Future Is Bright

The Future Is Bright

After reading The Lone Star Debate blog about the past A.I.S.D. district 6 election I feel like the future of Austin is pretty bright. I really find it refreshing that someone of a younger generation is getting into a subject that should actually be near and dear to all of us. Especially someone like myself who has children. Alice G's article is very informative and she provides great links to her sources. I went to the two links she provided and read up on the two candidates that are running for south Austin District 6 school board, the incumbent and the challenger. The incumbent is Lori Moya who has held the position for the past four years. The challenger is Glen P. Mayes.
The part I really enjoyed is the fact that Alice G. really gives a sound reasoning for her choice in candidate. You really get a sense that she cares about what is happening in her community. I think if we had more people like Alice G. we would start seeing results around us immediately. I agree with your opinion, and I wish we did have more people like you.

What Are We Going To Do?

What I am wondering is, is prison that horrible place we all make out to be? I mean you are supposed to be there for punishment, but if you can still get everything you can get on the street is it really that bad. I found this article on the Austin American Statesman about the latest prison scandal. The police and investigators are now looking into the fact that a Baylor University student and prison guards are involved in the smuggling of contraband. This is ridiculous that our one place in Texas that is supposed to be the most secure is NOT. The people of Texas should really be concerned.
Back in 2008 a death row inmate called state Senator John Whitmire and threatened him. Shortly after that incident the prison officials in Texas did a state wide search of prisons for contraband, and everybody remembers the search turned up dozens of phones, drugs, and other items to be considered by Texas prisons as contraband. So we all thought that this problem was taken care of, boy were we wrong. This latest incident just goes to show you how if we take problems out of the limelight nothing changes. Everybody thought that just because a Senator or some other Texas official says we will have zero tolerance that things would change.
What I think Texas needs to do is start paying the people who help to keep us safe from prisoners a better salary and better benefits. It is ridiculous the miniscule amount of money prison guards make. These people make very little and are asked to put up with lot. It is not like when these criminals get to prison they become nice people and obey all the rules. When people get to prison they go one of two ways. Either they learn their lesson and try to take advantage of the situation by bettering themselves with educational programs in prison, or they get more knowledge on the inner workings of the illegal activity they are already involved in. I really do not think prison guards would be as willing to sneak in contraband if they were taken care of better. Texas needs to take a step back and look at to very big issues, one being the prison system, and the other is the educational system. We all scream about taxes being raised for both, but what you have to see is they are both directly related. If you are not educating people, what else can they do but some type of criminal activity to survive? So I say, “Texas stand up and take responsibility for the lack of educated people, and the corrupt prison officials, because you are contributing to the problem.”

Joke I rewrote? Thougt it was funny.

Gonorrhea Lectim

Very important information has just been made public that I think is something you should all be aware of:

Gonorrhea Lectim. The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of this old disease.

The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim. It's pronounced "Gonna re-elect 'im." The disease is contracted through dangerous and high-risk behavior involving putting your cranium up your rectum. Many victims contracted it in 2006, but now most people, after having been infected for the past 3 years, are starting to realize how destructive this sickness is.

It's sad because it is so easily cured with a new procedure just coming on the market called Vo-tem-out! You take the first dose/step in 2010 and the second dosage in 2012, and simply don't engage in such behavior again; otherwise it could become permanent and eventually wipe out all life as we know it.

When Do We Hold Them Accountable?

         Here is something I do not understand, why do we elect people to create laws and punishments if all we are going to do is allow people to plea punishments down to a lesser penalty?  I was always taught as a child to follow the rules or there would be consequences.  As I got older these rules changed to laws, and if I do not follow the law there is punishments accordingly.  As I get older it seems the more money a person or a company  has, the less the law pertains to them. 

          The latest observance of this is the Tito's Vodka incident in which the enviromental protection agencies laws were charged to have been broken by illegal drained production waste into a creek.  The Austin American Statesman writer Tony Plohetski gives you some of the details about the case.  You can read about how Fifth Generation Inc. has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine, and how they have made improvements so it will not happen again.  You can also read about how some other companies have received some fines for their infractions.
            The one thing you do not read about is why the Fifth Generation Inc. was able to make a plea agreement.  What makes this company or anyone for that matter able to get a lesser penalty for breaking the law.  I think this is rediculous and careless of  judicial system to allow this disregard for the law.  So now I guess other companies can look at it like, what does it matter if I dump illegally as long as the profit of dumping is more than the fine the state will impose.  The rules are layed out for businesses at the Texas Commission on Enviromental Quality and is free to visit this website for anyone, so the excuse of "I did not know" can not be used.  I mean what is going to happen if from now on we say it was just a little spill, and this person or company does so much for Austin so we will just let them off without using the full extent of the law.  After a while what will our city and or state look like?  I think we need to stop and think about two things.  First, if every company and or person in Austin or in Texas for that matter were allowed to dump just a little waste of some kind, what would we be leaving for future generations? Second, when are we going to stop and realize that the people we elect are writting the laws that we pass, and that these laws are being ignored and manipulated every day in court rooms across our state?  Maybe we need to either pass laws and hold everyone accountable the same across the board, or set laws for companies of different income levels and people to. That in my opinion is the only way people might actually stand up and rebel against what happens everyday across Texas and the United States instead of just lying down and taking the "Good Old Boy Politics."

