The Taxpayers for Sensible Government (TPSG) to be organized at a citizen meeting sponsored by Bill Neslage is a Political Action Committed (PAC). Here are some facts about Political Action Committees that might be useful to the citizens of Brady.
The Texas Ethics Commission published a Guide for PACs. It is a good place to start reading.
Here is the definition of a PAC from the guide:
"A political committee, commonly referred to as a “PAC,” is a group of persons that has as a principal purpose accepting political contributions or making political expenditures. Simply stated, a political committee is a group of two or more people that accepts political contributions and/or makes political expenditures. A political committee may be a large group such as an organization that collects money to support many different candidates. A political committee may also be a small group such as two people who get together to raise funds for an old friend who is a candidate for a local office".
From the definition, a PAC is:
- To raise and spend money for political purposes
- Involves more than one person
The next important fact appears on page 4 where the guide says, "A group becomes a political committee by its actions ..." .
This means a group can become a PAC without knowing it. Reading a bit further, we find that when a group raises or spends more than $500 for political purposes, it is a PAC. It subject to the laws governing PACs, must appoint a Treasurer and file regular reports.
The important point is that this just happens when $501 is raised or spent. A group becomes a PAC in the eyes of the law when that threshold is passed, whether they know it or not.
This changes the question from "Do we want to form a PAC?" to "Have we become a PAC?" or "Are we likely to become a PAC?".
This reporting requirement has been ignored in McCulloch County and Brady for so long that it has become "just the way we have always done it in Brady". If no one complies, no one can afford to complain.
The first reporting PAC in McCulloch County was the Taxpayers for a Sensibly Priced Jail formed for the special purpose of opposing the bond issue for a new County jail. It was successful and legal.
Two Guides from the Texas Ethics Commission are available for viewing or download:
