The Poor Taxpayer

Cartoon by Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner

Potter County Jail Problems

This hasn't been a good year at the Potter County Jail. It seems like the problems just won't stop. It started with the jail failing its state inspection. According to the inspectors, there were overcrowding, cleanliness and staff training problems.

Then the county sheriff was arrested. Last month, he was convicted of bribery and is currently in a neighboring county's jail. A new sheriff was appointed until one could be elected next November, and it was hoped better days were ahead.

Then a couple of weeks ago, a prisoner committed suicide by hanging himself. He was awaiting trial for murder. It was not something a person wants to see, but sometimes these things do happen.

But a couple of days ago, another prisoner was found dead in an isolation cell. No details have been released about this death, and the body has been sent to Lubbock for an autopsy. Maybe it's just a weird coincidence, but two deaths in less than a month is a lot even for a jail in a large urban area, let alone a city the size of Amarillo.

Hopefully, the people of Potter County will elect a new sheriff with the experience and leadership qualities to take the jail into better times. We really don't need another year like this one has been.

McCain's Foreign Policy Descent

Ask nearly anyone in the media, and they would tell you that McCain's strong point is his foreign policy expertise. That would be bad enough in a campaign that most people think will be decided on domestic economic issues, but it seems like McCain and his handlers are determined to destroy even his credibility on foreign policy.

There have been a series of gaffes, some of them almost unbelievable. First, McCain decides it's a good idea to take a hard line on the Iraq War. Knowing that about 70% of the country believes Iraq was a mistake and wants to find a way to leave, he announces that it's OK with him if we stay in Iraq for a hundred years.

For most candidates, that would be a big enough gaffe to last a long time. But this is John Sidney McCain, and he was just beginning. He then goes into a series of mistakes that any person with even a rudimentary knowledge of current events would never make.

First, he can't seem to keep the Shiites and the Sunnis straight in Iraq and the Middle East. More than once, he tried to tell us that Iran was supporting and arming al-Queda in Iraq. The problem is that Iran is a Shiite regime and al-Queda is composed of Sunnis, and the two groups absolutely hate each other.

Then he tells two crowds on two different days they he doesn't like the way Russia is treating Czechloslovakia. You would think his campaign people would have corrected him after the first time, but evidently they didn't know either that Czechloslovakia hasn't existed for 15 years. In 1993, it split into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Just this week, McCain told ABC news that things were not going well on the Iraq-Pakistan border. They didn't call him on it, but the two countries don't share a border. Maybe someone ought to get McCain a high-school geography book.

But these pale in comparison to his current blunder. He decided to point out that he's been to Iraq several times, while Obama hasn't been in years. He virtually dared Obama to go to Iraq.

Sadly for McCain, Obama took him up on the challenge. So this week, Obama visits Afghanistan and Iraq and gets some great media coverage, while McCain flounders in this country with little coverage.

Then as if on cue, Iraqi leader Maliki tells the press that he agrees with Obama's timetable for American troops to leave Iraq. His handlers later realized he had "dissed" Bush with the statement, and tried to say he had been misunderstood. That would have been easier to believe if the words hadn't been translated by Maliki's own translators, and if Maliki hadn't said several times he wants a timetable for withdrawal.

Even Bush seems to have jumped the McCain ship on Iraq. He is now also talking about "time horizons". Call it what you will, but it sounds suspiciously like a timetable to me. McCain has been left swaying in the wind and muttering about the surge working and victory being near. But is it?

So far this year, 220 Americans have been killed in Iraq, and well over 4,000 Iraqis have been killed. If this is what McCain calls victory, do we really want him running the war?

For someone who's supposed to have foreign policy expertise, foreign policy seems to have been a disaster for John Sidney McCain in this campaign.

