For David E. Cozad running for Congress is about looking out for his grandchildren and their generation, it's about standing up for working families and retirees who have spent their entire lifetimes working to make this nation better and about caring for our service men and women who have served our country.
It's about investing in people, in education, in healthcare, and seeing that our Federal Policies make sense. Sound environmental and workplace practices makes good business sense to Cozad. Education, innovation, implementation with research and development are key to creating and keeping jobs here.
Cozad says that our tax code works against us when it allows American corporations to move their HQ offshore to avoid paying taxes, and encourages offshore manufacturing instead of investment in the American workforce. For decades our tax code and international trade agreements have encouraged profit taking at the expense of domestic business investment. It's too easy to export capital and spend human resource dollars abroad instead of here in the USA. American ingenuity develops new technologies and companies ship the specs overseas for manufacturing and lose control of patents that should be creating good paying jobs here.
Seems like it's "tilting at windmills" to launch a U.S. Congressional Race on at filing deadline and with no war chest. This race is about Texans deserving better than we are are getting from the men and women who are suppose to represent us in Washington.
This race isn't so much about Barton as this race is about the people; It's especially about the children - and our generation not "using everything up". David E. Cozad says: "I'm running for Congress again against Joe Barton because it is too important not to."
For Cozad it is about what life will be for his grandchildren and their generation. Short-term solutions at the expense of the children is not acceptable. For his staff, where David is on the issues and where the incumbent isn't is what is is about.
David E. Cozad makes lots of sense when he talks to women about pay. He's seen his wife graduate with a degree in Architecture and not get hired because they were only hiring men. He knows his daughters' generation is still underpaid compared to men doing the same job. He knows that Pay Day Fairness should not be a partisan issue, but it is. David Cozad would have voted with those in the House of Representatives who supported Pay Day Fairness. That means he'd have stood against every member of the GOP Texas Delegation. Every Republican member of the House voted for women to continue getting paid less than men for doing the same job.
In Texas this year's Governor's race reflects why we need Pay Day Fairness passed and enforced on the Federal level.
Republican Greg Abbott demonstrates why the Federal Law is necessary. Women in the Texas Attorney General's office under Greg Abbott get paid 21% less than men with the same qualifications doing the same job. This is perfectly fine with Mr. Abbott. It is not "fine" with me, and it is not "fine" with Wendy Davis, and it is not "fine" with Congressman Marc Veasey. It was not "fine" with any Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 9, 2014 when they voted for Pay Day Fairness. Only the Republicans think it is 'Fine". Only the Republicans voted to keep women getting shortchanged on pay day.
There was a 40% difference between what this author was paid and what a male new-hire with my same education and less newspaper experience received when we went to work at Harte-Hanks Communication in 1972. In 42 years only seeing a 13% improvement doesn't seem like acceptable progress to me! I don't understand why any intelligent professional woman can vote Republican when every man and woman in the GOP in the US House and Senate votes to keep women working for less than men! Pay Day Fairness should not be a partisan issue. The GOP makes it partisan by continuing to do the WRONG THING BY WOMEN.
Only the Republicans think it is "fine" for hardworking Americans to not know what others are getting paid in the same company for doing the same work. Only the Republicans think it is "fine" to keep people in the dark about how fair their employer is to them and others at their workplace. Only the Republicans think knowing how much others doing the same job you are doing at your place of employment are paid in comparison to you is "just cause" for getting fired!
David E. Cozad understand that PAY DAY FAIRNESS IS MORE THAN JUST A WOMAN'S ISSUE. Men and Women deserved to know if they are being treated fairly at work. Everyone deserves enough information to make intelligent decisions about where you work and how much you are worth on the job market. No one deserves to be FIRED for knowing what a new hire doing your same job is paid in comparison to your pay! David's understanding is probably why the AFGE and AFL-CIO of Texas found David Cozad "credible enough" to endorse for US Congress over incumbent Joe Barton, despite Joe's hefty war chest and David's slim one!
