Do you believe State Farm undercharged some customers?

Do pigs fly?

State Farm Insurance, facing state allegations that it overcharged customers by hundreds of millions of dollars, raised the possibility Monday that some customers weren't charged enough for their policies.

State Farm attorneys, who vigorously denied the charges of excessive rates in a hearing before state Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin, also contended that the company was not required to show "clear and convincing evidence" that its rates were fair.

I have trouble believing any Republican would hurt a crony. Unless circumstances, like total voter rebellion, demanded it.

Texas military generals look bad in audit

Lax oversight and toothless internal audits allowed at least three generals in the Texas Military Forces to bill the state for pay while they were working for and being paid by the federal government, a state audit concluded Monday.

The practice began modestly in 2003 and continued to grow — despite internal questions about whether the payments amounted to double dipping — until a military lawyer concluded in September 2008 that the practice violated state law, according to the report by the state auditor's office.

Sounds like the Republican way to me. The elite can do whatever they want. Taking unearned taxpayer dollars? That's okay.

Guess where illegal Mexican guns come from?

If you said Texas, you win.

Most of the weapons found in the largest gun seizure in Mexican history have been traced by federal ATF agents to Texas retailers.

The Mexican army's raid on a Reynosa stash house in November found a trove of drug cartel weapons that included 540 rifles, 165 hand grenades, 500,000 rounds of ammunition, TNT and other munitions.

Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said they were able to trace 383 serial numbers from rifles seized in the raid and that 80 percent of those weapons came from licensed firearms dealers in Texas, primarily along the border.

Napolitano to visit Laredo

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will be in Laredo this week, Congressman Henry Cuellar announced Monday.

...

A combination of factors has led to the sudden spotlight on border security and spillover violence, according to Cuellar, who said he's been trying to bring attention to the issue since he took office in 2005.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón has been aggressively pursuing the drug cartels, Mexican officials have become more receptive to U.S. aid and the new U.S. presidential administration is paying attention to border issues, Cuellar said.

Laredo ISD superintendent resigns

LISD Superintendent Veronica Guerra resigned Monday after the Board of Trustees met for four hours in executive session discussing her "employment and term contract."

The Laredo Independent School District Board accepted her resignation and named Alvaro Perez, chief financial officer for the district, as the administrator-in-charge.

Is it just me or does it seem like superintendents are always getting booted or leaving before they do

Will Santa Fe fire police officiers named in abuse suit?

A Houston man whose police-abuse lawsuit the city of Santa Fe agreed to settle for $125,000 said today that he wants two police officers fired because he believes they will abuse others.

“I want to see them fired because they already done this to somebody else, and I don’t want it to happen again,” said Sergio Robles, 24.

The city signed an agreement Saturday to settle a federal lawsuit Robles filed in July accusing officers Eric Brus and John Gates of beating Robles Aug. 21, 2006, and spraying him with pepper spray while he was pinned to the ground, Robles attorney Randall Kallinen said.

The city decided to settle the lawsuit after a jury in February returned a not guilty verdict in 19 minutes on a resisting arrest charge against Robles after a week-long trial, Kallinen said.

Somebody got prosecuted for making a faulty part used by the space shuttle?

Why aren't other contracts being prosecuted for all the cr*p they delivered on the US dime? Oh, yeah. Cronies.

Richard J. Harmon, 60, the former owner of Cornerstone Machining Inc. in Alvin, pleaded guilty to a federal felony charge of fraud involving a space vehicle part. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes scheduled Harmon’s sentencing for June when he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

They guy doesn't seem to think he did anything wrong. He still wants to make stuff for people. Why not. Other Texas contractors like KBR do it all the time.

Why does Texas hate science?

Because science refutes some peoples' thoughts about how the universe works. Some people want their beliefs to trump science.

Texas researchers who thought President Barack Obama’s executive order lifting the restrictions on embryonic stem cell research would finally free them to ramp up work with the cutting-edge science are facing a new obstacle: the state Legislature.

Eighteen of the state’s leading scientists signed a letter sent to the Legislature Monday objecting to a provision inserted in the Senate budget bill last week that would ban state funding from supporting research involving the destruction of human embryos.

“Such an amendment would be detrimental to Texas,” said the statement. “A ban would halt ongoing research projects and negatively impact the ability of Texas academic health institutions, both public and private, to competitively recruit and retain world-class scientists, professors and students in the biological sciences.”

In Texas the ignorant often rule. Why is that?

Mexico readying Super Max prisons for drug cartel members

They don't already have them? While in London, Calderon sounds independent.

Mexican and U.S. military commanders on Monday were analyzing how to combat drug trafficking amid related violence that has claimed nearly 9,000 lives in Mexico since 2006, at a meeting near the U.S. border.

Meanwhile in London, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Monday he has ruled out joint raids with the United States aimed at stemming drug cartel violence along their border, but called for closer cooperation.

Tigua women, brought to the legislature by their men, testify they're not total doormats.

Tigua women just aren't the equals of the men.

They don't vote for tribal leaders, but Tigua women told lawmakers Monday they play an important role in the tribe's government and the sovereign nation's democratic system should not affect the state's decision about allowing gambling at Speaking Rock Casino.

"We don't vote on election night," said Edna Sierra, a tribe member who spoke with women legislators during a closed-door meeting. "But that doesn't mean we don't have a say."

What kind of a say? If it isn't a vote, it's not much of a say. An important role? Helpmate? Dishwasher? Laundress?

Juárez calming down

Good news.

"Things are improving here on a daily basis, and thanks for the help," [Juárez club owner Raul Martinez] Soto said. "Business is improving as tourists are slowly coming back. All of the initiatives by the officials are working. There is hope now that things will get back to normal."

Sharon Keller finds being in the spotlight sucks

The presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, while seeking state aid to defend herself against ethics charges, failed to abide by legal requirements that she disclose nearly $2 million in real estate holdings, according to an analysis of public records by The Dallas Morning News.

Ooops. But, she's a Republican and laws don't apply to them.

Progreso election wars rage on

Progreso will continue to run its own elections despite statewide concerns surrounding the validity of recent city and school board votes, the city's mayor [Omar Vela] said.

...

Several Vela critics complained during the city's November municipal election that they had been barred from voting by partisan election judges who told them they did not live within the city. The dust-up led some to call for the Hidalgo County Elections Department to administer the school board race in May.

...

Since losing his May 2008 bid for the city's top job, [Eleazar] Perez has waged war on the Vela family by initiating investigations through various state and local authorities, said Guadalupe Vela who has played an active role in his sons' political careers.

Texas Republicans muse 'If only everybody carried a gun.'

Guns at work. Guns at school. I see more deaths for Texans.

What marks the imaginary line of college campuses?" said Katie Kasprzak, a recent Texas State University graduate and spokeswoman for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a group that claims more than 37,000 members.

If gunfire erupted on campus, "Would you rather sit and just take shot for shot or would you rather have a chance to fight back?" asked Kasprzak, who has a concealed weapons license.

Republican State Sen. Jeff Wentworth, sponsor of the Senate bill, said students, faculty and staff are "sitting ducks" if someone starts blasting.

What would a win by Kay Bailey Hutchison prove?

The Houston Chronicle gets all misty.

Watching from afar, University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato said the Texas governor’s race, along with fights in Florida and California, could reveal whether Republicans across the board are forswearing political habits.

“If Hutchison can beat Perry in a GOP primary dominated by conservatives, it may indicate that some of the activists have gotten the message: The Republican Party cannot continue to win national elections simply with conservative white males,” Sabato said. “It will project (Hutchison) even further into the national debate.”

Apparently, Sabato missed last year's nomination of John McCain. McCain most assuredly was NOT the darling of the visible elements of the Republican party. What did that prove?

New businesses started by returning immigrants

Ah, the law of unintended consequences.

By many measures and anecdotal evidence, waves of illegal immigrants are leaving the U.S. and returning to countries such as Mexico because of the tough economy and immigration enforcement. To respond to this trend, the Mexican government in recent years has increased funding for projects run by immigrants who have returned.

In Guanajuato, a variety of industries have started: a women’s cooperative producing restaurant tablecloths, a tequila distillery and a factory to assemble tote bags for California wineries.

Susana Guerra, director of migrant affairs for Guanajuato state, said immigrants who return home usually have some money set aside and want to use it to start a business. “So we are working ... to have projects for them to have an opportunity for them to be a businessman in the community,” she said.

It's time for the TPA blogger roundup!

It's Monday, and that means it is time for another edition of the Texas Progressive Alliance's Weekly Blog Round Up.

Phillip Martin of Burnt Orange Report is feeling proud to have a Democrat in the Oval Office in his post, President Barack Obama: How He Won & Early Successes.

McBlogger's Harry Balczak has some great news about a new movie coming out.

Off the Kuff examines the economic claims made by the gambling industry, and also prints a response from the racetracks.

