McNair, R

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trump funders 0ct? 2016

STATESMAN  austin

no lnx

https://www.statesman.com/article**/2016**1017/NEWS/310179774

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Texas money has played an important part in Donald Trump’s campaign for president. Texans provided nearly 35 percent of the contributions to Trump Victory in the second quarter of the year when the general election fundraising operation was just getting underway. For the third quarter, Texas accounted for just under 14 percent of all its contributions.

RELATED: Trump raises money in October swing through Texas

Texas donors also gave $7 million directly to Republican nominee through the end of August — more than any state, although less than half of what Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s campaign raised in the Lone Star State.

While individual donors cannot give more than $2,700 to his campaign committee, they can give up to $449,400 to Trump Victory, a joint fund raising committee of the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, and a number of state Republican parties, not including Texas, which divide the proceeds.

Among the top Texas contributors to Trump Victory:

Houston Texans owners Bob McNair and his wife, Janice, were the biggest Texas contributors to the Trump Victory Committee this quarter, with each contributing $449,000. McNair originally made his fortune in cogeneration.

Julianna Holt of Corpus Christi, who with her husband, Peter, owns the San Antonio Spurs,made a third-quarter contribution of $249,400 bringing her to the maximum of $449,400. Peter Holt is CEO of HoltCat, the largest Caterpillar dealership in the United States and Julianna Holt is the Spurs CEO.

Daniel Andrew “Andy” Beal, chairman of Beal Bank in Dallas, made a $50,000 contribution this quarter that brought him to the $449,400 limit.

Shale oil billionaire George Bishop of The Woodlands was close behind with a contribution of $446,500.

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who hosted a Trump fundraiser at his River Oaks home in June, contributed $250,000.

Oil and gas money

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/20678/NFL-union-donald-trump-Colin-Kaepernick

At a September 22 political rally, President Donald Trump kicked off a kerfuffle by calling on the National Football League (NFL) to fire players taking a knee during the National Anthem. “Wouldn’t you love,” said the president, “to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired!’”

The NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) responded immediately in support of the players. As protests continued, Trump kept blasting away. Debate raged on for weeks about free speech, race, social justice, patriotism and more. Altogether overlooked, however, were the players' union rights that effectively render Trump's demand worthless.

Ground rules

The NFL and the NFLPA are co-equal parties to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that sets wages, rules and working conditions. The union is the workers' accredited representative, while the employer manages the workplace with policies that don't violate the CBA or the law.

In general, union workers are not "at will" employees like nonunion workers. If disciplined (warned, suspended or terminated), they may resort to the CBA's grievance procedures, including neutral and binding arbitration. The employer must show just cause for discipline by proving that the worker breached a policy that was reasonable, known and consistently applied—and that discipline was reasonable and proportional.

There is no way Club owners could do that. Neither the CBA nor employer policiesprohibit protest, and there is no egregious conduct at issue—such as theft or attacking another worker—that would warrant discipline on its face. Consequently, amid swirling controversy, the NFL and NFLPA met and agreed to uphold existing policy in the NFL’s game operations manual that players "should" stand during the Anthem. In other words, it's optional.

The deal stopped any question of discipline in its tracks and promised mutual efforts toward addressing the sociopolitical issues that gave rise to the protests. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who had threatened players after consulting with Trump, had no "just cause" for discipline based on rules, policies or conduct.

Make no mistake. This is all about collective bargaining. The parties affirmed a "past practice," which, in a union workplace, can be just as binding as a CBA rule. If the NFL had unilaterally changed the policy—and especially if a protesting player got fired, as Trump insisted—the door would swing wide open to a union grievance and potential arbitration, dragging out more controversy the parties wanted to avoid.

Union defense

Contract language limits discipline even more. A review of the current CBA, found online and confirmed with an NFLPA spokesperson, signals game over for the Trump-Jones threat.

Article 42, Section 2(a):

All Clubs must publish and make available to all players at the commencement of preseason training camp a complete list of the discipline that can be imposed for both designated offenses ...and for other violations of reasonable Club rules.

The Cowboys' training began July 24, weeks before Trump's demand and Jones' subsequent capitulation. The Cowboys provided no confirmation that a Club rule about protest had been duly listed.

