Today I sent a letter to the City of Round Rock attorney asking them to change their sign ordinance. The press release is pasted below. As I am quoted below, being a servant leader means ‘going to the mat’ for what’s right. And I’ll do that tirelessly to protect the rights of everyone involved.

STEPHEN CASEY ASKS CITY OF ROUND ROCK TO CORRECT UNCONSTITUTIONAL SIGN ORDINANCE

Round Rock, TX – The Stephen Casey Campaign sent a demand letter today to the City of Round Rock asking them to correct the City’s unconstitutional sign ordinance. The ordinance violates the First Amendment rights of voters and every candidate on the ballot. Many expensive campaign signs have been unconstitutionally removed from their locations at the Kinningham Park polling location based on this flawed city ordinance.

“Being a servant leader means protecting the rights of every citizen and candidate. That is part of the message and duty of servant leadership,” Stephen Casey said. “If it falls on my shoulder, I will do what it takes to protect the rights of Texans under the State and Federal Constitutions and the Texas Election Code.”

Essentially Round Rock Ordinance 3.1413 prohibits posting political signs in a public park. This violates the First Amendment right to place signs at a polling location as long as there are reasonable restrictions. It also violates the Texas Election Code, which requires that voters and candidates be allowed to “electioneer,” which includes posting campaign signs, outside of polling locations.

“What I find most troubling is that this unconstitutional ordinance has been around for more than twenty years,” Casey remarked. “I will fight to protect the rights of all citizens and will ‘go to the mat’ for those rights. I defended those rights in the military and still defend those rights as an attorney every day.” Casey invites any candidates whose signs have been removed by the City of Round Rock to join him in this effort.

Stephen Casey served 8 years in the Navy and received his Bachelor of Arts (Double Major-Biblical Studies and History/Political Science) from LeTourneau University, followed by seminary and then law school. He later clerked for Justice Scott Brister of the Supreme Court of Texas. He currently runs his law practice out of his home. He is married and has 5 children.

***For Press Inquiries please contact Santiago Betancourt at 512.731.5958***

Dear Faithful Supporters,

What follows is a list of primary voting locations in Williamson County.  Early voting started today!  Please vote Stephen Casey in the primary for State Representative –  Servant Leadership for District 52; “How Can I Serve You?”

Very truly yours,

Stephen

Dates & Times for Full-time Locations:
Tues, Feb 16 through Sat, Feb 20    8am-6pm
Sun, Feb 21   12pm to 6pm
Mon, Feb 22 through Fri, Feb 26    7am to 7pm

Full-time Main Location:

Williamson County Inner Loop Annex
301 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown, TX

Full-time Branch Locations:

Anderson Mill Limited District
11500 El Salido Pkwy, Austin, TX

Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center*
5800 McNeil Dr, Austin, TX

Parks & Recreation Admin Bldg
1101 N College St., Georgetown, TX

Hutto City Hall
401 W. Front St., Hutto, TX

Brushy Creek Community Center
16318 Great Oaks Dr., Round Rock, TX

Kinningham Park
1000 South Creek Dr., Round Rock, TX

McConico Building
301 W Bagdad St., Round Rock, TX

Taylor City Hall
400 Porter St., Taylor, TX

*Please note, RRISD Performing Arts Center will NOT have Sunday Voting, all other times are the same as noted above.

Mobile Temporary Locations:
Hours 10am to 6pm except for Sunday 12pm to 6pm*

Tues Feb 16  Round Rock Higher Education Center
1555 University Blvd., Round Rock, TX

Sun Feb 21* Seton Medical Center Williamson
201 Seton Pkwy, Round Rock, TX

Wed Feb 24 Thrall Volunteer Fire Dept
201 S Main St, Thrall, TX

Thurs Feb 25 Jonah Community Center
40 CR 126, Georgetown, TX

The difference in Servant Leadership (my campaign) and Political Management (the rest) was made clear last night in response to a question that seems minor to the general voter: redistricting.  Why?  Here’s the background…

Every 10-year census provides a chance for the state to redraw the lines that decide our district boundaries.  What many Republicans and Democrats have always done is draw the lines so that they (1) enclose regions with a majority of their supporters to strengthen their party’s votes, and (2) divide regions with a majority of the other party to dilute the other party’s votes.  Also, they ensure a strong incumbent is placed in those majority regions.  The response to the question last night showed this mentality: “We want to draw these lines to ensure a Republican majority.”

