Hey Texas DUers...State party convention

[VelmaD]

So, who got elected yesterday to be a delegate to the State convention?

At least 3 of us did here in Austin (me, NoPasaran, and sonias). We definitely need to all get together in Houston and have a little "caucus". ;-)

[bearfan454]

1. I wish I could go.

When is it ?

[VelmaD]

2. Sorry you couldn't do the delegate thing

The convention is sometime in June...I wanta say the 18th and 19th.

[TexasDem]

3. Houston here I come

I will be there and as it stands sharing a hotel room with 5 other women from our Dallas 16th Senate convention. Anybody from Houston here that can recommend which Hotel to stay at that is walking distance to Convention center? We are thinking suite (it's got to have at least 2 bathrooms)

And YES!!!!!!!!!! we must plan to meet for a mini caucus. Put me on that list!!!

[VelmaD]

4. Kewl

I can think of a few DUers you might wanta PM about the hotel thing. Try Txlib, flush_bush, or PDittie. They're all from Houston.

Can't wait to meet you there.

[Gman]

29. Before you make hotel reservations...

wait. The state party makes arrangements to house SD delegations. You'll get a packet in the mail sometime in the next few weeks giving you the details.

Unfortunately for some, those hotel arrangements may end up putting you in a $100 a nite Four Seasons. The idea, at least, is to have everyone together as much as possible so you can caucus when you need to. The good news is you can put as many in a room as you can fit! And I've slept on plenty of floors at the state convention!

[Gman]

30. Never mind

I wanted to post a new reply to Velma.

[VelmaD]

31. Well, by caucus we mostly meant...

going somewhere and getting hammered. :)

But we could really really caucus too I suppose and see if there's anything we wanta try to push through the convention. I know that several of us will also be at the Progressive Populist caucus.

[TexasDem]

5. Martin Frost's District is in our Caucus

Martin Frost spoke to our group yesterday. He's smokin and we are all motivated to get out the dem vote in his district. Turns this new district is 50% minority and includes a large portion of an area he represented prior to the last time they redistricted. While I miss being in his district by a few blocks, the good news is I'm now in Eddie Bernice Johnson's district. Still I will be helping the ground troops.

Keeping Martin in the congress is good for all Texans and America!!

[VelmaD]

6. My best friend is your nieghbor...

he's over in the 23rd, which also includes Martin's district.

Too bad you aren't in Martin's district but Eddie Bernice is ok too. :-)

[corporatewhore]

7. I am going to houston from austin as well t

[VelmaD]

8. Darn shame we didn't run into you yesterday

I told Sonia she should have grabbed the mic and announced where the local DUers were going for dinner. Yes, the sonia who was elected one of the convention secretaries was our own sonias. :-)

[BlueCollar]

9. I'll be there

from the 12th district...haven't made arrangements for the hotel yet...but I think we should make our presence known...:-)

[VelmaD]

10. Excellent

Wow. We're starting to have enough delegates to make a little noise.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

11. My sister is going...

from Denton County. She is just about all alone up there, deep in GOP country.

I know she would love to meet up with some kindred spirits in Houston. :)

I'll PM you.

[VelmaD]

12. Got yer PM

and sent one back. Tell her to come on along. The more the merrier. :-)

Bwahahahaha we can have fun corrupting her. :evilgrin:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

13. She's NEEDS....

corrupting! Big time. ;)

Thanks!

[VelmaD]

14. We'll see what we can do...

about turning her to the dark side and making an evil DUer out of her. :evilgrin:

[Lisa0825]

15. I'll be a delegate too! I don't have far to go for state!

I live in Galveston County. I'd love to get together with some DUers!:-)

[VelmaD]

16. Great!

We're taking over the State party from the inside. Bwahahahahaha

[texasmom]

17. I'm going

from SD 25. We had 174 people at our convention yesterday!
Hope to see y'all there!

[VelmaD]

18. Hey...that's in Travis County

Sonias and NoPasaran were both in 25 as well yesterday. I was in the same room just in SD 14.

Sorry we didn't manage to hook up yesterday.

[texasmom]

19. Yes, it stretches

from Travis Co. down to Bexar. I'm in Bexar. Let's make sure we meet in Houston, though!

[VelmaD]

21. Ah

I forgot how far that district stretched.

Congrats on becoming a delegate. We'll see you in Houston. :-)

[Rex]

20. I hope I can go.

Depends on my courseload in school. I grew up in Houston and would love to 'paint the town' wit my fellow Durs! :)

[VelmaD]

22. If you can make it...

we'd be delighted to have you join us.

