You Will Have To Do The Work Of Democracy Yourself—Texas Progressive Alliance Round-Up

At the bottom of this post is the most recent weekly Texas Progressive Alliance round-up. The TPA is a confederation of the best political bloggers in Texas.

For the most part, TPA bloggers have no official affiliation with the Democratic Party. They are citizen-bloggers who blog on their free time.

Consistent with this ethic of citizen involvement were two rallies held in Texas this past week.

On March 12,  a Save Texas Schools rally was held in Austin. On March 15, a rally against the extreme cuts to vital state services being planned in our state legislature was held at Houston City Hall.

( Above—The Houston City Hall protest.)

Perry Dorrell at Brains & Eggs attended the Houston event.

These rallies were not led by the Democratic Party of Texas or by the Harris County Democratic Party.

If we waited for the official structures of the Democratic Party to help folks find a response to the far right-wing Republican Party of Texas, then we might have to wait until the end of time itself.

The Democratic Party and most Democratic officeholders do little to mobilize people.

In many cases, Democratic officeholders sit in safe districts and never face a serious primary challenge. Sometimes they have unspent campaign funds.

These are folks who could be out helping organizing folks and registering voters.

In the end, it is up to each of us to do the work of freedom.

You always have the option to attend a public meeting, attend or organize a protest, write or call an elected official, talk to friends and family,  start a blog, donate money, write a letter to the editor,  volunteer for candidates and causes you value, and even run for office yourself.

Don’t wait for others to act. Do it yourself.

Here is the round-up—-

Off the Kuff noted that in the days just before the Save Texas Schools rally, State Rep. Scott Hochberg filed a bill that made clear what the effects of cutting the public school budget would mean for local school districts.

Despite a strengthening progressive uprising, the Texas Democratic Party remains so feeble that it appears unable to capitalize on an open US Senate seat in 2012. That’s why the nascent movement to draft Tommy Lee Jonesto run keeps gaining steam, notes PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

As thousands of Texans turned out on Saturday to “Save Texas Schools”,WCNews at Eye On Williamson reminds us whose fault it is that Texas schools need saving — and that their ruin has been the GOP’s plan all along:Yes Governor Perry, it is your fault.