 40 miles from the Capitol Dome, and the ratepayer abuse of 1.8 million SAWS customers. ACTION: Again, click on the TxFEB site , add that you also want to see an “investigation into SAWS/Vista Ridge now, before we have another manmade disaster – this one, on groundwater.” More good and bad news is about water bills that will be heard in the House Natural Resources Committee this Tuesday, April 6 at 8 am. Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund is urging us to reach all 10 members of the committee. You can go in person on Tuesday (preferred) or please comment in writing, or just call ‘em if you can’t do anything else! ACTION: Use this SAWDF message on this hearing and bills to protect the aquifers and landowner rights who live above these precious resources. On Elections, it’s been all over the news about HB 6 and SB 7 . Due to the partisan hammer wielded by the majority (in reality one-party rule at the state level and the ineptitude of the Democrat’s strategy), we believe the solution will lie in the 2022 election and the rising of independent, non-aligned voters. We’ll leave it at that. Got questions? Feel free to call 512.213.4511 or email us at LIV. If you are looking for resource information, do use our LIV 2021 Lege Page . Visit our News page for our last two updates — they’re humdingers. #Texaslegislature

The policy, not politics, non-partisan LIV is going local. Don’t miss our announcement below. First, read this LIV news release “Little Bandwidth for Partisan Bloodbath.” Your next step: Visit our 2021 Lege Page — find your state rep & senator and state officials, especially the Governor and Lt. Governor. Kindly ask them to put aside their bickering and to put down their partisan weapons on Texas Elections. They must focus now to fix the grid and to investigate SAWS and Vista Ridge, before we have a water disaster. They can reach us at LIV directly and we’ll take it from there. Partisan Bloodbath No Good for Most Texans Yesterday’s House Elections Committee hearing had Chair, Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park), and Vice-Chair, Jessica Gonzalez (D-Dallas), struggling over the mike, resulting in having to redo the hearing! We kid you not. See Quorum Report here . We’ve got news for both parties. Texas is neither red nor blue. It’s purple with about 8 million Texas independents — notice the small “i” — we’re without a party. Both major parties would do far better spending their time and big money spent on TV ads, courting the 50% or so of Texans who do not party hail. We don’t agree on much, but are universally turned off by the hyper-partisan horse-puckey overtaking our politics. We all — along with most Ds and Rs — want action BEFORE Gridzilla pictured here brings the next disaster. ANNOUNCEMENT! LIV is moving now locally (where our officials get elected) — in your town, city or county or wherever you hang your hat in Texas. Do you live in Bastrop County? Like the brand NEW Bastrop LIV Facebook page . If you live in north San Antonio like the brand NEW N. San Antonio LIV Facebook page. In Austin, local LIV folks are looking at 8 local measures on the May ballot (early voting begins April 19.) Start your own local. Note: In the big cities, we are looking for more than one chapter. SAVE THE DATE! April 12th forum online, “ The Big Freeze: We will Not Forget. ” Check our the lineup now. Reply to this message with your name, city or County, email us here , or give us a call at 512.213.4511 Become a dues paying member of LIV for as little as $10 and/or volunteer. Be sure to like our main LIV Facebook Page (and/or invite your friends.) If you tweet, follow us on Twitter . PS Don’t forget to share the local Facebook pages with folks you know in those communities. Thank you. #Texasindependents #BastropIndependents #NorthSanAntonioIndependents #golocal #partisanbloodbath