BossKitty at TruthHugger recognizes the pattern of disaster cycles, why is everyone surprised when their world is turned upside down? America must pull its pants up and be ready for the unexpected, because it should be expected ... So Many Red Rivers - What Have We Learned Speaking about learning, What Else Can We Cut Besides Cost …

The GOP declares doomsday if Obama's budget is enacted. Let's hope they don't pre-emptively invade the White House to try to stop it, as if a Democratic federal budget were equivalent to Saddam's WMD. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs reminds us that the Republicans tend to hyperventilate when they exaggerate.

Neil at Texas Liberal writes about Houston City Council candidate Noel Freeman and is hopeful that Mr. Freeman will address some questions of how the Democratic Party regards some if its' most loyal voters.

At Texas Kaos, Libby Shaw keeps an eye on the best gov't that political contributions can buy-TRCC edition in Fat Cat The Business Owner Sticks It to Joe the Consumer.

nytexan at BlueBloggin is not surprised by the GOP's latest stunt; The Party of NO: GOP Budget Has No Numbers And No Plan. The GOP leadership offered “The Republican Road To Recovery,” a 19 page joke which took them 27 days to write. It actually sounds like a book title for Alcoholic Anonymous. The best part of the GOP budget is there are “no” numbers in it. Page numbers don’t count.

Justin at AAA-Fund Blog urges readers to call State Rep. Angie Chen Button to condemn State Rep. Leo Berman's conductLeo Berman.

The Texas Cloverleaf explains why it is going into hibernation.

Also on Burnt Orange Report, Todd Hill had an interview with Tom Schieffer, potential Democratic candidate for Governor, about his vision for Texas, his friendship with George W. Bush, and why he thinks he can win in the general election.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on President Obama’s first budget - A primer.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is glad that the cowboy Bush administration is no longer in charge of diplomacy.

Bills to abolish Bob Perry's Builder Commssion will be heard on Tuesday in a Business and Industry Subcommittee at 10:00am.

Vince at Capitol Annex reminds readers that a controversial campus carry bill that would allow Texas students to carry guns on college campuses gets a hearing before a House Committee on Monday.

Abusive stop-loss on its way out

Republicans say they support our troops while treating them like dirt.

Pentagon chief Robert Gates made a welcome announcement last week: he is moving to end the stop-loss program, the involuntary extension of military commitments that have added to the burden of military families.

Democrats are showing respect. Elections do have consequences.

UT panel says that d*mn fence is a bad idea

You don't need an advanced degree to figure that out.

Ongoing construction of a 670-mile fence along the Texas-Mexico border approved by Congress in 2006 was the topic of a panel Saturday at the University of Texas titled "The Border Fence as a Human Rights Barrier".

The four panelists, researchers from the university's Working Group on the Border Wall, agreed that the wall poses a variety of human rights issues, including disproportionate hardship on the poor on both sides of the border. The panel was part of the fifth annual conference called "Human Rights at UT: A Dialogue at the Intersection of Academics and Advocacy."

La Joya administrators moved accused child molester instead of suspending him

That's what the records say. Who do they think they are? The Catholic Church?

A former computer lab employee accused of molesting 10 elementary school students last year was moved to a different campus after police launched an investigation, according to public documents.

The records contradict La Joya school district officials who have said he was suspended immediately after the probe began.

Texas has no rules about building schools over environmental hazards

Just so long as there isn't a strip club nearby.

But look again. Six months after Hurricane Ike ripped through this bayside town, there are plans to relocate the flood-damaged school to a vacant lot along Texas 146, a workaday road for the Bayport terminal and several chemical plants.

The La Porte Independent School District says the site is safe, but some parents aren’t so sure. This much is clear: Texas, like most states, lacks environmental standards for deciding where to build new schools.

Republicans, the party of life? Only before you're born. After that, it's cronies first.

If only young Hispanic women got out to vote in Corpus Christi

If you’re an average person living in Corpus Christi, by U.S. Census standards, you’re likely a 33-year-old Hispanic woman getting by on less than the state and country’s average salary. Most likely you have a high school diploma.

The average voter in a city election, such as the one being held Saturday, looks much different, according to analysis of local election results and national trends.

He is a 58-year-old non-Hispanic white man, likely with some higher education, probably a property owner. He also is more likely to live in District 5, which covers the city’s Southside, or in District 4, which includes homes in Flour Bluff, Padre Island and some neighborhoods on the southern part of the bayfront.

I'm thinking that the rich, old white guy is not going to vote the young Hispanic woman's interests.

Mayor indicted. Now what about Brownsville?

A $26K check from the city made out to someone else got deposited in the Mayor's checking account. How did that happen? The teller allegedly says the mayor deposited the check. I hope we find out at the trial.

Tony Knopp, a retired University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College professor who has studied Rio Grande Valley politics for decades, said that an indictment, regrettably, "confirms the suspicions of many people that there are shenanigans going on in city government.

This is not good PR for the area.

In the past two years, Cameron County has seen at least three of its current or past officials face criminal indictments, and last year the chief executive officer of the Brownsville Convention and Visitor's Bureau was indicted on charges of making unauthorized credit card purchases.

It would be worse if people actually got away with public corruption.

The DA has already predicted one outcome.

Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos predicted that Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr. would not see a day in state prison if convicted of theft and related felony charges.

Texas State Board of Education dings science

Sure, they voted to take out the phrase "strengths and weaknesses" with respect to evolutionary theory. But, they left plenty of room for religion and partisan viewpoints to muck up sound science.

The Texas State Board of Education did more than open the door to creationist attacks on evolution when passing new science curriculum standards today. It also watered down a section on global warming in the standards for the environmental systems high school course.

Texas still looks like the fool. Does Joe Straus want to take religion and partisanship out of our education system?

Straus said: "I think it's unfair that the State Board of Education makes so much news in the manner that they make it." Besides the board's handling of science standards, Straus said, "I have some other concerns about that elected body having so much management authority over significant dollars," referring to investments of the Permanent School Fund.

Or, is it control of all that lovely Permanent School Fund money?

What game is Todd Smith playing with Voter ID?

Seeking compromise where none has seemed possible, a top Republican leader is pushing for a delay of up to four years before enacting new voter identification requirements, giving Texas time to educate the public and conduct a massive statewide voter registration campaign.

Voter impersonation is not a problem. Voter ID is meant to suppress the votes of the poor and the elderly. Why wait until after the 2010 census and subsequent redistricting to suppress the votes? Is this a trick to get the house to pass Voter ID and then, 'fix' it in conference? and, no, I don't trust Republicans to be honest in their dealings.

House may take away some of Perry's slush fund toys

House budget writers, spurred by a chairman angered by how Gov. Rick Perry helped steer a $50 million grant to the Texas A&M University System, voted Friday to strip Perry of one of the powers he used to make the grant happen.

The House Appropriations Committee put language in its proposed budget saying any transfers between the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Emerging Technology Fund must be approved by the 10-member Legislative Budget Board. The panel also said the budget board, made up of the lieutenant governor, House speaker and members of the House and Senate, must approve any grants from the two funds.

Too bad. So sad.

Harlingen candidate must pay his bill

Frank Puente Jr., a candidate for City Commission District 2, was ordered to pay a $24,495 judgment after an Austin company sued him and his family's roofing company alleging nonpayment for roofing materials.

Smithee's windstorm insurance bill is revised

The first iteration was horrific for the Texas Gulf Coast.

According to reports, coverage for primary residences would be capped at $250,000, down from the current $1.7 million. And coverage for condominiums, apartments, multi-family units or rent houses would not be possible. Commercial property coverage would be capped at $1 million, down from the current $4.1 million.

“Just imagine a 60 percent increase on what you pay now. It’s going to have a huge economic impact and obviously a pocket book impact for many homeowners and business owners,” state Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, told the Guardian last week.

We have to wait till Monday to see the new version. I believe home and basic car insurance should be run by the government. Where you build has many impacts on successful public policy. Government has a major role in mitigating disasters. Insurance rates are both a public policy lever and a disaster mitigator. Requiring the payment of liability insurance with your car license makes sense, too.

Many in Starr county will not be able to get over the air tv

Starr County residents will have difficulty receiving over-the-air television broadcasts - or in some cases won't be able to receive them at all - after the switch to digital television June 12.

Liberty County Judge thought he was king when he dismissed charges against defendants in a real judges court

Liberty County Judge Phil Fitzgerald wrote letters two years ago and as recently as this January acknowledging he lacks the authority to handle serious criminal cases, though he is defending his decision to dismiss drunken-driving charges against two prominent constituents.

Fitzgerald dismissed those cases, and three others that were pending in County Court-at-Law Judge Don Taylor’s courtroom, on New Year’s Eve without first consulting him. Taylor later voided the actions.

What a piece of work!

Alonzo Garza, former Corpus Christi building inspection official, charged

Garza, 40, was charged Friday with tampering with government documents and abuse of official capacity. He was suspended in August 2007, shortly after the investigation became public knowledge. Garza was terminated last April.

Both charges stem from a permit issued to 2743 Airline Road. No arrest warrant was issued Friday for Garza.

