From the pen of Ted Rall at gocomics.com.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Hank Gilbert Does Amarillo
If you read some of the conservative newspapers here in Texas, you might think the race for governor here in Texas is between two Republicans. But there's another candidate in the race that has some credibility also -- Hank Gilbert. Gilbert was a virtual unknown to many Texans in 2006 when he ran for Agriculture Commissioner, but he opened some eyes by doing much better than anyone expected.
In that race, he got more votes than any other Democrat in a state-wide race. He got 1.76 million votes overall. That's more than 400,000 votes more than the Democratic candidate for governor got (Chris Bell), and 43,000 votes more than the winning gubernatorial candidate (Rick Perry). Considering that Rick Perry spent about $14.00 for every vote he got, and Hank Gilbert spent about $0.06 for each of his votes, that's a great showing.
Now it's four years later, and Hank Gilbert is a much better known candidate than he was in the last election. He's also an excellent campaigner and an impressive individual (go to one of his rallies and meet him, and you'll see what I mean). If he can raise enough money to campaign aggressively state-wide, there's no reason to believe he can't win the governor's race.
Hank Gilbert officially started his campaign for governor yesterday. He kicked it off with a news conference in Dallas, and then flew up here to the Panhandle. About 11:45am, he spoke to a small but enthusiastic crowd on the campus of Amarillo College.
Gilbert is making education reform the centerpiece of his campaign. To show why education reform is needed in the Lone Star State, he tossed out some rather embarrassing statistics, such as:
*Texas is 43rd in the nation in amount of dollars spent per student.
*Texas is 34th in the nation in average teacher salaries.
*Texas' high school graduation rate is 41st in the nation.
*Texas is last in the nation in percentage of population with a high school diploma.
*Texas hasn't had significant education reform since 1984 (25 years).
Those are some pretty pitiful statistics, but Gilbert has some plans to improve Texas education. Gilbert says (and I'm quoting from his Amarillo speech):
*Because the foundation of good students is a quality education in the early years of childhood, I'm proposing universal pre-kindergarten statewide by 2013.
*Because the middle school grades have long been ignored by our policy-makers in Austin, I'm proposing a package of middle school reforms that will get students ready for high school and the future.
*Because math and science will help make our children into the kind of problem-solvers we need for the 21st century, I'm proposing strengthening math and science education in elementary, middle and high schools.
*Because our economy needs students with valued skills and certifications in fields like nursing and electronics, I'm proposing a vocational and technical high school graduation track that includes stakeholder partnerships between schools, unions and businesses to give students access to apprenticeships and real world experience.
*Teachers are among society's most important professionals, and among our least valued assets. That's why I'm proposing an across the board $5,000 teacher pay raise and busting the cap on the State Minimum Salary Schedule out to 30 years to attract and retain more qualified teachers.
*Since we'll need 21st century schoolhouses to accommodate all of these 21st century reforms, I'm proposing a state building fund to help schools meet their physical plant requirements for the next decade and beyond.
*It is also high time we took politics out of curriculum development and textbook adoption. Copernicus settled the fact that the Earth revolved around the sun back in the 1500s. In the 21st century, we don't need a bunch of ignorant, though well intentioned, people trying to tell our kids that it works the other way around.
That's sounds like a pretty good way to improve education in Texas, and as Gilbert says, education is "the only guaranteed way of bringing long term prosperity back to this state."
For those like me who are tired of one rich politician following another, we have a good choice this year in the Democratic primary. We have two candidates who are willing and ready to return state government to the people of Texas -- Hank Gilbert and Kinky Friedman.
Pick the one you like in the Democratic primary (I've donated to both campaigns), and then let's get together and see that the winner of the Democratic primary becomes the next governor of Texas.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Majority Of Public Supports Obama
The right would love for Americans to believe that Obama's support among the people is dissolving, but that is simply not true. President Obama still has the solid support of a majority of Americans.
According to the CNN Poll of Polls (a combination of six recent polls), 55% of Americans support the president while only 39% disapprove of the president's performance so far. In August, these same polls showed President Obama with 54% support. The difference is not statistically significant, and shows his support is holding steady.
That means the Republican slurs (including the 9/12 teabagging parties) have not eroded his support, and his speech to Congress did not improve it.
The six polls used are Fox News, Pew, Bloomberg, CNN/Opinion Research, USA Today/Gallup and ABC/Washington Post.
"The Gipper" Wouldn't Approve
Steve Lopez had an excellent column in the Los Angeles Times yesterday, where he discusses a visit he had with Stuart Spencer. Spencer ran four successful campaigns for Ronald Reagan -- two for governor and two for president. Suffice it to say that he was close to President (and Governor) Reagan.
Spencer doesn't like the devisive media and rabid partisan politics of today, and he believes Ronald Reagan wouldn't have liked it either. He reminds us that Reagan didn't consider his political opponents to be enemies. He says when Reagan was governor "you could fight all day and then go have a cocktail with the other side at night."
