Leach thrown out of Texas Tech

Now, if they can get rid of all the Bozos who hired him, Alberto Gonzales and Bobby Knight, maybe Texas Tech can regain some pride. At least, let Tech have better role models.

San Antonio sports enthusiasts were abuzz Wednesday after Texas Tech fired coach Mike Leach, the quirky offensive mastermind who in 10 years won more games than anyone in the history of Red Raiders football.

Fish kill in Corpus Christi inner harbour

State biologists are investigating an ongoing fish kill in the Corpus Christi inner harbor and suspect red tide, a toxic algae bloom, is the culprit.

Reports of several dead fish along the ship channel from the Avery Turning Basin to the Viola Turning Basin surfaced Wednesday and biologists have been collecting water samples to determine the source, said Meridith Byrd, a red tide biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Another refinery fire

Do you think refineries provide a safe environment for their workers?

A small fire was contained within minutes of igniting at Citgo Refinery’s West Plant, a company representative said.

More charges brought against BISD assistant high school principal

Seven new charges have been brought against a suspended Porter High School administrator involving improper activity with female students, police said.

James Camden McKinney, 48, an assistant principal at Porter High School, turned himself in to Brownsville Independent School District police Tuesday afternoon after finding out he was wanted on new charges, his attorney, Robert Garza, said.

What a pal he is.

We're #2!

What sucker state is paying for for insurance now than we are?

Texas has slipped to No. 2 in average homeowners' insurance premiums, a new national study has found.

It's not that rates are decreasing. The study found Texans paid nearly 3 percent more in 2007, the most recent year studied, than the previous year.

But Florida, battered by hurricanes in recent years, vaulted over Texas in costs, according to the report issued Tuesday by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Gotta love those states that were run by the Bush brothers and their Republican cronies.

B'bye to Donald Jackson

Embattled Harris County Court-at-Law Judge Donald Jackson resigned Tuesday, a week after being sentenced to 30 days in jail for abusing his authority.

The veteran judge was convicted of misdemeanor official oppression this month after being accused of trying to solicit a relationship with 28-year-old Ariana Venegas, a defendant in his court charged in February with driving while intoxicated.

Jackson was sentenced to a month in jail and two years' probation but remains free as he appeals the decision. He was suspended by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct after a grand jury indicted him in August but still drew his $140,000 salary while the case was pending. His resignation is effective Thursday.

Who would hire him as their real estate lawyer? That seems creepy.

B'bye to Frank Corte

Don't let the door hit ya' on the way out.

State Rep. Frank Corte Jr., a staunch conservative who's represented North San Antonio since 1993, announced Tuesday that he's stepping down from the Legislature, and former Bexar County Commissioner Lyle Larson quickly responded by jumping into the race to replace him.

Hidalgo wants to pay way more for its RMA leader

You have to wonder why.

State transportation leaders have defended the right of Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority to pay executive director/consultant Godfrey Garza $1.1 million over three years.

The amount is a lot higher than the remuneration package given to the executive directors of the RMAs in San Antonio and Austin.

But, then Juan Maldanado was against him.

The Hidalgo County RMA board appointed Garza executive director last month. The vote was 5 to 1 with the dissenting voice coming from Juan Maldonado, who was appointed to the RMA board by former Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas.

2 Democrats want to challenge Cameron County's Republican judge

Self-employed businesswoman Rebecca Gomez, of Brownsville, has announced her candidacy for Cameron County judge.

Gomez, 56, who describes herself as a community activist and strong advocate for human rights, is seeking the Democratic Party nomination in the March 2010 primary election.

She will be vying for the Democratic nomination with former Brownsville Mayor Eddie Treviño Jr., who announced his candidacy earlier this year. As of Tuesday, Gomez and Treviño were the only Democratic candidates who had publicly announced their candidacies.

Will Brownsville Commissioner be fired?

The BP tried to fire Atkinson for being an elected official. Now they're trying to fire him a different way.

For the second time in three years, City Commissioner Charlie Atkinson’s employer, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has placed him on administrative leave — a step toward possible termination.

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Atkinson, a senior officer, in turn, accused the federal agency of "retaliation and harassment."

Cameron County commissioner, Robert Leftwich, claims 2 homestead exemptions

That is not nice. Or, legal. (Link requires a paid subscription.)

Texas Tech suspends coach with 8-4 season record

Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach was suspended Monday in the wake of allegations that he acted improperly in his treatment of Red Raiders receiver Adam James, the son of ESPN announcer Craig James, after the younger James suffered a concussion.

Texas Tech likes to win at sports at all costs. Why else would they hire someone like Bobby Knight to lead a team? If Leach had a better record, I suspect he could have danced on the injured player's head.

Was Fort Bend ISD bus driver fired in retaliation for reporting assault?

Sounds like he has a case.

Jack Richardson, the FBISD bus driver who was physically assaulted by the transportation supervisor dubbed the “Bus Barn Bully” has been fired from the school district.

No brainer for Taft

Taft City Council will reconsider its choice for city manager during an emergency meeting Tuesday night and may offer the job to someone else.

The council didn’t know when it chose Glen Scott Starnes that he faces a felony marijuana charge. Other issues also have arisen from Starnes’ resume and his statements to city officials.

Why did he think he could completely fabricate a resume? Why did he think he would be hired in Taft? Cause it almost worked.

See previous posts.

It's time for the blog roundup!

The Texas Progressive Alliance would like to thank everyone for reading all of the weekly blog roundups this year. This is the last roundup of 2009, and we are all looking forward to 2010.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants everyone to be afraid of drug cartels buying our politicians. We've all seen what money and power did to health care reform. Imagine all that drug money buying power here. It's time to legalize drugs and take away the profit.

You can't make this stuff up at Bay Area Houston. GOP "Bubba" white supremacist wanted for murder.

Barnett Shale Communities can breathe easier after a VICTORY last week when TCEQ issued a new emission policy following the release of Texas OGAP's Study: Shale Gas Threatens Human Health. Read the study and view documents TCEQ will use to record odor complaints and take necessary enforcement action.

WhosPlayin picked up on the TCEQ policy change, and also weighed in on strange comments by a Flower Mound Councilman explaining his vote not to impose an oil and gas moratorium. Speaking of councilmen, Lewisville has a teabagger councilman who wants to turn down a $913,000 stimulus grant from the federal government.

The Texas Cloverleaf looks at the potential for a contested party chair race in Dallas County. And, it is among the Democrats.

Xanthippas at Three Wise Men, on Robert George, the conservative Christian "big thinker" who dresses up old prejudices in new rationales.

Justin at Asian American Action Fund Blog is terribly excited that Gordon Quan is running for Harris County Judge.

Off the Kuff writes about Harris County Board of Ed Trustee Michael Wolfe, the silliest officeholder in Harris County.

Escalation in Afghanistan, a healthcare reform bill lacking a public option, and another climate change bust in Copenhagen has left a lot of Obama believers stranded at the intersection of Hope and Change. PDiddie has stepped off the bus; read why at Brains and Eggs.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the GOP property tax swap has fixed nothing, as most people knew back when it passed, The Texas GOP and the Texas budget.

Neil at Texas Liberal said that all of us in life seek the 60 votes of hope and kindness to defeat the filibusters of despair and anger. The Senate of life is always session so that we can rustle up the needed votes.

Should pickup owners pay a lower vehicle registration fee in Texas?

Not too many people are ranchers or farmers anymore.

State Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, wants to overhaul the state’s complicated schedule of car registration fees. The result could mean not only a boost in state highway revenue, but also higher annual payments for those stickers that Texans affix to their windshields each year.

"It’s crazy. If a brand-new car is $58 [to register], no matter what kind, and the average pickup is $54, that’s not right. It should be at least $58," Pickett, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said during a recent speech in Fort Worth.

Texas prison guard accused of stabbing wife and her mother in front of the kids

Sounds like a peach of a guy. And what a prison guard he must be.

A multistate manhunt continues today for a Texas prison guard accused in the killings of his wife and mother-in-law, who were stabbed in front of children in Rosenberg earlier in the day, officials said.

Authorities are searching for 44-year-old Albert James Turner, who is charged in the deaths of 39-year-old Keitha Frank Turner and 66-year-old Betty Jo Frank, said Lt. Colin Davidson of the Rosenberg Police Department.

Does the Houston Chronicle want more executions in Harris County?

After reading this headline, I'm just wondering. 'Harris County loses state lead in executions'

Since a new life-without-parole law took effect in 2005, Harris County — with a national reputation for pursuing capital punishment and home to the fourth-largest city in America, with a population of nearly 4 million people — has sent fewer inmates to death row than Tarrant or Bexar counties, urban counties that include Fort Worth and San Antonio, respectively. Tarrant County's population is about 1.7 million; Bexar's is 1.6 million, U.S. Census records show.

Bexar and Tarrant each sent eight newly convicted killers to death row in the four years since the law took effect, state prison data show. In the same period, larger Harris and Dallas counties sent six apiece, based on the Chronicle's analysis of Texas Department of Criminal Justice death row arrivals.

