Apples and Oranges
DWAYNE STOVALL
For
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
HOUSE DISTRICT 18
Christian, Constitutional Conservative, Husband, Father, Business Owner, and TEXAN!
MOST PRESSING ISSUES
1. Loss of Sovereignty to an unconstitutional federal government.
2. Illegal immigration
3. State Debt
My fellow Texans,
Texas is no longer sovereign and we are losing what is left of our individual liberty. Our blessed State has been allowed to become indebted in a way the founders never intended. The State Capitol has become nothing more than an agency of the federal government, using borrowed money to enforce laws and regulations that we Texans had no say in creating. Our independence has been replaced by dependence, and we are now just another among the long list of entitlement states.
For decades the majority of our legislators have been perfectly fine with allowing our sovereignty and liberty to be destroyed just to maintain this dysfunctional relationship with the federal government. We Texans have abdicated our control to the highest bidder.
The elites in Washington regulate every aspect of our lives through bribery with money borrowed from China, while special interest groups in Austin donate large sums of money to influence policy. THIS MUST STOP! We must begin the arduous task of restoring our state sovereignty and our constitutional powers reserved under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We must restore our individual liberty and dignity. It is time for us to kick the moneyed interests out of Austin! We must clean up our own house before we can do anything to help America!
Tell Texas you want a representative that unlike the 8 year incumbent, will NEVER take money from special interests, lobbyists, or political action committees (PACs). Tell Texas there is no doubt as to who your representative works for and help me start a new trend in Austin!
The line in the sand needs to be drawn and I am prepared for the fight, but I will need your vote and support. I am ready. Are you?
This is what I’m up against:
John C. Otto - State Representative Since 2004
Cash on Hand as of 4-19-12 $304,969.94
TOP CONTRIBUTORS as of 1-17-12
(Does not include an additional $39,750 in PAC donations as of 4-19-12)
NAME TOTAL
TREPAC/Texas Assoc of Realtors PAC $86,474.01
Associated Republicans of Texas $36,208.02
Texas Medical Association PAC $19,526.81
HillCo PAC $17,500.00
Union Pacific Corp Fund for Effective Govt $16,000.00
UPS PAC $15,500.00
TBA BankPAC-State $13,396.52
Bob Perry $12,000.00
IBAT PAC-Independent Bankers Assoc of Tx $11,076.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC $11,000.00
PAC of The Independent Ins Agents of Texas $10,052.79
The Chickasaw Nation PAC $10,000.00
Curtis Mewbourne $10,000.00
Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC $9,789.34
KOCHPAC $9,500.00
Wal PAC $9,500.00
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP $9,500.00
Texas Apartment Association PAC $9,259.79
Valero PAC $9,000.00
ENPAC-Texas $9,000.00
AT&T Texas PAC $8,675.60
Trevor L. Ahlberg $8,500.00
TEXAS DENPAC $8,018.11
ConocoPhillips Spirit PAC $8,000.00
HOMEPAC OF TEXAS $7,800.00
Graydon Group LLC $7,500.00
Ryan & Company Texas PAC $7,500.00
Top Contributor: www.texastribune.org/library/data/campaign-finance/filer/8214/
Campaign Reports: www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/filer.php
OTTO CONSERVATIVE SCORES:
Heritage Alliance 2011 – 67%
Young Conservatives of Texas 2011 – 69%
Empower Texans 2011 – C+
Eagle Forum 2011 – 28%
Overview of Otto positions taken during the 82nd Legislature:
Otto continues to support Joe Straus
Voted for and continues to support, the unpopular RINO Speaker of the House, Joe Straus, despite the voters of Texas expressing their desire for Straus not to be returned to the post.
Otto refused to protect conservative representatives (HB150)
Voted for the Solomon’s’ redistricting map that pitted conservatives against conservatives and targeted representatives that voted against the reelection of Joe Straus as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. This map also reduced the calculated number of Republican seats in the Texas House of Representatives.
Otto supported government imposition on private business owners (SB1811)
Voted for a statewide smoking ban on businesses, including restaurants and bars. Otto has shown no restraint for infringing on the rights of private business and property owners. Business owners should have the liberty to decide what type of environment they wish to promote that best benefits their business.
Otto supported increasing the power of HOAs. (HB1228)
Voted against the prohibition of homeowners associations from foreclosing on a property owner’s assessment lien without first obtaining a court order.
Otto is in favor of expanding Texas government and bureaucracy (HB397)
Voted to create a Bureau for Economic Development of the Border Region. This would have created duplication of existing government services and activities.
Otto supported funding arts over care for the elderly and disabled (HB1 Amendment 6)
Voted to prevent funding reallocation from the Commission on the Arts to the Department of the Aging in a time of necessary budgetary austerity in the state of Texas.