After being placed on leave, he sued the city claiming he was punished for speaking out on what he saw as unsafe conditions at a city renovation project. Portions of that whistleblower lawsuit were dismissed.

Garza also sued KZTV Channel 10 for defamation over a report that highlighted his employment with a roofing company owned by a relative. Garza received permission by the city to work for the company outside city limits.

Garza sounds like a hot head. With entitlement issues.

Brownsville Mayor will NOT get a special prosecutor

Seems like DA Villalobos is afraid the judge will appoint De La Fuente. De La Fuente has a history of not finding 'sufficient' evidence.

A district attorney pro-tem was appointed to try a case against Commissioner Charlie Atkinson, who was arrested in November 2007 on a drunken driving charge. The case was dismissed in August because special prosecutor Oscar De La Fuente believed there wasn't enough evidence to successfully prosecute. County Court-at-Law No. 3 Judge Daniel T. Robles appointed De La Fuente as a district attorney pro-tem on the case.

In February 2007, Municipal Court Judge Ben Neece was charged with possession of marijuana and assault stemming from an argument with his wife. This case was dismissed in September 2007 due to insufficient evidence. Robles also appointed De La Fuente as district attorney pro-tem to handle the case.

Mayor Ahumada is accused of depositing a $26K check from the city that belonged to a contractor.

Homeland Security builds fence on woman's land without payment or notification

But [El Calaboz resident Eva] Lambert's biggest surprise was that the federal government began construction without awarding her any compensation. Unlike her neighbors, who were awarded more than $10,000 in exchange for their assent, Lambert was never asked to sign a contract allowing fencing on her property.

"But that didn't stop them from starting construction," she said Friday, pointing to the steel barrier in her backyard. "In the end, the government does what it wants."

Should judge's lawyer practice in the judge's court?

The answer to that ought to be a whopping NO! What is wrong with 197th District Judge Migdalia Lopez? This is a 'judgment' call and she failed.

The murder trial and eventual manslaughter conviction of a San Benito teenager raised the eyebrows of prosecuting attorneys after they discovered that the presiding judge was also a client of the defense attorney.

The Cameron County District Attorney's Office filed a motion for recusal before 197th District Judge Migdalia Lopez, stating that since defense attorney Noe Garza Jr. is also her attorney in another case "impartiality might reasonably be questioned."

Even if Lopez believes she will be impartial, there has to be a reasonable expectation of justice from the citizens and the participants in the trial.

Lopez recused herself. Finally.

After the DA's office asked her to step down and after some discussion, Lopez removed herself from the case, which was taken over by state District Judge Arturo Nelson, prosecutors said.

Legacy of Victoria DA Tyler and former sheriff Ratcliff continues

Michael Ratcliff plead guilty to charges associated with sexually assaulting a boy in his custody. Steve Tyler had already hired his good buddy, Ratcliff, to be his assistant in the DA's office. What did he do about the investigation into Ratcliff? Not enough, because Victoria city officials, including the police chief talked to the press to get justice. What did Tyler do about that? Indicted them all and subpoenaed everyone. Including the newspaper.

And, Ratcliff? Gets a slap on the wrist. How sweet it must be to be powerful in Victoria.

Tyler's tirade continues with the legacy of subpoenas.

The subpoenas ask for all correspondence, minutes agendas, ordinances, resolutions, recordings and/or transcripts from Jan. 1, 2007, to present of official or unofficial council meetings about the Ratcliff investigation and the prosecution or legal defense of the indicted city officials.

See previous posts.

South Texas lawmakers looking at colonias

Again. Still. Maybe some day they will have basic city services.

State Reps. Richard Peña Raymond, D-Laredo and Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, co-authored House Bill 2275 that would create a task force charged with studying how inconsistencies in state and local laws that govern colonia development could be streamlined and made more uniform.

“We need to make the rules the same for everybody in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the laws,” Raymond told the House Committee on Border and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Senators who voted to cut 10% rule should hear from their constituents

Turn up the heat, if your senator voted for elitism in our public school system. The Rio Grande Guardian has a story about them squirming. 'South Texas senators explain their vote to dilute Top Ten Percent law'

The bill passed the Senate with a 22-8 vote, with votes cast in favor of the bill by Sens. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville. The legislation now goes to the Texas House, where it is likely to stir up a raucous debate.

I called my senator to complain. Did you?

For now science beats religion in the public classroom

Republicans on the Texas State Board of Education whine.

The tentative vote — a final one is expected today — will mean that teachers and students no longer will be expected to discuss the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution and the theory about the origin of life developed by Charles Darwin 150 years ago.

The move is a setback for critics of evolution, who argued that teachers and students should have to analyze the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution — a standard that has been a part of Texas school science standards for 20 years.

So, it's a tradition and we ought to keep it? Is that what the author, Gary Scharrer intends?

Houston, there's a new DA in town!

Saying they were negligent and incompetent when they struck seven blacks from the jury pool in a recent murder trial, Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos castigated two of her prosecutors Thursday, docking their pay and removing them from trial work.

“I assume full responsibility for the incompetence of these two prosecutors,” Lykos said. “There is not invidious racism involved here, but negligence or incompetence, if you will. If I thought for a moment that there were racial motives, they would have been fired.”

They just happened to be black?

NCAA punishes Texas A&M - Corpus Christi

Those pesky rules. Grownups don't have to follow them, do they? Aren't they just for the students?

State whining about changing odious new driver's license rule

It would cost the state about $23,000 to halt a new driver's license rule that critics claim is illegal and encourages racial profiling, lawyers for the state said in court Thursday.

The day before, an assistant attorney general had said changing the rule would be so disruptive that it would shut down driver's license offices across Texas.

So, if changing the rule back to the way it was costs $23K, then changing it in the first place cost $23K and disrupted driver's license offices, too. The cost to taxpayers for racist grandstanding? $46K. The value of a just society? Priceless.

oops. There really weren't enough valid signatures on Corpus Christi's smoking ban petition

Too bad. So sad.

Smoking in bars, pool halls and bingo parlors will be banned as of April 15, but the new rule could be reversed in two years if a failed petition effort gathers enough additional signatures in the next 10 days.

More than half of the signatures turned in March 16 by opponents of the ban didn’t belong to registered voters living in city limits, City Secretary Armando Chapa said.

So, where did they get these signatures and who collected them?

Mauricio Celis gets 1 year in jail

A judge on Thursday went beyond a jury’s recommendation of probation for Mauricio Celis, sentencing him to a year in jail and restitution, likely about $1.35 million, as conditions of 10 years probation, pending Celis’ appeal.

In February, a jury convicted Celis of 14 counts of falsely holding himself out as a lawyer.

Visiting District Judge Mark Luitjen also set Celis’ appeal bond at $700,000, an amount Celis’ attorneys said was excessive and that they would appeal to the 13th Court of Appeals. Celis was taken to jail Thursday after the sentencing hearing because he did not immediately pay the bond.

See previous posts.

A headline you DON'T want to see

'VA won’t discuss extent of colonoscopy equipment contamination'

That headline is so scary in so many different ways.

Thousands of military veterans across the South are waiting to find out if they were exposed to infectious diseases by government clinics that performed colonoscopies and other procedures with equipment that wasn’t properly sterilized.

Veterans Affairs officials won’t say if mistakes that may have exposed patients to infections at medical centers in Tennessee and Florida and a clinic in Georgia have been discovered elsewhere.

The VA recently warned veterans who had colonoscopies as far back as five years ago at its hospitals in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Miami that they may have been exposed to the body fluids of other patients and should undergo tests to make sure they haven’t contracted serious illnesses.

Bodily fluids. Sounds so much better when they put it that way. Maybe not.

Judge Migdalia Lopez gets very aggressive with woman who put ad about her indictments in the newspaper

Blanca Rosas, who was subpoenaed to testify Friday at a hearing on the Lopez matter, says she found herself with a contempt of court citation and a three-hour jail stay after she refused to answer questions from Lopez's attorney.

"They're telling me I'm a witness," Rosas said Thursday. "I don't know what these people are talking about."

For one thing, she said, the attorney wanted to question her about a paid political advertisement she placed in the Valley Morning Star in February. The ad mentions Lopez's indictment and indictments against six other current or former officials and questions why the charges were dismissed.

Cameron County grand jury has 3 charges for Brownsville Mayor Ahumada

Brownsville Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr. said Thursday that deep faith would see him through charges that he stole a $26,139 check from the city that he was elected to represent.

Besides theft, Ahumada also is charged by criminal indictment with abuse of official capacity and misapplication of fiduciary property. All are felony offenses. Each charge carries a possible prison term from two to 10 years and up to a $10,000 fine.

Check out Ahumada explaining what happened. See previous posts.

Will the Texas State Board of Eduction repeal the law of gravity today?

When you don't live in the reality-base world, anything in possible. In your head. Too bad the fantasy world of certain people is allowed to infringe on the teaching of science.

The board votes today on several changes to the state's science standards, each of which is designed to get students to doubt evolution.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Bills filed for a Valley VA hospital

Lets hope we get one this time.

