Texas Blog Roundup

Time again for the Texas Progressive Alliance weekly blog roundup.

Off the Kuff takes closer look at that story about Texas turnout in last year's election.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson adds some context to what's being said in Texas about Unemployment insurance, the stimulus, and Gov. Perry.

This week at McBlogger, Krispy Kreme takes a moment to tell of her personal experiences with folks desperately in need of adequate health care.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston thinks Clear Lake Hospital has a heart of Cold.

No matter what Governor Rick Perry says or hopes for, Texas is part of the federal union. Neil at Texas Liberal offers a video this week of him reading Federalist Paper #9 on the site of the San Jacinto battlefield. Federalist #9 talks about the need for a strong union and San Jacinto is where Texas won independence from Mexico.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes that John Cornyn chooses to be an a**hole over Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation.

TXsharon is combining Principles of Community Organizing (POCO) training with a vacation in Colorado so several of her posting this week contained pictures of the Durango & Silverton train ride, clean air, huge deer and breathtaking beauty. But, be sure to check out the progress made from working on the Railroad in regards to land farming toxic drilling waste.

Over at TexasKaos, lightseeker explains why the language we use in defending Health Care Reform matters more than we may think. Hint: They want to have a discussion of Government takeover of health care. We should want to discuss the necessity and fundamental fairness of publicly assisted health care for all. We can win one of these debates, but probably not the other. Check it out...

Miss Hypocrisy, meet Mr. Ignorant. Kay Bailey pricked Rick Perry for snubbing stimulus money she voted against. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs serves.

WhosPlayin was on vacation all week, but still ended up spending some time reading the Health Care Bill and has written a summary of the 'Public Option' part of the bill, noting that it looks an awful lot like a PPO.

This week Teddy from Left of College Station covers the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce resolution to oppose any national health care, and reviews what the resolution says and what the resolution means. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines.

After Citizen Sarah at Texas Vox read the Austin American Statesman's report on how poorly the Green Choice power program was selling, she felt motivated to write a rebuttal on how Austin Energy's pricing of wind energy left something to be desired. And this week, the Statesman reports that Austin Energy may re-evaluate the price of their latest batch of clean energy When folks start asking questions, the powers that be (get it?) pay attention. Ya gotta agitate to get the dirt out!

Run Those Red Lights, Coppers!

One of the many worthless laws passed by the TX Legislature going into effect September 1st, clarifies an existing law regarding emergency vehicles. Previously, emergency vehicles while on duty would still be issued citations if caught by a red light camera. The driver on duty would be held responsible for the citation if they were not passing through the light in an emergency situation. The new law will exempt emergency vehicles from being cited.

 

Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston) calls the new law a "no brainer", but is it? Red light cameras were forced down our throats by cities claiming it would help reduce the number of red light infractions and increase safety. Since that time, we now know it is simply about revenue rather than safety. But if they want to hold to the "safety" story, why would you allow emergency vehicle drivers free reign over driving through a red light whenever they feel like it while not responding to a call? 1200 infractions by Dallas police just go by the wayside?

 

All we are saying is hold everyone to the same standard. Nobody should get special treatment unless it is an emergency situation.

Texas Blog Roundup

It's Monday and it's time for another Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is sick of cronies running our cities our state and our country!

WCNews at Eye On Williamson on more GOP shenanigans - Republicans, hypocrisy, the stimulus, and more Carter "nuttiness".

Off the Kuff notes that as Texas' unemployment rate continues to rise, we are now in the position of having to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government to fulfill our unemployment insurance obligations. Heckuva job, Governor Perry!

John Coby at Bay Area Houston has posted a A How to Guide for Illegal Immigrants to Vote in Texas Elections.

Xanthippas takes on more disability-as-diversity nonsense. Also, on a side note, our blog Three Wise Men's 5th anniversary is this coming Tuesday. We'll be putting up a special post in commemoration.

The Texas Cloverleaf looks at how the NTTA will be raising rates because volume is down. So much for supply and demand theory.

This week, an old author returns to McBlogger with a true story about dogs. Completely unrelated to politics and nothing but funny.

Neil at Texas Liberal posted a video of him reciting the words the 1848 Shaker hymn Simple Gifts as a ship passes behind him on Galveston Island. Coming up this week at Texas Liberal will be a video shot at the San Jacinto battlefield.

Upon the arrival of Fashion Week in Austin, Mean Rachel wants to know "Does this city make my butt look hot?"

Citizen Sarah at Texas Vox expresses disappointment, to say the least, that the Public Utility Commission denied Sylvester Turner's petition to protect our most vulnerable from dangerous summer heat.

Teddy at the fourth estate, will be able to survive the economic recession and into the new digital age. Left of College Station also reviews the week in headlines.

