TOO LATE FOR SOME, BUT NOT ALL OF US

Yep, it is definitely too late for some of us in Milam County.  October 9th was the last day to register to be eligible to vote in the November General Election.  So if you are not registered you will just have to sit back and watch, and remember you can't gripe about the outcome if you don't vote.

There was an increase in registered voters in the county since the March primary.  Last count 15,037 voters were registered in Milam County.

It's too late if you are not registered, but for those of us that are registered it is not to late to educate ourselves on who and what is on the ballot.  A sample ballot is available on-line from the Milam County Clerk's Office.  Take time to get one and review the candidates and the proposition.

As a sitting Judge I am not allowed to publicly endorse any candidate (Canon 5.2, Texas Code of Judicial Conduct).  I can however support a party, and as a conservative do support a majority of the Republican ticket.

While I can not and am not publicly supporting any candidate I can share some of the things that I know about some of them.  Candidate for Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is no friend of education in Texas.  Just ask a teacher about him.  He also claims to have passed legislation banning sanctuary cities in Texas in one of his mail outs.  While he supported it the legislature passed it.  He also is no friend of rural counties.

The Dallas Morning News had this comment, "His right-wing theocracy is way more concerned with bedrooms, bathrooms, reproduction and guns than with his actual job: fixing schools, infrastructure and hurricane damage. Most importantly, though, Patrick is way out of step with the Texas of today."

Senator Charles Schwertner was rated as one of the worst Texas Senators by Texas Monthly even before the alleged sexual misconduct currently being investigated.  As far as Milam County goes he refused to assist the Buckholts ISD in working with the Texas Education Agency to keep the school open.  They succeeded without his help.  I personally attempted to contact him concerning water issues in Milam County and was told by his staff he was not interested.

I had a visit Monday October 22 immediately following Milam County Commissioners Court with one of the County Judge candidates for Milam County.  I had been wanting to talk with him about his position on several of the issues, and on most of them we were pretty close on our positions.  However, he did inform me that he voted for the proposed tax increase on the ballot because "Milam County needs the money."  My position was that Milam County needs to live within their means and not be able to further burden the taxpayers.

I also questioned his ads seeming to claim having influence on getting Bitmain to ALCOA.  Well, read my blog SERENDIPITY DO-DAH to get the real facts on what's going on at ALCOA.  

The real surprise came toward the end of the otherwise cordial conversation when he accused me of sending an anonymous letter to voters in the county stating that he was really a Democrat.  I have no knowledge of any such letter and told him so,  He then proceeded to call me a liar and inform me that he had a plastic water bottle from our debate in Rockdale and the envelope the letter came in.  He said he had forensic tests run on them and my fingerprints were on both items.  Really?  I asked for him to show me the results of the test, but don't think l will ever see them cause someone else is the person not telling the truth.

His closing comments were really impressive when he told me, "Frank I do not trust you, you stay out of my way or I will roll over you."  Hmm, great comments for a judicial candidate.

Bottom line is I am not supporting any candidate publicly or otherwise.  I just wanted to share some information that might help educate you and help you make your decision on how to vote on some of the candidates.  JUST GO VOTE!

Milam County Republican Chair Bill Whitmire had a post on September 17 that referred to then Texas Democratic Governor Allen Shivers supporting Republican Presidential nominee Dwight Eisenhower.  Eisenhower was supporting state claim to Texas Tidelands mineral rights while the Democratic nominee was supporting the federal claim.  Shivers felt it best to support what was best for Texas. Sometimes it is best to take a look at what's best for Milam County rather than what's best for a particular political party.

SERENDIPITY DO-DAH

Serendipity can be defined as the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.  That is exactly what we have going on with the Sandow Ranch property, or some of you know better as ALCOA.

I am truly amazed at all of the folks wanting to take credit for what is happening with the ALCOA property outside Rockdale.  First there was the Blue Sky Proposal.  A proposal to get Amazon to build their next distribution center on the property.

Blue Sky was an appropriate name for the proposal.  The term blue-sky used as a verb is to make impractical or as yet unachievable plans.  As an adjective it means not yet practical or profitable.  Out of all the requirements in the request for proposals from Amazon Milam County did not meet a single one.  Therefore Blue Sky was a spot on description of the project.  

"The Committee" was given credit for the Blue Sky Proposal, and many folks jumped up to talk about their involvement with the project.  "The Committee" is another blog coming down the road.  Just need a little more research.

Now there are numerous county leaders, economic development groups, political candidates and others wanting to take their share of the credit for the recent Bitmain project that is in fact developing as you read.

Bitmain is a great thing for Milam County.  Even with an 80% tax abatement for five years and then gradually decreasing over the next five years it will still bring more tax revenue to Milam County and the Rockdale School District. According to the powers that be, it is also expected to bring up to 400 new jobs to the area.  That will have to be seen.

ALCOA has also leased a large block of land to a local rancher for a ten year period, and according to my sources there are plans for much bigger things to happen at the Sandow Ranch property.  In fact while the property has been up for sale for sometime it looks to me like ALCOA might be making a decision to lease the property rather than sell it outright.

So far the projects at ALCOA are lease projects.  Future projects might purchase property, but seems to me ALCOA could come out ahead by entering into long term leases and selling the water that is already permitted.

 Bottom line is that what is going on at this point is serendipitous activity.  Bitmain found ALCOA.  They need a lot of electricity to power their project.  The infrastructure for power exists at the ALCOA property.  The rancher is local and needs good pasture for his cattle.  Good pasture exists at the ALCOA property. 

My point is that the property characteristics are what brought these projects to the county.  Bitmain is not the first bitcoin operation to move into an ALCOA smelter.  Coinmint agreed to lease an upstate New York ALCOA facility in December of 2017.  Their decision was also based on the infrastructure.

Many of those wanting to claim credit for Bitcoin also claimed fame for the Blue Sky proposal which was dead on arrival.  With or without those claiming credit for what is happening it would have happened.

Granted, the economic development organizations and elected officials and county leaders did encourage development at the Sandow Ranch property, and you can be sure they will continue to encourage future development, but the real credit for happy days coming back to Milam County belongs to ALCOA management.