Two New GOP Candidates to Run for Williamson County Attorney

Two Williamson County men have announced their intention to run for County Attorney in the Republican Primary next year.  They will face incumbent Jana Duty, who has been much in the news locally.  Duty's former Assistant CA, Hal Hawes, who is now legal advisor to the County Commissioners Court, sent out a press release last week.   Rick Kennon, a Family Law attorney and former Assistant Travis County Attorney and Assistant Attorney General,  has announced at various GOP meetings that he plans to file as well. 

In light of all the difficulties between incumbent Duty and the other elected officials in the county, this is likely to be a very unpleasant Primary battle.

Below is the release from the Hal Hawes campaign.

Hawes Announces

If It Quacks Like a Duck...

It seems the folks over at the new Williamson County Employee's Association are very worried that we might think the WCEA is a union, and are adamantly protesting the reference on their blogsite. The WCEA claim is that since they can neither strike nor engage in collective bargaining, they are really just loveable, harmless, little fuzzballs. All they want to do is give out scholarships, “create unity among employees,” “foster complete cooperation” (emphasis added)between the county and its employees, and oh yeah, make sure they get raises and tax-payer funded cadillac-level benefits.

The definition of a union?

An association, combination, or organization of employees who band together to secure favorable wages, improved working conditions, and better work hours, and to resolve grievances against employers.

Since founding the WCEA, Royger Harris, an employee of Jana Duty's County Attorney office, and other members have been complaining loudly about not getting pay raises and having to contribute more to their own health insurance plans. They are unmoved by the fact that many of us in the private sector have faced unemployment, significant pay reductions, and have already been working to adjust to increased health care costs. WCEA members are lobbying the Commissioners Court to raise tax rates on Wilco residents to pay for county employees' raises and to contribute more to employee healthcare. In the tired, overused argument that inevitably attaches itself to every proposed tax hike, WCEA members whine that the monthly tax increase is "only the price of a Happy Meal at McDonald's!" Frankly, I don't care if it IS the price of a Happy Meal, the extra tax is still a redistribution of my hard-earned money.

Furthermore, while they may not be able to engage in collective bargaining, the WCEA is also demanding a seat on the benefit committee board. And, as Royger Harris recently admitted, the WCEA does have a political aspect in that it will be promoting certain candidates it deems to be 'deserving.' Never mind that these goals are identical to those of other public sector unions.

As the saying goes, "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it must be a duck."

Public sector employee unions are not terribly common in Texas, a 'Right to Work' state. Nationally, private sector unions have been steadily decreasing in membership and now claim only 7% of the private workforce, but public sector union membership has grown to over 37%. According to Michael Barone, public sector unions are especially effective due to their unique 'collusive' character:

Public-sector unions strive to elect their management, which in turn can extract money from taxpayers to increase wages and benefits and can promise pensions that future taxpayers will have to fund.

Lately, economists have identified public sector unions as major contributors to the economic woes of states like California, and a full one-third of the 2009 stimulus package went to bolster these unions. If Texas and Williamson County are to continue to tout economic strength, it will be necessary to keep taxes low and resist the unreasonable demands of these 'union lite' groups. The Commissioner's Court should ignore all the quacking and stay the course of fiscal responsibility.

For a great related article, check out Taxpayer Beware, regarding the coming local government tax increases in Texas.

Public Sector 'Union-Lite" in Wilco

Who does Royger Harris of the Williamson County Attorney's office think he's kidding?

At Tuesday's Williamson County Commissioner's Court, Harris, who works for Jana Duty in the County Attorney's office, demanded that the county approve payroll deductions for his newly formed Williamson County Employees Association, and when we say newly-formed, we mean 6 days old, since Harris only filed his paperwork on June 24. The Court tabled Harris' request until he can produce some basic information, such as WCEA bylaws and board members; a request Harris seems to think improper.

The County has prudently allowed very few organizations payroll deduction privileges, and the United Way (founded in 1887) was the last group approved, some four years ago.

So what is Harris' agenda? Only after much prodding, Harris got to the heart of the issue: some county employees are upset that they won't be getting raises this year while health insurance premiums are increasing.

Apparently Harris has not noticed that the entire nation is having a little economic trouble. The unemployment rate is at nearly 10%, and many still employed in the private sector have received pay cuts. (My own household took a cut of 25%) And guess what? ALL of us will be paying higher insurance premiums and taxes next year thanks to Obamacare and out-of-control federal spending.

We have seen the formation of many new public sector employee 'associations' in recent years; These groups are not unions per se and do not have the same powers and capabilities as established unions, but their stated goals are nearly identical, rendering these associations a kind of 'union-lite.'

Clearly the goal of Mr. Harris and company is to force the County Commissioners off the path of fiscal responsibility they have taken. Like most liberal/progressives, Harris cares little about the budget and reduced revenues for the county, and only wants to make sure government employees don't have to feel the effects of our troubled economy. This approach will only lead to higher taxes for residents and business, and further burden a productive private sector.