The Texas Tribune, a new media project headed up by soon-to-be-former Texas Monthly editor Evan Smith, is an idea that shows lots of promise. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has more details about it.

Just as during the campaign, malicious emails are being sent, especially to the elderly. One paticularly nasty one is entitled: SENIOR DEATH WARRANTS. Over at TexasKaos, lightseeker takes on piece of electronic hit mail and offers some ideas on fighting back in his diary, Healthcare Scare Mail and what You Can Do To Help.

NTTA Defies Supply & Demand

Supply and demand? NTTA laughs in your face! HA!

 

The NTTA voted to raise its rates over 30% starting September 1st. Since everyone is poor now, revenue is down on the Tollway and other roads in the system by over $30 million. That typically means it currently is costing drivers too much to pay for tolls. To get more people to use your product, you should probably lower your rates. 

 

NTTA's way to deal with it? Raise rates! And in the real world, that means even less drivers will be using the NTTA roads. So when does the cycle stop? We may never know.

Thousands Of TX Unemployed Screwed!

Thanks to the failure that is Governor 39% Rick Perry, thousands of unemployed Texans will be delayed in receiving assistance. And not just a few thousand. We're talking 82,000!

Apparently 150,000 people tried calling the Texas Workforce Commission on Monday and destroyed their phone system. Things like that typically happen with that many people calling at the same time. But thanks to the "conservative" values of our Governor, the TWC has told these people they won't be getting any more money. Sorry, broke people. That unemployment insurance we all pay into, won't be paying into you!

But there is hope for you still. When they do decide to make payments, it'll be retroactive. Nevermind if your house is already foreclosed on by then, right? You will get that money. Or will you? The fund is nearly exhausted. Will Perry actually have the balls to ask the feds for more cash, or will he let thousands of people who can't find a job go broke? We doubt it.

Texas Blog Roundup

It's Monday and it's time for another version of the Texas Progressive Alliance weekly highlight reel.

Off the Kuff suggests that a pro-science PAC could do a lot of good, nationally and in Texas.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson reminds us that despite the brouhaha over transportation during the recently passed legislative session TxDOT is still broken.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is outraged at the way Texas Republican crony capitalism whips patients in hospitals and psychiatric facilities.

Nat-Wu at Three Wise Men takes a look at the nation's unemployment picture,and finds it's even worse than the numbers make it appear.

Over at Texas Kaos, Lightseeker shares an email indicating Big Insurance doesn't just want to maximize the profits in makes from its members, it wants them to help protect them from competition. No, REALLY. Big Insurance Wants YOUR Help to Block Competetive Reforms.

Barfly at McBlogger takes a look at an exciting new movie coming out soon that's sure to draw in every douchebag you know.

With the news that the CIA concealed a clandestine counter-terrorism program from Congress on direct orders from Dick Cheney, the recently loquacious former veep has once again clammed up and disappeared. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs notes the turnabout.

Teddy at Left of College Station asks whether or not soon to be former Governor Sarah Palin is going with the flow, swimming upstream, or flopping on the shore? Teddy also answers the question of whether or not Congressman Murphy can push through legislation that would be the beginning of the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell". Also, Left of College Station covers the week in headlines.

Neil at Texas Liberal watched a 35 year old rerun of All In The Family. In the episode Neil watched, George Jefferson called Archie a honky.

WhosPlayin posted video of an inappropriate campaign solicitation at Congressman Michael Burgess' recent Town Hall meeting.

No To Dunbar Gets Us Gail Lowe

We implored everyone to block Governor 39% from appointing Cynthia Dunbar to head the TX State Board of Education this week. It worked. But now we are going to be stuck with someone just as bad.

 

Perry nominated Gail Lowe (R-Lampasas) to head up the board today. Granted, Lowe is not quite as psychotic as Dunbar and seems like a nice lady. But she is still a member of the socially retarded block of 7 on the 15 member board. She also publishes her own newspaper in Lampasas, which essentially gives her free advertising to do and say whatever she likes.

 

Keep an eye on this one. Lowe still has to be confirmed by the TX Senate. If you care about the future of Texas children, you will not let this be swept under the rug.

Dunbar For Head Of SBOE? Aw Hell No!

We've been following the oddities of TX politics for a while, but one of the more odd has reared it's ugly head. Governor Rick 39% Perry is ready to give Texas the ol' fuck you once again.

A little back story if you will. The TX State Board of Education is made up mainly of whackjobs who have never held a job in education before their time on the board. Dentists, attorneys, real estate agents, stay at home moms, what have you. That has also made for a Republican majority on the board, however only 7 of the 15 are evangelicals. People like David Bradley (R-Beaumont), who refers to anyone on the left as a pagan. Don McLeroy (R-Bryan) was until recently head of this gaggle of supernatural dingbats. Fortunately for us, the TX Senate refused to reconfirm him as leader of the pack this past session, much to the dismay of Governor Goodhair.