G8 Cutting Emissions

Cartoon by Martyn Turner in The Irish Times

TPA Weekly Review

The Texas Cloverleaf asks if John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison want more HIV in the global pandemic? Our TX Senators were 2 of the 16 votes against the latest HIV/AIDS bill in the Senate this week that passed overwhelmingly.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on Diana Maldonado's great fundraising numbers in Diana Maldonado Has Almost 4 to 1 COH Advantage In HD-52.

WhosPlayin at WhosPlayin steped outside of his comfort zone a bit and commented on the Fannie and Freddie situation.

jobsanger blasts Republican attempts to allow offshore and ANWR drilling in Drilling Won't Make Us Energy Independent and in Bush Playing Politics With Oil.

The bar may be open, says TXSharon at Texas Kaos in Fire Water: With Compliments from EnCana, but if Encana's serving up the cocktails, it might be better to abstain.

McBlogger's own Harry Balczak has a new recurring feature, Harry Balczak's Reminder To You People. In this edition, he'd like to remind Those Of You Who Just Couldn't Vote For Kerry that your decision was, well, pretty stupid. He is nice about it, though.

Vince at Capitol Annex notes that poultry kingpin Bo Pilgrim paid to jet around Texas Governor Rick Perry's staff to promote the ethanol waver he bought and paid for with a $100,000 contribution to the Republican Governor's Association.

Mean Rachel contemplates whether Fannie and Freddie have anything to do with being raised in 78704, but living through young-adulthood in 78749 in Crashes.

The final word, for now, on the Webb County Sheriff's race says Martin Cuellar wins by 41 votes. Since the various 'official' totals for Cuellar have been +37, -133, +39 and finally +41, CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wonders what the h*ll happened!

Off the Kuff looks at the Harris County campaign finance reports and finds good news and not-so-good news for Democratic campaigns.

The Texas Observer's Melissa Del Bosque had an observation about one of the panels at Netroots Nation this past weekend, and PDiddie at Brains and Eggs had some observations about what she observed.

BossKitty at BlueBloggin shows us smuggling humans into the US is no problem at all; From Africa to Mexico to US, Any Way They Can Immigrate.

BossKitty at TruthHugger points out the continued struggle by our soldiers suffering from PTSD and the inadequate response by the incapable VA, in But, When They Come Home ….

Brits Don't Trust Bush On Torture

George Bush has told the world repeatedly that America does not torture the prisoners in its custody. Of course, Bush's definition of torture is different than most people's. For example, Bush has refused to ban waterboarding and says it is not torture -- only "a legal technique used in a specific set of circumstances". But the rest of the world doesn't see it that way.

Great Britain is one of those countries that doesn't believe torture is OK as long as you redefine it as something else. They are clear about it -- waterboarding is torture, no matter what definition you use. Members of the British Parliament say they can no longer trust the United States regarding torture.

A report issued by Parliament says, "Given the clear differences in definition, the UK can no longer rely on US assurances that it does not use torture, and we recommend that the government does not rely on such assurances in the future."

MPs are also asking their government to redouble their efforts to make sure that no U.S. "rendition" flights use British soil to carry their victims to countries where they will be tortured.They also won't accept U.S. assurances about these flights.

This shows just how badly the Bush administration has damaged the reputation and honor of the United States. It has reached the point to where our best and closest ally no longer trusts us.

We must vote the Republicans out of power in November to restore America's honor and reputation.

War On Iran ?

I received the following from StopWarOnIran.org. It looks like the warmonger in the White House is pressing ahead with plans to attack Iran. I guess screwing up two wars is not enough for him. Here is what the good people at SWOI have to say:

Recent news makes it clear why it is more important than ever that we take to the streets on August 2. According to press reports, President Bush has given the Israeli military the go-ahead to prepare for an imminent attack on Iran. Israel is also using U.S. bases in Iraq to prepare for the attack.

The British Sunday Times of July 13, 2008 reported: “Despite the opposition of his own generals and widespread skepticism that America is ready to risk the military, political and economic consequences of an airborne strike on Iran, the president has given an “amber light” to an Israeli plan to attack Iran’s main nuclear sites with long-range bombing sorties, the official told The Sunday Times.