As a group of local veterans watched via satellite, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced the filing of a Senate bill that would establish a veterans hospital in the Rio Grande Valley.

...

U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, has filed an identical bill in the U.S. House.

The time for thugs and cowboys is over

Who would think that building a huge wall across the border and air dropping herbicide along the Rio Grande is a good idea? The idiot cowboy thugs otherwise called Republicans who occupied the White House for 8 long, long years. Or, is that 1 million in idiot years?

Now, Hillary Clinton is going to Mexico to use ... ta da ... something called diplomacy. It's a tool that has been used by civilizations over the millennia.

Acknowledging that the United States plays a part in Mexico’s drug violence, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday the Obama administration is determined to stop automatic weapons trafficking from Texas and other states that are arming narcotics gangs.

“We are going to look at whatever is possible to do ourselves,” Clinton told reporters after meeting with President Felipe Calderon in the Mexican capital. She acknowledged that getting an automatic weapons ban approved by the U.S. Congress is “a very high hurdle.”

John Kerry is holding hearing on the border. What? Gathering information? Facts? People have found that better decisions are made when actual facts are used in the process.

Members of a U.S. Senate committee headed by former presidential candidate John Kerry are coming to El Paso for a closer examination of the drug war in Mexico that so far has taken 2,000 lives in Juárez alone.

Mexico is responding favorably.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's announcement Tuesday that nearly 500 agents and support personnel will be sent to the U.S.-Mexico border would once have drawn criticism in Mexico.

But on the eve of Wednesday's visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mexico's top diplomat was full of praise for the measures.

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa described what she called "a new era of cooperation" between the two countries.

Even the Dallas Morning News is impressed.

To his credit, Obama is not using the current economic crisis as another excuse to continue neglecting Mexico. Instead, he is dispatching top Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to coordinate strategies with their Mexican counterparts. The Treasury and Homeland Security Departments will send hundreds of extra federal agents to the border. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will open three new offices and shift 100 agents to monitor arms smuggling.

The administration correctly identifies the problem on this side of the border as a law-enforcement issue. Despite calls from Gov. Rick Perry, among others, for a military response, the White House is wise to remain noncommittal.

Cowboys thugs gone. Adults welcome. Grits for Breakfast has a different take.

Basically, the Obama Administration is throwing good money after bad on its anti-cartel strategy through the same failed vehicles that led us exactly where we are.

Ah, the glass is somewhat full.

Brownsville's mayor indicted

Brownsville Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr. has been indicted by a Cameron County grand jury, his attorney John Blaylock said this morning.

Female legislators upset Tigua women are not allowed to vote

The Tigua tribal leaders want to have Texas casinos, but women are not allowed to have a say in that. The Tigua men say it's their 'culture'. I think the female legislators are rightly calling bullsh*t. Slavery was part of several 'cultures', too. Why is it that oppressors claim their 'cultural' privilege while blithely discriminating against other people?

Women have never voted in 300 years of Tigua ceremonial tribal council elections, and now the tradition is threatening to derail the tribe's efforts at the state Capitol to restart gambling at Speaking Rock Casino.

The voting issue arose during a meeting between Tigua leaders and state Rep. Valinda Bolton, D-Austin. The Tiguas were in Austin to seek lawmakers' support for legislation that would allow the tribe to conduct gambling operations that they hope would breathe economic life back into the reservation.

Bolton said she became concerned when Tigua leaders explained that only men, who make up about half of the 1,500-member tribe, vote in elections for the nine-member council that governs Tigua policies.

To deny women basic civil liberties is the real insult.

Hearing on Las Brisas power plant moved to November

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has asked the office of administrative hearings to reconsider the schedule because of scheduling conflicts with witnesses. One of its witnesses will be called to Army Reserve active duty in September, among other issues.

The commission is a participant in the proceedings to present evidence about the company’s air permit application. Las Brisas is a $3 billion, 1,200-megawatt petroleum coke-fueled power plant proposed for the north side of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. It would be the area’s largest investment and the largest source of some types of emissions. It has received preliminary approval.

Environmentalists are appalled at the idea of a new plant on the coast.

The order setting the dates also aligned more than 70 parties into nine groups for the purpose of streamlining the proceedings. The parties were granted status in the case at a preliminary hearing in February.

The nine groups are Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, medical groups, Texas Clean Air, League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 1, Clean Economy Coalition, individuals, Citizens for Environmental Justice and Roger Landress.

Who knew? Citizens DON'T want to be sprayed with herbicide

Residents of Colores and El Cuatro subdivisions have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security rejecting a plan to aerially spray the herbicide Imazapyr on carrizo at the riverbanks.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday, the Homeland Security Department violated the National Environmental Policy Act because the public was not made sufficiently aware of the plan.

"BP, do the right thing, the honest thing," said Jay Johnson-Castro of the Rio Grande International Study Center.

"Back up and go through the NEPA process."

Psst, Janet and Hillary. As Rachel Maddow says, it's time to scrub rinse and repeat. This cowboy idea is a Bush-era holdover.

Brownsville Mayor expects to be indicted for taking check that didn't belong to him

Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr. said that he would not be surprised if a Cameron County grand jury returned an indictment against him Wednesday regarding the $26,139 city-issued check that was deposited into his bank account.

...

The expected indictment would be in connection with a $26,139 check dated Oct. 22 that the city made payable to vendor Tarsia Technical Industries of Hauppauge, N.Y., but that was deposited into Ahumada's bank account on Oct. 28, instead.

Both the mayor and his attorney, John Blaylock, expected the case to be presented to the grand jury that met Wednesday. Blaylock said early Wednesday that he received written notification from Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos that the case would be presented Wednesday.

See previous posts.

CIA says electronic voting machines are unsafe

So, if the Republicans really cared about election integrity, they'd be all over this story instead of going after mythical voter impersonation, i.e. voter suppression.

A top CIA cybersecurity expert told the US Election Assistance Commission last month that most electronic voting systems are insecure, according to transcripts obtained by McClatchy Newspapers.

The comments, by CIA expert Steve Stigall, are sure to fuel a new wave of anxiety over electronic voting. Stigall said any voting machine connected to the Internet could be easily hacked, and that while numerous US states have banned voting machines from having wireless capability, some machines can have the cards installed without officials being aware.

Voter ID 'debate' starts in the house

There really isn't a debate. Voter impersonation isn't a problem. Election integrity could be vastly improved with a voter verifiable audit trail and decent audit procedures, but the Secretary of State likes the electronic voting machines untrustworthy. If she didn't, we'd have the printer capabilities certified already.

The Republicans are looking to suppress the votes of likely Democrats. What is there to debate about that?

Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, chair of the House Elections Committee, announced today his committee will devote two days of hearings to voter ID on April 6 and 7. The first day will be devoted to expert testimony, with an equal number of people for and against the bill invited. The second day will be for public testimony.

Sharon Keller says 'What? Me worry?"

According to her, she is just so innocent.

The presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Tuesday tried to shift blame for the 2007 execution of Michael Wayne Richard from herself to the Texas Defender Service.

...

The defender service said Keller is trying to deflect attention from herself because she “knowingly broke the rules” and caused Richard's execution when he likely could have gotten a stay.

Texas Senate about to secure top college slots for the children of the elite

The 10% rule has worked well. Why change it? Because the elites don't get to control the top tier slots in the Texas university system. It's really that simple.

The Senate voted 22-8 to allow universities to limit admissions under the top 10 percent law to 60 percent of an incoming freshman class.

The university would have discretion over the other 40 percent of admissions.

And, by discretion, they mean admitting connected rich kids and super athletes.

Pitts p*ssed Perry passed over legislature for Texas A&M gift

The state House Appropriations Committee chairman, charging that Gov. Rick Perry and Texas A&M University system unfairly bypassed lawmakers to award a $50 million grant to the governor's alma mater, said Tuesday that he will back legislation to strip Perry of his exclusive authority to transfer some state funds.

"It's my personal goal to get something in the appropriations bill that will prevent this from happening again," Jim Pitts said after quizzing Perry aides and A&M officials about the grant for a drug research facility.

Republicans feuding.

Kucinich loses fight over Texas Democrats' loyalty oath

A federal appeals court has rejected an effort by former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (koo-SIN'-ich) to scrap the Texas Democratic Party's loyalty oath for candidates seeking the party's nomination.

The party requires candidates to pledge to "fully support" its eventual nominee.

What about Obama's actions concerning our southern border?

Spraying herbicide is a cowboy idea and harms relations with Mexico just when we need to work together. Bad, bad, bad. This was a Bush idea.

Sending more troops like Rick Perry asked? Another cowboy idea?

On Tuesday morning, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the implementation of a plan calling for additional federal agents, increased intelligence capability and better coordination, according to a press release.

"This issue requires immediate action," Napolitano said. "First we are going to do everything we can to prevent violence in Mexico from spilling over across the border. And second we will do all in our power to help (Mexican) President (Felipe) Calderon crack down on these drug cartels in Mexico."

The plan calls for the redeployment of more than 360 officers and agents at the border and in Mexico, DHS said. The operation carries a $184 million price tag with the money coming from less urgent activities and fund balances, DHS added.