This flies in the face of what we know about human nature.  Even if you have 5 Republicans and 5 Democrats in a room, what do you have?  10 people with a fallen nature.  10 people who will have a conflict of interest in drawing “fair” lines.  It is childishly silly and immature to suggest otherwise.  Our human nature is cemented to our face, so we can’t escape it.

How does this effect voter turnout?  It means that in a district drawn under our current system, since it’s drawn to favor one party over another, we usually have the representative decided during the primary.  General election voter turnout is very low.  Why?  Because the general election voter is led to think, “Well, this is drawn to be a [insert party name here] district, so my vote really doesn’t matter.”  This leads to very few true “swing” districts and the candidates tend to favor what is best for party above people.

It’s like trying to determine the jury verdict at jury selection! That doesn’t help the case between the plaintiff and defendant, and in the voting context, it kills voter turnout.  And political feedback, the life-blood of a republic, is strangled because people have little choice in parties and candidates.

How do we fix this?  Go to the Iowa plan.  A detailed version can be found here.  The guidelines of the plan are far different from the “let’s draw the line to favor [insert your party]’s candidates.”  The major factors are:

• Respect for existing political subdivisions – essentially this means that counties and other areas such as city/community boundaries should be respected as much as possible.  No splitting towns in thirds and such.
• Contiguous – this means that the areas should be near each other and not look like what we currently have–districts that look like they were drawn by a squirrel after drinking 5 expressos.
• Compactness – the shapes should reflect “a square, rectangle, or hexagon” as much as possible.

What is the Iowa plan prevented from knowing and not permitted to take into account?  Glad you asked, because it ignores all those things that people use to hold onto power (political management)!  Here’s the list:

• It ignores favoring any political party!  That means your vote actually counts!  The “jury” so-to-speak, isn’t chosen at jury selection.  Result: voters become empowered and voter turnout is high.  Iowa and other states who redistrict like it have high voter turnout.  Texas is 49th in voter turnout, Iowa is 12th!
• It ignores where incumbent legislators live!  Remember the quote by Scott Brown, “it’s not Kennedy’s seat, or the Democrat’s seat; it’s the peoples’ seat.”  That’s the mindset.  It means that you can’t get in office on the coattails of high-school(ish) popularity, but by actually serving the people.
• It ignores diluting or strengthening a racial block!  If we are going to truly be color-blind, then let’s vote like it.  We have a minority President, so let’s not just say we’re color-blind; let’s walk the talk.

And it comes out looking like a sheet of graph paper instead of the snaking, curving, wandering lines that we typically have (the squirrel on expresso).

Why hasn’t it been adopted until now?  Two reasons.  (1) Power versus principle, and (2) the Voting Rights Act.

Power versus principle. Our Founders were very clear that there was an automatic “winnowing” process for bad ideas.  In other words, bad ideas have a mechanism or way that they are made obsolete: time.  Over time bad ideas won’t work.  For example, if every time I buy a car I put sugar in the gas tank, but every time my neighbor buys a car he puts gasoline in the gas tank, I’ll never get my car to run and he will.  Pretty soon either I’ll get smart and put in gasoline or stop buying cars.  Either way, my bad idea won’t give the results the good idea will.

If conservatives (and I am one–but here I’m having to act like the conservative conscience) truly believe in the longevity and truth of conservative principles (private property, the free market, the rule of law, and inalienable rights), then we’ll not just say that they are true.  We’ll put them on the line and rest in them.  If the majority of the nation, as the polls say, is conservative, then let’s redistrict and allow those principles to stand the test of time.  Liberals have the same opportunity as well.  But it is the desire to hold onto political power and be political managers, rather than servants of the people, that causes us to abandon principle in favor of power.

The Voting Rights Act. In the 1960’s the result from decades of Jim Crow laws caused the federal government to pass strict controls on district drawing so that whites wouldn’t draw their district and disenfranchise minority voters.  It continued in many areas.  The time has come to challenge it.  In fact, here in Austin, it was just made invalid with respect to a local utility district.  We have elected an ethnically-minority president, so I think it is about time we challenge the rest of the Act.  Instead of living in fear of a challenge, get rid of it because it is ceasing to apply.  Let’s get past the racial division and be a unified people looking for the best servant leader rather than than stand in fear of legislation that has already run its course.

