Kinky Friedman, independent candidate for governor, has received the endorsement of the Galveston County newspaper, The Daily News. Their endorsement is reprinted below:
Published October 22, 2006
The Daily News endorses Richard “Kinky” Friedman, independent, for governor of Texas.
Having said that, let us acknowledge two points. One, it is not likely Friedman will win. Two, by conventional standards, Friedman’s background does not qualify him for the highest elective office in Texas. If he were elected, it’s not certain that he could get much done in the Legislature.
So why vote for him?
We find ourselves in agreement with Friedman on most issues.
He favors legalized gambling in Texas. Given the right legislation, we may also favor it, and we certainly would not be willing to dismiss it out of hand as some other candidates do.
Friedman favors reforming Texas education by reducing the rigid adherence to standardized tests as the sole measure of success. Those tests have simply not produced better-educated Texas students — just students somewhat more adept at taking specific tests but arguably less adept at everything else.
Friedman is for smaller, more efficient government.
He is for stricter control of the Texas-Mexico border.
He is for broader health-care guarantees for the poor, especially for children.
Friedman is for maximum personal freedom for all Texans. Translate that to mean he’s for gay rights and against the Texas ban on gay marriage.
But, having said all that, Friedman’s real strength is much simpler. It lies in what he is not — he is not a traditional, party-affiliated, lobby-financed Texas pol.
He is not Rick Perry or Chris Bell or Carole Keeton Strayhorn, all of whom are running multimillion-dollar campaigns paid for by people who expect something in return.
Realistically, it is quite likely that Rick Perry will win the race, in spite of the fact that he has been a very lackluster governor.
If you were interested in educational reform, he failed you.
If you were interested in property-tax reform or border security, he failed you.
If you were interested in more efficient, more cost-effective government, he failed you.
It is unusual for newspapers to urge readers to use their precious vote as a protest. But in this case, it’s justifiable. It is high time Texans told the politics-as-usual crowd in Austin that we are angry. We feel abused and ignored.
If Rick Perry wins with 50 percent of the vote, he’ll feel pretty comfortable.
If Rick Perry wins with 32 percent of the vote, he and other statewide politicians will understand that voters are paying attention. They’ll just have to see that people are tired of empty promises and a state run by the rich and the self-interested.
The only way to make your vote count in the governor’s race is to vote for the one legitimate protest candidate in the race.
UPDATE -- The student newspaper of the University of Texas, The Daily Texan, also endorsed Kinky Friedman in the Texas governor's race.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Kinky Online & Odds On The Senate Race
If the election was just held among college and high school students, then Kinky would be our next governor. The Star-Telegram tells us today that Kinky is very popular among the young. Facebook.com, an online community of 10 million, who are mostly high school and college-aged kids, is holding an online and very unscientific poll to determine the favorite for the governor's race. As of last friday, Kinky had 69% of the Facebook vote. Perry was second with 16%, Bell had 10%, Strayhorn had 4%, and Werner had 1%.
There is also a site on Facebook called "He Ain't Kinky, He's my Governor", and it has 20,312 members. Meanwhile, another site, "Texans for Rick Perry" has only 965 members.
Kinky is also very popular on MySpace.com. On his MySpace site, Kinky has several thousand members.
But the big question is whether these young supporters will show up at the polls to vote. Traditionally, young voters don't show up at the polls in as large a numbers as older voters. But if Kinky is to win, large numbers of young and non-traditional voters must show up at the polls. If they show up, Kinky will win. If they don't, then we'll probably have another four years of Rick Perry.
The Star-Telegram also had an interesting take on the senate race. They went to an online betting site, Bodog.com, and got the official betting odds on the Texas senate race. Here are the current betting odds:
Kay Bailey Hutchison [1 to 15]
Barbara Ann Radnofsky [8 to 1]
Scott Jameson [35 to 1]
Of course, many bets are lost - that is why the bookies get rich. Let's hope they're wrong this time.
There is also a site on Facebook called "He Ain't Kinky, He's my Governor", and it has 20,312 members. Meanwhile, another site, "Texans for Rick Perry" has only 965 members.
Kinky is also very popular on MySpace.com. On his MySpace site, Kinky has several thousand members.
But the big question is whether these young supporters will show up at the polls to vote. Traditionally, young voters don't show up at the polls in as large a numbers as older voters. But if Kinky is to win, large numbers of young and non-traditional voters must show up at the polls. If they show up, Kinky will win. If they don't, then we'll probably have another four years of Rick Perry.
The Star-Telegram also had an interesting take on the senate race. They went to an online betting site, Bodog.com, and got the official betting odds on the Texas senate race. Here are the current betting odds:
Kay Bailey Hutchison [1 to 15]
Barbara Ann Radnofsky [8 to 1]
Scott Jameson [35 to 1]
Of course, many bets are lost - that is why the bookies get rich. Let's hope they're wrong this time.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
U.S. Diplomat Tells The Truth About Iraq
It's not often that any truth comes out of the Bush administration, but last Saturday a bit of truth snuck out during a TV interview. Senior U.S. State Department diplomat, Alberto Fernandez, must have forgotten his "Republican book of talking points", because he actually began to speak the truth in an interview with Arab TV network, Al Jazeera.
Fernandez told Al Jazeera, "History will decide what role the United States played. And God willing, we tried to do our best in Iraq. But I think there is a big possibility...for extreme criticism and because undoubtably there was arrogance and stupidity from the United States in Iraq"
Even though 3/4 of the U.S. population would probably agree with Mr. Fernandez, Georgie's administration was quick to deny it. A senior administration spokesman said, "I can only assume his remarks must have been mistranslated. Those comments obviously don't reflect our policy."
