Some suggestions for HFD on handling harassment

Racist graffiti, threats, profanity and a noose hanging in a locker; claims of harassment and a culture of accepted sexism, evidenced in part by a topless female firefighter posing in panties on a widely distributed calendar.

For the past year, the Houston Fire Department has been beset by inner turmoil, with critics pointing to problems within the management structure, one they say has become lax in disciplining workplace offenders and has let power shift from downtown to the fire stations.

The result, the critics say, creates an environment in which employees believe bad behavior will not be noticed on Dart Street, where the downtown command staff is headquartered.

Apparently, it is up to the local fire captain to set the tone. Here's an idea. Change that. Insist on a reasonable work environment for all employees. No exceptions. Here's another idea. Get rid of the few fire captains who enabled racism and sexism. And, do it with as much fanfare as you can.

Mayor Parker and Chief Flanagan are on their way to providing a non discriminatory workplace. It will take diligence, years and hard work to get there. You can't just say you're going to do it.

El Paso County Attorney candidate may be sanctioned

County attorney candidate Theresa Caballero could face sanctions from a federal judge after she missed a deadline on an appeal for a client she was representing.

According to court documents dated Jan. 6, Caballero was supposed to have ordered transcripts and made financial arrangements with the court reporter by Jan. 21 to process the appeal.

Caballero filed the paperwork four days late.

Mary Frances Yeager, deputy clerk in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said despite that, the filing would be considered timely.

Maybe no big deal. For the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 4 days late is timely. Tell that to my local library.

Yeager said Caballero has already been removed as counsel for Villa-Campos, who was convicted on illegal re-entry charges in 2009. She said Jones would review Caballero's written explanation as to why the deadline wasn't met.

Meanwhile, Anthony Cobos is heavily tipping his thumb on the scale for Caballero by throwing charges against her Democratic primary opponent.

[Cobos is] trying his best to muddy the upcoming elections, most recently Wednesday by filing a sheriff's complaint against Commissioner Veronica Escobar alleging conflict of interest when she voted to settle a 2007 lawsuit against the county for $40,000.

Also, Cobos said he believes Escobar voted in favor of appointing the current county attorney, Jo Anne Bernal, in exchange for hiring her former campaign treasurer.

Speaking of hiring, Cobos has a rather inglorious record, having hired Travis Ketner as chief of staff. Ketner later resigned and pleaded guilty to public corruption charges. Then Democrat Cobos hired Jaime O. Perez as chief of staff. Perez is now running for Congress as a Republican.

Escobar had it right when she said Cobos is resurrecting old issues to try to help candidates he supports in the March primary.

El Paso Times questions large campaign donation from law firm employee to judge

The employee is the judge's son, but the son probably cannot afford such a donation on his salary.

A judge accepts a $17,000 campaign contribution from his son, a low-tier employee in a law office. The amount and the circumstance may raise eyebrows, but the donation is permissible under the law, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.

Ricardo Herrera, judge of County Court-at-Law No. 1, reported the contribution this month. He said his son, Michael Herrera, made the five-figure donation.

Michael Herrera is a "runner" for attorney Joseph "Sib" Abraham Jr. People working as office runners typically make about $10 an hour and work part time, attorneys say.

Consider my eyebrows raised.

Corpus Christi Caller Times whines about Perry diss

Gov. Rick Perry made it known this past week that he had decided not to meet with newspaper editorial boards to seek their endorsement. Such meetings are not the best use of his time, he says: “In the final weeks of the campaign, a better use of the governor’s time is to continue traveling the state talking to Texans about the issues that are important to them.” (Austin American Statesman, Jan. 25)

Implying that newspapers don't 'talk to Texans about the issues that are important to them'. Or, Perry knows Kay Bailey will kick his a**.

In any case, the Caller Times disagrees about voter impact. I for one, don't usually care what the Caller Times editorial staff thinks. Newspaper editorials have to be weighed in light of past performance. The Caller Times seems to have favorites and the unfavored. Anybody who lived through the days when a Jaime Capelo story made it on the front page above the fold every day knows what I mean.

Trail Blazers wonders why Jeb and Daddy Bush visited Obama yesterday

I do, too. I sincerely hope Obama is not going to give Jeb a leg up for a White House run.

Houston Chronicle headline on GOP governor's debate captures GOP perfectly

'Many attacks, but few suggestions'

The party of 'No' is the party of 'No' in Texas, too. Solutions to problems aren't on the GOP radar. Ideology for ideology's sake cloaks the drive for power for power's sake.

Judge Criss gets in fight with BP plantiff's attorney

Hmmm. Never a good idea to fight with the judge in a courtroom.

An attorney who represented 22 plaintiffs in the deadly 2005 explosions at BP’s Texas City refinery is the subject of a court proceeding that could lead to contempt charges on grounds of barratry, a judge said Friday.

Judge Susan Criss, of Galveston’s 212th District Court, ordered Los Angeles attorney Danilo J. Becerra to appear in her court to produce documents related to his expenses associated with the trials. Becerra, who has not been found to have committed any wrongdoing, was a no-show, Criss said.

El Paso Electric in fight over franchise fees

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission this week issued an order requiring El Paso Electric to halt the collection of franchise fees from Doña Ana and Otero counties.

Did Obama adequately cover Latino issues in his address?

The William C. Velasquez Institute doesn't think so.

[Antonio] Gonzalez, president of the nonpartisan William C. Velasquez Institute, made the comments at the start of the fourth annual National Latino Congreso at the Camino Real Hotel.

The congreso is seeking to highlight issues of importance to Latinos, including immigration reform, the economy and participation in the 2010 Census. Some groups want Latinos to boycott the census as a protest against the government they believe is ignoring their needs.

How do you have a gunfight at the capitol if they won't let you have guns?

That's Republican logic for you. Everybody wants to pretend to be Ronald Reagan pretending to be John Wayne pretending to be a hero.

One week after a man opened fire with a pistol outside the Texas Capitol's south entrance, legislative leaders took a possible first step toward beefing up security at the storied landmark with checkpoints and more surveillance cameras.

...

One possible sticking point: how to allow Texans with concealed-weapons permits to get through security with their guns. Perry, Dewhurst and Straus probably will make the final decision.

You have got to be kidding. How to allow Texans with concealed-weapons permits to get through security with their guns? Really?

Would you like to breathe the air next to a metal shredder?

A $4 million scrap metal shredder at Wilkinson Iron & Metal has students and staff at Victoria Heights Elementary wondering whether the air they breathe is safe.

Victoria Heights, at 2801 E. 13th St., sits just behind Wilkinson Iron & Metal, 3145 E. 14th St. When the wind is blowing just right, a metallic, electrical-smelling fine mist wafts over the school, which has been there since 1926. Wilkinson has had a certificate of occupancy since 1966, and has been in the scrap metal business at other locations since the 1920s, owner Jim Wilkinson said. The area is zoned industrial.

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

'Grand jury indicts police officer on indecency'

A grand jury on Thursday indicted a Corpus Christi police officer on allegations he molested a 15-year-old girl last year.

Julian Vasquez III, 46, was indicted on three counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact, according to online court records.

I'll bet Vasquez I and II are so proud.

Texas Congressional Republicans say up is down

'Three GOP Texans say Obama unlikely to take bipartisan steps toward center' Blah blah.

This is rich. After Barack Obama repeatedly tried to work with Republicans on health care reform only to be stabbed in the back again and again. After Newt Gingrich started a partisan first and only methodology for Republicans where citizen problems are of no consequence unless solving them happens to coincide with furthering a Republican partisan agenda. Republicans don't care about promoting the public welfare. Nope. Got a problem? Deal with it yourself. Republicans are all about promoting themselves.

El Paso County Judge continues his fight with fellow commissioner

El Paso County Judge Anthony Cobos is accusing a political foe and fellow county commissioner [Veronica Escobar] of trading a vote for free legal help.

See previous posts.

The Corpus Christi Caller Times pimps out to builders

How could anyone who's paid any attention at all want to force home owners into the builder's arbitration scheme to resolve issues? San Antonio residents who have seen their new homes crack and slide, because of a non-permitted and failing retaining wall were shocked to find themselves in arbitration with their builder.

The Caller Times gives space to the local chair of the 'lets screw every consumer every way we can group' otherwise called 'Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse'. In their definition, lawsuit abuse occurs when a consumer holds a bad company accountable for damage they have causes.

Republicans love their cronies and don't give a cr*p about regular citizens' troubles. 'Tort reform' to them is just dandy.

Cameron County Judge's race hot topic for Democratic primary

But this time, [Eddie Treviño Jr.], Brownsville’s former mayor, and [John] Wood, Cameron County’s Pct. 2 county commissioner and former city commissioner, square off against each other for the Democratic Party’s nomination for county judge in March.

The third candidate on the Democratic Party ballot is community activist Rebecca Gomez.

Perry uses his slush fund to reward cronies

'Cause that's what crony loving Republicans do.

Gov. Rick Perry's office revealed Tuesday that it changed 11 Texas Enterprise Fund contracts with companies receiving taxpayer-funded grants for creating jobs, making the deals more favorable for the firms.