Reagan continued that in the White House, inviting Democrat Tip O'Neill to the White House on Thursday nights for "hours of story-telling and problem-solving." Reagan also built both a political and social relationship with Ted Kennedy, and worked closely with him "on budget matters and international disarmament."
Spencer also doesn't like the devisive media pundits who talk about Reagan as though he was a saint, but treat political opponents as though they were enemies of their own country. Spencer says he doesn't watch Glen Beck, or anyone else on Fox News (or MSNBC) because they have an agenda. He said he "doesn't see why those interested in educating themselves on matters of national importance would turn to either for reliable information."
Spencer said it also annoys him that Fox News won't admit that Sarah Palin was a preposterous choice for the vice-presidential candidacy. Spencer says, "She just wasn't qualified."
And what does he think of Rush Limbaugh's radio program? He doesn't listen to it. When he was asked why he doesn't listen to Limbaugh, Spencer replied "Because he's an asshole." I certainly can't argue with that sort of incisive insight.
Spencer says the only papers he regularly reads are the Desert Sun and the Los Angeles Times, and when he wants solid and impartial TV reporting, he watches Jim Lehrer on PBS.
I doubt that Spencer and I would agree on much politically, but I can't find fault with his views on the devisive agenda-driven media of today. It's really nice to finally see a Republican showing some common sense.
Watermelon - The New Viagra ?
This is a surprise. It looks like the inocuous watermelon may actually have some medicinal value. Watermelon helps to relax the blood vessels and helps blood to flow more freely around the body.
It seems that watermelon is rich in the chemical citrulline. According to the BBC, "Citrulline is an organic compound which affects the body's blood vessels in the same way as the sex enhancement pills (Viagra)."
This was discovered in research led by Dr. Bhimu Patil for the Texas Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. Patil says, "We've always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important health benefits grows longer with each study. Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra...but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side-effects."
Watermelon is 92% water, but it seems the other 8% is chock full of things that are good for you. In addition to citrulline, it also has a lot of lycopene (an anti-oxident with known health benefits).
I guess watermelon is the newest miracle-food now, but personally, I like it because it just plain tastes good. Now I've made myself hungry.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Governor Candidate Coming To Amarillo
Hank Gilbert has already admitted that he is a candidate for governor in next year's Democratic primary, but he will make that official on Monday. That's the day he's kicking off a statewide tour of 13 cities to officially launch his campaign. He's calling it the "Road To Prosperity" tour.
The good news for us Panhandle dwellers is that the first city on that tour is going to be Amarillo. According to campaign rep. Vince Leibowitz, Mr. Gilbert will also be announcing a major policy announcement on the tour.
Tom Schieffer has already been to Amarillo in an attempt to corral Panhandle support, and he turned out a pretty good crowd. I hope the good Democrats in the Panhandle will be equally as kind to Hank Gilbert. He's a good candidate and a good campaigner, and we should be honored to have him kick off his campaign in our area.
Come on out to Amarillo College on Monday morning and meet the candidate. Although I am backing Kinky Friedman, I think Hank is a good man and would make a great candidate for the Democrats. I'll be there on Monday, and I hope to see a lot of other Democrats there to give Mr. Gilbert a gracious Amarillo welcome.
Here are the particulars:
WHO: Hank Gilbert, Democratic Candidate for Governor of Texas
WHAT: “Road To Prosperity” Gubernatorial Campaign Announcement Tour. Individual media availabilities can be scheduled during the tour.
WHEN: Monday, September 21, 200911:45 a.m.
WHERE: Amarillo College Courtyard; 2201 S Washington St; Amarillo, TX.
MORE: Print, broadcast, or online media who would like an individual media availability with the candidate in Dallas should contact Vince Leibowitz at (903) 316-6776 to schedule as soon as possible.
Too Old For Jail ?
This is an unusual story. It seems that a court in Taiwan has sentenced a 96 year-old man to three months in jail. But when the convicted man showed up at the jail to serve his sentence, the jail refused to accept him. They sent him back to the prosecutor's office, saying he would not be able to look after himself in jail.What horrible crime did this elderly man commit? Did he steal from someone, or commit a violent act that couldn't be ignored? Not at all. He was convicted of "squatting". He was convicted of occupying a dormitory of his former employer -- Taiwan's National Railway Administration.
96 year-old Sun Hsin-ming denied the charge, saying, "The court is in a mess and won't listen to reason. I am really angry. I haven't done anything wrong." The prosecutor's office says they are now going to send him to a prison hospital ward in Taichung to serve his sentence.
I seldom have any sympathy for criminals of any age. If you commit a crime, you should be ready to serve the appropriate time for that offense. However, I really don't think this problem is going to be solved by sending the elderly man to jail.
Even after he serves his time, the problem will not be solved. The real problem is not that this man is a criminal, but that he has no place to live. Instead of jailing the elderly man, the government should have just found a place for him to live out his few remaining years (or months).
A country is to be judged by how it treats its most helpless citizens -- the children and the elderly. The decision to jail this man instead of trying to help him doesn't make Taiwan look very good.
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