Election Time is Upon Us-Know Your Propositions!

The Texas bureacrats are back at it again. As written by Alice in her Texas' Messes blog, elected officials have put Proposition 10 on the ballot for the upcoming election. Proposition 10 extends the length of time an elected official can retain his/her current position even while running for another electable post. This is ridiculous, and it really is insulting that this even made it to the ballot. In a nutshell, this propostion actually pays OUR elected officials to campaign for another office. Seriously?
Pandering to a new constituent? paid for.
Time to set up a campaign headquarters? paid for.
Basically ignoring the current responsibilities elected to perform?
PAID FOR!
This proposition can't be allowed to pass on principle alone as Alice states. It is finally time to tell bureacrats that enough is enough. Do the job you were elected to do. The track record established in that role should be adequate to propel you into the new position you seek.
I'm not holding my breath, though.

Greg Abbott Upset with a Republican Decision. What?

Greg Abbott, Attorney General of Texas, mandated that his office file an objection to the congressional map issued by a federal court in San Antonio. The objection, according to Tim Eaton of The Austin American Statesman, claims the federal court "undermines the will of the citizenry", and is without power to supplant the Texas Legislature's policy choices, among others (Visit Redistricting Fight for full article).
The irony of this action taken by Attorney General Abbott is that it was taken against a GOP majority panel of judges. As an outsider looking in, I can only conclude that the Republican party of Texas knows no bounds in bending the rules to increase and secure power in Texas government. The initial redrawn district maps proposed by the Republican majority Texas Legislature, although obviously intended to shift the few Democratic strongeholds that remain toward more friendly Republican situations for elections, at least had an air of democratic due diligence. This objection instead shows no signs of democracy, but is stated more along that of an autocracy, a "you're with us or you're against us" mentality intended, I believe, to do little more than intimidate.
The fact that the three-judge panel, two Republican appointees and one Democratic, felt that the Texas Legislature's map was so biased that they instead drew an entirely new one, speaks volumes. As an independent panel that was appointed and not elected, their ruling allowed for the right decision to be made, not a party decision. Not standing for clear biases and party proliferation as reasoning for redrawing districts, the court instead showed balance and fairness in their map, praised by all but the fervent Republicans frustrated that anything or anyone would stand in the way of their vision.
The article also touches on the fact that any redrawing of district maps, especially in states such as Texas with a discriminatory history, must be approved by the federal government through a process known as pre-clearance. Given this history, I hoped the Texas Legislature would recognize this mistake and seek a more compromising position. I was wrong. It appears instead that Greg Abbott and his posse wants to take Texas back to the twentieth century.

An Amendment to the Texas Constitution Worth Voting For.

This article written by Josh Coffman is literature that everyone, especially registered voters, should read. Mr. Coffman explains how this proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution would allow for a veteran who is 100% disabled to receive a homestead exemption for tax purposes that can be passed on to his/her spouse upon passing away ( Visit Eyes of Texas for complete article). Although this may seem arbitrary, the sheer good an amendment like this can have on a veteran's family is inmeasurable.
The toll of caring for a disabled loved one is unknown to many, including myself. However, I can imagine the dedication and love necessary to make this feat a reality. Dealing with the tax issues that are allowed for presently isn't fair to the family who has just lost a family member. The least we can do as citizens to show our appreciation is to pass this amendment. Mr. Coffman points out how small the portion of the population this will actually affect, but one can imagine how greatly received it would be.
Choosing to place oneself in danger for the good of others is a task met daily by the men and women who serve in our military. It's time to say thank you and show the respect this type of courage earns. It's time to get this amendment passed.

Austin City Coucil Takes a Conservative Stance?

The Austin City Council, widely accepted as being very liberal thinking when devising policies, made a surprise decision recently. A proposal that would consolidate the 2012 elections to November was voted down 4-3. Proponents for keeping the Council elections in May hid behind the mandates of the city charter, among a veiled humility that extending current terms 6 more months wasn't within their purview. This article in the Austin American Statesman outlines the story Austin City Council.
I struggle understanding why such liberal elected officials would use such conservative reasoning for thier stance. The cost difference in consolidated elections in November versus Council elections in May then all the rest in November is half a million dollars. The recession has created such a huge city deficit that it seems unreasonable to throw away money unnecessarily. This, however, isn't their true motivation.
May elections occur roughly in conjuction with final exams, making it difficult for students to be active participants. And, even if able to vote in an election, should a run-off occur, voters have to wait to cast another ballot in June. Most students chose to return home for the summer, leaving an abysmally low turnout. On the other hand, the activists who remain in Austin consistently show up for every election. This has the air of protecting their Council seat as incumbants rather than the "my hands are tied" argument.
There is also a division in the City Council, where more practical liberals such as Mayor Leffingwell and Councilman Martinez are at odds with the very liberal Kathie Tovo and Sheryl Cole. When an election occurs in a wide electorate, candidates whose views are closer to the middle of the road fare better than those who hold to the extreme. With the 4-3 advantage in votes currently, the very liberal can work to keep the electorate small in hopes of keeping the majority of votes needed to pursue their agenda.
Austin has taken the course, through its elected officials, of being this enrgy conservative, bike riding, city of the future. So, why in a city that\s trying to ban plastic bags in grocery stores, is the City Council taking such a cnservative stance against the greater good?