Of course, he did. Meanwhile, Texas families are starving, because Perry's administration can't fulfill their obligations to deliver food stamps.

Texas slapped with suit again for delaying food stamps

Republicans don't care about starving families. Republicans care about their cronies.

The Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid says a delay in food stamp processing across south Texas is getting out hand.

Higher unemployment and under-employment rates, making for big headaches at the food stamp office as people rush to get assistance; but the Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid says there are many kinks in the system that need to be taken care of and fast.

See previous posts.

Sex talk trustee may be fired from Hitchcock school board

Fallout from a school trustee’s sex talk with a group of fifth- through eighth-grade girls two weeks ago continues even as the trustee pledged to apologize to students this week.

Shirley Price said once she apologizes to the students she is done with the issue. Her fellow board members, however, might have other plans, including possibly forcing the embattled trustee off the school board.

See previous posts.

Headlines that make you go 'duh'

'Wrongful arrest disrupts man's life'

How many people are going to welcome an 8 day stay at the local pokey?

Judge's law partner testifies against him

All the evidence against Manuel Barraza just keeps on piling up.

"On any old case, I was going to be paid half of the fee," [David] Biagas said. "But on new cases, I was going to get the full fee because by January he was going to be a judge and he was not supposed to get paid for being an attorney."

But, Biagas said, Barraza kept seeing clients at office even after he became a judge in January 2009. They continued to split client fees in January, February and March, Biagas said.

Brownsville ISD controversy maintained through suits

Carlos Quintanilla and Accion America on Monday filed an answer and counterclaim to the libel lawsuit against them by two members of the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees.

The document asserts some of the arguments made in defense of former BISD Superintendent Hector Gonzales during hearings last summer, as well as allegations concerning the third-party administrator for the district’s $40 million self-insured employee health plan.

BISD Trustees Ruben Cortez Jr. and Rick Zayas filed their lawsuit in December in 357th state District Court alleging libel and slander against Quintanilla, his Dallas-based Hispanic action group Accion America and the Web site Care Brownsville.

See previous posts.

UT wants TWO 4% tuition hikes

Republicans sure know how to destroy our basic government services, don't they.

The University of Texas is putting together a proposal for a 5 percent cut that could trim about $29 million from the state-funded portion of its budget.

Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus last week told state agencies, including higher education institutions, to submit budget-reduction plans by Feb. 15.

“It’s a sizable amount of money,” UT President William Powers Jr. said Monday during a meeting of the Faculty Council. “This is not good news.”

A public forum was scheduled Tuesday in Austin to discuss a proposed tuition increase of nearly 4 percent in each of the next two school years.

The hike wasn't enough. They want a services cut of 5%, too.

Manuel Barraza's trial continues with more salacious detail

What a dog.

Diana Rivas Valencia, the government's key witness in state judge Manuel Barraza's trial, testified Monday that he visited her in jail and asked her for money and women as payment for intervening in her cocaine case.

But under cross-examination, Rivas Valencia said she did not remember how much money Barraza wanted. She also said he never told her he would dismiss the charges against her.

"There was no guarantee," Rivas Valencia, 23, said while being questioned by Barraza's lead attorney, Mervyn Mosbacker.

How does the exact amount of money or a guarantee change anything?

Domestic Partner sign up in El Paso

Just 19 city employees signed up so their unmarried heterosexual or gay partners can receive taxpayer-funded health insurance benefits.

The cost will be $42,000 this year, said Irene Morales, a city employee who oversees insurance programs. The city had forecast that 45 employees would be eligible and that the benefit program would cost taxpayers between $128,000 and $287,000.

Apparently, some people think gays should go without families or the security of a health insurance plan.

Headlines about judges you don't want to see

'Judge returns to courtroom under shadow of bribery investigation' and 'Municipal judge released from psychiatric facility'

Hidalgo County’s Court-at-law No. 5 Judge Arnoldo Cantu heard 40 cases on his first day after all heck broke lose at his office.

The day marked the first time that Cantu has heard cases since FBI agents and sheriff’s deputies raided his office last week and arrested his primary and assistant court coordinators on bribery charges.

Brownsville Municipal Judge Phil Bellamy got arrested for disorderly conduct and terroristic threats for arguing with two Sam’s Club employees.

At the hearing, psychiatrists testified that Bellamy had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and described his refusal to take medications, "flight of ideas" and manic episodes of "grandiosity," in which Bellamy likened himself to fictional characters Spock and Spongebob.

Is something going on with the Duval Sheriff's forfeiture fund?

A 2005-2008 audit turned up a lot of irregularities in the Duval County Sheriff's Department Abandoned Vehicle Forfeiture Fund.

(A paid subscription is needed to read the story.)

It's Monday's TPA blog roundup!

The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates the city of New Orleans for its first Super Bowl as it provides an instant replay of its blog highlights for the week.

Something stinks about the recent TCEQ Barnett Shale air quality testing in Fort Worth and in Flower Mound. Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

Off the Kuff looked at a report on the economic impact of dropouts.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sympathizes with Lamar Smith's constituents who were told they must contact Smith's office if they want him to stop illegally calling their cellphones. Smith's breaking the law and his solution is to make his constituents ask him to stop.

At Texas Vox we're pleased as punch to see that Austin isn't alone in preparing for a clean energy future; Portland General Electric plans to shut down its coal plant by 2020!

WhosPlayin reposted a article from 2007 about the corporation: Don't hate the player, change the game, which is especially apropos this week.

A Republican in Democrats clothing tries to ride into office in Dallas County. SDEC members and precinct chairs say no way to this Eagle Forum darling at The Texas Cloverleaf.

Citizens of Texas say &^%$ Governor Perry! for screwing up the state after 10 years. Add your own!

WCNews at Eye On Williamson takes a glass half-full approach in analyzing the muffed election last week Let's HOPE it's seen as a wake up call.

Right-wing bloggers gathered in Austin to worship Rick Perry's pistol. Seriously. Read the entire revolting display of sycophancy at Brains and Eggs.

BossKitty at TruthHugger is continually amazed at general ignorance concerning the actual words in the US Constitution. Interpretations abound from the mouths of people who have never read the document, or do not comprehend the words in context. Embellishments and fantasy surrounding this document are spoken every day. What is especially disturbing is how these fantasies infiltrate America's politics. To be elected in some regions, a politician must fertilize the fantasy. Perspective must return to how Americans regard the Law of the Land. American Theocracy divorces US Constitution, promotes terrorism.

Over at TexasKaos, Boadicea offers a little not so subtle advise to Democrats who find themselves unmanned by the events of last week. She calls it .Dear Democrats: Balls.. Trust me, you will like the video she found to illustrate her point!

Neil at Texas Liberal made note of the fact that just two months remain before his tenth wedding anniversary. Neil is damned glad about his marriage. Neil is not certain he could advocate for liberal causes if he did not have such a solid personal relationship in his life to help him manage his frequent anger at the world. The personal and the private are often connected in many ways that we may not often consider.

GOP business leaders decide science is important to them

Who wants an employee who has no critical thinking skills?

The brouhaha over the teaching of evolution in the science curriculum caught the attention of some in the San Antonio business community, said Carri Baker Wells, chairwoman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

There was a concern that decisions were being made based on ideology rather than sound science, and that affects how prepared Texas students are to compete, said Wells, adding that the chamber does not endorse candidates.

Ken Mercer, the Republican incumbent, apparently wants a theocracy based on his religious beliefs. Business leaders who disagree are supporting Republican challenger, Tim Tuggey. Theocrats aren't always useful idiots for Republicans.

El Paso County judge questions possible quid pro quo

[El Paso County Judge Anthony] Cobos requested an item regarding Assistant County Attorney Michael Wyatt be added to today's commissioners' meeting agenda.

"It looks like the county attorney's office decided to hire Commissioner Veronica Escobar's campaign treasurer, and possibly in return, she (Escobar) agreed to vote for Jo Anne Bernal as the county attorney," Cobos said. "It's very concerning that was a possible understanding between Escobar and Bernal -- 'You hire my campaign treasurer and I'll support you for county attorney.' "

Cobos said he was especially concerned that Wyatt was hired during the county's hiring freeze.

...

[Former county attorney José] Rodríguez, who hired Wyatt last summer, said he suspects that Wyatt's hiring is being singled out by people who have injected themselves into this year's political campaigns.

Why is everyone out to get Veronica Escobar? Perhaps Cobbs doesn't want Escobar to replace him as County Judge.

El Paso students working to pay tuition have difficulties

More than two-thirds of El Pasoans quit college before they get their degrees, according to Census Bureau estimates.

Many of these are not the traditional students who enroll in four-year programs right after high school.

"Our students overwhelmingly work to pay tuition," said Richard Jarvis, chief academic officer of the University of Texas at El Paso.

The Department of Education tracked the progress of first-time, full-time students who entered in 2000. People in that category accounted for 56 percent of UTEP's student body.

Republicans don't understand that a public education helps all of a society.

How can you tell a corporatist Democrat from a Republican?

I really don't know. Can you tell me?

Perry hires felons to get out the vote

Gov. Rick Perry's campaign has unknowingly paid convicted felons as part-time workers under its incentive program to turn out voters for the Republican primary.

