Is County Commissioner Handy's trial tainted?

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa has publicly questioned prosecutors from the bench as to why they didn’t file tougher charges against former Hidalgo County Precinct 1 Commissioner Sylvia Handy.

In setting Handy’s sentencing for July 9, the judge again expressed frustration over trying to reconcile the testimony he has heard in court with requirements set out under complex federal sentencing guidelines.

Did Handy get a better deal because of her connections?

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

'State rep, others plead not guilty in connection with alleged Medicaid fraud scheme'

State Rep. Tara Rios and seven other Rio Grande Valley dentists indicted on Medicaid fraud charges last week appeared in federal court Tuesday to enter “not guilty” pleas.

Rios, a Democrat who has held the District 43 Texas House seat since 2009, is accused in the indictment of receiving kickbacks for referring Medicaid patients to McAllen dentist Gary Morgan Schwarz.

Rios was defeated in the Democratic primary. Democrats already said no to Rios.

Corpus Christi Caller Times ups the ante on republican favoritism

To the Caller Times, the Democratic Party is not inclusive, because a republican operative was denied access to the TDP convention. All that hate eliminating out the republican party platform towards, women, Hispanics, Muslims, atheists and the LGBT community - that's not important.

The Caller Times is a joke. A sick joke. A republican operative's woes at the TDP convention is the hottest item of concern to the editorial board.

Good luck to Brownsville

People were just getting over Dolly. Here comes Alex. The latest computer models show a shift back south. Better for Brownsville and Corpus Christi - worse for Mexico. Good luck to all.

More here, here, here and here.

Texas screws up food stamps again

The Texas poor face hunger, children without adequate food. Texas denied food stamps to eligible recipients for too long. Apparently, republicans miscalculated benefits when the hungry finally got them.

The federal government is fining Texas $3.96 million because the state has made so many mistakes in figuring the amount of people's food stamp benefits.

The state exceeded the national average payment error rate in 2009 for the second year in a row, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Errors include underpayments and, more commonly, over payments.

...

Celia Hagert of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates for programs for lower-income Texans, said overpayments, like underpayments, can be a hardship for recipients because the state recovers the money when the error is determined. “That's cash out of their pockets that they have to pay back,” in an amount sometimes accumulated over months, she said.

The McAllen Monitor sides with husband in murder of his wife

She made him angry. Isn't that what abusers say? It is the victim's fault for being annoying. Maybe she didn't get the beer fast enough. Maybe she objected to something he said. She wasn't appropriately submissive to him. Sure. Kill her for that. The McAllen Monitor takes the murder's point of view. This is how the story begins -

A 50-year-old woman had apparently angered her husband to the point that he stabbed her with a kitchen knife until she was dead early Saturday morning.

Neal Morton should be ashamed. So should the editor who printed this story.

Bush's FAA didn't care about fires in Boeing cockpits

That's because republicans don't care about your safety. republicans care about cronies.

Federal aviation officials have known for years that cockpit window heaters in some Boeing planes catch fire. But they haven't required airlines to fix the problem, even after dozens of incidents that unnerved pilots and, in some cases, forced emergency landings.

Pilots have complained about heaters that burned, smoldered or sent electric currents dancing across cockpit windows since at least 2002, according to an Associated Press search of a NASA aviation safety database. Safety investigators have traced the problem to a minor cause: a loose screw.

Texas Green Party ethics - the ends justify the means

What's the difference between the Texas Green Party and the republican party? Apparently, nothing. The corrupt, all republican, Texas supreme court will decide whether the Green Party gets on the ballot. No suspense here. I did say corrupt and republican, didn't I?

Do you want an oil pipeline running through your backyard?

What a scary thought. Crony loving republicans want that to happen.

From the ranches of East Texas to Capitol Hill, folks suddenly have the jitters about a proposed pipeline that would bring Canadian crude to the refineries of Houston and Port Arthur.

The $7 billion project, called Keystone XL, would increase America's access to crude from Canada's tar sands,as offshore crude exploration faces scrutiny amid a runaway oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and a legal fight over a federal offshore drilling moratorium.

La Marque turmoil continues

Upset that City Manager Eric Gage did not post several items she requested be on Monday’s city council agenda, La Marque Mayor Geraldine Sam refused to gavel the meeting to session.

Among the items she requested was a call to fire Gage and to rescind or repeal past council decisions, including the firing of the city clerk and municipal court supervisor.

The mayor is elected by the people. The city manager does not have the right to determine the agenda. To me, that's a prime firing offense. Get rid of Gage. Other city council members sided with the city manager and wanted the meeting to go forward.

Sam’s push to cancel Monday’s meeting and instead hold one Friday with her agenda requests added met with resistance from the majority of council and City Attorney Ellis Ortego.

What a mess. Doesn't the city charter say how items get on the agenda?

The El Paso Times doesn't know what patriotism is

Today's Times has a poll about patriotism. The poll doesn't even consider the number one and possibly only real indicator of patriotism - educating yourself on the candidates and issues and voting. Waving a flag doesn't cut it. Democracy needs an educated, voting public to survive. [Ok. Serving in the military counts, big time.]

Customers file suit against El Paso restaurant

Five men who allege their constitutional rights were violated at a Chico's Tacos last year filed a lawsuit Monday against the city government, a security company and the restaurant.

The case involves two men who kissed at Chico's Tacos and whom police allegedly threatened to charge with a violating a state statute on homosexual conduct that was declared unconstitutional in 2003.

See previous posts.

What to hear something funny?

The pathetic Corpus Christi Caller Times with a certified joke of a political reporter has advice for Democrats. Really. The nerve. Today's paper uses 'Democrat' as an adjective in the 'Letters to the Editor' section. What partisan hacks.

Apparently, the republican platform is perfect to the Caller Times. The republicans are so ashamed of their own platform they won't publish it. You can find it here. As you might expect, the republican platform is all hate for people and love for corporations.

We believe that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases. Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. Homosexuality must not b
presented as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle in our public education and policy, nor should “family” be redefined to include homosexual “couples.” We are opposed to any granting of special legal entitlements, refuse to recognize, or grant special privileges including, but not limited to: marriage between persons of the same sex (regardless of state of origin), custody of children by homosexuals, homosexual partner insurance or retirement benefits. We oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.

Texas Sodomy Statutes – We oppose the legalization of sodomy. We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. Constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy.

They even want to end motor voter laws.

Will a chastised TCEQ do the right thing and deny Las Brisas?

republicans are such die hard crony lovers with absolutely no care about pollution, so, I think not.

Opponents of Las Brisas Energy Center are urging the state to deny the proposed power plant’s air permit.

Several groups had a news conference Monday in advance of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s meeting Wednesday to discuss the permit. Two state administrative law judges have recommended denying the permit or sending it back to the state for more work.

It's evacuation time for South Padre

Oh, the joys and the troubles living on the Gulf.

Cameron County Judge Carlos H. Cascos has issued a mandatory evacuation of all high profile vehicles at county parks on South Padre Island as Tropical Storm Alex continues to churn in the Gulf of Mexico moving closer to the South Texas-Mexico border.

Dallas Morning News story highlights need for meaningful immigration reform

This DMN story focuses on the dilemma of children brought to this country as toddlers or infants.

Federal law bans public schools from denying admission to illegal immigrants. Between 50,000 and 70,000 of them graduate each year from American high schools, up to 16,000 of them in Texas. No such law exists for public universities, though 10 states including Texas provide some form of in-state tuition aid to illegal immigrants.

Juan will attend the University of Texas at San Antonio. But in sharp irony to the country's education ethos, a degree will not boost his career. Juan can't gain legal employment without a Social Security number, meaning he can return to Mexico with his acquired skills or do the same work as his relatives here. He has decided to major in business administration because he knows a bit about mechanics from his uncle and won't need to show papers to open a shop.

We pay for the education and Mexico gets the benefit. Or, we can implement meaningful, non-racist, immigration reform.

Will Alex hit Corpus Christi?

What size storm? Maybe Cat 2. The Gulf Coast is so pretty. And, relaxing. Except during hurricane season.

Computer models continue to move Tropical Storm Alex further and further toward the north possibly reaching South Texas by mid to late week.

It's Monday TPA blog roundup time!

The Texas Progressive Alliance is fired up and ready to go with its post-convention blog roundup.

Neil at Texas Liberal offered up four reasons Bill White will beat Rick Perry and, in so doing, become the next Governor of Texas.

John at Bay Area Houston says Before you run for Chair of the Texas Democratic Party get a clue.

As people across the nation react to GASLAND now showing on HBO, TXsharon @ Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS reminds us that the FRAC Act, Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009, has no Texas co-sponsor.