Working with Calderon sounds good.

The strategy — rolled out as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to Mexico to meet with President Felipe Calderón — mobilizes significant U.S. resources in an effort to help rein in the spiraling conflict, which accounted for 5,700 deaths in Mexican border cities last year.

...

Ciudad Juárez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz, who fled to El Paso recently when drug kingpins threatened to decapitate him, embraced the Obama administration's plans.

Reyes returned to Mexico after Calderón sent in 7,000 military troops and 3,000 federal police to return calm to the border city.

“The problem we have here in Mexico is a shared problem,'' he said. “The solution has to be a binational one.”

Clinton has lots to do in Mexico.

U.S. officials say they do not want relations with Mexico to be dominated by the violence, which has spread from the border region on the Mexican side into some U.S. border states. The officials maintain that Clinton also wants to discuss trade, climate change and the global financial crisis in her meetings.

Predictably, the Republican response is inane. Immigration! Guns!

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, expressed support for the administration's plans but worried about their effect on other law enforcement efforts.

“The administration appears to be using border violence as an excuse to reduce interior enforcement of our immigration laws and enact gun restrictions,” he said.

More here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Is the Laredo City Council responsible for herbicide dumping into Rio Grande?

Fish and Wildlife said 'not my job' to worry about the Border Patrol's dumping poison to kill carrizo at the Rio Grande. Nobody cares if a mandatory migratory bird study was done.

"The problem started at City Council," [Former City Councilman Juan] Ramirez said.

City Council approved aerial spraying at the last council meeting.

Three council members, Cindy Liendo Espinoza, Mike Garza and Michael Landeck, voted against allowing aerial spraying.

"You need to watch what your representatives are doing at City Council," Ramirez said.

The Laredo City Council was negligent, in my opinion. But, the Border Patrol and Homeland Security acted like George Bush cowboys. 'What I do is right. Who cares about Mexico, the environment, or the people living there.' I blame George Bush cowboys.

Spraying poison into Rio Grande delayed

What idiot thought that replaying an Agent Orange scenario on the US border was a good idea?

Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol agreed Tuesday to temporarily delay aerial spraying of herbicide on carrizo along the Rio Grande until there can be a deeper international discussion of the crossborder impact of such a project.

"We saw the willingness of the U.S. authorities to suspend the use of the herbicide for now," said José de Jesús Luévano Grano, a Mexico representative on the International Boundary and Water Commission, speaking on behalf of the group of agencies that met Tuesday.

"We support their use of mechanical means to uproot the carrizo."

Mexicans didn't like the idea of poison either. Here's a thought.

At the news conference, Luévano said Mexican officials told Border Patrol that when their agency is going to do something that affects both sides of the river, they should ask the opinion of Mexican environmental authorities

About that herbicide.

Imazapyr by its nature does not distinguish between the plants it kills. Thus, rare and endangered plants are particularly at risk from exposure to the herbicide. The EPA has stated that “jeopardy” will occur to terrestrial and aquatic plant species from the use of Arsenal.2

In soils, imazapyr is persistent. The EPA reports that the half-life of imazapyr is 17 months.3 If applied to soil, imazapyr is expected to have very high mobility and thus is likely to contaminate water. Studies have detected imazapyr in surface as well as groundwater. If released into water or if the chemical moves through soils and finds its way to water, imazapyr is not expected to adsorb to suspended solids and sediment based upon the adsorption coefficient. Studies on the effects of imazapyr to macroinvertebrate communities did not yield effects.4 This chemical is not expected to have impacts to salmon species.

...

One primary breakdown product of Imazapyr is quinolinic acid which is irritating to the eyes, respiratory system, and skin. It is also a neurotoxin and can cause symptoms similar to those in Huntington’s chorea such as loss of coordination and trembling.

Concerned Nueces County residents support Ellis' moratorium on new polluting, power plants

Some local opponents of the Las Brisas Energy Center took their fight Tuesday to the State Capitol in testimony supporting a bill that would place a two-year moratorium on such power plants.

The bill, by state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, was left pending in the Senate’s natural resources committee after testimony from three Corpus Christi residents and several others from around the state. The bill would allow plants that capture at least 60 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.

If the bill passes committee, it still would have to pass both houses and get a signature from Gov. Rick Perry, who has been a staunch supporter of coal power plants.

So, Las Brisas does not capture at least 60% of it's CO2 emissions? And, Rick Perry likee CO2.

Texas Democrats get all protective over oil industry

Dancing with the partner who brought you.

More than a dozen House Democrats on Tuesday warned that President Barack Obama’s proposal to hike taxes and levy new fees on the oil and gas industry could curb domestic energy production.

The group, led by Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, and including fellow Texas Democratic Reps. Charlie Gonzalez of San Antonio, Henry Cuellar of Laredo, and Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green, both of Houston, made its pitch late Tuesday, a day before the House Budget Committee was set to take the first steps in considering the Obama administration’s $3.6 trillion budget proposal.

If two women are lovers, does that mean protective order expansion is a bad idea?

A woman tried and failed to get a protective order against her alleged killer. The suspect was the ex-wife of the victim's boyfriend. Apparently, it's easier to get a protective order against a loved one or a family member. Bexar County DA, Susan Reed, in classic CYA action, called for a change to Texas' protective order laws. State Senator Carlos Uresti filed a bill.

Now the accused says she was the victim's lover. Does that mean we don't need to make protective orders easier to get for people in real danger for their lives?

“Do the right thing and pass this bill. Even if it makes a difference in one life, it will have made a difference,” [the victim's] mother, Antonette “Tinker” Bunogli, told the committee. “Kristy would want us to reach out and fight for change.”

Uresti didn't address Arcos' claim during the hearing, saying he did not have all the facts. Additionally, he said, the new information wasn't pertinent because the case still demonstrates that “there was a gap in the current law.”

A day after she was killed, it was learned that Appleby, apparently in fear of Arcos, had sought a protective order three months earlier to keep her away. When applying for the order, Appleby made no mention of a romance with Arcos and instead cited her as the ex-spouse of “a person I'm dating” — meaning Banks.

The protective order was denied because the law covers people who are married or in a romantic relationship.

A 'gap'? It sounds like a hole the size of the universe. Who wrote the original law anyway?

What about this case where one woman allegedly assaulted another outside of a police station? She's charged with stalking and assault. Does this woman need a protective order?

Meanwhile, Texas received a 'B' for dating violence laws.

Texas scored a "B" because in this state victims of teen dating violence under the age of 18 are allowed to apply for a protective order if an adult accompanies them before a judge. The adult doesn't have to be a parent or family member. In states with "A" grades, like Oklahoma, teenagers 16 or older can seek a protective order without an adult.

Those restrictive protective order rules again.

28% of working Texans have no health insurance

Robber baron bosses like it that way.

As the Obama administration scrambles to maintain support, in the face of record federal deficits, for a health care overhaul this year, a study to be released today says American workers are at significantly higher risk of being uninsured than they were in the 1990s, the last time lawmakers tried to revamp the system.

For those who have insurance, costs have risen much faster than pay.

Costs of health insurance have risen seven times faster than incomes in Texas, according to report released Tuesday.

Carlos Guerra nails the 10% rule problem

And [10% rule] results have been spectacular. So what is this challenge really all about?

It's about two things. Powerful state officials who were once able to make a phone call and get a slacker kid into UT can no longer do so.

But more important, it is about Texas' dearth of Tier 1 public universities in places where good students want to study. We can fix that, and next week I'll detail what we need to do to keep Texas economically competitive.

Chuy Hinojosa says Republicans drummed up voter fraud in Progreso

Republicans say no, they just used it to their advantage in suppressing the vote. Ok, they didn't phase it exactly that way.

Obama to send more agents and equipment to border

That's the extent of their drug cartel plan? I don't think so. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to go to Mexico.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will on Wednesday travel to Mexico to spearhead a high-level drive to curb growing drug violence that has raised alarm in Washington.

Texas is a big polluter

No sh*t!

Texas industries released fewer toxic chemicals into the environment in 2007 than the year before, according to newly released federal data.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s latest statistics show that the state’s emissions dropped 7 percent, outpacing the reductions of the nation as a whole.

Still, Texas remained one of the biggest polluters among states, behind Alaska, Ohio and Indiana in the release of chemicals that cause cancer, neurological damage or other ills.

Harris County continued to lead Texas — and ranked No. 11 among counties nationwide — with the release of 39 million pounds of toxic chemicals. The county, home to 321 chemical plants, factories and refineries, reported a 4 percent reduction from 2006 to 2007.

Well, at least we're not #1 for a change.l

Using poison to expose smugglers sounds like a really stupid idea

Just when you think ideas about the border couldn't get anymore ridiculous along comes a plan to really destroy the environment. What are these people smoking anyway?

The U.S. Border Patrol plans to poison the plant life along a 1.1-mile stretch of the Rio Grande riverbank as soon as Wednesday to get rid of the hiding places used by smugglers, robbers and illegal immigrants.