[sonias]

23. It pays to do the Lloyd's work on Sundays

Heck that convention secretary thing just fell in my lap. It's a good thing too, since a lot of people from my precinct wanted to go to the state convention. I'm such a newbie I didn't know the convention secretary went by default. Woo hoo. Thank you Kristi Willis, from Llyod Doggett's office who just pulled me off the sign up line.

It was fun doing that the first half of the convention. I could see the whole huge crowd. We were loud and proud. A couple of things I really loved seeing. One was when Chris Elliott asked how many people were there for the first time and the crowd raised their hands. It was overwhelming new people 65%-75% at least new blood. The second thing was during the invocation when the minister made a point in his sermon to ask the good lord to help us take out those who would do us harm (from their jobs of course), the whole crowd erupted with wild applause. Only in Texas. You gotta love a good sermon.

I know of one other DU Austinite that got elected, psyntist was also elected. We're going to have quite the DU crowd and we do need our own DU Caucus. The State convention is June 18th-19th.

The Austin DUers should plan to get together at the next Democratic party meetup in Austin and start planning. There's a meetup on Wednesday the 31st I just don't know the venue yet.

This is going to be fun.

Sonia

[PDittie]

24. Am so impressed with y'all!

While we were out shopping and getting ready for our vacation in a couple of weeks, some of you committed and responsible folks were shaping democracy.

Tip o' the chapeau to ya.

Now then:

The convention is Friday and Saturday, 6/18 and 19, at the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown; the HQ hotel is the Hyatt Regency. They will probably offer delegates a discount rate, but it is still one of Houston's premeire downtown hotels and won't be cheap. If money is no object, then there is (besides the Hyatt) the Hilton Amerícas and the Inn at the Ballpark and the Magnolia and many others downtown.

Back to reality (for most), you have dozens of options along the Metro rail line all the way out to Reliant Park, south of the Texas Medical Center. Good thing: you can jump the train for $1 (one way trip) and save parking fees. Not-so-good thing: you will have to hoof it about five or six blocks in the heat of the summer in H-Town. That means some sweating. Pedi-cabs are supposed to be more prevalent soon, but I've have been downtown several times since the Super Bowl and have only seen them twice.

Check the Radisson Suites, AmeriSuites, Holiday Inn Express and other suites hotels websites if you want a little extra room, a kitchen, etc. Even in the vacation peak season you should be able to find a rate under $100 a night. If that's still too much then PM me for some less expensive options.

I will be delighted to coordinate some extracurricular entertainment as your on-location tour guide. Baseball? Theater? Dining and wining? General carousing? Advise me of your preferences and I'll prepare an itinerary.

Looking forward to seeing all y'all in June.

[VelmaD]

25. Oh I definitely think...

we'll have to get together with the Houston evil-DUers.

[sonias]

26. Damn I thought that was the James Brown convention center they said

I could already hear us singing
"I feel good, I knew that I would
So good, so good, 'cause I got you"

But hey who says we can't have us some funk even at George Brown's convention center.

On hotel rooms we should double up and working things out at the meetups locally would help.

I am up for general carousing or anything the fine Houston DUers recommend when we hit town. It's your city folks show it off to us.

Sonia

[redqueen]

27. Me!

I'll be there as an at-large delegate from the 8th senatorial district. Frost stopped by our convention as well. So glad he's running against Sessions and so looking forward to canvassing for him! (and Lupe Valdez, too!)

Can't wait to meet up with fellow DU'ers! :D

[VelmaD]

28. This is gonna be so much fun

With every new fellow evil-DUer who responsds to this thread my faith that we can rescue democracy is renewed just a little bit more. :)

[Gman]

32. Hi Velma! My wife and I are both delegates

let me know about any caucus you guys want to have. Keep in mind that Friday evening is when your SD will elect its members to the convention committees as well as national delegates, the presidential elector, and SDEC members. My SD, for one, has been at the convention in the past until almost 4 am Saturday morning fighting over things. Many are still there at 10:30 or 11:00 pm. So if there's going to be a caucus, mid-afternoon Friday would probably be best.

[VelmaD]

33. Glad we've got someone with experience

For a lot of the DUers I know who are delegates this is gonna be our first time. Be gentle with us. ;-)

Onc ewe get some sort of schedule about when the SD caucuses are gonna be along with some of the other important caucuses, then maybe we can figure out when us evil-DUers can do our thing. I think a real-live caucus would be fun. We can always do a seperate party to get drunk and loud with some of the local DUers who aren't delegates. :)