FBI investigating Bexar County Sheriff's department

The FBI is investigating the Bexar County sheriff’s narcotics unit over allegations that some of its deputies might have been unlawfully taking evidence or stealing money and property from people they detain or arrest, the San Antonio Express-News has confirmed.

The two-year-old probe includes allegations of civil rights violations, but has expanded as agents learned about deputies who are living beyond what their county pay could afford — group trips to Las Vegas and the purchase of a large property in South Texas, for example.

Bush family consigliere gets statue in Houston

Cause Houston loves the fixer for the family that brought us George Bush?

The Houston landmarks commemorating the political legacy of President George H.W. Bush are set to grow with the addition of a statue of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III in Sesquicentennial Park.

The Baker monument, which also will highlight the extensive role played by Baker's forebears in Houston's history, will be built with privately raised funds and eventually will sit a short distance from a similar monument to Bush dedicated several years ago.

They would be kings. Except we don't live in a monarchy. Yet.

RIP Esther Chavez

Esther spoke when others were silent.

Esther Chavez, a women's rights activist who first drew attention to the brutal slayings of women in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, has died, her nephew said Saturday. She was 73.

Hector Chavez Arbizu said his aunt died of cancer on Friday and will be buried in Ciudad Juarez, where more than 100 women were strangled and their bodies dumped in the desert or vacant lots in a string of killings that began in the 1990s.

Chavez founded Casa Amiga, a shelter for female victims of violence in this city of 1.5 million across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Without funding, UTB-TSC to lose GED program

Come on now. Show me the money.

The short-lived UTB-TSC General Education Degree (GED) program that helped Rio Grande Valley Spanish speakers further their education will likely end by February.

In the past other programs in the area offered preparatory classes for the high school equivalency exam in Spanish. But, administrators say that currently the university is the only local venue where the Spanish language classes are offered. The GED exam itself is offered in English, Spanish, French, Braille, Canadian, audio and large print.

When the program was established in August, The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College planned to pay for it with grant money. However, administrators say these grants never materialized and that the school doesn’t have alternative funding to continue to employ the program’s two teachers.

Whole Foods' Mackey relinquishes Chairman title, remains an a**hole

The chief executive of Austin-based organic supermarket chain Whole Foods Market Inc. is giving up his title of chairman after years of petitioning by a shareholder activist group to separate the two roles.

Co-founder and CEO John Mackey, 56, voluntarily relinquished the chairman role to "avoid unnecessary distraction and protect the company's corporate governance profile," according to a company filing Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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CtW [Investment Group,] said Mackey has become a "liability" because of his "indiscretion." The group said it wanted Mackey to relinquish his chairman title because it thinks an independent chairman could improve the company's stock price performance.

El Paso has a low crime rate, while sister city bleeds

Why? Drug lords are operating openly in Juarez. We've seen how corporate interests have bought off all of the Republicans and enough of the Democrats to run our government. How soon before drug lords buy in? I'm betting the process is well on its way.

Look at the Congress critters who toed the corporate line in the health care fight. Lets get them all out of office before it's too late. It's time our government promotes the general welfare, not corporate welfare.

Cameron County Commissioners court fight with DA could get expensive

The Cameron County Commissioners’ Court on Monday will consider hiring two law firms to defend the Commissioners’ Court in a lawsuit that the district attorney filed against it.

The Commissioners’ Court will hold a 10 a.m. special meeting in the Commissioners’ Court courtroom on the second floor of the Dancy Building, in which they will address legal representation in the case.

A third attorney would be hired to assist the Commissioners’ Court with day-to-day operations if needed, County Judge Carlos H. Cascos said on Thursday.

Hiring two law firms cannot be cheap. Isn't there a better way to resolve your differences?

Democrats pass health care 'reform', Republicans make themselves useless

The Senate bill with mandates should be killed. The House bill is barely ok. Here's hoping reconciliation will include a public option and an expansion of Medicare.

The Democrats held together and learned an important lesson. The Republicans are not dealing in good faith. Their only goal is to derail any progress a Democratic president and Congress can make. Republican power and ideology trump the public welfare. If I were a Democratic Congressional leader, I wouldn't even try to negotiate with a Republican. The Republican Congressional delegation has proven time and time again that such efforts are beyond useless - and so are the Congressional Republicans.

Would you buy salt from a Federal waste dump?

Hundreds of tons of salt excavated from the Department of Energy's underground nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico are destined for cattle feed in Texas.

Who wants to eat those steaks?

In Galveston, the poor are screwed

The federal government in recent years has pushed public housing agencies to spread housing over entire regions in an attempt to provide better opportunities for families lumped together in poor, crime-ridden cities with low-performing schools, John Powell, executive director of Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, said.

However, regional public housing isn’t successful without solid public transportation, an abundance of low-skilled, entry-level jobs and places where the uninsured can get health care, experts said.

It's all about the infrastructure. Public transportation, health care and good schools are prerequisites for getting and keeping a decent job.

More people tarnished in Bexar County Democrats' embezzlement scandal

[Dwayne] Adams, the former Bexar County Democratic Party treasurer accused of siphoning more than $200,000 out of the party’s coffers, has left a trail of disgruntled associates over the past decade. Several accuse Adams of winning their confidence, cheating them out of thousands of dollars and then disappearing.

Why didn't the Republican DA, Susan Reed, take care of Dwayne Adams when he was accused of stealing $20K from another Bexar County organization? Nobody, even Carla Vela, is that stupid. Whoever took the money needs to go to jail. Whoever helped needs to go too.

Former JP Joe Gonzales gets a negative audit

A copy of an audit done Aug. 25 showed several errors, including mishandling of money and allowing defendants to make charitable donations in lieu of fines. County Auditor Peggy Hayes said Tuesday most problems have been corrected, but efforts to correct office procedures are continuing. She was not available Wednesday to respond to Gonzalez’s comments.

Gonzales is running for County Commissioner Precinct 2 against long time political activist Gloria Caceres.

Why does Taft want to hire a city manager with an awful record?

The man Taft City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to hire as its city manager quit his last job in Georgia after he was arrested on suspicion of buying marijuana and was fired from a prior city manager position for fabricating parts of his resume.

Will Taft back track? Who's in charge of checking resumes anyway?

Chad Foster said he never even heard the shots

What's it like to be the Mayor of a Texas border city when the Mexican-side restaurant you're in is the target of multiple gunman? How bad can it be, if you didn't even hear the shots?

What will it take before legalizing drugs is the obvious answer for everyone but the drug lords? You saw how the corporations easily bought all of the Republicans and some of the Democrats in the health care reform battle. The corporations run America. No promoting the general welfare for our government. How hard is it going to be for the drug lords to buy in?

Kay Bailey Hutchison doesn't like Paul Burka

That's pretty funny. The Hutchison team banned Burka from the panel in her up coming debate. Texas Monthly wasn't amused.

Texas Attorney General goes after Nebraska's health care deal

Attorney General Greg Abbott said Tuesday that he and top prosecutors in a half-dozen other states plan to challenge the constitutionality of a healthcare compromise that exempts Nebraska from paying billions in Medicaid expansion costs, forcing other states to shoulder a bigger burden for the low-income insurance program.

Go for it. Parts of bills have been ruled unconstitutional before. Some headlines make it seem like over turning a piece of a bill will over turn all of it. Nope. Without a public option and/or Medicare expansion, this bill is a dog. At least take out the mandate.

Dewhurst may add Texas prop 8 to interim charges

Or, he may not. Who cares if veterans get a VA hospital in the Valley. Who cares if voters overwhelmingly approved prop 8. Lt. Governor David Dewhurst has to figure out what's important to him. You don't count.

“The voters of Texas spoke loudly and clearly with Proposition 8 that they want the state to partner with the federal government to bring more veterans’ hospitals to Texas. Yet, despite this vote, there is no mention of the Senate panel looking at this issue ahead of the next legislative session. That is very disappointing, especially for Rio Grande Valley veterans who worked tirelessly to get the constitutional amendment passed,” Salazar told the Guardian at the time.

Dewhurst read the Guardian story, which was headlined "Valley veterans disappointed with interim charges given to Senate panel," and immediately contacted state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen. As a result of those discussions, two new developments seem to have emerged. One is that Dewhurst could visit the Valley early in the New Year to meet with veterans. The other is that Dewhurst may add Proposition 8 to the interim charges of the Committee on Veterans Affairs and Military Instillations.

Parents have ultimate rights over new borns' blood samples

The state will destroy an estimated 5.3 million blood samples legally collected from newborns but kept without parental consent under a federal lawsuit settlement announced Tuesday.

League City, Galveston council members fined by Texas Ethics Commission

I know what you're thinking. Texas has an ethics commission? Where have they been and what are they doing? They're run by Republicans. Enough said.

The Texas Ethics Commission fined League City Councilwoman Phyllis Sanborn $200 for failing to disclose political contributions and filing reports late.

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Galveston City Councilwoman Elizabeth Beeton said she agreed to pay a $500 fine to failing to disclose five political expenditures, mistakenly claiming herself as a political committee and filing a pre-election campaign finance report late.

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Galveston City Councilman Tarris Woods also said he agreed to pay a $200 fine for failing to disclose required information and for failing to file semiannual and pre-election campaign finance reports.

