A policy proposed by a current judge would require any Public Defender desiring to run for office resign upon filing their petitions.  Currently, there are 6 potential candidates for judge, 4 Democrat and 2 Republican.  Of these six, 5 are felony attorneys, 2 are felony supervisors, 1 is board certified in criminal law, 4 are death penalty qualified, and they have over 50 years cumulative experience in the PD's office.  To require them to resign would decimate the office, reducing the work force by 10%, taking away many of the most experienced lawyers. No PD has ever been required to resign. Public defenders have been candidates in every election since 2002.  Two of the current sitting judges were elected straight from the PD's office.

I found it terrifying to believe that in America we would penalize qualified candidates who wish to run for judge or any other office.  This is especially upsetting when a sitting judge tries  to eliminate competition  and usurp elections by proposing that Public Defenders be forced to resign from their jobs.  Although  I have every confidence that the Dallas County Commissioners Court would not allow this to occur, I felt compelled to let you know how strenuously people object to this proposal.

I ask that  Public Defenders seeking office not be forced to resign.


Thank you,

Cindy Smethie
DACED Memeber

Dear Commissioner Cantrell,

My husband and I are constituents of yours from Mesquite. It has come to our attention that tomorrow (this) morning the Court will be asked to implement a new policy wherein public defenders running for elected office will be forced to resign their jobs. A number of people would be affected by this change, including many with seniority and long years of service who are currently seeking judgeships. Coming at this late date, the change in policy would be terribly unfair to the people concerned. They were previously assured that their jobs would not be affected if they sought public office and consequently invested vast amounts of personal time and (I am sure) money in campaigning. These individuals have been working for much of the year towards an election. The planned policy change was put forth without discussion or notice to the people involved.

If there are personnel issues due to the campaigns that need to be dealt with, then they should be dealt with as personnel issues normally are.

As a citizen, I would prefer that our Public Defenders include the best and most experienced people available, which are exactly the ones that are running for judgeships. To implement a drastic change in personnel policy at this late date would demonstrated seriously bad faith. I trust that you and the other members of the Commissioner's Court will see the wisdom of denying this change.

Thank you very much for your consideration, and for all that you do for your constituents in Mesquite.

Sincerely,

Michael and Elizabeth Walley

Hello DACED friends,
 
Today State Rep. Robert Miklos (TX HD 101) will be having his Re-Election Campaign Kick-off  at Martinez Restaurant in Mesquite (same place our club meets)  The party begins at 5:30  till 7:30    Everyone is invited to come and join-in the event.  I hope many of you will be able to make it.  We need to send Robert Back to the Texas Statehouse !
 
The address for Martinez Restaurant is:   901 Gross Rd, Mesquite, TX 75149
 
Please call if you have any questions.
 
Sergio Garcia
President, DACED
214-440-7561

Dear Congressman Hensarling,

You sent an email asking if I thought the estimated cost of the bill will be higher or lower than the  estimate. I don't believe the cost will exceed the amount estimated. I do however think the cost of  us not passing some kind of REAL reform will far surpass that. The cost of health care is spiraling
 out of control and something has got to be done, and now Insurance companies are estimating  another 10% increase next year?!?!?! We have got to stop the bleeding. It is my belief that we  will not even have a chance at accomplishing this unless there is a strong public option in place  to make insurance companies have to compete to control cost. I feel your example of Medicare
is sort of indicative of what has been happening in the private sector of insurance as well, cost  has to be controlled and other than throwing the proverbial bone, insurance companies aren't  going to do it on their own. And furthermore I get slightly annoyed when numbers start getting  thrown around saying how it is going to cost too much to get reform, when as of this minute we  have spent $925,246,774,010 on insuring safety for other countries, in wars we should not even  be in , but yet we are supposed to feel bad about spending $870 Billion to take care of our own people?  I think even with a little more than 870 billion ,its a bargain.

Respectfully,

Shannon Long

Mesquite,  TX  75149

Dear Congressman Hensearling,

The question is whether I think the cost of health care reform will exceed estimates as previous government health programs have. I am confident they will not. The problem with Medicare and Medicaid is not that they are government run programs - the extreme cost escalations have been the same in the private sector. The problem is out of control costs across the board. I believe the proposed reforms are designed to contain costs. In fact, if we don't pass the reforms, especially a public option with muscle, costs will continue to spiral out of control. Insurance companies currently estimate a 10% increase for 2010. Something's got to give!

Liz Walley

Mesquite,  TX  75150

Join area medical professionals this Thursday, October 8, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at El Centro Community College for a roundtable discussion on health care reform.  Find out more about what is going on in Washington D.C. and how it will impact you and your family.

Hi, everyone!

Our calls to members of Congress are working.  The momentum is building for a strong public option and true health insurance reform.  We have to keep working on this until it's done.  The insurance companies sure will.  This Saturday, Organizing For America is canvassing in several neighborhoods in Mesquite and asking residents to call Congress.  I hope you can join us in one.  We'll provide training, a buddy, and refreshments.

When:   Saturday, October 3rd

Where:  Mesquite - 2600 Bamboo Street, Range Elementary School, 10 am - 12 pm
             10am - 12pm   to RSVP for the Mesquite Canvass, go to:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/healthcarecanvass/gpkr2b

Tomorrow morning, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and Congressman Pete Sessions will be holding a joint forum on health care reform at Cityplace.

National media will be doing live coverage from outside the venue.

This is a Big opportunity to show Americans that Texans want health care for all and that we do want a public option.  In order to accomplish that, we have to call on every one of you who can possibly attend, to be part of that picture.

Time and place is 7:30AM at CityPlace Tower, SE corner of Central Expressway and Haskell.  Cityplace is at Central (US-75) & Haskill (DART: Cityplace Station).

In 1776, the signers of our Declaration of Independence announced to the world the proposition that a government is established to secure for their citizens certain inalienable rights among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, powerful groups within the society of the framers of our Constitution prevented them from creating a new government that abolished slavery and remained faithful to the Declaration. The argument of those powerful groups was that our government could not afford to set free black people in the country. It took a bloody and costly civil war fought by our ancestors to later abolish slavery and to secure liberty for  black people.

In 2009, powerful groups within our society are preventing the leaders of our country from creating legislation that will provide healthcare for all. The argument of those groups is that our government should not and can not afford to care for all the people. However, only by providing healthcare for all its citizens, will our government secure their inalienable rights and remain faithful to the Declaration. Let us all join our legislators to defeat the efforts of those powerful groups and not leave the job for our descendants.

Fernando Rojas
Vice-President
Dallas County East Democrats
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