Pay Day Fairness did not pass the House. There were not enough votes to defeat the Republicans. David E. Cozad knows that it is WRONG to fire someone for acquiring information necessary to make sound judgements about where you work and how much you are worth in the marketplace. The Dallas Morning News says Joe Barton's challenger isn't "ready", that his campaign isn't "credible" enough for the DMN Editorial Board. However, those who hear what he says and know him find him credible. The DMN Editorial Board may not be ready for him to defeat Joe Barton, but lots of other people are ready. We are more than ready. Personally, I'm past "ready!" Sure it would be nice to have someone younger, someone with more money who was as intelligent as Cozad to challenge Joe. David tried to recruit others to challenge Barton. Finally other people recruited David. He's who we've got. He's smart. He's educated. He is rich in life experience. He has integrity. He'll do a much better job for the people of the Sixth District than Joe Barton. This is a race where folks need to weigh what is really credible? Is it merely money or is it character and intelligence? If it's only money, then the DMN Editorial Board may have it right. If it is the latter, then they missed the mark.
What lacks credibility to me is when journalist at one of our nation's leading daily newspapers don't call-out an incumbent Congressman who says we no longer need the minimum wage because "no bread winner works for minimum wage these days" (Joe Barton at Sept. 2014 Town Hall Meeting). Surely they've seen the MSNBC poll which shows that
These Texans found David E. Cozad Credible. Some are labor union members. Others are Veterans. Many are school teachers. Some are bankers, business owners, white and blue collar workers. It includes working men and women, retirees, students. They are part of traditional families, blended families, families with two dads or two mothers or from single-parent households. Many are working more than one minimum wage job to get by.
They are women. Black Women. White Women. Latina Women. Asian Women. They are young. They are middle-aged. They are young. They include business women and school teachers, business owners, attorney's and stay-at-home mom's. Some are Veterans.
Maria Luisa Alvarado, the first woman crew chief to lead a team which serviced the Stealth Bomber and returned to civilian life championing veterans services finds David E. Cozad more "credible" than Joe Barton. She was a surrogate speaker for Cozad at Issue Caucuses at the Democratic State Convention in Dallas. Personally, I trust Maria Luisa's judgement more than the DMN's Editorial Board. Maybe my years working for newspaper chains and my years in the political trenches "clouds" my judgement, but I don't think it clouds Maria's. Maria Luisa places Veteran's issues high on her list of priorities. After traveling the state when she was the Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor a few years ago, Maria Luisa returned to college and finished another degree. Now she focuses on veterans issues. She knows that David E. Cozad understands war cost more than just what is spent to fight. It cost families and the men and women who serve while they are deployed and when they return home.
Joe Barton voted to cut the Veteran's Budget when our soldiers were returning home injured. Joe Barton has has 30+ years in Congress and he hasn't "fixed" what is broken in the Veteran's Administration or the VA Hospital.
Instead of voting to appropriate the resources necessary to care for more veterans needing services than ever before, Joe voted to cut services. Barton stood with others who voted to CUT SERVICES for photo ops complaining about the Obama Administration while they shirked their responsibility to care for our Veterans. Joe Barton failed Texas Veterans long before President Obama was elected to office. He's still failing America's veterans and active duty service men and women.
David E. Cozad is from a military family. He grew up on or near military bases in Europe and the US. His dad was 32-year Army enlisted. David is a former Marine Corps officer. David isn't "into photo ops." He's into problem-solving. He knows that we have to match the appropriations with the need. Voting to go to war without voting to pay for medical services for the men and women who serve is just "not being credible."
LABOR ENDORSEMENTS:
Usually the Active Federal Government Employees tend to lean to the Republican side with their endorsements. This year they did not endorse Joe Barton. AFGE did not endorse Ted Cruz. They did not endorse Kay Granger. They did not endorse any U.S. Congressman or Congresswoman from Texas who is Republican. They looked at the votes. They listened to what they said. Instead they endorsed the Democratic incumbents and selected three challengers. David E. Cozad is one of the three challenger that the national legislative team of the AFGE found credible. Louie Minor, Wesley Reed and David E. Cozad are the three non-incumbents running for U.S. Congress in Texas that the Active Federal Government Employees decided are the best people to elect to Congress. Personally I trust the judgement of the AFGE more than a handful of reporters at the Dallas Morning News.
