On The Record: Zada True-Courage

For this episode of On The Record, we speak with Zada True-Courage, the Committeewoman for SD 25, Comptroller for the True Courage Action Network, and co-founder of the Northeast Bexar County Democrats.

How did you get started in politics? Did you come to it in your youth or later on?

I have long been aware of politics. I am an Air Force-brat and we lived at Andrews Air Force Base when Kennedy was in office, during the Cuban Missile Crisis and when he was assassinated. We were also there when Johnson served. I remember writing a letter to the editor that if President Johnson wanted to save energy by turning off the lights in the White House that was perfectly ok! Every school day during 5th and 6th grade I traveled past the White House and Capital on my way to school. I also grew up during the civil rights and feminist movements and the Vietnam War and was moved by the activism of others.

I really got started when I met my husband, John Courage, in 1983. He took me to my first precinct convention and then Senatorial District Convention. I was very awed.

What was your personal progression from the role of activist to the role of SDEC committeewoman?

In 1994, when Ann Richards was defeated I became very upset and felt something had to be done to organize our area of the county which had always been Republican. John, myself, and others started the Northeast Bexar County Democrats. I was active until 1996 until I went back to school to get my MBA. I became involved again in 1999 and have been obsessive since the 2000 selection of George W.

After the 2000 election, I felt it was my mission to get people involved in their government and their party. In mid-2000 John and I decided Lamar Smith needed an opponent, so John ran against him. This took a lot of COURAGE! It was very difficult because the state party would barely acknowledge the race or John. We knew the race was a long shot but we were firm believers that every Republican needed to be challenged, otherwise Democrats had no reason to turn out to vote. Democrats either stayed home or moved into the Republican Primary so they could vote for someone. John is a wonderful speaker and he articulates the Democratic message very well. His race was an asset for the ticket and a sacrifice for us.

Howard Dean paid a visit to San Antonio in September of 2002. When he came down he told his hosts, the Stonewall Democrats, he wanted to visit a grassroots campaign. They recommended John’s campaign, so Howard Dean spent two days with John. He was in our office reading the paper! I visited with him, and I was so impressed that I vowed I would help him. I became a first-class "Deaniac." There were so many new people drawn to his campaign, and we had a great time. John and I have made some life long friends, and there were many activists born during that campaign that are still active today.

I could see some real gaps in what the Party, state and county level, did to get people engaged and working. I felt the Party failed to listen to the Grassroots. I decided it was time to affect some change at the State Party level so I ran for SDEC in 2004 on the following platform: I would encourage communication and activism among Senate District 25 Democrats; we would have our voices heard. I did this by setting up an E-group and by promising to provide an annual SD25 Conference. Bruce Barrick, the then Committeeman for SD 25, and I planned the first two conferences. My current SDEC counterpart, Michael Wilson, and I are planning the 3rd Annual SD 25 Conference which will take place on August 11th, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in Comal County at the GVTC Center at 36101 FM RD, near New Braunfels.

I served as Co-chair of the Grassroots Committee and the Chair of the subcommittee that rewrote the Grassroots Manual. Karl Silverman took it upon himself to rewrite the entire manual so it would be consistent, and we all helped edit. I am also very proud that I led the movement to change the TDP Rules to lower the quorum requirement for County Executive Committees (CEC) to conduct non-statutory business from 40% to 25% and to require CEC’s to meet at least quarterly.

In 2004, the Bexar County Party was in a real leadership vacuum, and the Northeast Bexar County Democrats opened and operated the San Antonio Campaign Headquarters. It was run totally with volunteers, and we raised the money to keep it open by being available and having lots of Kerry-Edwards signs and bumper stickers. I used the State Voter Database and printed off walk lists for over 200 precincts and kept the office open 11 hours a day. Tony and Sheri Bazan, Madeleine Dewar and many others were instrumental to the success of the office. We were very excited to have Theresa Kerry stop by for a visit to our headquarters. We all learned a lot! Madeleine Dewar managed John’s office during his 2006 Congressional Campaign and is now the Executive Director of the Bexar County Democratic Party and an SDEC member.

Tony and Sheri Bazan stayed involved with the Guadalupe County Democratic Party where Tony serves as County Chair and Sheri serves on the Marion ISD school board.

What would you say are the primary issues concerning your area of San Antonio?

I have been pleasantly surprised to hear people in my area are supportive of publicly funded campaigns. I think everyone, liberal or conservative, is realizing the money in politics is hampering our democracy.

Healthcare is an issue also. Although my area of town is relatively affluent, the parents cannot provide their adult kids with healthcare and many employers no longer offer this benefit. More people seem to be coming to the conclusion that something in our system isn’t working. Personally, my own late brother’s insurance company denied his procedure for a stem-cell transplant with me, and only after raising the money from family and friends and depleting his savings to arrive at the hospital with $125,000 could we proceed.

My area of town has excellent schools, and parents want to be sure they stay that way, so we make education a priority in our area.

Toll roads are a source of interest, as well. The consensus is “we don’t want to pay a private company tolls for a road we’ve already paid for with our taxes!”

The Iraq War is on our minds as well.

Do you have any ambition for higher office? Do you have plans to run for any other party office, or possibly even public office?

If we win the lottery there might be a chance, but two congressional campaigns are about all the True-Courage family can handle, financially.

Who are some of your political heroes?

To be my political hero a person must be honest and be willing to stand and deliver.

My first and foremost political hero is my husband John Courage; he would have been a great Congressman and Congress still needs Courage! Larry Stallings answered my pleadings and ran against Frank Corte in State Rep District 122. Kathi Thomas ran for Senator in SD 25. These candidates ran races on a shoestring, shoe leather and lots of guts. These fine candidates gave Democrats in my district a reason to show up at the polls on Election Day.

Madeleine Dewar works so tirelessly for the Bexar County Democratic Party. Claude Welch is a Lufkin Democrat and not afraid to let people know. Dr. Dennis Teal took me under his wing when I started on the SDEC and is always honest and tells me what he thinks. Russ Feingold and Howard Dean – they are gutsy and willing to stand up for us. I will be forever grateful to Russ Feingold’s’ Progressive Patriots for sending Davida Walsh to work on our campaign. My dad, Col. Gerry Schriever, is the number one liberal. He is 94 and still reading and thinking. He has a group of ladies over occasionally at his home in Air Force Village to discuss and teach about the issues in the world. His next lesson will be on the presidential candidates and their qualifications.

What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in politics?

Honesty is the best policy. Passion is necessary but it also can be overbearing. Everybody has a bad day once in while and it is really important to not take it personally. When working with volunteers it’s important to figure out their strengths and allow them to shine in that capacity. Always say thank you! A citizen like you and me is smart enough and deserves to serve in office, as long as he/she works hard, listens, is open and transparent and does his/her best to represent his/her constituency. Politics has heartbreak, which I well know after the redistricting of CD21 in August of 2006, but our involvement is necessary for our democracy to survive. Involving oneself in politics is one of the most patriotic things we can do for our country.

Tell us a little bit about the True Courage Action Network (TCAN), and what roles you feel like you fulfill in that group, official or otherwise.

I am extremely proud of the work that has been accomplished by TCAN. We have an incredibly talented and unselfish team of people working to promote civic awareness. They did some incredible things to help with voter protection and election reform during this last session. They do it because they believe in it. Texas is very lucky to have this organization, and this fine group of people needs our support of time and treasure.

I happily serve as Comptroller, and that’s about all the time I have between the SDEC, Bexar County Democratic Party, working and spending time with my four grown children, their spouses and one grandchild.