But the translation must have been correct, because Fernandez answers the criticism by saying, "I know what the policy is and what the red lines are, and nothing I said hasn't been said before by senior officials. Nothing I said during this interview broke new ground." Fernandez was referring to a speech last March by Condoleeza Rice, when she said, "I am quite certain there are going to be dissertations written about the mistakes of the Bush administration. I know we've made tactical errors, thousands of them, I'm sure."
So we know at least some in Georgie's administration are able to see the truth. Many mistakes were made in Iraq, including the decision to invade Iraq in the first place. Now we are stuck in the middle of a civil war, with no friends on either side of the conflict. The violence is growing and Georgie doesn't have a clue how to end the mess. October is turning out to be a very violent month. 78 U.S. soldiers have been killed this month in Iraq, the most for any month this year.
It is time to get our brave soldiers out of Iraq. Call it "cut & run" or whatever you want, but our soldiers need to come back home. Our presence in Iraq is helping no one.
Fernandez told Al Jazeera, "History will decide what role the United States played. And God willing, we tried to do our best in Iraq. But I think there is a big possibility...for extreme criticism and because undoubtably there was arrogance and stupidity from the United States in Iraq"
Even though 3/4 of the U.S. population would probably agree with Mr. Fernandez, Georgie's administration was quick to deny it. A senior administration spokesman said, "I can only assume his remarks must have been mistranslated. Those comments obviously don't reflect our policy."
But the translation must have been correct, because Fernandez answers the criticism by saying, "I know what the policy is and what the red lines are, and nothing I said hasn't been said before by senior officials. Nothing I said during this interview broke new ground." Fernandez was referring to a speech last March by Condoleeza Rice, when she said, "I am quite certain there are going to be dissertations written about the mistakes of the Bush administration. I know we've made tactical errors, thousands of them, I'm sure."
So we know at least some in Georgie's administration are able to see the truth. Many mistakes were made in Iraq, including the decision to invade Iraq in the first place. Now we are stuck in the middle of a civil war, with no friends on either side of the conflict. The violence is growing and Georgie doesn't have a clue how to end the mess. October is turning out to be a very violent month. 78 U.S. soldiers have been killed this month in Iraq, the most for any month this year.
It is time to get our brave soldiers out of Iraq. Call it "cut & run" or whatever you want, but our soldiers need to come back home. Our presence in Iraq is helping no one.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Even Moshing Has Rules
Sunday night in a little club in DeepEllum with my fifth or sixth badly mixed margarita in one hand and my purse in the other, I was on the edge of the mosh pit watching all of the guys and gals knock each other around while having the time of their lives. This is where I end up at every heavy metal show - by the mosh pit. Watching the band (for me at least) can be minimally exciting, but watching the moshers never fails to be a total blast. I am the north end of the magnet to the mosh pit's south end. I have the inability to be in the same room as one and not go watch it.
So here I was in my usual spot by the pit, slightly drunk with a big ol' goofy smile on my face when I suddenly went flying into the pit!
AAH!!!!
Anyone who knows me knows that while I immensely enjoy watching other people mosh, I myself refrain from joining in. I prefer to keep my balance if at all possible and I hate having people coming at me from all directions.
So when I suddenly found myself off balance with full hands in the middle of a very active mosh pit, I just about shit myself. The first thing I remember seeing was a mosher heading in my direction with me directly in his line of sight. Oh hell, I thought. I'm about to be given a personal introduction to the floor. Having no time to brace myself for the hit, I had resigned myself to the fact that I was about to experience some unpleasantness.
Then, just as quickly as I was pushed in, I was yanked back out by the hand of an old friend of mine, E. It took me no time at all to figure out who pushed me into the pit. As soon as E pulled me out she got into the face of the guy standing right behind me (the culprit had been following me around all night, flirting) and let out a string of curse words that any sailor would be proud of. He obviously didn't hear her over the music because he was laughing, so I grabbed him by the arm and yelled, "If you don't know the rules of the pit, stay away from it!"
"I do know the rules," he argued. Then, without skipping a beat, he pushed E in. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back out before she lost her balance, then turned to him and yelled, "NO YOU DON'T! Get away from here before you get someone hurt!" He obviously understood me that time and quickly disappeared to the back. Shortly thereafter, a staffer appeared by my side, nodding at me to let me know he was there to make sure I could enjoy watching the moshers without being forced to become one.
There are many people out there who have the misconception that mosh pits are basically bar fights, and they couldn't be more wrong. Moshing doesn't have to be dangerous. If it did, I'd have no part of it. A well run pit (with moshers who know the rules and staffers who are on the ball) resembles dancing more than fighting. Moshers aren't mad at each other. Hell, most of them are friends! It is basically a game of balance with heavy metal music as a soundtrack.
There are no written set of rules that I know of, but simply watching one for awhile will show anyone that there are indeed unwritten rules, such as:
1) Never under any circumstances do you throw a punch at or kick someone. In fact, it is better not to use your hands at all. Stick to using your forearms and shoulders, so as not to give the impression that you are trying to start a fight.
2) If someone hits the floor, it is up to everyone standing around him/her (including those of us not moshing) to get them back on their feet and, if need be, out of the pit.
3) If you want to enter a pit, walk (or stomp, as some people do) around the pit once to let everyone in there know you're fair game. Not everyone does this but a good many do, and that can help prevent people who got pushed in from getting hurt.
4) If you want to exit the pit, walk to the edge facing outward so that people like me who are only watching know to step aside and let you out. If you are in the pit and could use some extra momentum, go to get edge facing inward so that we know to give you a little push.
5) This one should be a given, but I learned the hard way the other night that it needs to be said just the same: Never push anyone into the pit! This just opens the door to injuries!