The campaign lists about 300 part-time workers on the financial disclosure forms it filed with the state, recruits under the "Perry Home Headquarters" program that pays people to get others to sign up as a Perry supporter and pledge to vote. A handful have criminal histories, a Dallas Morning News review shows.

The Austin American Statesman calls out Perry for rejecting education money on false principle

Whatever happened to local control in education?

That is the question many Texas school districts officials are asking in light of Gov. Rick Perry's decision to reject as much as $700 million in federal aid through the competitive Race to the Top grant program.

Perry scored political points in rebuffing federal grants with rules, he said, that would amount to a federal takeover of public schools. It is the kind of political rhetoric that resonates with Perry's GOP base.

But it is bunk.

Republicans don't want an educated public. They certainly don't want taxpayer money to fund education.

Lamar Smith could be fined for robo calling cellphones

U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, could face a fine that large [$2.31B] for making the calls to mobile devices. Smith, whose district extends into Travis County, drew attention last fall when automated calls he paid for started ringing cell phones throughout Central Texas. He said he had hired a company to make about 210,000 calls to constituents' wireless phones with a survey on health care reform and other issues.

Ooops, his bad. He didn't know he had to be aware of any laws let alone follow them. Just to prove this point, Smith's office turns his illegal activity into a problem for his angry constituents to deal with.

In the meantime, Smith's office has recommended that irritated receivers of robocalls should simply ask to have their numbers taken off the call list and said the congressman would be happy to comply.

His bad, but you have to fix it.

McAllen Monitor captures the absurdity of the Republican swagger

Why do all Republicans want to pretend to be Ronald Reagan pretending to be John Wayne who pretended to be a hero? Why is it all about the swagger and never about competently doing your job?

For the Republicans — led by frontrunners Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison — border security is an issue best addressed in Wild West iconography and a hard law-and-order stance. While they disagree on specific policy points, frontrunners Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison have thus far addressed the state’s growing undocumented immigrant population as a drain on state resources, a potential source of crime, and a threat to Texas workers.

Meanwhile,

In unveiling his own border policy plans last week, 2010 gubernatorial hopeful Farouk Shami, a Democrat, instead opted to don a conservative suit and tie.

Republicans prefer their own dream world to facing hard work and hard realities.

Houston loses bid to gain more revenue from web sales

Houston this week lost its bid to collect millions of dollars in hotel occupancy taxes from online travel sites.

Houston, like other cities around the country, sued Expedia, Priceline.com, Orbitz, Travelocity and other online booking companies, saying the city wasn't getting the full amount of taxes for each Houston hotel room booked.

Texas GOP loses a big money bag

Houston oilman Robert Adam Mosbacher, perhaps the Republican Party's greatest-ever fundraiser and a member of the cabinet of longtime friend President George H.W. Bush, died Sunday of pancreatic cancer. He was 82.

Can't say I appreciated his efforts.

Hitchock school board to review member's sex talk

The school board trustee whose motivational speech to a group of sixth- through eighth-grade girls turned into an explicit talk about sex, including descriptions on how to perform oral and anal sex, declined to comment on the controversy Saturday.

Shirley Price, who did offer apologies for her presentation at a school board meeting last week, did agree to address the issue in an interview with The Daily News on Monday.

Meanwhile, school officials are wrestling with what type of disciplinary action — if any — Price might face as a result of her presentation, which was supposed to be a motivational speech for upcoming state exams.

What on earth was she thinking. Was she on something?

Jury fines former DA Hissy Fit for using his office to punish his foes

Since DA Hissy Fit apparently has a temper problem, I'll bet he's really cranky now.

On one side was former Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra, who lost the [$335k] verdict. On the other was Gustavo Garza, who held the same job at one time but who was acting as an appointed special prosecutor investigating Guerra on various allegations, including that Guerra was abusing the grand jury process, when the arrests were made.

Co-plaintiffs Raymondville Police Chief Uvaldo Zamora and former Willacy County Sheriff's Chief Deputy David Martinez will share in the compensatory and punitive damage awards. The total hit to Guerra was expected to rise with the awarding of attorneys' fees, but after the trial he made it clear it was not over.

"I don't think that this verdict is going to stand," said Guerra, adding that he would file motions to overturn it and request a new trial.

Guerra isn't the only Texas DA facing scrutiny. The Dallas County DA's actions are questioned.

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins tried to stop an independent investigation into allegations of wrongdoing against constables by submitting secret grand jury testimony in a civil case, an unusual move questioned by some legal scholars.

Watkins took the controversial step during a politically charged dispute with the Commissioners Court late last year.

Shelby DA Lynda Russell is in civil rights trouble.

The federal civil rights lawsuit accuses Shelby County District Attorney Lynda K. Russell, Washington, and other Tenaha law enforcement officials of running a "stop and seize" practice. Motorists, most of them black and from out of state, were threatened with felony money laundering charges unless they signed over cash, cars, jewelry and other valuables, the suit alleges. When they signed the forfeiture documents, they were not charged with crimes.

Hitchcock school board member accused of giving explicit sex talk to girls

What was supposed to be a motivation speech to a collection of sixth- through eighth-grade girls at Crosby Middle School instead turned into an explicit sex talk, including descriptions on how to perform oral and anal sex, Hitchcock school officials said.

The motivational speaker turned out to be a Hitchcock school board member, Shirley Price.

Corpus Christi off benzene watch

The state, aka the Republican crony machine that cares not a whit about you, has decided not to watch benzene levels in Corpus Christi anymore.

Decreased levels led the agency to take Corpus Christi off the air pollution watch list. However, the effects of benzene on the community near the industrial corridor are still under investigation. Benzene is a known carcinogen found in some industrial emissions, car exhaust and cigarette smoke.

Suzie Canales, executive director of Citizens for Environmental Justice, which works with residential neighbors of industrial plants, doesn’t put much faith in the agency’s figures. She said stationary air monitors don’t show the true effects of pollution on residents and that the agency is ignoring evidence that Northside residents are exposed to high levels.

Breathe deep. Smile and enjoy those PR releases from the Republicans.

Bush and his consigliere endorse Hutchison

First, there was Bush fixer, James Baker, and now Papa. Who are the Bushes, again? Who cares what they think.

Fish kill at Lake Casa Blanca

“The cold weather dropped the temperature just enough that these fish which are actually tropical fish they cant sustain life.”

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

'Principal no stranger to cheating scandals' [The above headline appears on the front page on the online edition of the Houston Chronicle. The story headline differs.]

The Houston school district is investigating the former Key Middle School principal and several other employees accused of helping students cheat on state exams, misusing funds and abusing federal lunch rules.

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier announced on Thursday that he has asked the Texas Education Agency to conduct its own investigation into possible cheating at Key last school year. He also plans to share evidence with the Harris County District Attorney's Office about the alleged misuse of district money.

Judge continues suspension for Hockley County Sheriff

Amid some confusion in court, Lubbock Judge Blair Cherry ruled that former Hockley County Sheriff David Kinney's restraining order be removed, but he was compelled to remain under temporary suspension from office pending his trial in March.

...

[Christopher Dennis, the county attorney] filed a petition for Kinney's removal in August on the basis that Kinney showed "incompetence and misconduct" when he was unaware of his deputies' involvement in a methamphetamine ring, according to court documents.

Video shows judge Barraza taking payoff in his OFFICE

Couldn't Barraza have taken the money in a darkened garage?

Jurors on Thursday sat transfixed as they watched two videotapes of state judge Manuel Barraza accepting almost $5,000 in payoffs from the sister of a jail inmate facing drug charges.

The 2009 videos show Barraza, then a sitting judge, accepting the money while in his office on the 10th floor of the County Courthouse. The first payment was for $1,000 and the second for $3,800.

Prosecutors say these payments were illegal and prove that Barraza was a dishonest judge.

Donna school board member admits to felony in bibery case. Stays on board

George Hernandez plead guilty to a federal felony charge.

Hernandez told a U.S. district judge on Dec. 4 that he lied to federal agents investigating a bribes-for-votes scheme that governed the awarding of construction and repair contracts in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district.

Why won't he resign? Why can't he be removed?

"He had planned to resign," [his attorney, Aron Peña,] said. "He told the court he was going to resign. Whether he has done that depends on his discussions with the school district attorney."

Is he hoping to game the system?

More bad news for college students in Texas

Proposed 3.95 percent tuition hikes in 2010-11 and again in 2011-12 are needed to stave off further cuts to University of Texas programs and staff, according to recommendations by students, administrators and faculty that were presented at a public forum Wednesday evening.

The nine-member Tuition Policy Advisory Committee wrote in a December report that without the increases in tuition and fees, UT would have to cut at least $17.3 million from its budget during the 2010-11 school year and $14. 2 million in 2011-12.

Republicans don't like public education.

FBI looking into harassment incident at HFD

The HFD PR machine tried to blame the victims.

The Houston Police Department investigation into a July incident in which racist and sexist graffiti was scrawled all over the women’s dormitory in a northwest Houston fire station is under review by the FBI, Mayor Annise Parker said Wednesday.