That leads us to this past weekend. Tea was tossed by a few thousand. Millions more didn't give a shit what "conservatives" had to say. Until now. The Guv is ready to shove another dip shit down our throats. The Houston Chronicle reported over the holiday that Cynthia Dunbar (R-Richmond) may be McLeroy's replacement. We remember Dumb and Dumber-bar don't we? She was the patriot who lumped our new President in with terrorists citing her freedom of speech. Never mind the fact her speech was essentially treasonous and asinine.

So this is what we have as a potential head of a body that educates our children. Children, who mind you, are mostly dead last in every category in the country. Someone like Dunbar can not be allowed to lead us into the 21st Century. The only thing more frightening is someone like Gail Lowe of Lampasas leading. She is just as insane, but in a more motherly Anti Christ like way, but with less ambition. Dunbar wants the job and for good reason. She is up for reelection in 2010. And she clearly is using the lowly SBOE as a stepping stone to higher office, as most GOP party stars do in Texas. She doesn't give a shit about your kids. She doesn't even care about the public school system. She has said herself she doesn't believe it should even exist. And what is Perry's interest here? Just the fact he may have his ass kicked by Kay Bailey Hutchison in a primary in 2010. What better way to solidify the Christian right than to appoint one of their own?

If you want to attempt to keep crazy ass people from ruining our society and our education system, you can do a couple things. You can sign this petition from Credo Mobile, and share with friends. And you can join or keep up with organizations fighting for our right to not have dumb ass kids, like the Texas Freedom Network. But we implore you! Do not let this slip through the cracks. The repercussions are immense.

Texas Blog Roundup

Now that we've celebrated another birthday for America, it's time for the weekly Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup. Here are your highlights from the holiday week.

Neil at Texas Liberal says that while people went on about Michael Jackson, the U.S. Supreme Court was making it more difficult for black folks to get promoted at work.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme thinks Manuel Bañales should recuse himself from all things Mauricio Celis.

Off the Kuff takes a look at what happened during the blink-and-you-missed-it special session.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson has more on the impending statewide campaign of former Travis County as the draftronnie.com site goes live, Ronnie Earle is causing a stir.

Mr. The Plumber took some time out recently to talk about much the Founding Father's hated those Godless Communists. McBlogger, obvs, thinks he's kind of a dummy.

Over at Texas Kaos, Libby Shaw catches John Cornyn in yet another big bad whopper. John Cornyn Out to Kill Health Care Reform: Misleads Houston Doctors.

WhosPlayin wondered what could be the real reason for Sarah Palin quitting her post, and decided to post a little poll.

Texas Blog Roundup

It's Fourth of July week, and so it's time for an extra-patriotic rendition of the Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup.

Off the Kuff takes a look at the latest Lyceum poll on the Governor and Senate races in Texas.

Neil at Texas Liberal suggests that instead of blowing of your fingers lighting fireworks--during a drought in Harris County no less---that maybe you would be better off reading a book instead.

With 2010 spinning up, it's funny to watch all the different players already on the field line up to take their first hits. McBlogger, of course, thinks they're all deeply in need of a little advice which he graciously provides (with surprisingly sparse use of profanity)!

WCNews & Dembones at Eye On Williamson post on the latest controversy involving the Williamson County Commissioners Court, Budget officer not just a good idea, it's the law.

John at Bay Area Houston says Turn out the lights, the family values party is over.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme thinks online Texas Republican commentary on Mark Sanford is interesting.

The similarities between Mark Sanford and Ray Bolger (as the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz") are just too weird, notes PDidde at Brains and Eggs.

The wise men are willing to pay a tax on their favorite junk food to pay for health care reform.

WhosPlayin.com Video bring you EXTREME Congressional Town Hall - Special "Losing our freedoms" edition, sponsored by Prozac.

Over at TexasKaos, Libby Shaw calls our attention to Confessions of a Former Health Insurance Exec: "We Dump the Sick". Who knew? All the posturing , hypocritical , offers of self-reform and insurance relief are just so much bogus cover up for an industry too greedy to ever be trusted to regulate themselves!

The Texas Cloverleaf discusses gay pride, bar raids, and millions of gays marching in DFW this past weekend during the 40th anniversary of Stonewall.

Burnt Orange Report covers TX-10 Congressional candidate Jack McDonald's campaign expansion in the Austin area.

Texas Vox reports on Texas'
record setting energy consumption and the need for renewable peak
energy over boring old baseload from coal, gas, and nuclear.