2/19/26 – Texas 2036 and the American Flood Coalition hosted an informative seminar on 2/17/26. It emphasized lessons learned from other states that help ensure flood resilience. One of the dominant themes of the day was the need for watershed-wide flood solutions. Without watershed-wide solutions, upstream communities can create the conditions of their own future flooding while putting downstream communities on an expensive flood-mitigation treadmill.
About the Sponsors
The mission of Texas 2036 is to enable Texans to make policy decisions through accessible data, long-term planning and statewide engagement. Its goal is to make Texas the best place to live and work. 2036 refers to Texas’ upcoming bicentennial year.
The American Flood Coalition (AFC) is a bipartisan, member-driven coalition working at all levels of government to scale innovative solutions to the country’s toughest flood-adaptation challenges.
A Watershed-Based Approach to Flooding
Dr. Ruth Akintoye kicked off the first presentation with a reminder that the new Texas State Flood Plan is organized along watershed boundaries. And not just sub-watersheds, but entire river basins. That’s because floodwater does not respect jurisdictional boundaries.
On left: map showing the 15 river basins in Texas. On right, diagram of how rain can fall in one part of a watershed and flood other parts where it did not even rain.Watersheds are large areas that drain to single points.
“This requires communities to collaborate regionally and also to coordinate with the state,” said Akintoya.
Akintoya gave a shout-out to more than 50 Texans for their leadership on flooding issues and securing more than $4 billion to fund flood and water projects across the state. She singled out Congressman Dan Crenshaw by name.
Texas Members of the American Flood Coalition. (Crenshaw Top Row/Middle)
As a group, they’re trying to bring a 360-degree view of flooding to everyone in the state. “Texas is already a leader in how states approach flood resilience,” said Akintoya. “Yet we all know that resilience is not static and it never fully gets checked off.”
Benefits of a Watershed-Wide Approach
Throughout the seminar, speakers kept referring to the benefits of a watershed-wide approach to flood resilience. They include:
Comprehensive solutions where the pieces work better together
Saving money through various techniques
Better flood prediction
Increased coordination when pursuing funding from partners at various levels of government.
High-level benefits of a watershed wide flood-mitigation approach
Florida’s Always-Ready Long-Range Plan
Former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Chris Sprowls, amplified those thoughts. He talked about the passage of Florida’s landmark “Always Ready” legislation. AFC called it “the nation’s most comprehensive state-level flood resilience and adaptation initiative.”
The initiative positioned Florida as a leader in preparing communities for rising flood risks. The Florida Plan looks 30 years into the future. Sprowls talked about similarities between Texas and Florida. Namely, both are hubs for domestic migration.
“People are coming to find a better life for their families and a pathway to prosperity. But the downside of that is that we have to plan further into the future,” said Sprowls.
“In Florida,” said Sprowls, “we think about water from a watershed perspective.” In the past, “we weren’t doing the planning and making the investments really needed to keep our communities safe.”
New Texas Flood Plan Based on River-Basin-Wide Approach
Former executive director of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), Jeff walker, talked about the river-basin-wide approach in the first Texas State Flood Plan. The total cost of recommendations was $51 billion. “But to give some perspective, the losses associated with Hurricane Harvey were over $125 billion. That’s from one storm,” he said.
One of the first things Texas learned, said Walker, was that “a large, large majority of the flood maps were out of date.”
“The FEMA maps did not give a full picture of the risk or pinpoint mitigation measures,” he added.”Except for the larger metropolitan areas, most cities and counties do not have a good picture of flood risks. As you can imagine, many cities need technical assistance to help them identify such risk.”
Even worse, Walker said, “Many entities cannot access funds because they do not have a good plan for how to use them. And there is not a good mechanism for flood funding at the city level – especially small cities – because they do not have a source of [matching] funds for such projects.”
Walker believes one of the biggest impacts of the State Flood Plan is that state, local, and watershed-level districts are finally engaging with one another about projects. “It’s not happening in little silos anymore,” he said. He believes that “gives one dollar the power of two.”
“There are more than 1,200 flood managers in Texas, and some of them hold 3 or 4 hats.”
Jeff Walker, Former Exec. Dir., TWDB
He referred to mayors and city managers responsible for flood projects “they don’t know how to do.” A river-basin-wide flood-control district would put that expertise at their disposal.