Also Wednesday, the lead investigator in the city probe revealed that the two women who reported the incident are not suspects, contrary to rumors that developed when early aspects of the investigation became public last year.

...

The two women were ordered to give polygraphs and handwriting samples almost immediately. It was months before any of the male firefighters were asked to do the same.

Good riddance to the fire chief. Now, when are you going to get rid of the handful of fire captains who foster racism and sexism?

Did judge Barraza ask for 'buffet of women' in exchange for judicial favor?

All of their conversations were recorded, standard practice for calls placed by jail inmates. In a Dec. 4 phone call, Rivas Valencia asked [Francisca] Piedra to call her sister to find out whether [judge Manuel] Barraza was going to be able to help her. In that first conversation, the sister told Piedra and Rivas Valencia that Barraza said he would go talk to her in the jail.

At some time before Dec. 11, Barraza went to talk to Rivas Valencia at the jail, Piedra said.

"He said he wanted a buffet" of women in exchange for helping her, according to a taped call between Piedra and Rivas Valencia.

What a dog.

Corpus Christi city council saves programs from budget cuts

City staff might not be so lucky.

The city’s recycling program, street maintenance budget and senior centers should be saved from budget cuts, the City Council decided Tuesday.

It’s not clear how the city will meet an expected $6.6 million budget shortfall without cutting those costs.

Cameron County commissioners continue fight with the DA

I wonder who's paying the legal tab?

Legal counsel for the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court and its legal division late Tuesday filed a notice of appeal with the appellate court in Corpus Christi, requesting the court to overturn a temporary injunction issued this week that allows the DA’s office to represent the Commissioners’ Court on legal issues.

The notice was filed shortly after Hidalgo County state District Judge Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. issued the temporary injunction Tuesday afternoon. The ruling means that beginning this past Wednesday the DA’s office is the legal counsel for the court until a lawsuit the DA filed against the Commissioners’ Court and its legal division is resolved, District Attorney Armando R. Villalobos said.

Fellow judge dispenses crony justice to Sharon Keller

Being a crony Republican means you never have to say you're sorry. Or, be held accountable for your crimes.

Sharon Keller, the controversial chief judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, has escaped yet another controversy.

I'm confident more will come.

Based on four days of testimony last August, San Antonio District Judge David Berchelmann filed a “findings of fact” that was highly critical of Keller but wrote that she should not be removed from office or formally reprimanded for her unseemly behavior in a 2007 death penalty case.

Amarillo pastor wants a boycott of Houston for electing Annise Parker

Psst, Prop 8 trial lawyers. Yes, there is still an enormous amount of prejudice out there. Here's a case in point.

David Grisham of Amarillo doesn't like Houston electing a gay mayor or Planned Parenthood's plans to open a big facility here.

Mauricio Celis wants to go to Mexico

I'll bet he does. Why isn't he in jail?

A judge has decided that a former law firm operator convicted last year of posing as a lawyer won’t be allowed to travel to Mexico.

Mauricio Celis asked visiting District Judge Richard Terrell to amend his bond conditions to allow him to travel out of the country for business.

Del Mar to make it harder to go to school

Del Mar College Regents could increase student tuition and fees by 12 percent to avoid eliminating college services after the state warned of possible funding cuts.

At a workshop Monday, regents discussed increasing its tuition from $38 per semester hour to $42. Building and general fees both would increase from $10 to $12 per semester credit hour, and a flat instructional support fee would rise from $50 to $58. Under the proposed plan, an in-district, full-time student who takes 12 hours would pay $977 for tuition and fees compared with $873 this semester.

What are you going to do when Republicans in Texas hate public education?

San Benito mayor thrown out for back taxes

Mayor Joe Hernandez stepped down from office Tuesday after city commissioners declared that he had forfeited his seat because he owed back taxes.

Fired BISD superintendent wants housing job

A job opening for executive director of the Brownsville Housing Authority that could carry a salary-tag of $110,000 — although it’s negotiable — attracted applicants in droves, including former BISD Superintendent Hector Gonzales.

Fifteen persons applied for the top administrative position left vacant when Esiquio "Zeke" Luna Jr. left the post last year.

See previous posts.

Hidalgo judge says Cameron County DA gets his way. For now.

Hidalgo County State District Judge Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. has issued a temporary injunction that allows the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office authority to represent the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court on legal issues.

Rodriguez issued the temporary injunction Tuesday afternoon, which means the district attorney’s office starting today will be the legal counsel for the court until a lawsuit the DA filed against the Commissioners’ Court and its legal division is decided, Villalobos said Tuesday.

What Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts says

Got to admit I was wrong about the GOP being dead, dead, dead. The brand isn't healthy, but Democrats haven't stepped up to do what is right either. Look at the health care bill with mandates and no public option. Corporate lobbyists are still ruling Washington.

People are mad, because incumbents are not solving problems. Politicians are promoting their own and their cronies' interests. Switching out the war mongering, theocracy loving Bush crowd for the 'go along to get along' set hasn't made enough difference so far.

Make no mistake. I think every currently elected Republican is as bad as it gets. The problem is, there are too many Democrats who are bad, too - Max Baucus, Blanche Lincoln, Mary Landrieu, and Joe Lieberman. There are lots of great Democrats like Al Franken, Tom Harkin, Amy Klobuchar, and Sheldon Whitehouse.

Here's the solution: Elect better Democrats.

Study finds air pollution makes some kids too sick for school

Children in Texas are more likely to miss school when certain types of air pollution increase — even when the levels are below the limit set by the federal government, a new study says.

The research also shows that absences decrease significantly when pollution decreases.

Texas children show up the EPA with their little lungs. Nice. Lets get rid of the Bush era dismantling of government for the benefit of cronies and return to promoting the general welfare.

Carla Vela is a blithering idiot to run for County Clerk

After absolving herself of any responsibility in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds while she was Bexar County Democratic chair, Carla Vela blithely explains why she's running for County Clerk. Apparently, she is running on an incompetent, stupid platform. And, that's only if she was merely incompetent and stupid.

Noting the county clerk's position requires organizational skills and the careful maintenance of records, [Democratic primary opponent Tim] Ybarra questioned Vela's credentials.

“If you can't handle a Democratic Party position,” Ybarra asked, “how are you going to handle more than 200 employees in the county clerk's office?”

Good question. Bexar County Democrats would be wise to vote for either Tim Ybarra or Rachel Barrios-Van Os.

No racist, sexist fire chiefs in Houston

Houston Fire Chief Phil Boriskie is stepping aside effective Friday and returning to the firehouse, he said today.

And well he should. Boriskie presided over a goat f*ck of whistleblower Jane Draycott when she returned to work.

"Based on the comments of the mayor and the nature of the situation, he had to make decisions," Trahan said. However, Parker today said she urged him to remain in his position but accepted his letter of resignation when he offered it.

Parker urged him to stay? Oh, please say that isn't so.

Will Camerson County DA's TRO against Cameron County stand up?

A ruling could possibly be issued today on the status of a temporary restraining order Cameron County District Attorney Armando R. Villalobos obtained against Cameron County Commissioners’ Court and its legal division.

Hidalgo County state District Judge Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. last week ordered the temporary restraining order to remain in place until 5 p.m. today, so he could continue to review motions in the case, in which Villalobos is trying to regain authority of the Commissioners’ Court legal division.

Why does the Dallas Morning News look to Phil Gramm for solutions when he was responsible for the mess?

Ronald Reagan and his conservative philosophy in action wrecked California's economy and the US's There is no way to run a government with basic services without taxes. Does anyone remember that at the end of Clinton's presidency we were worried that the federal deficit was dropping too low too fast?

Corporations allowed to run wild, will run ever wilder than one can imagine. Reagan and his chief implementer, Phil Gramm, made the corporate wet dream come true. Did everybody forget about Phil Gramm and Enron?

So, why are we getting this sh*t from the Dallas Morning News? 'As federal budget bleeds its reddest, deficit-reduction refrain of Gramm, others still heard' Oh, the Republicans love to rewrite history. Propganda is their life blood. Up is down. Black is white. We need to look to Phil Gramm for solutions.

Colonias will be counted in 2010 census

Lets hope it is so.

Non-profit groups that work in Rio Grande Valley colonias say they are determined that their communities will be counted in full under Census 2010.

“There is too much at stake for us not to be counted. Census 2010 provides a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to say we need housing, we need health care, we need education; we need attention on all of these issues,” said Lourdes Flores, community organizer for ARISE.

ARISE seeks to empower colonia residents in Alamo, Edinburg, and Las Milpas.

Why is the El Paso Electric Board primarily made up of nonresidents?

Who cares what the customers think.

Only two of El Paso Electric's 11-member board of directors live in the region, a fact that has caused concerns among city officials who are being asked to approve a rate increase for the utility this spring.

The board, which is charged with the governance of the electric company, has more members living in the Los Angeles area than in the region affected by the rate increase. There are no residential restrictions for board members of the privately operated utility.

Ok. I'm going to sound like an old Pace Picante commericial. Los Angeles?

Val Verde DA shuts out public defender's office

Why? Have the Bush years so tainted us that we think a defendant doesn't have the right to a fair trial?