The things that Joe Barton says is probably one of the reasons the Texas AFL-CIO COPE, Tarrant County AFL-CIO COPE and Henderson-Navarro AFL-CIO COPE endorsed David E. Cozad and seven other non-incumbent Texas Congressional Challengers.
IT'S ABOUT THE MATH:
Much of Politics is about the math. David E. Cozad understands math. He has degrees in Math, Physics, Software Engineering; He has a teaching certificate and taught HS math. He even has a minor in accounting. When it comes down to what policies get enacted and what gets funded, it comes down to the math.
Without $300M in the bank when you file for US Congress, the DCCC doesn't support you. They don't even list you as a candidate on their website. None of the non-incumbent Democratic Congressional Nominees are targeted by the DCCC this year as "red to blue" districts. Despite the necessity of retaking the house, Democrats in Texas are totally on our own in fighting to claim Congressional seats from Republicans. Money goes out of Texas but much less comes back in! That is not something new. Texas has always been a ripe hunting ground for national candidates running for office. However this year the money that flows to Texas Congressional Challengers who are not incumbents is pathetic. Federal candidates are limited to $2600 per donor and $5000 per PAC. Small donor who give from $5 to $200 comprises at least 80% of Cozad's donor base. Unlike most Congressional campaigns which only acknowledge donors of $100 or more, on-line donors to the Cozad for Congress Campaign Committee giving as little as $5 receive an e-mail telling them how many voters they can reach with that donation.
RUNNING A CAMPAIGN THAT GIVES THE BIGGEST BANG FOR EACH BUCK:
The campaign stretches each dime and maximizes the reach by producing most graphics, copy and research in-house. The candidate and his chief of staff have experience with prior campaigns against Barton. Key staffers work full-time volunteering their time and give money to the campaign. They are passionate about the issues. They understood the differences between the incumbent and the Democratic Nominee before he filed and urged him to run. Roots in the district include former campaign staffers of Martin Frost. The team is heavy in Hillary Clinton supporters. When the Ready for Hillary Super Pac asked the campaign's Chief of Staff to help them secure and staff a booth at the Texas State Democratic Convention, David Cozad said: "We have to do it. It's too important not to see it gets done." Cozad himself hauled the supplies and helped set-up and tear-down the booth. The Ready for Hillary booth was beside the Cozad for Congress booth and they took photo of delegates supporting Hillary for President and Cozad for Congress to tweet from the Convention.
Helping Hillary isn't the only priority of the team. Cynthia Toodle for Tarrant District Clerk, Gwinda Burns for Judge, Leon Reed, Jr. for Judge, Gregory Perry for Texas Senate 9, Libby Willis for Texas Senate 10, Cole Ballweg for Texas House, Sandra Lee for JP and Kenneth Sanders for County Commissioner are candidates they frequently invite to share the podium at campaign rallies and events. Steve Brown for Rail Road Commissioner. ner and Sam Houston for Attorney General are both favorites of Cozad and his team. They work hard not to distract from Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte in their races.
Each campaign runs its own race, but no campaign will win in a vacuum.
Other than statewide candidates, David is the only Democrat that will be on November's ballot in Navarro County. There is a Democratic County Commissioner Candidate and Cozad on the ballot in Ellis. Until last month there was no Democratic County Executive Committee in Navarro and no precinct chairs. David took his team to Navarro to help the new County Chair Linda Mertz recruit and train Democratic Precinct Chairs. Seven new precinct chairs were sworn in and a County Executive Committee formed in Navarro in September.
