JoAnn Fleming

Executive Director
jafleming3@juno.com
(903) 360-2858
Political ad paid for by Grassroots America – We the People PAC

February 15, 2018

Tyler, Smith County, Texas – Today, Grassroots America’s Executive Director JoAnn Fleming announced
the Board’s unanimous endorsement of Trey Blocker for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. The
organization recommended Sid Miller in the 2014 Republican Primary and General Election.

Fleming remarked, “Without question, the record shows it’s time for a big change at the Texas Department
of Agriculture. We believe Trey Blocker will right the Texas Department of Agriculture in a variety of ways.
First, we are impressed with his plans to reform the agency, putting it back inside the bounds of the TDA’s
purpose for being and away from the incumbent’s empire-building proclivities.

“Second, we believe Mr. Blocker cares deeply about how and why the government spends tax dollars,
and we believe he will listen to his constituents, bring service back to the agency, and bring transparency
to the TDA.

“Moreover, we believe Blocker knows how to set high standards for employees, how to decide which
tools they need to do the job, and how to hold them accountable. Most of all, we believe Blocker knows
how to set high standards for himself! Since he is a long-time ethics attorney, we don’t expect Blocker to
rack up the number of fines Miller has with several ethics violations.

“Now, to just a few of the reasons incumbent Miller needs replacing. As long-time activists, rarely have
we seen an incumbent statewide candidate so ill-equipped to answer the most basic questions about how
his agency operates, how decisions were and are made, and what he intends to do if re-elected. Frankly,
Sid Miller’s debate responses were stunning.

“On the issue of Commissioner Miller’s fee hikes, we were shocked to read letters sent to the
Commissioner by seed producers impacted by the exorbitant seed permit taxes Miller raised on them,
after Miller was notified by Texas House Members and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that the range of fee hikes was
not acceptable. The following is an excerpt from a letter from the East Texas Seed Company:

‘During the 2017 Calendar Year, East Texas Seed Company paid seed permit tax fees of $.45/cwt to the Texas
Department of Agriculture. This rate compares to $.08/cwt in Oklahoma, $.10/cwt in Arkansas, $.25/cwt in Louisiana
and no tax is charged in New Mexico.

Therefore our small company, 15 employees, including my wife and one of our sons, paid $20,000.00 more in permit tax
fees in 2017 than if we were shipping the same amounts of seed into Oklahoma. We actually ship into Oklahoma,
Arkansas, and Louisiana and we pay their tax rates on those shipments. The tax is determined by the point of
destination.

Contrary to Mr. Miller’s statement that these fees had not been increased in over 20 years, on September 1, 2011
the Texas Department of Agriculture increased the permit tax from $ .07/cwt to $.18/cwt. Then Mr. Miller increased the
tax from $.18/cwt to $.45/cwt in 2016. Therefore since 2011, the permit tax has increased $.38/cwt or 543%.’
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Fleming continued, “Our review of the State Audit report demonstrates Miller’s tax increases on Texas
farmers and ranchers raised millions more than needed, generating $27.3 million during the 2016
calendar year, while programs relying on those fees cost $20.8 million to operate — which means the
TDA collected $6.5 million more than necessary to operate or 31%. The state audit also said that ‘as of
March 17, 2017, the Department had not compared its actual revenues and expenditures to evaluate
whether it set its fees appropriately.’ During the Feb. 6 debate we hosted, we asked Mr. Miller to provide
information to us that justified the fee hikes and to post it on the TDA website. To date, we have received
nothing we requested, although Mr. Miller’s campaign has been very eager to send information on Trey
Blocker, information we already had. In addition, we asked Mr. Miller to be specific about the “cost
savings” he says are responsible for his newfound willingness to reduce the fees. To date, no information
has been provided.

“It appears to us that Sid Miller raised these taxes on farmers and ranchers because the legislature
rejected his request for $50 million in additional funding. When we asked him about the bonuses of
$413,700 he doled out to 144 employees, which was more in bonuses in his first nine months in office
than his predecessor gave out in 2.5 years, Miller scoffed that it was an insignificant amount compared to
his entire budget. He also said the bonuses didn’t go to executive staffers, but ‘the people doing the work.’
“First, Miller’s cavalier attitude about the amount of money spent on the bonuses is a sure sign Miller is a
Big Government Republican. Then, based on documents we’ve reviewed, it appears that not only were
executive level staffers given bonuses, but the bonuses were not based on the proper criteria specified in
the law. Under the enabling statute, the Texas Legislature requires the Department of Agriculture to take
specific steps in regards to merit pay. Specifically, under the TDA’s Powers and Duties found in Texas
Agriculture Code 12.013(b), ‘The Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee shall develop a system of
annual performance evaluations that are based on documented employee performance. All merit pay for
department employees must be based on the system established under this subsection.’
“The law supersedes the employee manual. In addition, any action by the department to supersede the
law is improper. The law is simple. All merit pay must be based on annual performance evaluations that
are based on documented employee performance. We believe the law was not followed.
“Finally, Miller’s hiring of nine people at $180,000 each after he had only been in office a few months is
more than disturbing. Four of these positions were newly created “assistant commissioners.”
“Our conclusion? Based on Sid Miller’s job performance and big spending ways, his strong (stated in a
letter) support for keeping Joe Straus as House Speaker, his vote for in-state tuition for illegal immigrants,
and his weak positions on border security and immigration, we conclude Sid Miller is no conservative.
However, it is Sid Miller’s record as Agriculture Commissioner, his penchant for blaming others, and
never taking responsibility for his own mistakes that demonstrates Sid Miller has not earned a re-hire
at the ballot box.
While Miller charges Trey Blocker with a variety of “sins,” including Blocker’s Democratic Primary
participation in Rush Limbaugh’s “Operation Chaos” to keep Hillary Clinton in play longer against then
Presidential candidate Barack Obama and his donations to Democrats, Sid Miller’s shortcomings are all
about the job he was hired at the ballot box to do for the people of Texas. It’s not about Trey Blocker’s
clients. It’s not about who wears a cowboy hat. It’s not about who personally knows President Trump.
It’s about the job of Agriculture Commissioner. In that job, Sid Miller has failed.
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