Catching Up, Striking Down, and Piping it Out

OK, perhaps "Progress" was a poor choice, considering how little I've made lately - at least on this little start-up. I'd say sue me, but we've had something called 'tort reform' in Texas lo these last 4 years, so it wouldn't really be worth your trouble, and you can't squeeze blood from a rock anyways.

But things have been a-happenin', that's for sure. When you head off to the hills of northwest Arkansas in August, all manner of strange things can go down. For instance, Rick Perry went to talk to Hispanic business leaders, began making oddly excited hand gestures, and called his once-beloved border wall idea "nonsense" - then sent in the Texas Rangers to lock things down, just in case the faithful got the wrong idea. Joke's on him, since the Rangers just dropped three straight to the A's and played themselves out of playoff contention.

Meanwhile, a no-bullshit Democrat with a pulse named Hank Gilbert threw his cowboy hat in the ring for Governor and started firing some real shots at Rick and Senator Sparkle Pony. Some of you may recall Hank ran for Agriculture Commissioner back in 2006 against generic Republican Todd Staples, and managed to out-poll every other Democratic executive candidate by 4 points statewide (nearly 42%), despite being outspent 6-1 by his opponent and unsupported by his own state party.
Since then he's been leading the rural rebellion against the Trans-Texas Corridor and the toll road lobby catered to by Perry and deposed House Speaker Tom Craddick (among others). I like what Hank is putting down so far, so I gave him a few bucks - ya'll should do the same and spread the word, if for no other reason than to send a message to the Tom Schieffers of the world that we're not just gonna roll over for some non-threatening rich boys so they can go joy-riding in the Democratic brand and wrap it around a telephone pole like they did back in 2002.

As for our fair county, we finally got the gift we'd been waiting months for: RAIN. Real rain. Three solid days of it came last week, conveniently enough just after most of the hay harvest, or what their was of it. Local farmers and ranchers did not appreciate Mother Nature's cruel sense of humor. After being one of the driest counties in Texas for the last year and a half, we even got wet enough to get the burn ban lifted, and brush pile cookouts started up from Shady Grove down to Rosanky. Small comfort, since we're still well below our yearly average, and the damage has been done. Estimates of dry-land crop losses this season are running as high as 80%, and the Governor's disaster declaration should have been made months before it was. County Judge McDonald declared a local disaster and requested assistance from the state back in February. The Goodhaired Guv pled poverty and half-heartedly punted to the Feds, then finally declared a state of emergency for Bastrop (and 166 other counties) in late July. Declaring a crisis but not actually taking steps to fund recovery - how's that for leadership and looking out for your constituents? Perhaps that's why he only pulled 30% and finished behind Chris Bell in Bastrop County in 2006.

What's All This Then?

Maybe a waste of time, or yet another way to spread myself too thin. Hopefully, this will become a a place to learn and share news of politics and progress in Bastrop County - from Elgin to Smithville to the county seat, and all the hamlets, subdivisions and various other wide spots on the roads out here.

It's clear that what media is available in this county has abdicated any and all responsibility to adequately inform our citizens and and promote healthy debate - and we'll get around to that very soon. It's particularly clear that Democrats and other good people of common sense in BC need a resource for information and perspectives on how to make our local government and officials more responsive, effective, and progressive.

Too much ground has been conceded to the forces of greed, ignorance and know-nothing fanaticism. Strong public schools, unspoiled public lands, a healthy small business community, family farms and ranches - these were the legacy of parents and grandparents who conquered a Great Depression and made the world safe for democracy. The current Republican power cabal in Texas has laid waste to that legacy and endangered our children's future. While they haven't quite managed to completely infect Bastrop County yet, rest assured they're working on it, determined to sell us all off to the mercy of big-box corporations, water wholesalers and land-grubbing developers. But decent folks still have room to maneuver and push them back.

There is a coalition here, big enough to turn it all around and headed back in the right direction. But it needs to come together in common purpose - willing to play smarter, pool resources and ideas, be ready to fight when necessary and stand against foolishness from all corners. If this blog will help expedite that formation and feed the need for good sense and decency in our blessed little county, I'll consider it worth the trouble and a rousing success.

And of course, we can always poke fun at people who deserve it, and irritate those without a sense of humor. I'll try to get around to all of it, but I am only one man - and a busy one at that.

More posting will follow, in rather haphazard fashion I'm sure, in the weeks to come. I'll also be recruiting others to contribute to it.

Topics for posts in the works:
Whither Tim Kleinschmidt?
Tracking local races - the 2010 Primaries
Down and Drought - What's up with the Water?
Bastrop Growth Patterns and Demographics

...and maybe a high school football preview or two. Friendly bets will be made, gauntlets thrown down. Don't be shy - Please kick in yer two cents if you see fit. Comment or send an email -

Robert Cyrus Ryland
Elgin, TX