Musings has a bloggers roundup from the convention.

It's redistricting season again, and Off the Kuff comments on a report from a public hearing on redistricting in San Antonio.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme had a good time at the convention. Corpus Christi was beautiful and the facilities for the convention were great - except for the lack of food. Too bad the local paper and their political reporter suck.

Over at TexasKaos Libby Shaw asks will the GOP do about the Enrergy legislation? Check out TX GOP and its Blind Obedience to BP.

WhosPlayin reports that the City of Farmers Branch would like to add 200 feet to the height of its municipal landfill, which is actually located in America's 10th fastest growing city, Lewisville, Texas.

What is next for the Texas Democratic Party?

Boyd Ritchie won.  The two step was kept.  Status quo?  Or a new day?

Thanks Corpus Christi

Hope everybody made it back home safely.

Galveston ISD trying to hide emails about overtime

How many years does it take for people to understand that internet based information exchange might as well be public. Really. When you write an email, tweet, text, blog or whatever expect that some day someone you didn't put on your send list will read it and pass it on.

The Galveston Independent School District asked the state attorney general’s office for permission to keep private correspondence to and from former Superintendent Lynne Cleveland regarding problems with overtime in the district’s transportation department.

The Daily News submitted a Texas Public Information Act request for all memos, e-mails and reports to and from Cleveland that mention concerns about transportation department overtime. The request is for information dated from Nov. 1 until June 4.

Here's another thought - public business should be conducted in public. Give it up Galveston ISD.

Shapleigh says school cheated on TAKS

State Senator Eliot Shapleigh said cheating on state TAKS tests has spread to Austin High School.

Citing data from the Texas Education Agency, Shapleigh said in the 2007-2008 school year, 639 freshmen started class.

The next year, only 348 of them the were enrolled as sophomores in the fall, and 287 by spring.

"What we're seeing is a systematic removal of these students at the high school level, so that when they're tested, someone can go brag: I got these TAKS scores, and get a bonus out of it.

El Paso County judge goes off the rails again

Anthony Cobos went bonkers trying to get his pick for county attorney selected. Now, his target is a public defender. Cobos wants to know if El Paso County Public Defender Clara Hernandez used negative information about disgraced El Paso medical examiner, Paul Shrode, in defense of her clients. Cobos has demanded Hernandez's client list. Hernandez says her list is private. Cobos says her client list is public record. Simple solution for Cobos. Peruse the PUBLIC record for Hernandez's client list.

Corpus Christi Caller Times shames itself with coverage from the Democratic convention

R. G. Ratcliff noticed that the Democrats were going to fight over the Texas Two Step. Local reporters? They got even the basics wrong, wrong, wrong.

Veteran partisan hack, Jaime Powell headlined a republican from Perry's team who crashed the convention. Powell went on to get a local celebrity activist's name wrong, then reported on a Friday election that didn't happen Friday. Becky Moeller is a Corpus Christi success story as president of the Texas AFL-CIO. For years, Moeller was a political activist in Corpus Christi. Apparently, the sleepy, incompetent Powell doesn't know who Moeller is since she called Becky 'Linda'.

The Caller Times is a joke. Is there a real reporter on the paper? Are you embarrassed?

Corpus Christi Caller Times schools reporter

How else do you explain 3 stories by republican hack Jaime Powell where she actuall uses the word Democratic as an adjective. Rumor has it that local Democrats complained about her biases reporting. The bias is still there, but her grammar has improved.

Why does Powell start a story about White talking about his ears while saying Perry I ruggedly handsome?

Voter fraud conviction for Starr County Commissioner

RIO GRANDE CITY — Starr County Commissioner Raul “Roy” Peña Jr. was sentenced Tuesday to six months’ probation and a $500 fine for violating state election law during this year’s Democratic primary.

Corpus Christi leaders like pollution and money more than people and health

Oh, the smell of insensitivity in the morning.

Proposed tighter ozone standards would place too heavy a burden on local industries and governments, about a dozen people said during a public meeting Wednesday on the standards.

The burden on your lungs is not a problem.

Court says creationism institute can't issue an accredited degree in science

Legitimate science requires use of the scientific method. Faith-based science, by definition, cannot be legitimate science. The school should just offer religious degrees.

A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit by a creationism think tank and school that attempted to force the state of Texas to allow it to offer master's degrees in science education.

Provisional ballots don't change Galveston election outcome

That's as it should be. Provisional ballots that are counted represent an error in the election system. No eligible voter should be given a provisional ballot.

The provisional ballots have been counted, and the results of Saturday’s election remain the same: Rusty Legg bested incumbent Tarris Woods in District 1, while District 2 incumbent Linda Colbert successfully fended off a challenge from businesswoman Angela Brown.

Only one of 33 provisional ballots cast counted toward the election. Woods gained one vote, putting him at 200 votes to Legg’s 209. Though Brown initially said she would ask for a recount, she backed down from that resolute position Tuesday afternoon after learning new information about the process.

Get ready for another insurance rate hike

It's hurricane season and they have you over a barrel.

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association will raise premium rates by 5 percent next year on thousands of commercial and residential policies.

The association’s governing board approved the increases in a 5-3 vote at its quarterly meeting Tuesday in Galveston.

You can never be rich enough.

El Paso Mayor dragged off to court during meeting

How can a city council meeting be interrupted because the mayor had to testify IMMEDIATELY? Why immediately?

A surprise subpoena for the mayor and city manager during a meeting, a city council member accused of sticking her tongue out at a defense attorney, and an officer's integrity called into question.

...

Mayor John Cook and City Manager Joyce Wilson were served with a subpoena to testify immediately in the 2004 criminal case of The State Vs. Oscar Marquez being tried in the 171st District Court by Judge Bonnie Rangel.

The attorney in question is a real piece of work - Theresa Caballero. Caballero is not well liked or respected. The judge later ruled that Cook and Wilson did not need to testify and were not relevant to the case. But, not before Caballero got her jollies questioning Cook on the stand.

Mens magazine measures patriotism

What? How can anyone else measure your level of patriotism? How can they even define it. Ok. If I were measuring patriotism, I would do it by the percentage of people eligible to register to vote who voted in the last off year election. Perhaps there would be a correction for those who voted for Gene Kelly in any year. The Men's Health magazine used the percentage of registered voters. Close. Then they used a bunch of superficial stuff. Not close.

Men's Health magazine has another designation for Corpus Christi: The 97th most patriotic city in America.

In April, the magazine named Corpus Christi the nation's fattest city, now staff are noting the flag-waving abilities of its locals.

Fat, patriots. Nice.

Ultra whacko Leo Berman to challenge Straus

Do republicans want racism to be this year's republican party theme? It's obvious they do.

State Rep. Leo Berman, known for his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, filed paperwork today to challenge fellow Republican House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio.

Berman, of Tyler, concedes that his challenge hinges entirely on Republicans winning enough seats in the November election to hold at least 83 of the 150 House districts. Republicans currently have a 77-73 majority.

Bandera Sheriff indicted

Bandera County Sheriff Weldon Tucker was indicted Monday by a special grand jury on a charge of abusing his official capacity in connection with alleged misuse of a county-owned boat.

The indictment on the state jail felony charge said Tucker benefited from use of the boat in late September 2009.

That's when a former deputy alleged that Tucker had taken the donated boat on a fishing trip to another county.

Houston council member devalues Spanish skills for workers

Sounds like an anti-Hispanic republican.

City Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck has proposed eliminating the city's practice of paying bilingual employees a $70 monthly stipend for their language skills, prompting staunch protests from the Latino community in the wake of national unrest over immigration and multicultural issues.

The proposal, one of 96 budget amendments proposed by council members, would save more than $1 million a year. Other proposals from council members run the gamut, from disputes with Mayor Annise Parker over how to spend council budgets to a request for showers in the council bathrooms.

$70 dollars a month doesn't seem like much for a valuable skill.

Provisional ballots crucial in Galveston race

That's scary.

Voters should know by this afternoon the outcome of the runoff elections in districts 1 and 2.

Results from early voting and Saturday’s election show Rusty Legg beating incumbent Tarris Woods by 10 votes in the District 1 race, and incumbent Linda Colbert beating Angela Brown by four votes in the District 2 race. However, 33 provisional ballots were cast in the runoff, and those ballots could change the outcome of the election.

A three-member ballot board will meet at 3 p.m. today to review the provisional ballots, or paper ballots cast by voters whose eligibility could not be verified at the polling location.