Fast Growth Argues For Wider Outlook
Florida’s Sprowls fielded many of the questions during Q&A. Several questions addressed fast growth. “It’s really important to fold vulnerabilities into future development plans,” he said. “As population grows and economic development booms in new areas, you need to understand how risk scales relevant to that development. And you can make smart choices to mitigate that risk.”
Texas State Rep. Dennis Paul sponsored such a bill in 2025 to expand Harris County Flood Control District’s geographic scope, but it never made it out of the Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Paul reportedly plans to introduce it again in 2027.
As awareness grows about the benefits of flood-control districts that cover entire river basins, he may have better luck next time. It’s important. The state flood plan shows that the San Jacinto Basin (Region 6) has the largest flood-mitigation needs in the state…by a wide margin.
From Jeff Walker’s presentation. San Jacinto needs (Region 6 in center) approach $8 billion.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-17-at-1.11.45-PM-scaled-e1771549101284.png?fit=1100%2C611&ssl=16111100adminadmin2026-02-19 19:49:452026-02-19 19:49:46Need for Watershed-Wide Solutions to Ensure Flood Resilience
2/18/26 – In the Republican primary for Harris County Judge, I’m endorsing Marty Lancton. There are many good candidates on the Republican slate. I’ve been to several forums and heard them all speak. And I’ve talked personally with most.
I first met Lancton at Amadeus over lunch five months ago. And I’ve had numerous meetings and communications with him ever since. I endorse him for many reasons.
Proven Leadership Experience in a Political Environment
Lancton is head of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association and VP of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters. As such, he has represented more than 20,000 fire fighters and paramedics statewide in Austin for many years, as well as 4,000 of those working in Houston.
If elected, Lancton would have to represent the County when dealing with Austin and Houston City Hall. He already knows the players and political landscape well. He has lobbied in both places for years and understands how to get things done.
In forging consensus, he listens and seeks common ground. I’ve already seen it firsthand.
In my opinion…
He’s sorely needed in today’s polarized, name-calling, overheated, burn-your-opponent-to-the-ground, and stomp-on-their-ashes political environment.
Already Helping Lake Houston Area
Lancton also stands out when it comes to understanding the needs of the Lake Houston Area – especially the flood-mitigation needs.
Rescue boat piloted by Lancton during Hurricane Harvey evacuation
Before retirement, I owned a business. And I quickly learned to promote people who were already doing the job they wanted to get. Lancton has impressed me in that regard. He has already reached out to his Austin contacts to help with flooding issues in the Lake Houston Area.
Saving Lives During Shock and Awe of Mother Nature
Moreover, as a first responder, he has witnessed firsthand how winds, rain and floods can destroy homes and lives.
Lancton’s squad rescuing residents whose home was crushed by giant tree during the 2024 derecho
He has evacuated victims on his back and in lifeboats. It’s one thing to understand problems intellectually and another to feel the shock-and-awe of Mother Nature for days on end as you repeatedly put your own life on the line to help fellow human beings you never met.
Lancton accepting flag to convey to family of fallen firefighter.
In a similar vein, candidate Lancton has waded neck deep into the political fray. It takes extraordinary courage and character to expose oneself to that these days…again to help fellow human beings he has never met.
Electable
If elected Harris County Judge, Lancton would be accountable to all county residents, whether they identify as Democrats or Republicans. In that regard, Lancton has a history of working across the aisle to build consensus and get results.
Among Republican candidates, he uniquely stands out on that score. He is a lifelong Republican, endorsed by Governor Greg Abbott. Yet the firefighters union also elected him as its leader.
While that may raise questions for some, I see it as a plus.
He can draw support from both sides of the aisle in a way that perhaps other candidates cannot. And that makes him electable in the general election still nine months away.
Meeting The Challenges Ahead
Harris County has enormous challenges ahead. Flood mitigation. Improving public safety. Fixing infrastructure. Cutting wasteful spending to reduce property taxes. Improving service delivery. And restoring trust in government … to name just a few.
