Another Texas Push for School Vouchers

TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION

ANOTHER TEXAS PUSH FOR SCHOOL VOUCHERS

pstern 7:30:28 PM on 7 January 2015   It never ends...   Once again the Texas Legislature and their special interest cohorts are pushing for School Vouchers, saying that they would save Texans $billions.   Every couple of years the same bunch of basset hounds go into legislative session howling for school vouchers.  I suppose, if they keep doing it long enough eventually they will get it.   Sen. Donna Campbell is the newbie on the voucher block, but the rest have been doing it for decades. Small wonder why they want vouchers.  Legislators and other officials would do anything to divert the State's constitutional obligation to provide a quality education for Texas children. However, if you are going to have public education, then do it right! Public schools need to return to basics, more of the reading, writing and 'rithmetic and also teach some good ol’ life lessons on how to get a job, write a resume and how to become a worthwhile citizen. That is what public education should be.... but the Conservatives love private schools and yet  Sen. Campbell along with Rep. Jimmie Aycock and otherGOP legislators want to give private education more regulations.   Nothing like a conservative Senators and Representatives wanting more regulations over private schools... [makes me goose-pimply all over]  So much for smaller government. Asked about vouchers recently, state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen and chairman of the House Public Education Committee, said “it will certainly get discussed — always does” but described imposing state standards on private schools as a complicating factor. “We require curriculum control, we require teacher quality control, we require all sorts of regulations,” he said. “If I could be assured somehow that there was good quality control that followed the state money, then I’d certainly be willing to talk about it. As far as turning the money lose without any control — I’m pretty hesitant to do that.” Anyway, aren't "state standards" a huge part of the problem inherent in public education, so legislators now want to do the same thing to private education?  Doesn't sound very smart to me. If you don’t want public education, then get rid of it and let people pay for private schools and dump the responsibility onto the parents to educate their children... but the Liberals love their public education.   So?  What now?

Texas should be renamed Taxes!

 

Taxes are destroying Americans.

 

 

In Texas it’s property taxes that need to be significantly lowered. While the GOP is very fond of saying "No new taxes," the reality is that even it raises fees and penalties and pushes for toll roads. No matter what Republicans say, they ARE raising taxes by these means and by various and frequent road, schools and other bond packages that increase taxes further.  Business taxes are high and there also is a push to levy a Personal State Income Tax.  That would be another huge mistake.

So, let's call a tax a tax and let's not just blame Democrats for "tax and spend" mentalities. Both parties continue to take money from the poor and what's left of the middle class. The wealthy have deductions and the ability to pay taxes if they are levied.

The 2-party system has failed most Americans.

Our Constitution has been manipulated to enable and protect the wealthy and not all Americans.

I believe our forefathers would be shaking their heads at how the political system has challenged the survival of most Americans and would be reminded of why we held a revolution against the British in the first place... sky-high taxes!

 

Will the South Rise Again?

Another Civil War anyone?

Most of the "red" states have been or are fighting for a Voter Photo ID Card that will make voters in the respective states show the card in order to vote.

Recently, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court determined to strike down part of the Voter Law that enables states to bypass a previous decision against a Voter Photo ID Card.  Previously it was deemed unconstitutional and "racist" to demand that voters must show the card at polls.

As soon as the vote was in, Texas approved the Voter Photo ID Card and now Attorney General Eric Holder is demanding that the Federal Court in San Antonio, Texas, requires Texas to ask for Federal permission prior to changing any Voter laws.

Holder sites as his reasoning that Texas has been one of "those states" that has had "racist issues" in its past and therefore, to ensure voting integrity, must seek Federal permission, a.k.a., oversight, before changing ANY of its Voter laws.

Texas, along with Alabama, Wisconsin, Montana, Mississippi and several other "red" states is being "targeted" by Holder and the Obama administration for their respective changes in Voter laws.

Not surprising to anyone, neither side is willing to give an inch on this issue and it is sure to come to a head eventually.  Will the South rise again in this fight?  Texas Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott declares that Texas will win this battle.

It's going to be an interesting fight as both sides are gearing up for a prolonged  battle in the courts.

TxDOT's "pass-through" Road Projects and Lack of Oversight

The evolution of the Texas Department of Transportation stinks like month-old fish.  The state agency does whatever it wants, with little direct oversight.  It continues to milk millions of tax dollars for its elite management's special interests, which also happen to be Gov. Rick Perry's special interests.

TxDOT prefers what it calls "creative methods" of building roadways, a.k.a., toll roads and/or "managed care lanes" that also are toll roads.  Toll roads create long-term debt and are NOT cost-effective methods of building and maintaining our roads.

The "pass-through" projects are the new way TxDOT suckers various communities and districts into putting their hard-earned tax dollars down for new roads and road improvements with the agency's ridiculous promise to repay the communities sometime "down the toll road" --- only where will TxDOT get the money to repay the communities?  Who knows, since TxDOT continues to whine that it has no money.

It may be a good idea to shut down TxDOT completely and have private companies plan and build our roadways.

TxDOT already contracts out a large part of its work, but does not maintain a good oversight on the work done.  That's why some areas need work done twice using twice the tax dollars to do the job correctly once.

 No one is held accountable... ever!

It's time Texans know exactly where their tax dollars are going and the agency needs much better oversight than it currently gets.

Furthermore, the Texas Governor should NOT appoint the head of TxDOT.  It is a position that should be determined by Texas voters, even though the possibility of corruption is still present.  It is a top state position and one of great importance to the Texas community to leave it up to the Governor to appoint one of his top campaign contributors and/or special cronies.

One thing is certain.  We can no longer let TxDOT be managed without more careful scrutiny.  The Texas Legislature knows this already, but does nothing about it.

Abortion Laws and Politics...