If successful, the $2.1 million pilot project could later be duplicated along as many as 130 miles of river in the patrol’s Laredo Sector, as well as other parts of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Although Border Patrol and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials say the chemical is safe for animals, detractors say the experiment is reminiscent of the Vietnam War-era Agent Orange chemical program and raises questions about long-term effects.

Please call, email or write the White House to complain!

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Meanwhile, that d*mn fence is a stupid idea, too!

State Rep. Eddie Lucio, III, D-San Benito, on Monday laid out HCR 75 to the House Committee on Border and Intergovernmental Affairs. The resolution would ask Congress to consider how best to secure the border in ways that leave out what Lucio said was an “archaic, brick and mortar” solution.

Public corruption probe in El Paso exposes need for ethics reform

As an FBI investigation of public corruption continues in El Paso County, elected officials pushed Monday for a tougher ethics code that would give them the power to pursue and punish violators.

"We will convert ourselves from being an example of government's worst to becoming a leader in what government should be," El Paso County Commissioner Anna Perez told House and Senate committees.

Convicted border agents ignored by Supremes

The guys who shot a Mexican drug smuggler in the back and then covered it up don't get off completely. Boo hoo. The Supreme Court will not hear their appeal.

Nueces County leaders not happy with proposed windstorm legislation

Though controversial legislation that would hike the cost of windstorm insurance, decrease coverage and limit availability for coastal property owners is stalled in the House Committee on Insurance, a contingent from Corpus Christi intends to be in Austin today to lobby legislators about the bill’s potential impact.

...

The chamber’s position is that the risk related to windstorm insurance should be spread statewide, just as the risk of hail or tornado damage is spread throughout the state. At present, 14 coastal counties bear the brunt of windstorm insurance costs, according to the Chamber of Commerce.

Should everyone in Texas be liable for someone else's vacation or rental home?

[House Bill 911] would make second homes and resort rental property such as beach houses rented by the day ineligible for windstorm coverage through the association.

Should everyone in Texas be liable for multi-million dollar homes?

The bill also would lower the coverage cap on residential property from about $1.7 million to $250,000. After taking contents into account, that would, for practical purposes, cap the value of houses along the coast at less than $250,000.

Decent public policy demands fairness and promotes good decisions. Mansion owners should pay the true cost and not pass part of the cost to others. Business owners, including rental property owners, should pay their share, too. The problem with HB 911 is the suddenness of the new terms.

Cameron County woman gets 6 months for killing her husband

Well, there was a $10k fine, too. How can that be? Either she's innocent and goes free or guilty and serves some real time.

[Traci Rhode's] defense team claimed that Scott attempted to commit suicide early that morning while Traci took a shower.

Prosecutors claim she killed him to cash in on his $100,000 life insurance policy.

In Texas science is up for a vote

How stupid is this? 'Theory of evolution faces new debate, another vote'

I'm okay with others deliberately being ignorant. That's their choice. But children in Texas need to learn about science. Really. SCIENCE.

The fight over how evolution is taught in Texas public schools is heading for a showdown this week.

Whether school children learn traditional teachings about evolution or what many scientists describe as a watered-down version hinges on a final vote of the State Board of Education that has both sides girding for battle.

Mission woman sounds off at city hall and gets sued

On Friday, a trial lasting two weeks in Judge Rose Guerra Reyna’s 206th state District Court was settled in favor of [Mission Mayor Norberto] Salinas and Mission Economic Development Authority President and CEO Pat Townsend.

The two had filed suit in 2005 against Mission environmental activist Ester Salinas (no relation), claiming she slandered them in two rowdy town hall meetings. They zeroed in on an infamous meeting where Ester Salinas said judgment would be made on the “lying, stealing and killing.” Ester Salinas was referring to 500 stillborn Mission babies. At the same meeting Ester Salinas said the days of “slavery and political corruption are over.”

Mayor Salinas and Townsend said the comments had caused them enormous emotional distress.

Oh, boo hoo.

You want a Valley VA Hospital?

Keep fighting for it.

Have veterans gotten a little too cozy with our elected officials to the U.S. Congress and the Texas state legislature? Why do I ask this?

All of our local governments supported veteran's efforts when veterans went before their commissions. Some even offered land leases. They passed our resolutions and that's it. On the second round, veterans started going back to local governments but it was just a repeat of the first. So, veterans diverted their energies elsewhere. Some politicians went that final step and joined in the march. Some do not like to see veterans carrying signs at meetings. (They will not make their feelings public.) Yet, some will stand right next to the veteran with the sign if enough veterans are included in the photo. The recently created "strike force" of the Veterans Alliance of the Rio Grande Valley carry signs to every meeting. And veteran members no longer shy away from carrying one.

Republicans prefer cronies' interests to yours

Money can do more than talk in the legislative arena. Sometimes, it screams.

So if consumer advocates are wary as the next chapter in the Texas Residential Construction Commission saga unfolds today before a House committee, who can blame them?

A lot of Bob Perry’s money will again be represented around the table.

The Houston home builder and prolific political donor was instrumental in the Legislature’s creation of the TRCC six years ago, supposedly to strengthen professional standards for builders in exchange for giving builders more protections from customer lawsuits.

After numerous consumer complaints that the TRCC is little more than an industry lapdog, the agency now is under sunset review, fighting for its continued existence.

Will legislators keep helping Bob Perry? I'd like to be surprised.

It's TPA Blog roundup time!

With the arrival of Spring, a legislative session in Austin, municipal campaigns revving up around the state and Texas’ primaries less than a year away, the blogs of the Texas Progressive Alliance continue to bring you insights from our members around the state. Here’s a roundup of what we’ve been reporting.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas is now saying that the recession has landed full-force in Texas. Spared from the worst job losses during the first six months of the current recession, Texas is now shedding jobs at an alarming pace. Wcnews at Eye On Williamson looks at the trends, and offers a sobering assessment of the hard line, let ‘em crash, mentality of Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas GOP.

Off the Kuff points to a bill by State Rep. Dwayne Bohac to demonstrate that the push for voter ID really is about vote suppression.

If Republicans really cared about election integrity, then why do we still have non-auditable electronic voting machines? CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to know.

BossKitty at TruthHugger sees an opportunity to get a degree in the dark arts If Texas HB2800 Passes, I Want A Masters Degree In VooDoo

In a post that took some work and came out well, Neil at Texas Liberal wrote about what Google searches miss. Also, Neil read the bird sermon of St. Francis to a dancing duck chicken.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston says Why Ethics Reform is Needed in Texas.

The Texas Cloverleaf looks at a few local Twits in the GOP. Twittering Republicans, that is.

Over at TexasKaos, Libby Shaw tells us that in Hutchinson’s world “It’s All About Me”. So she is going to run for governor, keep her Senate seat and give the people of Texas absentee represenation. Whatever makes her happy, heaven forbid she should put her constituents first.

WhosPlayin examined HB 4441, an attempt by Rep. Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles to solve some problems related to pipelines.

Nytexan at BlueBloggin is stunned that Obama Taps CitiGroup Economist For Treasury Spot. So, how does Washington’s logic work? They offer a job, at the Treasury Department, to Lewis Alexander of CitiGroup. The Global Marketing Division, that Alexander heads up, was just fined $2 million by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra) for trade-reporting violations, including publishing flawed quotations. Let me know how that works out for you!

Xanthippas at Three Wise Men has some thoughts on the goals of American foreign policy, and is wondering if the war in Afghanistan is winnable, at least as we appear to be defining victory.

Molly Ivins warned us years ago about AIG, “too big to fail”, and Phil Gramm. So says PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

McBlogger takes a look at the valuations being placed on the evil CDO’s. Lots of laughs, of course, follow.

Homeland Security aide touring border

Gathering data to make informed, reasoned and ethical choices I hope.

In response to increasing tensions from border violence, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has sent one of her top aides to the border region to assess the threat presented by Mexico's war on drugs.

Edmund Ted Sexton, DHS assistant secretary for State and Local Enforcement, is currently visiting border cities from San Diego to Brownsville. He will be meeting with law enforcement officials for the next two weeks to get a better understanding of the situation, said DHS spokeswoman Sara Kuan

Frank Corte is an ass!

Why does he spend so much of this limited brain power thinking up ways to harass women?

[Corte's] bill would also require pharmacies dispensing the [morning after] pill to post an 18-by-24 inch sign in English and Spanish at the cash register telling would-be customers that if they believe life begins at fertilization, emergency contraception may prevent their pregnancy.

If you file late, your client dies.

Big deal? If people's lives depend on adequate legal representation, does anybody care if they get it? Should our judicial system be so fragile?

Three men on Texas’ death row — and six others already executed — lost their federal appeals because attorneys failed to meet life-or-death deadlines, essentially waiving the last constitutionally required review before a death sentence is carried out.

Johnny Johnson, executed in February for a Houston murder, was the most recent: His lawyers missed a federally mandated filing deadline by 24 hours.