Lancton has the experience, temperament, and energy to take on these tasks. I already voted for him and hope you do, too.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/18/26
3095 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Lancton-Rescue-Boat-during-Harvey-.jpg?fit=1100%2C711&ssl=17111100adminadmin2026-02-18 18:52:402026-02-18 18:52:41Endorsing Marty Lancton for County Judge in Republican Primary
2/17/26 – Early voting starts today. I hope everyone votes. Electing people who address the problems of their constituents is essential. But sometimes, it’s hard to recognize who those people are because of political deception using trolls, bots and “engagement farms.” These invisible influencers can:
Undermine our understanding of issues
Alter our perception of reality, much like a drug would
Rob us of the power to make informed decisions
Trick us into voting against our own self-interest.
How? By flooding social media with false information disguised as comments from legitimate users, they make it appear as though there is a groundswell of opposition to a particular candidate.
My First Clue
Several weeks ago, I posted what I thought was an innocent story about Congressman Dan Crenshaw. It detailed how a Federal grant he secured for improvements to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch kept the project from being killed by Democrats in Harris County Commissioners Court.
Out of nowhere, the post was flooded with off-topic comments criticizing Crenshaw and promoting Steve Toth. Toth is running against Crenshaw in the new Texas Congressional District 2.
My post never mentioned Toth. But comments on the post ripped apart Crenshaw, a war hero who has dedicated his life to public service and improving public safety.
Toth’s trolls were as relentless as a pack of rabid jackals. I spent hours trying to respond to their inane comments before I gave up … exhausted. Since then, I’ve been investigating what happened. It goes way beyond the childish defacing of an opponents election signs … which Toth also does.
Photo taken today outside polling location. In Texas, this is criminal, with fines up to $2,000 and up to 30 days in jail.
Online, bots and trolls can be programmed to bomb posts and pages with scripted comments that wear down humans and crowd out legitimate discussion. They often work together to create the impression of widespread discontent about political opponents. This can influence people who may not follow politics closely. They sense the majority has concerns about a candidate. So, they vote for his/her opponent.
Engagement Farms
I also learned about “engagement farms.” Engagement farms coordinate employees who control multiple accounts and are directed to:
Comment
Dislike
Share
Gang up on others
Attack opponents
Artificially inflate visibility.
They are often paid by the volume of interactions. ChatGPT cites publicly advertised engagement-farm service rates ranging from $50 to $300 per 1000 comments. Now you know why trolls often use one word comments such as “Hogwash”!
Unlike bots, engagement farms generate authentic human interaction. That makes detecting them harder. But they all use similar techniques to slime an opponent’s reputation.
How to Recognize When You’re Arguing with a Troll, Bot or Engagement Farm
Below, I use the word “troll” to apply to all three categories. Their tactics and goals are similar. Their hallmarks include:
Intentional provocation (not just disagreement):
They post inflammatory, extreme or deliberately offensive claims to trigger outrage
When others try to respond constructively, they steer toward conflict
They seek antagonism
Comments amplify conflict rather than resolve it
Trolls label someone as corrupt, inept, or bad without evidence.
Bad-faith argumentation:
Ignoring responses
Misrepresenting others’ positions to make them easier to attack
Moving the goal posts once counter-evidence appears
Trying to muddy the analysis
Nitpicking technicalities to derail substantive discussion
No amount of evidence ever convinces a troll.
Circular discussions
Anonymity and disposable identities:
Trolls often operate from new accounts with no or little history in them
The accounts have no or minimal personal information
These allow lying without jeopardizing the reputation of the troll
If blocked, new fake accounts quickly replace old fake accounts.
Derailing topic threads into unrelated controversies
Hijacking legitimate discussion with ideological provocation
Repeating previously debunked claims to restart conflict
Unlike someone who simply vents, trolls typically:
Re-engage repeatedly after pushback
Continue, even when ignored, to escalate intensity and reignite arguments
Seek visibility, not persuasion
Take extreme, minority positions to provoke conflict
Cast doubt without proving allegations
Spew misinformation
Cite obscure blogs or misleading statistics
Present partial truths without context
Mix legitimate data with distortions.
Claiming false affiliations (I’m a lifelong Republican, but that guy…)
Pretending to be local when they may be overseas
Selective skepticism:
They apply high evidentiary standards to opponents, but…
Accept vague, anecdotal evidence that supports their side
Ignore contradictory facts.
Coordinated behavior:
Multiple accounts repeat similar phrases
Synchronized messaging
Identical sentence structures
Specific rhetorical constructions, such as:
Unusual word choices
Semantic duplication, even when wording changes slightly
Copy-pasted paragraphs with minor edits
The same metaphors, accusations and claims without citations or context (He’s a RINO!)