I've been attending shows where mosh pits can be found for over 10 years now and have only seen one serious injury, and that was self inflicted (a guy turned around, his knee didn't cooperate). I'm sure that there have been other injuries that can be attributed to moshing as well, but I've only seen the one. It can be wonderful entertainment, but one moment of stupidity can easily put some unsuspecting person in the line of fire. Those who are in the pit have already prepared themselves. Those of us on the side holding purses and badly mixed margaritas have not.
The vast majority of the pits I have witnessed have been fairly safe and absolutely fun. Let's keep it that way. Moshing already has a bad name with many people. There is no reason to make it worse.
So here I was in my usual spot by the pit, slightly drunk with a big ol' goofy smile on my face when I suddenly went flying into the pit!
AAH!!!!
Anyone who knows me knows that while I immensely enjoy watching other people mosh, I myself refrain from joining in. I prefer to keep my balance if at all possible and I hate having people coming at me from all directions.
So when I suddenly found myself off balance with full hands in the middle of a very active mosh pit, I just about shit myself. The first thing I remember seeing was a mosher heading in my direction with me directly in his line of sight. Oh hell, I thought. I'm about to be given a personal introduction to the floor. Having no time to brace myself for the hit, I had resigned myself to the fact that I was about to experience some unpleasantness.
Then, just as quickly as I was pushed in, I was yanked back out by the hand of an old friend of mine, E. It took me no time at all to figure out who pushed me into the pit. As soon as E pulled me out she got into the face of the guy standing right behind me (the culprit had been following me around all night, flirting) and let out a string of curse words that any sailor would be proud of. He obviously didn't hear her over the music because he was laughing, so I grabbed him by the arm and yelled, "If you don't know the rules of the pit, stay away from it!"
"I do know the rules," he argued. Then, without skipping a beat, he pushed E in. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back out before she lost her balance, then turned to him and yelled, "NO YOU DON'T! Get away from here before you get someone hurt!" He obviously understood me that time and quickly disappeared to the back. Shortly thereafter, a staffer appeared by my side, nodding at me to let me know he was there to make sure I could enjoy watching the moshers without being forced to become one.
There are many people out there who have the misconception that mosh pits are basically bar fights, and they couldn't be more wrong. Moshing doesn't have to be dangerous. If it did, I'd have no part of it. A well run pit (with moshers who know the rules and staffers who are on the ball) resembles dancing more than fighting. Moshers aren't mad at each other. Hell, most of them are friends! It is basically a game of balance with heavy metal music as a soundtrack.
There are no written set of rules that I know of, but simply watching one for awhile will show anyone that there are indeed unwritten rules, such as:
1) Never under any circumstances do you throw a punch at or kick someone. In fact, it is better not to use your hands at all. Stick to using your forearms and shoulders, so as not to give the impression that you are trying to start a fight.
2) If someone hits the floor, it is up to everyone standing around him/her (including those of us not moshing) to get them back on their feet and, if need be, out of the pit.
3) If you want to enter a pit, walk (or stomp, as some people do) around the pit once to let everyone in there know you're fair game. Not everyone does this but a good many do, and that can help prevent people who got pushed in from getting hurt.
4) If you want to exit the pit, walk to the edge facing outward so that people like me who are only watching know to step aside and let you out. If you are in the pit and could use some extra momentum, go to get edge facing inward so that we know to give you a little push.
5) This one should be a given, but I learned the hard way the other night that it needs to be said just the same: Never push anyone into the pit! This just opens the door to injuries!
I've been attending shows where mosh pits can be found for over 10 years now and have only seen one serious injury, and that was self inflicted (a guy turned around, his knee didn't cooperate). I'm sure that there have been other injuries that can be attributed to moshing as well, but I've only seen the one. It can be wonderful entertainment, but one moment of stupidity can easily put some unsuspecting person in the line of fire. Those who are in the pit have already prepared themselves. Those of us on the side holding purses and badly mixed margaritas have not.
The vast majority of the pits I have witnessed have been fairly safe and absolutely fun. Let's keep it that way. Moshing already has a bad name with many people. There is no reason to make it worse.
Is Military Action Against Iran Imminent ?
According to the Crawford Peace House, the United States military will have three naval strike groups off the coast of Iran by October 21. Could this be Karl Rove's latest "October surprise"? A few years ago, I would not believe that a president would start a war just to get votes. However, after watching the misadventures, incompetence, and criminal behavior of the Bush administration, I would put nothing out of consideration for these fools.
The American Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group joins US build-up opposite Iran October 20, 2006, 12:37 PM (GMT+02:00) Tuesday, Oct. 17, the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group steamed into the Persian Gulf to join the US naval, air and marine concentration piling up opposite Iran's shores. It consists of the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, the guided-missile destroyers USS Cole and USS Bulkeley, the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the attack submarine USS Albuquerque, and the dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island. The Iwo Jima group is now cruising 60 km from Kuwait off Iran's coast. As DEBKAfile and DEBKA-Net-Weekly reported exclusively two weeks ago, three US naval task forces will be in place opposite Iran in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea by October 21. The other two are the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and the USS Enterprise Strike Group.
From: Crawford Peace House
War with Iran A response from the Crawford Peace House On October 3 2006 The Eisenhower strike group left its base in Norfolk, Virginia with a 6,500 deployment force. Naval Officers contacted Peace Groups to protest the possibility of a planed provoked
war with Iran. Today the Strike Group is being joined by an armada of ships sailing
to the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and to the Mediterranean. Military exercises starting October 31 will practice interdicting ships.
