Day 4

Two years ago, today, was January 6, 2021. I was in Baytown that day watching the attack unfold.  Unfortunately, we didn’t rid the capitol of insurrectionists.

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Absolutely no one in the USA thought that we would be without a U.S. House Speaker on the fourth day of the new Congress. Going through eleven roll call votes without electing a speaker was not on anyone’s radar.

Kevin McCarthy has demonstrated to the world that he lacks leadership skills. The GOP caucus in the U.S. House is making it very clear that they will be incapable of responsibly governing over the next couple of years.

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Speaking of election deniers. Commentary can’t say I am surprised. If you want to buy in fully into the Trump MAGA GOP, you got to not accept election results when you lose.  See this from the Chron today:

The Republican challenger in November’s race to unseat Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced late Thursday that she plans to challenge the result of the election.

Alexandra del Moral Mealer tweeted she would file an election contest “after careful review and analysis of the facts available.” The deadline to do so is today.

Hidalgo bested Mealer by about 16,000 votes in the November election, leading the challenger to concede the tight contest.

But now, Mealer said she was concerned about how voter suppression might have affected the race in Harris County. “It is inexcusable that after two months, the public is no further along in knowing if, and to what extent, votes were suppressed,” she said.

The move drew swift condemnation from Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, who said Friday was the deadline to file an election contest and that she wasn’t the only one to do so.

“This is a shameful attempt by a group of losing candidates who couldn’t win the hearts and minds of Harris County voters and are now throwing nonsensical legal theories at the wall to see what sticks,” he said. “Each of them should be deeply embarrassed and these claims should not be taken seriously by the public.”

What a joke she is. What a loser. Welcome to your local GOP.

Now it will be election denier Alexandra del Moral Mealer.

Good luck finding 16,000 or so facts!

The good thing is that Harris County isn’t an election denier county.

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I learned on Wednesday night that my friend Jim Blair had passed early Tuesday morning. I have known Jim and his now widow Nelda or Nel, for close to 30 years. They are always fun to be around. I would run into them at receptions, The Yard, and at Texans games. Their seats were next to my best friend’s seats at NRG.

Jim was very smart and giving.  He was a great American and Texan.

Here is from his obituary:

Jimmy Don Blair originated in the Texas Panhandle, born in Borger to Myrtle (Ervin) Blair and Floyd Oscar Blair on September 27, 1941 and raised in the J. M. Huber oil camp where his father worked. He declared his belief in Jesus Christ early in his life and was baptized simultaneously with his Mother. The Lord called him home in the early morning hours of January 3, 2023, and he peacefully accepted.

His family had been Oklahoma Sooners during the historic Dust Bowl, and Jimmy Don spent his youth helping at his uncle’s Oklahoma farm driving tractors, taming horses, herding cattle, and working fields. Yet, he also traveled with his parents on Huber-related work trips to see much of the U. S. as a cherished only child in the family. He attended public school in Borger, was President of his senior class, and voted “Mr. Borger High”. Jim remained a dedicated Borger Bulldog from his feats on the football field to emceeing the Class of 1960 reunions for over 50 years.

Jim graduated from Oklahoma University intending to become a doctor, but changed his mind at senior year. Instead, he earned a pilot’s license and flew himself to the University of Texas law school to become an attorney. He was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1967. Jim maintained that, during the 7 years he spent in college, never was he on the winning side during the annual TU/OU football game.

In his early career, Jim served as Amarillo Assistant City Attorney, Amarillo City Judge, Randall County Assistant District Attorney, and as a lecturer for Tax Assessor and School Board organizations all over Texas. He formed a side business law firm with three other assistant city attorneys to perform services seriously needed by local governments, collecting their delinquent property taxes. He acquired his first government client in White Deer, Texas, and grew the firm from his Cessna airplane, flying to clients around the Texas Panhandle. Over the next 40 years, Jim Blair became a virtual expert in contract negotiation, litigation policies, legislative initiatives, computer capabilities, and above all personal relationships. Those who collaborated with him, worked for his firms, became his clients or simply met him in the community felt the genuine and supportive effect he had on lives and livelihoods.

In the 1980’s, Jim moved to Houston with the ambitious goal of expanding his tax collection law partnership, successfully acquiring Houston Independent School District as a client, a contract which would remain one of their most productive to this day. Over the ensuing decades, the law firm split, merged, morphed and grew into what is today Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson or simply “Linebarger”. As a Founding Capital Partner, Jim Blair retired to become a Senior Advisor in 2006.

Here is his entire obituary: Jimmy Blair Obituary – The Woodlands, TX (dignitymemorial.com)

Let me be up front and open. Linebarger has been a longtime client. That is how I met and knew Jim.

Over dinner when we first met in the 1990’s he told me how he started the delinquent property tax collection business. I found his story fascinating. I still do, considering the feelings some folks have about Linebarger and the delinquent property tax collection business.

He helped create a tool that tons of local governmental entities utilize to collect some of their local property taxes so they can pay their police, teachers, pick-up garbage, fill our street potholes, and maintain our parks.

Jim was a great guy, and he will be missed.

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Nothing from The Yard today.