Not telling the whole story. Anyone surprised?

       I was reading through different Texas blogs when I came across this older blog on The North Texas Conservative that I found very interesting.  The author of the North Texas Conservative is commenting on the on the Keith Olbermann show.  This happened back in February of this year.  The blog says that Olbermann faced the camera and asked all the people who participate in the Tea Party movement where the African Americans are.  Mr. Olbermann then proceeded to ask about the involvement of other minorities in the Tea Party.  The Dallas Tea Party responded to Mr. Olbermann's question with a video, and the North Texas Conservative has posted a link to this video.  The blog goes on to talk about the spokeswoman for the Dallas Tea Party is black, and the blog also points out that it is a woman.  The blog goes on and points out a few other minorities in the Dallas Tea Party.
        I believe the author is making the basic claim that the Tea Party is a diverse group of people who are just tired of big government and what they call excessive taxes.  I think the emotional appeal to the conservative audience is very large.  I also belive that the use of the video from the Dallas Tea Party was very helpful in conveying the author's point of view.  The blog gives a good one sided side of the story. 
        In my opinion the blog does give a good argument for those who choose to look at only this blog as souce of credible news.  The blog does not give the other side of the story.  It does not mention that Mr. Olbermann did respond to the Dallas Tea Party with comments on diversity.  I think once again this is showing why not all blogs are educational, but can be entertainning.

Perry Surprise

-Governor Rick Perry performed the state's first postuhumous pardon.
 This is very well possibly the best thing I think I have heard of Governor Rick Perry doing.  I am not sure I can recall the last time he did anything good that was that note worthy. To be honest though I really do not believe he deserves all the credit.   Perry grants state's first posthumous pardon, is the way the article reads in the Austin American Statesman and I think it should have said more about the little people who really pushed to have this clarified by the Attorney General.  Let's be real, there is no way that the governor has had time to work on getting this done.  He has been way to busy with the election.  I think this is an article with a little slant on it.  I think they are trying to give extra credibility to Governor Rick Perry in a election year.  I really  think that if this was not an election year that this would be more about the people who really pushed for the clarification on the pardon law.  The article tries to make it like Perry did all that he could with in his powers to clear all this up. I think they just really want to paint our governor as sympathatic, kind, and in a forgiving light so that maybe Texans will be the same way and elect him again.  This is rediculous, if my child was wrongly accused of rape and was innocent and died in prison, you bet your bottom dollar I would expect a phone call from my current governor to apologize for the wrong to my family.  So when the article tries to make it out like he is "all that", I just have a problem trying to swallow that pill. 

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Former Texas Rep. Charlie Wilson dies at 76

How Should We Feel?

          Now that there is a movie, just about everyone knows who former Texas Representative Charlie Wilson was.  Like so many others I have to admit that I did not know who he was until the movie came out with Tom Hanks acting as Charlie Wilson.  Myself and so many others can honestly blame our age, and modern day history classes for not teaching us about Mr. Wilson's accomplishments.  
           When you see the movie and read the articles about his life you realize he did a great thing.  Charlie Wilson helped the people of Afghanistan at a time when the Russian army was wiping them out.  The people of Afghanistan where using very primitive weapons against the Russian's gunship helicopter the Mil Mi-24.  As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Charlie Wilson was able to secure funds to help arm and train the Afghanistan people.  U.S Defense Secretary Robert Gates said "Wilson's efforts and exploits helped repel  an invader, liberate a people, and bring the Cold War to a close".(Austin American Statesman)
             It is said that thanks to Representative Charlie Wilson and his efforts to help the people of Afghanistan, he also aided in the fall of the Soviet Union.  The Soviet Union was under economis stress, and the war in Afghanistan only depleated them further.  After the Soviet Union pulled out of Afghanistan, Representative Charlie Wilson tried to secure more funds for the war torn country to no avail.  With the absence of strong government and no support from foreign aid, Afghanistan was left wide open to occupation by the al-Qaida.
              In my opinion Representative Charlie Wilson was a the model of a good old boy.  I think he fits in to not just Texas Politics, but also into the United States and our current situation.  I really feel that the article(link below) helps to give background on Charlie Wilson and it shows other's opinions of him. If you ask me, Texas has lost someone special.    
           
Former Texas Rep.Charlie Wilson dies at 76

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