[Executive director of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid Inc., David Hall,] also charged that the district attorney's office here has “for reasons I do not fully understand,” stopped allowing TRLA attorneys access to police reports and other documents, a process Hall called “informal discovery.”

'The district attorney's office closed its files to us, decided it wanted to go arm's length in the relationship and as a result, cases started piling up, particularly in the two district courts,” Hall said.

It's Monday blog roundup time!

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes you a happy MLK Day as it brings you this week's blog highlights.

Off the Kuff takes a look at some demographic trends in the Houston area.

Something STINKS about TCEQ's recent Fort Worth air study. Considering that the Barnett Shale has a staggering asthma rate of 25% compared to 7.1% statewide, TXsharon thinks it's time for an intervention in Texas. Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme, along with every other progressive, knows why Democrats are having a hard time. Even the Tea Party activists know that our country should not be run by corporate lobbyists.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson discusses the importance of the election this year, 2010 races loom large for 2011 legislative redistricting.

Mary Peters loves her some private toll roads which is understandable since her income depends on stupid people at TXDOT selling off our roads. McBlogger, understandably, has a problem with the fact that taxpayers have to get screwed for Mary and her masters to make money.

A few of PDiddie's friends around the state are taking a crack at public office this year. See who they are at Brains and Eggs.

Bay Area Houston notices What they didnt talk about at the Republican debates.

Neil at Texas Liberal updated his Martin Luther King Reading & Reference List for 2010. This list is the best such resource on the web.

MUD? FWSD? WTF? Developer welfare comes back into the light in Denton County, at the Texas Cloverleaf.

Victoria GOP in food fight

Tea Party activist, Libertarian, or real Republican?

A group of Victoria County residents is fielding 24 candidates for the primary in a grassroots effort to change local government.

"How do we do that?" asked Dale Zuck, a member of the group. "We are Republicans, and we have to change it within the party."

...

But Mary Anne Wyatt, the incumbent party chair, has a different view of the group's intention.

"In my opinion, they're really Libertarians looking for a place to exert their views," she said. "They know they can't elect candidates who run on a Libertarian ticket, so they're trying the next best thing."

The Republican party is re-aligning.

Al Hays said he was a longtime Republican Party precinct chair in the Houston area, cheerleading for Gov. Rick Perry and the state's GOP leadership.

No more.

On Saturday, Hays drove to Austin to join more than 600 fellow Texans at a grass-roots State's Rights Rally on the Capitol grounds that roused more than two hours of cheering as speaker after speaker charged up a take-back-our-country agenda.

Take back our country from what? A black man as president? Or, from the corporate lobbyists running Washington? Sounds like the former.

Manuel Barraza will stand trial Tuesday

Suspended state judge Manuel Barraza's public corruption trial will begin Tuesday -- a year and 19 days after he was sworn into office to preside over a drug court.

Federal prosecutors allege that Barraza sought money and sexual favors as bribes, including one from a female undercover FBI agent. He had been the judge of Criminal District Court No. 1 for just three months when federal agents arrested him on April 4.

UTB-TSC HR director fired after reporting time sheet irregularities

Seventeen months after the UTB-TSC director of human resources was fired, a lawsuit is pending and the position remains vacant.

Rene Coronado, a candidate for the Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees, has filed a lawsuit under the Texas Whistleblower’s Act against The University of Texas at Brownsville, alleging that he was fired in retaliation for reporting irregularities in employees’ timesheets.

Republicans are all about the propaganda. Just look at the SBOE.

When you don't have history on your side, just make it up and declare yourself exceptional.

Conservative rallying points like the Heritage Foundation, Moral Majority and National Rifle Association made it into a preliminary set of new curriculum standards for Texas public school students, but an effort to include other groups in the political arena — like ones that fight discrimination — failed Friday, causing some to question the effect of the partisan balance on the State Board of Education.

Hispanics? Don't exist. Isn't America all white? At least the ones that count are.

One by one, significant Latino figures were unceremoniously dumped from certain areas of the social studies curriculum that public school teachers will use starting in 2013. One of the more egregious of all: booting United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta from the third-grade curriculum as an example of a good citizen.

César Chávez is doubly taboo. Not only was Chávez Hispanic, he was - gasp - promoting worker rights.

Border lawmakers have expressed concern that the State Board of Education may omit the names of Hispanic and African American icons from school textbooks.

On Friday, the board of education put on hold its consideration of new social studies curriculum standards. A final vote could now come in May.

State Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen, has penned a letter to the SBOE urging the board to “respect the diverse history of our state and keep César Chávez, Thurgood Marshall and Irma Rangel in the curriculum.”

The world revolves around white Christians and the Texas State Board of Education wants all Texas school children to know that.

Race pandering, racism charges from Galveston City Council actions

[Galveston council member Elizabeth] Beeton — who along with council members Karen Mahoney and Susan Fennewald supported [public housing commissioner Commissioner Chula Ross] Sanchez — said she was shocked and disappointed that council members refused to support Sanchez.

“I don’t believe we’re hearing the honest reason as to why Chula is not being reappointed,” she said.

Beeton later said she thought [Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann] Thomas and [council member Danny] Weber had exploited racial tension in Galveston to cement an alliance with African-American council members [Linda] Colbert and [Tarris] Woods.

“There should have been a sign posted saying ‘White citizens need not apply,’” she said.

So NOW El Paso is looking into its medical examiner's credentials

The County Commissioners Court voted unanimously on Friday to direct the county's human resources department to verify Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Paul Shrode's credentials.

The county judge and commissioners reached the decision after meeting in closed session to discuss questions about Shrode's background and performance. The court held a special meeting Friday to discuss his annual review.

Don't most competent employers verify credentials BEFORE a person is employed?

See previous posts.

The Valley may be turning algae into biodiesel

The Lower Rio Grande Valley is sunshine-rich, a major factor behind Brad Bartilson’s decision to relocate to Brownsville from New Jersey. Bartilson is not working on his tan. He’s president and CEO of Photon8, a start-up company researching economically feasible methods for turning algae into biodiesel as an alternative to fossil fuel. For algae to produce the oily "lipids" required for biodiesel, it’s got to be bombarded by sunlight — lots of it.

Fight between Cameron County Commissioners and the DA continues in court

A temporary restraining order Cameron County District Attorney Armando R. Villalobos obtained against Cameron County Commissioners’ Court and its legal division will remain in place until Tuesday.

Hidalgo County State District Judge Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. made the ruling during a hearing on Friday so he could continue to review motions in the case, in which Villalobos is trying to regain authority of the Commissioners’ Court legal division.

Mayor Parker rips fire chief for harassing whistleblower

Way to go, Mayor Parker! See previous posts on HFD hostile work environment.

On the day that Houston firefighter Jane Draycott returned to Station 54 for the first time after accusing her colleagues of harassment, she was met by the fire chief, his command staff, a psychologist and at least a dozen coworkers for what the chief dubbed a “team building” session.

Instead, according to Draycott, it turned into an “insulting” and “demeaning” confrontation with her male peers that played out in front of the chief. On Thursday, Mayor Annise Parker called the episode a display of “poor judgment” on the part of Fire Chief Phil Boriskie and members of the command staff who were present.


...

“Why do you want to come back here when nobody wants you,” Draycott recalled the captain telling her in front of Boriskie and firefighters. “I had my hands over my face, bawling.”

Why are some fire captains allowed to be raging sexist a**holes?

Christopher Columbus and John Smith were early Americans?

What historical figures will be presented in which grade to Texas school children? The El Paso Times says 'Explorers Christopher Columbus and John Smith will help kindergarten students learn about the early Americans.'

Huh? What about all of those Indians whose ancestors came to America so many years earlier? Oh, yeah. They aren't from European stock. But, third graders will learn about Don Juan de Oñate.

In 1595 he was ordered by King Philip II to colonize the upper Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte) valley (explored in 1540 by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado). His stated objective was to spread Roman Catholicism and establish new missions.

...

Oñate soon gained a reputation as a stern ruler of both the Spanish colonists and the indigenous people. In October of 1598, a skirmish erupted when Oñate's occupying Spanish military demanded supplies from the Acoma tribe—demanding things essential to the Acoma surviving the winter. The Acoma resisted and 13 Spaniards were killed, amongst them Don Juan Oñate’s nephew. In 1599, Oñate retaliated; his soldiers killed 800 villagers. They enslaved the remaining 500 women and children, and by Don Juan’s decree,[2] they amputated the left foot of every Acoma man over the age of twenty-five. Eighty men had their left foot amputated. Other commentators put the figure of those mutilated at 24.[3]

School kids won't learn about civil rights leader, Dolores Huerta, until high school. Blood and guts for 8 year olds. Civil rights lessons for high schoolers.

I can hardly wait for the Texas State School Board's decisions.

Corpus Christi gets a TCEQ fine for wastewater leak

Ew.

$7,300, water violation, investigated April 20, for failure to prevent about 200 gallons of wastewater to discharge into a drainage ditch near Bill Witt Park, killing about 10 fish.

Bexar County's SAWS got a $46K fine for the same type of violation.