This navel armada has forewarned the possibility of a attack on Iran
and Syria by positioning of a strike force equal to proposed war scenarios A navel blockade would be considered by Iran to be an act of war. Iran is now on full military alert. The rumors and possibility of an October surprise and a war with Iran
are not acceptable. On April 6 ,2002 almost 2,000 came to a rally In Crawford Texas to protest the secret plans of George Bush and Tony Blair to go to war in
Iraq. The Crawford Peace House was born as a response to the coming of that illegal war. The war and occupation of Iraq still continues with no end in sight. With great sadness we are again asking for citizens to be ready to mobilize to stop another great madness. In the event of a Naval blockade or an attack on Iran The Crawford Peace House will call on all peace loving people to come
to Crawford November 5, 2006 election weekend for a 1:00 rally and march to the Bush ranch. A press conference November 6th at the Peace House and more actions to correspond to Bush's visit to Crawford to vote on
Tuesday 7th Peace Johnny Wolf crawfordpeacehouse@gmail on line resourses http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060417fa_fact http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061009/lindorff http://www.iranians4pj.org/articles/articles.htm http://www.kucinich.us/insight/iran http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=3375 http://www.democracynow.org/print.pl?sid=06/04/17/143241 . http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2006/09/iran.html http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=2072&issue_id=123
The political winds have been blowing against the Republicans, and Georgie faces the real prospect of a Democratically-controlled House and Senate. Is he stupid enough to believe that a new war, blockade, or military action against Iran will bring voters flocking back to vote Republican? I believe he is, and it's starting to scare me a bit. Below is the e-mail from the Crawford Peace House:
The American Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group joins US build-up opposite Iran October 20, 2006, 12:37 PM (GMT+02:00) Tuesday, Oct. 17, the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group steamed into the Persian Gulf to join the US naval, air and marine concentration piling up opposite Iran's shores. It consists of the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, the guided-missile destroyers USS Cole and USS Bulkeley, the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the attack submarine USS Albuquerque, and the dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island. The Iwo Jima group is now cruising 60 km from Kuwait off Iran's coast. As DEBKAfile and DEBKA-Net-Weekly reported exclusively two weeks ago, three US naval task forces will be in place opposite Iran in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea by October 21. The other two are the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and the USS Enterprise Strike Group.
From: Crawford Peace House
War with Iran A response from the Crawford Peace House On October 3 2006 The Eisenhower strike group left its base in Norfolk, Virginia with a 6,500 deployment force. Naval Officers contacted Peace Groups to protest the possibility of a planed provoked
war with Iran. Today the Strike Group is being joined by an armada of ships sailing
to the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and to the Mediterranean. Military exercises starting October 31 will practice interdicting ships.
This navel armada has forewarned the possibility of a attack on Iran
and Syria by positioning of a strike force equal to proposed war scenarios A navel blockade would be considered by Iran to be an act of war. Iran is now on full military alert. The rumors and possibility of an October surprise and a war with Iran
are not acceptable. On April 6 ,2002 almost 2,000 came to a rally In Crawford Texas to protest the secret plans of George Bush and Tony Blair to go to war in
Iraq. The Crawford Peace House was born as a response to the coming of that illegal war. The war and occupation of Iraq still continues with no end in sight. With great sadness we are again asking for citizens to be ready to mobilize to stop another great madness. In the event of a Naval blockade or an attack on Iran The Crawford Peace House will call on all peace loving people to come
to Crawford November 5, 2006 election weekend for a 1:00 rally and march to the Bush ranch. A press conference November 6th at the Peace House and more actions to correspond to Bush's visit to Crawford to vote on
Tuesday 7th Peace Johnny Wolf crawfordpeacehouse@gmail on line resourses http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060417fa_fact http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061009/lindorff http://www.iranians4pj.org/articles/articles.htm http://www.kucinich.us/insight/iran http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=3375 http://www.democracynow.org/print.pl?sid=06/04/17/143241 . http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2006/09/iran.html http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=2072&issue_id=123
Friday, October 20, 2006
Radnofsky Gives Hutchison A Good Whuppin'
I hope you didn't let your small children watch PBS last night, because to me it looked like Barbara Ann Radnofsky took Georgie's lap dog [aka Kay Bailey Hutchison] to the woodshed and gave her the whuppin' of her life.
The senate candidate debate was last night and the outcome was not even close. This debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, even included the Libertarian candidate, Scott Jameson. Jameson looked like a deer caught in the headlights when the debate first started, but warmed up a few minutes later. Overall, I think Jameson did a pretty good job. He sounded more reasonable and mainstream than many Libertarian candidates I have seen in the past. Although I don't think he'll be a factor in the election, he might have done himself some good last night.
But the real show was between Barbara Ann Radnofsky and Kay Bailey Hutchison, and a big difference could be seen between the two women. Hutchison seemed a little unsure of herself, especially when it came to explaining why she supported Georgie's Iraq and economic policies. She even admitted that her vote to go to war in Iraq was a mistake. Still, she wants to "stay the course" and get more soldiers killed while accomplishing nothing. She even tried to say she supports raising the minimum wage, but then added that it must be accompanied by more tax breaks for the rich. She tried to claim she was helping veterans, but got shot down on this too when her opponent revealed Hutchison's voting record on veteran's matters.
The real winner last night was Democratic candidate, Barbara Ann Radnofsky. She came off as confident, prepared and competent. She made an excellent case for a phased withdrawal from Iraq, put forward a rational and workable immigration plan, opposed Republican efforts to destroy social security, blasted pork barrel spending, and demanded that Texas get its fair share of government funds. As Radnofsky said when summing up, "What this country needs from Texas is leadership that's new and fresh, that stands about 5-foot-9 and looks good in purple [Radnofsky wore purple last night]."