It's important to be counted for the 2010 census

Some areas, like El Paso, will be difficult. Such areas need more representation, not less.

Taking a census in El Paso is more difficult than in most counties because of language barriers, the fluid border and poverty in colonias and city neighborhoods.

El Paso is one of 50 counties in America with populations that are the hardest to count, according to the Census Bureau.

Eagle Pass Mayor in Mexican restaurant when gunmen attack

Gunmen sprayed bullets at a restaurant Tuesday where the mayor of a Texas border town was eating with a Mexican state attorney general and other officials, police said. A woman leaving the building was killed.

Coahuila state Attorney General Jesus Torres and Chad Foster, mayor of Eagle Pass across the border from Piedras Negras, were unharmed, according to police officers at the scene.

It is time to legalize drugs and take the profit motive away. Do you want to live your live expecting to be gunned down? Do you want your politicians either afraid or on the take? Legalizing drugs has the added benefit of providing safer drugs to users and offering a better chance for rehab.

Fight with Nueces County appraisal district may escalate

More precious tax dollars at work.

One of the county’s smallest taxing entities has urged cities and school districts to take a stand together against the Nueces County Appraisal District’s accounting practices.

Driscoll City Administrator Sandra Martinez sent the letter Friday, a day after the appraisal district’s board voted against refunding each entity’s share of a $2.8 million building fund.

The largest entity, Corpus Christi Independent School District, sent a letter to the other entities letting them know that CCISD has adopted a policy to be more vigilant in monitoring the appraisal district.

Cameron County DA is fighting the Cameron County Commissioners Court

See your precious tax dollars at work.

A temporary restraining order requested by Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos against the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court and its legal division has left the Commissioners’ Court without legal representation.

The court-approved restraining order is part of a lawsuit which requests that the legal division of the Commissioners’ Court be transferred back to the district attorney’s office, where it had been housed for numerous years.

Villalobos said the reason the lawsuit was filed is because the issue of separate civil counsel needs to be addressed. The district attorney’s office also has its own civil division.

Fired Brownsville ISD bus monitor files whistle blower suit

Immediately after [Maria] Cervera filed her first report, the lawsuit says [Hector Chirinos, BISD administrator for transportation] conducted an internal investigation "not against the bus driver who was alleged to have been smoking on a public school bus, but incredibly, against (Cervera,) specifically, rumors of personal issues regarding (her) personal life."

Grand jury no bills, but eviscerates Brownsville police dispatch

A state grand jury has issued a scathing report against the Brownsville Police Department, despite no-billing several Brownsville police officers involved in a November 2008 armed standoff that left a mentally unstable man dead.

In a Dec. 8, three-page report issued by the special grand jury to presiding Judge Leonel Alejandro of the 357th state District Court, the grand jury says the department’s dispatch center relayed "erroneous information based on assumption rather than fact. Dispatch then disseminated this mistaken information to the police officers on the scene."

Obama on track to set record for Hispanic appointments

President Barack Obama is on track to name more Hispanics to top posts than any of his predecessors, drawing appointees from a wide range of the nation’s Latino communities, including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Colombians.

That won’t necessarily give the president a free pass on issues such as immigration, but it may ease Hispanics’ worries about whether Obama will continue reaching out to a group that was key to his winning the White House.

Judge Jackson gets 30 days in jail for official oppression

Harris County Criminal Court-at-law Judge Donald Jackson on Monday was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years' probation following his conviction on a charge of official oppression for allegedly trying to strike up a relationship with a drunken driving defendant in his court.

Jackson, who was found guilty of the misdemeanor by a jury last Friday, also was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, pay a $4,000 fine and take 25 hours of state-approved legal ethics courses for each of the next two years by state District Judge Mark Kent Ellis.

Ellis, who admonished Jackson, 60, for his actions, also ruled Jackson must leave the bench, pending appeal.

The Southern District of Texas leads spike in immigration prosecutions

Immigration prosecutions in southern Texas increased by more than 28 percent during the past fiscal year, helping to drive overall federal prosecutions to an all-time high, according to newly released data.

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University reported Monday that overall federal prosecutions peaked at 169,612 during the past fiscal year, which ended in September, up nearly 9 percent from the previous year.

Judicial panel says no electronic voting for Dallas County

A three-judge panel has ruled that Dallas County election officials violated federal law when they did not inform the Department of Justice about changes in the way straight-party votes are counted on electronic voting machines.

The judges determined that the county did not get proper approval from the Department of Justice to use the county's current machines. They granted an injunction requested by the Texas Democratic Party to halt use of the machines in Dallas until they get Justice Department clearance.

...

Chad Dunn, attorney for the Democratic Party, said that 150 to 200 counties use such electronic voting machines.

Eliot Shapleigh to sit out 2010

Two months after announcing that he would not run for re-election, state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh ended speculation over his possible bid for a statewide office.

On Monday, the state senator said he would not run for any office in 2010.

Shapleigh announced in October that he would not seek re-election to the Senate seat he has held for more than a decade.

He then suggested that he might seek a higher state office.

Shapleigh, 57, said he considered running for the governorship but changed his mind once Houston Mayor Bill White stepped into the race.

Two Hockley County Sheriff's Deputies involved with drug dealing

A former Hockley County sheriff's deputy, Gordon Clark Bohannon, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court for his involvement in drug-trafficking activities.

Bohannon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, among other allegations.

...

Hockley County Sheriff's Deputy Jose Jesus Quintanilla was also arrested for his involvement with Froman and Bohannon.

The drug cartels have already begun infiltrating our law enforcement ranks. You can't think our politicians are immune. It is time to legalize drugs. Take the profit motive out. Let the users have consistent levels of drug and a chance for rehab. If we insist on punishing the users, we will reap the political nightmare.

It's Monday TPA blog roundup time.

The Texas Progressive Alliance brings you the highlights from the blogs.

As the deadline to file for a place on the 2010 March primary ballot drew near, there was lots of activity on the Democratic side: Kinky Friedman followed Hank Gilbert over to the race for agriculture commissioner, Linda Chavez-Thompson was rumored to be running for lt. governor, and, late on Friday, Ronnie Earle dropped his name in the hat for that same post. There's more on all this news from PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

BARNETT SHALE GAS THREATENS HUMAN HEALTH !!! TXsharon posted the Final Results of the DISH TX health survey at Bluedaze.

WhosPlayin broke the story about a former Republican County Commissioner who got arrested this week for shoplifting a vacuum cleaner.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wonders why some men in power (here, here, here, here and here) think that abusing women and children is their right? Why does Senator Cornyn choose to enable rapists?

Over at Bay Area Houston, John Coby is bored and thinks Kay Bailey Hutchison's commercial sounds like a Whataburger commercial.

Looking for ways to green up your life? Start by making some thoughtful changes to the way you spend your holiday, and check out Texas Vox' Green Up Your Life: Holiday Edition for tips and tricks!

Neil at Texas Liberal wrote about the fifth anniversary of the terrible Indian Ocean tunami. Five Years Since Terrible Indian Ocean Tsunami—People Are Recovering While many are still suffering from the impact of this killer wave, there are also many who are recovering and getting back their lives.

The folks over at McBlogger are desperate for your help! Find out how you can do them a solid when you help get a planet named for the blog!

Xanthippas at Three Wise Men covers the utter failure of tort "reform" in Texas (with a h/t to John Coby.)

The Texas Cloverleaf highlights the charge against the Denton County District Attorney's office of racial discrimination and harassment in the workplace

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the fact that elected Texas Republicans still have no sensible ideas about how to pay for roads, Dewhurst and transportation funding.

Off the Kuff took a look at precinct data in the Houston Mayor's runoff.

lightseeker has a question for you over at TexasKaos, Is Arnold's California a foretaste of our nations' future? Check out his analysis in Deadlock, facts ,Partisans -Is California a Fore taste of Our Collective Future?.

XicanoPwr reports that anti-immigration grinches are wanting to replace dreams of success with a lumps of coal by filing a lawsuit challenging Texas’ DREAM Act, the statute that allows undocumented students to pay in-state rates, provided, they meet certain criteria. Their grinch-like behavior would rather punish these extremely vulnerable students for the sins of their undocumented parents, instead of rewarding them for wanting to contribute to our society by making college tuition a bit more affordable, since they already are ineligible for financial aid.

Justin at Asian American Action Fund Blog is excited that Houston has one of the first hospital Asian care units in the nation

If you're a criminally psychotic youth in Texas, you're free to go

Cause mental health treatment is too much trouble and expense?

The cases highlight what some juvenile justice experts say is a loophole in the way Texas treats underage offenders with severe psychiatric issues. Data obtained by the Associated Press reveal that the commission has released more than 200 offenders because of mental health issues in the past five years and that more than one-fifth went on to commit new crimes, some of them violent.

“All these cases are failures where we should have done something different,” said Richard Lavallo, legal director of Advocacy Inc., an Austin organization that helps children with disabilities.

New candidate for Hidalgo DA charges rank cronyism

Cronyism and selective prosecution have turned the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office into a bastion for the rich and powerful, said the latest candidate to enter the race to lead the office.