Article 46, Section 4:

The Commissioner’s disciplinary action will preclude or supersede disciplinary action by any Club for the same act or conduct.

The CBA and past practice indicate that the NFL Commissioner has the final say on what discipline a Club may pursue. Commissioner Roger Goodell was not disposed—before or after the joint meeting—to discipline protesting players.  All but one Club owner, Jerry Jones, agreed.

Article 49, Section 1:

There will be no discrimination in any form against any player by the NFL, the Management Council, any Club or by the NFLPA because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or activity or lack of activity on behalf of the NFLPA.

Given rules, policy and practice, it could be argued that curbing protests initiated by players of color over government mistreatment of people of color violates this section. Furthermore, the reference to NFLPA "activity" reflects longstanding labor lawprotecting workers' rights to participate (or not) in "concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection."

Trump repeatedly pressured owners to fire protesters in violation of the CBA. "Concerted activities" have blossomed with displays of solidarity among players—and even some management. They take a knee, lock arms, or raise a fist. And some, as they always have, choose to stand, which is their right.

Holding the line

On October 29, protest reached the "boiling point," Deadline reported.

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair'scomment comparing players to “inmates running the prison” instantly “caused an uproar in a league where 70 percent of players are black and already protesting perceived injustice," Deadline observed. In response, players planned the biggest protest yet. 

Word circulated that joint meetings to address social justice concerns had been cancelled.

Jones—still agitated and agitating—had reportedly organized a Club owners' conference call to discuss ousting Goodell. He also cut lineman Damontre Moore, who had raised his fist during the Anthem. The Cowboys said it was merely a roster move.

Moore joins Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49er who started the protests and then got zero job offers after becoming a free agent. Kaepernick's lawyer filed a grievance alleging collusion between the Clubs and the NFL in violation of CBA Article 17, appropriately titled, "Anti-Collusion."

As it stands now, no player has been officially disciplined for protesting, and the policy, practice and CBA are intact.

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Houston Texans owner Robert McNair — Republican

McNair has given $158,500 to Republicans, many of them

local candidates.

The biggest contribution was $100,000 to the pro­Rick

Perry super PAC Make Us Great Again and $25,000 to the

Texas Conservatives Fund, a pro­David Dewhurst super

PAC.

Interestingly enough, McNair backedTed Cruzin the

Republican Texas Senate primary, giving $2,500. He later

contributed $7,500 to Dewhurst's failed bid, though.

He's given big to Texas Republicans. He forked over

$2,500 to Senator John Cornyn, $2,500 each to Rep. Kevin

Brady and Rep. Michael McCaul and $1,000 to Rep. John

Culberson. He has also given $2,500 to Senate Minority

Leader Mitch McConnell.

In the presidential race, McNair contributed $2,500 to

Herman Cain, $2,500 to Rick Perry and $2,500 to Mitt Romney.

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 To give an idea of the influence these large outside donors wield, consider the donations made by just the top 20 individual donors to outside groups and the top 20 organizations donating to outside groups. This elite list of individual donors have given a combined $168.6 million and the top 20 organization  have ponied up a combined $116 million. All told, these two groups of donors have combined to give $284.7 million — a princely sum that far exceeds the projected spending of the RNC or DNC this cycle. The number one donor of disclosed outside money is Steyer, followed by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has given $20 million to super PACs, of which 98 percent went to liberal or Democratic recipients. But despite those top two donors, conservative donors dominate the top 20 — 15 of them are conservative. The three other liberal donors are: Fred Eychaner ($7.9 million), George Soros ($3.5 million) and hedge-funder James Simons (and his wife Marilyn), who have given $3 million.The top conservative donor to outside groups is Paul Singer, of hedge fund Elliott Management, who has given $9.3 million. Last cycle’s top donor — both to outside groups and overall — was Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Venetian casino in Las Vegas, who with his physician wife Miriam gave $92 million. This cycle, the Adelsons have given $5 million. Other prominent conservative donors include Linda and Vince McMahon, who have given $2.6 million, and Robert McNair, the owner of the Houston Texans football team who together have given $3 million. Topping the list of organizations