“Amber means get on with your preparations, stand by for immediate attack and tell us when you’re ready,” the official said.

The Jerusalem Post of July 13, 2008 reported:
“On Friday, sources in the Iraqi Defense Ministry told a local news network that IAF war planes were practicing in Iraqi airspace were landing on US airbases in the country as a preparation for a potential strike on Iran.”

Once again the most powerful forces of US corporate power – the military-industrial-petroleum complex -are using Israel as their proxy to threaten war on surrounding countries in the region. Israel is armed, financed, and politically and diplomatically supported by Washington. It can not act on its own or without explicit permission from Washington. U.S. tax dollars finance Israel wars against surrounding nations, and Israeli repression of the Palestinians, to keep the area “safe” for U.S. oil companies.

This is why it is vital to link the struggle against the war in Iraq and a potential war against Iran with the struggle of the Palestinian people for the right to return.

At the same time Washington is giving the Israeli military a go-ahead to bomb Iran, the U.S. Congress is moving ahead to escalate tensions in the region and possibly provoke an incident that would justify U.S. military action. House Resolution 362 and Senate Resolution 580 both require that the President begin blockade of Iran.

The House Resolution “demands” that the President impose “stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran.” Enforcing this would require a U.S. Naval blockade of the Straits of Hormuz, which is an act of war according to international law. Approximately one-fourth of the world’s oil, including that from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, pass through the Straits of Hormuz, which is 21 miles across at its narrowest point (the shipping channel is less than 2 miles wide).

These two resolutions have received widespread bipartisan support from members of both Houses, and are expected to pass without debate or vote. A staffer in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office said that once the Resolution hits the floor, it will "pass like a hot knife through butter." Some have speculated that the bill will be put on the floor under suspension — meaning that it will pass without even a vote.

Both resolutions accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons, despite the fact that Washington’s National Intelligence Estimate report last December that made it clear that every major U.S. intelligence agency believes that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program.

Nor do the resolutions refer to the real nuclear threat in the region – the U.S., which is the only country that has used nuclear weapons and currently has a massive nuclear-armed naval armada in the region. It also does not mention the apartheid settler state of Israel, which is thought to have more than 200 nuclear weapons.

At the same time, two leading Senators announced on Tuesday, July 15, that they had reached a bipartisan agreement to expand economic sanctions targeting Iran. Sens. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., called Iran “a threat to U.S. interests.” Dodd, a former candidate for the Democratic nomination for President, said, “This bipartisan bill strengthens economic sanctions against Iran, and authorizes divestment from companies that do business with Iran's key oil sector.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. is involved in “covert operations” – acts of terrorism – inside Iran. In the July 7 New Yorker, Seymour Hersh revealed that Congress has approved $400 million to fund covert operations in Iran. These operations include: providing support to armed groups opposed to the Iranian government, kidnapping members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and taking them across the border to Iraq for interrogation, the manipulation of Iran’s currency, and other acts intended to destabilize the regime. Hersh reports that these types of operations have been ongoing at least since last year, but the recent Congressional appropriation signals a significant expansion of these actions.

It is clear that the Bush Administration is determined to push forward with its agenda of endless war to control the oil reserves of the Middle East. It is equally clear that members of Congress – both Democrats and Republicans – are collaborating with the Administration, just as they collaborated in authorizing and funding the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

It is imperative that progressive activists and organizations, particularly in the U.S., mobilize to stop another brutal war, and to demand an end to the illegal sanctions and covert operations targeting Iran.

Stop War on Iran, an international grassroots campaign, issued an Emergency Call to for protests, marches, and other actions on the weekend of August 2. Response to the call has been enthusiastic, and local organizers are planning events in more than 50 cities, including Los Angeles, Tucson , San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Jersey City, Albuquerque, Buffalo, New York City, Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Houston, Salt Lake City, Virginia Beach, Washington DC, and more – an updated list is available at www.StopWarOnIran.org.

