Soaring Gas Prices By Design
2/17/2012
By Jack Rains
When President Obama took office in January 2009, the average price of gasoline nationwide was $1.89 a gallon. Three years into the Obama presidency, the average is $3.47 a gallon.
And that is not by happenstance, my fellow citizens. That is by design. Talk about a trend.
Susan Narvaiz Receives Pioneer Spirit Award
2/15/2012
From The University Star
City Councilmember Shane Scott could not see the words “infrastructure” and “San Marcos” together without Susan Narvaiz’s name attached.
Narvaiz (R), former mayor of San Marcos received the Pioneer Spirit Award at the State of the City address in January. Scott, Place 6, nominated her for the award in recognition of advancements she made to San Marcos’ infrastructure during her eight and a half years on the council.
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Narvaiz announced her bid for U.S. Congress in November, and said the experience she gleaned as Mayor of San Marcos has equipped her to win and thrive as a legislator.
“I think being in a local elected position very much prepares you for what the founders intended in the House of Representatives, which was to have regular folks go up to Washington and help put things together,” Narvaiz said.
Supreme Court freezes Texas election maps
EDITOR’S NOTE: Just when candidates were getting settled into their races after months of uncertainty, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to block the implementation of judge-drawn Congressional and Legislative districts puts everything back in flux.
Former San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz has filed to run next year as a Republican in Congressional District 35, which takes in eastern Hays County under various redistricting plans. San Marcos resident Rob Roark said this week that he was also seeking the GOP nod for CD-35. On the Democratic Party side, former U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez has said he will run in CD-35.
For now, at least, it’s anyone’s guess what CD-35 — or any other congressional, state senator or state representative district — will look like.
by ROSS RAMSEY
In a late Friday afternoon order, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the use of court-drawn maps for legislative and congressional districts in Texas, telling the lawyers involved to be ready for oral arguments next month.
Candidates are already filing for office, working against a December 15 deadline. That’s next Thursday. Since the maps aren’t set, the deadline will probably be meaningless, at least for the congressional and legislative candidates. That could change the candidates’ calculations about who’s running for what. A lousy district in the current map could be replaced with a better one, if the maps are redrawn after the Supreme Court rules.
In its request for a stay, the state suggested the congressional and legislative primaries could be delayed from March 6 to May 22. The other primaries — for President, U.S. Senate, and so on — will remain in March. The court didn’t rule on that request, leaving the primary dates alone for now.
Here’s the court’s order:
“The applications for stay presented to Justice Scalia and by him referred to the Court are granted, and it is ordered that the orders issued by the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas on November 23, 2011, in case Nos. 5:11-CV-360, and 5:11-CV-788, and the order of November 26, 2011, in case No. 5:11-CV-360, are hereby stayed pending further order of the Court. In addition, the applications for stay are treated as jurisdictional statements, and in each case probable jurisdiction is noted. The cases are consolidated and a total of one hour is allotted for oral argument. The briefs of appellants and appellees, not to exceed 15,000 words, are to be filed simultaneously with the Clerk and served upon opposing counsel on or before 2 p.m., Wednesday, December 21, 2011. Reply briefs, not to exceed 15,000 words, are to be filed simultaneously with the Clerk and served upon opposing counsel on or before 2 p.m., Tuesday, January 3, 2012. The cases are set for oral argument on Monday, January 9, 2012, at 1 p.m.”
And here’s a statement from Texas Republican Party Chairman Steve Munisteri:
“The Supreme Court’s action in staying the recently drawn maps issued by the three-judge federal district court panel in San Antonio, is a clear indication that the concerns we raised last week concerning the panel’s actions, have merit. It has been the RPT’s position that the majority of the district court panel exceeded their judicial authority and attempted to usurp the rightful duties of the Texas State Legislature. It has also been our position that the maps approved by the Legislature did comply with the Voting Rights’ Act and did protect the interests of minority voters, particularly the interests of Hispanic voters in Texas. I applaud Attorney General Greg Abbott and his legal team for their quick action in appealing this matter to the U.S. Supreme Court and congratulate them for winning the first round before that court in obtaining a stay on the panel’s maps. We are hopeful that the Attorney General and his team will be able to demonstrate to the Court the necessity of throwing out the panel’s maps. Further, we hope the Court will either restore the original district lines of the Legislature, or at the very least, make revisions to the district court panel’s maps which are more in tune with the legislative intent. We do not have information at this time as to what effect, if any, the Court’s stay will have on the filing period or primary dates. As soon as we receive further instruction from the Court, we will advise the public.”