Sandra Watts shows up Marisela Saldaña

Saldaña tried to sentence an 18 year old graffiti offender to 8 years in jail. Instead of trying to change his life, Saldaña's sentence was a guaranteed destroyer. Sandra Watts takes a different approach.

A judge on Wednesday granted an admitted graffiti vandal the chance to avoid a felony conviction with a sentence that includes probation, some jail time and community service.

Have the graffiti offenders work hard cleaning up the mess.

Embezzler may have hit charter school chain

Leaders of KIPP San Antonio, a branch of one of the most successful charter school programs in the country, are reeling after learning a former employee may have embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from the school district's accounts.

According to KIPP board member Michele Brown, a member of the district's financial operation's team who was working from home last Thursday stopped returning phone calls and e-mail after 12 p.m.

HOA wants to limit beach access in Ike damaged neighborhood

Sands of Kahala Beach is the only association accused of demanding a fee, but at least two other homeowners associations are balking at signing releases that would allow about 20 buyouts to be completed.

The associations fear that the city could convert the vacant properties into parking lots or build bathrooms for the public beach. They want the city to guarantee that won't happen — in effect ruling out any expansion of beach access.

“Their motive is: It's a private neighborhood. They don't want people in their neighborhood,” said Hall, 49, who lives in Houston.

Municipal officials are trying to work out some sort of agreement with the associations, but the City Council has already ruled out restricting public access.

The rich love to have the sole benefit of public assets.

GOP governor's debate might be fun with Medina slapping Perry

But both candidates [Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison] — along with GOP activist and gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina — will aim to win over those voters during the debate. The event is organized by Dallas public television station KERA. It will be held before a live audience at the University of North Texas in Denton and broadcast statewide.

Check KERA or Texas Debates to view the debate.

Nueces County appraisal district wants to explain the $2.8M it kept

The Nueces County Appraisal District wants to hold what board member Bob Jones described as an open and frank discussion about how it set aside $2.8 million for a new building and what to do about taxing entities’ requests for refunds.

All taxing entities in the county will be invited, but the public may not be. An open-government advocate who is a lawyer says closing the meeting would be illegal.

They want to explain it. Just not to the public. Whaa?

Here's a headline you don't see every day

'Brownsville police arrest municipal judge'

Police arrested a Brownsville municipal judge accused of disorderly conduct at Sam’s Club and of making threats during a family disturbance, police records show.

Phillip Alan Bellamy, 44, was arrested Tuesday evening at approximately 7 p.m. outside the store and later charged with disorderly conduct and making terroristic threats, police jail records show.

Shouldn't you have a better temperament to be a judge?

Bushies to use Public TV to push the propaganda

The Bushies politicized everything for their own benefit. No Republican cares about promoting the general welfare, just promoting their own welfare.

Former President George W. Bush's policy institute will co-produce a weekly TV show that will air on public television and some cable stations starting in February, officials said Tuesday.

The program, called Ideas in Action, will be hosted by the head of Bush's think tank, James Glassman.

Let the legacy rebuilding begin. On your dime.

Perry to hurt school children to further his campaign

Nothing is more important to a Republican, than himself.

Continuing his yearlong fight against Washington, Gov. Rick Perry is expected to announce today that Texas is not expected to compete for a piece of a highly coveted $4 billion education grant program known as Race to the Top, the Statesman’s Kate Alexander reported late Tuesday.

Who wants an educated populace anyway. Texas Republicans like being at the bottom of the US barrel.

No Hill County Tea Party after all

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and a gaggle of high-profile conservative commentators won't be having a Hill Country tea party this month after all.

The National Conservative Symposium, which once promised to turn the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa into a three-day, tea-flavored cavalcade of “intense discussion, education and training,” was quietly canceled late last week by its sponsor, a local group called Tea Party Support.

That's ironic because the group's founder, Matt Perdue, splintered off from the San Antonio Tea Party back in the fall, saying he had misgivings about where its money was going. Now the primary planner for the event, Jennifer Ramirez-Jasiczek, has told potential participants she stopped working on it Jan. 1 because Perdue's group hadn't paid her.

Scott Stroud points out the public anger against corporate lobbyists running our country crosses party lines. I agree.

This headline sums up SBOE intent

'Textbooks may shed civil rights icons'

Being the social studies coordinator for a large district — La Joya has more than 27,000 enrolled students — with an overwhelming majority of its students being Hispanic, Ramirez said he’s concerned that any omission of the contributions made by Hispanics could send the wrong message to the children.

“Children get this false representation that they don’t count. (The TEKS revision conservatives propose) doesn’t reflect the reality,” he said.

The message from the SBOE conservatives is very clear: Only rich, white men are role models in Texas. No civil rights leaders, no civil rights for you.

Texas doesn't want the poor to have food

What about Texas Republican platform claiming the US is a Christian nation? Didn't Jesus talk a lot about the poor? Republicans are all about the hypocrisy. Religion for them is about power, not helping the poor.

Texas has the worst performing food stamp program in the nation, the federal director for food assistance told state officials here Tuesday.

It ranks last among the 50 states and U.S. territories in processing food stamp applications and also does a poor job getting eligible low-income people to apply, said Kevin Concannon, a U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary, in an earlier meeting with reporters.

And because Texas does not even come close to the national average in enrolling those eligible, grocery retailers like H-E-B and Randalls are missing out on nearly $1 billion a year in food sales, he said.

What do we worry about? H-E-B losing sales. People starving? Who cares.

Galveston commissioners fighting with constables

County commissioners will consider sending a letter asking county constables to limit their non-court activities and focus on serving legal papers for justices of the peace.

The letter, which warned constables not to issue equipment, including stun guns, without court approval, has some of the county’s eight constables saying the court is trying to limit their law enforcement capabilities.

Tea Party activists and Progressives have something big in common

Both sets of activists are upset with a corrupt, corporation run government. I see all of the current crop of elected Republicans as corporate puppets. A sizable number of elected Democrats are, too. There are enough corporate Democrats to tilt the balance of power in Washington to the greedy corporate b***t**ds.

Why can't we join together to have zero tolerance on corruption and zero tolerance for government run for corporations at the expense of the general welfare of American citizens?

Hell freezes over. An insurance company in Texas is cutting SOME rates

Some homeowners insured by Texas Farmers Insurance Co. will get a break on their rates.

The company agreed to reduce a 9.9 rate hike it filed in June to 4 percent, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.

Just joking. It isn't a rate cut like the headline promised. It's just a smaller shafting than they originally planned. Hell is still hot.

Judge's El Paso public corruption trial moves forward

The jurors chosen next week in suspended state judge Manuel Barraza's criminal trial will be kept under tight rein.

As long as the trial is ongoing, U.S. District Court Judge Frank Montalvo said he will not let the jurors' names or addresses appear in any court documents. He also will keep them in the courthouse during lunch, bringing in their meals instead of letting them go to restaurants.

Jurors' names and addresses are routinely a matter of public record, and jurors are normally allowed to go eat lunch on their own. Montalvo said in a court filing that different jury rules are needed because Barraza's is a high-profile case.

It's TPA blog roundup

With blue lips and chattering teeth, the Texas Progressive Alliance brings you a hot steaming mug of blog highlights for the week.

This week on Left of College Station: the filling deadline has ended and the primaries in the Brazos Valley are crowded with candidates. Also, a look at who tweets among the primary candidates for Texas Congressional District 17 and which does not want Left of College Station to follow their tweets. Teddy also takes a look at the modern day slavery of human trafficking, and how Houston has become one of the biggest hubs for the modern day slave trade. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the Texas GOP's inability to govern and the opportunities that provides for Democrats, GOP divisions can bring Democratic gains in Texas.

The Denton County candidates are ready to go at the Texas Cloverleaf.

How does Texas compare with other states? A statistical analysis with graphs reveals the truth at Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

Off the Kuff has a modest suggestion for how to handle Harris County's current budget shortfall.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme agrees it's time to put our money in community banks.

Thinking and acting both locally and globally, Neil at Texas Liberal sent membership donations to both Greenpeace and the Democratic Women of Denton County.

After a noted anti-gay and Republican activist filed to run as a Democrat against an unchallenged incumbent GOP county commissioner, investigation determined that the man used the wrong address and was disqualified from the ballot. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has more on the story.

Bay Area Houston nominates Dave Wilson for the "Dripping with Hypocrisy" award with One Man. No Woman.

WhosPlayin has the story of a public servant who manages a $13 million facility, where he works for the taxpayer by day, and for the private club that rents the facility at night.

McBlogger sees some problems with Sen. Hutchison's ad taking on 39% and some of the people making excuses for 39%.

Paul Burka touts Perry for president

How low does Burka think today's Republican party has sunk? Pretty far, apparently.

Burka: “Who among the contenders has a better conservative record? Who better expresses the anger of the average Republican voter? Who has a more robust fundraising base? Of the governors commonly mentioned—Tim Pawlenty, of Minnesota; Haley Barbour, of Mississippi; Bobby Jindal, of Louisiana; Mitch Daniels, of Indiana—whose state has weathered the recession more successfully?”