If the election workers had the proper tools and did their jobs correctly, then most, if not all, of those 33 provisional ballots will not be counted. Eligible voters should be on the voter lists and election workers should be able to determine eligible voters and give them regular ballots. People in the wrong precinct on election day or ineligible voters sometimes insist on voting. They're given provisional ballots, but those ballots are not counted.

The Corpus Christi Memorial Coliseum is now history

History lost. It's just a pile of rubble waiting to be collected.

Bexar County Commissioner should just give up the emails

Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson cast the tie-breaking vote Monday on a legal matter that centers on his own decision to disregard a Texas attorney general directive and instead sue the state office.

Early in the meeting, Adkisson said he would recuse himself from the decision. But he apparently changed his mind when it was clear that he otherwise wouldn't have enough votes to move his initiative forward — and after County Judge Nelson Wolff encouraged Adkisson to vote.

Sunlight is good. Using taxpayer dollars and public officials time to hide information is not.

Former Brownsville official arrested for bribery

According to a criminal complaint filed by police, [Gabriel] Verduzco, a former assessor with the city’s weatherization assistance program, is accused of soliciting money from various contractors in exchange for receiving preferential treatment from him regarding the distribution of contracts to weatherize and repair low-income housing.

Accused of ripping off the poor. What a guy.

Texas' dismal graduation rate paired with poverty

republicans ought to be proud. Lack of opportunity in Texas is just what they want.

The demographer who warned a decade ago about Texas' unhappy mix of dismal education achievement and high poverty is more concerned than ever. Actually, he's frightened.

Also getting restless are growing numbers of Texas business executives. Some don't see much leadership from politicians or the private sector in attacking the trend line that demographer Steve Murdock says will result in three of every 10 workers not having a high school education by 2040.

What will happen to the sea turtles just released to the Gulf?

I don't even want to think about this.

In what was described as a "textbook release," 81 newly hatched Kemp’s ridley sea turtles shuffled their way into the Gulf of Mexico at daylight on Sunday.

republican deregulation caused the oil spill. Thanks to Ronald Reagan, both Bushes and the corporate puppets in the Congress. No oversight. Drill baby, drill.

It's Monday TPA blog roundup time!

The Texas Progressive Alliance welcomes the official start of summer with a cold beverage and the highlights from the week in blogging.

There is no way in hell I can pick just one post from this hellish week in the Barnett Shale, so I did a recap. TXsharon on Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

San Antonio hospitals are dumping seriously ill homeless patients at Haven for Hope. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees republicans hating health care for the poor. How selfish and cruel can a group of people be?

Off the Kuff examined some data to get a handle on Rick Perry's performance with Latino voters in the 2002 election.

The update on the Green Party's bid for the ballot, including Perry campaign operative Dave Carney's latest lie, is at PDiddie's Brains and Eggs.

Bay Area Houston has More on Driving Ms Daisy-Harper-Brown and her scandal.

Over at TexasKaos, Libby Shaw reminds Smokin' Joe and Old Box turtle what their jobs are in Earth to Joe Barton and John Cornyn: You are not Lobbyists.

Neil at Texas Liberal offered up a post this week with two examples of folks voting across party lines. Neil says political parties provide a useful shorthand for voters and says people should support a slate that has the same general outlook and goals.

Did you know that executive sessions can be disclosed?

The topic came up in a seminar Friday on the Texas Open Meetings Act and the Texas Public Information Act. Is it against the law for officials on city councils and school boards to disclose what happens in executive sessions?

In most cases, the answer is no. It’s perfectly legal.

The benefit of breathing dwarfs the cost of cleaning our air

This El Paso Times story ignores the lead - clean air is worth the trouble.

Tighter air-quality standards proposed to provide cleaner, healthier air could mean lifestyle changes for El Paso residents and increased costs for some businesses.

Freeway lanes reserved for car-poolers, a ban on gasoline-powered lawn mowers and periodic no-burn days when barbecues and fireplaces are off-limits would help reduce El Paso's smog, city officials said. And some businesses probably would have to invest more in pollution controls, they said.

Driving the discussion is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposal to lower the ground-level ozone standard from 75 parts per billion to between 60 and 70 ppb. A decision is expected in August.

Clean air means more kids without asthma and adults without cancer. Is that too much to ask?

US finds thuggery not very effective

That d*mn fence, drones which may be dangerous and electronic monitoring are expensive. Effective? Not so much.

From the construction of the border fence to the deployment of unmanned aerial drones, federal initiatives have cost billions of dollars to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and have been mired in challenges and setbacks, public records show.

Audits by U.S. Congress’ investigative arm, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), also reflect that numerous initiatives have been stymied and plagued by mismanagement, lack of coordination and no oversight.

And in the case of aerial drones, the rush to deploy new units to secure the border could compromise safety and more.

What would be effective? Legalizing drugs and coming up with a sane, humane immigration policy. Why are we listening to the wails of racist republican thugs?

Wasn't the Valley supposed to get a VA hospital?

Where is it? Congressional rep Solomon Ortiz Sr. says veterans need to register for health care to be counted. What?

Still, a lot more needs to be done, Ortiz told Saturday’s crowd of more than 200 people. The representative said he has once again sponsored legislation to build full-fledged veterans’ hospital in the Valley, and the bill is currently under review by a committee.

But to garner support for the legislation, the Valley must demonstrate its need for the hospital. The best way to do that, he said, is by encouraging veterans to register under the Veterans Administration System, which counts the number of vets in the area.

The higher the number of vets in the area, the greater the need for the hospital, Ortiz said.

Hasn't the need already been demonstrated?

Barton said what republicans think - out loud

Here's a terrific headline 'Message underlying Joe Barton's BP apology reflected GOP's stance'

The problem republicans are having is that Joe said those words out loud.

Democrats sought to make Rep. Joe Barton the face of Republican policies on Friday after his apology to oil giant BP , and another GOP colleague called for the Arlington lawmaker to give up his top post on the House energy committee.

"There's no other way to say it ... Joe's comments were stupid and extremely insensitive," Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Ala., said in a written statement Friday. "I hope Joe Barton will think more of those citizens along our Gulf Coast who are struggling with this unprecedented disaster than of his own desire to retain" the committee position.

Joe Barton is the face of today's republican party. Like it or not.

San Antonio city council members asked to speak out on Arizona law

Some council members may not be willing. Lets find out where they stand.

The council's three North Side members — Elisa Chan, Reed Williams, and John Clamp — all have indicated they won't support the resolution.

Are these reps saying their constituents like the Arizona law?

Somebody passed a surprise jail inspection. Kudos Webb County.

Recently Sheriff Martin Cuellar has put a serious amount of money into repairs and upgrades at the jail.

Others, like Duval County and Jim Wells County were not so well prepared.

Another cr*ppy headline

'Texas GOP walks fine line with Latino voters '

How on earth can blatant racism and hate be called walking a fine line? Really? What kind of landscape is pictured in this editor's head?

Sharon Keller's public humiliation continues

Public humiliation isn't enough for someone in her position who doesn't seem to care about justice or fairness. Sharon Keller messes up and somebody dies.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct is deliberating whether to assess sanctions against this monster.

The main question for commissioners, [Special prosecutor Mike] McKetta said, is whether [Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Sharon] Keller ignored a well-established execution day protocol on Sept. 25, 2007 - the day death-row inmate Michael Wayne Richard was killed by lethal injection.

Keller had a duty that day to forward calls regarding the execution to Judge Cheryl Johnson, who had been assigned to handle any last-minute requests for appeal, McKetta argued.

"She knew that the caller wanted to file something ... that the caller requested to file something after 5 p.m.," McKetta said. "Judge Keller intercepted and disposed of a communication while the assigned judge was waiting - expecting something to be filed."

Joe Barton hides after sucking up publicly to BP

I'm actually surprised that Barton has the sense to know he screwed up. I doubt that he's ashamed. That would be too much sensibility for a republican.

The day after Rep. Joe Barton became a household name - and a source of ridicule for late-night comics - by first apologizing to BP and then retracting his apology, the Texas Republican appeared to go underground.

Joe Barton just revealed what all republicans are about - their cronies and themselves.

El Paso named one of 10 'All America cities'

Apparently, all the thousands and thousands of other cities located in the United States are just - just what?

The award recognizes outstanding civic accomplishment in innovation, civic engagement and special efforts to respond to local challenges.

El Paso was one of 27 finalists for the honor, which is given by the National Civic League.

It's the first time in four decades that El Paso has received the honor, Mayor John Cook said earlier this week.

Congratulations to El Paso.

San Antonio area medical facilities dump ill patients at homeless shelter

Some still with an IV. One so ill she was found face down in the ground. What a republican thing to do. San Antonio should be ashamed. Very ashamed.

