LEGALIZING THE GREEN

　
   I agree with legalizing marijuana. Jadamsark from the blog “living around reds makes me blue”, makes a lot of great points to leallize the green. Why not? Like he says by buying and taxing weed the state would raise a substantial amount of revenue that Texas is desperately seeking to close the gap in our budget shortfall. We all know that the Medicaid program is very important to a lot of folks and by no means be dropped. I say this because I have a few family members on Medicaid and they dearly need that program.
   I don’t personally use marijuana, but I know some people that do for medical reasons. They tell me helps with some of the pain, but are afraid of getting caught with and facing serious charges. With that being said I strongly believe in at least legalizing marijuana for medical purpose, just like in Cali. If we were to make weed legal for recreational purposes we have to change the process in how we get hired for jobs and such. They obviously drug test future employees before we are hired. People are biased towards weed, but not so much against alcohol. More people die under the influence of alcohol than marijuana by a landslide. However, we are not going to make alcohol illegal because of the money the state profits off of it and its taxes. Also like he says the Texas would generate 14 billion dollars over the next 2 years, half the projected deficit. So economically it would make sense especially to all these powerful rich folks that look and care about money. If I was in congress I would be impressed and somewhat persuaded by his blog and at least give this some kind of consideration.

How can you tell when an Aggie policy is absurd?

   Dan Malone was a reporter for most of the Dallas, Fort Worth newspaper, where he built his work mostly around the Texas Public Information Act, now is a journalism instructor at Tarleton State University. He is teaching his students how to get public information.
   Texas A&M system governors Tarleton are saying that this could be a firing offense, because faculty members are not suppose to direct students to request public information from any system component. However, students in the A&M System can file open records requests on their own. Also a faculty member is allowed file a request as a private citizen, but cannot tell a student to request to open a files that is paying for an education.
    This conflicts with the letter and spirit of the 1973 Texas Public Information Act.
Tarleton State President F. Dominic Dottavio took the novel step of asking the A&M System's general counsel whether an instructor could direct students to use the law at all. Of course the answer was NO. This is unless the students are requesting records from UT or Texas Tech.
  A professor in the A&M System could be fired for assigning students to ask for the general counsel's letter to Dottavio, even though it could inform classroom debate of absurd public policies. The Austin American-Statesman reported that the rule behind the policy dates to 1997. That's well before the 2006 Tarleton news release touting Malone's hiring, saying he'd help the school's journalism program "significantly."
Also before the U.S. Education Department fined Tarleton $27,500 for not accurately reporting campus crime, a problem exposed when one of Malone's students in 2006 sought after records required under the federal Clery Act.
   There is probably an Aggie joke in this business somewhere. However, not to funny.
Tarleton and the A&M System could defiantly correct these issues to open government. It would be smart for the Legislature to help these students out by allowing them to be able to there research by being able to open records as well for the teachers to assist them.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ARGUMENTS

I found Katies , Immigration Reformationvery interesting. She obviously did her research and brought up great facts and outstanding opinions of her own. I would have never thought that Austin and Houston would be one of the toughest on immigration issues. Since these cities are basically in the middle of the state and not right on the border like Laredo. ,

Like Katie, I was also raised on a ranch in South Texas city called Encinal. My family and I still have some problems with illegal immigrates braking into the house, , cars and disturbing our animals. Not saying that every single illegal immigrate did these things just that it happens every now and then. On the other hand I do agree that not all illegal’s should be deported. That’s why I am a big fan of the
Come on this is America! If you were in their shoes wouldn’t you try to do everything you could do to make a better life for you and your family??? I know I would. Ever heard of second chance or new beginnings.
I also feel that the ICE, (
As for the jobs here in America we control our own destiny. That’s why we have colleges. So if your feeling sorry for yourself do something to help youself out. Don’t say its someone’s else’s fault. Right now it rough on everyone to find a job. We all know this is the most diverse country in the world, and Hispanics are not the only illegal immigrates here, although they get the most heat from the media because we are a border state. However, I’ll go back to one of my previous blogs, and reiterate that there are still on going projects to secure our borders. Would it be great if these project ever got finished? I feel that they should go through the legal process to become a U.S. citizen even though it is a very long process.DREAM Act. ICE.gov), program is great for determining if the illegal’s have been good citizens or not. Obviously this is used in the booking process, and I also agree with Katies answer to her question. If they are first time offenders, hard workers give them a chance. Everyone makes mistakes here and there. But I say this process is good for the illegal immigrates that are repeat offenders and not taking advantage of there opportunities here. Just like with us U.S. citizens we continue to mess up we go to jail and/or prison.

Proposition 1 huummmm

　
In three months, President Obama will receive the results from the census bureau. Then us Austinites will see and learn how our city and region have changed since 2000. We already know that we are the fourth fastest growing city in America this past 10 year by the yearly estimation from the Census Bureau.
By next year, Austin's population will be 800,000 plus, which would make Austin, TX. the 15th-largest city in America. And our dramatic growth doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Experts predict that the population of Austin's will reach or surpass 2 million in the next 40 plus years.
With an extra million cars on our roads makes a lot more traffic. So Proposition 1 would be a great solution to this upcoming problem. Why not try to nip this problem in the butt before it actually becomes a huge problem in the future. Hey if you think about it its already a problem for us now.
Proposition 1 will invest $90 million in roads, sidewalks, bikeways and trails across Austin. And guess what all that without raising property taxes.
There is also other great reasons to vote for Proposition 1.
For example, Proposition 1 will provide more roads, and make the others better. That’s a great start, however, that doesn’t solve all the traffic problems. This also helps with pedestrians and bicycle transportation.
Proposition 1 is also designed to deliver relief in this term. Which means construction will start on all proposed project with in the next 2 years. This is also a great break for the us taxpayers due to the low estimated cost of construction jobs due to the economy. Why not take full advantage of the opportunity.
Austin traffic has been said to be a serial killer, with an average of 60 traffic death over the past 5 years, and 33 so far this year. Prop. 1 will obviously help this very serious situation to relieve the congested traffic, and as well making our streets and roads much safer. If you ask me that’s a good enough reason for everyone to vote for Prop. 1. Right?
One last fact to leave you with is that Prop. 1 creates a foundation for transportation investments in the future, and also will put many of the important transportation projects to shovel ready status.
　