Reused rhetoric
Name-calling
High outward aggression, low inward disagreement.
Why It Matters
Trolls use intentional, bad-faith provocation to disrupt legitimate discourse or elicit emotional reactions. Trolls want to mislead. Their disruption denies people the information they need to make voting decisions based on facts.
Political trolling also increases polarization and creates public distrust of government. People begin to think, “All politicians are corrupt.”
Taking Trolling to Next Level
“Engagement Farms” pay people to perform online tasks that influence your behavior. They began a decade or so ago by paying people to submit fake product reviews. In politics today, they are used to:
Damage and harass opponents
Simulate grassroots outrage
Influence undecideds.
Engagement farm attacks:
Feel personal
Appear socially validated
Create a strong perception of widespread consensus.
They seek to make you doubt. In the end, unless you really know the contestants first hand, you may follow an imaginary crowd. They make it hard to discern fact from fiction. And that is happening in the Crenshaw/Toth race.
Exploiting a Regulatory Gap
Social media comment-based attacks often avoid regulations on traditional advertising. For instance, they don’t require disclosure of the sponsor. This regulatory gap is significant.
Super PACs can often legally spend unlimited, untraceable amounts on engagement farm services.
While hiding behind the First Amendment, they wear down and exhaust humans trying to interact legitimately.
Bob Rehak
In the digital age, they amplify digital discontent like hecklers at a political rally. Enforcement actions against them are rare, difficult to prove and occur long after the election is over…if ever.
I personally believe nothing coming from the Toth camp. I’ve caught them in too many lies. I have endorsed Crenshaw, a man I have known for eight years and who has delivered hundreds of millions of flood-mitigation dollars for the Lake Houston Area.
Caution: Disclaimer
Campaign supporters acting individually may use some of the tactics outlined above. Some may even support Steve Toth without pay.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/17/26
3094 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260217-Crenshaw-Sign-Defaced.jpg?fit=1100%2C655&ssl=16551100adminadmin2026-02-17 09:25:302026-02-17 11:53:14How to Recognize Political Deception from Trolls, Bots and Engagement Farms
Need for Watershed-Wide Solutions to Ensure Flood Resilience
2/19/26 – Texas 2036 and the American Flood Coalition hosted an informative seminar on 2/17/26. It emphasized lessons learned from other states that help ensure flood resilience. One of the dominant themes of the day was the need for watershed-wide flood solutions. Without watershed-wide solutions, upstream communities can create the conditions of their own future flooding while putting downstream communities on an expensive flood-mitigation treadmill.
About the Sponsors
The mission of Texas 2036 is to enable Texans to make policy decisions through accessible data, long-term
planning and statewide engagement. Its goal is to make Texas the best place to live and work. 2036 refers to Texas’ upcoming bicentennial year.
The American Flood Coalition (AFC) is a bipartisan, member-driven coalition working at all levels of government to scale innovative solutions to the country’s toughest flood-adaptation challenges.
A Watershed-Based Approach to Flooding
Dr. Ruth Akintoye kicked off the first presentation with a reminder that the new Texas State Flood Plan is organized along watershed boundaries. And not just sub-watersheds, but entire river basins. That’s because floodwater does not respect jurisdictional boundaries.
“This requires communities to collaborate regionally and also to coordinate with the state,” said Akintoya.
Akintoya gave a shout-out to more than 50 Texans for their leadership on flooding issues and securing more than $4 billion to fund flood and water projects across the state. She singled out Congressman Dan Crenshaw by name.
As a group, they’re trying to bring a 360-degree view of flooding to everyone in the state. “Texas is already a leader in how states approach flood resilience,” said Akintoya. “Yet we all know that resilience is not static and it never fully gets checked off.”
Benefits of a Watershed-Wide Approach
Throughout the seminar, speakers kept referring to the benefits of a watershed-wide approach to flood resilience. They include:
Florida’s Always-Ready Long-Range Plan
Former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Chris Sprowls, amplified those thoughts. He talked about the passage of Florida’s landmark “Always Ready” legislation. AFC called it “the nation’s most comprehensive state-level flood resilience and adaptation initiative.”
The initiative positioned Florida as a leader in preparing communities for rising flood risks. The Florida Plan looks 30 years into the future. Sprowls talked about similarities between Texas and Florida. Namely, both are hubs for domestic migration.