Since last month, when Haven opened Prospects Courtyard, its outdoor sleeping area, about 15 homeless people discharged from area hospitals have shown up at the gate, all too ill to be cared for at the center.

“One guy still had his EKG pad on,” said Susan Jenkins, who oversees the courtyard.

Intake Director Vilma Pinto said a woman was found three weeks ago lying face-down on the lawn in front of the campus, in a hospital gown and unable to speak or walk.

“We saw the cab driving off,” she said. “We got her a wheelchair, but Centro Med (the on-campus clinic) said if she couldn't walk, she needed to go back to the hospital. On Prospects Courtyard, we can't have people who can't do for themselves.”

The cruelty astounds me. The selfish republicans who hate the idea of health care as a right are responsible for this. The individuals who chose to release these patients and the individuals who set the policies for such releases are despicable beyond words. Except that one word - republican.

Is the EPA about to take over TCEQ permitting?

Listen to the Texas Tribune Report.

Sharon Keller's woes may not be over

Prosecutors at a hearing this morning will attempt to revive the case against Judge Sharon Keller, accused of closing the state's top criminal court as a death-row inmate's lawyers tried to file a last-minute appeal.

Joe Barton kisses BP ass

But, Barton's sorry if you misconstrued his kiss ass ness. This shouldn't be news. republican house leader, John Boehner, said the taxpayers should pay for the oil spill, not BP. The republican study list whose members include 3/4 of the republicans in congress, agrees with Joe Barton's position on BP - kiss ass.

Rachel Maddow has more.

Here's the deal: republicans are crony lovers. Your well being is of no concern.

Former Kay Bailey Hutchison supporters like Bill White

Apparently, some republicans aren't for mindless blather.

Madden is one of a number of former Hutchison supporters who have crossed parties to support the former Houston mayor, including Houstonians Matt Simmons, CEO of Simmons & Co. International, and James Flores, CEO of Plains Exploration & Production Co.

In a Republican-red state like Texas, White has to lure crossover voters, big-ticket and otherwise, if he is to have any chance at all of defeating the longest-serving governor in Texas history, although wooing Republicans and independents remains a challenge for the party.

"Having worked pretty well with local Republicans, White has a pretty good chance to make some inroads," University of Houston political scientist Richard Murray said, "but it's hard to bring these voters around."

La Joya judge accused of taking fines for personal use

Investigators believe Joe Henry Garza stole at least $2,200 paid as fines for traffic citations and used the money to pay his personal credit card bills.

Are there ghosts in the Cameron County Courthouse?

The Cameron County Commissioners granted permission to a paranormal team to check out the Dancy building.

The Cameron County Commissioners’ Court on Thursday gave its approval to allow RGV Paranormal Investigations to set up surveillance at the historic building to see if anything can be detected.

The group will be allowed to conduct a walk through and take pictures and videos using its EVP (electronic voice phenomena) equipment. The investigation is scheduled for June 26.

I hope they didn't pay money for that.

Another Texas jail fails surprise inspection

This time it's the Duval County Jail which 'failed an unannounced inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards on Tuesday, based on three areas of deficiencies.'

The article requires a paid subscription to view.

Green Party ethics questioned

Why use a republican lawyer in your fight?

A top Republican lawyer has been hired to represent the Texas Green Party against efforts to identify a mystery donor who paid to put the party on the fall ballot.

Democrats have filed suit, claiming the petition drive for the Green Party was an effort to help Gov. Rick Perry and other Republicans.

The drive was spearheaded by an out-of-state GOP operative with a history of helping Republican candidates and conservative causes. But whoever provided more than $200,000 to pay signature gatherers remains a secret

Thank you, Boyd Richie, for keeping them on their toes. Does this mean that the Green Party = the Texas GOP?

TCEQ offers small change to appease EPA

Better to have some control to help cronies rather than none at all. Will a token do the trick?

Texas regulators proposed rule changes Wednesday to try to demonstrate that its embattled air permit program complies with federal law, but their action appears unlikely to dent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's opposition.

The rule changes to the flexible-permit program will be considered for approval by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality after a public comment period. They were described by state officials, who are fighting the EPA over Clean Air Act regulation, as mainly clarifying existing policy.

Are there funds to keep 3 El Paso elementary schools open?

The possible closing of three elementary schools is again under consideration by the El Paso Independent School District, which lost a tax-increase election this week.

The schools are Zavala and Houston in Central El Paso and Schuster in the Northeast.

Why isn't public education a priority anymore? Have republicans won the battle to keep us ignorant and enslaved?

State flunks Jim Wells County jail

They didn't prepare for Monday's surprise inspection.

Here's a headline you don't want to see in your town

'Mayor did not violate charter, legal experts rule'

Well, it is better that the mayor didn't violate the charter.

No action will be taken against Victoria Mayor Will Armstrong for comments he made about former city council candidate Jeff Williams.

Columnist uses Bill O'Reilly as example of why his opinions are better than yours

WTF? The New York Times gave us Judith Miller. The Washington Post persists in giving us David Broder. And, those are the best national papers. Yes, there are great investigative journalists and opinion writers. I like Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News. In fact, the Dallas Morning News is my favorite. Knight Ridder did great reporting during Bush's push to war. But, the Bush years taught us all that the media should be questioned. Now, I look at the author before I digest an article. Often bias just jumps from the page.

Ruben Navarrette is having a hissy fit, because his word isn't golden.

Consider the reader who wrote in to disagree with something I'd written. After speaking his piece, he said: “No need to respond. You had your say, and now I've had mine.” Fox News' Bill O'Reilly got a taste last year when, during an appearance on ABC's “The View,” he argued with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck over Twitter. Hasselbeck demanded to know why O'Reilly thought his views were more valuable than any given “tweet.” Well, O'Reilly said, because he has a staff of 15 researchers who are “getting to the bottom of complicated questions.”

Guess what, Ruben. Most of the columns you write are sh*tty. As for O'Reilly and his 15 researchers? Oh, come on. You have got to be kidding.

The Texas GOP platform says performing a gay marriage is a felony

What? The Texas republicans want to send certain clergy to jail for performing a specific religious rite? Of course, they do. republicans are all about shoving their religious beliefs down everybody's throats.

Buried inside the recently-released Texas GOP platform, a collection of political wishes that may never come true, but which go a long way toward defining their image, was a point relevant to my Sunday evening. In their ideal world, they would "create a felony offense for anyone who performs a marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple."

Apparently, they don't like the 10% rule for college entry either. Racism and classism anyone? And, bye bye to Social Security. Yup, the republicans got their crazy on in Fort Worth.

Pete Olson attacks family planning

File this story under 'men who like women barefoot and pregnant'.

American taxpayers meted out at least $967 million to family planning organizations such as Planned Parenthood over the last eight years – money that anti-abortion lawmakers claim frees up other private dollars to perform abortions.

Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, led the effort by 31 Republican lawmakers to obtain an audit from Congress’ watchdog Government Accountability Office on federal spending for family planning organizations.

Pete Olson is an a**hole.

The Houston Chronicle questions the accuracy of HPD fingerprint review

That is not good news.

The Houston Police Department says it hasn’t found any suspects wrongly identified by its troubled fingerprint analysis unit in a review of fingerprint evidence from 2004 to 2009.

But a misidentification from 1996 uncovered by the Houston Chronicle raises questions about whether there were other misidentifications at the fingerprint lab and whether the costly review should be expanded to cover more years.

More La Marque political woes

The city council seems like it's in a permanent snit.

The city clerk and municipal court administrator were fired Monday after the city council saw records indicating they used public e-mail accounts to engage in political campaigning.

Clerk Lydia Garcia and Administrator Janet Solis were fired publicly during a discussion that included claims of insubordination by City Manager Eric Gage, who said he had lost trust in Garcia.

Of course, half of the city council seems to hate Eric Gage.

El Paso, like republicans, doesn't value education

Academic programs, maintenance projects and even teaching jobs in the El Paso Independent School District are on the line after voters on Tuesday shot down a request for higher taxes.

The district Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday to regroup and begin what President Patty Hughes said will be one of the toughest budgeting sessions in the district's history.

Because the district will now miss out on $37 million made of up local money and state matching funds, administrators must find a way to cut $18 million from the budget over the next two years.

What else can you say?

Aransas County ISD may defy SBOE

Aransas County ISD trustees will consider a resolution objecting to recently approved textbook changes, and they hope other Texas school districts will follow suit.

The resolution which goes before trustees on Thursday asks the Texas Association of School Boards, a nonprofit that represents state school districts, to support using existing textbooks and curriculum. It notes that replacing texts and curriculum would waste millions of state tax money.