The bottom line: Are we going to be servants of the people or political managers?  Are we going to choose the candidate, which here in HD 52 is decided with around ,5000 primary voters, for the 100,000+ voters in the district?  We’re a swing district now only because last time 6% of the issues-based voters went for a libertarian candidate.  But this is a rarity.  Look at the pundits talking about the swing districts and hear what they’re not saying….  Despite the 150 Texas House seats there are only 15-20 where there is any real question who will win.  Why? Power.  We’ve been dishonest with ourselves and disempowered the general election voter.  This is tragic.  We need the emotional and intellectual maturity and honesty to recognize our own human nature before we can begin to serve others.

Why does this bother me?  First, when this campaign began, I didn’t have a platform until walking the district and getting, from the voters themselves, what was important to them.  They should be first, not us.  Representatives tend to ignore the issues of voters and focus on the most important party issues, which are not bad, but secondary to the voters.

Second, this last week I received several emails and direct words from organizations who said, “We like your position and your take on the issues, but we think candidate “X” is more electable so we’re endorsing candidate “X”.”  We sat through the same interviews, and I never had the groups say, “I disagree with you.”  While these are definitely a personal let-down, more important is what that says about conservative groups: they believe the ends justifies the means, a pragmatic approach to political power (not conservative at all), rather than principle.

With the primary system we have now, those endorsements are less about the issues and more about wanting to be on the the side of winning (political management) than on the side of serving (servant leadership) and it stems from, in part, how we draw our districts.

It’s about Servant Leadership versus Political Management; we need the former.

Very truly yours,

Stephen Casey

Servant Leadership for District 52; “How Can I Serve You?”

If these last few months have shown us anything, its that people are shouting out across the nation for servant leadership, not management.  Why?

The two seem the same, but are in fact very different.  Management is a role in which people make decisions for you based on their ideas.  Servant Leadership is a role in which you are empowered to decide for yourself.  Management wants results no matter what the cost.  Servant Leadership stakes itself on the principles knowing that following principles will naturally lead to results.

Why was Scott Brown elected in Massachusetts?  Because people were rejected having their decisions made for them.  Why is Marco Rubio leading Charlie Crist in Florida?  Because Crist is part of a management mentality (results trump principle); Rubio is part of a leadership mentality (principles naturally lead to results)

Think about it like this: conservatives all say that they are led by principles.  So if I look at a chair, for example, I can say all day long that I believe in it and it will hold me up.  But until I sit in it and pick up my feet, I haven’t “put it on the line.”

Let’s bring it home to the HD 52 race and the biggest issue in this race: property tax.

Principle: Human nature is fallen, so objective and fair taxes are better than subjective and unequal taxes.

Property Tax–The property tax is subject to an appraisal, a subjective “guess” as to the value of a home or business.  A sales tax is straight-forward: percentage of cost.

When we stake ourselves to that fundamental principle and believe in its results by “picking up our feet,” we find out that:

1. It creates jobs.  By eliminating property tax overhead, businesses hire more people.
2. It protects families.  People with low or fixed incomes won’t be taxed out of their homes, especially if they are right before retirement.
3. It creates housing opportunities.  It makes rental housing cheaper because the property tax is not passed along; therefore, more people will move to Texas both to buy and to rent.
4. It keeps government appraisal boards accountable (by removing them).  Less people will be able to skirt taxes by a lack of transparency in the appraisal process; it’s fair.
5. It doesn’t oppress the poor.  We don’t tax necessities.
6. It makes owning a home less of a hurdle.  Home ownership increases.
7. It rewards good decision-making.  It doesn’t punish people who save, work hard, and then buy a lot of land or a large home.  This particularly protects agricultural areas with large amounts of farmland.
8. It builds the economy.  Business will move here rather than leave here because they can operate with less overhead in the absence of a property tax.
9. It saves individual taxpayers money!  You will never see your sales tax increase the same amount you pay in property tax; the overall tax burden per person goes down and you have more in your pocket to do with what you want at the end of the year.
10. It saves the group of taxpayers money!  The administrative costs are far less so your tax burden goes down.

Several people have said, “But won’t the transition be unknown?”  Over 200 years ago our Founders did the same thing.  They wrote a document called the Declaration of Independence, which also inspired the founders of Texas (see my blog post on Lorenzo de Zavala here).  It was a document of principles.  The Constitution hadn’t been drafted yet (the nuts and bolts of those principles), but they wrote that upon those principles, they pledged “to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

Do we believe enough in limited government, the free market, the fallen nature of man, private property, the rule of law, and our inalienable rights enough to make this change?  The Declaration of Independence was a document of principles from which they launched forward, creating something entirely new.  And we’re a leg up with the sales tax.  We have the evidence of the sales tax working better. Are we willing to be as brave?  Will we just talk about how we believe the chair will hold us, or will we sit in the chair?  Will we “put it on the line?”  It’s a case of servant leadership, which will stake itself to principles, versus political management, which won’t.  We need the former.