One of his attorneys made the same mistake in the case of death row inmate Keith Steven Thurmond, a former Montgomery County mechanic now on death row awaiting execution, according to case records.

Pssst. Don't pick Keith Steven Thurmond's attorney, Jerome Godinich.

Ethics complaints filed against League City council members

The same Montgomery County watchdog group that filed ethics complaints against Galveston City Council members has now lodged complaints against four League City council members.

The group accuses Neil Baron, Tommy Cones, Jim Nelson and Phyllis Sanborn of violating the state’s campaign finance regulations. The council members said the errors are stupid mistakes and oversights, and at least two of the members, Cones and Nelson, have accused the group of being politically motivated by their League City political opponents.

The late Judge Carl Lewis honored with House resolution

State Reps. Solomon Ortiz Jr., D-Corpus Christi, and Abel Herrero, D-Robstown, honored the late County Court-at-Law No. 5 Judge Carl Lewis with a House Resolution on Thursday recognizing the judge’s devotion to Corpus Christi, its youth and nonprofit organizations. Later, the House of Representatives adjourned in memory of Lewis, who died Oct. 25 of complications from respiratory disease.

Who's Douglas Schaffer, candidate for mayor of Corpus Christi?

The Corpus Christi Caller Times has a piece on all of the candidates.

He wants well-maintained parks, safe neighborhoods and new, green technology that creates jobs.

He said he worries City Hall is controlled by an old guard of politically influential people who don’t necessarily represent city residents.

I know who Douglas Schaffer isn't. He's not the doddering old guy who threw out beach access petitions. Twice. He's not the darling of the Republican, monied elite.

More Corpus Christi State School employees are in trouble over new fights

Explain to me how this can happen. Again.

School officials said Saturday that 10 employees have been put on administrative leave because of two separate fights, one involving women and the other men. Three employees are on leave because of allegations of abuse and seven on neglect accusations, said Iva Benson, state school superintendent.

There are no allegations that these recent incidents are fights encouraged by employees, said Jay Kimbrough, chief of staff for Gov. Rick Perry’s office.

The allegations are being investigated by the Department of Family and Protective Services, Benson said. Kimbrough, Benson and Herrero wouldn’t further explain the allegations

What does Kimbrough know about the incidents?

Edcouch-Elsa Superintendent 'unfired'

School board trustees have revoked their firing of former Edcouch-Elsa Superintendent Michael Sandroussi as part of a deal to avoid paying out his contract with the Rio Grande Valley district.

But the six-year head of the financially troubled school system won't be coming back anytime soon, the board's attorney, Javier Villalobos, said.

"We worked out an agreement with Sandroussi where he's going to go to another district," he said. "Otherwise, (the Texas Education Agency) would have got involved."

Leo Berman makes Texas look like a fool

Texas State Representative Leo Berman has proposed House Bill 2800, which would exempt any private non-profit institution that requires students to complete “substantive course work” from having to acquire a certificate of authority from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board(THECB). “If you don’t take any federal funds, if you don’t take any state funds, you can do a lot more than some business that does take state funding or federal funding,” Berman says. “Why should you be regulated if you don’t take any state or federal funding?”

Get your degree and then teach. Thereby devaluing schools all over the state in so many ways.

Is Joe Straus a Rick Perry-bot?

This AP story sure makes him sound like a Perry clone. Who would want to aspire to that?

Vets finish trek to San Antonio for a Valley VA hospital

... About 30 veterans and supporters marched some 250 miles to San Antonio, taking the same route veterans often travel by car for health care.

The Valley has an estimated 110,000 veterans, not including winter Texans, according to the group.

State Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, urged the group to keep fighting after he walked near the start and end of the six-day march. About 25 supporters met them at the finish Friday.

Is Hidalgo County all about the politiqueras?

[District Court judge Jesse] Contreras said there are anywhere from 200 to 300 politiqueras across Hidalgo County. He said from his experience, they can bring out about seven or eight percent of the vote in a primary. “In close elections the candidate that is going to win is the candidate with the politiqueras,” he said.

At a recent meeting of the Hidalgo County Democratic Party’s executive committee, Contreras laid out a plan to cultivate politiqueras so that they deliver the votes for the party during general elections. He said they can also play a much greater role in constitutional amendments, which, because there is no local money involved, they usually ignore.

Webb County clerk accused of soliciting minor

Former longtime county clerk and well-known civic leader Henry Flores is facing charges he solicited sex from a juvenile and showed the boy pornographic material.

Flores, 59, turned himself at the Laredo Police Department police Friday morning on charges of solicitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and displaying harmful material to a minor, a misdemeanor, said Jose E. Baeza, a police spokesman.

Focus on favoritism and profits for Liberty County judge

Liberty County Judge Phil Fitzgerald is under investigation of allegations that he improperly profited from clean-up after Hurricane Ike and illegally dismissed driving under the influence charges for prominent residents.

Fitzgerald serves as executor over the trust fund of one of the defendant’s daughters.

Amid the accusations of sweetheart deals and favoritism, Fitzgerald says he has done nothing wrong.

However, county-court-at-law Judge Don Taylor took the unusual step Friday of signing an order to void five of Fitzgerald’s dismissals.

Is the Corpus Christi State School still staging fights?

State Rep. Abel Herrero said there are "allegations of new, separate, additional fights that occurred within the last 48 hours" and that state officials are investigating. Herrero said he is unaware of any employees being fired.

If Republicans really cared about election integrity, then why not make electronic voting safe?

Kentucky officials were charged with bribing election officials and teaching them how to change electronic votes. Why are does the Texas Secretary of State refuse to allow electronic voting machines that can actually be audited? Voter ID my ass.

More here.

State audit says Perry didn't spend border security money well

Who's surprised about that?

The Texas State Auditor’s Office also concluded that the Texas Department of Public Safety and Governor Rick Perry’s Division of Emergency Management did not coordinate the resources that were allocated to the border in a way that maximized the expenditures’ efforts.

The report identifies the six operational regions as the El Paso, Big Bend, Del Rio, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend Corridor sectors. The six sectors comprise 45 Texas counties.

Meanwhile, Lon Burnam and others are touring the border to check things out.

Cornyn says Republicans still get to pick Texas judges

That is so wrong on so many different levels.

Texas' Republican senators refused to cede control of judicial nominations, and now the Democratic White House seems to have struck a deal in their favor: The senators will continue screening applicants, though Texas Democrats will get input.

Elections have consequences - except in Texas?

3rd Court of Appeals called out by Austin American Statesman

The 3rd Court of Appeals, split 3-2 along partisan lines, has refused to reconsider its ruling last year that, at least until 2005, it was OK to take otherwise illegal corporate campaign contributions as long as the money came in the form of a check, not cash. The court thus reaffirmed a decision tainted by politics.

Republicans are corrupt. The 3rd Court of Appeals' action proves it.

Dallas school forced students to 'cage fight'

What is wrong with these people?

Cage fights at the [South Oak Cliff] between 2003 and 2005 have just come to light, months after the district completed an investigation. Documents obtained by The Dallas Morning News show that troubled students were sent to duke it out – with bare fists and no head protection – in a steel utility cage in an athletic locker room.

Here's a headline you don't want to see

'Texas killer sentenced to death for third time'

Makes you wonder if the guy's immortal and it's a case for life in prison without parole.

Mexican tariffs may not hurt Texas producers

Congress slashed the funding to allow Mexican truckers into the US. Mexico reacted badly.

“Without beef and grain on the list, the blow to Texas is not going to be as severe as we feared at first,” said Gene Hall, spokesman for the Texas Farm Bureau.

Olivo bill seeks relief for Fort Bend ISD workers

Spurred in part by complaints about Fort Bend Independent School District, state Rep. Dora Olivo (D-Missouri City) has introduced a bill that would open school districts to lawsuits if they fail to pay employees according to Texas Labor Code.

...

Anthony Lacsamana of the Fort Bend Empoloyee Federation said the push for the bill came in part because of payroll problems FBISD employees have had at the district, especially during the summer when some teachers and para-professionals work from June until the end of July or longer before receiving pay.

John Smithee postpones windstorm insurance talk

Legislation pending in the House Committee on Insurance that would hike the cost of windstorm insurance, decrease coverage and limit availability for coastal property owners stalled after the committee chairman decided Thursday not to hear windstorm legislation at the next committee meeting.

Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, who chairs the insurance committee, told coastal lawmakers he was going to review a series of windstorm insurance-related bills at a hearing set for Tuesday afternoon, including the controversial House Bill 911, which he authored. Smithee’s office confirmed Thursday afternoon that windstorm bills now will be heard at a later date.

Distributing the risk and benefit fairly is the goal. People in Amarillo shouldn't have to pay huge premiums to subsidize multi-million dollar mansions on a barrier island. But, sometimes hurricanes or tornadoes hit. Government is well suited, Bush administration excepted, for disaster mitigation. Zoning, evacuation, rescue and recovery are clearly government functions. Insurance should be a tool to use with zoning to promote healthy, productive living areas.

Fire Geithner and Summers now!