Otto supported tax payer funded programs for medical research (HB1 Amendment 234)
Voted to continue government-funded cancer research. The conservative position is such research should be allocated to the private sector and charitable organizations – especially in a time of budgetary challenges. Such a program is contradictory to the Texas Constitution.
Otto supported new laws that infringe on personal liberty and law enforcement abuse for the purpose of raising government revenue through fines and fees (HB243)
Voted to make reading, writing, or sending text messages while driving a criminal offense. While some may favor such a new law, the conservative view is that is becomes a virtually unenforceable law truly intended to expand the power of government to fine citizens and increase revenue.
Otto supported more unnecessary licensing and fees (HB1395)
Voted to enact phase-in mandatory boater education courses and licenses for private citizens to legally operate a boat. This is simply another “fee” to increase revenue to government.
Otto supported more regulations on businesses and the reduction of private-sector competition (HB1625)
Voted to require increased continuing education requirements necessary to renew an electrical sign apprentice license. Especially in times of high unemployment, the conservative approach should be to reduce regulations on businesses and job-seekers.
(HB2678)
Voted in favor of imposing new requirements for the certification of driving instructors and courses. Such regulations will likely reduce competition and increase the cost of driver education costs.
(SB81)
Voted to remove a licensing EXEMPTION from produce shippers. Instead, it subjected them to a new examination by the Department of State Health Services.
Otto bows to the power of Washington and is anti-10th Amendment (HB1146)
Voted in favor of instituting new regulations on appraisal management companies in satisfaction of the requirement of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Dodd-Frank, which has crippled the investment environment and banks, should be repealed at the federal level and defied in Austin.
Otto supported legislation that would reduce parental rights, individual rights, and increase power to educational bureaucrats (HB1942)
Voted in favor of the “anti-bullying’ bill that expanded requirements on schools, expecting them to monitor behavior of students even on the internet. The measures could be used to stifle free speech and usurps the authority and responsibility of parents to do so.
(SB1107)
Voted to expand a MANDATORY vaccination program for bacterial meningitis. Would demand all students entering Texas institutions of higher learning to be vaccinated even if they choose to live off campus.
Otto supports the tax payer funded Emerging Technologies Fund. (HB1811 Amendment 50)
Voted to maintain the Emerging Technologies Fund which funnels taxpayer funds to institutions of higher education to promote projects of questionable merit. This “green” program is nothing more than tax payer funded corporate welfare.
PLEASE JOIN THE FIGHT TO RESTORE TEXAS INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY! LET'S GET THE MONEY OUT OF AUSTIN!
PLEASE VOTE FOR
DWAYNE STOVALL
TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE - DISTRICT 18
Posted on 19 May 2012, 10:16 - Category: Incumbent Info
Endorsed by Independent Conservative Voters of Texas!
I'm proud to announce that I have been endorsed by the Independent Conservative Voters of Texas!
independentconservativevoters.com/icv/2012/03/texas-endorsements.html
Posted on 18 May 2012, 20:59 - Category: Endorsements
Endorsed by San Jacinto County Conservatives!
I am proud to announce that I have been endorsed by the San Jacinto County Conservatives!
Posted on 18 May 2012, 20:41 - Category: Endorsements
The Unspoken Entitlement Program
Ask anyone to describe an entitlement program and you will most likely get an earful about people that don’t want to work, collecting benefits from programs paid for by the taxpayers. The term “entitlement” has a long held negative connotation and for good reason. The excessive abuse and expense of these programs are well documented, and we all know the disastrous impact of entitlements on the State budget.
When a person or business accepts benefits from the State at the expense of the tax payer, and generally without the tax payer’s consent, the long term results are always destructive. We Texans are entering an era where we will be forced to deal with the results of decades of socialized entitlement programs. Our state has become just like the rest. The number of entitlement recipients grows while the number of tax payers forced to pay for these entitlements shrinks.
It is clear that access to State funded entitlement programs has to be re-addressed and streamlined. This does not mean we should stop funding all of them altogether. I have never met a Texan that didn’t feel obligated to help those Texans that are truly needy, but I also have never met a Texan that wanted to provide welfare for any citizen capable of working. We all know life is not easy. Live long enough, and you will most likely experience hard times, but it is during those times we must rely on our families and friends to get through, not the tax payers. It is a disgrace to the great State of Texas to rely on programs designed for the weakest among us if you do not truly qualify.
But what about the unspoken entitlement program? The one that is generally not known to the tax payers or talked about publicly. You won't find it in the budget, yet is larger and more abused than all the state sponsored entitlement programs combined. I’m talking about the use of ILLEGAL aliens in the workforce by individuals and business owners at the expense of the citizens of Texas. This gigantic but never talked about program is filled with employers of all kinds. Participants can range from private individuals to owners of large corporations. What I want people to understand is this:
ANYONE HIRING ILLEGAL ALIENS IS PARTICIPATING IN THE DESTRUCTION OF TEXAS.
