Immigration....whoa...

I liked your comments on the population problem in the state of Texas. I also like that you are a realist in the growing problem of immigration. It has been a problem that has been long overdue for discussion. Instead of pointing the finger to better protection of our borders, we must first figure out what we have to do with the people here and resolve the issue that way. I like to see that someone cares about these people instead of strongly stating that they need to leave. Your closing statement was simply the best because we must remember that our welcome mat is out and we do need to say hello to the new neighbors and new faces that make up our growing population.

TYC at it again....

TYC is a very interesting topic to say the least. I was a tour guide at the Capitol this passed legislative session and this was one of the most discussed topics maybe of the entire spring season. Not only has their spending been outrageous but there have been also a lot of misgivings about their care of the children. It is always interesting to find where Texas really does spend its money. What is even more interesting is how an organization is given so much from the state and where it is put to use. If you haven’t looked at the many pieces of press coverage about this particular organization and this article interested you, look further, what you will find will disgust and amaze you.

Retirees Rising Costs

An article was released recently about an interesting fact that everyone can relate to. Texas has estimated the cost or rather bill of state funded retiree program which currently amounts to almost thirty seven million dollars in unfunded liabilities. An unfunded liability is incurred when a government entity promises to pay benefits but hasn't set aside money to fund all or part of the promised payments. The reason the amount is so large is the outstanding size of the state work force here in Texas and the ever increasing number of retirees. This leads to numerous assumptions among current state employees about whether or not there will be a retirement fund all together in the near or even distant future. According to Texas law these rights for retirement or even basic health benefits are not required constitutionally and may be trimmed or eliminated by lawmakers at the capitol. Texas, like most states, handles benefits as a payment plan of sorts paying what is needed as time progresses. The best way to fix this problem currently in the state would be to set money aside in a trust specifically for the purpose of preventing further debt in this part of the budget. It could then be used to pay bills while gaining interest though a definitely a more costly option than charging employees further percentages of their pay. Currently legislators such as Texas Speaker of The House Tom Craddick have said that options will be explored to correct the problem before the 2009 session but if these problems continue we may find a large issue or hot button topic that will draw a great deal of attention on the third floor of the Capitol.

The Sway of A Party

A fellow Austenite had a very interesting take on the impending primaries of the much anticipated 2008 election. Austin based lawyer Bill Crocker has presented a plan that would allow states to begin the rotation in presidential primaries throughout the nation. The interesting take on this new proposal is the main source and his history. Crocker is not new to the political merry-go-round. He is one of the three Texans currently holding court on the Republican National Committee. His plan goes as follows. States would be divided into four regions. These four regions then lead off the presidential nominating for the next four years and starting in 2020, Texas and ten other states would have their time in the caucus spotlight. This is an interesting a probably needed modification to the current system. Unfortunately once again I am leery of the reason behind the changes. Interestingly enough the woman in charge, Kathy Haigler, of these plans belongs to yet another Republican run committee. Her reasoning for the change is to allow more majorly conservative voting states around the nation to have a better chance of having their voice heard. While I do believe this is a matter of freedom of speech and everyone’s right to vote, I feel that once again the conservative majority have found a way to make themselves believe they are the voting minority and with the turnouts of the previous two presidential elections, haven’t we found that the word of right is alive and well among these fifty states and should things be swung to a party that has had their chance or possibly to favor any party at all?

Bonds Again?!?! (groans)

We as members of the communities in Texas have heard this all before. Our lawmakers our asking us once again to take on billions of dollars in debt to refurbish many Texas projects such as highways, school loans and others. While most of the programs do seem worthy, including a large chunk to be spent on cancer research, others sound less that vaguely familiar. Once again the ballot on November 6^th will hold the highest amount reserved for highways throughout Texas, five BILLION to be exact. While many supporters of proposals say that with this money we will rely less on toll roads, a very hot button issue here in Texas it brings to mind one of the most highly contested topics in the 2007 session of Texas legislation. When the toll road was originally given as an idea in a proposition bill it was to be paid for then, years later to find it would become a toll road and that the many taxpayers that had already paid for its construction would find they would pay a small fee even to use it. If this promise was made about highways a number of years ago what is to be said that this would happen again? We are now paying debts that were not even our decision to make, so must we thrust that economic burden upon our children. The research done is up to each taxpayer when they go to the polls on November 6^th but pick and choose carefully the spending that is important to you because more than likely it is your children that will end up paying for it.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5212081.html

Meningitis Outbreak in Llano County

A meningitis outbreak was announced by the Texas Health Department in Llano County, where five or possibly six students are suspected of having it. Although the infected children have viral meningitis, the less serious case while its counterpart bacterial meningitis kills about 15 percent of everyone it infects, many are still worried. This particular issue requires constant monitoring not only for the students infected but body of children around them. So far the disease has infected three different students at three different public schools. This in turn could have potentially infected three different student bodies, resulting in a school-wide epidemic. What else is alarming was the response of the Llano County superintendant Dennis Hill. He was only aware of five cases whereas the Health Department reported six cases. Doesn’t the responsibility of recording and researching said infections fall on the man that oversees operations of all three schools? Furthermore the conflicting information from both parties results in the conclusion that maybe they should be working together so that all responsible parties have the statistics to better serve the families of the students infected but also those that have children attending with them to contain and control the disease. One more point that should come to light is the Health Department’s failure to realize the current location and condition of each student and the lack of knowledge as to whether these students are hospitalized or quarantined, or the possibility of them potentially having come in contact with other members of Llano County. Could they have passed the disease on to others with compromised immune systems unwittingly? Only time will tell.

Lawmaker questions state officials' support of tolling interstates

The Department of Transportation is lobbying to "buyback" some of the major roadways in Texas to eventually make them toll roads that were once interstate highways. The plan enclosed in a report called Forward Momentum, also eludes to the fact that private companies will be asked to complete these jobs and should receive tax breaks while doing so. Chris Lippincott, a spokesman for the department stated that all plans will go through local government such as county-commissioners to approve in order for them to move forward. Approvals must also be received from the taxpayers. Senator Jon Corona-D from Dallas stated "I think it's a dreadful recommendation on the part of the transportation commissioners here in Texas," then going on to say, "I feel confident that legislators in Austin would overwhelmingly be opposed to such an idea," and "The simple fact is that taxpayers have already paid for those roadways. To ask taxpayers to pay for them twice is untenable." We must continue to watch this issue not only because the taxpayers of Texas have already payed their dues "twice" on this matter but also if the components of the plan changes will the minds change of our lawmakers?

Austin American Statesman