Honestly, I don't see how anyone who watched the debate last night could vote for the incumbent. She was outclassed by Radnofsky in every way.
The senate candidate debate was last night and the outcome was not even close. This debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, even included the Libertarian candidate, Scott Jameson. Jameson looked like a deer caught in the headlights when the debate first started, but warmed up a few minutes later. Overall, I think Jameson did a pretty good job. He sounded more reasonable and mainstream than many Libertarian candidates I have seen in the past. Although I don't think he'll be a factor in the election, he might have done himself some good last night.
But the real show was between Barbara Ann Radnofsky and Kay Bailey Hutchison, and a big difference could be seen between the two women. Hutchison seemed a little unsure of herself, especially when it came to explaining why she supported Georgie's Iraq and economic policies. She even admitted that her vote to go to war in Iraq was a mistake. Still, she wants to "stay the course" and get more soldiers killed while accomplishing nothing. She even tried to say she supports raising the minimum wage, but then added that it must be accompanied by more tax breaks for the rich. She tried to claim she was helping veterans, but got shot down on this too when her opponent revealed Hutchison's voting record on veteran's matters.
The real winner last night was Democratic candidate, Barbara Ann Radnofsky. She came off as confident, prepared and competent. She made an excellent case for a phased withdrawal from Iraq, put forward a rational and workable immigration plan, opposed Republican efforts to destroy social security, blasted pork barrel spending, and demanded that Texas get its fair share of government funds. As Radnofsky said when summing up, "What this country needs from Texas is leadership that's new and fresh, that stands about 5-foot-9 and looks good in purple [Radnofsky wore purple last night]."
Honestly, I don't see how anyone who watched the debate last night could vote for the incumbent. She was outclassed by Radnofsky in every way.
Foreclosures Up Sharply In North Texas
The Dow Jones Industrial Average in the stock market closed over 12,000, setting a new record high yesterday. Immediately, the Republicans began to tell us again what a great economy we have. I guess it might be a great economy if you are already rich, but all the rest of us know the truth - this economy is only great for the rich.
All you have to do is read the headlines to see how ordinary Americans are suffering economically. Today, the Dallas Morning News tells us that home foreclosures are rising to near the record levels of the 1980's. Almost 4,000 homes are listed for foreclosure sale in Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, and Collin counties. This is a 49% increase over the same time last year.
This year has seen 35,300 foreclosure postings so far. This exceeds the 32,500 postings for all of last year, and we still have 3 months to go. Around 80% of the foreclosures are on homes worth $200,000 or less. The average value of a foreclosure home is $115,500.
Wages are stagnant, living expenses are up, interest rates are up, health expenses are up, and the middle and working classes have been burdened with a larger share of the tax liability due to Republican cuts for the rich. It's no wonder that foreclosures are skyrocketing. If these Republican policies are continued much longer, we will be reduced to two classes in this country - rich and poor.
The sad part is that the middle class is voting itself out of existence. They vote mostly Republican, supporting the policies that are destroying the middle class. They are being frightened by the Republican party into voting against their own interests.
Listed below are the foreclosures posted in metroplex counties:
Dallas..........1,886 [up 49%]
Tarrant..........1,222 [up 47%]
Collin..........471 [up 65%]
Denton..........367 [up 38%]
Rockwall..........63 [up 37%]
All you have to do is read the headlines to see how ordinary Americans are suffering economically. Today, the Dallas Morning News tells us that home foreclosures are rising to near the record levels of the 1980's. Almost 4,000 homes are listed for foreclosure sale in Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, and Collin counties. This is a 49% increase over the same time last year.
This year has seen 35,300 foreclosure postings so far. This exceeds the 32,500 postings for all of last year, and we still have 3 months to go. Around 80% of the foreclosures are on homes worth $200,000 or less. The average value of a foreclosure home is $115,500.
Wages are stagnant, living expenses are up, interest rates are up, health expenses are up, and the middle and working classes have been burdened with a larger share of the tax liability due to Republican cuts for the rich. It's no wonder that foreclosures are skyrocketing. If these Republican policies are continued much longer, we will be reduced to two classes in this country - rich and poor.
The sad part is that the middle class is voting itself out of existence. They vote mostly Republican, supporting the policies that are destroying the middle class. They are being frightened by the Republican party into voting against their own interests.
Listed below are the foreclosures posted in metroplex counties:
Dallas..........1,886 [up 49%]
Tarrant..........1,222 [up 47%]
Collin..........471 [up 65%]
Denton..........367 [up 38%]
Rockwall..........63 [up 37%]
Kinky Releases Health Care Proposal
"We're 50th in the nation in terms of healthcare, with nearly six million Texans lacking basic health insurance. The first thing we need to do is put the humanity back in healthcare. It's time to give more control to the people who have the greatest stake in the system: the patients. It's just good medicine."
Those are the words of Kinky Friedman, independent candidate for governor of Texas, as he releases his healthcare plan. Kinky calls his healthcare plan TexasCare, and has modeled it after Minnesota's healthcare plan. Kinky says the plan would provide all Texans with healthcare services through prepaid health plans [also called managed care], instead of a fee-for-services system. The plan would cut waste and red tape by centralizing insurance, administrative, and payment procedures, resulting in cost-saving and better healthcare service.
TexasCare will have a four-tiered schedule of benefits and co-payments. The lowest income children will be on tier 1 and have the most benefits and lowest co-payments. Single adults and households with no minor children would be on tier 4 and have the least benefits and highest co-payments.
Kinky says the funding for TexasCare would come from diverse sources - 55% of the funding would come from the state, 35% would come from federal grants, and 10% would be generated through enrollee premiums. The state's portion would be paid for by instituting new fees from several sources, including:
* A 1% fee on the gross revenues of HMO's, nonprofit health service plan corporations, and community integrated service networks.
