Susan has an alternate definition for “conservative” on her website today (can’t say it’s a blog because it ain’t a blog). Quoting Evelyn Burleson, Calhoun County Democratic Party Chair: “Conservative is just a political justification for being stingy”.
Well, Roy Morales, Melissa Noriega’s opponent in the Houston City Council At Large Position 3 seat (aka The Shelley Schulla Gibbons Memorial Seat), is a fiscal conservative, making him stingy with his 2005 campaign funds.
Miya Shay’s KTRK political blog today has a story out that Roy Morales owes Michael P. Franks’ Texas GOP Store a grand total of $5375.76 in charges for political signs that he ordered. Go here and here to look at page one of each of the two small claims court suits filed by Republican Michael Franks against Republican Roy Morales. Miya’s totals show “$1,700 worth of signs” and I am assuming that was Franks’ out-of-pocket expenses for production of the signs.
The second of the two suits alleges a broken promise made to Franks, promising additional business to his company. Well, that didn’t happen to any great extent. Morales’ campaign paid Franks’ company $2178.46 for new business in this election cycle, in comparison to spending a whopping $15,343.79 alone at another printing company, Business Extension Bureau.
Morales didn’t have much of a good reason for not paying Franks what he owed him. His campaign didn’t run out of money. Look at the 3 campaign finance filings in the ’05 election. Now I am no accountant by any stretch of the imagination, but his total campaign contributions were around $32,130 and he loaned himself $28,300. So he had a total of $60,445 out of which he spent $54,230. Leaving a grand total of $6,215. This more than covers the $5375.76 that Franks says he is owed by Morales.
Republicans suing Republicans. Sounds familiar. Where have I heard that expression before?
So, Roy Morales is a Republican, a self-described fiscally conservative Republican at that. Does this send a message to those living in the City of Houston in a new context?
Fiscally stingy Republican.
If you want one thing in a city council member it’s someone you can trust. Someone who pays their debts. Not someone who freeloads on Houston businesses, promising them “I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today”.
I just don’t trust Roy Morales and this little exposé clearly shows me why. But why, I ask, didn’t I trust Roy Morales before this story broke? Well, it’s a little quirk of mine and I have to stop doing this.
I’ve never trusted people who smile with their both their top and bottom teeth.
The runoff election is this coming June 16th.
Vote for the lady with the nice smile.
Well, Roy Morales, Melissa Noriega’s opponent in the Houston City Council At Large Position 3 seat (aka The Shelley Schulla Gibbons Memorial Seat), is a fiscal conservative, making him stingy with his 2005 campaign funds.
Miya Shay’s KTRK political blog today has a story out that Roy Morales owes Michael P. Franks’ Texas GOP Store a grand total of $5375.76 in charges for political signs that he ordered. Go here and here to look at page one of each of the two small claims court suits filed by Republican Michael Franks against Republican Roy Morales. Miya’s totals show “$1,700 worth of signs” and I am assuming that was Franks’ out-of-pocket expenses for production of the signs.
The second of the two suits alleges a broken promise made to Franks, promising additional business to his company. Well, that didn’t happen to any great extent. Morales’ campaign paid Franks’ company $2178.46 for new business in this election cycle, in comparison to spending a whopping $15,343.79 alone at another printing company, Business Extension Bureau.
Morales didn’t have much of a good reason for not paying Franks what he owed him. His campaign didn’t run out of money. Look at the 3 campaign finance filings in the ’05 election. Now I am no accountant by any stretch of the imagination, but his total campaign contributions were around $32,130 and he loaned himself $28,300. So he had a total of $60,445 out of which he spent $54,230. Leaving a grand total of $6,215. This more than covers the $5375.76 that Franks says he is owed by Morales.
Republicans suing Republicans. Sounds familiar. Where have I heard that expression before?
So, Roy Morales is a Republican, a self-described fiscally conservative Republican at that. Does this send a message to those living in the City of Houston in a new context?
Fiscally stingy Republican.
If you want one thing in a city council member it’s someone you can trust. Someone who pays their debts. Not someone who freeloads on Houston businesses, promising them “I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today”.
I just don’t trust Roy Morales and this little exposé clearly shows me why. But why, I ask, didn’t I trust Roy Morales before this story broke? Well, it’s a little quirk of mine and I have to stop doing this.I’ve never trusted people who smile with their both their top and bottom teeth.
The runoff election is this coming June 16th.
Vote for the lady with the nice smile.
3 comments:
Roy Morales was in the hole to the tune of almost $50,000 at the end of his last campaign (2005):
http://www.houstontx.gov/council/reports2006.html
That's what I thought. I'm not an accountant by any stretch of the imagination so when I read his financial reports I don't know whether I am looking at report period figures or cumulative ones.
It's interesting to note that between January 15, 2007 and April 12, 2007, about $37,000 in campaign debt magically disappeared. He might say that it was a different campaign, but campaigns cannot get closed out without a zero balance, and campaign debt cannot be "forgiven" without it being reflected as a campaign contribution. So where did it go?
The contribution period for Morales' 2005 race closed in February 2006, and he accepted $10,000 illegally from Bob Perry and his wife in November 2006 (which went straight into Morales' pocket).
Morales' most recent finance report shows $1,500 in campaign debt, but doesn't show any loans to substantiate that debt being on the books. Is it possible Morales is skimming campaign funds through bogus "debt?"
The bottom line is that his numbers don't seem to add up. If he can't manage his own campaign finances ethically and properly, how can we trust him with a $3.8 billion city budget?
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