I’m not going to try to recap the article here. You should read it for yourself. What I will say is that Burka very deftly describes how Perry’s actions over the past year have fundamentally changed his race against Hutchison and left him in perfect position to ride the anti-government fervor of tea-partiers and others to the top of the national GOP field. Burka doesn’t assure that Perry will win in March or November of this year, but he does demonstrate why Perry is an extremely confident politician right now.

Recall effort underway for Victoria Council Member Rangel

The group trying to recall city Council Member Denise Rangel will have a public meeting Tuesday to begin planning its strategy.

Rangel was one of four city council members who voted to amend the city budget to buy 76 acres for a new sewer plant in south Victoria. The property is along Southwest Ben Jordan Street between Laurent Street and Hand Road.

Bush Administration hid deaths of immigrants

I'm surprised with all of the Republican fury over immigration and the blood lust for the death penalty, the Bushies didn't highlight the deaths.

Silence has long shrouded the men and women who die in the nation’s immigration jails. For years, they went uncounted and unnamed in the public record. Even in 2008, when The New York Times obtained and published a federal government list of such deaths, few facts were available about who these people were and how they died.

Acknowledging racism is worse than supporting racism according to John Cornyn

John Cornyn, famous for enabling rapists, has his pants in a ginned up twist over Harry Reid's comments during the 2008 presidential race. Reid's comments presuppose prejudice in the American electorate. Republicans are equating Reid's words with Trent Lott. Trent Lott wistfully imagined an America where Strom Thurmond and his segregated view of life had prevailed.

Lott noted that in Thurmond's 1948 presidential campaign, whose centerpiece was opposition to integration, Mississippi was one of four states Thurmond carried.

...

"We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years either," Lott said.

Is it worse to pine for Apartheid or to assume that part of the American public is racist?

The Houston Chronicle is quick to write Jackson Lee's political obit

For Jackson Lee, all of this adds up to serious scrutiny back home after 15 years of high-profile — and sometimes controversial — service in Washington. The winner of her Democratic contest with Johnson and Houston lawyer Sean Roberts is all but guaranteed to claim the House seat in November, given the heavily Democratic tilt of the district.

The sour mood of voters is not the only parallel between the 18th Congressional District races of 1994 and 2010. So is the generational difference between the 60-year-old incumbent and her two 38-year-old foes. Johnson, the better-known challenger, boasts of his Internet savvy; the veteran lawmaker hasn't updated her Twitter account since Oct. 22.

Jackson Lee, like much of the Texas political establishment, sided with Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential contest. Johnson and Roberts were early supporters of Barack Obama, then a long shot.

Oh, my God. Jackson Lee hasn't updated her twitter account. She's old. She was a Clinton supporter. That's it. She's a goner.

US Supreme Court declines to hear Texas school dress case

So for now, the kids must keep their political views off of their t-shirts.

Here's a headline that says it all

'Christian views pushed for Texas social studies'

Republicans are all about lying to create the 'facts' and 'history' they wish were true. If you say something, even if it's outrageous, enough times, in Republican think, what you say becomes true.

Harlingen municipal judge running for Justice of the Peace

Valerie Garcia likes multi-tasking, so running for Cameron County justice of the peace, Precinct 5, Place 2, while continuing to serve as Harlingen municipal judge seemed like a natural choice, she said.

(Link requires paid subscription.)

Bank of America accused of taking wrong Galveston home

A West End property owner is suing Bank of America Corp., asserting its agents mistakenly seized a vacation house he owns free and clear, then changed the locks and shut the power off, resulting in the smelly spoiling of about 75 pounds of salmon and halibut from an Alaska fishing trip and other damages.

Dr. Alan Schroit filed the lawsuit Monday in the 122nd State District Court in Galveston against the bank with which he has neither a relationship nor a mortgage.

How can this happen? Didn't Bank of America have to go to court to begin taking that house?

A good reason to move your money out of a big bank to a community bank.

2 Democrats join Rodriguez to vie for Shapleigh's senate seat

Former County attorney José Rodríguez was the first to announce for the seat that state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh will vacate after 13 years in office. For a while it seemed that Rodríguez would be alone in the Democratic primary election.

...

Retired University of Texas at El Paso professor Louis Irwin, 66, said the Senate seat was too important for a candidate to inherit it without going through a contested election.

Ysleta Independent School District Trustee Liza Montelongo, 43, said she wanted to have a voice at the state level and believed the Senate seat would afford her that opportunity.

Cameron County DA's fight with the County goes forward

Hidalgo County State District Judge Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. has been assigned to preside over a civil lawsuit Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos has filed against the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court and its civil division.

Rodriguez was notified late Thursday that State District Judge J. Manuel Bañales of Corpus Christi, the presiding judge of the Fifth Administrative Judicial Region that includes the Rio Grande Valley, had selected him to hear the case, a court employee of Rodriguez’s said on Friday.

Republicans like to rewrite history

Just ask Rudy Giuliani or Dana Perino about Bush's record protecting Americans. What about 9/11, the shoe bomber, anthrax attacks and Katrina you say? They didn't happen under Bush's watch. Maybe, those events didn't happen at all.

Texas Republicans want school children to learn about the America of their imagination. Real people and events need not apply.

For years, the State Board of Education has ignored the early pioneers who came here, said Benny Martinez, a LULAC historian of Goliad.

"We want to let the state know that we want this," Martinez said. "People are not getting the full picture of Texas. They need it put it on the books."

Don't let Republicans continue to lie or denigrate the contributions of people they want to ignore.

More here and here.

Texas to get dollars for green energy projects

President Barack Obama on Friday announced $2.3 billion in tax credits for 183 ventures to build advanced batteries, wind turbines and other so-called clean energy technology products nationwide, including projects in Texas.

A Republican whines.

But Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., questioned whether too much emphasis was being given to green jobs.

“Our nation should pursue green energy jobs, but we also need to be creating jobs in every energy sector,” Hastings said. “This administration has used millions in government spending to pursue green jobs while at the same time promoting job-killing policies that harm existing energy jobs,” including those tied to traditional oil and gas production.

Faux Democrat, Wilson, removed from Harris County ballot

An anti-gay activist and Republican voter has been blocked from running as a Democrat for county commissioner because of an error on his application.

Harris County Democratic Party Chairman Gerry Birnberg sent Dave Wilson a letter Friday to inform him that his name would not appear on the March Democratic primary ballot because Wilson violated state election law in reporting his business address instead of his home address on his application.

Wilson said he will contest the decision.

“I'm almost embarrassed for Gerry Birnberg,” Wilson said. “He's jumped to a conclusion that I don't live at 1512 W. 34th St., but, indeed, I do.”

More at Bay Area Houston.

It's exam time for new elementary school teachers

Several thousand first-year elementary school teachers will have to take competency exams as early as this spring, the U.S. Department of Education has ordered after rejecting Texas' appeal to waive the requirement.

The agency told state Education Commissioner Robert Scott that first-year teachers in elementary and some middle schools who didn't take a "generalist" exam on core subjects are not in compliance with federal standards and must be tested.

Low taxes means infrastructure, like highways, go unfunded

Of course, there's the little problem of taking money meant for highways and spending it elsewhere.

Texas needs more money – hundreds of billions of dollars more – to maintain its roads and bridges and build the new ones needed to serve the state's growing population, the Texas Department of Transportation's executive director said Thursday.

Amadeo Saenz, opening a conference on transportation, said no amount of technological innovations or other improvements will be enough if Texas can't find more money to spend on roads.

Dollars spent on infrastructure are leverage dollars. You get a benefit greater than the money spent.

Whoopers up to 264

The estimated flock count of endangered whooping cranes rose to 264 Wednesday.

The latest number brings the whooping crane flock above 247, the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge's goal and the number of birds that left their wintering grounds in March.

San Antonio Express News slaps CPS Energy

Through much of last year, it was easy to think CPS Energy officials were terrible at politics but good at business.

Turns out they weren't so hot at that, either.

That's the upshot of the latest batch of information to emerge in the fight over San Antonio's energy future. At the end of the day, we may discover basic business sense has been lacking at the city-owned utility for quite some time.

Great.

Deadly virus vaccines to be tested in San Antonio

Does that mean the deadly viruses are in San Antonio? Maybe. Maybe not. What about the poor animals who will be used up in the tests?

An experimental vaccine against the deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses is undergoing tests at Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research.

The Dutch pharmaceutical company Crucell, which developed the vaccine under a $30 million contract with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will pay the foundation up to $2.7 million to test it in animals.

Corpus Christi Port Commissioner's residence questioned

A Harris County voting form dated two months before Bob Kostelnik’s appointment to the Port of Corpus Christi shows a handwritten correction crossing through his Corpus Christi address and listing his residence as Katy.

Kostelnik has said he lived in Corpus Christi and not Katy at that time.

His eligibility for port commissioner is under question because state law requires commissioners to be a resident and elector of Nueces County for at least six months. Port commissioners authorized a legal investigation into Kostelnik’s eligibility last month. A hearing on that case, which would allow for sworn testimony to be taken, is set for Jan. 20.

Ooops.