* A 1% fee on gross revenues of doctors, hospitals, surgical centers, and wholesale drug distributors.
* A modest annual fee charged to medium and large businesses that do not provide health coverage to their employees.
* Licensing fees for international pharmacies approved to sell drugs in Texas.
In addition, Kinky would like to do the following:
1. Restore the patient-physician relationship.
2. Address the shortage of nurses and general practicioners.
3. Bring back school nurses.
4. Join other states in funding stem cell research.
5. Improve health services for university students.
6. Emphasize preventive medicine.
7. Make prescription drugs more affordable.
8. Restore full funding for the state's Children Health Insurance Program, until TexasCare is up and running.
That is Kinky's plan to offer healthcare to all Texans. You may agree or disagree with the plan, but right now, Kinky is the only candidate with a plan to cover all Texans. Kinky is right about one thing; it is time to put the humanity back in healthcare and cover all Texans with health insurance.
Those are the words of Kinky Friedman, independent candidate for governor of Texas, as he releases his healthcare plan. Kinky calls his healthcare plan TexasCare, and has modeled it after Minnesota's healthcare plan. Kinky says the plan would provide all Texans with healthcare services through prepaid health plans [also called managed care], instead of a fee-for-services system. The plan would cut waste and red tape by centralizing insurance, administrative, and payment procedures, resulting in cost-saving and better healthcare service.
TexasCare will have a four-tiered schedule of benefits and co-payments. The lowest income children will be on tier 1 and have the most benefits and lowest co-payments. Single adults and households with no minor children would be on tier 4 and have the least benefits and highest co-payments.
Kinky says the funding for TexasCare would come from diverse sources - 55% of the funding would come from the state, 35% would come from federal grants, and 10% would be generated through enrollee premiums. The state's portion would be paid for by instituting new fees from several sources, including:
* A 1% fee on the gross revenues of HMO's, nonprofit health service plan corporations, and community integrated service networks.
* A 1% fee on gross revenues of doctors, hospitals, surgical centers, and wholesale drug distributors.
* A modest annual fee charged to medium and large businesses that do not provide health coverage to their employees.
* Licensing fees for international pharmacies approved to sell drugs in Texas.
In addition, Kinky would like to do the following:
1. Restore the patient-physician relationship.
2. Address the shortage of nurses and general practicioners.
3. Bring back school nurses.
4. Join other states in funding stem cell research.
5. Improve health services for university students.
6. Emphasize preventive medicine.
7. Make prescription drugs more affordable.
8. Restore full funding for the state's Children Health Insurance Program, until TexasCare is up and running.
That is Kinky's plan to offer healthcare to all Texans. You may agree or disagree with the plan, but right now, Kinky is the only candidate with a plan to cover all Texans. Kinky is right about one thing; it is time to put the humanity back in healthcare and cover all Texans with health insurance.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Tarrant County D.A. Candidates Trade Charges
Here in Tarrant County, we have a re-run of the 2002 election for District Attorney. The Republican incumbent, Tim Curry, and his Democratic opponent, Terri Moore, faced off in one of the closest elections in Tarrant County in 2002, when Curry won with 53.8% of the vote. These same two candidates are running for Tarrant County District Attorney in this year's election.
Wednesday night, Curry and Moore participated in a public debate in Fort Worth sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists. The candidates gave their campaign speeches, took questions from the audience, and were given an opportunity for rebuttal. It didn't take long for the debate to turn nasty.
Curry, who has held the office since 1972, criticized his former employee for representing a high-profile sex offender. He said, "I don't have a problem with her providing fair representation, but I find it odd that she talks about prosecuting the nation's largest child-porn case and then represents a notorious pedophile."
Moore countered that Curry rejects many cases presented to keep his conviction rate high, and gives preferential treatment to drunken drivers with political connections. Moore even suggested that these defendents get breaks because many prosecutors drink and drive, including Curry.
The two also squared off on just how the D.A. should do his job. Moore says that as the D.A., she would still try some cases in court. She said, "By staying fresh, you are teaching and mentoring young prosecutors. It is mainly a management position, but I think you can do that job and be a lead prosecutor on a case." Curry disagreed, saying, "I view my job as a administrator. If you do both, then you can't do either one very well."
In 2002, this was one of the nastiest and closest local races, and it looks like it is shaping up to be another close one. This is probably the Democrats best chance to win a county-wide race.
Wednesday night, Curry and Moore participated in a public debate in Fort Worth sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists. The candidates gave their campaign speeches, took questions from the audience, and were given an opportunity for rebuttal. It didn't take long for the debate to turn nasty.
Curry, who has held the office since 1972, criticized his former employee for representing a high-profile sex offender. He said, "I don't have a problem with her providing fair representation, but I find it odd that she talks about prosecuting the nation's largest child-porn case and then represents a notorious pedophile."
Moore countered that Curry rejects many cases presented to keep his conviction rate high, and gives preferential treatment to drunken drivers with political connections. Moore even suggested that these defendents get breaks because many prosecutors drink and drive, including Curry.
The two also squared off on just how the D.A. should do his job. Moore says that as the D.A., she would still try some cases in court. She said, "By staying fresh, you are teaching and mentoring young prosecutors. It is mainly a management position, but I think you can do that job and be a lead prosecutor on a case." Curry disagreed, saying, "I view my job as a administrator. If you do both, then you can't do either one very well."
In 2002, this was one of the nastiest and closest local races, and it looks like it is shaping up to be another close one. This is probably the Democrats best chance to win a county-wide race.