Now is the time to take to the streets, because only a massive grassroots mobilization can stop another bloody and illegal war.

In the next few days and weeks, we need to do everything we can to take to the streets to Stop a War on Iran. We have a real opportunity to help build a massive grassroots movement to oppose the warmongers in Washington.

If you haven't done so, please consider organizing a local action on August 2 - or if there is already one in your area, contact local organizers to find out how you can help.

Also, please sign the online petition at http://stopwaroniran.org/petition.shtml and help us spread the word. Signing the petition will send messages to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, the Board of Directors of Halliburton, and the media.

In the next few days, we will be preparing placards and banners, printing leaflets and educational materials, and holding organizing meetings to prepare for the August 2 protests. Please consider making a donation at http://stopwaroniran.org/donate.shtml to help us with the enormous expenses of mobilizing a national response to Bush's war threats.

If you have a website, blog, MySpace, or other site, you can help us get the word out by linking to us. Graphics are available at http://stopwaroniran.org/link.html.

Above all, join us in the streets on August 2 -for more information and updates, see StopWarOnIran.org.

Bush Economic Policy Hurts Small Business

I have discussed several times on this blog how most individuals in the poor, the working and the middle classes are being squeezed under the Bush economic policies. A combination of deflating housing equity and inflation of nearly everything else is slowly destroying everyone but the super-rich. If change does not occur soon, this country will slip from recession into depression.

Now we learn that the hard times are not just affecting individuals, but small businesses across the country are also being hurt, and it just keeps getting worse. In the first quarter of 2006, 5,811 small businesses declared bankruptcy. That's too many, but that number has climbed each quarter since that time. In the second quarter of 2008, small business bankruptcies had reached 15,471.

California is leading the nation in small business failures. They had 3,141 in the second quarter of 2008. But small businesses are going under across the country. Here in Texas, Republicans have been bragging about how good the "business climate" still is. That may be true for the large corporations, but Texas is second in the number of small business bankruptcies (1,168 in second quarter of 2008).

Republicans have always claimed to be the "business-friendly" party. They have spread this propaganda so thoroughly that it's hard to find a small-businessman that doesn't vote Republican. But these new figures are showing that belief to be a lie.

The truth is that Republicans are not "business-friendly", but instead are "corporate-owned". Republican leaders like George Bush, Dick Cheney, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, among many others, are convinced that whatever is good for the large corporations is good for all Amaricans.

They will tell you that most American jobs are created by small businesses (and that's true), but when they act it's always to protect the interests of the large corporations. And many times, what's good for large corporations is not good for small businesses.

Take for example the Republican energy policy (or lack of an energy policy). It has helped the oil companies, drillers, coal companies, gas companies, power companies and many other large corporations to make record-breaking windfall profits. Even the large corporations who are not directly helped by the policy, are large enough to negotiate rate-cuts so they are not really hurt by it.

But it is killing small businesses. Their electricity and natural gas costs them more. Their fleet and delivery costs are higher. Even their products cost more because of transportation costs. And their customers have less cash to spend because they also have higher gasoline and energy costs (not to mention higher costs for food, clothing and nearly everything else).

A lot of small businesses don't like Democrats because they believe in a decent minimum wage. But the truth is that they do better when individual citizens have more spendable cash. They also do better when the large corporations are reined in and forced to compete fairly.

It's time for small businessmen to realize that the Republicans are not their friends. The Republicans will toss them under a bus to help the large corporations in a heartbeat. It's Democrats who will help small businesses and their customers.

A change is needed and only the Democrats will provide it.

Corporate Empathy

The cartoon is by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune

Panhandle Dem Drops Out Of Race

Things were looking good for Panhandle Democrats for a while. They finally had a credible candidate to run against Republican Rep. John Smithee (pictured above). Amarillo attorney James Wood had tossed his hat in the ring, and area Democrats had high hopes for the November election.