Please vote on March 2nd for Stephen Casey.  Servant Leadership for District 52.  “How Can I Serve You?”

Very truly yours,

Stephen

We watched a sea change tonight.  At the core of that change is servant leadership.  Scott Brown, the newly elected senator from Massachusetts, campaigned with the them “What can Brown do for you?”  Voters responded.  Why?  Because at the heart of our political system is the word “service.”  Government exists to serve us and not the other way around.

That’s the same atmosphere sweeping across the nation.  Being a political insider does not matter.  Having a pedigree or fancy history does not matter.   Serving is an opportunity for anyone.  Like Brown said when challenged about having “Kennedy’s seat”, he replied, “It’s not Kennedy’s seat, not the Democrats’ seat; it’s the people’s seat.”  When you empower voters, they will respond.

I offered this message again at the Republican Assembly forum tonight, with a strong showing in the straw poll.  Many undecided folks voted for me and let me know that afterwards.  That fact matters most to me, because they came without a vote in mind; the ideas voters have and the method to serve those ideas won out.

I’m excited about those possibilities because from day one, the question to voters from me has been, “How can I serve you?”  And they have responded.  They’ve voiced their concerns, and the future looks bright!  Please continue to support this campaign with your donation of $25 or $59 so that the message of servant leadership, which just changed the face of Massachusetts, can continue in Texas.  Let it happen in HD 52.

Very truly yours,

Stephen

Many thanks to the Central Texas 9-12 Project, Texas Tea Party Patriots, and Common Sense Texans as well as the host, moderator, candidates, and all the folks who attended tonight’s forum.

What a privilege for a brief glimpse of servant leadership doing what it is supposed to do.  Finding out the voters’ concerns and then crafting limited government solutions to those issues makes a true difference in people’s lives.  It breathes new life into our constitutional republic.

My proposals tonight centered on getting government back to serving the people, primarily by following the limited government approach of our Founders.  I presented solutions on property tax relief (by replacing the property tax with a sales tax), reforming education to put parents first (by having open enrollment in school districts statewide and portable funding), and reducing health insurance costs (by ending mandates and shopping across state lines).  These ideas had an unmistakable appeal because they were what voters have asked for.

As a result, my candidacy won the straw poll.  When voters are listened to about what is important to them, the “How Can I Serve You?” model of this campaign, they are put back in charge of their lives and government is reminded that it serves the people and not the other way around.

The vote of confidence in the message of this campaign is inspiring and I continue to look forward to meeting you as I walk the district so that I can find out “How Can I Serve You?”

Very truly yours,

Stephen

As this campaign has progressed, it grows clearer every day how the voters of District 52 need servant leadership.  They are asking for someone to bring their needs forward, not just pass bills.  That “How Can I Serve You?” approach is unique to this campaign.  Just check out the website.  And come by the upcoming forums: (1) today at the Dessau Palms Event Center by the 9-12 Project at 7 pm (link); (2) the 19th at the Wingate High Tech Hall in Round Rock by the Williamson County Republican Assembly at 6:30 pm (link); (3) the 20th at the Texas Oil and Gas Association Building by the Texas Prosperity Project (link); and (4) Feb. 9th at the Williamson County Central Maintenance Facility by Georgetown Christian Home Educators (link).

You need a window into every candidate.  Make no mistake this election.  In 2 years, if you elect someone to simply push bills, you will be in the same situation as today.  But if you elect a servant, your lives will be improved.

So for an unmistakably clear window, go to my Issues page.  It’s “beyond bullet points” that you get from a typical candidate website for a very simple reason: you need more than “Stephen believes…” or “Stephen thinks…”–what a staffer can write about me.  So I wrote it myself.

You need the actual facts about the serious issues that affect voters in District 52, not a simple 3-sentence paragraph about things in the party platform.  It is easy to write bullet points about high-polling “party” issues.  It’s another thing to commit to a direction and be transparent with proven solutions, hyperlinks, and the data to support the ideas.  Why?  Because it’s not about me, it’s about you, the voters; and you deserve better.

Very truly yours,

Stephen

Servant Leadership for District 52

Last night confirmed again that HD 52 is in need of servant leaders.  Here’s a good analogy.  As a father I could mow the lawn, take out the trash, and do other “fatherly” things to fill the role of father.  But if my daughter falls and skins her knee, and if I don’t (1) pick her up, (2) get a band-aid, and (3) find out why she tripped and correct it, I might be in the role of father but I am in no way being a servant leader.