It has been my experience that people with no real experience in this area seem to think that hiring ILLEGAL aliens involves low pay and poor working conditions. Some even place it in the realm of slave labor. All I can say is that these perceptions are just not reality. What if I told you that in many cases, it is cheaper for an employer to hire an ILLEGAL alien for $20/Hr than it is to hire a legal citizen for $15? Yes, I said cheaper.
Generally the largest expense in business is payroll, and total payroll is almost all that is used by insurance companies to set premiums. The overall impact of general liability insurance, workers compensation insurance, social security, unemployment insurance, taxes, ect. adds approximately 55% of cost to the hourly rates paid to the employees.
Simply put, businesses or individuals can hire an ILLEGAL alien for $20/Hr in cash, and avoid paying a legal citizen $15/Hr, which in reality costs the business around $23.25/Hr. The added bonus to this arrangement is a significant reduction in overall insurance premiums due to the appearance of lower total payroll. You can probably guess that this is a sensitive subject to those that participate.
There are two common characteristics among the recipients of this “Employer Welfare”. They are: denial and hypocrisy. I have literally witnessed a worst case recipient leave their home with an ILLEGAL alien mowing the yard, stop by the local coffee shop, join in a discussion about the border and declare to those in attendance, “Something needs to be done about ILLEGAL immigration”, only to end up on a jobsite with a crew of ILLEGAL aliens shortly thereafter. Age, gender and race make no difference. Whether they are in a dress, blue jeans or a business suit; the participants are in every facet of the economy.
It is widely understood and accepted that the benefits of utilizing ILLEGAL aliens in the workforce are far outweighed by the overall cost to the tax payers. What does not seem to be understood is that the negative effect of ILLEGAL immigration is not always about money, it is also about the loss of the culture of Texas and the inability to perpetuate and protect our republican form of government. I have always felt there would come a day when the employers could no longer turn a blind eye to the problems they are creating. It would appear that day is upon us.
On more occasions than I care to remember, I have listened to men much older than me talk about their disgust over the government’s inability to stop ILLEGAL immigration, but when I asked if there should be serious legal consequences placed on those that hire them, most claim that it is the job of law enforcement, not theirs. When you remind them the number of people that hire ILLEGALS is many times larger than the number law enforcement officers, they have no answers. All will agree that something needs to be done, but most stop short of accepting their role in the problem.
That leads me to cover the main myth perpetrated by those that employ ILLEGAL aliens.
“They are only doing the jobs Americans won’t do.”
I completely understand the mentality. I happen to believe that the latest generation is largely lazier and feels even more entitled than the last. That said, I will still say that this myth is pure bovine dung. As I have gotten older I have changed my ideas on that statement significantly. Yes, I think our children are getting softer, but we are not helping future generations by continuing to undermine the rule of law and our economy. In fact, we are insuring the destruction of Texas and the ability of future generations to take care of this great State. It is because of this that I would like to see two things happen at once.
1. Restrict access to entitlements.
Texas needs to significantly raise requirements for access to State funded entitlements, and remove the reward system for people who are able to work but have chosen to be in the system instead. This would motivate many of these people to reenter the workforce.
2. Stop the “unspoken entitlement” for those that hire ILLEGAL aliens.
Employers must be held accountable for hiring ILLEGAL aliens. This practice is very destructive to Texas and employers must become proactive in the fight against ILLEGAL immigration or face severe punishment.
I firmly believe when entitlements are only accessible to those legal citizens that truly need it, and when individuals and businesses decide, either because of stiff legislation or personal choice, to stop hiring ILLEGAL aliens, the overall burden to the Texas tax payer in terms of education, healthcare and welfare will be reduced.
For over 30 years at one time or another, I have worked with, for, and employed ILLEGAL aliens. It is my opinion that the rich history and culture of Texas is being removed. I also believe we will follow the federal government into bankruptcy if those involved in this “unspoken entitlement” don't stop participating in the destruction of Texas and start helping to rebuild it.
This is just my opinion of course...
Posted on 24 Dec 2012, 10:18 - Category: ILLEGAL Immigration
Government Integrity in Texas
The Texas legislature is doing more and more "legislating" with less and less public knowledge. Add to that the fact that our State debt has increased over 144% in the last 10 years and ask yourself; If I have had the same representative for 8 years, how come I never heard him screaming about the out of control debt? Why has he never made an effort to get the word out about anything? This fact is a significant part of why I am running for State Representative in our district.
Want to know how Texas stands up against other states in legislative integrity? You don't want to...but you need to.
http://www.stateintegrity.org/texas
Posted on 19 Mar 2012, 9:13 - Category: Integrity