Those hopes were dashed a couple of days ago. Mr. Wood announced that he is withdrawing from the race. He said he is experiencing some health problems, and would not be able to continue his campaign.

I wish Mr. Wood the best of luck in dealing with his health problems, and I hope he has a full recovery. But this pretty much ensures that House District #86 will remain in Republican hands. Smithee does have a Libertarian opponent, but even here in the Panhandle Libertarians don't get many votes

Maybe we'll have better luck in 2010.

Matula Releases Finance Records

Sherrie Matula is running for the Texas House in District #129. She is trying to unseat the incumbent Republican in that district -- John Davis. If campaign finances are any indication, then Matula has a very good chance of winning in November.

Matula released her campaign finance records a couple of days ago, and the figures look good for a state House race. She has raised $127,000 over the last year, with that money coming from over 400 donors. She still has $73,000 on hand. Even though her opponent is the incumbent, he only has slightly less than $67,000.

Matula said, "At this time in 2006, I had $7000 in the bank, yet received over 42% of the vote. I’m very humbled and pleased by the greatly increased support I have received this year. This puts us in a great position and signals to people that this district is in play."

Campaign Director Martha Griffin added, "The voters in this district are responding to our message of addressing the skyrocketing costs of insurance, electricity and college tuition, as well as providing sufficient funding for public schools, preserving the environment while protecting jobs, and bringing ethics and integrity back to the district. Besides Davis’ ethics problems, it is clear from what we hear from voters that they are tired of the lack of representation and his failure to address issues that are important to their everyday lives. The message is that it is time for a change."

In addition to the fundraising, Matula has been waging an agressive campaign to reach out to voters. In their block-walking, they have knocked on over 5000 doors, with 2000 of those being since June 1st.

This coming Saturday (July 19th) the campaign will again be block-walking and knocking on doors. They could use some help. If you'd like to help change district #129 for the better, this is your opportunity. Meet some of your fellow Democrats and have a great time talking to the voters.

And don't let a little inexperience stop you. They'll be happy to teach you the ropes. Meet at the office (17300 Saturn Road in Houston) at 5:30 for training. The walk will take place between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. As a little bonus, pizza will be served after the walk.

For more information, call Martha at 281-282-1351.

General Clark Speaks For Noriega

Everyone knows General Wesley Clark. General Clark served his country honorably in the military for most of his life. His distinguished record is enviable and above reproach. Now General Clark is giving his active support to a fellow military man for U.S. Senator from Texas -- Lt. Col. Rick Noriega. Here is what General Clark has to say:

Just over two years ago I was asked to get involved, to take a chance -- to help a veteran, who had been drafted into his race, facing long odds and an entrenched Republican incumbent with a huge campaign war chest in a red state.

Today, we call that candidate Senator Jim Webb.

There's no doubt in my mind that we have the same opportunity in Texas -- that in four months, we can elect Rick Noriega the next U.S. Senator from Texas.

Rick faces a difficult and close race this November. Your financial support has brought Rick's campaign a long way since last year -- but he still needs your help. Please contribute to Rick's campaign today!

I know you've heard from both Senator Jim Webb and Senator Jon Tester recently. I can tell you that two years ago, the so-called experts didn't give either of them much of a chance. But when I hit the campaign trail for Jim in Virginia and Jon in Montana, I saw something different. I saw voters ready for change, an enthusiasm from the grassroots that the pundits were missing.

I see the same thing in Texas. The movement to draft Rick into the race was a remarkable organic groundswell from the grassroots. The record turnout for the Democratic presidential primary was incredible. Rick's historic victory in his primary sent a signal that we have the right candidate to beat John Cornyn.

With Rick Noriega, we have a candidate Texans will be proud to vote for. I know Rick personally, and I know he'll be a great Senator for Texas.