Leffingwell: Prop. 1 helps Austin brace for growing population

Will you vote for Proposition 1?
I will, see at the polls.

BORDER SECURITY

Another border effort bites the dust


What will it take to secure our borders? How will it be done?
This has been an on going process since 1997. There have been many different tactics and ways of trying to do so. Our Texas government has been trying to build high tech devices to patrol our borders to capture illegal’s, along the 6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian borders.
In 1998 the first system that was used was the ISIS, ( Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System), which obviously didn’t work. The ISIS had many flaws, there was mismanagement and along with equipment that did not work. The Shield Initiative in 2005 had the same outcome and same problems as the ISIS.
Then in 2006, George W. Bush signed a law creating the Secure Border Initiative.
This system is called SBInet, which is suppose to be a virtual fence with some real fencing, that would cost $2.5 BILLION and be finished in 3 years. Now the cost to finish the project is $30 BILLION! Now guess what? The federal government has thrown out the program.
Homeland security department had been excepting this since April of this year, and has stopped spending money on a 53 mile demo project in Arizona. This project was secured with regular fencing, and 28 miles of towers with transmitters and monitors. Which is used to pick up signal and be transmitted to laptop computers in border patrol vehicles. The idea is great but again there are flaws. Cow and other animals would set off signals, property owners complained about there privacy, and most importantly equipment wouldn’t talk to other equipment.
After reports saying DHS had failed to manage Boeings manager, and not being able to help out Boeing by getting other equipment and doing the actual work the program came to halt. Since there was no deal made between DHS and Boeing the Oboma administration killed the program. How about we try the Rartheon Corp of Mass.?
How much more money will we pay to get our borders secured?
We the taxpayers already paid $429 million for the ISIS, and another $850 million for SBInet, and for what. We are right back at square one if you ask me. It all comes down to Washington to come up with an immigration policy do something to help all border states. That is if they say it’s a problem, like they claim.

Is David Dewhurst the best choice for lieutenant governor?

Is David Dewhurst the best choice for lieutenant governor for Texas?
This editorial is projected and sending a message to all citizens of Texas. The facts and opinions being stated are important to everyone for the simple fact that we are talking about the most powerful post in Texas government.
Dewhurst is a republican that is up for his third re-election for this crucial post. We all know that lieutenant governor is the most powerful person in Texas government. Many feel that he is due to his past business decisions. However, he does lack general notoriety as did the prior lieutenant governor Bob Bullock. Before Mr. Dewhurst held this post he was the state's land commissioner, another low-profile post that gave him a feel for managing a state agency and budget. Dewhurst prides him self on understanding and respecting the senate and the senators. He learned very well. The oil business made him a wealthy man before he ran for land commissioner in 1998. This allowed Dewhurst to use his business background and respectable knowledge to manage public money.
When he met with the Austin American Statesman he did not make any promises besides that he would listen and run the senate fairly. His opponent is Democrat Linda Chavez-Thompson of San Antonio. She is now retired from a career as a labor organizer. Everyone admires her life story but many doubt that she could handle 31 members dominated by republican.
We think these kind of thing are easy to say but hard to accomplish. Dewhurst has some flaws and isn't perfect. Also there are issues on which I disagree with like the voter ID bill. Also the exclusion of Central Texas senators from the redistricting committee is another. Nonetheless, we don't doubt the sincerity of his wish to be regarded as a statesman. Dewhurst is working and trying to make himself better at this so powerful post, and as well as the great state of Texas.
I feel that the author of this editorial is some what bias towards Mrs. Chavez-Thompson, because he doesn’t give any facts against her. All he said was she probably wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure. On the other hand I would most likely vote in David Dewhurst for his third term.



Dewhurst best choice for lieutenant governor

TEXAS SEEKS ANSWER TO RISING PROVERTY RATES

"The Census Bureau study released Thursday said that Texas' poverty rate last year was 17.3 percent, once again the nation's sixth-highest. The rate among Texas children also has increased since 2008."
The government announced Thursday that nearly 4.3 million Texans lived in poverty last year, a 11 percent increase. Larry James and Jill Cumnock run charities in North Texas that feed and tend to the poor families in the North Texas. Since 2008 the demand to run there charities has gone up 25 percent, and in some cases even doubled.
Mr. James reported that the number of people he has feed has gone up substantially since 2008. The number of people feed 2008 is 34,000 to 43,000 last year and now 48,000 people this year.
Jill Cumnock runs her charity out of Frisco, TX., and has reported that her agency now helps over 64 clients a month, which has doubled from 2 years ago.
There are now 1.8 million kids under the age of 18 that is in poverty in the state of Texas. Another astonishing stat is that there has already been 43 million pounds of food distributed through out Texas for the second quarter of 2010. Which is a 14% increase of last year in the same period of time.
This article is worth reading because it affects millions of our younger generation. Personally I think this is unacceptable, because for one this shouldn't be a problem here in Texas or in fact anywhere else here in America. Since this is an issue people need to think of contributing to charities and other food banks around your areas. Like the column said 1.8 million kids. That's 1.8 million too many. So this should be an all hand process to solve this issue.