Great idea. I hope it catches on, too.

The EPA elbows out TCEQ for more permits

Way to go.

The federal-state fight over Texas' air quality regulations escalated again today when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it was taking over the issuance of operating permits for two more facilities — Chevron Phillips Cedar Bayou and Garland Power and Light.

Perry's republicans have decided to fight clean air protections.

Texas filed a challenge in federal court Monday against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rejection of part of the state's air-quality program.

It's election time and Perry thinks his batsh*t crazy base prefers cronies over lungs. Come to think of it, the crazy may come from lack of oxygen to the brain.

Valley high schools rank very well in Newsweek list

Kudos.

Five Rio Grande Valley high schools were ranked among the top 6 percent in the nation by Newsweek.

Another newspaper using 'Democrat' as an adjective

Didn't they teach you grammar? Or, are you just a partisan hack? Alice Echo-News headline 'Democrat delegation prepares for state convention'

I hate cr*ppy headlines. Here's an example.

Jennifer A. Dlouhy's article in the San Antonio Express News is entitled 'Lawmakers target deepwater drilling ban'. 9, count 'em, 9 paragraphs into the story Pete Olson is mentioned as the first lawmaker. Apparently, 'lawmakers' = whack job Pete Olson. Later Jennifer says the Gulf Coast lawmakers will 'bring up the issue'. What a pile of sh*t this is. One wonders if the oil industry is paying Dloughy and/or the editor big bucks.

Texas republicans slow roll food stamps for the hungry

Why? Because republicans hate the poor and love themselves.

As Texas works to eliminate a record backlog of food stamp applications, new problems have emerged for those living on the edge of hunger.

Efforts to approve or deny applications for state assistance in a timely manner have further complicated an already understaffed, often perplexing and inconvenient bureaucracy, said David Hall, executive director of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid.

Now, too many applicants become entangled in red tape more complicated than simple delays, the organization said in court filings this week.

It's Monday TPA blog roundup time!

The Texas Progressive Alliance salutes that grand old high-flying flag as it brings you this week's blog roundup.

Off the Kuff takes a look at an alternate universe in which the DeLay-engineered re-redistricting of 2003 never took place.

Captain Kroc at McBlogger is not at all impressed with all the cross Atlantic chatter regarding British Petroleum and their oopsie in the Gulf.

Bay Area Houston says that the Republican party convention was invaded by dickheads.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wonders why a Hidalgo election is allowed to stand after so many fraud allegations.

The Republican Party of Texas is either under siege or on a crusade, depending on the POV of Dave Mann at the Texas Observer and Wayne Slater of the DMN. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs just thinks they're a bunch of gun-and-Bible-clinging bed-wetters.

TXsharon has a video of water from a private well that was contaminated from hydraulic fracturing a Devon Energy Barnett Shale gas well. Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

WhosPlayin has been analyzing discipline data obtained via open-records request from Lewisville ISD, and find finds that the data reported to TEA through the PEIMS system regarding fights and assaults might be vastly under-reported. (0 reported last year, but 750 so far this year by mid April.) TEA explains that districts may choose to report some of those incidents as "violation of local code of conduct".

Three Wise Men takes another look at the current outlook of national and state races in the midterms.

Libby Shaw over at TexasKaos shines a light on an article that really should get more attention. "....37 of the 64 judges in the Gulf region from Texas to Florida, have financial ties to big oil and gas." Check out the rest - Most Judges in Gulf Region Have Financial Ties to Oil and Gas.

Neil at Texas Liberal wrote about Renew Houston. This proposed ballot initiative for the 2010 Houston ballot would dedicate money for wastewater removal. Yet it is funded by regressive means, and appears to add no progressive green solutions to Houston's wastewater removal strategies.

republicans get their crazy on in Fort Worth

Texas Republicans adopted another get-tough policy on immigration and bilingual education Saturday that some say will make it hard for the party to attract Hispanic voters at a time when the Texas population is turning increasingly Latino.

The platform encourages state lawmakers to create a Class A misdemeanor criminal offense “for an illegal alien to intentionally or knowingly be within the State of Texas,” and to “oppose amnesty in any form leading to citizenship for illegal immigrants.”

Texas Republicans also want to limit citizenship by birth to those born to a U.S. citizen “with no exceptions.” The platform calls for the end of day-labor work centers and emphasizes border security, encouraging “all means … (to) immediately prevent illegal aliens.”

Psst. Jay Root, Haley Barbour is not a moderate. Maybe, comparing him to the delegates made him seem that way, but, no.

And, I don't like that d*mn fence either!

Mexicans protested the shooting of a young boy at the border, then cut a hole in that d*mn fence.

More here.

Few Kemp's Ridley turtle nests this year

On the Texas Coast, 127 nests had been confirmed through Friday. Last year by June 11, there were 180 nests, and in 2008 there were 162. Both years yielded record numbers.

The very cold winter may be the culprit.

San Antonio Express News says GOP convention like Tea Party

Batsh*t crazy is batsh*t crazy after all. I can hardly wait to see the party platform. I was always nuts.

The Texas Tribune is live blogging the spectacle.

Who wants to vacation on the Gulf Coast today?

No oil right now? What about later? What about small amount of oil?

Texas beaches are oil-free, a message tourism agencies in Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston are feverishly working to get out to vacationers.

What if you want some seafood?

About 20 restaurant owners who said seafood prices have soared since the Deepwater Horizon disaster gathered downtown Thursday to hear about their legal options.

Dirty El Paso judge enters Pennsylvania prison

State court judge Manuel Barraza, convicted in a federal corruption case involving cash payoffs and requests for sexual favors, has begun serving his five-year sentence in a Pennsylvania prison.

El Paso ISD accused of cheating

State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh has asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the El Paso Independent School District, which he said has manipulated standardized tests so that certain low-performing students did not take them.

"The model of excellence for El Paso is based on cheating," Shapleigh, D-El Paso, said at a news conference Friday.

Unbeknownst to Shapleigh, a former history teacher, Stanton Bulloch, made similar complaints against the district on Friday.

EPA tells Texas firms they can get audits

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed a fresh option for companies worried about their pollution permits as the state and federal government battle over regulation of Texas' air quality.

Under the EPA's proposal, companies that hold controversy-stirring “flexible” permits, issued by the state, could voluntarily undergo a third-party audit to see if they're complying with the federal Clean Air Act and make corrections as needed, said Al Armendariz, regional administrator for the federal agency.

Who trusts the TCEQ? Cronie, not the people of Texas who like to breathe clean air.

FBI goes after alleged drug cartel personnel, including a Texas police chief

A Texas border community police chief and reputed members of Mexican drug cells operating across the Lone Star State were among 2,200 people arrested as part of a nationwide drug trafficking sweep — 429 of them on Wednesday alone, federal authorities said Thursday.

The arrests culminate a multitude of investigations over the past 22 months in which authorities uncovered schemes that used fake school buses, cloned company vehicles and bogus bales of hay to move drugs north and cash and guns south.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, cities in which arrests were made included Houston, El Paso, Corpus Christi and McAllen.

...

In Hidalgo County, Sullivan City Police Chief Hernan Guerra is accused of being in cahoots with traffickers from both the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel, according to the DEA.

It's time to legalize drugs. Take away the profit motive. Why wait until the drug cartel infrastructure is too strong to take down in the US? Make drugs safer. Tax them. Offer rehab.

Here's a good question

'Will BP execs go to prison over oil spill?'

What the BP spill is doing to the Gulf may be horrible, but is it criminal?

Did they fudge government documents? Lie to Congress? Commit negligent homicide?

Eric Holder sorry teen shot at border

Holder says shooting was regrettable. One wonders what all of the rhetoric on the right does to motivate shooting anything that moves? Especially, if what moves is brown. Lets see what the FBI does.

The U.S. government on Thursday launched a civil-rights investigation in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Mexican boy by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on the Rio Grande.

Sergio Adrían Hernández Güereca was shot and killed Monday by an agent trying to make an arrest during a rock-throwing incident near the Paso del Norte Bridge in Downtown El Paso.

More here.

Green Party won't field candidates for Texas ballots if petitions are illegal

The secretary of state cleared the way Wednesday for the Green Party to be on the ballot this fall in Texas, but party officials say they won't field candidates without assurances that their petition drive was legal.

Kat Swift, state coordinator for the Green Party in Texas, said the party's attorney is awaiting written confirmation that an outside group that bankrolled the effort is not a corporation.

Texas law forbids campaign contributions from corporations.

"Unless that paperwork comes through, all of it on the up and up, we're not moving forward with it," Swift said.