“People are coming to find a better life for their families and a pathway to prosperity. But the downside of that is that we have to plan further into the future,” said Sprowls.
“In Florida,” said Sprowls, “we think about water from a watershed perspective.” In the past, “we weren’t doing the planning and making the investments really needed to keep our communities safe.”
New Texas Flood Plan Based on River-Basin-Wide Approach
Former executive director of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), Jeff walker, talked about the river-basin-wide approach in the first Texas State Flood Plan. The total cost of recommendations was $51 billion. “But to give some perspective, the losses associated with Hurricane Harvey were over $125 billion. That’s from one storm,” he said.
One of the first things Texas learned, said Walker, was that “a large, large majority of the flood maps were out of date.”
“The FEMA maps did not give a full picture of the risk or pinpoint mitigation measures,” he added.”Except for the larger metropolitan areas, most cities and counties do not have a good picture of flood risks. As you can imagine, many cities need technical assistance to help them identify such risk.”
Even worse, Walker said, “Many entities cannot access funds because they do not have a good plan for how to use them. And there is not a good mechanism for flood funding at the city level – especially small cities – because they do not have a source of [matching] funds for such projects.”
Walker believes one of the biggest impacts of the State Flood Plan is that state, local, and watershed-level districts are finally engaging with one another about projects. “It’s not happening in little silos anymore,” he said. He believes that “gives one dollar the power of two.”
He referred to mayors and city managers responsible for flood projects “they don’t know how to do.” A river-basin-wide flood-control district would put that expertise at their disposal.
Fast Growth Argues For Wider Outlook
Florida’s Sprowls fielded many of the questions during Q&A. Several questions addressed fast growth. “It’s really important to fold vulnerabilities into future development plans,” he said. “As population grows and economic development booms in new areas, you need to understand how risk scales relevant to that development. And you can make smart choices to mitigate that risk.”
Texas State Rep. Dennis Paul sponsored such a bill in 2025 to expand Harris County Flood Control District’s geographic scope, but it never made it out of the Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Paul reportedly plans to introduce it again in 2027.
As awareness grows about the benefits of flood-control districts that cover entire river basins, he may have better luck next time. It’s important. The state flood plan shows that the San Jacinto Basin (Region 6) has the largest flood-mitigation needs in the state…by a wide margin.
See the entire hour-long seminar on the Texas 2036 website.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/19/26
3096 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Endorsing Marty Lancton for County Judge in Republican Primary
2/18/26 – In the Republican primary for Harris County Judge, I’m endorsing Marty Lancton. There are many good candidates on the Republican slate. I’ve been to several forums and heard them all speak. And I’ve talked personally with most.
I first met Lancton at Amadeus over lunch five months ago. And I’ve had numerous meetings and communications with him ever since. I endorse him for many reasons.
Proven Leadership Experience in a Political Environment
Lancton is head of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association and VP of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters. As such, he has represented more than 20,000 fire fighters and paramedics statewide in Austin for many years, as well as 4,000 of those working in Houston.
If elected, Lancton would have to represent the County when dealing with Austin and Houston City Hall. He already knows the players and political landscape well. He has lobbied in both places for years and understands how to get things done.
In forging consensus, he listens and seeks common ground. I’ve already seen it firsthand.
In my opinion…
Already Helping Lake Houston Area
Lancton also stands out when it comes to understanding the needs of the Lake Houston Area – especially the flood-mitigation needs.
Before retirement, I owned a business. And I quickly learned to promote people who were already doing the job they wanted to get. Lancton has impressed me in that regard. He has already reached out to his Austin contacts to help with flooding issues in the Lake Houston Area.
Saving Lives During Shock and Awe of Mother Nature
Moreover, as a first responder, he has witnessed firsthand how winds, rain and floods can destroy homes and lives.
He has evacuated victims on his back and in lifeboats. It’s one thing to understand problems intellectually and another to feel the shock-and-awe of Mother Nature for days on end as you repeatedly put your own life on the line to help fellow human beings you never met.
In a similar vein, candidate Lancton has waded neck deep into the political fray. It takes extraordinary courage and character to expose oneself to that these days…again to help fellow human beings he has never met.
Electable
If elected Harris County Judge, Lancton would be accountable to all county residents, whether they identify as Democrats or Republicans. In that regard, Lancton has a history of working across the aisle to build consensus and get results.