The Obama Administration's Treasury Department pushed to strip language that would have restricted the bonuses paid to staffers of bailed-out companies from the stimulus bill, a Democratic senator revealed late Wednesday.

Disgusting!

Lindsey Graham says states can't force governors to take stimulus funds

Lindsey Graham is a huge ass. Does anyone else remember how nasty he was during the Clinton impeachment hearing in the house?

A nonpartisan congressional report released Wednesday concludes that it would likely be unconstitutional for a legislature to supplant a governor in accepting and using economic stimulus money — a finding that could have major implications in Texas.

The Congressional Research Service analysis could imperil tens of millions of stimulus dollars reserved for South Carolina and Texas, whose Republican governors have said they will reject some of their states’ share of the money.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who requested the study, wrote to White House budget director Peter Orszag, asking him to clarify key provisions of the $787 billion stimulus bill that President Barack Obama signed into law last month.

Brawl results in 'paperwork' charges against police

What were they doing? Hitting each other with spit balls?

Thirteen Galveston police officers will face disciplinary measures stemming from an October disturbance at an upscale island resort bar that resulted in charges against 13 people, including a professional baseball player and a federal employee, authorities said Wednesday.

The punishments, which were administered to all but four officers as of Wednesday afternoon, range from written reprimands to seven-day suspensions without pay, said Galveston Police Chief Charles Wiley.

None of the disciplinary measures, however, resulted from violations of use-of-force policies or procedures but rather paperwork failures, such as insufficient or inadequate reporting, Wiley said.

Sure. Paperwork. It's such a drag. When you can be out knocking heads.

El Paso pollice chief assistant sues for discrimination AND retaliation

On Sept. 4, Diana Kirk, who is Hispanic, filed a lawsuit in the 243rd District Court against the city of El Paso, claiming that in recent years, she "experienced both subtle and overt discrimination" and retaliation by former El Paso Police Chief Richard Wiles, who is now El Paso County Sheriff.

The suit further stated that Wiles "routinely displayed favoritism toward non-Hispanic male officers," and issued "11th hour promotions and pay raises" to non-Hispanic men before retiring.

Windstorm bill would raise insurance rates 60% for coastal residents

House Bill 911, by Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo — so numbered the lawmaker has said because of the emergency nature of windstorm insurance reform — would assess windstorm insurance rates based on geographical location, meaning coastal residents would pay more than inland residents. It would cap coverage on residential, commercial and government property at much less than what it is now. And property owners would not be able to get coverage for condominiums, apartments, multi-family units, rent houses or vacation homes.

Smithee contends that people who choose to live on the coast should have to pay for their choices. People who don’t should not be forced pay the same rates as those who live in high risk areas, he has said.

The ACLU says border cops used money earmarked for fighting drug cartels to increase traffic stops

But stopping drivers for infractions brings in more money.

Rick Perry, you're a failure.

Operation Border Star, launched by the office of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, was dubbed by the American Civil Liberties Union “a failure because it encourages police and sheriff’s departments to measure their success based on everyday policing activities” and takes the focus off the program’s original intent: fighting cartel violence and organized crime.

An ACLU report called Operation Border Star: Wasted Millions and Missed Opportunities, is a result of a months-long investigation that included open records requests submitted to 23 of the nearly 40 agencies participating in the program. Only 11 of the requests were honored, however, but those agencies whose documents were turned over received about $5 million in combined Border Star monies.

Obama taking drug cartel trouble seriously

The president, himself, will visit Mexico next month. Of course, there's immigration reform and the new threat of Mexico raising tariffs on US products.

Diebold admits all of the machines can lose ballots without notice

Even the audit log system on current versions of Premier Election Solutions' (formerly Diebold's) electronic voting and tabulating systems --- used in some 34 states across the nation --- fail to record the wholesale deletion of ballots. Even when ballots are deleted on the same day as an election. That's the shocking admission heard today from Justin Bales, Premier's Western Region manager, at a State of California public hearing on the possible decertification of Diebold/Premier's tabulator system, GEMS v. 1.18.19.

Yet, Texas Republicans, 'concerned with election integrity', push through Voter ID bill ahead of all other state business. Voter ID? Republicans were reduced to reading allegations, not convictions for voter impersonation. Meanwhile, ES&S machines screwed up ballots in the Webb County Sheriff's race. Palo Pinto County saw votes flipped. Hart Inter Civic has problems, too. Straight ballot vote followed by an emphasis vote for a candidate, flips the vote.

So many problems. No help from the Texas Secretary of State who won't certify a voter verifiable, auditable trail.

What about the vote total changes from initial counts to recounts due to 'adjustments' by election officials? What about the screen calibration errors voters complained about? Ballot errors? Doesn't anybody remember the complete ES&S breakdown and panic in 2006?

And, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!!!!!!!! It isn't about voter fraud. IT"S ABOUT ELECTION FRAUD!!! Sorry for the shouting.

Why are colonias still without basic services?

Webb County officials continued their quest to connect thousands of residents with the basic services they said are needed to take constituents away from third-world living conditions.

Pct. 3 Commissioner Jerry Garza and Webb County Planning Director Rhonda Tiffin testified before the House Committee on Border and Governmental Affairs in favor of a bill authored by Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, whose district includes the rural areas of eastern Webb County.

House Bill 1656 would amend Texas’ Local Government Code by easing the platting requirements that must currently be met before a dwelling on a colonia can be connected to water and sewer lines.

Congressional rep hurt by Katrina wants joint windstorm and flood coverage

No more having to prove which catastrophe caused the damage. No more finger pointing.

U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, R-Miss., who lost his home to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and joined hundreds of others in a lawsuit against his insurer for refusing to pay for property damage, has introduced legislation that would make windstorm coverage part of the National Flood Insurance Program.

The bill would create what amounts to a single hurricane policy, render moot whether flood or wind caused damaged and decrease both the likelihood of post-disaster litigation and the need for massive federal disaster aid programs, Taylor said.

I think the government should take over home owner insurance. Government already controls zoning and is responsible for safety and rescue issues relating to your home's location. If you want to live in a dangerous place, then pay the government lots more.

Blogin' All Things Brownsville blogger running for city commisioner

Melissa Zamora, a spokeswoman for the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau and former city editor at The Brownsville Herald, is running for the District 3 Brownsville City Commission seat.

From her website:

Hello Folks,

I humbly ask for your support. Please visit my campaign Web site.

Thank you,

Melissa Zamora
http://www.votemelissazamora.com/

It's roundup time!

It's Monday, so that must mean it's time to take a look at some of the best posts from last week by members of the Texas Progressive Alliance. Here are the submissions:

Vince of Capitol Annex took a new look at the latest creationist attack on science in Texas classrooms in Bill Would Make "Strengths and Weaknesses" Teaching Of Evolution State Law.

Bay Area Houston says State Representative Wayne Christian has filed a bill that would scare Texas citizens from filing ethics complaints against elected officials.

Off the Kuff takes a look at who would be affected by the voter ID legislation that is being pushed in the Lege by Republicans.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the turmoil facing some inside Texas GOP regarding Gov. Perry's decision to turn down$555 million dollars of unemployment insurance from the stimulus money, UI debate must be maddening for the GOP supporters of Hutchison.

Neil at Texas Liberal reads Malcolm X in a cemetery and says that Rick Perry has found his schoolhouse door to stand in and block.

The Texas Cloverleaf expands upon Capitol Annex's look at Garnet Coleman's proposed repeal of the anti-gay marriage amendment in Texas.

BossKitty at TruthHugger truly believes there is profit for everyone when wasteful and costly opposition to Medical Marijuana is brought in to the economy instead of keeping it out. The War on "Illegal Activities" should focus on smuggling Heroin and Human Trafficking. Can Marijuana Rescue The Economy In 2010 Like Booze Did In 1933

At Texas Kaos, Lightseeker highlights the Texas Shakedown for those who make the mistake of driving in Tenaha, Texas while not white.

CouldBeTrue at South Texas Chisme notes thuggery isn't the first choice for governing Democrats addressing drug cartel violence. Analysis and coordinated effort is.

Governor "Good Hair, Bad Policy" Perry starts his primary campaign against Hutchinson by piling on the unemployed. Libby Shaw over at TexasKaos has the details and the outrage.Pendejos Perry Says YES to Roads, NO to the Jobless

Mayor McSleaze of McBlogger returns from his holiday to post his thoughts on developments in the Wall Street infotainment industry.

nytexan at BlueBloggin is disgusted, but not surprised, by the new Republican strategy; >GOP: Divide and Conquer The Democrats, Then Do Nothing For The Country. As tent cities pop up in Sacramento, unemployment is at 10% in may states and the Wall Street continues a downward slide; the GOP response, to the past 8 year Bush disaster, is to lower approval numbers for Pelosi and House Democrats.

WhosPlayin is focused on local races for Mayor and City Council in Lewisville. This week he interviewed Shelley Kaehr and David Thornhill, who are running for Place 2.

There was harmonic convergence in the left and right Texblogosphere last week. See PDiddie's Brains and Eggs for what happened.