Good for them!

3 women selected by Democrats to be US District Judge

Local district judges Nanette Hasette and Nelva Gonzales Ramos and 13th Court of Appeals Justice Dori Contreras Garza are the Texas Democratic congressional delegation’s top three picks to replace U.S. District Judge Hayden Head, U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz said Wednesday.

Their names have been submitted to the White House for consideration.

Election code violated, but election stands in Hidalgo County

Ernie L. Hernandez Jr. was named the winner of the Democratic Party nomination for the Cameron County Pct. 2 commissioner post Wednesday after a judge upheld the results of a runoff election against Ruben R. Peña.

However, visiting state District Judge Rudy Delgado of Hidalgo County also ruled that the Texas Election Code had been violated in several instances.

Peña wants the Attorney General to investigate. With a 49 vote difference and many questions on votes, I don't see how Delgado decided the election was ok. Psst to right wingers, voter id would not have helped stop the election fraud alleged to have happened - fudging mail in ballots and having dirty election workers.

Brownsville Mayor says don't go to Matamoros

Brownsville Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr. is discouraging residents from traveling to Matamoros after receiving reports of a deadly gunfight near the Los Laureles colonia.

It's time to legalize drugs. Take away the profit motive.

Marfa says 'not in my neighborhood' to solar power

In what [Malinda Beeman] describes as an all-encompassing obsession, Beeman is fighting to preserve that lifestyle, which she and hundreds of other artists have discovered in the West Texas town of Marfa, by waging war with a company that has plans to erect at least a thousand three-story mirrored satellite dishes — designed to harness the energy of the blisteringly bright desert sun and turn it into electrical power.

More questions about the financing of the Green Party petitions

Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News says corporate financial involvement in Texas elections is illegal. Remember Tom DeLay? Charles Kuffner from Kuff's World isn't so sure. The DMN editorial board takes a shot.

There's a reason Texas has a tightly woven set of campaign finance laws. It ensures that the public can see who writes the checks to political candidates and parties to affect the outcome of elections.

Texans have a right to know, and this newspaper will guard that right ferociously.

Now comes a development in the governor's race that has a smell of mischief that offends the law's spirit of transparency and might violate the law itself.

republicans don't play by the rules. Rules are for Democrats - and honorable citizens.

Here's a headline for ya'

"Texas GOP delegates not keen on 'sensible immigration policy'"

Of course, they're not. Texas republicans are batsh*t crazy. Nothing sensible about them.

Sara Legvold, a delegate from Keller, was among those to speak against Adams' proposal.

"No compromises, no guest work, until we have our borders under control," she said. "I want to deport everybody who is illegal -- children, dogs, pets, birds.

She wants to deport birds?

State senator Wentworth has a hissy fit

“From my standpoint, y'all threw overboard a loyal, tried and true longtime member of the crew in favor of (please pardon my unvarnished candor) a Johnny-come-lately opportunist,” Wentworth wrote in a letter this week to Ron Blatchley, chairman of the system's Board of Regents.

The board chose McCall, a Plano Republican, on April 19, leaving Wentworth to stew for about six weeks before firing off his letter.

“It just doesn't' make sense to me — and I know it doesn't make sense to a lot of people who know both Brian and me,” Wentworth said by phone Tuesday.

Part of the crew? Wentworth makes it crystal clear that republican entitlement and cronyism is the normal republican way.

El Paso City Clerk has hissy fit. Shuts down passport service.

Monday, lame-duck District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez said he's tired of fighting County Commissioners Court for staffing and equipment needed for passport service. He plans to shut it down. "We never had the support of the court for this function," Sanchez told commissioners Monday.

He was rebutted by Commissioner Veronica Escobar, who said space was found and equipment was funded. Commissioner Dan Haggerty said, "I even voted for it, Gilbert."

Sanchez was defeated by Norma Favela in a re-election bid. Favela takes over in January. Sanchez is also facing trial in a federal corruption case. He levied an ethics charge against Escobar, later calling it off.

Sanchez is a real piece of work. See an earlier post.

El Paso District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez made it to the Democratic primary runoff despite the fact the he is under indictment for bribery and mail fraud. He's been sued for sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Sanchez claims exhaustion and a heart condition. To top it off, today is Sanchez's court ordered mental competency hearing.

Sugar Land company fined for rescinding employment of a legal immigrant

Apparently, it isn't legal to discriminate based on country of national origin. They don't know that in Sugar Land.

The Justice Department announced today a settlement with Aquatico Pool Management of Sugar Land after charges of discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process.

The charging party established his right to work by providing a valid, DHS-issued permanent resident card to Aquatico during the Form I-9 eligibility verification process. However, because he also presented a Social Security card with the notation “valid for work only with DHS authorization,” Aquatico withdrew its offer of employment.

Ok. It would be scary to see that note on the SS card.

Corpus Christi is closing down on Fridays

Better plan ahead, if you need to talk to a city employee.

Corpus Christi city employees will move to a four-day work week beginning July 1.

City Council gave preliminary approval for the city to implement a four-day work week during a three-month trial period from July to September.

Bend over again for State Farm

State Farm Insurance Co. has hiked its homeowners insurance policy price for the second time in less than eight months, effectively increasing the annual rate for Galvestonians by 39.4 percent since this time last year.

OVER 39%!!

The Corpus Christi Caller Times does logic flip flops to support whack job DA

Anna Jimenez was appointed by Rick Perry. Jimenez immediately got rid of good people so that she could fill positions with her less qualified cronies. She demoted her opposition and then fired him. The Caller Times thinks those actions are admirable. Really?

These events alone would add a strong whiff of politics to Skurka’s dismissal. Jimenez’s previous action of demoting Skurka, the longtime first assistant district attorney, and cutting his pay 40 percent, added significant musk. Jimenez has said that decision was not politically motivated. Whether that’s true doesn’t matter much because it was a judgment call and therefore any lack of political motive is pretty much impossible to prove. A political motive, declared boldly, might have been respected and perhaps admired by voters and opponents alike. But since politics wasn’t the motive, it would be wrong for her to declare it was.

How does the Caller Times determine that Jimenez's outrageous actions were not politically motivated? They just pulled it out of their collective a**es.

The Corpus Christi Caller Times declares itself to be a republican rag

How do I know? Because, the Caller Times consistently uses the word 'Democrat' as an epithet. Only republican hacks do that. Anyone with a decent journalism degree pays attention to grammar. Today's online CCCT headline says 'Democrat gubernatorial candidate Bill White in town for private fundraiser'. Of course, the byline goes to the ultimate local hack, Jaime Powell.

Reagan administration denied loans to Hispanic businesses

republican hate against brown people goes back a long, long way.

She said the farm's downfall was due to the denial of several loans in the 1980s by local U.S. Department of Agriculture agents, which prevented the family from planting. One by one, her siblings — she was one of 13 — left the farm their father bought in 1952 after realizing they couldn't make a living from it.

The farm is one of more than 700 nationwide — and 143 in Texas — at the heart of a decade-long legal battle that a generation of Hispanic farmers has been waging against the Agriculture Department. The farmers sued the government in 2000, claiming widespread and institutionalized discrimination at the hands of government agents, who they say denied or delayed crucial farm loans, resulting in the ruin and loss of many family farms.

But the wait for Hispanic farmers might be nearing an end: Last month, the U.S. government made a $1.33 billion offer to settle the case. And though the farmers and their attorney call the offer grossly inadequate, it signals the possible resolution of what some U.S. officials call a dark chapter in American farming history.

2000 - still republican controlled Agriculture Department. Today, Democratic controlled. There is a difference.

FEMA files suit against president of C. Henderson Consulting, Inc.

I'm sure his mother would be so proud.

A Lake Jackson businessman who once promised Port Lavaca residents a multimillion-dollar resort is being sued by the federal government.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency filed a civil lawsuit April 16 against Charles Wynne Henderson, 76, and the executive vice president of his company, C. Henderson Consulting, Inc.

Attorneys representing the federal government, listed as the plaintiff in the case, claim the company submitted fraudulent invoices in connection with contracts to provide ambulances and staff during emergency response to Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that ravaged Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast.

Juárez 'like cities where government has collapsed'

The murder rate in Juárez rivals the most dangerous cities in the world and is more typical of regions where government has collapsed, an expert on homicides said.

The violence continued during the weekend, including a shootout involving the Mexican army that resulted in the arrest of three women and five men suspected in killings, extortion and arsons in the Valley of Juárez.

More than 5,300 people have been slain in the Juárez area since the start of a war between the Sinaloa and Juárez drug cartels in 2008.