Harsh Rhetoric in the Texas Liberal

First off, I want to state that I'm not politically active. I've never voted, never been to a political rally, don't follow politics at all unless the Colbert Report happens to be on Comedy Central when I'm bored. That being said, it's hard to ignore the Republican presidential candidate race now that Rick Perry has decided to throw his hat in. So, since I'm being inundated with the news coverage anyway, I've decided to become more informed.
The debate over national healthcare, known sarcastically as "Obamacare", sits at the center stage of most of the Republican debates, along with the economy. Personally having no problem with all Americans being allowed access to insurance, I guess that the issue for Republicans is in the recipe for this, not the actual result. Oh well, to each their own.
However,this article on Texas Liberal, a blog written by Neil Aquino, seems dead set in chastising Mitt Romney for not claiming something he didn't want to claim in the first place (Visit Texas Liberal).
Aquino writes how newly obtained White House records indicate that senior Obama adminstration officials used the Massachusetts health-care law as a model for the national one. The article also says that some of the same health-care advisors and experts that aided Romney (who enacted this health-care law as Governor of Massachusetts) were also used. Big deal. What the article doesn't say is that Romney himself never advised the White House.
I realize, of course, that the Texas Liberal is written for exactly that: the liberal. But that doesn't excuse Aquino's railing of Romney for not supporting an idea that isn't his. Romney is on the record as saying that the health-care law of Massachusetts isn't a "one-size-fits-all" model to be used for the entire United States. Saying that Romney is "sick" for refusing to endorse Obama's Health Care Reform thereby preventing millions of Americans of becoming insured isn't just off base, it's a flat out lie.
Aquino finishes up by writing that he isn't surprised though, since " Republican primary voters get their kicks by cheering executions, cheering uninsured people dying, and booing gay Iraq combat veterans." And, at last, we reach what I believe to be the foundation of Aquino's whole article. He hates Republicans. Period.
The sad truth is that extremity, on any view taken, creates a bias that can blind logic. So, Mr. Aquino, follow President Obama to wherever he aims to take you. But, by the looks of things currently, don't expect it to be a job interview.

Keystone XL: A Path to Texas' Future

The need for a sustainable source of energy is as important to Texas as it is to America. The proposed Keystone XL, a pipeline that would run from Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas, is the most viable option to meet that need in some time. Barry Smitherman, a member of the Texas Railroad Commision, mirrors this sentiment. The commentary article Mr. Smitherman wrote for the Austin American Statesman website on September 27th(Visit Keystone XL), is a clear cut argument for the approval of this project, in my opinion. Mr. Smitherman is appealing to all Texans who've had to buckle down during these recession years. The projected economic impact of this pipeline (50,300 person-years of employment and $1.6 billion in increased personal income) alone is a boost to a Texas economy that's already beginning to sputter. The ecological impact has been exhaustively reviewed and the verdict still remains that this pipeline won't have any major impacts. Mr. Smitherman is correct in advocating for a project that can do nothing but boost the Texas economy and Texans' personal pocketbooks while having no signicant ecological impact. The Keystone XL has national appeal as well, being a signicant counter-measure in the dependence on foreign oil. These reasons, combined with my personal belief, confirm that a new "trans-continental" pipeline could be a huge boost to the economy, both to Texas and the United States.

Rep. Smith Pushes for His Own IImmigration Reform

Rep. Lamar Smith has begun pushing for the mandatory use of E-Verify, an immigration status verification system used to determine the legality of an employee's work status. From this article in the Texas Tribune, Rep. Smith argues the rationale that if more illegal immigrants were kept from entering the workforce, then more citizens would have the opportunity to obtain those available jobs. Rep. Smith goes on to stipulate that this would help the unemployment rate significantly as well as alleviating those workers who are underemployed due to the weak economy. This bill has opponents, however, such as U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson. Rep. Jackson states that, on its' own, the illegal immigration population of Houston contributes 27.3 billion to the gross regional product. Each makes a compelling argument, and if immigration issues interest you, then you will certainly find some intersting arguments for both sides.