At a time when we are facing increasingly serious foreign policy and national security challenges, Rick's leadership and first-hand knowledge will be of paramount importance.

At a time when people are facing record-high gas prices and sky-rocketing health care costs, Rick's commitment to Texas families, not Washington special interests, will be critical. Please make a contribution to Rick today.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

I have been donating a small amount to Rick's campaign for several months now, and I will continue to do so until the election in November. I urge you to give also. It doesn't have to be a lot -- just give what you can. Every little bit helps. Just consider it to be a gift to the state of Texas. Nothing will help Texas more than to send Rick Noriega to the United States Senate.

Donations can be made by using the ActBlue button in the sidebar to the right.

Right-Wing Fundies Oppose Bullying Ban

Most people think bullying in our schools is a bad thing, and something should be done to eliminate it whenever possible. After all, a child that is constantly bullied in school can suffer psychological damage that will affect him (or her) for the rest of their life. It's also been learned that most school shooters were acting out of revenge for being bullied. That's why I find this story so troubling.

The North Carolina legislature decided they needed to do something about school bullying. After a year of wrangling over the issue, they finally agreed on a plan that would pass both the House and Senate. It looked like something would finally be done.

But that's before the "conservative christians" stepped in. These right-wing fundie hate-mongers are urging their followers to put pressure on legislators to kill the bill before it can be voted into law. Why would they do this? To further their own hate-mongering.

You see, the bill listed gays and lesbians among those who are commonly bullied in school (a fact that cannot be denied). But that upset the fundies. It is part of their religious belief to discriminate against homosexuals, so obviously, it must be OK to bully gay and lesbian youngsters.

Sadly, these religious bigots don't realize how evil this makes them look. Why can't they just agree that bullying is wrong, even when you don't like the person being bullied? Would Jesus really approve of bullying gay and lesbian children?

How can these nuts call themselves christians?

A Television Addiction - Project Runway

All right. I admit it. I have a television "guilty pleasure". A few seasons ago, I watched an episode of this show simply because it was one of those nights where absolutely nothing interesting was on the tube. I figured I would watch this show, laugh at how ridiculous it was and then never see it again. I was wrong! At the end of the hour I was hooked, and my new addiction has made me watch the show for several seasons and love every minute of it.

The show is called Project Runway and it's on the tiny cable channel called Bravo. Last night, it started it's fifth season. The show takes 16 people who have some talent and promise as clothing designers, but who have yet to make their mark in the fashion industry.

They give these people a ridiculously hard challenge each week and allow them not nearly enough time to complete the challege. Then their creation are put on the fashion runway and critiqued by a panel of judges looking for perfection. Each week, the worst fashion's designer is kicked off the show. The last three remaining contestants get to design and make a line of women's clothing, and get to show that line during fashion week in New York City.

While 16 new designers are chosen each season to compete, the show does have four regulars (pictured above). They are Michael Kors (judge), Heidi Klum (host and judge), Tim Gunn (mentor for the designers) and Nina Garcia (judge). The show would not be nearly as good without these four. Michael and Nina are perfect as judges and Heidi is a great host who can deliver the bad news to a contestant in a way that is both sweet and brutal at the same time. Tim is just one of the most likeable people on the planet.

Last night they kicked off the new season by sending the designers to a grocery store. They had 30 minutes to pick their materials and one day to create a fashion out of those materials. The materials had to be something sold at the grocery store. For instance, one of the better fashions was a dress made out of plastic cups.

I'm not sure why I love this show so much, but I do. Part of it is the interesting people they pick to be on the show, and the way many of them wear their emotions on their sleeve. Also, I have always admired people who can do great work under intense pressure (in any field).

If you've got the time to squeeze another show into your schedule, I recommend you give Project Runway a try. But if you don't have the time, then let me warn you. Don't watch it, or you just may find you have a new addiction.