The solution is simple. Legalize drugs. Take away the money fueling the drug cartels. Take away the money before they have gotten any more powerful. Make drugs as safe as we can. Tax them. Offer rehab.

It's the Monday roundup from the TPA

The Texas Progressive Alliance is sitting in the shade with a cool drink as it brings you this week's blog roundup.

It's been a busy week in the Barnett Shale. TXsharon has the TCEQ Timeline of Deception posted which makes it more difficult for that agency to say, "Oops!" Just in time for summer droughts we find that hydraulic fracturing seems to be contaminating Barnett Shale water.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to know why the Texas Medical Board takes a year to suspend a doctor caught jerking off repeatedly in front of his office staff? Just suspension?

Lightseeker over at TexasKaos comments on Rick Perry's management of the Texas state bureaucracy. In short, it is a study in incompetence. Or as I have said elsewhere, if you hate government then no one should be surprised when you can't govern. Check it out....An Open Letter to Rick Perry: TCEQ screws up, lies about it - Gov.Perry has full confidence in them .

WhosPlayin is doing a server move this weekend and may not be back up by Monday, but wanted to spread the word about plans by Williams Co. to put a centralized gas production wastewater collection facility in Lewisville..

Off the Kuff looks behind the numbers of the recent UT/Trib poll on the ACA and the public schools.

McBlogger has never been a fan of self-aggrandizing politicians which may explain his intense dislike of Todd Staples.

A federal judge in Houston wants all the lawsuits that will be filed against BP for damages associated with the Gulf oil disaster. Oh, and BP wants him to hear the cases as well. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs gathers some links on Judge Lynn Hughes.

Neil at Texas Liberal wondered how Houston Mayor Annise Parker, a Democrat, could cite an article calling Houston a successful model of urbanism for the nation when 47% of Houston kids live at or below the poverty level? It is time for liberals, progressives and Democrats to ask more of Mayor Parker.

GOP working to get the Green Party on Texas ballots this fall

Divide and conquer has always been the hallmark of today's republican.

If the state validates the petitions the consultant arranged for the party – for free – a Green Party slate could drain support from Democrat Bill White in his bid to oust Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

What's unknown is who paid for the previously undisclosed arrangement, pieced together by The Dallas Morning News. Green Party officials said they don't know who funded the effort. The Perry campaign denied any involvement. And Arizona Republican operative Tim Mooney, who set up the petition drive, refused to say.

Things aren't looking up for disgraced Hidalgo County Commissioner

A series of audio transcripts released this week show that the now former elected official [Sylvia Handy] tried to cover up a $316,000 scheme in which she put as many as five illegal immigrants — women who worked for her as household servants — on the county payroll to avoid paying them from her own pocket. At the same time, several of those domestic servants and her county workers were recording their conversations with her for the FBI.

Throughout the recordings, the commissioner repeatedly urges the women to tell authorities she had no knowledge they were in the country illegally, offers to find attorneys to represent them in exchange for their silence and promises to exert her political influence over the judges assigned to their cases should they agree to take the fall for her.

Texas considering 'shelter in place' for those who won't evacuate

The prevalence of substandard housing and the number of undocumented residents in the Valley conspire to create a safety hazard if South Texas lies in the path of a storm.

Because of that concern, county and state officials are considering the possibility of constructing hardened shelters from schools and other government buildings where residents who won’t leave South Texas could seek refuge during a storm.

Even when the storms aren’t severe enough to mandate evacuation, many poorly constructed colonia homes are still susceptible to flooding or wind damage, said Martha Sanchez, a community organizer with La Union del Pueblo Entero, an immigrant advocacy group based in San Juan. Convincing undocumented residents to head to community shelters could be the easiest route to safety.

republicans don't care about the poor and they want to harass Latinos. It's a bit difficult to understand why Texas republicans would do something compassionate. I gotta ask, what's in it for them? Selfishness is the hallmark of a republican these days.

Pediatrician caught on tape performing sex act in office, has medical license suspended. Finally.

Just suspended temporarily though.

A Fort Worth pediatrician who a state agency says was recorded on cellphone videos performing a sex act in the presence of female office employees had his medical license temporarily suspended this week.

Dr. Lundy Eldridge Cavender Jr., who is in his mid-50s, is wanted by Fort Worth police on a warrant accusing him of indecent exposure, the Texas Medical Board said Friday.

Cavender could not be reached for comment Friday.

Despite his being deemed a "threat" and of "imminent peril" to the public, the board took nearly a year to suspend Cavender. He was initially reported to Fort Worth police in July. Cavender was also disciplined in the early 1990s over accusations that he kissed, hugged and inappropriately touched patients' mothers.

Read more:

Starr County voter fraud cases thrown out

A state and federal court dismissed allegations of voter fraud Thursday stemming from irregularities in two recent Starr County Democratic primaries.

In the first case, a grand jury declined to indict County Commissioner Roy Peña on state charges he improperly handled at least 56 mail-in ballots during the March 2010 primary race.

...

In the second, a federal judge in McAllen threw out a more than 4-year-old lawsuit alleging County Judge Eloy Vera improperly influenced a series of 2006 election recounts that ousted former County Treasurer David Porras from office.

Houston police officer charged with sexual assault

A Houston police officer has been charged with four counts of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression, Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos said Friday.

Officer Demetrie Trevail Dixon is accused of committing the offenses while on duty as a patrol officer in the North Patrol Division.

Is it illegal for La Marque to demand firefighter union chief's job?

Why wouldn't that be union busting?

For those who missed it, Councilwoman Deanie Barrett confirmed what officials had long denied — city council members were trying to send a message to the firefighters union when they let a new collective bargaining agreement sit for six months.

It’s also become obvious that at least some city council members did in fact suggest they would approve the contract if Fire Chief Todd Zacherl could get rid of the president of the firefighters union.

Galveston ISD cop indicted for record tampering

A veteran Galveston Independent School District police officer has been indicted on charges of tampering with a governmental record and aggregate theft, the Galveston County District Attorney’s office confirmed.

Guillermo “Willie” Alcocer, 46, allegedly falsified on-call log sheets, which are used to keep track of hours worked for pay, to show he responded to alarms at district campuses, according to the indictment.

That's a shame

More BP pollution and malfeasence noted

At BP’s Texas City refinery, more than 400 pounds a day of benzene — 40 times the state reportable levels — was released during a 40-day period while a subunit of the refinery’s ultracracker unit was offline, according to a company filing with the state’s environmental agency Friday.

Benzene is a powerful carcinogen. But, that doesn't seem to worry the BP CEO who just wants his life back. At least he has a life.

El Paso Times online highlights Pridefest 2010

It was the feature story at the time I visited.

"This festival is celebrating the diversity that you really didn't see in El Paso in the past," [Myrna] Avalos said. "We are coming together and providing this coming out event that brings the gay community together and celebrating the diversity that all of us have in common."

The times are a changin'. We've reached a tipping point in US acceptance of our LGBT citizens. No stopping equal rights now.

Another Texas wind farm?

The proposed Lewis Ranch wind farm in the Anacacho Mountain Range in Kinney County is causing some concern for Laughlin Air Force Base officials.

Laughlin AFB submitted an evaluation to the FAA on Dec. 10, 2009, and is still waiting the FAA’s evaluation.

Alleged drug trafficker and current Nixon council member caught

Authorities broke up an alleged marijuana-trafficking ring Thursday that includes a member of the Nixon City Council who runs a bail-bond company.

Auvye Trammell, 47, who has served on the Nixon council for almost 15 years, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

You don't want to wait until the drug lords have taken over too many business and political posts. Legalize drugs now. Take away the profit motive. Make the drugs as safe as they can be. Tax the drugs. Provide rehab. Do it before the bad guys get any more powerful.

Bexar County Jail in trouble over lax intake screening

A Bexar County Jail employee is being disciplined after failing to properly complete a single-page medical screening form during an inmate's intake, causing the facility to fall into noncompliance with state standards once again.

Meanwhile, an independent review of practices at the jail released under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that Detention Health Care Services staff did not complete psychiatric screenings on two inmates who committed suicide in 2009. Other issues were also noted in the independent review, and both errors in screenings have caused the sheriff's office and the medical staff to review their policies.

Even the Corpus Christi Caller Times wants the EPA to do its job

Too bad, Las Brisas.

With due respect to the governor, this presents an incomplete picture. The fact is that EPA has made a difficult decision to step in and protect the clean air of Texas and the health of the people of this great state. And we wouldn’t take those actions without good reasons.