Fidencio Guerra Jr. said top prosecutor Rene Guerra has used his position to protect friends and political allies during his nearly three decades in office and said he would continue to do so if elected to a seventh term.

Whoa. Tell us what you really think.

Of course, Rene Guerra isn't very fond of Fidencio Guerra Jr., either.

Gay tourism in Houston? Who knew.

The election of Annise Parker as Houston's first gay mayor has given a boost to the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau's push to attract gay visitors.

In her 12 years as an elected city official, Parker rarely centered her public policies on her sexual orientation, but the visitors bureau still hopes to capitalize on it.

Houston historically has not been a popular destination for gay and lesbian travelers, according to U.S. Travel Association data. Last month, independent of mayoral politics, the visitors bureau launched an online effort to reach out to them.

States with gay marriage rights are experiencing a tourist boom, too. Why not.

Cash for clunkers back - for your old appliances

We get a two fer. Old appliances are replaced with more energy efficient ones and the economy perks.

Consumers would receive between $45 and $1,600 in rebates on Energy Star appliances that include refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, room and central air conditioners, water heaters and heat pumps.

An additional $75 rebate will be tacked on if they recycle their old, functioning appliances.

Corpus Christi high $ estimates scare off FOIA requestors

Oh, that pesky Freedom of Information Act. Why should a city have to be accountable to its citizens?

Figures the Caller-Times received from its requests show many people don’t accept the charges from estimates. The city of Corpus Christi issued more than $50,000 worth of estimates in the past two fiscal years but collected only $9,500 from requesters.

Brownsville ISD controversy over athletic director continues

What did the 2 recently released reports say 'soon to be former' athletic director Joe Rodriguez did?

That BISD equipment and vehicles were used during the 17th Annual Student Scholarship Services Benefit Golf Tournament on May 24, 2008; that BISD vehicles were used to transport alcoholic beverages and that employees consumed alcoholic beverages during the tournament in the presence of students.

What does Rodriguez say?

Rodriguez does not dispute BISD vehicles, tables, chairs, beverage coolers and other equipment being used during the tournament — or that alcohol was consumed in the presence of students. He said this has been the practice since the tournament’s beginning. The awards ceremony and barbecue at which students receive their scholarships takes place after the tournament at Champions, a property Rodriguez owns at the corner of Wildrose Lane and Central Boulevard.

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Previously, Rodriguez said the investigations were prompted by his opposition to using Sams Stadium as a venue for a concert, ostensibly where Mexican crooner Vicente Fernandez would perform.

...

Rodriguez added that he was offered a $50,000 bribe "by a now-convicted drug dealer" to "make the deal happen." Rodriguez said the person who offered the bribe is now serving a seven-year prison sentence. He said he refused the bribe and has a witness to the events.

Texas Supreme Court shafts bereaved family, kisses corporate ass

An Hidalgo County jury erred in awarding $14 million to a Mercedes family who alleged a design defect in their clothes dryer started the fire that caused their son’s 2003 death, the Texas Supreme Court has found.

Juries aren't allowed to determine the facts in a case, if those facts don't help the crony.

Food stamps approved for 7. What about the rest?

A day after a legal aid group sued the state over delays in food stamp application processing, the Health and Human Services Commission on Friday finished approving the applications of all seven families named as plaintiffs.

But a lawyer from Texas RioGrande Legal Aid said that doesn't mean the fight is over because thousands of other applicants are still waiting.

Harris County Republicans question missing party money

[Ed] Hubbard raised alarm this summer when he discovered that several people or organizations identified as major sponsors of the party's annual fundraising dinner did not make it into the party's report.

Last week, Texas Watchdog compared donors' reports to the party's reported receipts and documented what it considers to be a nearly $10,000 difference — about 10 percent of all money raised for its party account.

[Don] Large pounced, issuing a news release calling for treasurer Josh Flynn's resignation.

“If we cannot keep our own party finances in order, how can the average voter trust our candidates to be good stewards of their money at any level of government?” he asked.

Hey, that's nothing compared to what the Bexar County Democratic Party is going through with $300k missing and no money to pay for primary bills.

Judge Jackson found guilty of official oppression

A Harris County Criminal Court-at-Law judge was convicted Friday of official oppression after a weeklong trial on accusations he offered to get a DWI defendant in his court help getting her case dismissed in exchange for a sexual relationship.

Jurors deliberated about 2½ hours before finding 17-year veteran Judge Donald Jackson guilty of the Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum punishment of a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Only a year in jail? The graffiti teen got 8 years which just got reduced to 2.

La Marque ISD police chief indicted

The school district’s police chief was indicted Thursday on charges he faked records to get the title to a vehicle, Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk said.

Russell Washington is accused of providing false information on an application for a certificate of title in order to obtain a mechanic’s lien, the district attorney said.

Jury tries to hold BP accountable with $100M fine

Is $100M enough to get their attention? How soon before a corporation loving judge overturns that number?

A federal jury Friday awarded 10 contract workers a total of $100.3 million for injuries they suffered from a leak at the BP Texas City refinery in April 2007. More than 100 workers were overcome by fumes from a leak that never was identified.

BP argued it could not find a source of a leak or even identify what had been released that made the workers sick. The company also argued the fumes must have come from a source outside the refinery.

Likewise, the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality did not find a leak had come from the refinery.

No. Toxic fumes couldn't have come from a refinery where the 100 workers were. Nope. Up is down. Black is white.

What's the big deal about 90 days of unannounced inspections for Robstown prison?

Big whoop. Unannounced inspections for 10 years, that might get somebody's attention.

A private detention facility in Robstown faces frequent, unannounced state inspections for 90 days after its inadvertent release of a convicted sex offender.

The Coastal Bend Detention Center did not violate state standards when Mario Estrada Martinez, 31, an undocumented immigrant from Matamoros, Mexico, mistakenly was released, but it is at risk of falling out of state compliance after corrections officers did not follow release procedures, according to a letter from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards obtained by the Caller-Times through an open records request.

It isn't a violation of state standards to accidentally release a convicted sex offender?

It's tough being a worker in the Valley

Workers in the Brownsville-Harlingen metropolitan continue to earn significantly lower hourly wages compared to many other parts of the state, according to survey results from the National Compensation Survey recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To top off the hard times, unemployment at 10.5 percent is higher, too.

Professionals in El Paso, on the other hand, are doing great.

Average income for professionals grew in El Paso more than anywhere else in the country from 2005 to 2008, according to a study conducted by a salary information company.

The statistics gathered by PayScale indicate that El Paso's median income among people with at least bachelor's degrees jumped more than in any other metropolitan statistical area in the country, from $41,100 in 2005 to $49,100 in 2008 -- a 19.39 percent increase.

Grafitti teenager's 8 year sentence reduced

On Thursday the judge has had to reduce the punishment, not because she wanted to, but because of a new law that went into effect September 1 which prevents "stacking" the sentences in cases like this. It means Perez now only has to serve 2 years instead of the 8, plus 2 years of community service.

Finally. The teenager deserved to pay the consequences for his actions, but a life-destroying sentence is just inappropriate.

Would you want a former Bush staffer to be your US Rep?

Would you want any Bush bot to get near government again?

There has been much anticipation in Republican circles in the Rio Grande Valley about former White House staff member Daniel Garza running for Congressional District 15.

...

Congressional District 15 is currently held by U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, and is a Democratic stronghold. The district runs from Edinburg, Weslaco and Harlingen in the south all the way north past Beeville and around Victoria.

The Republican primary is expected to be competitive. High tech sales director Eddie Zamora of Edinburg, who has run against Hinojosa in the past, has already announced his candidacy.

Turns out Rick Perry isn't so proud of his 'accomplishments' after all

Dallas Morning News' Wayne Slater catches Perry's change.

Something's missing from the Texas governor's official state website. Gone from Rick Perry's biography is any mention of the Trans-Texas Corridor, the beleaguered toll-road project the governor once touted as a crowning jewel accomplishment of his tenure in office. Scrubbed is the paragraph about how Perry expanded the children's health insurance program -- a popular program with Democrats but not so much with Republicans whose votes the governor wants in next year's GOP primary. And vanished is the previous mention of Perry building "a stronger safety net for the poorist of the poor." That's been replaced by a paragraph about stopping illegal immigration.

Victims of domestic violence to receive asylum in US

The Obama administration now says it is crafting regulations to allow entry by other victims of domestic violence who feel they have no choice but to flee their homelands to protect themselves.

If adopted, the regulations would mark the first time the federal government formally recognized domestic abuse victims as qualifying for political asylum.

It's about time. Women are people, not property.

Another former Texas DA indicted

Retired District Attorney Ron Sutton of Junction is accused of felony misapplication of fiduciary property, i.e using seized assets for travel and bonuses instead of pure law enforcement.

Sutton was lead prosecutor in the 198th district, covering Kerr, Kimble, Mason, Menard and McCulloch counties, from 1976 until last year, when he retired.

Nueces County Judge's fight with appraisal district continues

Nueces County taxing entities missed their chance to request unspent appraisal district money in previous years and won’t see their share of a $2.8 million building fund refunded, the district’s board decided Thursday.