Among Republican candidates, he uniquely stands out on that score. He is a lifelong Republican, endorsed by Governor Greg Abbott. Yet the firefighters union also elected him as its leader.
While that may raise questions for some, I see it as a plus.
Meeting The Challenges Ahead
Harris County has enormous challenges ahead. Flood mitigation. Improving public safety. Fixing infrastructure. Cutting wasteful spending to reduce property taxes. Improving service delivery. And restoring trust in government … to name just a few.
Lancton has the experience, temperament, and energy to take on these tasks. I already voted for him and hope you do, too.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/18/26
3095 Days since Hurricane Harvey
How to Recognize Political Deception from Trolls, Bots and Engagement Farms
2/17/26 – Early voting starts today. I hope everyone votes. Electing people who address the problems of their constituents is essential. But sometimes, it’s hard to recognize who those people are because of political deception using trolls, bots and “engagement farms.” These invisible influencers can:
How? By flooding social media with false information disguised as comments from legitimate users, they make it appear as though there is a groundswell of opposition to a particular candidate.
My First Clue
Several weeks ago, I posted what I thought was an innocent story about Congressman Dan Crenshaw. It detailed how a Federal grant he secured for improvements to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch kept the project from being killed by Democrats in Harris County Commissioners Court.
Out of nowhere, the post was flooded with off-topic comments criticizing Crenshaw and promoting Steve Toth. Toth is running against Crenshaw in the new Texas Congressional District 2.
My post never mentioned Toth. But comments on the post ripped apart Crenshaw, a war hero who has dedicated his life to public service and improving public safety.
Toth’s trolls were as relentless as a pack of rabid jackals. I spent hours trying to respond to their inane comments before I gave up … exhausted. Since then, I’ve been investigating what happened. It goes way beyond the childish defacing of an opponents election signs … which Toth also does.
Online, bots and trolls can be programmed to bomb posts and pages with scripted comments that wear down humans and crowd out legitimate discussion. They often work together to create the impression of widespread discontent about political opponents. This can influence people who may not follow politics closely. They sense the majority has concerns about a candidate. So, they vote for his/her opponent.
Engagement Farms
I also learned about “engagement farms.” Engagement farms coordinate employees who control multiple accounts and are directed to:
They are often paid by the volume of interactions. ChatGPT cites publicly advertised engagement-farm service rates ranging from $50 to $300 per 1000 comments. Now you know why trolls often use one word comments such as “Hogwash”!
Unlike bots, engagement farms generate authentic human interaction. That makes detecting them harder. But they all use similar techniques to slime an opponent’s reputation.
How to Recognize When You’re Arguing with a Troll, Bot or Engagement Farm
Below, I use the word “troll” to apply to all three categories. Their tactics and goals are similar. Their hallmarks include:
Why It Matters
Trolls use intentional, bad-faith provocation to disrupt legitimate discourse or elicit emotional reactions. Trolls want to mislead. Their disruption denies people the information they need to make voting decisions based on facts.
Political trolling also increases polarization and creates public distrust of government. People begin to think, “All politicians are corrupt.”
Taking Trolling to Next Level
“Engagement Farms” pay people to perform online tasks that influence your behavior. They began a decade or so ago by paying people to submit fake product reviews. In politics today, they are used to:
Engagement farm attacks:
They seek to make you doubt. In the end, unless you really know the contestants first hand, you may follow an imaginary crowd. They make it hard to discern fact from fiction. And that is happening in the Crenshaw/Toth race.
Exploiting a Regulatory Gap
Social media comment-based attacks often avoid regulations on traditional advertising. For instance, they don’t require disclosure of the sponsor. This regulatory gap is significant.
Super PACs can often legally spend unlimited, untraceable amounts on engagement farm services.
In the digital age, they amplify digital discontent like hecklers at a political rally. Enforcement actions against them are rare, difficult to prove and occur long after the election is over…if ever.
I personally believe nothing coming from the Toth camp. I’ve caught them in too many lies. I have endorsed Crenshaw, a man I have known for eight years and who has delivered hundreds of millions of flood-mitigation dollars for the Lake Houston Area.
Caution: Disclaimer
Campaign supporters acting individually may use some of the tactics outlined above. Some may even support Steve Toth without pay.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/17/26
3094 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.