Tarrant County Medical Examiner To Be Honored
Dr. Nizam Peerwani has been the Medical Examiner for Tarrant County since 1979, and has established a reputation for excellence in his field. But while his work for Tarrant County has been exemplary, he is being honored for the work he does in his spare time.
Since the early 1990's, Dr. Peerwani has used his time off and vacation time to bring scientific understanding to tragedies across the world. Some of the tragedies he has used his forensic skills to help with are listed below:
August 1985 - Delta Flight 191 crash at DFW airport
August 1988 - Delta Flight 1141 crash at DFW airport
May 1993 - evaluation of prison killings in Lima, Peru
April 1993 - investigated Branch Davidian deaths near Waco
January 1996 - investigated genocide in Rwanda
July 1996 - investigated genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina
1996-2002 - evaluating skeletal remains and teaching in Guatemala
October 1999 - evaluation of mass graves in Cyprus
October 2000 - evaluation of excessive force in West Bank and Gaza
March 2002 - evaluation of excessive force in West Bank and Jenin
April 2002 - evaluated mass graves in Afghanistan
March 2004 - evaluated mass graves in Iraq
Dr. Peerwani is to be recognized for his international work by the Physicians for Human Rights. Susannah Sirkin, deputy director of Physicians for Human Rights said, "He's a wonderful combination of serious scientific expertise and passionate commitment to human rights -- and, really, our strongest activists in this field are people who, like Dr. Peerwani, blend science and conscience. Not everyone who is a forensic pathologist is so passionate about upholding people's rights."
Thank you Dr. Peerwani. Thank you for your work in Tarrant County, and all over the world. Your dedication to justice and human rights makes me proud to call you a Texan.
Since the early 1990's, Dr. Peerwani has used his time off and vacation time to bring scientific understanding to tragedies across the world. Some of the tragedies he has used his forensic skills to help with are listed below:
August 1985 - Delta Flight 191 crash at DFW airport
August 1988 - Delta Flight 1141 crash at DFW airport
May 1993 - evaluation of prison killings in Lima, Peru
April 1993 - investigated Branch Davidian deaths near Waco
January 1996 - investigated genocide in Rwanda
July 1996 - investigated genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina
1996-2002 - evaluating skeletal remains and teaching in Guatemala
October 1999 - evaluation of mass graves in Cyprus
October 2000 - evaluation of excessive force in West Bank and Gaza
March 2002 - evaluation of excessive force in West Bank and Jenin
April 2002 - evaluated mass graves in Afghanistan
March 2004 - evaluated mass graves in Iraq
Dr. Peerwani is to be recognized for his international work by the Physicians for Human Rights. Susannah Sirkin, deputy director of Physicians for Human Rights said, "He's a wonderful combination of serious scientific expertise and passionate commitment to human rights -- and, really, our strongest activists in this field are people who, like Dr. Peerwani, blend science and conscience. Not everyone who is a forensic pathologist is so passionate about upholding people's rights."
Thank you Dr. Peerwani. Thank you for your work in Tarrant County, and all over the world. Your dedication to justice and human rights makes me proud to call you a Texan.
Permits Issued For Six Coal-Powered TXU Plants
TXU just moved a step closer to building its proposed 11 new coal-burning power plants. On Wednesday, the Texas Commission on Enviornmental Quality issued draft permits for six of the plants. The permits were issued for three plants in McLennan County, and one plant each in Freestone County, Rusk County, and Titus County. TXU now has draft permits for nine of its proposed eleven plants.
This is not final approval for the plants. The draft permits will be printed in local newspapers, and then the public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed power plants. Then each draft permit will go to the State Office of Administrative Hearings, where each side will get to present its case on whether the proposed plants should be built or not. Even after the decision is made, either side could appeal the decision to a state district court.
I would expect any decision to be taken to court. Perry had put approval of the new plants on a "fast-track" to completion, but opposition to the plants is growing. The mayors of Dallas, Houston, and several other cities have vowed to fight approving the current plans for the plants. Although TXU has said overall pollution would be reduced by 20% after the new plants go online, the mayors along with enviornmentalists, believe this is just not true. They believe the new plants would harm air quality and add to global warming.
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller had this to say about the new permits:
"The fact that this has happened means there will now be a formal process for the utility companies to explain why these plants will not harm our state's air and for those of us who fear it will make our pollution worse to put on our own evidence. The public debate formally starts now, and we will be ready to engage in that important debate."
Perry wanted to get these plants built quickly for his rich buddies, but it is looking like that may not happen. Perry wanted to have everything approved by the Spring of 2007, but more likely is that will just be when the losing side takes it to court.
It's not that we don't need the new power plants. The problem is that they do not want to use the cleanest technology available. TXU wants to pinch pennies and build plants that will poison our air and damage the planet. It is time for TXU to develop a social conscience. It is time for TXU to start caring as much for the people they serve, as they do for their own pocketbook. Build the new plants, but use the cleanest technology available. Abundant power would be useless if our air is too poisonous to breathe.
This is not final approval for the plants. The draft permits will be printed in local newspapers, and then the public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed power plants. Then each draft permit will go to the State Office of Administrative Hearings, where each side will get to present its case on whether the proposed plants should be built or not. Even after the decision is made, either side could appeal the decision to a state district court.
I would expect any decision to be taken to court. Perry had put approval of the new plants on a "fast-track" to completion, but opposition to the plants is growing. The mayors of Dallas, Houston, and several other cities have vowed to fight approving the current plans for the plants. Although TXU has said overall pollution would be reduced by 20% after the new plants go online, the mayors along with enviornmentalists, believe this is just not true. They believe the new plants would harm air quality and add to global warming.