The decision occurred one day after County Judge Loyd Neal accused the appraisal district of deceiving the public and elected officials by obscuring its intent to funnel unspent money to the building fund, and by not clearly informing taxing entities that they were entitled to a refund. District employees said they didn’t intend to mislead anyone.

Did I hear 'Na na na na na'?

Use of information in political campaign is now a courtroom drama for former Cameron County DA

[Former Cameron County DA Yolanda] De Leon was indicted in October after information was allegedly released by DeLeon before the March 2008 primary election to district attorney candidate Peter Zavaletta relating to the DA's handling of formal complaints of sexual and other abuse of children.

On Thursday Morning, Chief Assistant DA Charles E. Mattingly Jr. and defense attorney Mervyn Mosbacker went before State District Judge Elia Cornejo-Lopez to make the necessary announcements in the case.

De Leon was facing two counts of tampering with government records and one count of perjury, however, Mattingly and Mosbacker asked that one of the tampering charges be dropped.

Carole 4 names, 3 parties thinking about another party switch

It is almost like she is trying to relive her glory days ... and failing miserably. Mayor of Austin? Nope. Comptroller? I doubt it.

Whoopers near refuge goal numbers

The estimated flock count of endangered whooping cranes jumped up to 244 on Tuesday.

Whooping Crane Coordinator Tom Stehn, of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, received reports of six more birds, including two chicks. The latest estimate accounts for 21 of the 22 chicks that fledged in Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada, where the cranes live in the summers.

That means nearly all the chicks survived their 2,400-mile-long migration - during which the birds face risks of harsh weather conditions, utility wires and predators, among other things - bodes well for the future of the species, specialist Vicki Muller said.

Specialists at the refuge are hopeful the flock total will reach at least 247, the number of birds that left the Aransas facility in March.

Is missing Bexar County Democrats' money a case of the stupids?

How stupid do you have to be to not notice someone draining funds overtime? How stupid do you have to be to ignore a bounced check? How stupid to you have to be to allow one person the ability to drain all your funds?

Carla Vela — who resigned as chairwoman Tuesday night because she intends to run for Bexar County clerk — said Treasurer Dwayne E. Adams, 54, took funds over the past several months from a Compass Bank account that the party uses exclusively for primary elections.

She also said Adams dipped into the party's operating account, which now is overdrawn.

Vela said the party pressed charges Wednesday against Adams with the district attorney's office.

Carla Vela rises to George Bush levels of incompetence. I think she can forget being elected to the County Clerk's office.

State Rep. Mando Martinez is getting primaried

A Rio Grande Valley veteran is asking voters in the Mid Valley to elect him to the Texas Legislature so he can help secure a VA hospital for the region.

Joel De Los Santos, a 41-year-old educator from Weslaco, is running for Texas House District 39 in the Democratic Party primary. He said that with the overwhelming majority support shown by Texas voters for Proposition 8 in the constitutional election last month state lawmakers can start working with Congress to secure a much-needed VA hospital in the Valley.

The Texas Border Coalition likes the Gutierrez immigration reform bill

The Texas Border Coalition, which represents cities from Brownsville to El Paso, has praised the new comprehensive immigration reform legislation introduced in Congress on Tuesday.

The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP) was filed by U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois. It has been co-sponsored by border Congressmen such as Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, and Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso.

“The Texas Border Coalition commends U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez for his leadership in fashioning a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will enhance our national and economic security,” said Texas Border Coalition Chair Chad Foster.

Foster claims there are jobs Americans are not willing to do. That's just flat out wrong. There are jobs Americans won't do at very low wages. Raise the wage to where Americans will do the job. Why do workers have to provide consumers with cheap hamburgers? shirts? Or, whatever. Why can't the consumer pay a fair price for a product based on workers receiving a living wage? No guest worker program aimed at providing cheap labor.

Cornyn's choice to enable rape is not a winning position

Crony loving John Cornyn loves his KBR so much he doesn't mind if they cover up a rape here and there - or there or there or there.

Prompted by the alleged rape of former KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones, Congress is poised to pass a measure banning defense contractors from forcing employees to use arbitration to resolve claims of discrimination and sexual assault.

House and Senate negotiators agreed to include the no-arbitration provision in a $636 billion defense spending bill that passed the House 395-34 on Wednesday. The measure now heads to the Senate, which is expected to pass it before Christmas.

Employers and other potential lawsuit targets generally prefer binding arbitration because it keeps disputes out of the court system, where juries can inflict damaging verdicts.

30 Republican men voted to force arbitration for victims of sexual assault. Is anyone surprised that Republican men are so blasé about rape?

El Paso internet cafes raided

Drug cartel activity? Terrorism? Nope. Gambling is suspected.

Cities assault open meetings rule

Why do these city officials want to operate their governments in the dark? What do they want to hide from the citizens?

Sugar Land denies participation in a federal lawsuit to decriminalize violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act. Alpine, Pflugerville, Rockport and Big Lake as well as several individuals are named as participants.

Why are they claiming first amendment rights? All they have to do to speak in pubic about a topic is just avoid a quorum. How hard is that?

Nueces County appraisal district accused of deception

Audits and budgets that the Nueces County Appraisal District sent to taxing entities had mislabeled accounts that didn’t clearly show its intent to hold money for a new building, County Judge Loyd Neal said.

That practice misled taxing entities and the public, Neal said.

The county, along with several other taxing jurisdictions, asked the appraisal district for its share of the $2.8 million fund after learning about it. The county also stopped payment on its most recent check to the district.

Is fight club still going on in Nueces County facilities?

You have got to be kidding me.

Two local residential facilities for mentally handicapped people are under investigation after allegations that a 21-year old man was encouraged by employees to fight a fellow resident.

Educare of Texas, which owns the two homes located in Southside neighborhoods, has suspended two employees until internal and state investigations are complete. But so far, the allegations, lodged by the 21-year-old man’s mother have proven to be unfounded, said Rosie Flores, Educare’s executive director for this region.

Lets hope this is not still going on.

Immigration reform bill is on its way

Border lawmakers have enthusiastically embraced the new comprehensive immigration reform bill introduced Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois.

U.S. Reps. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, and U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, announced they have co-sponsored the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR-ASAP).

The Republicans say no.

Republicans said the bill would take jobs from American workers suffering through one of the worst economic downturns in U.S. history.

They like to hire undocumented workers on the down low and pay them squat.

Texas Gulf Coast, get ready for another insurance rate hike

When the drug cartels get deeper into our political system, who will be running things? The insurance industry or the drug cartels? Will they join forces? Will we have to buy insurance in order to buy heroin?

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association's board said Tuesday it will consider raising rates 5 percent for policyholders.

Rick Casey says electing gays in Texas is nothing new

What I'd like the rest of the world to know is how very Texan it is for Houston to elect a gay mayor — as Texan as Dallas, as Texan as San Angelo.

Actually, Dallas hasn't elected an openly gay mayor, although three-term gay City Councilman Ed Oakley made the runoff in 2007.

But Dallas has elected and re-elected a Latina lesbian sheriff and a gay district clerk for Dallas County.

Dallas has also elected a gay county judge, though we need to explain to the world that in Texas the county judge isn't actually a judge, but the leader of the county's governing body.

Houston, of course, had already elected several gay council members and Annise Parker as city controller for three terms.

So there!

Judge Jackson going for 'blame the victim' approach

Harris County Court-at-Law Judge Donald Jackson told a 28-year-old woman with a pending drunken driving case that he could get her a lawyer who could win her case if she became interested in him, but that if she did not, she would be convicted, the woman testified Tuesday.

Jackson is on trial for misdemeanor official oppression, accused of propositioning Ariana Venegas in February.

“He said, ‘Let me put it to you bluntly, I'm interested in you. I don't want a one-night stand, I want a relationship.' ” Venegas, 28, said on the witness stand.

“He told me that if I wasn't going to get interested, that I would get convicted because he's the judge.”

But, but she tempted him.

Republicans think life is a zero sum game. No education for undocumented kids.

Republicans have no concept of an educated society where contributions from many sectors provide a better life for all. Nope. It's all about grabbing the most for yourself and hoping nobody gets a piece besides you.

Attorneys for an anti-illegal immigration organization are challenging a Texas state law that allows illegal immigrant students to attend colleges and universities at in-state rates, saying it violates federal law.

David A. Rogers, a lawyer for the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas, an organization that opposes illegal immigration, said the lawsuit filed on Monday in Harris County District Court marks the first direct court challenge of the Texas law.

A Montgomery County mayor is indicted by grand jury

Oak Ridge North Mayor Fred O'Connor was apparently present during official city negotiations regarding Biofuels Power Corp., a company in which he has a financial interest.

Chief of troubled Houston Police Department to resign

Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt is planning to resign at the end of the year, two days before Mayor-elect Annise Parker takes office.

Hurtt, who has been Houston police chief for almost six years, confirmed Tuesday night that he told his command staff earlier in the day of his plans to resign Dec. 30 because of the changing administrations at City Hall.

See previous posts.