A statement from the Texas Attorney General’s office, which challenged the court-drawn maps on behalf of the state:
“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Texas’ request for a stay of the interim redistricting plans imposed by a federal district court for the Texas Senate, Texas House of Representatives and U.S. House of Representatives. The Supreme Court’s decision means that, for now, elections will not take place using the district court’s interim redistricting plans pending a more thorough review by the High Court. The district court’s interim redistricting plans wholly disregard the will of the Texas Legislature despite the fact that no court has found that the maps drawn by the Legislature violate any law.”
Attorney General Abbott said: “The Texas Attorney General’s Office is committed to protecting the integrity of Texas’ elections by ensuring they are conducted based on legally constructed redistricting maps, and the Supreme Court’s decision today is an important step in that direction. We look forward to presenting oral argument to the Supreme Court on January 9, 2012. We understand the need for speed for Texas voters as well as those who wish to run for office, and will work to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”
A statement from the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, which supported the court-drawn maps:
“This evening MALC received notice that the State of Texas’ application for stay of the San Antonio Federal District Court’s interim maps had been granted by the U.S. Supreme Court, further the Court has set oral argument for January 9, 2012.”
MALC Chairman Trey Martinez Fischer said, “We are deeply concerned about the potential disruption of the 2012 election schedule. While we do not agree on the merit of the State of Texas’ application for stay, we respect the Court’s decision to hear more argument from the litigants. Our resolve remains stronger than ever and our commitment to minority voting rights unwavering. If there ever was a textbook case of Voting Rights Act violations, this is it. We look forward to making our case before the United States Supreme Court.”
Former San Marcos mayor sets sights on Washington
By: Russell Wilde
December 2, 2011
It’s been about a year since former San Marcos mayor Susan Narvaiz presided over a council meeting. Now, her sights are set on something a little more national, the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Maybe the experiences of my life and being a business person and being a small-town mayor would help to bring that average person’s perspective when setting policy in Washington,” Narvaiz said.
In her time as Mayor, she had a reputation for getting things done. She was responsible for the location and construction the San Marcos’ hotel convention center and key transportation projects.
The former mayor says that even though the exact boundaries of the new congressional district are facing legal challenges, she’s determined to run.
“My house and the fact that I’ve lived in District 35 for 15, almost 16, years did not change which is what which is what compelled me to go ahead and file on Monday,” she said.
No matter what the final map looks like, Narvaiz recognizes she’d be the underdog in the general election. For now, she’s focused on winning the republican nomination.
“In voting history, this district is not good for a republican any way you look at it. It’s an uphill battle, but those are the most fun.”
Candidates have until December 12 to file for office. If Narvaiz has a republican challenger, the primary will take place on March 6.
San Marcos Record, San Marcos, TX
November 20, 2011
Narvaiz says she’ll seek GOP nod for Congressional seat
— Former San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz announced on Saturday she will seek the Republican nomination for Congressional District 35.
The district currently includes portions of Travis, Hays, Comal and Bexar counties under a map drawn by the Texas Legislature. A panel of federal judges is in the process of redrawing the maps after challenges that they would deny minority representation.
At a breakfast gathering, Narvaiz said, “Central Texans deserve a leader who will represent the values of families that work hard each day to make ends meet, care for their children and offer them a chance for a bright future.”
The three-term mayor who previously served on the San Marcos City Council and is president and CEO of Core Strategies, went on to say residents of the district “want a United States Representative that understands the America that offers boundless opportunities for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Narvaiz has been active in numerous Central Texas civic and charitable organizations and is a past chair of the Capital Area Council of Governments and the Capital Area Economic Development District. She was recently named a “Champion of Literacy” by the Texas Literacy Coalition and was one of five national finalists for the 2008 National League of Cities “Women in Government Leadership Award.” She was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the state’s Unfunded Mandates Task Force.
A native of Ohio, Narvaiz was raised in a military family and moved to San Antonio when she was young. She moved to San Marcos in 1995 and is married to Mike Narvaiz.
Former San Marcos mayor Susan Narvaiz to run for Congress
By Tim Eaton | Friday, November 11, 2011, 05:10 PM
Former San Marcos mayor Susan Narvaiz is running for Congress.
Narvaiz, a Republican, sent out invitations recently for an official kickoff breakfast on Nov. 19 from 8 a.m. to 10 .am. at 101 Thermon Drive in San Marcos.
Narvaiz didn’t return calls, but she could run in the proposed Congressional District 35 -
the same district that U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and state Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, are campaigning in to be the Democratic nominee.
A federal court in San Antonio will be releasing re-drawn district maps in the coming days, and if the court preserves the Legislature’s vision of district, it will be largely Hispanic and Democratic.
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