Even though the Texas Legislature passed the "Anti-Abortion" law, it most likely will get stalled by Democrats for years.  The same is true in states where Democrats have passed pro-Abortion legislation and which is being blocked in the courts by Republicans.

We need only view what is happening in other state that have passed pro- or anti- abortion laws.  In either case, the laws have become stalled as the courts decide what will happen.  In many cases, the laws will be stalled for years.

The history of abortion is interesting and worth the read.

The new Wisconsin Abortion law stalled.

An overview of State Abortion laws.

Out of the state's 42 abortion clinics, only six meet the new Texas abortion law.  It would be a big problem for women who want an abortion even before 20 weeks.

In Arizona the Appeals Court struck down the 20-week abortion law.

In Oklahoma the State Supreme Court ruled that the 20-week abortion law was unconstitutional.

The Federal Court ruled that the state of Mississippi cannot enforce onerous admitting privileges designed to close the state’s lone abortion clinic.

Consequently, the issue of pro- or anti- abortion has had a long history of conflict and just because various states have issued laws for or against abortions does not mean those laws will hold up in court.  It will take many more years before any real laws stay on the books.

Abortion, Anti-Abortion Politics

Abortion Laws are often stalled in the courts...

pstern 09:43 on 21 July 2013 Even though the Texas Legislature passed the "Anti-Abortion" law, it most likely will get stalled by Democrats for years.  The same is true in states where Democrats have passed pro-Abortion legislation and which is being blocked in the courts by Republicans. We need only view what is happening in other state that have passed pro- or anti- abortion laws.  In either case, the laws have become stalled as the courts decide what will happen.  In many cases, the laws will be stalled for years. The history of abortion is interesting and worth the read. The new Wisconsin Abortion law stalled. An overview of State Abortion laws. Out of the state's 42 abortion clinics, only six meet the new Texas abortion law.  It would be a big problem for women who want an abortion even before 20 weeks. In Arizona the Appeals Court struck down the 20-week abortion law. In Oklahoma the State Supreme Court ruled that the 20-week abortion law was unconstitutional. The Federal Court ruled that the state of Mississippi cannot enforce onerous admitting privileges designed to close the state’s lone abortion clinic. Consequently, the issue of pro- or anti- abortion has had a long history of conflict and just because various states have issued laws for or against abortions does not mean those laws will hold up in court.  It will take many more years before any real laws stay on the books.

- See more at: http://salon.glenrose.net/default.asp?view=plink&id=14907#sthash.UoHwljVO.dpuf

Still Building Unnecessary Toll Roads

Texas Pushing Through Special Interest 130 and MoPac Toll Roads and More

Toll roads in general are simply ridiculous. They create long term debt and 80 percent off the top of toll collections go to the company that builds and operates the road. They usually create other unforeseen issues, e.g., on 130 motorists are hitting feral hogs at 85 mph.

The 130 toll way is almost as absurd as the proposed MoPac (LOOP 1) "managed care lanes" that are being pushed upon motorists. The problems inherent on MoPac are not being resolved. Instead, TxDOT and toll authorities continue to push for toll roads to make revenue instead of figuring out what will really move traffic along congested areas.

Private road companies like CINTRA will pay states $1 or $2 million or even more up front to ensure that it is considered to build and operate future toll roads. Then, where does that money go to? We don't see a paper trail. Where do TxDOT and legislators put those big dollars? TxDOT "found" $130 MILLION to put into the MoPac managed care lanes while still crying that it has no money to repair roadways, build new ones or build an overpass, say for MoPac and Slaughter Lane or to resolve the decade-long congestion crisis at the Oak Hill ‘Y’ intersection and many other road area issues throughout Texas.

Texans are being scammed all the time and they should be plenty angry at officials. Tweaking lights at intersections at different times of the day would help the flow of traffic, but TxDOT and/or the Department of Safety don't do that. Capital of Texas Highway (360) needs authorities to close the side roads at various lengths of the highway to permit the reasonable flow of traffic; however, they won’t. Instead, they opt to make drivers more angry and frustrated so that they will go along with endless toll road projects Governor Perry and his special interests want.

Voter Photo ID Cards

Thinking people know better than to believe voter photo identification is needed to prevent voter fraud and with good reason. It’s not true.

There is a strong commitment particularly by ‘red’ states to push for voter photo identification. As minority populations, e.g., Hispanic, Black, etc., are significantly increasing in the south they are becoming the new majority and it will change the political structure and status for many years to come.  However, more than half of this population does not vote.

The political climate is changing slowly and the GOP is fearful of losing its tight hold on control.

Consequently, those currently in charge are going to do whatever possible to keep the larger and increasing minority populations [potential Democrats] from voting. Texas is one of the southern states that is trying to keep the political status quo. So, what better way to keep Hispanics, Blacks and other populations from voting than to create and push the platform to curb voter fraud by forcing voters to present voter photo identification cards.

The GOP has the most to lose since the minority-majority are NOT Republican nor potentially Republican voters. For now, “voter fraud” is the battle cry of the GOP in order to maintain its control.

However, if voter fraud was truly a significant platform, the GOP would do well to monitor more closely the integrity of voting machine and also the process of counting mail in votes.

So, the reality is that the GOP will continue to push for voter photo ID’s as a hope to maintain its power and control in an ever increasing minority population especially in the south cities.

While the ploy may work well in the short term, it is only a matter of time before the political status quo will change. Voter Photo ID cards are merely a postponement of inevitable political changes.

All that being said, if you want a photo ID system in place, fine, do it --- but don't make it an issue of Voter Fraud, because it is not.  And if you want to focus on Voter Fraud look at Voting Machine Integrity, the handling of mail-in votes and on those who are in charge of voting machines and the election process itself.