Even though David Cozad did not intend to run for Congress in 2014, once in the race he set to work building the infrastructure for a successful race. Whatever the outcome in November, "I'm in this race through 2016" he says. "I'll either be running for re-election or I'll be prepared to win the seat in 2016." The Texas 6th US Congressional District used to run from the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex to College Station. Now it is much more compact. It includes all of Arlington which is not in the US Congressional 33rd (Marc Vesey's district), Meadowbrook, Hanley and some of far South East Fort Worth. It also includes Mansfield, Crowley and part of Grand Prairie which is in Tarrant County. All of Ellis and Navarro Counties are in the US TX-6th.
Without a million dollar war chest it is hard to show people what you are about. This year Cozad for Congress has made strides in that direction. When he ran in 2010, he was known only as the "guy who is running against Joe Barton." This year in addition to getting the word out about the necessity of converting to renewable energy, Cozad is recognized for sound labor policies, standing up for senior citizens and veterans, and fighting for the 47% who have already paid into the system and deserve to be treated fairly. He's the candidate who will solve problems instead of wasting taxpayers' money with governmental shut-downs and grandstanding. He's the former Marine Officer who sees obstruction which blocks America's legislative process as anarchy not heroism.
He's the former school teacher and dad who supports teachers in the classroom. He knows that education is the foundation for our Democracy and for our Economy. He knows that teachers need a decent salary and solid retirement and that keeping the best teachers in the classroom is essential to the stability of our nation.
Cozad's a problem-solver. He can think inside and outside the box. He understands development and implementation. He's the software engineer who led the team which developed the first cell phone with voice mail, text messaging and paging capability. He knows that it is necessary not only for Americans to create new breaking-edge technology; it is also essential that we safeguard the patents so that our next generation of American workers can have good jobs, afford to buy homes and send their children to college.
He's the Congressional Candidate who opposes tax inversions and knows that international businesses rely on services paid for by the American taxpayers. It's not fair to transfer the burden for paying for those services to small business owners and to middle income taxpayers while corporations move their headquarters, their profits and American jobs offshore!
He's the Texan who doesn't apologize for prioritizing what is best for American retirees and veterans over what is important to Chinese bankers. He's the American who was incensed to hear incumbent Joe Barton say that 'defaulting on the national debt isn't that serious... we can pay the Chinese banks their interest and wait to pay those on Social Security and Veterans."
David Cozad's the guy who says "No!" to lifting the ban on exporting our crude oil. Joe Barton claims lifting the ban will cause the price we pay for gasoline to go down but David Cozad knows Joe is wrong! Selling our West Texas Intermediate Crude on the World Market will force Texas refineries to pay higher prices for crude and that means the price Texans pay for gasoline and everything shipped or manufactured or stored using petroleum products will go up!
Cozad's the man who demands that OSHA and the EPA be equipped to do their jobs because it is good for business to avoid accidents and disasters!
This Saturday at UT Arlington, David E. Cozad will debate Hugh Chauvin, the Libertarian in the race. Congressman Barton has neither accepted nor refused the invitation of the students hosting the debate.
It's only four days until the debate and Congressman Barton still has not responded yes or no to the Student Organizing Committee. UT Arlington is second only to UT Austin in enrollment in the UT System. More students and faculty and staff study and work at UTA than at any place in the US Congressional 6 District. Both the Democrat and the Libertarian responded immediately to the invitation from the students organizing the debate. They are still waiting for a reply from Congressman Barton.
The debate will go on with or without the incumbent Congressman. If he doesn't show, the questions will be phrased to indicate his voting history or public statements on issues. However, it would be better for the Congressman to show up and answer for himself.
The US Congressional 6 Debate will be broadcast over Tejano Gold Radio and UTA Radio. Please come to the debate and share these links with your friends. They can tune-in on-line or by their cell phones using these links
UTA RADIO:
http://www.iheart.com/...
TEJANO GOLD RADIO:
http://www.ustream.tv/...
To contribute to Cozad for Congress: https://secure.actblue.com/...