State Farm flips the finger to more Texans

After a lull caused by Hurricane Ike, State Farm Insurance Co. has resumed notifying hundreds of coastal consumers — mostly on the mainland — that their homeowner and windstorm policies with the company would not be renewed.

The notices have angered and surprised some in the county who’ve done business with the insurer for years.

DOJ report shows sex abuse rampant at 13 juvenile centers

Only 2 of those centers were in Texas: the Corsicana Residential Treatment Center and the Victory Field Correctional Academy in Vernon, Texas.

El Paso public corruption defendants lose appeal to drop judge

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said no to former El Paso County Judge Luther Jones and District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez who wanted to dump trial judge Frank Montalvo.

See previous posts.

El Paso to get a desalination plant

You'd think some place like Houston would do that first. But, then, would you want to drink the water from around Houston?

Turning salty water into drinkable water is a methodical and expensive process. More than two years after it opened, a $91 million desalination plant is producing about 4 percent of the drinking water for customers of El Paso Water Utilities.

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant at 10751 Montana converts brackish or salty groundwater into drinking water, and it is supposed to help secure El Paso's water supply for decades to come.

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant? Are you kidding?

Thanks to Republicans, all Texans breathe dirty air

Republicans love their polluting cronies so very much, they would sooner see the air we breathe than tell them to clean up their act.

Two federal notices arriving soon will read like dense legalese. Stripped of jargon, they'll actually deliver powerful environmental messages for Texas.

One, expected to be announced as early as today, will say that nearly every Texan breathes dirty air, far more of the population than previously believed. That will force Texas officials to find more ways to cut pollution.

Another will say that Texas officials have let too many toxic chemicals fill the air through a permit system that ducked public scrutiny and skirted federal law. That conclusion is forcing changes in how the state regulates its biggest industries.

Why would a rabid anti-gay candidate run as a Democrat?

I thought the Republicans were the party of intolerance and homophobia.

Conservative anti-gay activist Dave Wilson will be on the March 2 primary ballot for Harris County Precinct 4 commissioner as a Democrat.

Wilson — who once hosted a fund-raiser for Republican incumbent Jerry Eversole — believes Eversole will resign his seat as a result of a corruption investigation by the FBI, and he wants voters, not the county Republican Party or county judge, to pick his successor.

Oh, I get it. He is a Republican.

See Bay Area Houston for the scoop.

Ex Poteet Mayor accused of not complying with sex offender treatment

[Lino] Donato faces trial in March on charges of aggravated sexual assault, indecency with a child by contact and attempted indecency with a child by contact over alleged August 2007 incidents.

The current alleged parole violation concerns conditions from a previous guilty plea for other child sex charges.

Poteet must be so proud.

Larry Medina drops out of El Paso County Judge race

Late Monday evening, Former City Representative Larry Medina announced he is withdrawing from the Democratic primary for El Paso County Judge.

Another reason to legalize drugs

Lets defang the drug cartels by legalizing drugs. It worked with alcohol. Legalizing drugs means the government can control the quality and dosing while offering rehab. What do we have now?

"We are seeing younger and more violent addicts," said Chilo Madrid, director of Aliviane Inc., which runs drug treatment centers in El Paso. "It's not unusual to see an 18-year-old who has been addicted for three or four years, who's had two or three sexually transmitted diseases, who's belonged to two gangs and who's been shot at more than once."

Because a drug cartel is parked next door in Juárez, drugs are cheap and easy to come by in El Paso.

Carla Vela files for County Clerk

Carla Vela, the clueless, hapless overseer of the Bexar County Democratic Party's loss of >$200K in state primary funds, is running for County Clerk. This is not a joke. The real question is, how many clueless, hapless people will vote for her? I'm betting she gets less than 2 digits in the vote total.

Hidalgo County to get a new GOP chair

Hidalgo County Republican Party Chair Hollis Rutledge announced Monday he would not seek re-election.

He has held the post for the last 12 years.

McAllen attorney and former Texas House District 41 candidate Javier Villalobos has filed to take over from Haughey. Villalobos helped recruit customs broker and musician Rebecca Joan Cervera to run for Texas House District 41 this election cycle. The seat is held by Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen. Villalobos is likely to become Hidalgo County Republican Party chair in May.

Sheila Jackson Lee is getting primaried

Houston City Councilman Jarvis Johnson took the oath of office for his third term Monday morning and then went to Harris County Democratic Party headquarters, where he filed to challenge the eight-term congresswoman in the March 2 Democratic primary.

A challenge to Jackson Lee was not unexpected. Her steadfast support of then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton during the 2008 presidential campaign irked supporters of Barack Obama in her district and almost guaranteed that she would attract an opponent.

Her support of Hillary Clinton got her primaried? You have got to be kidding.

Margaret Feuille Leachman joins 4th Circuit from El Paso

Margaret Feuille Leachman, a native El Pasoan whose family is deeply rooted in the El Paso legal community, is now a U.S. magistrate judge.

Leachman, 44, was sworn in on Monday. She becomes the fourth magistrate judge in the federal courthouse in El Paso.

Oscar Ortiz fights Las Brisas

For whatever good it will do, thanks.

A Nueces County commissioner wants Las Brisas Energy Center to pay full property taxes, saying it may harm local air quality.

“I don’t believe the taxpayers in Nueces County should be paying for someone to come in and make our environment less pristine,” said Commissioner Oscar Ortiz, who submitted a resolution against tax abatements for Las Brisas for the Commissioners Court to consider Wednesday.

What an idea! Don't pay to be screwed.

Why are so many Bexar County babies born with syphilis?

Reacting to a worrisome rise in syphilis infections in newborns, local health officials sent letters to Bexar County doctors recently recommending they test all pregnant women for the sexually transmitted disease during their third trimester.

The advice is in keeping with state and federal recommendations aimed at communities with high rates of congenital syphilis. And Bexar County's rate is high. Eleven babies were born infected here in 2008 — two of them stillborn.

That rate of 40.8 cases per 100,000 births is higher than the 31.8 rate for all of Texas, which had the second-highest rate of any state, below only Louisiana. Another five cases were reported locally in the first six months of 2009, the most recent numbers available. That already surpasses the four cases in all of 2007.

Public ceremony today for Annise Parker's inaugural

During inaugural festivities planned for Monday, the new mayor will take the oath again at a public ceremony at 9:30 a.m. at downtown's Wortham Theater Center. City Controller-elect Ronald Green and members of the Houston City Council also will be sworn in.

Annise Parker starts off her tenure as Houston's Mayor by being a great role model. Unlike many politicians who would insist on a fancy, expensive swearing in, Parker kept it quiet, classy and inexpensive.

It's Monday's TPA blog roundup!

The Texas Progressive Alliance is still somewhat amazed to be living in the year we make contact, and we hope we're all still going strong when Odyssey Three rolls around.

Texas has most drilling, worst regulation. Texas made national news this week in the ProPublica investigative report and they used pictures provided by TXsharon @ Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

WhosPlayin reports that the local city council is once again considering the question of whether to participate in 287(g) and force its vendors to use E-Verify to check for work eligibility.

BossKitty at TruthHugger found a poignant editorial on Al Jazeera: Weary Soldiers At Risk, They Know This - Why do foreign correspondents have more in depth observations than America’s own Corporate media who follows the money and toes the line for sponsors political perks that promise ’scoops’.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme thinks all kids should be given free, nutritious school meals. Just do it.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson discusses another worthless GOP plan for transportation in Texas, Kay's transportation plan is a clunker.

The Texas Cloverleaf questions whether or not a Houston City Councilman-elect knows the difference between a campaign website and city resources.

Off the Kuff called out some political gamesmanship over the murder rate in Harris County.

Last week Teddy reviewed the best of the Left of College Station, and looks at the year ahead at Left of College Station. This week Left of College Station will begin coverage of the 2010 campaign season in the Brazos Valley, and report on human trafficking in Houston.

Candidate filings, including Gordon Quan for Harris County Judge and a list of the statewides, appears in PDiddie's post at Brains and Eggs.

Bay Area Houston hopes the next decade will be better than the last.

Justin at Asian American Action Fund Blog covered Gordon Quan's campaign kickoff including full video of Quan's speech.

LibbyShaw puts together the latest throw downs exposing GOP hypocrisy and lies. Check it out : Rachel Maddow Busts Republicans for Cowardice, Hypocrisy and Lies.

At McBlogger, Mayor McSleaze noted with some interest that Marc Katz filed for Lt. Governor. Some, but not much. More important to him was a really nasty prairie dog attack.

Neil at Texas Liberal selected his wife as person of the decade and named his blog---Texas Liberal--- as blog of the decade.

Mikal Watts, Doug Allison mentioned in ambulance chaser case

A second document filed by [personal injury lawyer, Newton Schwartz Sr., ] contains letters, apparently signed by [accused South Texas case-runner Willie] Garcia, assigning his interest in some of these cases to another party.

Among the prominent lawyers whose names appear on the list are Mikal Watts of San Antonio and Doug Allison and Craig Sico, both of Corpus Christi. Watts is linked to three cases on the list, Sico to 10, and Allison to 23.

Watts claims complete surprise about being on the list, but has been linked to another purported case-runner.