This week’s column has a bit of my very own Ellis County featured.
Primaries are coming in the spring deciding on which blue and red politicians will vie for the final vote for U.S. congress and senate.
Get ready now boys and girls – and know before you vote.
In other words, ask questions, vet not only the challengers but the incumbents. Decide if this is the person you want to be your mouthpiece when it comes to your money, your privacy, your home, your family, your health and your state of mind.
Let’s change the narrative and not vote for anyone who talks trash about their opponent. We have had enough bad behavior.
Don’t vote for anyone who talks trash about opposing parties either. We already know they like each other behind the scenes; their big brother script just calls for drama and chaos.
Look at a candidate’s ego too.
Look at their promises; past, present and future. Is this person you’re putting in office truly a good woman or man? Will their promises come to fruition or is it merely soundbytes in the wind to get elected?
The latest shutdown, the one where workers did not get paid yet were expected to do their jobs for free while politicians were paid – how did that sit with you? Was the stress you felt then worth sitting it out and not changing the DC landscape now?
Ask yourself – are these people in DC truly the management staff I would hire to save my life?
My big questions come down to three “big ticket items.” I think a lot of people would agree on these questions whether they are Texan, American or one of my readers from around the world.
Ask the questions, ask for explanations along with real-time solutions for implementation, and remember politics is not black and white – so there are mountains to climb for any new politician wanting to create change.
I decided to go down the rabbit hole and use Texas’ 6th Congressional District where I live as my test subject to ask questions. That seat is up for election next year.
Currently, the person in the 6th Congressional District of Texas is three-term Congressman Jake Ellzey.
In fact, I would have begun outlining the answers to my “big ticket” questions with Ellzey except he and his office did not respond to me.
I did have the chance to talk with his challengers: Brian Stahl and James Buford.
My first question; What would you have done differently to promote compromise during the shutdown?
Stahl said he believed the shutdown “highlighted critical weaknesses in federal funding processes and demonstrated the far-reaching impact of such crises on local communities. I believe the path forward involves not only immediate remedial actions for federal workers, veterans, and local businesses but also long-term legislative initiatives designed to stabilize government funding.
“By advocating for guaranteed back pay, supporting the continuity of essential services like VA benefits, and championing bipartisan legislative reforms, I think this could have effectively served the constituents during the shutdown and safeguard them against future disruptions. Strong local outreach and transparent communication, coupled with proactive cross-party collaboration, will further strengthen the district’s resilience, and ensure that federal policies truly reflect the needs of the community.”
Buford responded that the politicians should have stayed in Washington and worked with the Speaker of the House and other members of Congress to try and find common ground.
“I would not have received a paycheck while my constituents went without getting paid,” he added. “As well as prioritizing early realistic budget negotiations and avoid using the shutdown threats as leverage and support automatic fall back continue resolutions.”
Next big question: term limits.
Stahl said he has signed the Term Limit Pledge. He said, “When elected officials spend decades in office, they can become disconnected from the people they represent. Term limits help ensure that public service remains just that, a service, not a lifelong profession. They encourage fresh perspectives, reduce the influence of entrenched power structures, and promote accountability.”
Buford’s thoughts on term limits were similar.
“I believe we should have them. I don’t support an individual making a career out of politics. Term limits would require a Constitutional Amendment which I could introduce, once in office.”
Finally, my attention was turned to thoughts on lobbyists (as in AIPAC).
Stahl said, “My sole purpose is to serve the public with the same dedication and integrity that have guided me throughout my career in law enforcement. My focus will always remain on the real concerns of the people, not on the agendas of special interest groups or lobbyists. I believe elected office should be about listening to the community, addressing their needs, and protecting their freedoms.”
Buford responded by suggesting limits on lobbying and the influence of special interest groups. “Over time, the balance of power in Washington has shifted away from ordinary citizens and toward well-funded lobbyist firms whose interests do not always align with the public good. It is time to restore government to the people, and for the people. That means the strengthening of ethical rules, increasing transparency and reducing the revolving door between congress and lobbying firms. Congress should remain accountable first and foremost to their constituents.”
The real answer on the last question should be an outline of how this entire lobbyist/PAC is going to be pulled out, with a real-time action plan – the United States has no time to lose.
While it’s easy to make promises, it’s also easy to break a promise too. We all know, obviously it does take more than a wish upon a star to write a bill, introduce it and all the other hoopla it goes through.
More on lobbyists – consider visiting OpenSecrets and you can find information on all politicians and their campaign money and donors.
Count how many politicians take money from the lobbyist and then attempt to push through a bill directly related to the industry where the donating lobbyist works.
I looked up Ellzey and found that his largest contributor was AIPAC during the 2023-2024 campaign financials (www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/jake-ellzey/summary?cid=N00042243&cycle=2024) and he took $83,000 from AIPAC. One of the top five industries that same year in which he received $117,881 was Pro-Israel. Northrop Grumman, a defense contractor, was also one of his top contributors, involving the industrial military machine.
Since I looked up Ellzey, I also looked up a few on the left side just for balance. New York’s Hakeem Jeffries also had AIPAC as his top donor for that same year with $866,550 of contributions and BlackRock was his second largest contributor as well as Lockheed Martin (another defense contractor). Pro-Israel overall gave Jeffries $1,157,099 (www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/hakeem-jeffries/summary?cid=N00033640).
Do defense contractors and AIPAC go hand in hand these days –are we seeing a pattern yet?
I looked up Georgia’s Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, La. Rep. Clay Higgins, and Senators John Kennedy (LA-R) and Chuck Schumer (NY-D) – and none of those names had AIPAC money listed in 2023-2024.
On the other hand, Texas Senator Ted Cruz did have ties to the tune of it being his top contributor that same year at $562,877.
Remember, Tenn. Rep. Tim Burchett said the DC swamp needs to be called a sewer instead.
Well, it seems if you don’t remove yourself from the sewer, you might get flushed down, which apparently Taylor Greene is not going to let happen. She announced she would be resigning from her congressional seat in January. Some people wondered if she had been threatened, but her resignation letter seemed on point to me. And as a sidenote, if you do not like her because she is conservative, or a woman or whatever you want to drum up, take a deep breath. What she is describing is your party too whether it is blue, red, green, or pink.
In her resignation letter she stated what thinking Americans already know, Washington is a bevy of smear campaigns, lies, lawfare, backstabbing, and a political machine that destroys anyone who refuses to fall in line. She explained how both parties are controlled by lobbyists like Big Pharma, Big Tech, the military-industrial complex, foreign interests, and the elite donor class.
She also discussed threats, slander, personal attacks and said, “Americans are used by the Political Industrial Complex of both Political Parties, election cycle after election cycle, in order to elect whichever side can convince Americans to hate the other side more.”
Taylor Greene had issue with the never ending story of the Epstein files drama and added, “the legislature has been mostly sidelined, we endured an eight week shut down wrongly resulting in the House not working for the entire time, and we are entering campaign season, which means all courage leaves and only safe campaign re-election mode is turned on.”
Each of us is a powerful human alone – and together a force of voters coming together to challenge the darkest shadows.
Meet politicians, ask questions, demand truth with receipts.
And from there follow your heart, vote with integrity and invest in a good sewer removal service.
It all begins with you.
Rita Cook is a freelance writer for The Ellis County Press. She can be reached at rcook13@earthlink.net.