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller had this to say about the new permits:
"The fact that this has happened means there will now be a formal process for the utility companies to explain why these plants will not harm our state's air and for those of us who fear it will make our pollution worse to put on our own evidence. The public debate formally starts now, and we will be ready to engage in that important debate."
Perry wanted to get these plants built quickly for his rich buddies, but it is looking like that may not happen. Perry wanted to have everything approved by the Spring of 2007, but more likely is that will just be when the losing side takes it to court.
It's not that we don't need the new power plants. The problem is that they do not want to use the cleanest technology available. TXU wants to pinch pennies and build plants that will poison our air and damage the planet. It is time for TXU to develop a social conscience. It is time for TXU to start caring as much for the people they serve, as they do for their own pocketbook. Build the new plants, but use the cleanest technology available. Abundant power would be useless if our air is too poisonous to breathe.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Another Reason To Vote Against Hutchison
If we didn't already have enough reasons to vote against Kay Bailey Hutchison, here is one more. The racist mother of the current incompetent occupying the White House, Barbara Bush, has revealed her support for Senator Hutchison. She said in Dallas yesterday, "I'm glad I'm here so I can tell everybody in this room how strongly the Bush family feels about Kay, her service to the state [and] her service to the United States. We love Kay Bailey Hutchison."
Of course, this is no surprise. The Bush family should love Kay Bailey Hutchison. She has served as Georgie's personal lap dog for years now, voting for anything that Georgie asks her to vote for - no matter how stupid, inane, hurtful, or unconstitutional the legislation might be.
Hutchison's opponent, Barbara Ann Radnofsky, was quick to respond saying, "Barbara Bush is trying to protect her son's puppet senator, who rubber-stamps failed Bush administration policies 95.6 percent of the time."
The two senate candidates will debate each other on Thursday, October 19th. The debate will be taped at 7:30pm, and then shown on PBS affiliates across the state at 9:00pm. It should be fun watching Hutchison try to defend her support of the failed Bush policies against an experienced debater and attorney, Barbara Ann Radnofsky.
Of course, this is no surprise. The Bush family should love Kay Bailey Hutchison. She has served as Georgie's personal lap dog for years now, voting for anything that Georgie asks her to vote for - no matter how stupid, inane, hurtful, or unconstitutional the legislation might be.
Hutchison's opponent, Barbara Ann Radnofsky, was quick to respond saying, "Barbara Bush is trying to protect her son's puppet senator, who rubber-stamps failed Bush administration policies 95.6 percent of the time."
The two senate candidates will debate each other on Thursday, October 19th. The debate will be taped at 7:30pm, and then shown on PBS affiliates across the state at 9:00pm. It should be fun watching Hutchison try to defend her support of the failed Bush policies against an experienced debater and attorney, Barbara Ann Radnofsky.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Newest Poll Shows No Movement In Governor Race
One of the most debated topics this last week was whether Chris Bell picked up any support from his "good" performance in the debate. If the newest Rasmussen poll is to be believed, the answer is no.
Rasmussen took the poll of 500 likely voters on October 9th. The poll shows little, if any, movement from the poll they took about a month-and-a-half ago on August 31st. Each candidate's numbers moved one point, except for Kinky, whose numbers moved two points. All of this is well within the margin of error, and may not show any movement at all. Here are the results:
OCTOBER 10th
Perry...............34%
Grandma...............21%
Bell...............19%
Kinky...............18%
AUGUST 31st
Perry...............33%
Grandma...............22%
Bell...............18%
Kinky...............16%
Rasmussen took the poll of 500 likely voters on October 9th. The poll shows little, if any, movement from the poll they took about a month-and-a-half ago on August 31st. Each candidate's numbers moved one point, except for Kinky, whose numbers moved two points. All of this is well within the margin of error, and may not show any movement at all. Here are the results:
OCTOBER 10th
Perry...............34%
Grandma...............21%
Bell...............19%
Kinky...............18%
AUGUST 31st
Perry...............33%
Grandma...............22%
Bell...............18%
Kinky...............16%
More Republican Corruption
The number of corrupt Republican politicians seems to be endless. We already had the corruption of Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham, Jack Abramoff, Bob Ney, and many of their underlings. Scooter Libby is still awaiting trial. Last week, we learned that Republican House leadership has been covering for a pedophile for several years. Now we have another name to add to the growing list of disgraced Republicans.
The Associated Press is reporting that a criminal investigation is in progress on Republican Representative Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania. Unidentified sources told the AP that the Washington and Philadelphia offices of the FBI are investigating Weldon under the direction of the Justice Department Public Integrity Unit. Weldon, who is running for his 11th term in Congress, denies any wrongdoing.
Weldon is being investigated for using his position as a member of the House of Representatives, to secure lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter between 2002 and 2004. I guess Weldon thought the bribes wouldn't be noticed if they went to his daughter instead of himself. He was wrong.
Now Weldon must find his place in the long line of disgraced Republicans, but he shouldn't worry. It won't be long before another corrupt Republican pushes Weldon off the front pages. The only question is - who will it be?
The Associated Press is reporting that a criminal investigation is in progress on Republican Representative Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania. Unidentified sources told the AP that the Washington and Philadelphia offices of the FBI are investigating Weldon under the direction of the Justice Department Public Integrity Unit. Weldon, who is running for his 11th term in Congress, denies any wrongdoing.
Weldon is being investigated for using his position as a member of the House of Representatives, to secure lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter between 2002 and 2004. I guess Weldon thought the bribes wouldn't be noticed if they went to his daughter instead of himself. He was wrong.
Now Weldon must find his place in the long line of disgraced Republicans, but he shouldn't worry. It won't be long before another corrupt Republican pushes Weldon off the front pages. The only question is - who will it be?
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