Election Special — Your Vote, Your Neighborhood, Your Future

Nine days until early voting starts for the March 3 primary — and this one's personal. The seat that represents Deer Park, La Porte, and Pasadena in Congress is being decided right now. The state representative who's spoken for Deer Park and La Porte since 2017 is leaving. The state senator covering our area is gone too, running for Attorney General. Every layer of government that touches your daily life — your water bill, your property taxes, your kids' schools, your streets — is being reshuffled in the next 90 days. Nobody else is going to walk you through it. That's our job.

Come prepared (2 minutes): votetexas.gov → "Am I Registered?"; then harrisvotes.com → "Sample Ballots" → your address to see every race and proposition on your specific ballot. Texas primaries are open — you don't register with a party; you pick which party's ballot when you show up. But vote in one party's primary and you can't vote in the other's runoff.

Watch on YouTube →

Liberty Watch — Your Government, This Week

The primary explainer above is this week's centerpiece. Early voting Feb 17–27; Election Day March 3.

Prosperity Spotlight

Bishop's Feed and Seed LLC — a community-favorite Pasadena feed-and-seed store: feed, gardening supplies, and real expertise for backyard farmers, pet owners, and hobby growers. 2305 Preston Ave, Pasadena.

Bubba's 33 — 3221 East Sam Houston Pkwy S, Pasadena. Burgers, pizza, beer, big-screen sports.

Bonnie's Donuts — 2047 W Main St Ste A4, League City. Donuts, apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, kolaches.

7Spice — 3421-B Spencer Hwy, Pasadena. Cajun-style seafood, gumbo, po'boys.

Growth & Learning

Tuttle Twins — illustrated books teaching kids 5–11 about free markets, personal responsibility, and individual liberty; a natural complement to "Know Your Schools."

Check out the Tuttle Twins →

Affiliate link — David uses these with his own kids.

We spend a lot of ink holding government accountable for financial sustainability. Fair question back at us: how sustainable are your own finances? Since last August I've run a simple, almost boring options framework — target around 1% a week, an hour or two to manage, none of the day-trading drama. It runs on the philosophy we preach here: systems over speculation, consistency over chaos, control what you can actually control. (It's the framework I use personally; the founder goes by Troy.)

Check out Low Stress Options →

Sponsors support the mission, never influence the message — I don't recommend anything I don't use.

Service Spotlight — CrowdHealth

My family of four has never carried traditional health insurance. We used a health-sharing ministry for years and recently switched to CrowdHealth. The model: a per-person monthly subscription for the platform and advocacy team, then each month you contribute toward another member's bills — never more than your set max. When you have an event, you pay a $500 commitment and the community covers the rest. We're testing it live right now on a $6,000 ER visit — CrowdHealth negotiates it down, I pay $500, the crowd covers the rest. No claims department, no denial letters. Our family runs roughly $400–660/month versus $1,500–2,500 for traditional Texas family coverage. What sold me: unlike an insurer, CrowdHealth doesn't profit from sickness — it's members helping members.

Learn how CrowdHealth works →

Referral link; paying member since January.

Service Opportunities

Be An Election Worker — Harris County needs workers for early voting (Feb 17–27) and Election Day (March 3). It's paid. Apply at harrisvotes.com/work-election. Low-turnout primaries are where a single vote carries the most weight.

North Pasadena Community Outreach — improving community health and education. 705 Williams St, Pasadena; 713-473-6300; npcotx@gmail.com.

Your School District Needs You — campus volunteer programs across all three districts, La Porte ISD HELPS Mentoring, the education foundations, and CTE career-day speakers. You don't need a child in school to help.

Loving La Porte — Michael and Kristy Hanks joined Joseph Daughtery, who feeds 80–150 kids at the La Porte Library after school, 3–4 times a week, out of his own pocket. They're building toward a community center (food pantry, clothing, life skills, laundry, tutoring). 84% of La Porte Elementary students live below the poverty line. Volunteer: setup 2:15 PM weekdays, Harris County Library, La Porte. Donate: Michael Hanks, 832-867-3499, mhanks11@hotmail.com. LovingLaPorte.org.

Blue Santa milestone — La Porte PD served nearly 1,000 children this season (up from 600–700). Registration reopens October 2026.

Pet of the Week

Lone Star Pawz (foster-based rescue) — urgent foster needed: a freshly groomed, vaccinated girl, good with kids and dogs and likely cat-friendly, ready for a couch to land on. Message the rescue to foster.

Community Calendar

Father-Daughter Dance — featured this week; a local favorite for dads and their daughters. Check City of Deer Park and La Porte Parks & Recreation listings for time and venue.

Main Street Trade Days — Sat Feb 7, 10 AM–2 PM, Five Points Town Plaza, La Porte. Free, 165-plus vendors.

Mardi Gras at Kemah Boardwalk — weekends through February. Free.

From Local Theory

New music from Local Theory this week — catch the latest at localtheorymusic.com.

Take Action This Week

Check your registration at votetexas.gov · pull your sample ballot at harrisvotes.com · plan your early-voting day (Feb 17–27).

Value for Value

TAAL provides value freely; you give back based on the value you receive. No paywalls, no required subscriptions. We feature paid local sponsorships — but their support never influences our message. Three ways to give: Time (share it, show up, report back), Talent (submit stories, photos, expertise), and Treasure (support the mission when you receive value).

Support Think and Act Locally →