Texas has struggled to meet minimum air-quality requirements for many years, and that has real consequences. Pollution in the air we breathe can pose a number of costly, and often fatal, threats to human health. Asthma attacks, breathing disorders, nervous system and developmental problems, and in some cases cancer and death have been linked to toxins in the air we breathe every day. The very young as well as the elderly are especially vulnerable.

And, Rick Perry is still full of sh*t.

Vicious Nueces County DA fires her competition

Longtime Nueces County prosecutor Mark Skurka said he was fired Thursday by District Attorney Anna Jimenez, his political opponent in the November race.

Jimenez said her office has a policy, which went into effect April 15, that required the automatic resignation of employees who run for political office.

Anna Jimenez' own rule was put in place to eliminate her competition. Technically Mark Skurka is not a candidate as his paperwork has not been filed yet. Jimenez has already fired other people and hired her less qualified crony friends.

Harris County Sheriff's office destroys murder case evidence

The Harris County Sheriff's Office destroyed the gun used to kill a Huffman man and sold the car he died in, frustrating his family's efforts to persuade prosecutors to charge the man they believe responsible.

The destruction of evidence came to light after the victim's family and a private investigator were told that a grand jury last fall declined to indict a known drug dealer with a violent past in the death of Marty Anton Koci.

I can't think of a good reason for what the Sheriff's office did. Can you? PS: The Harris County Sheriff is Adrian Garcia just in case you were wondering. The author of this article didn't think that was an important piece of information. I do.

Hooray for judges in Las Brisas case

The judges in the Las Brisas Energy Center air permit case wrote a letter Wednesday saying they stand by their recommendations that the permit should not be issued as it stands.

Judges Tommy Bennett and Craig Broyles recommended in March that the permit be denied or sent back to the state for revisions. They say in their letter that the law is unclear on how Texas Commission on Environmental Quality commissioners must handle the application if they find it is lacking.

Psst. EPA. Oh, EPA. Look here.

The Texas Tribune has some good stuff on Texas air quality and the EPA. No surprise, Perry is full of sh*t.

Brownville ISD whistleblower denied grievance

The Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday upheld the district’s previous decision to deny a whistleblower grievance by suspended Special Services director Art Rendon.

...

[Rendon’s attorney Ben] Neece said Rendon learned soon after being appointed special services director at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year that the psychological and autism evaluations BISD was using were not scientifically valid.

After discovering 30 due-process complaints filed by Jonas, Rendon suspected systemic fraud and contacted Texas Ranger Rolando Casteñeda in January 2008, Neece said. About the same time Rendon contacted Hershel Price, an investigator for the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office.

BISD board of trustees voted 4-3.

Candidate charges election fraud in Cameron County trial

Visiting state District Judge Rudy Delgado will decide soon if the April 13 runoff election for the Democratic Party’s nomination to the Cameron County Pct. 2 commissioner post was mired in fraud.

This follows Wednesday’s trial on the civil lawsuit that Ruben R. Peña filed against Ernie L. Hernandez Jr., contesting returns. Peña came up 49 votes short with 2,110 votes to Hernandez’s 2,159 votes.

...

Upon questioning, other witnesses noted that they had not been helped by anyone although their mail-in ballot materials showed the signatures of election workers noting assistance, while some voters said that election workers voted their ballots.

Another voter told Peña that he voted, but he doesn’t know for whom, while another witness said he received mail-in ballots at his home for relatives who do not live with him, including a relative who lives in Cd. Victoria, Mexico.

Furthermore, numerous voters testified that Hernandez’s wife, Becerra, Ozuna and Rodriguez picked up their ballots at their homes, in violation of the Texas Election Code, Peña said. Another witness testified that the signature on her application to vote by mail was not her’s.

Looks like a duck. Quacks like a duck. Psst: Voter ID at the polls would not prevent the type of election fraud claimed.

Perry's TCEQ might get into more trouble

U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess has called on the Texas attorney general to investigate the state's environmental agency, following an audit report that showed agency officials may have withheld information about toxic compounds found near natural-gas facilities.

"They have a credibility problem now," Burgess, R-Lewisville, said of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. "That's what's so disturbing. It calls into question virtually everything else they have done so far. You don't like to be treated dismissively."

Why would Burgess think Abbott would be any better. Abbott is a republican.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Club wants the EPA to do more about air quality.

While the EPA goads Texas to reform its air pollution permits, the federal agency is neglecting its own duties under the Clean Air Act, Texas environmentalists say.

The Sierra Club said it will file a formal notice today telling the Environmental Protection Agency that it intends to sue the EPA over its failure to act on three Texas clean-air concerns.

The group said EPA officials have missed legal deadlines for action on limiting Texas pollution's effects on neighboring states; reducing pollution from particulate matter, or soot; and regulating ozone, or smog.

San Antonio subsidizing rent ripoff artist at expense of the poor

You don't have to look far to figure out how apartments built with tax breaks for affordable housing turned out to be less than affordable to their low-income tenants.

They did become a form of welfare, but not for those usually accused of sponging off the government.

A terrific story in Sunday's Express-News print edition, by my colleague Karisa King, showed how local developer David Starr could save himself $479,400 in last year's taxes at one complex alone through property tax exemptions created by the state in 1997 and revisited in 2003.

John Cornyn, who thinks rapists should avoid court, wants access to your phone info

John Cornyn, along with 39 other white, male republican senators, voted to allow corporations to hide rapists. Rape - private for the rapist. Phone calls? Now those are different.

Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Charles Schumer, D-New York, have proposed legislation that requires prepaid cell phone buyers to show an ID at the point of sale and for phone companies to keep the buyer’s information on file — as is the case with landlines and subscription cell phone plans.

LA County joins LA is boycotting Arizona

The furor has not stopped. The other day I saw some young Latino boys so excited about their trip to protest Arizona's new racial profiling law. Way to go. Rev up the new, young voters.

AP gets something right in this headline

'Conservatives seek gov't solutions after oil spill'. So called conservatives are hypocrites. Like the senior citizen Tea Partiers with signs saying keep government out of Medicare. I think the republicans should just call themselves the self-serving party.

Rick Perry picks a fight with the EPA and our environment

Yelling at the EPA as a symptom of Washington fits right in with Perry's adopted Libertarian ideology. Except, despoiling our environment isn't popular. Especially with the BP disaster in our Gulf.

Incredibly, Gov. Rick Perry has weighed in with what amounts to self-righteous indignation, claiming that the federal government has "put a bull's-eye on the backs of hardworking Texans." If anyone should shoulder responsibility for leaving industrial facilities in this uncomfortable position, it's Perry.

The TCEQ is populated entirely with Perry appointees, who have been told in no uncertain terms that businesses' interests are a top priority. Ultimately, though, it's businesses that could pay a price for the state's lack of rigor in enforcing environmental regulations.

Go for it, Rick. Be just like Rand Paul and complain about how poor BP is being treated.

Read more about the TCEQ's actions here.

Did you know that your school board trustee gets training?

As the school year ends, school board members across Texas are heading to class.

Their lessons are board training sessions, some of which will teach them to put aside personal agendas, support their superintendents, and embrace the idea that board members and the superintendents make up a team. Their teachers are often education consultants, mostly former superintendents and trustees.

...

Though the class time is state-mandated, the content is not. So, it's unclear just how many Texas trustees will hear the message the Plano trustees got. But plenty will, former school board members say, and the results aren't always in the public's best interest.

...

[Ron Price, a former Dallas ISD trustee] said, "Many school board members across the country call it a brainwashing session."

Sounds like a perfect republican idea - brainwashing and rubber stamps.

Who's pooping in the Rio Grande?

High levels of bacteria in the section of the Rio Grande that runs through Brownsville and Matamoros remains a concern for the International Boundary and Water Commission.

The issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the IBWC’s Lower Rio Grande Citizens Forum, which takes place Tuesday, June 8, at the Commission’s office in Mercedes.

They said you can't swim in it, but it's ok for drinking. Really. They did.

In an e-mail to the Guardian, IBWC spokeswoman Sally Spener said that while high bacteria levels may be a concern for recreational users of the river, water taken from the river for drinking purposes is treated for bacteria. Therefore, Spener said, tap water is not affected. The cause of the high bacteria is unknown, and IBWC’s intensive monitoring study is designed to understand the bacteria contamination and its potential sources, she said.

Texas Gulf coast to enjoy benefits of 'drill, baby, drill'

You didn't think the oil spewing in the Gulf wouldn't bother us, did you?

Although the Gulf oil spill has not spread to the South Texas coast, its effects are already being felt, many in the maritime industry say.

Seafood wholesalers, charter boat owners, tow and other service boat operators, as well as fuel and ice suppliers have all been affected, they said at a meeting here this past week.