CPS raid on polygamist sect nets another sexual assault conviction

Cause even in Texas 57 year old men can't impregnate 15 year old girls in the name of God. Just cause your religion says women are property, that doesn't make it so.

If the Port of Corpus Christi is low on funds, why are bonuses happening?

Cause in America, the guys at the top get more and more. Who cares about results or the people on the way down.

The top three executives at the Port of Corpus Christi will get hearty pay raises after port commissioners narrowly approved pay hikes and bonuses totaling nearly $235,000.

For Executive Director John LaRue, it’s the second raise and bonus this year. His 12.6 percent raise Tuesday brings his base salary to $310,000. He also was awarded a $75,000 bonus.

See previous post.

Brownsville ISD has a new superintendent

By a unanimous vote Tuesday night, the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees hired Brett Springston as the district’s new superintendent of schools.

Springston, 49, will be paid an annual salary of $198,000. The contract runs for three years and also includes a $6,000 vehicle allowance, sick leave, medical insurance and other benefitsHe was elected unanimously.

Lets hope the good feeling continue.

To round the day out, BISD appointed a new athletic direction.

The BISD Board of Trustees hired Hanna Golden Eagles coach Tom Chavez to take over for Joe Rodriguez effective Jan. 1, 2010, on Tuesday night at its regular board meeting at the BISD Administrative Building.

The old one is leaving under a cloud.

See previous posts.

Are Bexar County Democrats missing >$200K?

Just heard from a friend about tonight's Bexar County CEC meeting. Carla Vela stepped down in order to run for District Clerk and Roberto Flores, former Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio co-chair, was elected interim Bexar County Democratic chair.

Carla said over $200k was missing from one of their accounts. What happened?

Corporate Democrats join with Corporate Republicans to kill health care reform

All of the Republicans in Congress favor corporations over citizens. It's obvious. Just enough Democrats do, as well. Government to promote the general welfare? Not today.

If the corporate whores in Congress give us a bill improving the bottom line for insurance companies while sticking it to citizens, i.e. the current senate bill without a medicare buy in or a public option, kill it.

Leadership from Obama? I am disgusted.

Leaders of the batsh*t crazy crowd to land in San Antonio

A local group promoting the Tea Party movement said Monday that San Antonio will host a national symposium featuring Gov. Rick Perry, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, television host Sean Hannity and other conservative speakers.

Tea Party Support announced that the event, billed as the National Conservative Symposium, will be held Jan. 22-24 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa.

Will Rush Limbaugh be joining them later?

Colleges enable rape

According to a report released this month by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization based in Washington, D.C., students often encounter a “depressing litany of barriers” to justice, with university officials more interested in keeping things quiet than in helping victims.

The report also cited spotty reporting of sexual assault statistics, rendering public data almost meaningless.

“What we found overall is very troubling,” said Bill Buzenberg, the center’s director. “It exposed a heavy blanket of secrecy around sexual assault.”

Reporting rape is bad for business. Can't have that.

Apparently, Dallas has the same idea when it comes to violent assaults.

In a one-week sample of cases from this summer, a Dallas Morning News review estimated that the department's tally of aggravated assaults should have been at least 50 percent higher.

Aggravated assaults make up more than one third of the city's reported violent crime. So a change in them has a big impact on Dallas' overall violent crime rate.

Laredo 911 fails elderly couple

Helpless, hopeless, and horrible: those are the words family members and neighbors used to describe their moment of despair when they couldn't get a response from emergency personnel after an electrical box at their house caught fire. All after at least six calls to 911 failed.

Police answered the phone immediately when the regular number was dialed. What is wrong with Laredo 911?

Judge's defense in official oppression charge is weak

Here's what Don Jackson's defense sounds like to me. The 60 year old judge, hearing the 27 year old woman's DWI case, thought she was flirting with him and wanted him to proposition her. Sure. That's what was happening. Even if it did happen that way, sure pigs fly, it's out of bounds for a judge to be with a person whose case is before his court.

Prosecutors on Monday said Harris County Court-at-Law Judge Donald Jackson wove a web of lies when explaining why he had dinner with a drunken-driving defendant who had a case pending in his court.

The veteran jurist secretly was recorded talking to authorities investigating him for official oppression of 27-year-old Ariana Venegas, Assistant Harris County District Attorney Paula Hartman told jurors during opening arguments in the misdemeanor trial.

“He told lie after lie after lie after lie,” Hartman said “He's a lawyer. He's well aware of the laws regarding official oppression.”

Texas finds wharehousing prisoners doesn't work

State Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Plano, and state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, worked across partisan lines to implement the “reinvestment movement” in 2007, which they say is just starting to show results. The program invests state funds in drug, alcohol and mental health programs to treat offenders rather than just prisons to house them.

“Texas is showing the rest of the country that if you look at research you can find ways to cut costs and crime at the same time,” said Adam Gelb, director of the Pew Center's public safety performance project, a nonprofit think tank. “Just this week the work that Texas has done was featured prominently at the national conference on state legislatures in San Diego. States are learning that they just can't build their way out of crime.”

Tony Fabelo, research director for the Justice Center for the Council of State Governments, helped Texas develop its program and is pleased to see the prison population stabilizing.

People are looking for ways to derail new Port of Corpus Christi appointee

The legality of former Citgo plant manager Bob Kostelnik’s appointment as port commissioner isn’t completely resolved.

Corpus Christi issued a legal opinion Friday afternoon clearing him to serve, but the Port of Corpus Christi will also look at the issue.

Kostelnik recently moved from the Houston area and registered to vote two weeks before the appointment. The timing of both has caused concern.

Kostelnik barely won his appointment in a 5 to 4 vote from the Corpus Christi city council.

Problems with Corpus Christi drinking water. Again.

The city failed to meet state water treatment standards for drinking water last month, but no contaminants were found in samples tested, according to a state water specialist.

City officials reported the problem to state officials after discovering the treatment plant’s measurement of turbidity, or the cloudiness in water that helps indicate contaminants, was above required standards. The higher the turbidity, the higher the potential for contamination in the water, said Gary Chauvin, a public drinking water specialist for Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Daily samples collected during the time turbidity levels exceeded standards showed no contamination.

Hey. At least they noticed and said something this time.

Former Hidalgo elections administrator pleads guilty

Hidalgo County’s former elections administrator Teresa Navarro pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft, document tampering and abuse of her office Monday, more than a year after a graft scandal forced her from office.

As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, the 49-year-old was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication and ordered to pay back $15,000 in restitution.

Sounds like a pretty lenient sentence to me.

Brownsville Mayor to get new attorney to defend him

The Mayor Pat M. Ahumada lost one of two attorneys representing him on state felony charges of theft, abuse of official capacity, and misapplication of fiduciary property due to a conflict.

Jon Schmid filed a motion in the state 107th District Court requesting to withdraw as Ahumada’s co-counsel. Attorney Ed Cyganiewicz is the main attorney representing the mayor.

Wind farm on South Padre Island is delayed

However, giant turbines offshore may be closer to reality now that the state has awarded leases to two companies studying their feasibility along the Texas coast. One is Baryonyx Corporation, which in July signed a contract with the Texas General Land Office to lease 8,000 onshore acres in Dallam County in the Texas panhandle and 38,000 acres off South Padre Island and Mustang Island. The company is headquartered in Houston, though its officers and directors are based in the United Kingdom.

Baryonyx’s plan is to develop two large-scale wind projects offshore within five to seven years — specifically, 170 to 225 wind turbines located between 4.25 miles and 10.3 miles offshore, over 19,800 acres of the Gulf of Mexico. The turbines would stand between 262 and 328 feet above the waves, depending on site conditions, with rotors up to 413 in diameter — taller than the Statue of Liberty. Baryonyx’s plan is to provide green energy to computer data centers: facilities that house computer systems, servers and other components.

Hidalgo District Clerk arrested for DWI

Hidalgo County District Clerk Laura Hinojosa was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

A state trooper stopped the 43-year-old elected official for speeding between 1 and 2 a.m. near the intersection of North "I" and West El Dora roads in San Juan.

Hinojosa says she refused the breathalyzer test. Hmmm.

“On Saturday night while returning home I was pulled over for speeding by a DPS officer,” Hinojosa said. “What led to my arrest, however, was not speeding but rather my refusal to take a breathalyzer test, which is my right. Throughout the experience I treated the officer with respect and courtesy. I realize he was just doing his job and I continue to appreciate the service he and others perform in protecting our safety.”

Hinojosa added that she will challenge the charge in court.

It's time for the Monday blog roundup!

TXsharon @ Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS helps you follow the money to see why Governor Perry and others want Texans to keep breathing toxic air.

BossKitty at TruthHugger is proud to give a Hat Tip to Houston – Annise Parker inherits a City of Progress.

The Stonewall Democrats of Denton County denounce Rep. Michael Burgess for his recent actions against openly gay Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennnings, at the Texas Cloverleaf.

This week on Left of College Station Teddy covers the dispute in Waco between the McLennan County Republican Party and the Hispanic Republican Club of McLennan County over whether or not the Republican Party needs to reach out to minority voters. Also on Left of College Station this week, the tradition of homophobia continues at Texas A&M and the Coalition for Life invites anti-choice and anti-woman Jeb Bush to speak at their annual fundraiser. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines.