That’s why the “How Can I Serve You?” is more than a slogan, but a way of operating.  And it’s found tremendous support with the voters.  For example:

Property Tax Problems.  The top issue among the voters has been property taxes.  But instead of the temporary fixes to the system, we need to replace it with a sales tax. Why?

• We’re in an urban society, so the property owners should not bear an unfair part of the burden.
• The sales tax tracks the economy better, so it’s more responsive and better for budgeting.
• Quite often counties simply raise your appraisal rate to get more money.  Sales tax would be harder to change.
• Sales tax is simpler and has less overhead.  Your property tax dollars are used to fight your appraisal challenges in district court.  This won’t happen with a sales tax.
• You will rarely if ever pay in an added sales tax the thousands of dollars you pay in the property tax.
• With the amount of people projected to move here in the next decade, eliminating the property tax will (1) increase revenue, (2) increase home buying, and (3) increase the number of business that come here for the low overhead.

This is the simple, caring, conservative, common sense, limited government solution that this district needs.  But it will require more than filling an office.  It requires listening to the voters and addressing their needs rather than wondering if a proposal is popular or not.  The question is not whether it is popular but whether it’s the right thing to do.

I look forward to meeting you on the campaign trail and finding out “How Can I Serve You?”

Very truly yours,

Stephen

The Stephen Casey Campaign

Servant Leadership for House District 52

“How Can I Serve You?”

As Christmas is here, let us remember the greatest “servant leader” of all, Jesus, who “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” (Philippians 2:7)  Born of a virgin nearly 2000 years ago, He came to serve us in our deepest need, giving His very life as a sacrifice for our sin.  That wonderful, selfless act that saved humanity and gave us eternal hope began with Jesus’ birth, the Incarnation.  He became “Emmanuel,” which in Hebrew translates to “God with us.”  We celebrate this on Christmas.  Let us not forget Jesus’ gift to us in His birth, life, death, and resurrection, as we seek to serve others as best we can.

From the Casey family to yours, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Very truly yours,

The Caseys

What is the political “weather?”  Here’s a “forecast” through a link to a Washington Times article about the Tea Party movement that’s attracting both conservatives and liberals.  And it shows what is happening nation-wide: people want true representatives who are less concerned about popularity, money, power, and “electability” of a candidate.  Voters want responsive, principled servants in public office. Months ago Marco Rubio of Florida has less than 10% in the polls against Charlie Crist.  Now, they’re tied at 43%. Rubio’s focused on issues, while Crist focused on fundraising.

And glance at this article where the California legislature seems to think that the the voters exist to serve the government rather than the right way of thinking: that the government exists to serve the voters.

And I see this sign of the times here every time I blockwalk and every time I’m privileged to address voters.  The “tip of the spear” of this campaign, the leading edge, the heart of all this campaign is servant leadership.  It’s a very plain, simple, but unquestionably true “How can I serve you?”, with the follow-through on the important district issues to make it happen.

And this approach is doing several things.  First, it is breathing renewed “life” into voters who have given up on principled, conservative representation.  Voters have found that I truly will put their needs, great or small, at the forefront of any agenda in office.

Second, the limited government principles are resonating with people tired of huge government programs run by people who are just as prone to greed as anyone else.  That’s why several folks I’ve met while blockwalking, including many registered Democrats, have changed parties.  They see the swell of  government, both state and national, and want to fight off national health care and other state and local taxpayer-funded failures.

Third, the ideas that voters have–from goals we can set, to problems we can fix, to opportunities we can grasp–will make HD 52 and Texas continue to lead the way as one of the best places to live in the U.S.

Lastly (and this happened as recently as Tuesday), it makes a difference when I speak with folks.  I visited with a couple from Hutto and they remarked to me, “Your campaign update differed from every other candidate tonight.”  I asked, “Why?”  They replied, “Because they focused on telling us how many generations of their family was from here, or how much money they’ve raised, or how many political connections they had in the legislature.  Instead, you actually asked us how you could serve us.  It seemed less like your agenda and more of our concerns.”  That’s the difference that the right approach makes, one that will shape HD 52, and Texas, into a better place.

Check out the “Issues” Page and contribute to other HD 52 issues by emailing me at caseycampaign2010@gmail.com.  Help me to serve you better in Austin, because it’s about you and not me!

Very truly yours,

Stephen