While Houstonians took great pride in the election of Annise Parker as mayor, it was discouraging to see -- despite his company's multi-million dollar contracts with the city and his apparent misunderstanding of their value -- that Stephen Costello was elected to city council over a good Democrat, Karen Derr.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme hopes Silvestre Reyes gets primaried for his vote against a women's right to choose. Beto O'Rourke may be just the one to do it.

Off the Kuff gave a rundown of the Houston runoffs.

Over at BlueBloggin, guest writer Len Hart of the The Existentialist Cowboy, has been connecting some dots with the CIA Efforts to Control World Distribution of ‘Illicit’ Drugs. If the US/CIA hoped to control this lucrative trade, the Taliban had to go. I wonder how many CIA ‘black ops’ have been financed ‘off the books’ (as was Iran/Contra) with the proceeds of its various drug.

At the very moment that leaders from around the world are meeting to come to an international agreement to save the world from catastrophic global warming, Texas gives the green light to build another mercury-spewing, asthma-inducing, planet choking coal plant. Read more at Texas Vox.

Neil at Texas Liberal does not understand why the Burger King on Houston's Harrisburg Blvd. needs to be open on Christmas Day. Neil is certain that staff at Burger King wants to be off on Christmas and that an Xmas Whopper is a depressing thought. The picture in the post features a rare snowfall in Houston.

WhosPlayin finds that once again Lewisville ISD is trying to shut out citizen involvement. This time, they're trying to supersede state law and charge more for public information requests.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on a discussion about where the Democrats in Texas stand heading into 2010, Pragamatic party building.

Justin at Asian American Action Fund Blog has a guide to the historic Houston runoffs.

Silvestre Reyes may get primaried

Since Reyes voted FOR the Stupak amendment aimed at taking away a woman's right to choose, I say have at him. Though, he has his moments. He did point out American fault in the Mexican drug cartel problem, but he messed up the El Paso city council resolution to legalize drugs.

City Rep. Beto O'Rourke is planning a primary challenge to longtime U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, the El Paso Times has learned.

On Friday, O'Rourke said he would be surprised if he did not run for Congress, but wanted to take this weekend to discuss it with his family.

O'Rourke, 36, was first elected to the City Council in 2005 and easily won re-election in 2007.

O'Rourke championed the resolution to examine legalizing drugs. Good for you, Beto. Please run.

More Texas officials want to hide information from the public

All the better to sneak something by you.

Requests that the Texas attorney general withhold information requested by the public increased 88 percent in five years, according to a Caller-Times analysis of state records.

It’s a trend that open-government advocates say could indicate an abuse of the state system by local governments.

Local governments are trying to change the law.

The Corpus Christi Caller Times argues that making North Padre Island less desirable for residents will increase land values

Paul Schexnailder and his cronies who still have their panties in a wad over the beach access vote. Here's their logic - closing the beaches for private developers' use would increase property values. So, people jetting in could use the beaches. What about the locals, living on the island? Who cares about their property values or their ability to use the beach. It's the big guys with their big swaths of land that are important.

Others, i.e. those whose panties are neatly worn, blame the economy for falling prices. What about hurricane threats and sky rocketing insurance prices?

Houston has a new mayor!

What's such a big deal about that?

Annise Danette Parker was elected mayor of Houston on Saturday, winning her seventh consecutive city election and becoming both the first contender in a generation to defeat the hand-picked candidate of Houston's business establishment and the first openly gay person to lead a major U.S. city.

Beat the business establishment candidate. I like the way the Houston Chronicle emphasized that. First openly gay candidate to lead a MAJOR U.S. city. Even the New York Times and CNN noticed that.

For U.S. civil rights? One step forward after a few steps back. Progress is slow, but on going. For government for the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE? One step forward after many, many steps back.

As for the loser, what's his name?

In the last two weeks of the hard-fought campaign, several mailings — one of them funded to the tune of $40,000 by candidate Gene Locke's finance chairman and another finance committee member — urged voters to choose Locke because Annise Parker is a lesbian.

Parker hit back with two tough mailings attacking Locke for his history as a lawyer and a lobbyist.

That's the ticket, Locke. Gay bash. I hope you are completely finished in politics. No Democrat should ever look at you or your team again.

LUPE inspired immigration bill to be introduced

Congressman Luis Gutierrez’s eagerly awaited comprehensive immigration reform bill will be introduced next Tuesday.

The news was immediately welcome by Rio Grande Valley immigrants’ rights group La Unión del Pueblo Entero, which holds a meeting on the issue in Mercedes this evening.

“We are pleased and encouraged to hear that Congressman Gutierrez will be introducing his Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill next week. The people of South Texas know how important immigration reform is and they have been working for comprehensive reform for almost a decade,” said LUPE Director Juanita Valdez-Cox.

Last month, dozens of LUPE members assembled in Alton, Las Milpas, Mercedes and San Juan to participate in a nationwide teleconference with Gutierrez, a Democrat from Illinois.

TWIA upset that customers hired a lawyer

That lawyer will be - gasp - paid. Republicans do not want citizens to be able to use the courts to redress wrongs. Corporate greed is great. Lawyer fees are an abomination.

Under fire for how it handled Hurricane Ike claims, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association sent a letter to lawmakers this week criticizing lawyers suing the association on behalf of homeowners.

“These law firms stand to make huge profits if they are successful in these lawsuits, and some are using every means possible to influence public opinion,” Jim Oliver, general manager of the windstorm insurer, wrote in a letter to members of the Windstorm Insurance Legislative Oversight Committee.

Huge profits are reserved for greedy insurance executives.

If you thought corporations have too much control over politics, wait till the drug cartels buy in

I am very disgusted with politics in the US today. All of the Republicans and some of the Democrats are completely enthralled by corporate interests. Look at the care the US Senate is taking to ensure health care for Americans means profit for the insurance and drug industry. But, there's a new threat to citizens on the horizon.

Mexican drug cartels are helping elect and influence politicians in U.S. communities to advance their criminal activities, an expert on international gangs alleged.

Richard Valdemar, a retired California law enforcement officer, said authorities in California gathered intelligence showing that the cartels are corrupting American politicians to gain a foothold in the Southwestern United States.

It is past time to legalize drugs. Take the incentive away. Now.

18 year old gets 8 years for graffiti

8 years for an 18 year old? The kid obviously needed a shock, but 8 years?

Sebastion Perez, 18, pleaded guilty to three graffiti charges along with possession of marijuana, all state jail felonies.

State District Judge Marisela Saldaña sentenced him to the maximum two years in a state jail on each count. He broke into loud sobs when the judge announced her decision to stack the sentences.

What is the good of this prison sentence? Will Perez get his high school diploma? Will he come out a changed man for the better? Or, will he become a hardened criminal?

Take LCS Corrections 3 weeks to notice missing prisoner

Who thought out sourcing prisons was a good idea?

A convicted sex offender has been missing from a Robstown lockup since Nov. 19, unknown to the prison’s officials until Thursday.

Officials at the Coastal Bend Detention Center discovered that they inadvertently released Mario Estrada Martinez, 31, an undocumented immigrant from Matamoros, Mexico, who most recently was arrested for illegal re-entry.

He was being held at the Robstown facility, owned by Lafayette, La.-based LCS Corrections, awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to illegal re-entry to the U.S., a felony, U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack said Friday afternoon.

Protests against GEO Group

About 20 human rights activists gathered outside the New Braunfels office of a private prison-management company on Thursday to demand that it improve conditions at the Reeves County Detention Center.

Grasping fake black coffins and shouting for the closure of the detention center in Pecos, the protesters garnered attention in the form of honks from drivers passing by the front of the GEO Group Inc.’s central regional headquarters in the 1500 block of Common Street.

UT Austin honors Irma Rangel

Irma Lerma Rangel, the first Mexican American woman elected to the Texas House of Representatives and the author of the Top Ten Percent law, is now part of the history of Texas’ flagship university.

This past legislative session, state Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, D-Laredo, vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, sponsored a ‘rider’ in the state budget that named the public policy institute, clinics, and research fellowships within the Department of Government at UT-Austin in honor of Rangel, who died in March 2003 after a battle with cancer.

Texas School Business magazine awards PSJA bilungual program bragging rights

The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district’s bilingual education program — the only one of its kind in the Rio Grande Valley — has received statewide recognition.

Texas School Business magazine highlighted the program among 12 initiatives throughout the state in its third-annual special edition called “Bragging Rights.”

The school district began its dual education program 13 years ago so that its students would become fluent in speaking, reading and writing English and Spanish.

Trial to start for judge accused of soliciting sex for case dismissal

Jury selection is set to begin on Friday for next week's trial of Harris County Criminal Court-at-Law Judge Don Jackson, who is accused of offering to help a drunken-driving defendant in his court get her case dismissed in exchange for a sexual relationship.

The Criminal Court No. 3 judge is charged with official oppression, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $4,000 fine if convicted.

Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan scr*ws the pooch

The state comptroller's office says about 7,000 investors left the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan since August, when the state announced a now-defunct plan to cut refunds.

Republicans smile. They don't like public investment into the welling being of those less fortunate.

Will Texas have the good sense to fix this problem? Only if the batsh*t crazy crowd isn't in control.

Finally. Asarco to clean up a little bit of its mess.

Environmental settlements with copper miner Asarco LLC will pay for cleanup at 80 polluted sites in 19 states, mostly in the West, U.S. Justice Department officials said Thursday.

Asarco, based in Tucson, paid $1.79 billion to settle environmental claims it faced during the company's bankruptcy proceedings. The mining company emerged Wednesday from four years of bankruptcy reorganization after being purchased by Mexico City-based Grupo Mexico SAB, and all the settlements were funded.

Port of Corpus Christi screws railroads. Again.

The Port of Corpus Christi won’t be forced into arbitration with two railroads upset over its demolition of the Tule Lake Lift Bridge.

Lookout for stolen Utah dildos in Corpus Christi

Utah has stores that sell dildos?

A man wanted on a felony warrant in connection with a sex novelty store robbery in Utah may be staying with family in the Corpus Christi area, according to a U.S. Marshals news release.

Paul Rivera, 27, is among Utah’s most wanted in connection with a September 2, 2008, robbery in Clearfield City.

A guy who robbed a sex novelty store is among Utah's most wanted? What about the perpetrators of violent crimes? Does Utah place a high value on sex toy theft? Just asking.

Why is life for young US Hispanics harder?

Latinos believe education and hard work are key to a successful future, but they are more likely than other young people to drop out of school and live in poverty, according to a new Pew Hispanic Center study being released today.

The study, based on a survey of more than 1,200 Latinos ages 16 to 25 and an analysis of census data, presents a portrait of the assimilation of a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population, one that will have a significant effect on the nation's politics and economics in coming years. Young Latinos make up 18% of all young people in the nation and 42% in California.

About one-third of young Latinos are immigrants, but two-thirds are born in the U.S. Many are the children of immigrants who began arriving in the U.S. in 1965.

"If you want to understand what America is going to be like in the 21st century, you need to have understanding of how today's young Latinos, most of whom are not immigrants, will grow up," said Paul Taylor, director of the Pew Hispanic Center. "Never before in this nation's history has a minority ethnic group made up so large a share of the youngest Americans."

Good riddance to Cynthia Dunbar

Cynthia Dunbar will not seek a second term on the State Board of Education next year, fellow board member David Bradley confirmed Wednesday.

Dunbar, a Republican from Richmond whose expansive district includes northern Travis County, did not return phone calls seeking comment, but she said in an e-mail to the American-Statesman that she would provide a statement on her plans later.

I hope she plans to crawl back under that rock she came from.

See previous posts.

CPS Energy board chair cries doom on her way out the door

Outgoing CPS Energy Chairwoman Aurora Geis said Wednesday she doesn't think the public grasps the utility's financial straits, which could result in rate increases totaling 40 percent over the next decade.

With that in mind, she said the experience of a top-notch, seasoned business leader will be critical to help steer the city-owned utility through its financial difficulties.

She said she's willing to step down quickly if such a person can be tapped as her replacement.

What did you do to fix that, Aurora?

See previous posts.

LUPE wants to set the tone for immigration reform

Smart move. Get ahead of the batsh*t crazy crowd.

La Unión del Pueblo Entero is reaching out to businesses, the health and education professions, and churches in order to build broad support for comprehensive immigration reform across the Rio Grande Valley.

The community group, which grew out of the farm workers’ movement, is hosting a meeting on the issue at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, at its Mercedes office. The address is 1225 N. FM491, Mercedes.

“Immigration issues affect not only the undocumented but the whole community,” said LUPE Director Juanita Valdez-Cox, explaining that her group needs voices from all sectors of society in order to help get comprehensive immigration passed by Congress.

Chemical plant explosion endangers residents

Several North Galveston County communities were under shelter-in-place orders for more than two hours Wednesday after a chemical plant explosion at the Bayport port terminal near Seabrook.

At one point, six communities and three school districts were ordered to shelter-in-place in the most widespread chemical emergency order issued in the county in two decades.

Cronies needn't worry. The Obama administration doesn't care any more than the Bush one did.

Explosions at two Houston-area industrial plants in the last week, including Wednesday's chemical plant blast in Seabrook, killed one person and injured four others, but the federal agency charged with investigating such incidents won't probe either one, federal officials confirmed Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Citgo is bad enough to require a little attention.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board on Wednesday made “urgent” safety recommendations to Citgo Petroleum Corp. as part of an ongoing investigation into an explosion and fire at the company's Corpus Christi oil refinery in July.

Corpus Christi RTA board member awards himself a contract

Neat trick.

The city’s Regional Transportation Authority last week awarded a contract to one of its own board members. According to the RTA’s code of ethics, there’s nothing wrong with that action. The code allows board members and their companies or organizations to bid on RTA contracts so long as they fill out disclosure forms and don’t participate in discussions about or votes related to the bids.

To us, though, the contract has the distinct appearance of a conflict of interest. Two RTA board members, Connie Scott and John Longoria, saw it that way as well. They voted against the contract awarded to Ram-Bro Construction, whose president is Ricardo Ramon, a member of the RTA board.

Poor Fil Vela. Poor Tokyo Rose.

Oh, woe is them. The self-serving, back stabbing, former-Democrats-turned-Republican pair are hurting.

When Corpus Christi Judge Rose Vela was looking for an appointment to the Texas Supreme Court, her husband turned to a longtime friend and ally of Gov. Rick Perry — Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos.

But Filemon “Fil” Vela said he was dismayed by what Cascos told him: He needed to publicly disavow his support of Perry’s rival Kay Bailey Hutchison, get on the Perry re-election bandwagon, and give the governor some campaign money in order for his wife to even be considered for the appointment.

Republicans are all about the power and the cronies. Nice crowd you chose.

Fired Brownsville ISD super fights on

Former superintendent Hector Gonzales has put the Brownsville Independent School District on notice that he will not go quietly.

Gonzales, appearing during the public comment period of Tuesday night’s BISD Board of Trustees meeting, contended he had done nothing wrong and said he is appealing Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott’s rejection of his appeal.

Brownsville ISD yields to sunshine

The Brownsville Independent School District dropped its opposition Tuesday night to releasing two reports critical of Athletic Director Joe Rodriguez.

The reports concern alleged improprieties during a scholarship golf tournament run by Rodriguez. The Brownsville Herald is seeking the two reports through an open records request filed Jan. 27. The Attorney General’s office later granted the request and ordered BISD to release the reports. BISD then filed a lawsuit in Travis County seeking to force the AG’s office to keep the documents confidential.

Maybe shielding the coach wasn't a great idea.

Bill Miller fined for stripping trees

What does it feel like to be above the law?

A property owner has stripped trees from one corner of Bulverde's most prominent intersection, U.S. 281 and Texas 46, and the city is accusing Balous Miller of violating the tree-preservation ordinance by partially clearing the land.

Last month, Bulverde issued a citation and $2,000 fine to Miller, who is president of Bill Miller Bar-B-Q.

CPS chair Geis to resign

Chalk one up to San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro.

After weeks of pressure from the mayor and others, the chairwoman of CPS Energy's Board of Trustees agreed Tuesday to resign.

Aurora Geis said she would leave as soon as the board chooses her successor.

Apparently, the city leaders don't like to be mislead about the costs of a nuclear power plant.

Windstorm association board gets 5 new members

Since the same old crony loving Republicans are appointing the board, who in their right mind expects there to be a difference.

The state's insurance commissioner appointed a majority of new members Tuesday to the board of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, which has come under scrutiny for how it handled claims from Hurricane Ike.

Lawmakers tasked Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin with appointing a new board as part of House Bill 4409, which changed the board's composition to include more representatives from coastal counties.

HFD has some captains who don't like women

Why are they employed with HFD? How can they be captains with that attitude?

The $190,000 review by two law firms included interviews with 112 HFD firefighters as part of an examination of the department's employment practices. Of the 112, 22 were women. Their comments varied, with more than half of the women reporting positive experiences, which they attributed to luck or “good fortune of working with excellent captains.”

“Several women who reported disparate treatment due to their gender, reported that some captains who do not like women in the Department have made it difficult for women ... ” the report said.

Pssst. Promoting a hostile work environment is against the law. Surprise. Some of these 'captains' don't like blacks, either.

“Several black firefighters indicated that there are certain stations that blacks and women are not welcome at and there are others that are ‘dumping grounds' for minorities,” the report stated.

Training is needed, but why aren't some of these 'captains' fired?

Some focus on immigration reform

The time has come for the U.S. government to focus on other aspects of immigration besides enforcement, a panel of national security and law- enforcement experts said Tuesday.

"While we have made unprecedented investments in security at the border, more enforcement resources alone will not make us more secure," said James W. Zig lar, ex-commissioner of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service and a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute.

"We must find a pragmatic way to prevent future unlawful immigration and deal with the existing undocumented population already here by enacting comprehensive immigration reform."

You can't fight entropy.